9/10
CeraVe · 4.6/5
CeraVe PM moisturiser
The night cream I actually finish. Lightweight, and the bottle goes.
£14
Check pricePersonal recommendations
What I would buy again
These are the things still in the house. The button takes you to the shop for the price today. If you buy, I may earn a small commission. You don't pay more.
Scored out of 10
I tested 10 night creams
8/10
8/10
8/10
Laneige · 4.6/5
Laneige Water Sleeping Mask
The cheap one that still earned a place by the bed.
£24
Check price8/10
8/10
Olay · 4.5/5
Olay Regenerist night cream
A proper night cream, and it doesn't cost a facial.
£16
Check price7/10
7/10
7/10
6/10
Under forty pounds
I tested the headphones
9/10
Soundcore · 4.5/5
Soundcore Life Q30
The best of the cheap pairs. Noise cancelling that you notice.
£40
Check price8/10
8/10
8/10
8/10
7/10
7/10
7/10
A soundbar and speakers you'd actually buy
I tested the speakers
8/10
8/10
8/10
Majority · 4.4/5
Majority Teton soundbar
The television got clearer. That's the whole point.
£40
Check price8/10
8/10
7/10
Walked, then scored
I tested the dog leads
9/10
Barbour · 4.5/5
Barbour leather dog lead
The leather one. It looks like you meant it, and it holds.
£45
Check price8/10
Hurtta · 4.5/5
Hurtta Weekend Warrior lead
Padded handle. Wet walks, and it still looks decent.
£35
Check price8/10
8/10
8/10
7/10
7/10
7/10
Finished, then lent
I read these
9/10
9/10
9/10
Virginia Evans · 4.5/5
The novel I lend and then miss
The Correspondent. Quiet, and people don't give it back quickly.
£9.92
Check price8/10
Sally Rooney · 4.3/5
Intermezzo
I read it in two sittings and argued with it, which is a compliment.
£16
Check price8/10
8/10
Richard Osman · 4.6/5
Richard Osman's new one, for a dull Thursday
We Chase Shadows. Easy in, good on a train, finished by the weekend.
£12.50
Check price8/10
8/10
Gabrielle Zevin · 4.4/5
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Games, friendship, and I stayed up.
£10
Check price8/10
Colleen Hoover · 4.5/5
Verity: don't start it on the train
Colleen Hoover. You will miss your stop. That's the review.
8/10
7/10
Played, not just owned
I listened to these
10/10
Fleetwood Mac · 4.9/5
Rumours
I listened to the side. Then the other side. Still the one.
£26
Check price9/10
Amy Winehouse · 4.8/5
Back to Black, played all the way through
The Amy Winehouse record. Don't skip. Put it on and stay.
£16.14
Check price9/10
9/10
9/10
Chappell Roan · 4.8/5
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
Played loud in the kitchen. The neighbours have opinions.
£30
Check price8/10
AC/DC · 4.7/5
Back in Black, for a flat afternoon
Turn it up. Check the neighbours are out.
£16.99
Check price8/10
8/10
8/10
Michael Jackson · 4.8/5
Thriller on vinyl, the whole side
Michael Jackson. Cooking takes longer. Nobody minds.
£19.50
Check price7/10
Taylor Swift · 4.6/5
The Tortured Poets Department
Long. The songs I love, I love. The rest I skip.
£32
Check priceAnd the rest of the morning
I bought these bottles
9/10
Lavazza · 4.7/5
Coffee worth waking up for
A kilo of Lavazza. The kitchen smells like a morning, not a waiting room.
£20.57
Check price9/10
De'Longhi · 4.7/5
Descaler, and the coffee tastes like coffee
De'Longhi. Twenty minutes, a proper rinse. Do not drink the bottle.
£13.17
Check price8/10
Owala · 4.6/5
A bottle that doesn't leak in your bag
Owala. Still cold later. The lid holds.
£24.78
Check price8/10
8/10
8/10
8/10
Roe Tenpo · 4.5/5
Liners, so you stop scrubbing the air fryer
Paper in, wipe out. Buy the big box or you'll be back to the scourer.
£3.64
Check price8/10
Amazon Basics · 4.6/5
Scales, so the recipe stops getting the blame
A handful is a guess. These end the argument.
£6.59
Check price8/10
8/10
7/10
The bottles I finished
Beauty edit
9/10
Garnier · 4.7/5
Micellar water that takes makeup off
The big Garnier bottle. Colour lifts. A rinse after, if your face prefers it.
£5.42
Check price9/10
medicube · 4.7/5
Milky toner for tight winter skin
After washing. No sting. Moisturiser goes on straight after.
£14.20
Check price9/10
The Ordinary · 4.6/5
Once-a-week acid for smoother skin
The Ordinary glycolic toner. Not near the eyes. Wear SPF the next day.
£9.52
Check price9/10
La Roche-Posay · 4.5/5
SPF that vanishes under makeup
La Roche-Posay Anthelios. No white cast sitting on your face at noon.
£16.90
Check price9/10
CeraVe · 4.7/5
The big CeraVe tub, not the tiny one
The moisturiser that actually lasts. Face, and winter shins.
