So finally time to get around to reviewing the luxe Victoria Beckham Cell Rejuvenating Power Serum. Many of you asked for this review and sorry to keep you waiting. So in a nutshell what is this? An anti-aging serum collaboration between Victoria Beckham Beauty and Augustinus Bader which means quality and luxury. I've already spoken of my infatuation with Augustinus Bader HERE and Victoria Beckham very rarely makes a product I don't enjoy. I figured with the two of them likely it would be good. This serum is pricey at $210 so I wanted to wait until I was totally done using the bottle before I reviewed it. I feel anti-aging serums like this really need consistent daily use for about six weeks before you can give it a good thumbs up or not. I actually tend to notice the most from whether or not a product worked for me about two weeks after stopping it. Details on the product via Victoria Beckham's site:
Power Serum repairs, protects, and perfects the skin on every level. Test results confirm, Power Serum lifts and firms, smooths fine lines and wrinkles, and reduces redness while boosting radiance. This breakthrough clean ingredient technology, led by TFC8®, is grounded in 30 years of stem-cell research. One bottle. Your best skin yet.
What It Is A triple-threat serum for total skin health. Repairs, lifts and brightens, thanks to cell-rejuvenating TFC8®, ultra-hydrating triple-weight hyaluronic acid, calming and smoothing niacinamide, and a blend of nutrient-rich ingredients.
What It Does Encourages repair and renewal at a cellular level, strengthening the skin’s barrier and improving overall radiance and resilience. Protects against modern-day environmental stressors like blue light and pollution.
The Result More lift, less lines. More radiance, less redness. More results, less time. With daily use, fine lines are smoothed and skin looks firmer and more hydrated. After continued use, skin is significantly stronger, healthier, and visibly transformed.
Key Ingredients:
Augustinus Bader's TFC8® (TFC8)
A complex of natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins and synthesized molecules naturally found in skin, which guides key nutrients and powerful natural ingredients to the skin cells, creating an optimal environment for the body’s innate processes of repair and renewal.
PORCELAIN FLOWER BIOPEPTIDES (YEAST EXTRACT)
Rebalances the skins flora by supporting the healthy bacteria on the skin, improving overall skin immunity.
EMPETRUM NIGRUM (organic black crowberry fruit)
A superfood known to improve microcirculation and help create firmer, more toned skin.
NIACINAMIDE
A water-soluble vitamin that works with the natural substances in your skin to calm skin, reduce redness, pore size and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while evening skin tone and enhancing radiance.
HYALURONIC ACID (FRAGMENTED HYALURONIC ACID)
Penetrates the skin to act as a hydration magnet and nutrient carrier.
VITAMIN E (TOCOPHEROL)
Provides antioxidant protection against free radicals.
OLIVE FRUIT EXTRACT (OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT EXTRACT)
A botanical that combats the effects of blue light from digital devices.
NUTRIENT RICH YEAST FERMENT COMPLEX (SACCHAROMYCES FERMENT FILTRATE)
Refines texture, adds suppleness and vitality, and strengthens skin barrier to help prevent dehydration.
PAVLOVA LUTHERI EXTRACT
A microalgae extract that helps protect against urban and indoor pollution (smoke, smog, dust, exhaust, etc.)
Ingredients
WATER / AQUA / EAU, GLYCERIN, DIGLYCERIN, DIMETHYL ISOSORBIDE, SACCHAROMYCES FERMENT FILTRATE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, POLYGLYCERYL-4 CAPRATE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, GLYCERETH-26, NIACINAMIDE, BETAINE, EMPETRUM NIGRUM FRUIT JUICE, TFC-8, PANTHENOL, YEAST EXTRACT, PAVLOVA LUTHERI EXTRACT, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, OLEA EUROPAEA (OLIVE) FRUIT EXTRACT, SODIUM HYALURONATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, HYALURONIC ACID, SODIUM POLYACRYLATE, ACRYLATES/VINYL ISODECANOATE CROSSPOLYMER, MALTODEXTRIN, ARGININE, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERYL POLYACRYLATE, LEUCONOSTOC/RADISH ROOT FERMENT FILTRATE, TOCOPHEROL, TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, SORBIC ACID, BENZOIC ACID
So let's start with the packaging. A frosted glass bottle with Victoria Beckham's signature turtle shell pattern (this actually screws off so you can recycle the glass part). It has a dropper style applicator that you squeeze to dispense the product from. Honestly I love the packaging but I do find the plastic they used for the dispenser a bit hard, it's not as soft as others and it can be hard to squeeze. This is really only a problem for me with arthritis or any other who may have hand weakness or disabilities that reduce hand strength. Minor complaint but would love to see a softer plastic to make it easier for everyone. It's a nice bottle, it's luxe, I like it.
