Skincare takes up quite a large proportion of my disposable income. I spend quite a lot on my skin and usually I like high-end products from brands like Sunday Riley and Kate Somerville. Some might call me a skincare snob. Whatever, I just like nice things.
There are a few cheaper brands that I love – like La Roche Posay and Avené – but overall I associate higher cost with better ingredients and therefore better results. And I think this is generally a correct assumption. But there are always exceptions to the rule…
I was first introduced to Hylamide through Caroline Hirons, and purchased their SubQ Eyes Advanced Serum when it was on offer in Boots. The RRP is £27 – not really cheap, but FAR more budget-friendly than my last eye cream. I’ve bought eye creams at this price point (and lower) before without much luck – they’re certainly affordable, but they pretty much never work. Eye creams are of particular interest to me because I have very thin, translucent skin under my eyes that’s both extremely dark *and* a bit crepéy. Delightful.
To be honest I wasn’t expecting great things from a £27 eye cream, but I was proved entirely wrong by Hylamide, because it actually WORKED. Not just “oh I think my eyes look a bit brighter today” but actually “my dark circles look far less like black, bottomless pits of despair than they did a week ago”. It brightened, lightened and smoothed the whole area, and I was instantly sold on the brand.
So when they got in touch directly and asked if I’d like to try the SubQ Anti-Age Advanced Serum, I was raring to go. The face serum is slightly more than the eye version at £30, but still hugely cheaper than other alternatives. Here’s what they say about it:
“A highly active concentrate of advanced hyaluronic complexes, next-generation peptides and biotechnological technologies to target rehydration on and below skin surface, while visibly improving lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and textural damage.”
If you’d like a detailed breakdown of the ingredients and how they work, I suggest you check out Caroline’s post. I can’t really explain how this serum does its job, but it does. I’ve learnt a lot about my skin over the last few months, and I’ve pinpointed certain ingredients that really help my uneven skintone, pigmentation and first signs of ageing. Retinol has made a huge difference to my face, and this serum contains it – albeit in a different form. From the website:
“Nonapeptide-3 Retino-Complex – a novel technology that promotes better visible anti-aging results than Retinol with less irritation.”
At the beginning of the year I had an awful allergic reaction to a skincare product and since then my skin has been more sensitive than it was before, so this slightly gentler serum is perfect for the days I don’t want to overdo it with the Retinols. I can imagine for those with properly sensitive skin, this is a brilliant alternative to Sunday Riley’s Luna.
I’ve been using the SubQ Anti-Age Advance Serum every other night for about a week now and I’ve seen a big improvement. It works really well alongside the eye cream – between them they’ve noticeably lightened my dark circles and smoothed out my skintone. My face looks fresh, awake and maybe even a bit radiant. If this was a skincare advert, I’d definitely use the phrase ‘fine lines diminished’. As a combination, it just works.
Back to the budget – together, both Hylamide serums cost £57 which I think is excellent for such effective products. To put it in perspective, I also love Sunday Riley’s Luna (£85) and Dr Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Eye Cream (£62), both of which give me similar results.
If you’re just getting into skincare and the costs are making you sweat, the Hylamide range is a great starting point. It’s also great if you don’t bat an eyelid at spending £85 on a serum (ahem), or if you want something a little less pricy to take on holiday. You can see the full range here – I’m really interested in the Photography Foundation and the Glow Radiance Booster. And I love the website, too!
Have you tried anything from the Hylamide range?
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After reading your review I went and purchased this Hylamide eye product from Boots as I wished to improve my under eye area, although I didn’t have any bad issues. However I have found it really awful. The first time I used it I woke up with large swollen pouches under each eye. However, I have persisted for a week now and the pouches are still there, along with absolutely no reduction at all in dark rings. I think this cream is a real con and I wonder how much you were paid for giving this fake review?
Hello Carol,
First of all, I’m really, truly sorry you had a bad reaction to the Hylamide serum. It’s awful when your skin reacts badly to a product, especially one that other people rave about. I’ve been there too – it sucks and I understand your anger. However…
Your skin is not my skin. The product is not a ‘real con’. There’s obviously something in it that you personally are allergic to. I have had absolutely no reaction to this product, it worked for me and I enjoyed it. If you read the post again, you’ll see that I mention purchasing the eye serum myself, BEFORE being contacted by the brand to write about another product (the face serum). I was not paid by the brand (or anyone else) for writing anything you’ve read here in this post. I was provided the face serum for free, but I did actually buy the eye serum (the product you have issue with) using my own funds and have since repurchased it, again with my own funds.
This is not a fake review. I would never, EVER write a positive review about a skincare product that caused me to have a bad reaction, because I have been there and I understand how painful, embarrassing and frustrating it is when products not only don’t work, but cause unwanted results like you describe. I’m actually quite insulted that you think I would.
My advice would be to stop using this product immediately and contact Hylamide directly to ask if they’ve had other people report reactions like this. I would also advise you to see your doctor about the swelling under your eyes (as I did when I had a hideous reaction to Emma Hardie’s Moringa Balm – they gave me antihistamines to reduce the painful, raised lumps all over my face).
Jen
Can I use my normal moisturisers with this product – instructions unclear
Yes I think so!
I am a 48 year old woman, not bad skin or many wrinkles for my age. But I wanted to improve my skin. I was advise my a beautician to try Hylamide subQ Anti-Age,this I did. However after two weeks I have seen any improvement in the appearance or texture of my skin. In fact the serum rather than soaking into my skin to provided my skin with hydration sits on top of my skin and making it feel sticky to the touch.
Did you apply this to thoroughly clean dry skin? Sometimes, cleansers leave a film on your skin, therefore the product is unable to be absorbed and sits on top.