£16.71
Check price9/10
The Ordinary · 4.6/5
The cheap serum that cuts afternoon shine
The Ordinary niacinamide. Under moisturiser. The bottle empties, which is the point.
9/10
Medik8 · 4.6/5
The stronger vitamin C serum
C-Tetra Luxe. One pump, then moisturiser and SPF.
£60
Check price9/10
Medik8 · 4.5/5
Vitamin C that doesn't sting
Medik8 C-Tetra. A bit brighter by morning, without the flush.
£45
Check price8.5/10
medicube · 4.5/5
A box of glow vials, then stop
For a dull fortnight. Use the box. Don't make it a religion.
£10.95
Check price8.5/10
Medik8 · 4.5/5
Eye cream: one dab is enough
Medik8, at night. Keep it off the eyelid. The difference is small and real.
£55
Check price8.5/10
Medik8
Medik8's brighter vitamin C
C-Tetra Luxe. Same serum, bought from whichever shop has it.
£62
Check price8.5/10
Medik8
Retinal for smoother skin, plus SPF
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6 at night. Sunscreen in the morning, or don't start.
£69
Check price8.5/10
Estée Lauder · 4.5/5
The night serum for tight skin
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. A few drops. The bottle gets used up.
£63.41
Check price8/10
CeraVe · 4.6/5
A face wash that doesn't strip dry skin
CeraVe hydrating cleanser. Clean, and not left tight afterwards.
£9.37
Check price8/10
The Ordinary · 4.5/5
A gentler acid for a bit of glow
The Ordinary lactic acid at night. Easier on skin than glycolic.
£7.70
Check price8/10
medicube · 4.5/5
A glow serum to judge after a month
A few drops. No sting. Ignore day two. Look again at week four.
£26.96
Check price8/10
Garnier · 4.6/5
A hair mask in three minutes
Garnier Hair Food. Softer ends. You don't have to stand there for an hour.
£3.75
Check price8/10
Augustinus Bader
Augustinus Bader, the 15ml cream
The Rich Cream. Heavy enough for winter. Small enough to try before you commit.
£80
Check price8/10
medicube · 4.5/5
Eye patches before an early start
Ten minutes. You look ridiculous. The morning looks slightly less tired.
£23.80
Check price8/10
medicube · 4.5/5
Face mist for overheated rooms
Bag-sized. Skin feels less like paper. Makeup stayed on, in my case.
£20
Check price8/10
The Ordinary · 4.6/5
Hyaluronic acid, on damp skin
Two drops on a wet face, then cream. On dry skin it does nothing.
£15.50
Check price8/10
medicube · 4.6/5
Pore pads for the end of the day
One pad, not every night. A calmer face by morning if you don't overdo it.
£16.11
Check price8/10
NIVEA · 4.7/5
Shower gel that smells like a clean towel
NIVEA Creme Soft. About the price of a paper. The bathroom stops smelling like a gym.
8/10
medicube · 4.5/5
Ten minutes in a jelly mask
Door shut. Peel it off. Skin looks like someone bothered.
£12.83
Check price8/10
CeraVe · 4.6/5
The cleanser for makeup days
CeraVe cream-to-foam. The day comes off. The squeaky feeling doesn't.
£10.87
Check price8/10
Nizoral · 4.6/5
The shampoo that clears flakes
Nizoral, for a short course. If it stays, ask a pharmacist, not another bottle.
£9.50
Check price7.5/10
medicube · 4.5/5
Toner that doesn't leave you tight
Seconds, after cleansing. Then cream. That's the whole job.
£26.38
Check priceWhat the house kept
Home edit
9/10
LEGO · 4.9/5
Lego plants, if you kill the real ones
No watering. The shelf looks like you have a talent.
£17.56
Check price8/10
UniBond · 4.6/5
Dehumidifier refills for wet windows
UniBond. January stops dripping. Empty the tank or nothing happens.
£9.58
Check price8/10
Spontex · 4.7/5
Sponges you can throw away on time
Spontex. Cheap enough not to keep a grim one 'because it's fine'.
8/10
HG · 4.6/5
Spray that gets mould off the ceiling
HG. Spray, wait, wipe, open the window. Black inside the wall needs a landlord.
£10.99
Check price8/10
Dr Beckmann · 4.6/5
The brush that lifts red wine
Blot, don't scrub. Dr. Beckmann does the rest, and supper carries on.
£7.48
Check price8/10
BRITA · 4.7/5
The filter that makes tea taste like tea
If the cup tastes of the pipes, it's the cartridge. Six-pack, so you don't run out.
£20.41
Check priceLamps, candles, better hours
Light edit
9/10
Gritin · 4.6/5
Lights under the cupboard
Stick them up and you can see the chopping board. Charge by USB.
£16.99
Check price9/10
Gritin · 4.7/5
Read in bed without waking them
The beam stays on the page. The person next to you stays asleep.
£8.59
Check priceThe useful bits
Tech edit
9/10
Blukar · 4.7/5
A head torch, so both hands are free
For the fuse cupboard and the dark walk back from the car.
