NEW! Olay 2 in 1 Firm and Lift Day Cream + Serum

I have to confess, I'm not the most reliable of serum-wearers. Give me cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising and I am on it. But when it comes to that extra step between cleansing and moisturising, I'm completely neglectful, and to be honest, my thirsty skin could do with the extra hydration in the summer months. Thankfully for my skin, Olay have just launched a new 2 in 1 Cream + Serum, £12 (Boots), which combines wrinkle-busting vitamins and a firming serum.

This is a great concept for busy women who find it hard to squeeze in a full and thorough skincare regime, not to mention cutting the costs of buying a separate cream and serum. As Dr Sian Morris, Olay Principal Scientist, says, "When we created Olay anti-wrinkle 2in1 day cream + serum, our aim was to provide busy women with an anti-wrinkle cream combined with a luxurious firming serum so that they could get both the anti-ageing and firming actives in one product, in one quick application."

I've been using the cream + serum for a week and sadly it has left my skin a little dry and tight. Perhaps the latter is a testament to the product's skin-firming powers, but for me it felt like the tight-feeling you get after rinsing your face with soap. On the plus side, the silky formula - FYI, the texture is somewhere between a serum and a lightweight moisturiser - soaks in almost instantly, unlike serums that I've used in the past that seem to linger on the skin for hours. The smell also is worth noting - it has a distinct shampoo-scent, a bit Fructis-like. I am surprised that while the cream boasts skin-protecting antioxidants, it doesn't contain an SPF. My skin felt soft to the touch and did appear more luminous - that will be the light-reflecting Mica particles - but I think it's spurred me on to invest in a separate serum. Sx