HEALTH & BEAUTY There is no arguing with the fact that life is getting more expensive. Basic amenities like heat, light and food are all shooting up in price, leaving us all wondering where we can make cuts in our spending to off-set these hikes in our dayto-day living costs. So, what does this mean for our skincare routines? With brands like The Ordinary and The Inkey List offering low-price products with high efficacy, the question is, should we all be ditching our favourite luxury brand in favour of a budget one?
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A wise ‘skinvestment’ now could pay dividends in the future.
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The answer is, of course, a personal and subjective one; you buy what you can afford, but it is worth remembering that the research and development that goes into more premium brands is what enables the cheaper brands to exist – they are using tried and tested technology that is known to work. Where the luxury brands have the advantage is in their development process, and the fact they are bringing new and innovative products to market. PREMIUM BRANDS EXPLAIN “Decree” by Dr Anita Sturnham is a much admired skincare brand that offers a carefully curated range of products with multiple benefits for the skin, in one serum or cream. Dr Strunham commented, ‘When we formulate a product for the Decree line, it can take a number of years to develop a formulation, to test and perfect it. Decree is known for producing multi-tasking formulations which are packed with several key active ingredients. Our serums, for example, contain the skin benefits of several serums in one.’ Sturnham goes on to say, ‘Smaller brands, like Decree, are unable to produce large production runs that the big drug companies benefit from.
All of these factors contribute to the cost of a product. When you come across the smaller, niche brands, these are the factors to consider when looking at the price tag.’ Jaicey Harding from New York-based skincare brand, Derm Institute, also agreed that investing in your skin holds long-term benefits. Harding states that, ‘When it comes to investment worthy skincare, the value of the investment is in the advanced ingredients and delivery systems that provide fast, long-term results. Upgrading your skincare routine to high-end skincare is an investment that creates impactful improvement to the skin, [using] medical grade ingredients [that] are proven to deliver noticeable change.’ K N OW L E D G E I S P OW E R The use of clinical grade technology and ingredients allows skincare brands to bring the efficacy of a facial or a visit to the dermatologist to your at-home regime – which does make achieving incredible results accessible to those without the time or resources to visit a clinician or facialist – and at a much lower cost. However, it does put the products themselves at a higher price point, in order to allow these innovations and scientific leap-forwards to be reformulated for safe use at home. • • • •
Making an investment in yourself is never a bad call. Knowledge is power when it comes to choosing what you put on your skin. Do your research and understand the ingredients that make up the formulation. A wise ‘skinvestment’ now could pay dividends in the future.
To quote a skincare giant; “Because you’re worth it.”
R e a dy t o m a k e a n i n v e s t m e n t i n yo u r s k i n ?
Try these:
DERM INSTITUTE Youth Alchemy Soft Cream, £405
DECREE Discovery Kit, £150
N AT U R A B I S S É Diamond Extreme Eye, £184
SKINCEUTICALS HA Intensifier, £95
All products available at John Bell & Croyden, 50-54 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2AU and at johnbellcroyden.co.uk Issue 23 / Aspire / 59
O U R R E S TAU R A N T G U I D E
S U C RE
Open fire cooking, marrying charcoal and wood with the best ingredients. Menus change regularly and can be enjoyed sharing style or traditionally.
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The food was exceptional and the flavours were perfect.
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Sucre is a story of immigration. A conversation of Latin American and European influences – bouncing off the walls of a 310 year old former concert hall in London’s Great Marlborough Street. Open fire cooking cranks the volume on seasonal ingredients. The menu tells the story of Chef Fernando Trocca’s immigrant background and the European adventurers who crossed the Atlantic to make their home in his native Argentina. The wine list makes the same trip. Bottling the journey from Old World to New, made by the vines and makers who poured into the land bringing their secrets with them. Highballs are served down low in the basement beneath Sucre. Abajo mixes the sounds, colours, and spirit of 80s Buenos Aires, with live music and drinks by Tato Giovannoni. You can feel the tinkly atmosphere as soon as you enter the building, there are beautiful design features around the restaurant captivating the diner as you take your seat. The staff are attentive and knowledgeable and gave some fantastic recommendations. Each dish was unique – the food was exceptional and the flavours were perfect. 47b Great Marlborough Street, London W1F 7JP 020 3988 3329
Instagram: @sucre.london sucrerestaurant.com
