4,000 women. 4,000 products. A team of six. (Us, plus our stalwart helpers Amy, Jessie, Dave and Ben.) Eighteen months. That’s what it takes to put together a new edition of a Beauty Bible book. But our crusade has long been to help steer women towards beauty products which really work – and there’s no area where that info’s more valuable than anti-ageing. After all, it’s possible to spend a great deal of money without seeing results – so knowing what works on lines, wrinkles, sagging, age spots etc. is what every woman we know really wants.

So in the brand new paperback edition of The Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible, we give chapter and verse on the products which have most impressed our testers. What’s really important to us, too, is the amazing support from the entire beauty industry (from supermarket brands to the cultest-of-cult) – because of the diligent way we carry out our trials. Every product goes to 10 women, who are asked to trial that miracle cream/cellulite treatment/stretch mark cream on one side of their face (er, or one thigh!) for comparison. We know they do, because so many women e-mail after a few weeks to ask if it’s OK if they start to use it on the other side, because they’re becoming ‘lop-sided’. (And by the way, we never take brands’ promises that formulations are ‘new and improved’ at face value. If they change a formula, it’s back to the drawing board – and the product starts from scratch, with our testers.)

We’re delighted that many, many of the products showcased in the new paperback are available on Victoria Health – so we thought we’d share some of our testers’ comments, here. We’re also delighted that (and we wouldn’t do this for anyone but Gill!) you can exclusively buy signed copies of our book right here, on VH. 

For a little taster, though – and a sneaky peek at a ‘fab five’ Anti-ageing Beauty Bible award-winning products? Read on…

Temple Spa Skin Truffle Total Face Rejuvenation
This new entry notched up a truly stupendous score – 9.31/10, averaged across 10 women, and the highest we’ve ever had for an all-round, all-singing-and-dancing miracle cream, in 17 years of Beauty Bible testing. (Not that Sarah’s surprised: she’s long been a Skin Truffle-ette.) Diamond powder, gold and silk clearly do illuminate the skin from first application, testers report; other key ingredients include black truffles, grapeseed champagne, purifying strawberries and lush cocoa butter, in a cashmere-soft formulation.

What our testers said: ‘Immediate and big difference in tone, skin brighter and smoother with no tightness; after two weeks, people mentioned I looked great and younger – fine lines disappeared and skin looked vibrant, really bright and smooth with no dark tones, crêpiness lessened – amazing!’ • ‘my fine lines have almost gone away!’ • ‘really a wow product, you only need a small amount for a great difference in the texture of the skin, which really did appear softer, brighter and more rested; definitely reduced marionette lines near nose and mouth, definitely buying – I look as if I’ve had a good holiday’ • ‘after two weeks, skin is 80 per cent brighter, and fine lines reduced’.
Skin Truffle

Barefoot Botanicals Rosa Fina Intensive Eye Serum
This high-scoring (8.49/10), high-potency serum-style treatment product – despite featuring argan and rosa mosqueta (rosehip seed) oils – sinks in fast, according to delighted testers. Other key botanicals in this all-natural winner includes frankincense, antioxidant vitamins A, C and E plus vitamin B5. The bonus: witch hazel promises instantly firming benefits.

What our testers said: ‘Divine smell, I liked this product very much; I did notice a difference in crêpiness which in turn seemed to make eyes brighter. Would definitely buy’ • ‘the best eye cream I’ve tried so far; pleasant to use, didn’t give me spots and lumps, fantastically hydrating, and made the skin look a little brighter and more radiant’ • ‘could apply make-up straight after; skin looked much more hydrated around eyes and certainly had an effect on fine lines which looked smoother because skin plumper; had a positive effect on puffiness and seemed to calm skin around eye socket; dark circles did diminish slightly’ • ‘really light, silky product; lines much, much fainter after six weeks; wrinkles less deep, skin much smoother; really loved it!’ • ‘people commented I look “fresh”’.
Rosa Fina Intensive Eye Serum

Sarah Chapman London Skinesis Age-Repair Serum
A facial with superfacialist Sarah Chapman is definitely worth the waiting list. Her skincare line, though, is like jumping the queue! And this silky serum is one of two winners in our book (the other is Sarah’s SPF15 Day Cream). Loads of peptides, vitamin E, aloe vera juice and mushroom extract are delicately and prettily fragranced with jasmine, hyacinth and rose essential oils. Stylish pump-action packaging protects the contents.

What our testers said: ‘Immediate and big difference in tone, skin brighter and smoother with no tightness; after two weeks, people mentioned I looked great and younger – fine lines disappeared and skin looked vibrant, really bright and smooth with no dark tones, crêpiness lessened – amazing!’ • ‘my fine lines have almost gone away!’ • ‘really a wow product, you only need a small amount for a great difference in the texture of the skin, which really did appear softer, brighter and more rested; definitely reduced marionette lines near nose and mouth, definitely buying – I look as if I’ve had a good holiday’ • ‘after two weeks, skin is 80 per cent brighter, and fine lines reduced’.
Skinesis Age Repair Serum

AD Skin Synergy Night Treatment Facial Oil
Therapist and former PR Amanda de Ayala poured years of insider knowledge into her small signature (AD) range, which includes this super-nourishing oil. It’s based on £8,000-a-kilo cold-pressed rosehip oil from Chile – an ingredient renowned for its age-defying benefits – together with jojoba, sweet almond, evening primrose and vitamin E. The delectable scent’s down to a skillful active blend of essential oils of rose, lavender, palmarosa, ylang-ylang, neroli, frankincense and jasmine. Fantastic score: 9.12/10, averaged across 10 testers.

What our testers said: ‘I’ve had several people ask if I have been on holiday because of the healthy look to my skin’ • ‘seemed to replace plumpness skin loses over time, making it look younger’ • ‘the inclusion of lavender makes it relaxing to wear while going to sleep, and I’ve noticed a reduction in fine lines’ • ‘surprised how well this sinks in, and after a few days I received comments on how well I was looking’ • ‘my beauty therapist commented on how well-hydrated my skin is’ • ‘wrinkles less noticeable, skin more nourished’ • ‘loved this and it lasts for AGES!’ • ‘skin glowing, but less redness’.
Nourishing Night Treatment

This Works Skin Deep Dry Leg Oil
Shins start out with few oil glands, but as we age they can become super-dry and paper-thin. And there’s a health issue there: poor circulation and a fragile skin barrier can increase the chances of ‘leg ulcers’ in later years: painful, hard to budge and depressing. This blends over a dozen rich plant oils – including jojoba, macadamia, evening primrose, plus rose oil, tuberose and sandalwood (hence the heavenly smell) – to nourish skin deeply. Not just thirsty shins, but all over…

What our testers said: ‘I’ve always had rough, dry patches on knees and elbows but they’re much smoother now, with an overall healthy glow that makes me feel happier to wear clothes that expose more skin’ • ‘lizard legs now non-flakey and look younger’ • ‘delicious aromatherapy smell’ • ‘skin appears totally revitalised and it’s perfect to use on your whole body, not just the legs’ • ‘although it’s an oil, it doesn’t seem to get everywhere (as other oils do)’ • ‘such a gorgeous smell I kept putting some on hands, to smell them!’.
Skin Deep Dry Leg Oil

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