Ad: this post is sponsored by Beauty Pie as part of my ongoing partnership.

There was a blog post due to come out this week; the title of the draft post was Did A Sexier Power Couple Ever Exist? and it was a six hundred word near-delirious rave about the wonders of Beauty Pie’s Youthbomb Concentrate and Youthbomb Collagen Peptide Cream, specifically when used together. A more face-plumptioning, skin-elasticating combo has not yet crossed my path – it’s a revelation and I have been zipping through bottles and pots of it like a woman possessed.

But I had been sitting on this draft post for five weeks or so, wondering whether this week was the right time to publish it or perhaps that week would be better, and the reason for my deliberating was because Beauty Pie had sent me a sample of a product that had thrown a right old spanner in the works. A new addition to the Youthbomb line-up that took the range from Power Couple to what can only be described as… Expert Threesome.

Now look, there’s no judgement here, but I’ve never been convinced by the idea of threesomes. Zero temptation. It’s enough mental and physical load trying to partner up with one person, let alone two. Surely one is always left out in the cold – and if not, then the people shacking up must have a hell of a lot more coordination than I do. I can’t even reverse a car if the stereo is playing because my ears take up too much brain-space.

So human threesomes: it’s a no for me. But when it comes to Beauty Pie and their new Youthbomb product? Yes, yes, yes. Ohhhh yes. (They’re going to be absolutely thrilled to bits at this off-piste intro, I just know it.) They’ve formulated what I think is their most potent, results-driven product yet, the Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum*, and it joins the high performance 360 Radiance Concentrate and the Biologic Collagen Peptide Cream to form a trio of absolute show-stoppers.

If you’re sick of wondering what will actually work on your tired, slightly slack, dullish skin and you just want straight-shooting results then this is your range. It was amazing before, but the new serum just takes things to a whole new level of good.

Whereas the excellent Radiance Concentrate (find it here online*) focused on the use of peptides and a cocktail of other powerful actives to firm, brighten, give glow and aid hydration, and the Biologic Cream added to all of this with eighteen actives in a massively rich, skin-plumping base, the brand new serum slides on in to the Youthbomb line-up with a double-dose of the industry’s gold-standard ingredient: retinol.

The Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum uses two types of retinol – microencapsulated retinol and granactive retinoid – to tackle just about every skin-ageing concern you can come up with. If you haven’t read the dossier on why retinol is so loved in the skincare world then let me precis it for you: it works on wrinkles, fine lines, uneven skin tone, dullness, lack of firmness, crepey-ness and other things I haven’t remembered and the results are both profound and visible. I say this as someone who has been testing out various brands and various strengths of retinoid for quite some time.

The difference with Beauty Pie’s new Skin Overhaul Serum? Not only does it contain the retinoids for all of the above benefits, it has a dose of lactic acid in the formula along with niacinamide. Lactic acid to gently exfoliate the skin surface (which helps the other actives to penetrate more easily) and niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier, which in turn leaves skin healthier and less prone to sensitivity and flare-ups.

Buy Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum*

I feel like the new serum is a more rounded approach to high intensity retinoid usage, with some exfoliation for efficacy and then ingredients to strengthen and hydrate to keep the condition of the skin tip-top and minimise any risk of aggravation.

Saying that, this is one serious product and it’s not the sort of thing you’ll just want to barge in and apply if you have no prior experience with using retinoids. It’s Beauty Pie’s most powerful retinoid product yet and it’s perfect for those who have been using the Super Retinol range (which is absolutely brilliant) and want to step it up to the max. Even then, start off twice-weekly at first and then build up to more regular usage. As with my other strong retinoids, I’m happy using this every other night, using my “off” days to pack in my hydrating and calming products.

And so, back to the Expert Threesome. It calms my mind-eye-coordination anxieties to know that the three products never actually have to work together; it’s an either-or situation with the concentrate and the serum, one or the other, always followed by the glorious Collagen Peptide Cream.

