All of Susannah’s friends constantly ask her whether expensive beauty products are actually worth their price tag. Over many years in the beauty industry, Susannah has tried many products and has found that you can really tell which ones work apart from the ones that do not.
One reason for the performance of these products is their high-tech ingredients. Here, Susannah lists through her top five…
IOMA Youth Booster , £149
IOMA is a futuristic science-based skincare brand. All of the ingredients included in it are proven to work on your skin, meaning you’re sure to get results. The brand offers a skincare consultation at Harrods and selected Boots nationwide, during which, you’re asked to put your head into a machine, which reads your skin. It provides you with a list of results, such as your level of fine lines and wrinkles, if you need to exfoliate more, if you have open pores, etc. From this, it will derive a bespoke skincare plan to target your areas of concern. Watch Susannah’s skincare consultation here .
For Susannah, the Youth Booster is one of the most exciting in the range. The lid contains a diode, which acts as a hydration reader. The brand firmly believes that if your skin is hydrated, it will perform at its optimum level and products are able to work more efficiently. This diode is created using MEMS technology (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), the same system being used by Curiosity, a NASA robot that is currently in space reading gas and water levels in the atmosphere.
Press the diode into clean skin for about 3 seconds and it will provide you with a reading. On a scale of 1 – 5 lights, it will inform you of how hydrated your skin is (5 lights being the most dehydrated). 3 or below lights is good and means you only need to apply it once a day, whereas 4 or 5 lights means you should apply it twice a day.
The product itself has lots of different ways to help beautify your skin. It detoxifies skin cells, helping them to function better, increases moisturisation, protects stem cells and repairs the skin. The texture doesn’t leave skin greasy and makes it soft.
Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil , £136
This product feels and looks very special. At the heart of its formula is the beautiful black rose flower. The oil feels very luxurious and it has a light texture, meaning it sinks into the skin very quickly. Susannah would recommend it for mature skins or those that are dehydrated. It can be used under a moisturiser or on its own, morning or night.
Sisley is very expensive, but having had first-hand experience with the brand and its owner, Susannah has seen the huge amounts of research put into creating the best quality products. They scour the world to find the highest quality plant-derived ingredients and she believes they are truly worth the price.
Clinique Custom Repair Serum , from £48 for 30ml
Similar to IOMA, this serum was created with the intention of being bespoke for the skin. It launched last year and Susannah used it for a solid 5 months, during which, she felt made a big difference to her skin by making it look brighter and clearer.
The serum contains a patented technology (which Clinique spent 5 years to develop) and no matter what your area of concern is, whether that is fine lines, wrinkles, pores, etc., it contains ingredients to target your specific problem. For Susannah, her main worries are signs of ageing and skin clarity. While using this, she felt that it truly worked on and improved these areas of her face. She recommends using it under your moisturiser, unless your skin is quite greasy.
Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream , from £105 for 30ml
This brand is the one that Susannah is quizzed on the most. She genuinely thinks it works and her favourite is the original moisturiser. A lot of people find it difficult to get on with, as the texture is quite stiff. To apply it, rub the cream between your fingers to warm it up and pat on to your skin around your face. It contains a famous nutrient-rich sea kelp, which is harvested off the coast of Vancouver Island.
Susannah finds that it leaves her skin glowing and realises that she receives compliments on her skin after using it. If you’re not a fan of the texture, they’ve since developed a variety of textures, including a soft one (Crème de la Mer The Moisturizing Soft Cream from £105 for 30ml, http://bit.ly/190ZQAD) and a gel-like product (Crème de la Mer The Moisturizing Gel Cream, from £105 for 30ml, http://bit.ly/19101fp ) that is better suited to those with acne-prone skin.
Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum , £66
This product feels very different to any other that Susannah has tried. Upon application, its water-like texture feels very fresh and light. It contains camellia extract (also known as the Chanel flower), hyaluronic acid, which contains a huge amount of water per molecule, and blue ginger.
If you’re skin is feeling parched, particularly at this time of year, this product really works to replace lost moisture. Though Susannah recommends applying a moisturiser on top, as your skin tends to drink up this serum.
Disclaimer: Created in partnership with IOMA.
The IOMA Youth Booster is available here .