Friday 20 January 2012

Review-Yves Saint Laurent: Forever Youth Liberator

Yves Saint Laurent have given their skincare line a shake-up this week, with the introduction of a new range called Forever Youth Liberator.  I would say the focus with YSL is usually on their fragrances and cosmetics, so it will be interesting to see a shift with this collection.  Inspired by Glycobiology (and 100 years of research into it), it's their first patented skincare which combines three glycans to help increase youthful activity in skin cells.  Glycans are found naturally in the skin but with age decrease, therefore slowing down the youth process.  To put it simply this skincare basically speeds up the regeneration of skin cells, plumping the skin and smoothing wrinkles etc for "forever youth"!  Now I was lucky enough to be picked for the YSL testing panel (something I enjoyed immensely) and started using the serum (the star product of the new line) last year.  Yes, before the shops even got any-how exciting!  I threw myself into the role, using the serum religiously for the 4 week trial and have been completely honest (as always) with my findings.
So here is a little background on my skin before the review.  I'll be 32 in a few months and my main skin concerns are adult acne (developed at the age of 25, but mostly under control for now) and ageing, although I credit being in the early stages of ageing on a good skincare routine since my teens. I have very fine lines around my eyes and on my forehead, otherwise my skin is normal. However I'm keen to step my anti-ageing  routine up a notch as prevention is better than cure and all that!  I don't always use a serum as part of my skincare routine (as I can't use too many different products at once); but have used both Lancome Genefique and No7 in the past year.
I started using Forever Youth Liberator 4 weeks ago, morning and night. Firstly I loved the packaging, the dropper distributes the perfect amount of product and the bottle reflects the luxury of the brand whilst remaining practical and easy to use.  I liked that the bottle had this ombre effect in pink, silver and black-it's different to other brands in terms of colour and style and would look pretty on any dressing table!  The scent is soft, subtle, inoffensive and in no way overpowering. That came as a pleasant surprise to me because YSL can be known for being very fragrant whether it's eye makeup remover or lipgloss!  The serum itself felt lightweight, non-sticky and was easily absorbed into the skin, providing a good base for moisturiser or makeup.  I noted that it didn't have that slippy, silicone-ish feel that some other serums have.  After using the serum for a week-I was happy to report that it hadn't caused any breakouts. As I said, I do have to be very careful with the products I put on my skin, but this serum has not caused me any trouble. I started to notice my skin felt firmer after application and looked a little more radiant in general. I didn't notice any change to my wrinkles.
Two weeks into the routine and my skin was definitely brighter, more radiant and the skintone seemed more even. On some days I even felt the fine lines around my eyes didn't seem so prominent.   My skin has remained firmer throughout the month and I definitely notice a little radiance. I can't say it's erased my wrinkles but on some days I have thought they weren't quite as noticeable (especially around the eyes). I'm most pleased that it didn't cause breakouts and if anything my skin seemed more clear over the month. It's been no bother at all to add this serum into my routine as it works so well with the products I already use and sinks into the skin quickly. While I can't say it has radically changed my appearance that others would notice, I've been happy with the firmer and more glowy complexion and for that reason I'd consider using it again.
The serum comes in a 30ml bottle, priced £60 which obviously reflects the technology (and 7 Nobel prizes), plus the serum contains a higher concentration of glycans than the other products.  My bottle was half that size and just lasted the 4 weeks, so you're looking at buying a new one every 2 months.  Six bottles a year...that's £360.  Pricey but cheaper than a face-lift if it works for you!  There's also moisturisers, cleanser and eye cream, prices start at £35.

23 comments :

  1. Cool blog!
    ...And I love your silver nail polish in that picture =))

    withdee.blogspot.com

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  2. Great review. Just got two samples of this in Debenhams yesterday (promotion on) and I was wondering if it lived up to its claims. In Ireland it sells for about €70, so it's not cheap. Thinking of using on just one side of my face and see if I notice a difference??!!

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  3. Thanks Dudu! The nail polish is Models Own Champagne with a Barry M silver glitter over the top.

    Anon-yeah it is quite expensive, I used my last drop this morning, sadness! I think there is something there though-I'm not saying it's completely magical, but I felt there were improvements with it. That would be a good idea to use it on half your face-I often ponder doing things like that!

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  4. I've purchased a bottle of the YSL Forever serum today, gonna use tonight for the first time, actually quite excited...now that i've go over the shock of the £60 price tag! I will let you know how I get on...

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  5. Thank you for the review! How lucky are you that you got to try this early. I'm really interested in trying it, though like yourself I'm worried about it causing breakouts. Do you know how this serum works on old acne scaring?