(Which has become one of my most-used moisturisers, by the way. The Japanfusion Power Elixir (here*) was always my favourite, for its ability to turn my face into a sort of turgid, wobbling waterbed, but the Youthbomb cream takes this benefit and supercharges it with an additional eighteen actives. So if it’s just the insane levels of hydration you want, then go for the Japanfusion Power Elixir* which, with membership is a very pleasing £16. But if you want more in the way of firming, brightening, skin-evening-out prowess then absolutely look to the Youthbomb one which is a superpowered cream, an ultimate moisturiser. It’s £44 with membership, here*.)

Some rules I have when using the Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum: I apply at night to cleansed, dried skin and then leave about half an hour before using my Youthbomb Cream. It’s just a routine I’ve always followed with my retinoids, to allow them to get to work a bit before applying another product. In all honesty, I often forget to apply the moisturiser and I haven’t had dry-feeling skin in the morning, ever, but I also do love the instantly cushiony, elastic results that I get with the cream so it’s nice to remember to use it. Another rule: SPF the next day. Absolutely non-negotiable. The Beauty Pie Featherlight SPF50 is excellent, leaves no residue and has high protection against both UVA and UBV rays. It’s £13.50 with membership here*.

(Just a reminder on how membership works: Beauty Pie produce luxury products at some of the world’s best beauty labs but then they sell direct to you. So there’s no inflated cost for selling through a middleman. No overly-fancy packaging (though I think they’re packaging is just lovely, very high quality and chic), no shop overheads, just luxury products without the luxury price tags. You can see when you browse the site that they have the membership price and then the equivalent retail price, calibrated against similar products available from the luxury beauty brands. For example, the Youthbomb Double Retinol-Action Serum* has an equivalent luxury retail price of £170 (if you’re a skincare aficionado then you’ll be able to think of a couple of examples straight off the bat!) but with membership it’s £44. Which is amazing for a serum of this potency and calibre. It’s easy to sign up, and if you do then make sure you use the code RUTHSENTME to get money off the annual membership! You can find more membership info here*.)

So in short: Beauty Pie have launched what could be their most complete, all-dancing powerhouse product yet. It’s the hero, the big gun, the show-off and my skin has welcomed it with open arms. I love that it gives an instant glow, thanks to the lactic acid and I really appreciate the added hydration in the formula as I can tend to feel slightly dry after a high-strength retinoid.

You can find more info and a full ingredients list for the Youthbomb Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum here*. If you’re already on the retinol train and looking to upgrade your ticket (oh my God, sorry) then this one is most definitely – wait for it! – First Class.

I’ll leave you now, my work is done. I’ve managed to shoehorn references to threesomes and train tickets into a skincare post. It’s a skill.

Many thanks to the Beauty Team for having the best sense of humour, I absolutely love working with them.

The post Youthbomb: A Threesome I Can Get On Board With | AD appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

Long-term readers could, I am sure, rattle off a list of my favourite Beauty Pie skincare products by heart. Over the years they’ve become staples in my beauty routines – the brilliant balm cleansers, the potent retinol range, the moisturisers that seem to inject near-impossible amounts of hydration into your skin so that it feels swelled with it, almost wobbly, like one of those waterbeds from the eighties. (Here’s looking at you, Japanfusion Power Elixir Moisturiser.)

And I’m never sure which I’m more a fan of: Beauty Pie’s perfectly-pitched formulas, with their potent active ingredients and crowd-pleasing textures, or Beauty Pie’s unique business model, which sees luxury beauty products made at the world’s most premium beauty labs sold direct to the customer, without the usual gigantic mark-up.

The lab-direct pricing alone would be enough of a pull for most (it’s usually up to 75% off a typical retail price) but when the products are so good they instantly become repeat purchases it’s kind of an unbeatable combination. And Beauty Pie are ever-expanding, with haircare and bodycare and home fragrance and now supplements, too.

For me, Beauty Pie as a brand have become synonymous with quality, high-performance and amazing value for money. It’s luxury beauty, made in the “luxury” labs, but because you’re cutting out the retail middleman you’re not paying for insanely expensive packaging and store fit-outs and all the other markups that creep in. You’re getting the contents of the luxury bottle, pot or tube but in a very simple (but I must say incredibly classy!) bottle, pot or tube.

