I do appreciate that, after the £20 mark, the right to call yourself a budget product is null and void for a lot of people. What I have tried to do here is to find good value for money – skincare and beauty items that give you that little bit extra. There are old favourites here as well as new discoveries.
REN Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil – £25 Otherwise known as the product that taught me ‘how to love treatment oils’.
Being the owner of skin that likes to sit somewhere between combination and dehydrated (so convenient), finding a pre-moisturiser treatment isn’t always easy. I don’t know if I’m quite ready for the hard-hitting, anti-ageing serums yet, but my skin definitely needed something extra.
The turning point was coming across Caroline Hirons’ blog (www.carolinehirons.com) A facialist with many years’ experience behind her, her advice is impartial, honest and trustworthy. I read Caroline’s thoughts on the REN Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil, and decided to try it.
I followed Caroline’s instructions to the letter. Oils are best applied sparingly – a couple of drops per application are more than enough. Loaded with Omegas 3, 6 and 9, this oil is touted by REN as a means of ‘dramatically improving moisture levels’, whilst reducing the signs of premature ageing and sensitivity.
I found this oil to be perfect layered under moisturiser – the feel of the oil is effortlessly lightweight, even on the oilier parts of my skin. After just a few uses, I was hooked. This was the treatment oil for me.
Since then, I have used this before bed, first thing in the morning: this oil slots in effortlessly with other products, and you can rely on it to not block pores or cause sensitivity issues. It has been a brilliant introduction into the world of treatment oils, and a great insight into how just one item of quality skincare can lift your whole routine.
There are plenty of great treatment oils out there (Clarins Blue Orchid, Sisley Black Rose, Antipodes Avocado and Rosehip…I could go on), but the REN Vita Mineral Omega Skin Oil holds a very special place in my heart. I’ve just finished my first bottle (it took AGES to finish) and a second was ready, waiting in the wings. REN has changed my mind about a skincare product I assumed, for years, I couldn’t use, and that in itself is reason enough for it to be included in my Budget Buys. The value it offers is astounding; both in terms of longevity and the skincare experience it gives back to you. This is a forever kind of product – be warned.
Nourish Relax Hydrating Peptide Serum – £20
Packed with hyaluronic acid and soothing, calming plant-derived ingredients (including lavender oil and ginger extract), this serum cools and calms irritated skin. It’s a great choice as a daily pre-moisturiser treatment for sensitive skin, but also works as a stand-by for skin that gets occasional issues with reaction and sensitivity. The serum is delivered in a medium weight gel texture, nice and light for quick application.
I bought this on a whim when I was experiencing a few allergic reactions after changing medications, and found this worked brilliantly at calming and soothing my highly confused skin.
The best part about the Nourish serum is the price – it performs exactly as promised, and does so for £20. A good serum under £30 is near impossible to find (and the really good ones aren’t available for less than £40) – this product defies the odds and I would recommend getting to know this range a little better.
Indeed Labs Eysilix Instant Eye Rescue – £24.99 You may have noticed how few eye creams have been featured in my Budget Buys series. If you’re after more results than a general plumping, hydrating effect – the ingredients list starts increasing, and eye creams tend to start getting expensive. There are some excellent ones around the £60 price mark (Sunday Riley, Elemis, Tata Harper) but if you’re on a budget, little gems can be found in the most surprising places.
Until recently, I had bypassed the corner in my local Boots where Indeed Labs were stocked. It was nothing personal, but I didn’t think the range really had anything to offer me that I wasn’t already getting from other brands.
However, a chance recommendation alerted me to the Indeed Labs eye cream. At just under £25, I was sceptical but gave it a go.
Within a few uses, it was clear I wasn’t using any old budget product. The Eysilix texture (firm but pliable) is identical to creams at double the price. For me, a good eye cream has to have a bit of life in it – there’s nothing worse than dabbing on a watery, non-committal cream. It goes everywhere, creating waste, whereas a firmer cream stays where it’s needed and does the most good.
Long-term, the effect of Eysilix on my skin was one of gentle firming and lifting. My eye area felt supported without that taut, tugging sensation that’s just uncomfortable and slightly strange.
The fine lines around my eyes were also plumped out, the eye area was nicely and evenly hydrated. The Eysilix, in terms of performance, reminded me a lot of the Elemis eye products – good all-rounders that get the job done. The reason Eysilix works so effectively is that it contains many of the same ingredients and properties as the more expensive products – if you’re looking for an introduction to eye care, this is would be pretty much perfect. There are cheaper options out there, but spending a little extra on something that actually works – totally worth it.
http://www.boots.com/en/Indeed-Labs-Eysilix-Instant-Eye-Rescue_1282805/
Bliss Grapefruit & Aloe Body Butter – £22 Good body products are fairly easy to find, but a great one? Going from good to great in body care means you have to offer something quite simply exceptional.
Luckily for us, Bliss does exceptional as a matter of course. Their skincare (especially their Triple Oxygen range) gets a lot of attention, but their body care also deserves to be lauded.
