I have always loved the fast service of Beauty Affairs with free samples with my orders. Last month my shampoo bottle broke in the post and leaked everywhere. When I advised Beauty Affairs they sent a new bottle straight away free of charge. Unfortunately this order did not arrive so when I advised them of this Anna at Client Care sent me a new bottle straight away but along with this she also sent me the matching conditioner, and my favourite full cleanser to say sorry. I have not experienced such amazing customer service in a long time. I’ve always had amazing service from Beauty Affairs and will not buy my beauty products anywhere else

But really I wanted to come here and give thanks and my 5 stars to Beauty Affairs! In this current climate (covid) it’s been tough.... I’m a mum of three with a small baby and a child with special needs who as anyone in NSW would know r home doing school.... shops aren’t open anyway and I have been in real need of a “glow up” Beauty Affairs helped me! How? First off, they have great customer service! They’re very friendly and get back to you straight away (given it is within working hours) the pack it and send it and I honestly receive it the next morning! To me those are two of the most important things! I can’t go out I don’t have time to do anything... I appreciate anyone who can get me my stuff quick and who actually get back to you! I Love little freebies you ... MoreBut really I wanted to come here and give thanks and my 5 stars to Beauty Affairs! In this current climate (covid) it’s been tough.... I’m a mum of three with a small baby and a child with special needs who as anyone in NSW would know r home doing school.... shops aren’t open anyway and I have been in real need of a “glow up” Beauty Affairs helped me! How? First off, they have great customer service! They’re very friendly and get back to you straight away (given it is within working hours) the pack it and send it and I honestly receive it the next morning! To me those are two of the most important things! I can’t go out I don’t have time to do anything... I appreciate anyone who can get me my stuff quick and who actually get back to you! I Love little freebies you guys throw in !

If you want to fade acne scars and get clearer skin, I highly stand by this product. I had bad acne scars and hyperpigmentation after struggling to get rid of my acne for years. Nothing really worked until I was introduced to this product. It does take time to notice a difference, but over a couple of months, your hyperpigmentation and acne scars start to fade. It can be a bit drying, especially for those who already have dry skin (like me) but using it with a good moisturiser or night cream really helps!

Gentle retinol

This is great for first time retinol users or those with sensitive skin. After trying a strong retinol and having too much peeling I decided to dial it down and went with this. It's an oil serum too which helps soothe the skin. It's good in that I have not experienced any peeling, redness or irritation. But the biggest con is the smell, it just smells like off dirt. It's really terrible and I don't think the product has expired but it just smells so awful. Thank goodness it doesn't linger the whole time the product is on the skin. I also don't like that it's an oil. It feels greasy and stays that way all night. The dropper dispenser is easy to use and a little bit goes a long way. And I like that I can apply it all over whereas with a strong retinol I have to be so ... MoreThis is great for first time retinol users or those with sensitive skin. After trying a strong retinol and having too much peeling I decided to dial it down and went with this. It's an oil serum too which helps soothe the skin. It's good in that I have not experienced any peeling, redness or irritation. But the biggest con is the smell, it just smells like off dirt. It's really terrible and I don't think the product has expired but it just smells so awful. Thank goodness it doesn't linger the whole time the product is on the skin. I also don't like that it's an oil. It feels greasy and stays that way all night. The dropper dispenser is easy to use and a little bit goes a long way. And I like that I can apply it all over whereas with a strong retinol I have to be so careful to only apply it to certain areas.

It does have retinol, smells like sunflower oil and does almost nothing

I used it day after day, it burnt my skin a bit, but it only means it really has active retinol in it. After that does pretty much nothing to your skin. Make sure you put this item in the whole system that will heal your skin after this serum, and make sure you know why you use this. Cause I am not sure why I need this instead of hydration, cause this thing only made my face look dryier, which means older. Dont recommend for everyone, but not the worse thing Ive tried.

Late to the party!

