This retinol range gave us a brighter, more radiant complexion
The fairly low dosage means Nip+Fab’s kit is ideal for beginners
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The world of skincare can feel daunting, with various ingredients targeting different concerns. And often there’s a lot of mystery around what something does and more importantly whether it actually works. One particularly popular ingredient is retinol. As ingredients go, it’s touted as a game-changer for your skin. But what is it and what does it do?
Well, it’s a derivative of vitamin A and when absorbed into the skin it stimulates cell turnover, collagen production and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. But it’s credited for being able to unclog and reduce pores, thus helping with acne, and minimising pigmentations and scarring. It has an exfoliating effect, which works to improve skin texture.
Really it sounds like a hero ingredient that appears too good to be true. It can therefore be quite expensive, but that’s where Nip+Fab comes in. The beauty brand specialises in high-performing formulas at pocket-friendly prices. Its retinol fix regime kit (£59.95, Nipandfab.com) for example is worth £117 and contains five of the brand’s bestselling full-size retinol products.
Promising to give us a more glowy, even complexion, we tested the range to see whether the products stand up to the claims.
Read more:
How we tested
In order to give Nip + Fab’s retinol fix regime kit a fair test, we introduced the products into our nighttime skincare routine and followed the brand’s guidance. We used the following products in order alongside the eye cream, with a night off in between: overnight cream, retinol booster, moisturiser and finally the sheet mask. After we had used the face mask, we replaced it with the retinol booster.
Retinol’s main purpose is to reduce signs of ageing and to help fade pigmentation and acne scars, while also unclogging and reducing pores, so we assessed whether incorporating this regime into our skincare routine could really achieve this. Owing to the fact retinol makes your skin more sensitive to UV, we also made sure we used SPF every day.
Retinoid has also been known to cause peeling, redness and sensitivity, so we kept this in mind when we were trialling this bundle to see if we experienced any of these side effects.
Can Nip+Fab’s formula work wonders? Read on to find out how we got on with it, and to see the before and after pictures, because the proof really is in the pudding.
Nip+Fab retinol fix regime kit: £59.95, Nipandfab.com
The kit contains everything you need to give your nighttime skincare regime an overhaul – an eye treatment (was £19.95, now £14.95, Nipandfab.com), overnight cream (was £29.95, now £22.45, Nipandfab.com), a retinol concentrate booster (was £29.95, now £20.95, Nipandfab.com), a moisturiser (was £29.95, now £20.95, Nipandfab.com) and a sheet mask (was £7.95, now £5.95, Nipandfab.com) – at a pocket-friendly price. The good news is, should you fall in with just one of the products, they can all be bought separately.
Nip+Fab products
All of the products are unscented, which we liked as some of the others we’ve tested from the brand have been a little overpowering. The bundle is an ideal pick for those dipping their toes into retinol for the first time because each product has a relatively low dose – ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 per cent, which is a great starting point for newbies, or for those who can’t tolerate anything higher.
The eye cream is the most targeted treatment from the kit and has been formulated to reduce the look of dark circles and puffiness, as well as crow’s feet. It has a thick, creamy formula, which we found to be easy to apply. We allowed it to absorb into our under-eye area and brow bone, which it did fairly quickly. And we noticed that it left the area feeling soft and supple.
While we were initially sceptical as to how well this would work, mostly because it contains a relatively small amount of retinol (0.1 per cent), during the testing period, we did wake up with slightly less puffy eyes in the morning. Better yet, despite having sensitive eyes, we experienced no irritation.
The overnight cream has a thick, slightly oily consistency, which we found worked well on our dry combination skin. And owing to the fact that retinol can be quite drying, it worked well to eliminate any of this for us. Again, it has a fairly low dosage (0.1 per cent), but we found it had a lovely texture and left our face and décolletage far more hydrated. On first impressions, we thought that the slightly tacky consistency would cause breakouts, but we didn’t notice any new blemishes.
The retinol booster contains the highest dose of retinol (0.3 per cent), along with aloe vera and glycerin, which work together to add a serious boost of glow and hydration. Despite its fairly watery formula, we found that it absorbed quickly and easily into our skin, and it left no greasy residue.
Finally, the sheet mask gave us an instant glow. It promises to unclog and tighten pores, while also providing hydration. And while we didn’t see the effects of this one as much as the other products, largely because it’s a single-use product, we did enjoy using it as a way of giving us a quick hit of moisture.
Results of Nip+Fab’s retinol fix regime kit
All in all, we are impressed with how well Nip+Fab’s retinol fix regime kit worked. We took before and after photos so as to see its effects to the full, and it has certainly evened out our complexion and added a glow. As for our pores, we’ve noticed fewer blemishes since incorporating the products into our evening routine and scarring around our chin has also reduced. While we can’t really comment on wrinkles, as this isn’t a skin concern of ours yet, we did notice that the very faint lines we had spotted looked as though they were slowly reducing.
Owing to its results, we’ve found ourselves reaching for our make-up bag far less, and on days we do want a little coverage, we tend to now only use a little concealer on problem areas.
Should you not want to invest in the full kit, each of the products is available to buy separately, with most of them currently on offer too, which makes it an even more pocket-friendly affair.
The verdict: Nip+Fab retinol fix regime kit
Within just three weeks of use, we noticed that our skin is looking more radiant, plumper and the very faint lines we had just started to notice are beginning to fade. There’s no doubt that we will carry on using the bundle and hope we can continue to reap the benefits.
The fairly low strength dose makes Nip+Fab’s retinol fix regime kit great for a first foray into the ingredient. And if you’re concerned about any of the normal side effects of retinol – peeling, redness or flaky skin – we didn’t experience any of them.
The bundle is worth more than £110, yet costs just £59.95, a very reasonable price considering the fact each of the products is full-size and work wonders on the skin.
When using retinol, it’s important to use SPF – read our review of the best sunscreens for your face
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