A serum by any other name

My love of the Origins Perfect World range has been well documented, so I'm not going to start salivating over it (again) today. What I do have to talk about, is how I was duped into not restocking recently and instead, swayed by the siren's song of the high street prices of Garnier's new Nutritioniste Skin Renew range.


(Mum! It's French for Nustritionist - oh, I see why that ad wouldn't work here. Tough luck, Davina.)

They have a serum, like Origins, an eye cream, like Origins and a moisturiser that has SPF 15 - not like Origins - and that's how I was won over.

Now, I've got to say - and please bear in mind the slight chip I carry on one shoulder from the time spent working on Garnier's PR a million years ago - this isn't that bad. It took my skin a few days to settle in and clearly, the quality isn't that of the Origins product but I'm coping quite nicely now my skin has had a few days to settle in.

My main issue is with the serum. I'm not sure what makes it a serum. The consistency is more like a regular cream and unlike the other serums I've used in the past, I really can tell I'm putting another product on to my skin. It doesn't just vanish in a poof of wonder like, ahem, the Origins. The moisturiser is a bit runny so not great for dry skins but it does have a sunscreen so I'll give it a couple more weeks before I consign it to the 'false economy, really should have bought the good stuff' bin.

I think this range is a great ad for the fact that with premium ranges, you're paying a lot for packaging, perfume and texture but if you wait long enough, the same technologies will be in Boots as in Space NK. And for a fraction of the price.

NB - the real reason I'm not totally in love with this range is the SJP ads. I LOVE me some SJP but we ALL KNOW she does not look as good as she does in these ads. Sorry.

And did I mention I really like Origins Perfect World? Oh. Good.