Out of The Ordinary ... Skincare

Have you heard of a brand called The Ordinary? 

Up until a month ago I hadn't, however in the beauty world it's hard to miss a brand which has a massive 25,000 person waiting list for their new foundation, yet to be released here in the UK.

Of course I immediately signed up to the said waiting-list! I need to find out what all the fuss is about!!

In the mean-time I thought I'd give some of their skincare offerings a go. I have to say I am impressed. The names for their products are simple, packaging plain but sleek. But what I love is you know exactly what you are getting in terms of ingredients. 

According to their website the idea is to layer the products depending on the skin issues you wish to tackle and best of all the price is amazing. So for 3 or 4 products it's actually affordable to layer them probably for less than a high end skincare product. Only you've chosen the specialised ingredients to match your skincare concerns. Win-Win I say!

So based on my current skincare routine I was lacking in a retinol. I am acutely aware that as I age over 30 I'm going to need to reinforce my age defence on the skincare front. 

So here is what I chose... 

As you can see packaging is very simple, but I think it is appealing and I enjoy the openess of their products. No fuss, no frills.

Retinol 1%

As I said I'm a lady over the age of 30 looking to start using more anti-ageing targeted products so I thought I'd start with the lower 1% retinol they offer and see how I get on with that. So far so good. I've been using this gel like treatment twice a week for the past 3 weeks. I haven't experienced any ill effects so far and it seems to be a fairly gentle retinol.

High Adherence Silicone Primer

A thick, creamy smoothing primer. I apply this before my foundation and it really helps to make my foundation last throughout the day. I feel it helps the foundation not to settle in my pores or creases, which previously I felt it did, highlighting issues I wanted to cover up. Best of all is the price, at only £3.90 you really can't go wrong!

Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

A slippy oil / cream suspension, as you can see from the swatches photo, it starts off a white creamy consistency  then as you rub it in goes an oily see through shade. Has a slight grainy feel to it as you put it on your face. These are the vitamin c spheres. As a rule vitamin c tends to be unstable however the ordinary have developed a unique delivering system. Which is really working for me. I noticed the effects from this the first night I used it. The next morning my skin felt super soft. It's really helping me tackle stubborn dry areas and since using my makeup has been applying with ease. An absolute steal at £4.90!!

Natural Moisturising Factors + HA

A lovely creamy moisturiser which contains multiple amino acids, fatty acids, triglycerides and more importantly for my dry parched skin,  hyaluronic acid. This last one is what helps to hydrate the skin as it can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in water. I have been reaching for this moisturiser over  my more expensive ones. It does what it says hydrates the skin without feeling smothered or greasy. Its a really nice moisturiser and a £4.90 price point is amazing.

Swatches

Top to bottom:

Silicone primer, Vitamin C, Retinol 1% and Natural moisturising Factors HA

I really like the simpleness of their products, low key packaging and clear, understandable ingredients list. I like having the option to layer products according to my skin concern. It makes their skincare adaptable and with their price point it's very tempting to add several products to your skincare line-up.

Their foil seal keeps the products fresh inside until you are ready to open them. Easy to use squeezy tube packaging, no need to faff with pipettes etc!

I am seriously impressed with The Ordinary their skincare offerings have fast become my favourite products to use in my routine. I'm excited to try more and with their amazing prices, why not?! Simple affordable and best of all high quality. I'm eagerly and impatiently awaiting their foundation!! Their skincare is far from ordinary.

Have you tried anything from The Ordinary? What would you recommend.