This Is What I Really Think of Victoria Beckham's £180 Serum

Chances are you've seen or at the very least already heard about Victoria Beckham's new Cell Rejuvenating Power Serum. It could be that you recognise the distinctive glass bottle from your Instagram feed or it might just be that you've heard all about the expensive new skincare product that Victoria Beckham is loving. Either way, it's fair to say that the beauty world is a little obsessed. And when a product garners as much hype as this one has, it can make it difficult to figure out whether it's actually any good at all.

If you're more or less in the dark about what exactly Victoria Beckham Beauty is and why everyone seems to be so excited about it, let me give you a little rundown: Last year, Victoria Beckham launched her beauty line with a range of eye makeup products. The products were incredibly pretty to look at, seriously pigmented and impressively luxe (with price tags to match). Basically, the beauty world was seriously impressed. Gradually, over the course of a couple of months, the collection expanded into lips and later skincare. In November, VB announced that she was launching into skincare with a priming moisturiser, formulated in collaboration with beauty's brands of the moment, Augustinus Bader, famous for its game-changing moisturisers already loved by celebs including Margot Robbie, Alexa Chung and VB herself.

And the truth is VB's first foray into skincare proved really quite popular, with the moisturiser promising a natural-looking, radiant glow that provided the ultimate perfecting base for foundation. It's safe to say, therefore, that a VB serum, also formulated with Bader's patented technology, was destined for greatness.

When I first discovered that Victoria Beckham Beauty was bringing out a serum, I'll admit that I got just as excited as you'd expect a beauty editor to get. Within seconds of getting my hands on it, I'd torn the box open and was pretty much cradling the glass bottle, whispering "my precious." This brings me onto my first point: It really is a beautiful product. Housed in a frosted glass bottle with a chic tortoiseshell-patterned base and a unique dispensing system, it really isn't a bottle I'd want to hide away in my bathroom cabinets.

But as we all know, pretty packaging does not justify a £180 price tag. So what exactly is it that this serum actually claims to do? Well, essentially, it's what the beauty industry calls a "barrier protecting" product. Using Augustinus Bader's TFC8 technology, the formula contains a whole host of antioxidant vitamins, amino acids and moisturisers to strengthen the overall health of the skin. In short, it promises to "turn redness down and radiance up" as well as defend skin from potentially damaging aggressors such as pollution.

Before we get into my actual review, I would really like to highlight a couple of things that I feel you might benefit from knowing. First of all, I want you to know that I really appreciate that it is eye-wateringly expensive, and that's one of the reasons I want to give an in-depth review. Secondly, it's probably worth knowing that I am by no means a huge fan of Augustinus Bader The Cream. I have combination skin that is prone to congestion and redness, and even though I like the product, I do appreciate that other much more affordable products do better things for my skin. So with that out of the way, here's what happened when I put Cell Rejuvenating Power Serum to the test.

Because I wanted to give the serum a fair chance, I started using it at a time when my skin was more or less behaving itself. As a rule, because my skin is so sensitive, I personally rate a product on whether or not it causes my skin irritation or upset, maintains a healthy-looking state or actually manages to improve its appearance.

So besides the blackheads on my nose (which are more or less always there), my skin was starting out in good shape. For three weeks, I swapped out my usual antioxidant serum for this one and used it morning and night. I simply applied a few drops directly onto my face (at £180, I didn't want to waste any product on my hands, thank you very much) and massaged it in upward strokes.

As far as using the serum goes, it's actually quite an enjoyable experience. The texture isn't particularly rich or oily, it doesn't have much of a scent and my skin totally drinks it up which means it doesn't leave behind any residue. If I had to compare it to anything else on the market based on texture and consistency, I'd liken it to Estée Lauder's Advanced Night Repair. If you like that one, then I think it's safe to say you'll love Cell Rejuvenating Power Serum too.

During my three weeks of use, it's worth noting that I was hit with the flu. Usually, when I get even a hint of a cold, my skin is the first thing to freak out. It breaks out, dries up and gets sore and red. This time around, however, my skin didn't have anything to say. It stayed radiant, glowing and clear. And while I can categorically say this isn't the sort of skincare product that will have you waking up in the morning looking like a totally new woman, it does seem to keep your skin looking and feeling its best without any fuss. Unlike other VB or Bader products, this stuff doesn't moisturise for an instantaneous glow.

Three weeks later, and my skin is totally clear and actually looking really healthy. Whereas my cheeks are often plagued with redness and my chin is dry and prone to breakouts, I've had three weeks more or less problem-free—something that's usually unheard of for me.

So, overall, yes it's very, very, expensive, but it's an investment I'd be willing to make. If you're looking for a product that is going to totally change your skin texture and inject next-level glow overnight, move along. However, if like me you're constantly on the lookout for a no-frills product that works to keep your skin happy, this could well be it.

Next up, eight products that VB actually keeps in her makeup bag.