We Tried This Cheap Skincare Brand To See If It Lived Up To Its Rave Reviews (Spoiler Alert: It Did)

All of these are under a tenner!

Hi! We're Valeza and Amy. We're both obsessed with skincare and saving money. So when we noticed that the same inexpensive skincare brand kept cropping up on Amazon's bestseller lists AND getting rave reviews, we knew we had to give it a try.

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Naturally there were a few standout products that *really* impressed us, so here are our top picks:

✨ Amy's Picks ✨

1. I'm obsessed with this retinol-infused cream which doubles up as a moisturiser!

Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

This luxuriously thick cream is packed full of brightening vitamin C and moisturising hyaluronic acid, so it's no wonder that my skin has improved so much since I started using it! The retinol in here chemically exfoliates, banishing dead cells from my face and revealing the brighter, fresher-looking layer underneath.

Price: £6.99.

2. I like to brighten AND exfoliate my skin with this ridiculously highly-rated vitamin C serum.

I only needed to use a few drops of this stuff to benefit from its smoothing formula! The serum contains hydrating hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil.

Price: £7.87.

3. These inexpensive acne patches genuinely help to conceal and heal my spots.

Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

I applied one of these on top of my spot and overnight it began drawing the excess moisture and gunk out from my skin, helping to dry out (and eventually eradicate) the zit. It covered the redness while it was working its magic too!

Price: £3.98 for 72 patches.

4. The plumping ingredients in this collagen and retinol-rich eye cream helped to smooth the appearance of my under eye area (not bad for under £7, right)?

Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

Its lightweight formula feels great on my skin, and I've found that it actually *does* make my under eye area look smoother and plumper. My eyes tend to sag a little when I'm tired, but that hasn't happened (even after 3AM Netflix binges) since I started using this!

Price: £6.87.

5. There was something so grossly gratifying about using these foot peel masks.

Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

Okay, so this might be a little bit TMI, but my heels had gotten pretty dry and cracked before I used these masks. They were easy to apply – I just wore them like socks for about an hour and then removed them before taking a shower! The dead skin peeled off my feet over the course of the next few days, revealing softer, smoother skin underneath (I'm sorry, but it WAS satisfying).

Price: £5.87 for one pair.

6. I swear by this powerful acne cream for banishing blemishes.

Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

I'm prone to *pretty* severe breakouts, so when I found this cheap acne cream that reviewers raved about, I knew I had to give it a try. A week later, I'm incredibly glad I did – it's gotten rid of my most severe spots, and now I use it daily to enjoy its results.

Price: £9.98.

✨ Valeza's Picks ✨

7. This hyaluronic acid serum gave my skin the extra hydration boost I never knew it needed.

Valeza Bakolli / Via BuzzFeed

The most accurate description I can find for its lightweight consistency is ‘slightly slippery water’ – and it truly does feel like a drink of water for my skin! I like to use this serum after cleansing and before moisturising my skin in the morning. It gives me the extra boost of hydration that my skin craves without any greasiness!

Price: £6.97

8. My locks reached impressive levels of volume and shine thanks to this hair growth shampoo.

Valeza Bakolli / Via BuzzFeed

I was pretty sceptical before I tried this shampoo (I have remained loyal to the same L’Oréal one for years now) but the hair-thickening properties were enticing to say the least! I’ve only used it for a few washes so far, (so I can’t speak for the long term growth-stimulating effects) but boy did it deliver on both volume and shine! The sulphate-free formula didn’t irritate my sensitive scalp either, which was a huge bonus.

Price: £7.98

9. Like Amy, I loved this vitamin C serum so much that I had to give it a shoutout too!

Valeza Bakolli / Via BuzzFeed

The slightly thicker consistency of this serum makes it perfect for using before bed, and I’ve seen a genuine improvement in my skin’s texture and acne scarring over the year or so that I’ve been using this product! The natural formula is super gentle on my sensitive skin, so it's perfect to use after more ~intense~ at-home treatments and masks.

Price: £7.87.

10. This activated charcoal mask gives my pores a deep clean without irritating my sensitive skin.

Valeza Bakolli / Via BuzzFeed

This peel-off mask is SO satisfying to use (the directions say you can wash it off with warm water, but where’s the fun in that?)! I put a thick layer over the most blackhead-prone area of my face and wait for the mask to completely dry. Once I’ve had enough of looking like I have a misplaced faux moustache on my face, I peel it away to reveal the refreshed-looking pores beneath.

Price: £6.98

11. This easy-to-use serum has kept my lashes strong and healthy!

Valeza Bakolli / Via BuzzFeed

What really drew me to this serum was the easy application process. I literally paint it on like an eyeliner at the end of my evening skincare routine. My lashes fall out way less frequently now (which makes them look far more dense), and you get a generous amount of product for the price!

Price: £9.87

12. This castor oil is great for strengthening my brow hairs, lashes, nails, and more!

Valeza Bakolli / Via BuzzFeed

I was searching for the perfect castor oil for ages, and this affordable cold-pressed one was just what I needed. It helped to re-grow a random bald patch in my eyebrow (and then some) in a matter of days! The mascara wand-style brush that came with it makes the application really easy, and it has rubber bristles which are easy to clean between uses.

Price: £6.87

Want to check out even more highly-rated skincare bargains? You can view Eclat's entire storefront by clicking here!

Us after using these products:

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