I've used Retinol serums (and creams!!) before but found them pretty expensive to introduce permanently to my routine. This costs around $50 (less during one of Countdown's Beauty Weeks I bet!) and is comparable to other high end Retinol serums for sure.
The box is jam packed with information, definitely sit and have a read before installing the bottle on your vanity! The main takeaways from the instructions are that this is high strength retinol and you should expect a bit of a tingle and redness.
I did get quite red after use, thank god you have to use retinol at night ha.
This for me is a bit of a glow-booster, it almost refinishes your skin, making it more even, softer in texture. I was worried it would be a bit drying, but it's not at all!
The big question is of course - what about your wrinkles? Well whilst not a miracle cure-all I'd say they look better, and I'm happy with the improvement in firmness I'm seeing!
I have been using this for three weeks, and so far I really like it. I followed the instructions on the box very closely - only use twice in the first week, every second night in the second week, and then each night if your skin is happy enough from the third week. I had slight redness on my cheeks in the second week, but nothing too bad. The redness has gone, and the only slight issue is that any strong smelling moisturisers have been stinging when I put them on during the day. Nothing too major, but means I needed to try a new plain moisturiser.
In terms of how its working, so far my skin seems better, softer and smoother. My deep wrinkles are still there, but I'm persistent! They took years to get there so they won't disappear overnight. This retinol has definitely worked better than others I have tried, I have never noticed my skin feeling soft and smooth like this before, so that is promising.
It does have a scent, but it fades quickly. Its a really well priced product, especially as it seems to be on special regularly.
Tips: Definitely take it slowly and follow the instructions about how to introduce this product.