Does This £145 Cream Eradicate A Saggy Neck? And link up

It was a review in The Times of the Perricone MD Restorative Neck and Chest Therapy that piqued my interest. The writer said a friend of hers believed the change was quite noticeable since using this cream.

Most of us are, as Nora Ephron famously said, unhappy about our necks.  Like our hands, necks tend to reveal our age more quickly than our faces do.  I've always used SPF and neck creams but in my case, losing weight a few years ago led to some loose crepey skin under the chin.

The Perricone cream is pricey at £145 and you're advised to apply it liberally to your neck and decolletage.  Previously I was using Prai Ageless Neck and Throat Cream, £24.99.  This is a good product but the Perricone has the edge, and so it should for that price.

This photo, taken before I started using it, shows the wrinkly loose skin.

There aren't many alternatives for the neck in terms of improving the skin quality and elasticity. I read an article a few months ago by a woman who had had cosmetic surgery in the form of a neck lift.  Afterwards, the skin was taut, yes, but now it looked flat without any volume.  She then had to resort to fillers, an ongoing expense. Frankly, who has the time and money?

A neck thread lift is a non-surgical alternative where temporary sutures are used to produce a subtle  "lift" in the skin. It lasts around 18 month and to be honest, I can't see a lot of difference in most of the before and after pictures I have seen.  Certainly the results with the Perricone cream were just as good.

This photo was taken near the end of the working day, so I'm looking a bit tired. You can see the saggy neck skin is not quite so bad now. The results are cumulative, which I like.

Other changes to my skincare routine: ARK Skincare

On the very day that I finished my jar of moisturizer, I had a brilliantly timed delivery from ARK Skincare of their Brightening Cleanser and Nourishing Moisturizer. As I had already started using a new hyaluronic serum, and the Perricone neck cream, I thought I'd give you an update on my current regime. Plus I have tried yet another mascara.

ARK is a British skincare company that claims to be: "Quietly challenging what it means to be a skincare brand in the 21st century. Empowering our audience to celebrate the age they are, and making skincare easier to navigate by age and benefit."

Read more about ARK here. 

The Age Defy range is intended for women in their 50s. All ARK's products are cruelty free and use  natural ingredients and is suitable for even the most sensitive skins.  They have also won a clutch of awards.

The cleanser is a lotion that's applied to damp skin, massaged in and removed with warm water. The key ingredients are apricot, blackcurrant and starflower lipids.

It has a slightly medical fragrance which is short lasting - it reminds me of the eucalyptus scent of Liz Earle products. I find it a perfectly serviceable cleanser, but not quite as luxurious as my usual product, which to be fair is twice the price.

The moisturizer is said to tackle signs of hormone loss such as dullness, dryness, uneven tone and loss of elasticity. It scores 5 out of 5 stars in the 89 reviews on the site. I will report back later because I like to give creams several months of usage before I make a judgment.

However, I am not very impressed with the packaging of either product as they both come in plastic containers and there's no recycling option on the website. The moisturizer in particular seems to have quite a complicated pump mechanism which takes up a large volume of the pot.

I would like to see manufacturers, particularly those with vegan products, offer packaging in glass as an alternative.  Yes it would be more expensive, but many of us would be willing to pay. The beauty industry is lagging behind in terms of offering plastic-free packaging.

Evolve Hyaluronic Serum

This one does come in a glass bottle, albeit with a plastic lid.The 10ml bottle I'm using was in the John Lewis Summer Holiday box. Normally a 30ml bottle costs £30. Now the thing with hyaluronic serum like this is that it provides a kind of coating on the skin. I use it under moisturizer, SPF and foundation and I like the "wetness" of the product which makes it go a long way.

NYX Worth The Hype Waterproof Mascara

Yes, definitely worth the hype!

Regular readers will know I am forever trying new mascaras in the hope of finding The One. Without fail they end up transferring to the skin under my lower lashes, turning me into a panda. I'm beginning to think it must be me. Perhaps my eyes are more moist than most people's! Or perhaps I rub my face and eyes during the day, more than I realise?  (I make strenuous efforts not to touch my face, so I don't think it's the latter).

You can read some of my previous mascara reviews here, here and here.

Recently I tried Benefit's Roller Lash but wasn't impressed (it was a trial size in one of the beauty boxes). I turned into a panda in just an hour and a half!

Most of the mascaras I've tried have been pricey so I decided to try a cheaper product. The name of this NYX mascara is certainly making a bold claim.  Is it indeed worth the hype?

I have just applied it for the first time.  Quite a hefty brush, but very impressed that it isn't gloopy and doesn't cake. So many do! I will report back at the end of the day on the panda situation. Stay tooned!

So here I am, a few hours later, and thrilled to point out that the mascara has not transferred to the lower lash area.  I am not a panda!

I've used it several days running and am getting good results.  For a waterproof mascara, it leaves the lashes feeling quite silky and natural which is a bonus - I hate it when lashes feel like they've been hairsprayed.

Disclosure: I was gifted with two products by ARK Skincare. No other products mentioned were gifted. I do not offer copy clearance and my opinions are always honest and unbiased.

Sharing with: #WordlessWednesday at Claire Justine, Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, #ShareAllLinkUp at Not Dressed as Lamb, Chic&Stylish at Mummabstylish, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, #MuttonStyleMondays at Muttonstyle,  Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Anna at The Glamadventure,  Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee On The Edge, #BloggerClubUK at My Random Musings, Color and Grace, Julie at This Main Line Life

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Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday

Julie's blog This Main Line Life and her post 7 Beauty Hacks For Gorgeous Skin Without Makeup was readers' favourite last week.  Julie's beautiful skin showed the way! She is a relative newcomer to #WowOnWednesday so thrilled to welcome her on board.

Now it's your turn to Wow us.

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