I have been a fan of their Body Butter for years now – the skin-smoothing formula is substantial but never greasy. I have used it in the height of summer and in the depths of winter without any problems – most body care items simply aren’t this versatile. Using a blend of coconut oil and vitamin E to lock in moisture, this nourishing formulation actually works harder on drier patches of skin, gliding over and gently hydrating the areas that need less help.
For those who don’t do fragrance, Bliss has created a ‘naked’ version of their body butter, but if you do love a bit of scent, the aromas are uplifting and invigorating, and refreshingly off the beaten track. From their iconic Lemon and Sage scent, to (my personal favourite) Blood Orange and White Pepper, these really are luxurious products from start to finish. You can get cheaper body products, but Bliss Body Butter is a beauty icon for a reason. It works beautifully every time, and who doesn’t want a bit of reliability in their life?
http://www.blissworld.co.uk/bath-body/shop-by-category/body-moisturisers/bliss-pink-grapefruit-aloe-body-butter/
Lulu’s Time Bomb Complexion Cocktail B12 – £24 I know, I know – celebrity-backed skincare ranges don’t have the best reputation. But forget those dodgy commercials from the Nineties – this is a skincare range with serious clout.
Lulu has taken anti-ageing as the guiding principle of her collection, creating a range that really gets to grips with the issues of moisture loss, lack of firmness and fine lines. This skincare range did serious time in the lab before being launched to the public and it really shows. I had to narrow it down for my Budget Beauty Buys, but you can pretty much delve into the Time Bomb range at random and pick yourself a winner. The excellent Troubleshooter Neck and Jaw Cream, the Flashback Night Cream and Youth Juice Secret Oil are cult favourites, while the newly launched Powerball Moisturiser is winning rave reviews from beauty editors.
But for my Budget Buys, it had to be the Complexion Cocktail. A lotion that slots in after your cleanse and before you apply moisturiser, this is a gorgeous concoction that treats and revives your skin. Packed with hyaluronic acid plus Vitamins C and B12, this treatment lotion can be gently applied with cotton wool and left on the skin to get to work. Don’t be put off by the 100ml bottle – I thought it was tiny when I first bought it. I’ve been using it several times a week for months, and there’s still plenty left. The packaging allows you to decant the product drop by drop – a few drops on a cotton wool pad are ample for one application.
I have really noticed a difference on the days where I don’t use Complexion Cocktail – my skin looks dull, flat and tired. If you do the basics, but want to take your skincare to the next level – this treatment lotion is a great, no-nonsense step that yields real results.
There are other options too, if lack of brightness isn’t your primary skin concern. Complexion Cocktail also comes in two other formulations: H2Omega (suited to dehydrated, dry skin) and Chlorophyll (fighting the signs of ageing and sun damage). Like I said – this is a very different celebrity range.
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask – £22
If you haven’t shopped at The Body Shop for a while, you may be surprised at the £22 price tag, but it’s safe to say that The Body Shop has undergone some changes.
Although I must admit to missing some of their discontinued products (please bring back Dewberry shower gel!), I have liked The Body Shop’s focus on creating high-performance skincare for the high-street. They’ve made some cracking products, from extending the Camomile cleansing range to developing the Nutriganics range into a force to be reckoned with.
The Drops of Youth Sleeping Mask is one of their newest, and most innovative, products to date. As the name suggests, it’s an overnight mask. Containing Edelweiss stem cells, this is a mask designed to smooth and re-hydrate the skin.
A unique, literally ‘bouncy’ texture, this lightweight method of imparting moisture into the skin has been introduced by companies such as Shu Uemura and Oskia. Used most commonly in moisturisers, it’s a perfect way of delivering hydration in high- humidity environments.
The texture of the mask, though, is where it gets really interesting. It will be quite unlike anything you’ve tried before. A cream-gel format, getting it out of the tub will take some getting used to.
Once this bouncy mask comes into contact with body temperature, it softens, becoming beautifully malleable. However, once you’ve got the hang of it, you realise how little you actually need to use in order to see results. The ‘memory foam’ texture is great for gently moulding to your face while you’re asleep – it won’t slide off during the night (tip: give it 5-10 minutes after application before hitting the hay). If you suffer from dry skin, dehydration, or just have been having one too many late nights, this mask will do a great job of hydrating without overloading. The texture of this mask, I will be honest, will be a Marmite issue: you will either come to love it or you won’t. But it’s worth trying because it’s real skincare innovation for just £22.
Liz Earle Skin Repair moisturiser (50ml) – £20.25 One my perennial favourites, while others wax lyrical about Cleanse and Polish (and rightly so), I’m a Skin Repair girl through and through.
Available in three different formulations, to suit every skin type from dry to oily, the Skin Repair moisturiser alters itself to suit you. The different formulations are individual in terms of their weight and texture: the dry/sensitive Skin Repair is dense and buttery (but never greasy); whereas its lightweight companion for oily skin is a fresh, smooth lotion that gives much-needed hydration without clogging pores.
