We love a bargain here at mamabella and one of the best ways to save money on beauty products is to get them as part of makeup and skincare sets.
These sets often contain a mix of full-size items, or travel size favourites that – yes – cost more than a single bottle or tube but are considerably cheaper than buying each item individually.
In the run up to Christmas, these sets are in abundance but we tend to buy skin care sets and bundles all year round. Mainly because when you buy skincare as part of a set, you know you’re getting complementary products.
This gives you the opportunity to experiment and try new skincare routines without shelling out a fortune on products that may not work, may not suit your skin type or may irritate your complexion.
With this in mind, we’ve rounded up the best skin care sets from some of our favourite brands.
£15 | Buy now from DECIEM
Why we love it: We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw The Ordinary offered skincare sets! This is a much-loved brand here at mamabella and while all of its products are amazing, we understand it can be a little confusing sometimes about which product works best for which skin concern. That’s why this skin care set is so great. It contains three of the brand’s bestsellers that will leave your skin feeling like gold.
Squalane Cleanser
The Ordinary’s most gentle cleansing balm, this cleanser has been designed to remove makeup and dirt without leaving your skin feeling dry. This formula is a smooth feeling balm which easily dissolves makeup without any facial impurities. Rub his balm between your palms for 10 -30 seconds this will turn into an oil-like consistency and work into the skin and rinse with after. What we love about this cleanser is that it’s soap-free which can at times leave your skin dry and this is suitable for all skin types.
FURTHER READING: Best cleanser: Discover which face cleanser best suits your skin from oily to dry and acne-prone
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
This is one of our firm favourites here at mamabella. This bottle alone cost £5 and is highly effective. Plus, we think this is the best way to introduce hyaluronic acid to your skincare routine. This serum is all about hydration without leaving you oily, with Vitamin B5 to protect and to keep hydration on the surface of your skin.
READ NEXT: What is hyaluronic acid and what does it do to your skin?
Natural Moisturising Factors + HA
This moisturiser keeps the outer layer of your skin protected and well-hydrated. Ingredients include amino acid, fatty acids, glycerin and also hyaluronic acid to keep your skin naturally balanced. This formula is non-greasy which is great for all skin types. Use this morning and night after the hyaluronic acid serum.
FURTHER READING: The best The Ordinary products for all your skincare concerns – from large pores to redness, wrinkles and acne
Buy now from Deciem
Why we love it: When it comes to facial masks there is an array of different types to suit what your skin needs. Vichy has collected three volcanic mineral masks to address skin concerns from dry, clogged and dull complexion in this brilliant, affordable skincare set.
Quench Mineral Mask
This mask is for dry skin and it helps restore dry, dull and sensitive complexions. The gel-like texture is enriched with Vichy’s Remineralizing Thermal Water, to ensure an intense burst of moisture, and contains vitamin B3, to nourish skin while giving you a bright, even skin tone.
The most nourishing mask of all in this set, apply to your face and wait for five minutes and then just massage the excess in.
Double Peel Glow Mask
Does your skin feel dull? This peel mask will give you that natural glow within; helping to restore dull and tired complexions.
This mask glides on like a watery gel-like and is enriched with volcanic rock. Helping eliminate impurities and dead skin cells through a double peel exfoliation. Ingredients include fruit acid AHA to buff off old cells to reveal glowing skin.
Apply to your skin and wait for five minutes and then rinse off with water.
Clarifying Charcoal Mask
Clogged oily skin? The best solution is to use a charcoal mask to withdraw any dirt and impurities. This charcoal mask will dive deep into your pores to leave your skin soft and visibly healthier looking.
Vichy uses Mineralizing Thermal Water to restore hydration, and the face mask uses a potent blend of charcoal and kaolin. All you have to do is leave this on your face for five mins and rinse off with water.
FURTHER READING: Best face mask 2020: The best face masques for acne, oily skin, dry patches and wrinkles
Buy now from Lookfantastic
mamabella | mamabella Why we love it: This skin care set has two full-size products and one of them is worth £52 on its own, which makes the £58 price for this bundle even more impressive!
Elemis is renowned for its skincare and for this set, it’s combined its Dynamic Resurfacing goodies in one package. This set will leave your skin feeling and looking smoother. With a wash, refining pads, mask and targeted capsules, we feel this has the extra special feel to your skin, keeping it nourished and smooth
Dynamic Resurfacing facial wash
This face wash is all about resurfacing the upper layer of your skin, to remove pollution, dirt and impurities. The gentle foaming gel cleanser reveals a more even and radiant complexion. This non-abrasive exfoliator that will replenish the moisture levels in the upper layers of your skin.
Dynamic Resurfacing facial pads
This is one of the full-size products in this gift set, which alone costs £40. These pads are an effective yet gentle way of giving your skin lactic acid, which is one of the most gentle ways to start introducing acid into your skincare.
Elemis has clinically proven that after 28 days, skin tone and texture looks visibly improved. Lactic Acid encourages your skin to have a natural cell turn over and using the pads after the facial wash will help reduce the look of dark spots, pores and uneven skin texture.
Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask
The second, full-size product in this gift set and it’s a gooden! The active gel mask instantly smooths and firms your skin, to give you radiant, younger-looking skin. The formula inside this little beauty targets fine lines and uneven skin texture.
