TRIED AND TESTED: I tried Sephora's new 'clean' skincare line that starts from $9.

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your weekly review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellness. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Senior Lifestyle Writer Amy Clark road-tested the new Sephora Collection skincare range.

Skincare addicts, please accept my sincere apologies in advance.

You see, there’s a new skincare range in stores now and I’d bet my lunch money you’re going to want to get it on your face immediately.

I’m talking about Sephora’s new in-house skincare line, Sephora Collection Good Skincare.

In short, it’s simple, natural-ish and takes an excellent #shelfie.

 

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After taking the American beauty world by storm, @sephoracollection’s NEW and IMPROVED Good Skincare line has finally made it to our shores ???? ​ ​✔ Clean ✔ Effective ✔ Wallet-friendly ​ ​What’s not to ❤? Get your stash of great products that work, now online, on app and in stores at Sephora! #SEPHORACOLLECTION

A post shared by Sephora Australia (@sephoraaus) on Sep 16, 2019 at 9:38pm PDT

 

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A post shared by Sephora Collection (@sephoracollection) on Oct 3, 2019 at 11:30pm PDT

There’s a lot to love about Sephora Collection Good Skincare:

• The 14-product range starts from $9, with the most expensive item priced at $38.
• It claims to strike the perfect balance between product quality, effectiveness and being good for the planet.
• Each product in the range contains a minimum of 90 per cent ingredients from natural origin (this means the ingredient once existed in nature).
• The budget price doesn’t mean you have to scrimp on your active ingredients – all the good ones like hyaluronic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, peptides and vitamin C are here.
• The packaging is not only very bright and cute (and resembles Drunk Elephant, no?) but is made from eco-friendly materials.

There is one main caveat, though. These products aren’t as high-performance as some other more expensive cosmeceutical brands, a necessary sacrifice for the range to tick the ‘natural’ and ‘budget-friendly price tag’ boxes.

Sephora Collection skincare products.

OK, sit back and grab a tea because below you’ll find the rundown on my favourites from the Sephora Collection Good Skincare range – from the price and ingredients list, to how it actually feels on your face.

Sephora Collection Ultra Glow Serum, 30ml for $29. 

This guy is full of vitamin C and E sourced from... potatoes. And tapioca and sunflower.

This product's purpose is to brighten and hydrate the skin for a more radiant appearance, and is a toned down, more laid back version of the hyped $200 Skinceuticals CE Ferulic serum. Just to manage your expectations, this serum doesn't contain ferulic acid, so don't expect to wake up with a new face after one use, OK?

The formula is very light and non-greasy, and a little goes a long way so two to three drops is more than enough to cover the face and neck. Apply in the morning before makeup or wear on its own.

Sephora Collection Glow Peel Pads, $9 for 20 or $24 for 60.

These pre-soaked mild glycolic acid exfoliating pads are SO CONVENIENT.

If you've heard people chatting about putting acid on their faces, this is what they're on about.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) chemical exfoliant that eats dead skin cells and gunk off your face, instead of physically scrubbing them away like traditional face scrubs.

The thing about using a chemical exfoliant is they can be a bit much for sensitive skin types or fresh faces that've never used an AHA before. These pads are soaked in a five per cent glycolic acid solution derived from sugar cane, so they're clinically proven to be gentle enough to use everyday and on sensitive skin. In other words, this is a great place to start if you're ready to put down the ole apricot face scrub (please, put down the apricot face scrub).

I swipe one over my nose every night to keep blackheads from spoiling my face and my partner is very much into them as well.

You can learn more about chemical exfoliation and why people are putting acids on their faces in this episode of You Beauty below. Post continues after audio.

Sephora Collection All Day Hydrator Moisturizer, $23.

This is a very, very lovely moisturiser.

I'm not the biggest fan of spending a lot on moisturisers (I keep my coins for serums, sunscreens and exfoliants), but some bargain moisturisers leave your face feeling like it needs to skull a litre of water.

This isn't one of those moisturisers.

The formula is a light gel/lotion and contains hyaluronic acid (different to AHA acids, hyaluronic acid binds to water to plump and hydrate the skin), vitamin C and E. It sinks into the skin straight away, making it great for oily/normal skin types. This is particularly great coming into summer because, under eye and upper lip sweats.

If you're dry or dehydrated, pop it over the top of your morning serum and underneath SPF.

Sephora Collection Overnight Firming Cream, $38.

Consider this the 'anti-ageing' hero of Sephora's new skincare range.

According to the marketing, it's a 'sleeping cream'. This is another way to say it's a night time moisturiser.

It has a delightful thick, whipped texture and is packed with natural fruit acids and peptides to exfoliate and tighten the skin. This is the cream you chuck on before bed if you want to wake up with a new face.

Keep this one to evenings only and wear your sunscreen during the day as the ingredients can increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun, so not doing these things effectively makes using the product pointless.

Sephora Collection Brightening Eye Cream, $24.

Do you need an eye cream? Depends.

If you're keen on reducing the appearance of fine lines around the outer edge of the eye area (i.e. crow's feet) and brightening and de-puffing dark circles, an eye cream that targets these specific areas will help.

This eye cream is made with hyaluronic acid and caffeine to hydrate the thin skin under the eye that can quickly look and feel tired. It's also very thin in texture, as thicker formulas can cause little white bumps known as milia to pop up. Fun.

You can learn more about eye creams in this episode of You Beauty below. Post continues after audio.

Sephora Collection Triple Action Cleansing Water, 200ml for $18.

Another hypothetical question. Does anyone really need another cleansing water?

For $18, yes, you do. This one contains zinc, which is anti-inflammatory and mattifying. The formula is very lightweight and doesn't sting the skin. If you've got oily skin or suffer from acne/breakouts, soak a cotton pad in this product and swipe over your face as a second cleanse at night, or as your light morning cleanse to give you a matte base perfect for makeup.

It's not really an eye makeup remover though, but that's OK because....

Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, 200ml for $18.

I've been using the Charlotte Tilbury Take It All Off Eye Makeup Remover (150ml for $52) for ages and can confirm this $18 one is just as good.

The 'bi-phase texture' (blue and clear liquids that sit on top of each other like oil and water) dissolves even the most stubborn of makeup, including waterproof mascara.

No stinging and no having to excessively rub or pull on your lashes to get your smokey eye off.

That is all. You can find and shop the entire Sephora Collection Good Skincare range in Sephora stores nationally and online at Sephora.com.au.

Have you tried the Sephora Collection Good Skincare range yet? Tell us your thoughts below!

Mamamia's Tried and Tested series drops every week. Want us to trial and review a product or treatment you've seen everywhere? Easy, just send an email to submissions@mamamia.com.au. 

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• TRIED AND TESTED: The $69 straightening brush that's just as good as the $230 ghd Glide.