To give you an example (I like doing these – I can’t mention specific brands when I do comparisons so you can just shout them out silently inside your head):

Plantastic Apricot Butter Cleansing Balm, which is genuinely one of the most gorgeous balms on the planet, has a retail price of £50. This sits it alongside a number of cleansing balms from very well-known premium brands. The Beauty Pie price to members is £19.18, online here.

The aforementioned Japanfusion M3 Power Elixir Moisturiser, which seems to do just miraculous things on dehydrated skin, glossing it and sealing in moisture without any greasiness whatsoever, has a retail value (equivalent luxury face creams) of £70. I would very truly pay full price for this moisturiser if I had to – but Beauty Pie thankfully sell it to members for £15.70, online here. One of the very best moisturisers you can buy, hands down, and it’s just over fifteen quid.

So: the members part, before I get onto a very exciting new launch! You sign up here (use the code RUTHSENTME for £10 off the £59 membership) and this gives you access to the huge range of Beauty Pie products at Beauty Pie prices. If you want to try before you commit, there’s also a 60 day free trial running – here – that can be cancelled at any time before the trial ends.

That’s it.

Potent, effective products without the markups.

Now talking of potent and effective products (behold my smooth segue into the new launch): Beauty Pie have just released their most advanced skincare formula to date – fifteen active ingredients at very concentrated levels, each selected to help tighten and brighten and firm the skin to make it appear more youthful. It’s a veritable cocktail of potency and it’s called:

Youthbomb 360 Radiance Concentrate.

Not The Cocktail of Youth, which I also quite like as a product name, mainly for its Death Becomes Her vibes!

Designed to firm and tighten and to visibly soften lines it’s formulated for all skin types and is simple to slip into any skincare routine. Beauty Pie say that every ingredient in Youthbomb has been selected for its ability to support the skin in how it reflects light – so we’re talking about ingredients that smooth, brighten and hydrate.

It features the exclusive Biolog-Elastic (TM) Complex, which is one of my favourite beauty industry trade marked formula names to date, it’s like a double-barrelled Klingon surname! There’s also a powerful blend of proteins and peptides, all in a serum that has a weightless, non-sticky feel.

Buy Youthbomb 360 Radiance Concentrate

I have to say that the first time I used it I actually felt the tightening effect. Then because I thought I might be imagining things (or perhaps willing them to happen) I decided to test it around the eye area and can absolutely confirm that there’s an immediate sense of de-slackening. It’s a nice touch, because although it’s the long-term effects you want from the ingredients, the instant tightening feel is very optimistic and energising.

It’s easy to fit Youthbomb into a routine, too. It’s not going to react with any of your other actives, so you don’t have to worry that if you apply it before X or after Y you’re going to self-combust as you’re walking to the bus stop. Apply it after cleansing and before your moisturiser – here’s a good morning routine:

Japanfusion Pure Transforming Cleanser (£8.58 here, retail £25)

Super Retinol Eye Cream (£12 here, retail £60)

Youthbomb 360 Radiance Concentrate (£44 here, retail £185)

Super Healthy Skin Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream (£15.90 here – equivalent retail price £100)

Featherlight SPF50 (£12.34 here, retail £35)

The Featherlight SPF50 is excellent, by the way – non-drying, non-greasy, just barely-there sunscreen that sits well beneath makeup. It’s here online. And the Super Healthy Skin Cream is a new discovery for me and might be one to rival the Japanfusion – I’m currently doing a week-long test using Super Healthy on one half of my face and the Japanfusion Power Elixir on the other. I’ll update you.

In summary, I think that the Youthbomb Serum is a very exciting new product. It’s an all-in-one powerhouse that helps to boost everything from radiance to firmness yet it’s foolproof and suits pretty much everyone.

You can slide it into any existing routine and it’s not going to pick fights with your other products – you can even use it alongside retinol (I’d use it afterwards, waiting a bit before applying).

Find more info on the new launch here – the sign-up page for Beauty Pie membership is here and there’s the option of the free 60 day trial or, for the keen, jumping straight in with both feet and becoming an instant bona fide member. (Use RUTHSENTME for the tenner off!)

Are you already a Beauty Pie member? What’s on your repeat buy list?

beautypie.com

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