Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream

Those are some big claims to backup there, aren't they? I have an uneven relationship with Garnier. For example, the BB Cream I loved initially but it lost its gloss quickly but the Ultralift 2 in 1 Serum I loved. As I love trying new products, this patchy experience was not enough to put me off.

The 50mL of product comes in a lightweight but very attractive pearlescent blue container. Obviously, the container is rather a lot bigger than it need be. On opening, you're greeted with a white interior and a pale peachy coloured cream. The scent is really strong - if you are not big on strongly scented products, you can stop reading now. I like to think I'm reasonably tolerant of scent but this was too much for me. The scent is rather over the top rose and confectionery - it makes you think of very sweet things.

The cream is really very thick. Do you know - it reminded me of panna cotta or a set custard - something dessert like! A very firm fruit flavoured yoghurt. Despite this very weird texture, it comes out easily and you only need a tiny bit - so plus points there. It smooths over the skin easily and it also absorbed easily. So until this point, if it weren't for the scent I'd be considering it a bit of a winner.

However ... I used it for a couple of days (and it was the only change in the beauty routine) and I came out in a couple of spots. I'm not normally spotty so I stopped using it and my skin eventually calmed down. At this point, I was prepared to give the cream the benefit of the doubt so I let my skin return to normal and allowed any potential hormonal interference get out of the way and tried again.

Exactly the same thing. I'm writing this nursing a spot on my chin, two on my temple and one by my nose. This is definitely not normal for me and given two instances, I'm going to have to chalk it up to the cream.

This is disappointing because I don't normally find new products affect me in this way and this product is super cheap (RRP $20, but you can find it a lot cheaper) but feels luxurious and seems to a pretty good job (minus that scent, obviously). While using it my skin certainly felt soft and hydrated but I'm not prepared to tolerate spots for that!

Available from Chemist Warehouse (& perhaps elsewhere).  RRP $20.

Garnier.

Source: prize.

Garnier UltraLift 2 in 1 Serum (Day)

This a prize that landed in my letter box.  After being underwhelmed by the Garnier BB Cream, I didn't come to this moisturiser (in the increasingly popular "+ serum" format) with high expectations.

I could not have been more wrong.  This is a fabulous day cream.  My only criticism is that it doesn't have any sun protection in it.  That, seriously, is it.  My only complaint.

The cream is very prettily presented: two spirals of cream and serum so that as you pump you get the perfect blend.  It is very lightly scented (a plus in my mind) and the cream itself is super light and quickly absorbed.  I would guess that if you had very dry, dehydrated skin this might not do the trick - but, even if you are like me (my skin is routinely dehydrated) this is great.  You don't need to use very much (though at under $20 you could afford to!) and it softens and plumpens (is that a word?!) skin.

Initially I was using this both morning and night and I did find it wasn't quite powerful enough, with a few dry patches appearing.  But swapping to a proper night cream (and, I understand, that Garnier produces a night cream version of this) solved that problem.

Its main ingredient (after water) is glycerin - something my skin always responds well to.  Next up is pentylene glycol which, interestingly, has antimicrobial properties.  I wonder if this translates well into the cream not causing breakouts in those prone to them ...

I loved this.  Something I will definitely consider buying when I am next in the market for a moisturiser.  Top marks, Garnier!

Widely available.  RRP is about $20.

Garnier.

Source: prize.