skinChemists Collagen Collection (Collagen Eye Serum)

(Reviewed by Mrs O') The skinChemists Advanced Pro-5 Collagen Lifting & Firming Serum is one of the newest additions to the skinChemists range. It is very expensive so it comes with high expectation that it does what it promises. Certainly the product does offer short-term lifting and firming properties and only long-term use would determine if benefits are sustainable e.g. 6-12 months. The serum itself is quite thick (thicker than other serums I've used), a peachy colour and is not strongly fragranced. As a person with sensitive skin I am pleased to note that I had no reaction to this product, which is a big plus. Unfortunately there is also a big minus, and that is the quality of the dispenser which is very poor. After using the serum a few times the pump action ceased entirely. I tried a variety of ways to rectify the problem so I could continue to access the serum but to no avail. Eventually I literally had to take it all apart, unscrew the top of the dispenser the prise off the disc from the bottom of the dispenser and manually push up the product from the bottom. This was extremely disappointing and not the quality of packaging that I would expect with the high cost of the product. This clearly has impacted on my experience and hence scoring of the product and skinChemists needs to address the poor quality of the dispenser as a priority.

At the time of writing this review, Amazon is selling this product for £95.99. I don't know what your budget is, but for me that price puts this squarely in the "luxury" bracket. Considering that, my first impressions were pretty disappointing. There was no box with my sample and the bottle didn't look or feel like anything special. I'm also not a fan of pump cylinders as I always think the design means that quite a lot of the product is inevitably wasted once it sinks below the level of the pump.It does pump out smoothly and cleanly with no residue left on the container, so no worries about wastage from that point of view at least. It also goes on smoothly, absorbs quickly, and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy. However I can't honestly say that I see any difference in my skin after using it for about three weeks, and considering the price tag I'd have hoped for a noticeable improvementA rather more obscure complaint as well - the smell of this was very familiar, and not something I'd normally associate with beauty products. It took some time for the penny to drop, but eventually I realised the scent I was recognising seemed to be formaldehyde (my mother worked in medicine, and my father taught anatomy, so this was not an unfamiliar smell in my childhood home!). I can certainly see why that would have a "preservative" effect on the skin, but it's both off-putting and somewhat disturbing. Because the product did not include any list of ingredients, I wasn't able to check whether my hunch was correct - another slightly off-putting detail as I'd prefer to know exactly what I am applying to my facial skin!It wasn't a bad product, just in no way worth the price and not something I'd feel happy recommending or indeed purchasing in future.

This was a product originally requested via Amazon's Vine scheme but that failed to arrive on schedule. After two weeks' wait the order was cancelled but it was later delivered when no longer expected.'skinChemists Rose Quartz Lifting & Firming Serum' is a light rose-pink serum where a single pump is intended to be sufficient for one treatment, equating to the quoted 'pea-sized' quantity. There are no specific instructions on the packaging and none within. As it retails on the company's website at £158, there is little excuse for that omission. As a brand, skinChemists is not well-known but they claim to be a leading facial care brand.Intended to lift and brighten the skin, it is claimed that its mineral content will reflect light. Most ingredients employed are otherwise standard industrially-produced items most of which, if not all, will be found in other similar products costing far less. Several plant extracts and oils comprise most of the remainder. As the term 'rose quartz' is used to describe this product and at least one other, and presumably is not referring solely to the serum's colour, there was the expectation that it would be a specified ingredient - it is not, although 'quartz' is, but so very little as it is almost the last in the list of ingredients but followed by diamond powder which was individually quite unexpected and not promoted although it may add perceived value! Its dispenser is all-plastic, a low-cost and low-quality accessory for a potentially expensive product within, but a similar dispenser is common to several of their products and may render the contents unusable should one fail.The expectation was that as diamond and quartz are hard minerals, there would be some grittiness to the product - there is none, even after absorption. However, there was none of the 'glitter' to which other reviewers refer which may suggest that the product needs to be shaken thoroughly before use (although that is not a specific suggestion on the packaging) or that it may have been omitted from a batch as this example is extremely smooth. There is a mild and pleasant fragrance to the product, but it is not enduring and disappears within a few minutes. However, it is its results and performance that count and there was not much in evidence after a few applications, other than some moisturisation.Most serums are used at night and it was assumed, correctly or otherwise and in the absence of opposing data, that night-time use applied to this although it was also applied during the day solely to test its 'skin brightening' abilities - none was apparent. It should be noted that the brand tends to use strange and unusual ingredients - rose quartz and diamond in this, synthetic snake venom in one and placenta (probably animal, but it could be human) in another. A unique selling point (a gimmick for the dubious) may be seen as being important, but skinChemists' choices raise more than a few questions and many doubts about the benefits to be possibly gained from the relevant inclusions.Is it worth its full RRP? - only for those who wish to boast about the inclusion of diamond in the serum regardless of whether or not it actually offers anything positive for the user. Some of their products have similar RRPs but are discounted by about 50% by some sellers and up to 90% by others, suggesting that initial pricing is unrealistic and excessive. Its results were unimpressive and probably no better than is obtained from an off-the-shelf moisturiser and may possibly be improved upon by some brands promoted on TV. There was no evidence of light being reflected from highlight areas of cheeks, forehead etc other than from its constituent oils soon after application but not once fully absorbed.Probably best avoided as it achieved so little despite promising so much! That applies specifically to the product and generally to the brand. In view of one specific claim made for it, a 'glowing' report may have been expected.