I've always been rather terrified of retinol.... heard about it of course but never felt it was for me. The idea of having to 'go carefully' with its use always put me off. I'm now in my early 60s and after seeing someone talk about it on instagram I decided to take the plunge (and with serums in general). Wow! what a change I have noticed in my skin in just a couple of weeks (I swear it had an impact on first use!) ... smoother, younger-looking, dewy, plumped up.... real, noticeable change! I'm not one for 'tweakments' in general ( I get my brows micro bladed once a year and that's it) but retinol has had the most poweful impact on how I feel about my skin and myself and will remain in my regime from now on. Important to note that not all retinol products are the ... MoreI've always been rather terrified of retinol.... heard about it of course but never felt it was for me. The idea of having to 'go carefully' with its use always put me off. I'm now in my early 60s and after seeing someone talk about it on instagram I decided to take the plunge (and with serums in general). Wow! what a change I have noticed in my skin in just a couple of weeks (I swear it had an impact on first use!) ... smoother, younger-looking, dewy, plumped up.... real, noticeable change! I'm not one for 'tweakments' in general ( I get my brows micro bladed once a year and that's it) but retinol has had the most poweful impact on how I feel about my skin and myself and will remain in my regime from now on. Important to note that not all retinol products are the same - that's why I went for a Medik8 formula (I love their Vit C serum in the mornings and had been using for a while) - gentle but powerful and smells good too!

On the fence about retinol

I started retinol 6 months ago, as perimenopausal changes to my skin seemed to speed up visible ageing. I first tried Dr Murad retinol serum and cream, and am now trying this. I like the liquid format of this one; I have had no adverse reaction to it, and had none with the Murad either. I am 45 and have pale skin but am not particularly sensitive. The truth is I have no idea whether retinol is making a difference to my skin; I find the biggest difference to my skin seems to be sleep and no alcohol, versus poor sleep and wine. That being said I haven't noticed my skin get worse, and some days it does look glowy and not bad for a 45 year old with no medical aesthetic interventions. It has not reduced the one age spot on my face.

