There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
On Trial: The Inkey List, an affordable, Sephora-exclusive skincare line that keeps its product ingredient lists simple.
Tester: Zarah Kavarana, a skincare enthusiast in search of affordable products that are effective.
The Brief: Seemingly every time that I've shopped at Sephora, I somehow end up spending close to $200 and leaving with a striped shopping bag the size of a granola bar. Perhaps that says more about my lack of self-control than the cost of good skincare products, but even occasionally purchasing a $30 serum here and a $50 moisturizer there adds up over time.
So, when I learned about The Inkey List, a Sephora-exclusive skincare brand with drugstore-comparable prices, I was eager to give it a try. Products from the line start at just $5, and cap at an affordable $15.
Arguably even more impressive is the brand's focus on transparency and formula minimalism with simple ingredient lists that contain just one main active ingredient per product.
With an accessible price point and clean formulation, even celebrities like Scarlet Johansson are on board with it. Her go-to beauty guru Frankie Boyd shared on Instagram how he preps ScarJo's skin, and he included three products from The Inkey List: the Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum ($7.99), Caffeine Eye Cream ($9.99), and Hemp Oil Moisturizer ($12.99). Altogether this whole routine costs just about $31.
So, in the hope of finding some game-changing products that might actually save me some money, I decided to forego my personal stash of preferred products and give this budget-friendly skincare routine a try.
I used both the Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum and the Hemp Oil Moisturizer for about a month and a half until completion (each only contains 1 fluid ounce of product), and am still going strong with the Caffeine Eye Cream — it's been two months since I started using it, and I have plenty left.
I'd start my routine by slathering on some of the Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum, a lightweight formula fortified with 2% hyaluronic acid for intense hydration and peptides that support collagen production for a plumping effect. My painfully dry, eczema-prone skin instantly sopped up every last drop, leaving my completion feeling refreshed and looking naturally dewy. I did find that it helped boost the absorption of other products I layered on, but in a pinch, it performed just fine on its own.
Next, I'd apply a thin layer of the Hemp Oil Moisturizer, intended to calm and hydrate skin with a blend of hemp seed oil, Omega-3 fatty acids, and soothing green tea extract. I didn't love its earthy scent, but once it absorbed into my skin, I didn't find it too offensive.
However, this moisturizer worked wonders on a bad sunburn I got while on vacation. It tackled craggly, peeling skin and irritated spots like a pro, and in a matter of days, my face was back to normal and ready for a wedding I had to attend that weekend.
Lastly, I'd use a pat of the Caffeine Eye Cream to de-puff my skin and help diminish the appearance of fine lines. It's formulated with wrinkle-reducing peptides and energizing caffeine, so it's essentially like an espresso shot for your skin. Every time I applied it before bed, I'd wake up looking like I'd just slept for 12 hours — even if I'd spent the whole night awake, losing sleep over the amount of money I've spent on skincare over the past 10 years. 😭
Closing argument: The Inkey List offers Sephora-quality skincare at drugstore prices. All of the products in the entire line are under $15, and they're totally worth trying if you're looking to achieve A-list skin on a small budget.
The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid
The INKEY List Hemp Oil Moisturizer
The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream
The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Acne + Pore Cleanser
Read More:
Go Green With These Clean Beauty Brands
These Are the Anti-Aging Wrinkle Creams That Experts Approve Of
Hyaluronic Acid Is the Hydration-Boosting Ingredient Your Skin Deserves
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Zarah Kavarana is the contributing editor at BestProducts.com, where she spends her days hunting for shareworthy home, tech, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle finds, and resisting the urge to add them all to her cart. A Boston University journalism grad with a penchant for red wine, her hidden talents include poaching an egg and applying winged eyeliner on the subway.
