Is No7’s affordable skincare range as good as it sounds? We found out

From day and night creams to serums, these are the staples for your everyday routine

It takes 30 days to notice a difference when swapping out your go-to skincare products (The Independent)

With an entire industry targeted at ensuring your skin is moisturised, protected and plumped, it can be daunting when it comes to choosing which brands and products to use.

Price is also a big factor to consider, as the cost of serums, lotions and creams add up, which means you may inadvertently find yourself with a skincare routine costing hundreds of dollars. Fortunately, not all skincare is created equal, and not all skincare products are expensive.

We tried some of the best-rated products from much-loved beauty brand No7, which promised to defy age, lift and illuminate, and restore our skin – we wanted to see whether this affordable company is worth the hype.

Here are our thoughts on a range of the brands’ products, after putting them to the test.

How we tested

Anytime you introduce a new product into your daily skincare regime, you also need to make sure it pairs well with your existing products, and that you’re giving your skin enough time to get used to the new addition.

According to dermatologists, it takes at least 30 days to determine whether a new product is working, or doing what it promised to, as this is the amount of time it takes for skin cells to turn over.

To test each of these No7 products, we incorporated them into our daily skincare routine, and used them over a two-month period.

No7 lift & luminate triple action day cream: £29.95, Boots.com

(No7)

Rating: 3.5/5

This daily moisturiser includes SPF 30 for sun protection, along with “collagen peptide technology and a unique brightening complex,” which is said to “visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles, target the appearance of pigmentation, and brighten for an even-looking skin tone and a radiant glow,” according to No7.

If you are looking for a light moisturiser that will soak immediately into the skin, this is not that, as we were surprised by how rich and luxurious the product felt the very first time we used it. However, while we liked the thick consistency, this may not be the product for those who prefer a moisturiser that doesn’t leave a dewy, greasy-like texture after application.

The moisturiser also has a strong floral fragrance, which makes using it each morning feel like a treat, but some may find it overpowering. Overall, over a month-long period, we found this to be one of the brand’s best daytime products, due to the moisture it gave to our skin and its price point.

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No7 protect & perfect intense advanced night cream: £19.95, Amazon.co.uk

(No7)

Rating: 4/5

Although a daily moisturiser may be used at night as well, if you want to take your skincare routine up a notch, you can use a product specifically formulated for nighttime use. Enter, No7’s night cream.

The protect & perfect night cream is formulated with something called MATRIXYL 3000 plus, otherwise known as the brand’s “next-generation age-defying collagen peptide-based technology,” as well as hyaluronic acid, vitamins A, C and E, and a “pre-sleep fragrance, infused with floral notes of white flowers and zesty bergamot”.

As for what this translates to on the face, we found it left our skin feeling incredibly soft and hydrated after just one use, and on each subsequent night. The consistency, which is slightly less thick than the day cream, also makes it the perfect product to apply before hitting the pillows, while the fragrance is also more subtle than the lift & luminate.

While we absolutely loved this product, and how it left our skin feeling, we didn’t see a noticeable difference in the appearance of fine lines after a month of use.

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No7 lift & luminate triple action serum: £29.95, Boots.com

(No7)

Rating: 5/5

Skincare serums may seem like they don’t have a specific use, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for No7’s lift & luminate triple action serum.

While we were divided over some aspects of the lift & luminate day cream from the same range, the serum proved to be a nearly perfect product, as we found it managed to moisturise, brighten and even out our skin tone, as promised.

We also couldn’t believe how soft our skin felt after using the serum, which we applied alone or before our moisturizer each morning for four weeks. This was our overall favorite product from No7’s skincare, and one we highly recommend to skincare aficionados or newbies.

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No7 restore and renew multi action face and neck serum: £32.95, Boots.com

(No7)

Rating: 3/5

No two serums are exactly alike, as this product, which is meant to be used day and night, promises to help skin feel firmer in just one week.

Although we preferred the scent of the lift & luminate serum, we still enjoyed applying this serum to our neck each night before bed. However, after a week of use, we stopped applying the serum during the day after we found, like other reviewers, that makeup tended to pill when applied on top.

As for whether we saw a difference in skin tightness or the appearance of lines, we can’t say there was a noticeable improvement, but our neck did feel smooth and soft with each application.

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No7 protect and perfect intense advanced eye cream: £22.01, Amazon.co.uk

(No7)

Rating: 4/5

No skincare regimen is complete without an eye cream, which is why we turned to No7’s protect and perfect intense advanced eye cream for the sensitive skin around our eyes. With ingredients such as shea butter, hyaluronic acid and ginseng extract, this product promises to hydrate the skin and leave us with eyes that look more awake.

To see whether the product really made a difference to our eyes on even the most sleepless of nights, we applied it each morning and night, along with the rest of our skincare potions, for a month. At the end of our trial period, we noticed that our under-eye darkness appeared slightly less pronounced, and that the sensitive skin felt soft to the touch.

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The verdict: No7 skincare products

Overall, if you want to entirely revamp your skincare routine, adding the No7 lift & luminate triple action serum, No7 protect and perfect intense advanced eye cream and No7 protect & perfect intense advanced night cream is the perfect way to start.

But if you’re just looking for one product that you’ll reach for again and again, we recommend the No7 lift & luminate triple action serum.

Looking for more budget skincare recommendations? This is a beauty writer’s edit of the best under £20 products