Each type of Skin Repair is a feat of excellence in itself, and testament to the Liz Earle philosophy of paying attention to what your skin needs now, not following beauty trends or chasing the latest ingredients. This range wins award after award because it works by balancing your skin, no matter what its concerns are. It really is a skincare line you can use for life – there’s no optimum age range – I couldn’t pin down who the typical Liz Earle customer is. They are a brand I reach for time and again when my skin is out of sorts. Keeping customers loyal is no easy task, but it’s one that Liz Earle manages with aplomb.
http://uk.lizearle.com/cleanse-tone-moisturise/skin-repair-moisturiser-normal-combination.html
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine hydrating sheer lipstick – £25 If you want make-up and you want it luxurious, you can’t beat a bit of Chanel. Their foundations, bronzers and nail polishes all have the kind of reputation the average marketing budget just can’t touch. A combination of must-have shades and clever formulations have kept Chanel in the game, impressive when you consider how luxury beauty has become increasingly crowded with newer names such as Charlotte Tilbury and Tom Ford.
Recreating Chanel’s allure would be almost impossible for a new beauty brand – a lot of the brand’s magic is in its history. But while Chanel’s heritage does a lot of the work, the brand keeps fresh with new products. One of my favourite launches in recent years has to be their Rouge Coco Shine hydrating sheer lipstick.
Say ‘sheer lipstick’ and your first impressions can vary wildly. From gorgeous, easy-to-wear tints to pigment-starved, washed-out shades, my experience of sheer lipstick has been varied. Getting it right means getting the balance between colour pay-off and wearability: you should be able to apply a sheer lipstick in the dark. In a moving car. That has a dodgy suspension.
I’m pleased to say that Chanel passes the dodgy suspension test every time (now there’s a review!) – the texture of the lipstick is lightly creamy. Not so much so that it slides about, or melts into a big gooey mess, but there’s enough slip to make confident, no-mirror application a cinch, rather than a gamble.
The colour pay-off is excellent – each shade is clearly defined: reds are soft and dewy; pinks are rich and rosy. Designed to give you up to 8 hours of hydration, this hybrid of balm and lipstick leaves a gorgeous, gentle shine. My particular favourite is ‘Boy’ – named after Coco Chanel’s lover and muse, Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel. With each shade in this range taking inspiration from Coco’s formative years, this is a beautifully designed corner of the Chanel beauty experience, with history and innovation coming together.
http://www.chanel.com/en_SG/fragrance-beauty/Makeup—Lipsticks—ROUGE-COCO-SHINE-118787?sku=118796
Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub – £26 I’m allowing myself one cheat – and the deceptively simple walnut face scrub from Ole Henriksen earns your extra £1. Using very finely milled walnut powder, this densely-textured scrub glides around the skin with ease, leaving you with a softly glowing complexion. Some scrubs play too rough, but the consistency of the Ole Henriksen is perfectly judged. I wouldn’t recommend a granular scrub for very acne-prone skin, but for everyone else (especially if you’re experiencing dull, sluggish skin), this is the ideal boost to get your skin feeling and looking younger.
http://www.feelunique.com/p/Ole_Henriksen_Walnut_Complexion_Scrub_50g
Dior Diorshow Backstage Mascara – £24.50 This is the beauty equivalent of my very own Proustian madeleine. The taste of the sweet pastry prompted Marcel Proust to recall his childhood and begin writing an almost endless series of novels. While Proust’s memory jog was thanks to a simple childhood treat –for me, it’s Dior mascara.
My first ever experience of luxury cosmetics happened when I was around 10. My mum loved (and still does) Dior’s Poison perfume. A staple of the Eighties, my mum once bought this scent at a beauty counter when they were doing a free gift with purchase. The gift? A very handsome Dior eyeshadow compact set and mascara. My mum’s not that keen on make-up, but I begged her to take the free gift.
We got the eyeshadow and mascara set home and I opened them with all the reverence you would give a priceless artefact. Imprinted with the Dior logo, I can still remember the eyeshadows: four in all –one a burnished gold, a deep purple, an emerald green and a shimmering black.
The eyeshadows themselves I remember being very velvety to the touch – but the colours were clearly designed to suit a woman in her 40’s who needed a make-up look to match her Armani suit and brick-like mobile phone. I was 10 years old with a pudding bowl haircut. The early experiments I instigated were largely unsuccessful.
But the mascara: it was a small size but generous. I applied it to my lashes and the effect was extraordinary. I do have naturally curly lashes but the Dior mascara made them spring to life. Looking back, I think the formulation must have been volumising, as I remember it separated my lashes brilliantly, without overloading them and causing the spider effect.
I was hooked after the first use, and practised my make-up skills using this set. I learned that less is definitely more, and barring a highly unfortunate incident with self-tan, I emerged from my teenage years largely unscathed by make-up horrors. Dior continues to hold a special place in my heart – then, as now, it stood for Parisian glamour and sophistication that may have seemed out of reach to a chubby little schoolgirl, but the fact it was a glamour I could apply to my own face made me feel included. Like Proust’s madeleine, Dior calls me back – and it’s a happy, familiar place.
http://www.boots.com/en/DIOR-DIORSHOW-Backstage-Mascara_12964/
HELEN TOPE
designergirl77 