TRIED AND TESTED | Super serums reviewed

THIS HAS been a long post in the making.

It's not easy (I know, smallest violin in the world...) trialing all these serums. Each takes several weeks, it's near impossible to control for all the other variables in life and sometimes it's hard to tell whether any change in your complexion is down to the jam-packed active ingredients in your products or, say, a monthly shift in hormones, lack of sleep, new exercise routine, drinking too much... whatever. It, just like your products, all affects the skin.

Since October, we've been trialing all of the products below. There are a few amazing products we'll use forever, some that didn't quite make the cut (or visible difference) on the lightly lined, still acneic, sometimes oily but perennially dry skin of a 30 year-old prone to rosacea during the winter. (Meaning, they might work for you but if you fit that narrow description, they probably won't).

Some are nice-to-have but not need-to-have and we know there are thousands of other serums out there that many of you swear by, have forever sworn off or are entirely indifferent towards.

We might get to those someday but for now, here's what we have to say about...

Burt's Bees Radiance Serum

I've seen with my own eyes the raw ingredients that go into this mixture.

More natural than, say, Megan Fox... by a looooong shot (99.86% natural). 

In fact, its ingredient list is downright hippie-tastic (Water, glycerin, alcohol denat., royal jelly, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, glucose, xanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, sodium chloride, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase, caramel).

The big dose of coveted Royal Jelly delivers vitamins, minerals and amino acids, Licorice is great for those who flush easily or have skin redness problems (read: ROSACEA). Glycerin attracts water to the skin. Phenoxyethanol is used as the stabilizing agent (or one of them), which some fervent organic types eschew, but, when needs must. It's that or parabens, ladies.

It's marketed as anti-ageing.

The texture?

Super watery so very unlike the highly viscous nature of most serums. The dosage and application instructions are respectively a few drops and patted onto the face.

But who can rub just a few drops of water all over his/her face!? I added the drops to my night cream and massage it in or added it to a cocktail of other serums and smeared it around.

The short-term effect?

A bit of instant luminosity to the skin although it feels slightly tacky once on the skin but the skin also does feel much more moisturised than it does pre-application.

The long-term effect?

 Calmer, less ruddy skin, slight evening out of overall skin tone. I didn't notice a different in fine lines or acne.

Must-have or nice-to-have?

I would say really nice-to-have. It would make a great addition to a skincare routine added to your daily moisturiser or nightly treatment. Plus, it's one of the few products that will have Royal Jelly in such a concentrated amount and, having seen the Royal Jelly in the Burt's Bees lab, I can tell you it's the real deal.

Random association:

One of Roald Dahl's brilliantly dark stories in Tales of the Unexpected is titled Royal Jelly. A must-read for any diehard Dahl or, indeed, Royal Jelly fans out there.

Do you have a favourite serum? Something you can't live without? Do share!

Stay tuned for the upcoming super serum reviews:

Nude Skincare Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum

Dr. Nick Lowe Super Lifting Serum

Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Serum

Filogra 30ml Meso+ absolute anti-ageing serum

Russell Organics Camelia, Kukui, Seabuckthorn and Rosehip Oils

Somme Institute Serum (Step 3)

Alpha H Liquid Gold Intensive Night Repair Serum

LUST-HAVE | Filorga at House of Fraser

STORES AND boutiques have made it their business in recent years to stock the best beauty brands and products from around the world. No more waiting until you next travel to France or New York to stock up on your local favourites. You can get them anywhere, including the high street, which wasn't a reality just afew years back.

From Bluebird on King's Road to Content Beauty/Wellbeing in Marylebone, Beauty Cube in Spain or even, yes, House of Fraser, you can get your mitts on exotic beauty goods. In fact, House of Fraser have just rolled out their Apothecary concept in Glasgow, soon to be launched throughout the rest of the UK. They're stocking a private label Apothecary brand that's as gorgeous as any high-end brand out there (including a gorgeous 20 quid candle). Plus, they're carrying brands from far-flung destinations like Hei-She, Hissyfit, Pure by Mary Greenwell, Deborah Lippman, Electric Body, Slendertone, Rosebud, Trilogy, Bliss, Body America, Cereria Terenzi, Banana Republic, Gentry Grooming, Perricone MD and more.

My favourite new brand so far? French lable Filorga. The brand has made injectable cosmetic products for over 30 years and have now brought topical treatments made from the same high concentration active ingredients -- 55+1 to be exact. And they're traditionally used in mesotherapy treatments. Trust the French to bring us such products. They love their 'little' injectables and they love their skincare. Us? It's the slap, to cover up all those skincare transgressions and lazy habits. Whoops. Time to change that, no?

According to the press release, the range employs a patented core formula of hyaluronic Acid and NCTF , and those active ingredients really are identical to the ones injected in mesotherapy.

What else does the press release say? That the range uses a Hyaluronic Acid (HA) with high molecular weight and that "the complete anti-ageing efficiency of the 55+1 (NCTF + that Hyaluronic Acid) ingredients has been proven by a number of studies carried out by an independant molecular and
cellular pharmacology research centre: Stimulation of cellular growth, (+147 %)*, Anti-radical protection, (+90 %)*, Collagenic re-densification, (+256%)*, Slow down of dermal rigidification, (+366%)*

(*series of studies conducted by an independent research laboratory specialised in molecular and cellular pharmacology.)

So that's a bit more science backing up the products than Rodial and their Boob Job, eh? However, not being of a science background I can't verify the validity of their studies but the history of the brand suggests that they take their clinicals seriously.

What do I think? That I saw an instant change in my skin tone and texture when I started using the Filogra Absolute Anti-Ageing Serum, made of 100 ingredients (67% active), including the 55+1 medley, retinol and DNA. How DNA helps the skin, I cannot explain, but the product details state that it is anti-oxidant, moisturising and reactivates fibroblasts.

Since using it, my rosacea has been less rosy (no doubt helped by the Alpha H I've been using in tandem. More on that later), the fine lines under my eyes and on my forehead are dimished and my skin looks more even. Many anti-ageing serums really irritate my skin. I'm not sure if it's the fragrance or if they're meant to do so to inflame the skin and make it look smoother (completely counter-productive) but I have trialled a load and ditched them after a week or so because I simply can't take the way my skin breaks out, turns red and feels uncomfortable.

The texture is less viscous than many serums, having a thicker texture. If you have dry skin, you won't be able to use it alone (like me).

My conclusions: It's in my repeat buy pile for the forseeable future because of the immediate and lasting results in skin texture, fine lines and lack of irritation I've experienced with it.

Filorga Meso+ Absolute Anti-Ageing Serum (£55.00 for 30ml)

TRIED AND TESTED | Top 5 natural winter skincare combos

Beautywoome.com contributor Julia Rebaudo gets her skin armed and ready for the winter weather to come. Check out her top picks to from natural brands for the best moisture boost this cold season.

WINTER SKIN needs a little extra TLC to protect against the cold weather and dry indoor heat. What a better (and simple) plan of attack is there than to double up the hydrating routine? I’m already a big fan of layering on a facial oil or serum before moisturising – nothing beats it for day-long hydration and happy skin. I’ve been testing what’s on offer to give me this one-two hydration punch from the natural skincare brands, and here are the best of the bunch.

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