By Tara Adamson
Yummy mummy Tara Adamson has been on a beauty mission for more than two decades. She’s been testing creams, mascaras, (she has a thing about mascaras), make-up, lip gloss, blushers, shadows – oh you get the picture – from the moment she first watched her mother apply her red lipstick and pat her face with Ponds. So now that Tara, who has two young sons, Henry, nine, and Olly, seven, is in her very early forties, that mission has turned into a quest for the Holy Grail of beauty products. So who better to write for yummymummybeauty.com than a true professional? Read what she thinks of these…
Serums – and how to use them: Use under your moisturiser, not instead, and great for thirty and forty something skins. Twice a day if your skin is in any way dehydrated.
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Elemis – Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Serum, £97.10
This gorgeous serum is crammed full of the purest concentrated ingredients to help tighten, strengthen, firm and smooth your skin. A sleek, silvery pump action container filled with 30ml of deliciously fresh, clear gel with that yummy signature Elemis scent; smells like it’s actually doing your skin the world of good. You only need a teeny drop of this serum as a little goes a very long way. Initially, it felt slightly watery on application, but this light, silky serum quickly sank into my skin leaving it feeling refreshed and beautifully smooth with no sticky residue. After a few weeks of use, my skin is noticeably brighter and more radiant, less crepey round the neck, and I have a lovely healthy glow. My skin looks plumped and lifted, I have fewer creases and my skin feels stronger, smoother and more elastic. At the moment, my skin is on the drier side, because of the weather; I didn’t feel as if Elemis’s serum added anything to the moisture level of my skin, so I’d be inclined to use it in the less chilly months of the year. Still loved it though! From www.timetospa.co.uk
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Bobbi Brown – Extra Repair Serum, £60
This serum is marketed as ‘TLC for winter-weary complexions’ and is packed full of powerful peptides, vitamins and all sorts of goodies that pep up your skin. It comes in a chic, easy to use opaque glass, pump action bottle and has a milky soft, gel like consistency with a pleasant, slightly medicinal smell. It’s a gorgeous product to use with very quick results. It sinks quickly into the skin leaving it beautifully dewey and nourished with long lasting hydration; glowing with health – a feeling that lasted all day long. This serum felt very soothing and calming on my skin and would be particularly good for dehydrated, or dryer, more mature skins as it leaves skin beautifully soft and comfortable without that awful tight, angry feeling. I was really impressed with the results here; my skin felt immediately improved. The packaging states that it’s specifically designed for very dry skin and that it instantly hydrates and comforts – well, I’d definitely agree with that, but also think that it’s not necessarily for very dry skin, but for skin at this time of year in need of a bit of tender loving care! From www.bobbibrown.co.uk
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Darphin – Predermine – Anti-Wrinkle & Firming Repair Serum, £115
This is an innovative serum which ‘helps to erase the appearance of wrinkles and restores youthfully firm, smooth skin with
breakthrough Smart Firming System technology’. Loaded with potent aromatic and plant derived ingredients, this serum also contains hyaluronic acid spheres to plump the skin and is suitable for all skin types. It comes in a beautiful lavender opaque glass bottle containing 30ml of product and has a sublime aromatic, almost plant-like scent! This is a light, satiny gel which immediately sinks into the skin and is used in the morning, after cleansing and toning or, for a more intensive treatment, it can be used in the evening as well. After only a few weeks of use my skin tone has definitely improved and it feels denser and stronger. It looks plumper and more radiant with fewer fine lines; and those deeper lines (particularly that nasty frown line between my eyebrows) are now less deep! Result! Even those little crow’s feet around my eyes have softened and are less prominent – I think I may have to bathe in this (or drink it – I wonder if it works from the inside out as well?) From www.darphin.co.uk
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Neal’s Yard – Wild Rose Beauty Elixir, £42.50
A ‘nourishing radiance boost’ for all skin types; this serum is enriched with wild rosehip, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and turmeric root extract which will help to hydrate, protect and brighten. I’ve always loved Neal’s Yard signature packaging – bristol blue glass bottles which look gorgeous in your bathroom. This is a pump-action bottle containing 30ml of serum, which interestingly, only has a shelf life of three months – presumably that’s because it contains no preservatives. This silky smooth serum has a gorgeous, very delicate rose scent and is designed to be used after cleansing and toning while the skin is still slightly damp – this helps to ‘lock in’ moisture, leaving skin beautifully plumped and hydrated. I felt it left the skin feeling a little sticky; although, this was no bad thing as I needed to use less moisturiser as a result. After a few weeks, my skin looks vibrant, bright and satin smooth with less dark tones; it now has a lovely healthy looking glow and is not so tired or congested looking. From www.nealsyardremedies.com