Perfect Starter Retinol

I received a good size sample of this with a Space NK GWP at the end of 2020. So my review is based on that (however, I have previously used a full bottle of Retinol 3TR (not the 'Intense' version). So I am fairly familiar with Medik8's 3TR line. Firstly, I found the serums consistency beneficial to use, it made an even application easier to achieve and a little product definitely goes a long way. Squalane helps with the spreadability. In terms of the difference between this one: 3TR Intense (and the 3TR, that I had previously used). The 3TR Intense is aimed at users that are 30+ whereas, the 3TR is targeted at the 20+ market. And the main ingredient in the 3TR Intense (this one) is squalane and the Intense version (this one) also contains climbazole. If you are not ... MoreI received a good size sample of this with a Space NK GWP at the end of 2020. So my review is based on that (however, I have previously used a full bottle of Retinol 3TR (not the 'Intense' version). So I am fairly familiar with Medik8's 3TR line. Firstly, I found the serums consistency beneficial to use, it made an even application easier to achieve and a little product definitely goes a long way. Squalane helps with the spreadability. In terms of the difference between this one: 3TR Intense (and the 3TR, that I had previously used). The 3TR Intense is aimed at users that are 30+ whereas, the 3TR is targeted at the 20+ market. And the main ingredient in the 3TR Intense (this one) is squalane and the Intense version (this one) also contains climbazole. If you are not familiar, with squalane. It is naturally found in the protective lipid barrier of the skin. It contains beneficial fatty acids (while being non-comedogenic - it doesn't clog your pores). It is also a natural antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory benefits. So adding it to an retinol, is makes that retinol more tolerable. If you are unfamiliar with Retinoids. Retinol has to undergo two metabolic processes before it is converted to retinoic acid (prescription Retin A). Obviously, it losses efficacy through the conversion process and once converted it will be significantly 'weaker' than prescription strengths Retinoids. However, that is not always a bad thing - I will explain, later. Not all retinol formulations are equal. So invest you money in a good brand, like Medik8. Back to the ingredients. Squalane is a good 'hydrator' of the skin and acts as an emollient hence it is excellent for 30+ skin. Climbazole is able to 'boost' the effects for Retinoids, without increasing the irritancy potential - so it is a win, win ingredient. In my opinion, this is an excellent starter Retinoid. Start slowly with Retinoids, little is always more. Don't think, it is better value for money starting with a higher dose. Don't use more product than stated, you will just waste it, you won't get anymore benefits (there is a threshold) and you are likely to suffer mild side effects (such as irritancy: redness). Remember, it will take months to see benefits - Retinoids works on gene expression. That isn't as scary as it sounds: that is how you make proteins (collagen is a protein). If you have sensitive skin, you might only built up to using the product three times a week. That is great, Derms say three times a week works in keeping the Retinoid receptors active. If you notice irritancy, give your skin a break. Use a good quality , simple cleanser and moisturiser and NO ACTIVES. Then slowly introduce them again. If you stick to Medik8's 3TR Intense and go gentle, I don't think you will notice irritancy. But I'm mentioning it just in case. If you have very sensitive skin or dehydrated skin. After cleansing, use a simple moisturiser to lock in the water (before you use this serum). Then wait about 20/ 30 minutes before you apply this serum. Do not apply this serum, straight after your moisturiser, because you skin will be 'softer' (like freshly washed skin) the serum will penetrate more. Using, a moisturiser won't effect the efficacy of the retinol, it will 'time release' / slow the penetration, while keeping your skin hydrated. Remember, this is a serum, so 20 minutes or so after application - use a moisturiser, even if you used one prior to the retinol application - think of the retinol as the 'filler; substance' in your skincare sandwich. The reason, you should start gentle with a Retinoid and give you skin 'breaks' if needed. Is because, inflammation, however small limits collagen remodelling (and that is you aim of using a Retinoid: to induce & produce collagen). Hence, if your skin becomes irritated / inflamed you are being counter-productive. Hence I recommend a gentle, but effective formulation, like Medik8's 3TR Intense.

Self care

My first Medik8 product and it won’t be my last. I’m so pleased to find this, it is practical, functions as promised, affordable and feels lovely on my 30+ combination often spotty from face masks and time of the month skin. What I like about this retinol product unlike others I have tried, is that you build up in stages. As I used retinol before but don’t have major issues with my fair skin other than the odd spot, mild pigmentation and redness. I do try 5o look after and prevent my skin from worsening in condition. I have been using this as per instructions twice a week and I see the results myself from first use. This is easy to use , clear advice/ instructions and the texture of the product feels lovely. Like a facial oil but dry. The scent is also pleasing but ... MoreMy first Medik8 product and it won’t be my last. I’m so pleased to find this, it is practical, functions as promised, affordable and feels lovely on my 30+ combination often spotty from face masks and time of the month skin. What I like about this retinol product unlike others I have tried, is that you build up in stages. As I used retinol before but don’t have major issues with my fair skin other than the odd spot, mild pigmentation and redness. I do try 5o look after and prevent my skin from worsening in condition. I have been using this as per instructions twice a week and I see the results myself from first use. This is easy to use , clear advice/ instructions and the texture of the product feels lovely. Like a facial oil but dry. The scent is also pleasing but natural. So pleased to have this product and I will try others from the brand. Also super happy to be using and supporting a British brand!

effective & gentle

I have acne-prone, combo/sensitive skin in my early 40s: occasional pimples, fine lines, a bit of melasma, other weird stuff that happens with no rhyme or reason. I got a deluxe sample of the 3TR in a recent order and have been using this about 2-3x week since June. Let me tell you, it's soooo good. There was no reactivity with my skin on initial use. Over time, I've seen clarity and smoothness - cell turnover is working! Fine lines are seriously minimizing. I've had such a good experience with the 3TR that I'm ready to jump into the 6TR on my next order.