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  6. I´m going to test this serum. Great review.

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  7. Great review. I'm really interested on it. It´s quite expensive, isn´t it?

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  8. Utter rubbish, a total con, I bought 3 products, cost £155.00 and having used it for a month, it has made not a jot of difference! Aldi at £4.95 does the same job so ladies, save your hard earned cash and do not spend it on this!

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  9. Ive just bought the eyecream and have some samples of the serum so excited. check out my bits not as good as this one though lol.
    http://bestysbeautybits.blogspot.com/

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  10. Great review thanks. I have 6 lots of samples of the serum to try but have received conflicting advice - one shop said dont use anything over the serum and the other shop said always use your moisturiser over the serum - any advise appreciated please.

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  11. Mary-when I was sent the serum I was told by YSL to use it under my regular moisturiser and I felt it wasn't moisturising enough on it's own not to do that anyway. Perhaps in warmer months when my skin isn't so dry, I would be tempted to wear it alone, but certainly the majority of the time I'd use it under moisturiser. Let me know how you get on.

    Paula-yay, will check out how you're getting on.

    Anon-sorry it didn't work for you.

    tpea-yes it is quite pricey, however debenhams have an exclusive set which is £35 and includes the 15ml size of serum I used here and small eye cream and moisturiser.

    cae-let me know how you get on.

    Ali-I can't say I was particularly paying attention to old acne scarring, although my face looked fresher/clearer than usual, so perhaps it did lighten some.

    dunners-do let me know! I know it is quite expensive ; /

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  12. Just bought the serum and the spf15 moisturizer as my skins is quite dry. The woman at the counter applied it on me and my face actually looked brighter and less red than usual. I have thin Scot/Irish skin and at 42, it is looking blotchy. I will report back in a few weeks.

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  13. I have been using this serum for 4 weeks, and I can safety sat it has made a difference... I am 45 yrs old and my skin tone had changed, but it seems much brighter and firm since using the YSL serum... I would definitely recommend it... I know it's pricey but put a little away each week to buy your first bottle and continue each week after and it won't seem so bad...

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  14. I have used the eye creme for 1 month now, and it has made my wrinkles a lot less visible. And its not like other eye creams that only make them less visible when I wear the eye cream (only covering them up), they are actually less visible even when I don't even have the eye cream on. Its amazing! I never really believed that a cream could make that much difference, since I have tried so many high-end brand like Decleor, Dermalogica, MD formulations etc, that really didn't make a difference. I`m going to invest in the whole range now:)

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  15. Marie-hope you enjoyed it.

    Anon, so glad you liked this serum. It's certainly worth saving for or buying with points or during a offer. Thanks for commenting.

    Liv-that's fabulous. I used the eye cream too, just briefly and liked it. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

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  16. I've been using the serum and liked it - can't say I've noticed much difference in the size of my wrinkles, but the texture is great and overall radiance and luminosity is lovely. I bought the moisturiser today in the hope that the two together will make a difference as current moisturiser is too "claggy"! Will let you know how I get on ...

    Skip O'C

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  17. I used this product for two weeks and it resulted in an allergic reaction , red blotches all over my face,not a good look I have never reacted to a product before. Manufacturers have refused to refund any money ! Don't buy it save your money! Don't be conned by the expensive looking packaging and poor customer service! Buy something cheaper and probably just as good and you could still afford a new pair of shoes!

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    1. I'm really sorry to hear this product has not agreed with you. My skin has become reasonably sensitive over the past few years and certain products can trigger a break-out, but I had no trouble with this serum. You simply cannot know what product can cause reactions like this as you can become allergic to something at any time, even if you've used it (fine) for years. Sorry again x

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  18. I have bought the YSL serum and have been using it together will the eye serum. I think it's great and you see brilliant results no matter what moisturiser and eye cream you use. Serums work better on your skin because they work at a deeper level than face creams. A must have serum!

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  19. Went to the YSL counter for make up and the assistant was flogging the virtues of the serum!! Hubbie was scratching his head for Christmas gifts so I told her to stick it in the bag and it would be my Xmas present! So didn't mind price as I wasn't paying!! The 30ml bottle is just About done now so it has lasted well. Use it mostly everyday morn and night. Looking to replace it now. Does make my skin smoother and remarkably!! ( don't know if it's supposed to!) has really reduced the appearance of my pores a lot! Will try their eye cream too as I have been pleased with the serum. Maybe I use it too sparingly?? But has lasted me four months!! Will definitely buy again, even if I have to buy myself!!

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    1. Brilliant, glad to hear you liked the serum. I've just finished a small tub of the eye cream and got on well with it. Can't say it worked miracles but it was pleasant enough.

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