The serum itself is a light gel that's hydrating without being sticky. It doesn't have any real discernible scent. Just from the natural ingredients. This doesn't have alcohol or any added fragrance or essential oils. I would say it suits everyone's skin type. So this serum has the usual nice things like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin E, glycerin, panthenol and olive fruit extract. It's also got yeast extract which is nice, prebiotics help balance and add moisture to the skin. They give a nice happy healthy feel to skin. This serum also has pavlova lutheri extract from microalgae to help hydrate and protect the skin against pollution damage. It also has superfruit black crowberry fruit juice which is tannin and flavonoid rich. Think anti-inflammatory, antioxidant.
Lastly this has the famed TFC8® or Trigger Factor Complex which is the core of all Augustinus Bader's products. Read about his career and who he is more in my Augustinus Bader post. TFC8® has amino acids, vitamins and synthesized molecules naturally found in the skin. Their patented complex is meant to help restore, nourish, protect and help build up the skin's natural strength and barrier. Much like how I feel about growth factors. They really just help give skin a healthier feel, increase it's resilience. Doing that alone helps your skin look better by reducing age related problems from inflammation like lines/wrinkles, redness and pigmentation. So What you're going to see is a happy healthy skin barrier which give a nice glow to the skin and helps with this signs of aging caused by environmental factors like pollution and internal ones like inflammation.
So is it life altering or ground breaking? Can I say 100% absolutely $210 will change your life? No. However, if you're a skincare nut and you like a nice product that really gives your skin a nice healthy feel and glow then you'll like this. If you have the budget for it. I totally get this is a luxury item and not in everyone's budget. I've tried a lot of growth factor style serums and this is on par with some of them for creating that healthy resilient skin glow. I've tried some that are a little better, some are slightly cheaper, some are more expensive. I like them all ultimately. Would I buy it again? Totally (especially if the plastic was softer). Overall my skin looked and felt healthier with a nice resilient glow when I used this serum. Next time I should try this with one of my favorite growth factor serums and see how it goes. That's just an expensive routine though.
I'm going to add in the new Cheeky Posh Cream Blush Stick as it needs to be discussed. Victoria Beckham Beauty just launched a new cream stick blush and it's fantastic. I switched to mostly using cream blushes about two or three years ago and never looked back. Sorry powder blush. This one is featherweight in texture, lasts pretty impressively, looks and feels luxe, has good pigmentation and has a more dry satin finish. I'm a fan of all of those as I dislike very dewy or emollient blushes. I prefer a drier cream formula. They last longer and don't slide. While I prefer a drier cream I also want pigmentation without a hard time blending and it needs to slide easily on the skin. VBB nailed all of that. Now for the most part I tested this during the week which means wearing a mask all day at work. So yes it rubs off around 4-5 hours or so. However that's pretty impressive in general for mask wearing considering many formulas wear off in the first hour. I tested it once on the weekend and I got 8 hours before fading.
I grabbed Playground described as a mid-tone terracotta nude. It's a warmer shade than I normally go for but it works well. I tend to prefer a touch more pink or brown in my blush. This one is just a touch more terra cotta than all my normal favorite shades. I was afraid it would be too orange but it has a hint of pink and enough nude that makes it work for me. I still really like it. It works for me. I'd love to see a more dusty nude pink though one day. I know some people grab multiple shades on one formula they like, I tend to grab multiple formulas in the one shade I like which is a nude pink brown. It just seems to be the best ultimate shade for me I've found. I mean I can wear pink and plum and coral. But for everyday use I go to a peachy nude pink brown daily. It's my obsession. I do really like this color and formula, I think if you want to try a new cream blush definitely go pick up a shade that you like. It's really quite good.
Top to Bottom--Victoria Beckham Playground, MAC Glow Play Blush Please, Cle de Peau Cream Blush #4, Westman Atelier Chouchette, Westman Atelier Mimi, Hourglass Vanish Loyal, Phytosurgence Skin Spark Fume:
I know they are two completely different products but would you pick the vb serum or the ab moisturizer if you had to choose one?
If you're talking the rich cream then the serum. If you're talking the light cream don't make me pick lol I like both and they're so different, maybe whichever you need more?