It was only a couple of years ago when we were wowed with Deciem’s The Ordinary skincare that disrupted the skincare market delivering potent, effective skincare with a focus on key ingredients and skincare concerns at a wallet friendly price point. Their hyaluronic acid serum is a cult and personal favorite and with the opening of Deciem brick-and-mortar stores (we are blessed in NYC with seven locations) almost every skincare enthusiast has at least one product from the brand. Since then, flying mostly under under the radar other brands have tried to follow the same model, but there are two that have really stuck out because of their unique approach to addressing the skincare concerns of consumers. These two brands Good Molecules and The Inkey List.
Over the past few months, I’ve been browsing the Beautylish site. I never order from the site because most of the items that I gravitate to are also sold at my local Sephora. A couple of weeks ago, I came across an affordable skincare line called Good Molecules. At first glance, they are almost identical to The Ordinary, offering the the same staple serums—hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, a caffeine eye serum, exfoliating serum and facial oils. From what I was able to gather from the brief description of the brand on Beautylish’s site (Good Molecules is owned by Beautylish) the brand delivered a serum-heavy lineup of products as well as two skincare kits. Of the two kits, I opted for the Super Seven set, a set that includes four serums, an overnight exfoliating mask and two oils.
Image credit: Beautylish.com
Serums:
- Hyaluronic Acid – (the holy grail for hydration)
- Niacinamide Serum – (for improving skin tone and texture)
- Wake Up Eye Serum (with caffeine and pumpkin extract for depuffing and brightening)
- Super Peptide Serum (to target fine lines and wrinkles)
Facial Oils:
- Squalane Oil (great for combo-oily or acne prone skin)
- Ultra-Hydrating Facial (a blend of camellia and sea buckhorn oils)
Treatment:
- Overnight Exfoliating Treatment (with 10% AHA and BHA for resurfacing)
Grab your favorite cleanser, moisturizer, and SPF and you have both a daytime and a nighttime skin routine. Plus at $56 (that can be broken into two payments) this is a great set for anyone who wants a dedicated skincare routine. If you have more targeted skin concerns such as discoloration they offer a three-piece set that focuses on brightening and correcting and is $29. This week they also launch their cleansing balm.
The next brand is one that I have been following and have always wanted to try. The Inkey List officially launched last week at online at Sephora and today it is available for purchase in-store. Much like The Ordinary and Good Molecules. they offer an array of effective skincare products (19 to be exact) at a very reasonable price. The cost of their products maxes out at $15 and is a healthy assortment that includes cleansers, serums, moisturizers and treatments. Their innovative products include two power serums—Polyglutamic Acid and Q-10 serums.
Image credits: Feel Unique.com and Refinery29.com
The Polyglumatic Acid Serum is unique because it holds four times the moisture of hyaluronic acid (a serum they also carry) and can also be layered on top of hyaluronic acid because it is also formulated with Inviskin—a water-soluble film that adheres to the skin, creating a moisture lock to aid in keeping the skin hydrated all day. The Q-10 Serum targets fine lines and wrinkles as well as squalane to hydrate and protects.
While I love my prestige brands and there will always be higher-end products that I will swear by, I also love brands that make effective skincare at affordable price points. I also love that specialty beauty destinations like Sephora are partnering with these brands to make them more accessible, effectively leveling the beauty landscape to ensure that smaller beauty brands are able to share the same space as larger beauty houses. With the Sephora VIB sale starting today (for Rouge status members getting a 20% discount) through May 6th* now would be a great time to try the Inkey List.
*VIB and Beauty Insider sale dates are 5/2-5/6 with a 15% and 10% discount respecitvely.