We all know a woman who looks 20 years younger than she actually is and swears blind she never uses skincare products. In fact, she might never have used anything more than cold cream and a facecloth on her skin. Lucky her.
Most of us, however, were not handed a winning ticket in the genetic lottery. So we want help not only with wrinkles but with sagging skin, hydration and uneven pigmentation. Cue the rush to create hybrid products that work on more than one area of concern.
The best products are the ones with the highest quality and quantity of ingredients that can make a difference when it comes to those fine (and no so fine) lines. The catch? They are also the most expensive. Pick your jaw off the floor when you consider that some women are happy to spend nearly €400 on 50ml of Armani Crema Nera Extrema or Sisley Sisleya Global AntiAge , which clock in at €397 and €399, respectively. They make even that standard-bearer of pricey skincare Creme de La Mer (€245, 60ml) seem like something you could pick up in the Euro shop.
But those are creams for the Marie Antoinette types. For the rest of us, there is cake and some anti-ageing gems out there that don't cost the Earth: Aldi Lacura Multi Intensive Serum is a fraction of the price of Boots Protect and Perfect, for example, and its legions of fans will attest to that fact. Plus that super-expensive cream you've been lusting after from Lancome will appear in a different guise in the L'Oréal Paris range sooner or later. It won't be as good (there will be fewer active ingredients and lower concentration), but it will be much more affordable.
Back to the woman with no lines on her face. She removes her make-up every night with Vaseline, doesn’t allow water near her face and wears sunblock every time she leaves the house. Maybe there’s a lesson in there, but it’s too late for me, so I’ll just have to slather on some of my favourite creams.
THE PRODUCTS
Garnier Miracle Skin Cream
(€15.99, 50ml)
Garnier is one of my favourite budget skincare brands, and the mix of hyluronic acid, pro-retinol, ginger, vitamins and firming peptides aims to work on lines and loss of firmness.
Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist 24
(€76, 50ml)
Very dry skin will experience an instant smoothing as this silky textured cream softens while working under the surface to repair cell damage.
Olay Regenerist 3-point Treatment Cream
(€40, 50ml)
Adding firmness is the goal here, and eyes, jaw line and neck should all benefit. This lifts and firms areas of sagging, including the dreaded jowls.
Elave Dermo Age Delay Night Treatment
(€31, 50ml)
A night treatment from Irish brand Elave has a high level of glycolic acid that hydrates the skin, emolliates and rejuvenates while you sleep.
Urban Decay Electric Palette
(€45)
If you’re as sick of boring nude and naked eye shades as I am, then this palette will bring a welcome blast of colour into your life. Ten ultra-bright colours with a velvety smooth baked finish bring the fun back to make-up.
