Review | Boots No7 Youthful Eye Serum

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I have used an eye cream in the morning and evening for years now but I had never heard of an eye serum prior to a sample of this product popping out of the No7 advent calendar last year. I suffer from dryness around my eye area and dark circles under my eyes and while eye cream does help this I was hoping that the No7 Youthful Eye Serum would be the extra help my eye area needed.

This serum is packed full of anti-aging ingredients; such as Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C and Vitamin A, that work together to smooth and brighten the eye area whilst also firming the skin, reducing puffiness and the appearance of dark circles – it sounds like a wonder product doesn’t it. For the best results, the instructions advise to apply the serum morning and night either alone or under an eye cream. I have found that I prefer to use the Youthful Eye Serum under an eye cream to ensure that my eye area has an extra shot of moisture, but it also works well on its own. The serum has a very light weight texture to it, so even with applying two products to my under eye area it does not feel heavy or weighed down like I have applied too much product. I have used this under a few different eye creams now and find that it works well under all of them.

Now, does it do what it says on the tin – or tube, rather. I can wholeheartedly say that yes it does do what it claims too. I have been using this product since the beginning of January and my eye area feels and looks more hydrated, it is less puffy and more importantly my dark circles have reduced so dramatically I now only need a light concealer as opposed to a heavy high coverage one. Not only that, I have found that makeup applies much more evenly and smoothly to my under eye area and I have less trouble with it creasing too. I love this product so much that before my sample ran out (sometime in mid March) I made sure I had a back up so I was never left without it. I believe the sample I had was around 5ml which lasted me nearly 3 months of using it day and night. The full size is 15ml so it should last me at least around 9 months which I feel is great value for money.

I would highly recommend giving this a try if eye cream alone just isn’t cutting it for you. It may feel like an unnecessary step, but let me tell you, once you give it a try you will wonder how you ever did without it.

The Boots No7 Youthful Eye Serum retails for £19.50 and is available here.

Review | Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly

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I am huge a fan of skin care products that are infused with hyaluronic acid as I find they really help boost the moisture in my skin and this in turn helps my makeup to apply more smoothly. I have tried the original Indeed Labs Hydraluron serum in the past and I really enjoyed how it made my skin feel and also how it helped the performance my other skin care. I was intrigued to see that Indeed Labs had released the Hydraluron Moisture Jelly which is to be used along side the original serum to not only help add moisture to the skin but to keep the moisture in the skin.

The packaging of this product was appealing at first – even a bit gimmicky – but a few months down the line I found I was getting out far too much product when using the pump. I think I would prefer this product to be in a tube. The instructions advise to use a pea sized amount AM and PM, however the packaging easily dispenses double that at a time and it is really difficult to only half press the pump down. Another down side to the packaging is that if you do not unscrew the top you waste so much product. I thought I had used up all of the product, but on closer inspection and after dismantling the top I found at least another three days worth!

I have to admit that I have not been using the Moisture Jelly with the original Hydraluron, I have actually been using it in place of it instead and then applying an oil afterwards. I apply the jelly all over my face after my toner and I feel it makes my skin look smooth and plump – like it has had a great big drink of water. I only used this in the morning as there are other products I prefer to use in the evening, however even using it just in the morning has made a big difference to my skin. Whilst using the Moisture Jelly my foundation has been applying much smoother and my skin does not seem to be drinking the foundation either. I am really pleased with the results I have had from using the Hydraluron Moisture Jelly over the last few months and will definitely be repurchasing this product soon.

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly retails for £24.99 and is available here.

Product Rave | Soap & Glory Beauty Accelerator Night & Flight Moisture Miracle

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Being someone with combination skin I never thought I would be able to use a moisturising face mask. Even though I have combination skin it can become dehydrated, especially on my cheeks, so I do like to add intensive moisture into my routine if I can. Prior to using this product I thought I would wake up with spotty, oily feeling skin. I saw this on offer in Boots a long time ago I decided to take the plunge and try it.

The Soap & Glory Beauty Sleep Accelerator Night & Flight Moisture Mask – wow what a mouthful – claims to stop dry and dehydrated skin in its tracks and leave your skin looking luminous and dewy in the morning. Now, luminous and dewy are not usually two things someone with combination/oily skin wants from their skin care, however I find this product leaves my skin looking plump and hydrated in the morning with no excess oil in sight.

The mask goes on clear so, as they claim, it could be used to help keep moisture locked in on long-haul flights – no one would even know you were wearing it. It has a sweet fruity smell which does linger on the skin but it is not over powering if you are sensitive to highly fragranced products. Once applied the mask does not feel tacky and begins to sink in quite quickly but you can feel it on your skin for a while after it is applied, so that is something to be aware of if you do not like the feeling of product on your skin.

I have mainly been using this once a week after I have used a manual face scrub to soothe my skin and add some intense moisture over night. You only need to use a small amount, around a 50p piece size – but you can apply more if you like – so this pot will last a long time. I believe it is a similar product to the Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask but is nearly half the price, though I have not tried the Origins so I can’t say for sure if it is a dupe.

The Soap & Glory Beauty Sleep Accelerator Night & Flight Moisture Mask retails for £13 and is available from Boots in the UK. (At the time of posting it is currently included in the buy one get one half price offer)