This mask also helps rebalance the PH level of your skin, giving you a matt appearance without leaving your skin feeling dry.
Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules
These cute capsules are great for your skin; they purify, replenish and nourish. Think of these as your day and night facial oil. What’s also great about these is their size, one capsule is the right amount of facial oil that your skin needs.
They’re also antioxidants which help improve the visible signs of ageing, but don’t worry this oil won’t clog your pores. There are two colours of capsules in this, the rose colour is your morning capsule, which helps hydrate and soften the skin. The evening capsule is green and contains soothing lavender to help repair and protect your skin while you sleep.
Buy now from House of Fraser
£23.25 | Buy now from Paula’s Choice
Why we love it: This skincare set is great for all skin types. Whether you live in the city or not, protecting your skin barrier is important. Each defence product in this skincare gift set contains the brand’s patented Anti-Pollution Factor technology (APF), formulated to shield skin from airborne pollutants and helping skin repair itself.
This kit will help boost your skin while keeping your complexion clear and fresh. This kit includes:
Defense Cleanser
This gel-to-cream cleanser gently removes dirt, excess oil and skin-dulling pollutants. Thanks to ingredients such as amino acids, which help keep the skin hydrated and lauric acid, which is a fatty acid that is found in coconut oil that has a calming benefit for the skin. This cleanser doesn’t leave your skin feeling tight or dry. Instead, it leaves it feeling soft and refreshed.
Defense Moisturiser SPF 30
This day cream with SPF 30 brightens, hydrates and protects against pollution and UV rays. Its key ingredients include:
Defense Moisturiser
This sheer, radiance-boosting night cream primes skin against pollution while you sleep. Protecting your skin during the night is great – this is the period where your skin is generating new skin cells. The night cream is light but very hydrating to replenish your skin and help neutralise blue light and air pollution.
The three key ingredients are wild cherry, that contains vitamin C and this also protects from harmful effects of air pollution; Flax seed, which contains antioxidants; and peptides, an ingredient that has amino acids to help improve wrinkles, with the added bonus of giving firmness back to your skin.
Defense Antioxidant Pore Purifier
This treatment helps protect against the effects of daily pollution and blue light.
Think of this as your spot treatment. It contains 0.5% salicylic acid, which helps undo pollution damage before it has a chance to impact your complexion, as well as a blend of niacinamide and Vitamin C to brighten and repair your skin, leaving it looking radiant and evenly toned.
Along with the salicylic acid, this purifier contains white tea which is another key ingredient from Paula’s Choice that helps with antioxidants.
FURTHER READING: What SPF do I need? The best moisturisers with SPF
Buy now from Paula's Choice
£32.50 | Buy now from La Roche-Posay
Why we love it: La Roche-Posay has combined its bestsellers into one skincare set, much-loved by people with oily/combination skin.
It reduces shine to give skin a natural glow, and is clinically proven to correct the appearance of blemishes, unclog pores and reduce pore size whilst keeping skin hydrated and reducing the appearance of red and brown marks.
La Roche-Posay promises that this will give you clearer skin in just four weeks. We love how this set gives you all three products full size.
Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser
This is one of our favourite cleansers here at mamabella. We love how it lathers up without much water needed.
It’s suitable for all skin types and leaves the skin feeling fresh without drying it out. It gently removes dirt, gently lifts dirt and grime, reduces blackheads and spots.
Effaclar Clarifying Toner
This refining lotion helps to minimise the appearance of pores and refresh skin. Having sensitive skin that is also oily can be rather annoying, but this toner will help pick up any remaining excess oil, unblock pores as well as remove any excess makeup.
Keeping your skin clean and clear without dryness, with micro-exfoliants, this toner helps to break down sebum to be washed away.
READ NEXT: Best toner: Discover which toner best suits your skin type and budget
Effaclar Duo [+]
The last step to seal in all the goodness from the cleanser to toner, this hydrating moisturiser is also a treatment for oily blemish skin. The texture of this moisturiser is like a gel, it also gently exfoliates the skin to reduce the appearance of spots, help unclog pores and control shine.
FURTHER READING: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Cleanser review: Simply the best cleanser we’ve ever used
Buy now from La Roche-Posay
£20 | Buy now from M&S
Why we love it: Prai’s Ageless range tops our best neck cream list, giving mature skin an incredible shine and as well as improving elasticity around the neck and décolleté.
This skincare set is ready to transform your neck in seven days and includes two bestselling Prai heroes.
Ageless throat concentrate
Described as “shapewear for your jawline”, this concentrated serum reduces the appearance of sagging skin and necklace lines apply. It uses an ingredient called Instensyl which gives an instant tightening and sculpting effect to the puckered skin directly under the chin. While the use of Axisphere blurs the look of wrinkles on contact helping to create a younger-looking profile.
Ageless Throat & Décolletage Creme
This is Prai’s number one, bestselling product. It’s a thick creme which use the company’s own Sepilift technology and hyaluronic acid to lift and tighten sagging skin, diminish fine lines, and reduced crepiness. Prai claims it creates visible results in just seven days!
FURTHER READING: Best anti-ageing cream for targeting wrinkles and fine lines
Buy now from M&S
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
