Serums have fast become the cult beauty buy, the new necessity to your skincare routine. Is it just simple marketing blab or is it something truly worth investing in? Intrigued to see what all the fuss was about - and hearing amazing things from Caroline (best skin-care guru there is, bookmark her page) I dived straight on in to the serum bandwagon. So what gives? A serum is essentially a gel like consistency that is more of a targeted treatment, it has a higher concentration of ingredients and addresses a particular skin concern, such as dehydration, fine lines or brightening. Perfect for a pampering overnight treatment! Applied typically before a moisturiser, it absorbs and penetrates deeper into the skin giving a much needed boost. With three in rotation I decided to give serums a serious whirl..
Aesop Parsley Seed Serum (£43.00) / Antipodes Divine Facial Oil (£18.99) /
Elemis Fresh Skin Serum (£15.99)*
Aesop Parsley Seed Serum - On the pricier side of the skincare market lays Aesop, an Australian brand committed to using top of the range plant based ingredients. This thick clear gel was rather sticky to apply, but spread and absorbed well over the skin. Tacky to the touch, it was different to any lotion or potion I had previously tried, but once moisturised over it was fine. Designed to hydrate, protect and soften skin, I awoke with smoother, plumper skin though not overly hydrated. Teetering on the edge of being 'just nice' It didn't particularly blow my socks off, which was slightly disappointing. While my skin felt smoother and looked slightly plumper, there wasn't that much of a overall difference to justify the hefty price tag.
Antipodes Divine Face Oil - So strictly speaking this isn't a serum, but a facial oil. It applies the same way and let's not get too technical eh. Being a big fan of the Trilogy Rosehip Oil, I had soaringly high hopes for the Antipodes Avocado and Rosehip oil, and I wasn't disappointed. Promising to deliver a number of skincare saviours, I found my skin to be softer, smoother and overall brighter. My skin literally drank the goodness - be careful with application around the eyes, one evening was slightly fuzzy - the Rosehip ingredients blurred away any skincare flaws, healed spots and tackled any dry skin, evening out my complexion. Apparently it works wonders as anti-ageing treatment, obviously I cannot give you a verdict on this (at the ripe old age of 23) but the thought of using organic, natural ingredients appeals more than a jumble of chemicals and a barrage of 'scientific claims.'
Elemis Fresh Skin Serum - Perfect if you are in your late teens and suffering from acne prone skin, this will be right up your street. In the week leading up to my time of the month, I slathered on this lemonade scented runny liquid to prevent any blemishes. While this didn't perform miracles, my breakouts were more muted and I felt like I was combating the problem more. I hate applying spot treatments, I'm lazy and it peels off - eurgh. This serum was super easy to use, being slightly generous with application you could work yourself quite quickly through the 30ml bottle. I wish I had gifted this to my 14 year old self.
There's my verdict on serums, I've fallen in love with the idea, but in reality I've fallen for a facial oil. So much more luxurious. Seeing as the serum market is expanding, I'll be intrigued to see what the high-street market brings to the table. Do you use a serum in your routine?
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