Geek & Gorgeous is a brand from Hungary and its origin story feels to be an origin story of my own brand out there in the future. I was so excited about this brand as a whole that I just had to make an order and try some of their things out. I wanted to make one post about them all but I have enough to say about each of them so let's split it up and talk about the retinoid first.
The Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 0.1% Retinoid Serum is one of their retinoid serum with various strengths. I went for the 0.1% which is the stronger one because I am experienced with retinols quite a lot. The less intense one has 0.05% which is better if you have very sensitive skin or you're a beginner. It retails for 19 Euros and you get 30ml of product. It is cruelty-free, vegan, without fragrance and gluten-free.
Retinoids are basically "sped up" retinol and it only requires one metabolic conversion to work well on our skin. It's a great anti-aging ingredient which helps with wrinkles, helps produce collagen and it's also suitable for acne-prone skin. It helps regenerating top layers of the skin, evens them out and helps with hyper-pigmentation. The brand compares it to 1% retinol serums with possibly less irritation and quicker effect.
It if you have problematic skin, acne, oily/combination skintype, wrinkles, need help with texture, hyper-pigmentation, skin's elasticity or you're witnessing signs of aging, this serum is for you. It's a silky lightweight emulsion which should be used 2-3 times a week for two weeks, depending on your skin. As always, you can then decrease the interval and go up to every two days. It should be used in the evening routine and not around the eye area. Don't forget to use your SPF the next day (as always).
I really like the packaging because it comes in a bottle with a pump that can be locked. That is great because the last thing I want is my precious retinoid spilling in my suitcase. It's bright yellow which looks rather radioactive but the texture looks great. I always used retinols with oils in them which I don't really enjoy because it harder for me to incorporate oils into my routine texture-wise. And the one that I really enjoyed in the past is the Inkey List Retinol which has similarly nice texture to this one.
Try-on
I tried the Retinoid serum the day I got it because I was very excited about the fact that I own a retinoid serum. I put together just a very simple routine featuring a hydrating toner and esence, hydrating serum, peptide serum and niacinamide + zinc serum. I wanted to avoid most actives as you should when using retinoids. Over my last serum I applied the A-Game 0.1% Retinoid Serum.
I was a little shocked at the color first, it's literally neon yellow. But it's true that most my retinols were always a little yellow so if this one packs more of a punch, it makes sense. I am a BIG fan of the texture. I don't know if it's a standard with all retinoid and I've been just using the old retinols with horrible textures but this one feels awesome. It's very light weight and if you didn't know it you wouldn't really think that you're putting on a retinoid serum. It also absorbed very quickly. I put a moisturizer on top of it and that was it.
I didn't experience much irritation or tingling. Just a little bit in certain parts because my skin was a little sensitive there. But overall, It's very comfortable and easy to use and I like that you don't have to worry about texture cooperating like I have to when I use oil-based retinol. Also, when I woke up in the morning there was no pilling and my face didn't feel sensitive or irritated like it sometimes does after these ingredients. I am very happy with this product.
Final thoughts
I've been using this serum every 2 days at night with very simple routine and hoenstly I love what it does to my skin. I always wake up with the glowiest complexion and I love that it doesn't irritate my skin at all and works well with all my moisturizers.
It's the best retinol/retinoid I've tried for sure and I would highly recommend it if you can get your hands on it. It has very lightweight texture that sinks right in and mixes well with other products. The price is very fair and I really like the packaging as well. I love that you can pick the retinoid concentration so if you're just starting with retinoids you can go for the 0.05% one and start slow. Once you build up some tollerance and want to go up, you have an option. From all the retinols I've tried, I would recommend this one and The Inkey List one which is quite similar in texture as it's also very lightweight and I believe they are roughly in the same price range. This one, however, delivers more effect and it's more efficient in terms of formulation so I would recommend the Inkey List one only if you're starting out. This one is a winner for me right now.
Have you tried any good retinoids? It's not easy to get one, so let me know in the comments and thanks for reading!