This £25 French Skincare Staple Is a Beauty-Expert Favourite—Here's Why

Most of the items you'll find in my makeup bag or sitting neatly in my bathroom cabinet have been there for years. By that, I don't mean bottles and tubes that have been sitting there since 2014 gathering dust but products I invest in religiously as soon as they run out. For example, I've used the same mascara for the past five years (Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Mascara, £26, in case you were wondering), the same makeup remover for the last seven (Bioderma Sensibio Cleansing Micellar Water Sensitive Skin, £11), and, yes, the same concealer since, well, before I can remember (Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, £25—I wear Vanilla). 

You could say I'm something of a beauty loyalist. As such, a product has to be pretty special if it's going to infiltrate my honed beauty edit. Still, one of the perks of my job is that I often get to try samples of products to review. And recently, a parcel arrived in the post that helped me rediscover a product I'd tried a while back but admittedly overlooked. 

French women like Claire Most are known for their skincare proficiency. 

It was a few years ago when I first tried Vichy's Minéral 89 Serum. At the time, I was pretty nonchalant about my entire skincare routine—what can I say? I was in my early 20s—and while I certainly enjoyed the quenching formula, I didn't think my face needed it. Oh, the blissful ignorance of youth. Now, in my early 30s, I'm all about hydration—I can't get enough hydration—and applying Vichy's Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Booster feels like plunging my face into a cool basin of water, only with targeted results and without the need to blow-dry my hair afterwards. I'm also a sucker for French beauty brands, but I'm always that little bit sceptical when they're affordable; it's the fear of them being too good to be true. This serum, however, was up to the challenge of impressing me. 

Vichy's Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydration Booster speaks to all of my skincare concerns: tone, environmental impact, radiance, sensitivity—the list goes on. The formula consists of 89% mineralising thermal water (hence its name) to help strengthen the skin's moisture barrier and make it more resistant to visible ageing caused by environmental factors. It also boasts hyaluronic acid, which hydrates and plumps skin to give a healthy, radiant-looking complexion. Sounds ideal, right? 

Of course, there are many serums out there making the same promises, but what I really enjoy about this product is the texture. It's non-greasy, allowing me to apply makeup straight after application if I'm running late (which, as my track record would show, is probably very likely). It also boasts a gel-like consistency, which feels more hydrating than just about any other serum I've come across. It goes a long way, too—just one pump is more than enough to cover my face, my neck, and even my décolletage. I've only been using this serum for 10 days, but I can already see a marked improvement in the elasticity of my skin as well as an enhanced glow. All of that for £25? I've paid triple that in the past for products that do very little other than break me out. 

If it wasn't already clear, I think this product is a game changer, but you needn't take my word for it. On FeelUnique.co.uk, the serum has 1518 five-star reviews and counting. That, and the person I trust to give me no-frills beauty advice also gives it her seal of approval. Here's what Who What Wear UK's very own beauty editor Mica Ricketts has to say about my new skincare favourite. 

Contributing editor Maxine Eggenberger has been using the serum for two weeks and is impressed with the results. 

"A good hyaluronic serum is a staple in my skincare routine, and I love layering one on at night after using more active treatments. Vichy's Minéral 89 is a serum that I've used on and off over the years, but it's one that I always return to. It's quenching, non-sticky and always makes my skin look a whole lot juicer than before I applied it. A French pharmacy staple at its finest," she says.

Something tells me you're going to love this serum as much as Mica, the 1518 five-star reviewers, and I do. I'll pop it below for you again, should you want to consider it further. Then, below that, you'll find an edit of other French beauty staples I rely on. 

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Next Up: These Cheap Serums Are Just as Good as Their Expensive Counterparts