Emma Hardie wants to be the Kim Kardashian of skincare.
Kim K made contouring, the makeup trick that gives you chiselled cheekbones and a slimmer nose, all the rage. For years now, we’ve all had to figure out how the heck to swipe that bronzer on without looking like we’ve got mud splattered all over our faces (or is that just me?).
Emma Hardie isn’t having none of that. She thinks contouring is a job for skincare, not makeup.
I know what you’re thinking. Sculpting skincare? Isn’t that science fiction?
You’re right to be sceptical. A serum can’t give you the same results as a little nip-and-tuck, but it can still do its little bit to keep your skin looking young.
Emma Hardie is starting her contouring skincare mission with the neck. It’s the first area that starts to go south as you get older.
Her new Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Treatment uses a combination of the latest peptide complexes and massage techniques to firm the neck area.
Does it deliver? I’ve put it to the test. Here are the results:
- What’s In Emma Hardie Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Treatment?
- Texture
- Fragrance
- How To Use It
- Performance & Personal Opinion
- Who Is This For?
- Who Is This NOT For?
- Packaging
- Does Emma Hardie Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Cream Live Up To Its Claims?
- Price & Availability
- Do You Need It?
- Dupes & Alternatives
What’s In Emma Hardie Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Treatment?
NEODERMYL TO BOOST COLLAGEN
The Neodermyl complex is a mix of Glycerin, Water, Methylglucoside Phosphate and Copper Lysinate/Prolinate.
Rumour has it, it’s a needle-free collagen & elastin filler. It boosts collagen and elastin production, making your skin firmer and more supple. It may even help your wrinkles look smaller.
Induchem, the company that sells Neodermyl, has done a small in-vivo (on real skin) study that shows the complex improves “collagen density and alignment, firmness and elasticity and wrinkle reduction.”
Induched also compared Neodermyl to hyaluronic acid injections. The result? Hyaluronic acid injections improve dermal thickness by about 3.5% after 1 month. Neodermyl improved it by almost 6% in 15 days.
Sounds very promising, doesn’t it? There is some evidence that copper peptides can boost collagen so I don’t see why Neodermyl shouldn’t work. But, I’m still waiting for more, independent this time, studies to confirm just how well it does this.
Related: Are Copper Peptides Better Than Retinoids At Fighting Wrinkles?
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LIFTONIN®-XPERT TO BOOST COLLAGEN, TOO
Liftonin -Xpert is a mixture of Bulbine Frutescens Leaf Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid.
According to the manufacturer, it can boost collagen production, reduce stretch marks and increase your self-esteem (no kidding, they really promise that).
Again, I’m not saying this isn’t true, but I’d like to see these claims confirmed by unbiased sources, too. After some digging, I’ve found a study that claims Bulbine Frutescens, a flowering plant from South Africa, can help wounds heal faster.
Ok, the study was done on pigs rather than human skin, but the researchers found it has some effect on collagen production. And more collagen = fewer wrinkles.
Related: 8 Science-Backed Ways To Boost Collagen (That Really Work)
SODIUM HYALURONATE TO HYDRATE SKIN
So far, Emma Hardie has been taking advantage of the latest technologies. Wether prematurely or not, only time will tell. But she didn’t forget about the old trusted allies that have been helping our skin for decades.
Like Sodium Hyaluronate.It’s a form of Hyaluronic Acid that can hold up to a 1000 times its weight in water. Its job is to attract all that moisture from the air, dump it into your skin and lock it in so it stays there.
Once your skin has all that moisture, it’s softer and plumper. Your fine lines look smaller, too.
Related: Why You Should Add Hyaluronic Acid To Your Skincare Routine
Texture
Very lightweight. Fast-absorbing. Doesn’t feel sticky at all.
Fragrance
Slightly floral. Subtle.
How To Use It
Emma Hardie Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Treatment has a roller applicator that hits skin with a cooling touch (but warms up pretty quickly). Here’s how it works:
- Turn it around so the arrow is firmly pointed on “ON”.
- Apply some pressure to release the serum.
- Lift your chin, supporting the skin with your spare hand
- Apply the serum in a downward motion
Don’t go up and down with this thing (I’ve seen some “skincare gurus” doing this online and it’s so wrong). Just gently move it downwards for a few minutes.
Performance & Personal Opinion
New peptide complexes, collagen-boosting hyaluronic acid, cooling rollers and facial massages… Emma Hardie has thrown everytyhing at your neck to help it stay young and firm. Were all her efforts in vain?
Mmm, I guess it depends on how you look at it. Emma Hardie Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Treatment is NOT an alternative to fillers or plastic surgery. But you already knew that, didn’t you?
But when I look in the mirror after using this little gadgety serum, my skin does look more taut. It’s certainly a lot smoother and softer.
The catch? These results aren’t permanent. After a few hours, my skin starts to lose that taut look (but not its softness).
Now, for the nitty gritty: The roller glides smoothly on my skin without tugging or pulling. The serum it releases sinks quickly into my skin, too.
As I said, it’s not an alternative to fillers but I think it’s the best on the market in this category so far.
Who Is This For?
If you want to try a topical neck treatment before going down the filler route, this is a good option to consider.
Who Is This NOT For?
If you expect fillers-like results, you’ll be disappointed.
Packaging
Emma Hardie believes that facial massage firms skin and fights wrinkles, too.
She may have a point. There aren’t that many studies on the benefits of facial massages, but I’ve found a couple that say they can enhance the anti-aging effects of creams and make you relax (stress is wrinkles’s BFF, FYI).
That’s why the neutral-coloured tube features a roller applicator. Its practical and gets the job done.
Does Emma Hardie Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Cream Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Firming and tightening serum for the neck and décolleté. | It doesn’t do much firming, but it makes skin look tighter for a while. |
| Unique roller applicator for facial sculpting. | This type of roller ain’t nothing new. But, to the best of my knowledge, it’s the first time a neck product uses it. |
| Deeply hydrating and skin smoothing. | It’s hydrating and smoothing, but I wouldn’t say deeply so. |
Price & Availability
£65.00/$90.00 at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic, SpaceNK
Do You Need It?
Not really. If your wallet can afford it and you’re curious to try it, give it a go. But don’t expect it to work as well as fillers.
Dupes & Alternatives
I don’t know of any dupes for this product.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polysilicone-11, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla/ Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Galactoarabinan, Pouteria Sapota, Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Bulbine Frutescens Leaf Juice, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Mica, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Parfum (Fragrance), Geraniol, Limonene, Disodium Edta, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citronellol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Tin Oxide, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Laureth-12, Linalool, Pvp, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citral, Farnesol, Tocopherol, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide)
Great review, as usual! This might be daft but can I ask why use only in a downward motion..? Is rollering on the neck (and I’m thinking of, for example, jade rollers as well as this) only good for lymphatic rather than providing any lift?
Lynda, yes the rolling down motion if for lymphatic purposes. It’s the collagen boosters in the formula that help with lifting.