When Own Brands Get It Right - Marks & Spencer Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream

I could happily spend hours wandering around the M&S beauty halls. They have an excellent range of brands and make it really easy to find exactly what you're looking for. Up until now, I have to admit that I've completed ignored their own brand products - for some reason they never really jumped out at me and instead I'd head straight towards the brands I was more familiar with. That was clearly a HUGE mistake on my part as they're actually surprisingly good. And affordable. Double win.

I've been testing out the new Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream for just over a month now and I've been harping on to everyone I meet about how good it is. I bloody love a good night time product (see some more favourites over here) and anything that promises to give me the look of eight hours sleep, even when you haven't had it, is going to be a winner as far as I'm concerned.

Formula Absolute is a new range for M&S and feels like a really premium range. Everything from the heavy glass jar, through to the silky feel of the product just screams good quality.

You use it in place of your regular night cream or oil, massaging a thin layer into the skin before bed. They promise you'll wake up with refreshed looking skin (as if you’ve had 8 hours sleep) even if you're lacking a bit on that front. They've even quantified this with scientific trials to back this up - not a small claim indeed.

While you’ll get an immediate boost, over 2-4 weeks of daily use will give you the best benefits. It not only gets to work on fatigued skin, but also helps to combat age spots, deep lines and firms the skin. I don’t have an issue with deep wrinkles at the moment, but I’ve been really impressed on all other fronts – I think it’s helping me look much less grey and tired than I would normally be with all the dark mornings, so for that I am very thankful!

The formula is quite rich, so depending on your skin type, you may need to adjust how much you use in order to get the right ‘dose’. I’ve found that it does leave a very light film across my skin after the main bulk sinks in – nothing to worry about, but more of an ongoing ‘silky’ feeling that lasts through until the next morning. It’s also not heavily scented which I’m really happy about. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good essential oil, but sometimes it’s nice to have a product that is less perfumed, especially at night.

The Ultimate Sleep Cream costs £22 for a 50ml pot but easily rivals others I've tried at three times that price. If you’re on the hunt for a new night treatment, then I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this up next time you’re in M&S.

Have you tried anything from the M&S own brand skincare ranges? Would you be tempted to give it a go?

*contains PR samples