After being away from London for about 4 months, the moment I stepped into the drugstore I saw so many skincare brands that I couldn’t resist to buy some. I decided to try some skincare made by Boots and Superdrug, the biggest drugstores in UK, to see if it’s worth to invest in drugstore skincare. Besides that, I finally got to try the popular brand The Inkey List and I invested in a full size Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. To complete the shopping haul, I added a SPF from Nip+Fab. Was this a good skincare shopping haul? Keep reading to find out.
First of all, I have to mention that I never seen so many skincare brands in London drugstores as I seen this time in Boots and Superdrug! There are so many products, so many “acid” serum’s, cleansers, anti-age moisturisers! It’s an endless skincare aisles labyrinth that one can be lost for hours! The beauty market has become crazy, this is the only thing I can say. I’m saying this, but I am someone to be blamed, since I’m the target of these skincare brands and I bite the bait. Yes, I have my weak moments and I just couldn’t resist to get more skincare, as if I don’t have enough. The good thing is, in a total of 7 products, I only spent £65. Well, let me convince myself I did a good thing! Anyway, my skincare shopping haul includes:
- Nip+Fab Anti-Redness SPF 30 Moisturiser 50ml;
- Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream 50ml;
- The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum 30ml;
- The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum 30ml;
- Superdrug me+ Salicylic Acid & Ceramides Cleanser 200ml;
- Superdrug me+ Salicylic Acid Cica Booster 30ml;
- Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Overnight Sleep Mask 50ml.
It’s time to review each one of them and conclude if it was worth spend the money or not.
Nip+Fab Anti-Redness SPF 30 Moisturiser
When I saw Nip+Fab Anti-Redness SPF30 Moisturiser on Boots shelf, it was half price, around £10, so I didn’t think twice. Plus, I always like to make sure I won’t run out of a moisturiser with SPF, it’s essential in my morning skincare routine.
Nip+Fab Anti-Redness SPF30 Moisturiser has a key ingredient perfect for my oily and sensitive skin: niacinamide.
Niacinamide reduces pigmentation, refines pores, reduces inflammation, protects skin against sun damage and helps to balance the sebaceous glands which regulate the oil production on skin
Now is this SPF worth it? Quite honestly, it didn’t reduce any redness on my skin, so if I would have it chosen based on the anti-redness properties, I would conclude, it’s not worth it. Although it has a tightening effect on my skin that I really like it.
Instead of putting on the packaging “anti-redness”, I’d rather put “anti-aging”. As an anti-age SPF it does its job. There are other advantages such as: it suits sensitive skin (it reacted well on my skin), it doesn’t cause spots (some SPF’s are too oily), it feels lightweight, it doesn’t leave white traces difficult to blend onto the face, as some moisturisers with SPF and the practical bottle pump is a massive advantage, which prevents the packaging to end up dirty and sticky.
Will I buy it again? If it will be half price, sure, if not, I’d prefer trying another SPF that helps my skin to be more even like my usual SPF from Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart (which it’s being discontinued, so if you know a good SPF that improves skin texture, I’m open to suggestions!).
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
I tried early this year the popular Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. It became during summer my SOS when my skin reacted to the intense sunlight in Tenerife. Somehow it soothed my skin whilst using it at night-time. The vitamin E and the highly nourishing petrolatum (the base of Vaseline) regenerate dry and cracked skin.
I refilled it in my cupboard, in case my skin becomes reactive and patchy again. I would recommend this cream to anyone that tends to have localised dry skin patches. This is the only high-end skincare product that I bought in this haul.
The Inkey List NIACINAMIDE AND Hyaluronic Acid Serum
The skincare brand The Inkey List has so many good reviews all over the world that of course I had to try it. I took the Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid Serum as a starter. I understand now why the brand became so popular. The products are good and the price even better, only £6.99.
Both serum’s have a transparent consistency and do what they are meant to do. Niacimide Serum controls sebum production and reduces enlarged pores and the Hyaluronic Serum hydrates, replenishes and keeps moisture into skin. Lately, I’m using more Niacinamide Serum than the Hyaluronic one. From this skincare shopping haul, Niacinamide Serum is my favourite amongst the 7 products. I used it for one week, day and night, and my skin became more smooth and uniform.
Would I buy it again? Yes I would, especially the Niacinamide Serum.
Superdrug me+ Salicylic Acid Cleanser and Salicylic Acid Cica Booster
When I stepped into Superdrug, after 4 months away from London, and saw the Salicylic Acid range, I wonder if a drugstore skincare line like this would work for me or not. The affordable price of £7.99 also tempted me.
Salicylic acid is recommended for oily and acne-prone skin. It helps to reduce redness, unclog pores and remove bacteria that causes acne. I thought this is what I needed to reduce the spots I get on my oily t-zone. Superdrug Me+ Salicylic Acid Cleanser worked perfectly on my skin and it was effective in removing dirt and dead cells, instead Superdrug Me+ Salicylic Acid Cica Booster caused my skin to become blotchy and red. Both have good reviews, but unfortunately the Cica Booster doesn’t suit my skin. It is strange, because cica, centella asiatica, is a powerful ingredient to calm skin.
Will I buy them again? The cleaner yes, but the Cica Booster Serum, no.
Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Overnight Sleep Mask
When I saw on the shelf Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Overnight Sleep Mask, I let myself be attracted by the name “overnight sleep mask”. I love overnight masks. I used it twice, thinking that would balance my skin and make my skin less reactive to environmental stress, but I didn’t see any change. It didn’t cause any reaction either. So my opinion about this moisturiser is neutral. It moisturises, but the tea tree oil and witch hazel ingredients are not effective in calming skin and reduce bacteria. Anyway for £5 you can’t expect much…
So will I buy it for a second time? No.
CONCLUSION
If I compare my shopping haul last year in Sephora (article here) to this one from a drugstore, I would have to say, it compensates paying more to have products that do what they say.
From this skincare shopping haul, my favourites are The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hours Cream. The rest of the products aren’t bad overall, but they aren’t over the top either. The skincare with the Boots and Superdrug label, were the ones I liked the least.
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