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Firstly, some confessions: I have only recently discovered Aldi. On my first trip, I bought toilet paper (because I’d heard their 3-ply was good), and a bag of spinach (because walking around with a 16 pack of TP under my arm was a bit embarrassing).
My second confession: I don’t think I’ve ever bought the same moisturiser twice. I’m in my mid- (*cough*) 30s and I still haven’t found a moisturiser that I’m passionate about.
A few weeks ago, my colleagues at The Glow suggested that I try Aldi’s new high-end skin-care for women over 35. I’d never really thought about buying a beauty product in the same place that I could buy this:
...but I love finding secret bargain buys and beauty dupes, so I went for it. I road tested the cleanser, the serum, the neck and décolletage mousse, and the 24 hour moisturising mousse.
My initial impression was that the packaging was very flash. I liked how the gold jars look, and they're a chic addition to my bathroom (which is otherwise devoid of class).
The only down-side with the packaging is that if your hands are greasy – say from using the neck cream before you use the face cream – the jars can be hard to open. You’ll need to wash off and dry your hands (or use some of those 16 rolls of TP you bought) before you can get a good grip to open them.
My next impression was the smell. Damn it if the entire range doesn’t smell like Champagne! Every morning and every evening for the last few weeks, I have been sniffing Champers – without the hangover.
I was so excited about it, that when my best friend came to visit I said, “Guess what my new moisturiser smells like?!” She took one look at the label and guessed, “Champagne”. OK, so the range is called, "Cuvée" – and the serum looks like it has bubbles in it - so I should have guessed that the product might have been inspired by vintage sparkling.
It probably isn’t great if you have had a big night on the Bubbly, but it’s actually really fun to have skincare that smells like good times.
As for the effectiveness of the product itself, it’s certainly as good as products I have paid much more for.
It’s hard to say objectively whether I look any younger, though I went to a funeral recently and my cousin said she thought my skin looked lovely. I told her: “Skin by Aldi” and she was impressed. It’s a small survey, but that seems positive. (Post continues after gallery.)
Aldi's Lacura Cuvée range.
What I can say is that I definitely like how it feels. Coming out of winter, my skin was rough and thirsty. The moisturiser I was using through winter (which I paid over $50 for) was probably too light, so it was a good time for me to get back into a proper regime. I rolled my eyes a bit at the “mousse” description of the moisturisers (neck and face) but it was actually a lovely texture.
Champagne smell, luxe texture and compliments from my cousin are all enough to see me back in Aldi for another go at the Cuvée moisturiser and serum. And maybe some more of that toilet paper.
Will you be trying out Aldi's Cuvée skin care range?