I'm A Skincare-Obsessed Beauty Writer—This Is How I Built My Collection on a Budget

If you’re looking for an easy and cost-effective way to try out a range of viral skincare brands, look no further than Boots’ beauty box. I’ve lost count of how many I have purchased, but the most recent SPF & Skin box is by far my favourite. Featuring 9 full-sized products and a number of trending skincare brands, including Beauty of Joseon, Ole Henriksen and Lumene, this set has everything from hydrating cleansers to facial SPF. Not to mention that at under £50, this beauty box allows you to save over £200.

I’m a firm believer that spending more does not always equate to a better skincare experience, and Byoma is an affordable brand that I can turn to for gentle but effective products time after time. The Hydrating Starter Kit features the brand’s iconic cream jelly cleanser, hydrating serum, and gel moisturiser. The products absorb quickly into the skin without feeling greasy or sticky, and the simple, unfragranced ingredients used mean a wide range of skin types and sensitivities can use this set.

On the opposite end of the price scale, investing in a luxury starter kit allows you to test out targeted skincare and unique innovations before having to fully splurge on the full-sized products. And after Dr Barbara Sturm was recommended to me by both friends and my fellow editors alike, the brand’s discovery kit immediately made its way into my wishlist. Powered by a 360-degree approach to molecular science, Dr Barbara Sturm tailors skincare to your skin tone. I have my eye on the set for dark skin tones, but the brand also has a discovery kit for lighter skin tones, as well as a glow kit for those looking to bring back radiance to their skin this summer.

As someone with eczema and extremely dehydrated skin, finding a kit in which every product is hydrating and gentle is always my top priority when deciding which skincare set I'm going to invest in next. Laneige’s Daily Hydration Essential Set features the Waterbank cleanser (my favourite cleanser of all time, by the way), cream skin mist and hyaluronic acid moisturiser. The set leaves my skin feeling and looking smooth and glowy, not to mention that despite featuring non-full-size products, a little goes a long way, so it will last a lot longer than other kits that contain minis.

If you have oily or acne-prone skin, then finding skincare that targets blemishes and prevents excess oil will be your main goal. The Ordinary’s The Clear set is not only affordable but also contains a cleanser, serum, and moisturisers that effectively unclog pores and prevent spots. As I said before, I have very dry skin, and if you do too, I’d use this sparingly, but it’s a great set to have in your collection for a straightforward routine that targets spots and blemishes

I don’t have mature skin, but I often find myself looking for mature-skin product suggestions due to how hydrating they often are. Estée Lauder’s Get Ready Routine set features four travel-sized products created with anti-ageing and moisturising in mind. And this includes the brand’s iconic Advanced Night Repair Serum, which is a fragrance-free multi-recovery complex that’s earned its cult status due to its ability to firm the skin, even skin tone and smooth out fine lines. Both my mum and grandma have sworn by Estée Lauder products for as long as I can remember, so this set is the perfect way for me to see what the hype is about.

I’m not the biggest fan of flying, so for my upcoming holidays, I’m planning to bring along a skincare set that I can use to bring a sense of pampering to my flights as well as reverse the effects of the harsh, dehydrating plane air. Patchology’s On the Fly Kit has a hydrating skin gel, lip gel, eye gel and a night eye gel, which will keep your skin glowing for the entire flight.

Getting ready in the morning can be hectic enough, and that’s even without the stress of curating the perfect skincare routine. Luckily, Skin Rocks’ The AM routine has you covered, featuring four easy-to-use products that cleanse, prep and protect your skin from the day ahead. This set is great if you want to streamline your skincare routine, want to try out some of the hero products or are in need of an effortless routine to take with you on your summer holidays.

If you’re a regular reader of Who What Wear UK, then you’ll know how much we swear by Medik8’s Crystal Retinal serum, and now you can get a taster of the brand's best-selling products in the Nighttime Reset kit. Also including a retinal eye serum and a gentle ceramide cream, this set will make your evening skincare routines is much easier, and with continued use, you’ll see a reduction in visible hyperpigmentation, and fine lines. Just remember to apply your factor 50 sunscreen the day after, as your skin will be more sensitive to UV rays.

Finding skin products that don’t pill or flake under makeup can be a challenge, but Merit’s skincare-beauty hybrid products have a lightweight formula that was created to absorb quickly into the skin with zero residue or white cast, so that your base makeup products apply smoothly without any issues. I’m a big fan of the Great Skin serum and moisturiser already, but I’ve yet to try the face wash, so I’ll be picking up this mini kit before fully committing to the full-size version.

Mimétique is a French pharmacy brand that wasn’t on my radar until very recently, but after trying the non-white cast SPF, I’ve been desperate to try out more from the collection. In true French fashion, every product centres on plant-derived and biotech ingredients to repair, protect, and regenerate the skin barrier without causing any irritation. Not to mention the packaging is extremely chic, which is always a plus in my eyes.

I have to admit, I was very late to the K-beauty hype, so to catch up, I’ve had my eye on a range of multi-brand skin care products that allow me to try out the trending brands and products. The most recent find on my radar? Selfridges’ The K-Beauty Skincare Kit features a wide range of sought-after buys, including Medicube’s collagen jelly cream and Anua’s 100+ PDRN capsules and Haruharu Wonder’s black rice probiotics barrier essence.