Garnier Vital Restore Daily Beauty Serum

RRP: £11.99 for 30ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Garnier Vital Restore is the first skincare range with a unique combination of orchid extract and soy bio-proteins. Developed to revitalise the look of mature skin, the serum helps to reduce the appearance of age spots and restore radiance."

--Packaging--
The box this comes in is very nice, with refreshing white intersected by vibrant floral branches. The bottle itself, while not at all prone to leakage and easy enough to use, is not as nice: the dark red bottle is a bit of a let-down compared to the beautiful pink of the flowers as depicted on the box, and the plastic seems a bit cheap - you feel a slight 'twang' when you pull off the transparent lid. Nevertheless, since this isn't exactly a top-budget brand, this is perhaps to be expected and shouldn't be complained about, since it's not as if it leads to wastage.

--Application--
A pea-sized blob of this moisturiser will see to your whole face. The pump mechanism is easy to control during application, and the entire application process is a breeze. Advice is application every day; whether you take this to mean once or twice is up to you, though I find that once is sufficient.

--Appearance--
A slightly translucent, white cream, which leaves no visible residue on the face. More moisturiser-ish than traditionally serum-ish though.

--Scent--
Just beautiful; unlike some other brands which have tried to cash in on the whole orchid thing before, Garnier have really used the gorgeous smell to their advantage. Possibly the nicest-smelling moisturiser I've ever used.

--Texture/consistency--
Not too thick, but not too runny; not lumpy or too watery. Nigh on perfect, in other words.

--Effect on skin--
While I'm not exactly part of the target group for this product range, I have noticed two main effects with this serum on my 23-year-old skin. Firstly, and somewhat bizarrely since it's about as far from the range's aims as you can get, I have noticed an improvement in my acne. Secondly, perhaps less bizarrely, my skin does seem more plumped up and radiant, with a potential reduction in the appearance of pores.

--Value for money--
At the cheaper end of the anti-ageing market, this serum is surprisingly effective, laughing in the face of Estée Lauder and Lancôme's £30+ serums. I wish Garnier would change the packaging a little, I wish they'd be a little more transparent about what "soy bio-proteins" actually are, and I wish that their claim "to use, wherever possible, naturally derived active ingredients" was less at odds with the list of ingredients that looks more like a chemistry lesson. However, it clearly has positive effects, as well as a gorgeous smell, and despite being half the age of the target age group, I'll be keeping this, and maybe even buying some more when it runs out too.

perfect partners
Vital Restore Day Cream, £9.99
Vital Restore Night Cream, £9.99
Vital Restore Eye Cream, £9.99