£17.99
Check price9/10
ghd · 4.6/5
The straightener I still travel with
A clean shine, no stripe through the hair, and the lead actually reaches.
£106.08
Check price8.5/10
ghd · 4.5/5
A gentler straighten after heat damage
ghd Platinum+. Steadier heat than the cheap iron that fried the ends.
£209
Check price8/10
Masterplug · 4.5/5
Charge a shaver from a normal socket
No shaver point in the bathroom? This fixes it for about two pounds.
£1.91
Check price8/10
STATUS · 4.6/5
Four sockets on a short lead
One metre. Chargers stop arguing. Nobody trips over a reel.
£4.15
Check price8/10
Dyson · 4.5/5
The Airwrap that holds a curl
No clamp crease. Still there in the afternoon. I didn't send it back.
£399
Check price8/10
Double Dragon · 4.6/5
The Europe adaptor to pack first
So day one isn't spent hunting a socket that takes a UK plug.
£4.27
Check priceOver before the sulk
Play edit
9/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
A Lego bird you can finish tonight
Small build. Put it where people can see it.
£22.38
Check price9/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
A Lego turtle, built in one go
Short, good-looking, and people actually make it.
£8.78
Check price9/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
A little Lego Ferrari for a shelf
One evening. No batteries. Visitors notice.
£15.56
Check price9/10
Bright Starts · 4.8/5
The ball a baby can actually grab
Holes, so small hands win. Survives being thrown.
£8.31
Check price9/10
Mattel · 4.7/5
The card game that ends in time
UNO. Everyone knows it. Over before anyone properly falls out.
£4.17
Check price9/10
LEGO · 4.9/5
The Lego DeLorean, for a wet Sunday
A proper build. The day has something to show for itself.
£15.56
Check price8/10
Crayola · 4.7/5
50 crayons, and a quiet Sunday
A tin big enough to last the visit. The sofa comes through it.
£6.66
Check price8/10
Crayola · 4.7/5
Crayons with nothing to sharpen
Twist them up. No blade, no shavings in the rug.
£5.68
Check price8/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
Lego Ronaldo, built the day it lands
For someone who already owns the shirt and doesn't need another beeping toy.
£17.14
Check price8/10
Hasbro · 4.7/5
Monopoly in 15 minutes
The grabbing, without a three-hour row. Often a second game.
£4.99
Check price8/10
Crayola · 4.7/5
Pens that wash off the sofa
Crayola washables. Colour without a permanent cushion incident.
£11.52
Check price8/10
8/10
AMAGIC · 4.6/5
Tea lights that can't set the curtains alight
Battery flames. The table looks warm. Fine in a rented flat.
£5.99
Check price8/10
LeapFrog · 4.7/5
The book that says the word out loud
They press. It talks. Your tea stays hot.
£11.85
Check priceJars, hangers, a shut door
Storage edit
9/10
Amazon Basics · 4.7/5
50 black hangers for a crowded rail
Same slim velvet, in black. The door meets the frame.
£10.24
Check price9/10
Kilner · 4.7/5
The storage jar that actually seals
A Kilner. The lid clicks. Flour stays flour, not a worktop weather system.
8/10
Amazon Basics · 4.7/5
50 hangers, and the door shuts
Velvet and slim. The wardrobe finally has room, and you can find a black top.
£10.24
Check price8/10
KEPLIN · 4.6/5
Blush hangers you'll want to look at
They hold the clothes. They also make the cupboard worth opening.
£6.66
Check pricePresents still in use
Gifts edit
9/10
Blukar · 4.7/5
A head torch, so both hands are free
For the fuse cupboard and the dark walk back from the car.
£17.99
Check price9/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
A Lego bird you can finish tonight
Small build. Put it where people can see it.
£22.38
Check price9/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
A Lego turtle, built in one go
Short, good-looking, and people actually make it.
£8.78
Check price9/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
A little Lego Ferrari for a shelf
One evening. No batteries. Visitors notice.
£15.56
Check price9/10
Amy Winehouse · 4.8/5
Back to Black, played all the way through
The Amy Winehouse record. Don't skip. Put it on and stay.
£16.14
Check price9/10
Lavazza · 4.7/5
Coffee worth waking up for
A kilo of Lavazza. The kitchen smells like a morning, not a waiting room.
£20.57
Check price9/10
9/10
LEGO · 4.9/5
Lego plants, if you kill the real ones
No watering. The shelf looks like you have a talent.
£17.56
Check price9/10
Gritin · 4.6/5
Lights under the cupboard
Stick them up and you can see the chopping board. Charge by USB.
£16.99
Check price9/10
Garnier · 4.7/5
Micellar water that takes makeup off
The big Garnier bottle. Colour lifts. A rinse after, if your face prefers it.
£5.42
Check price9/10
medicube · 4.7/5
Milky toner for tight winter skin
After washing. No sting. Moisturiser goes on straight after.
£14.20
Check price9/10
The Ordinary · 4.6/5
Once-a-week acid for smoother skin
The Ordinary glycolic toner. Not near the eyes. Wear SPF the next day.
£9.52
Check price9/10
Gritin · 4.7/5
Read in bed without waking them
The beam stays on the page. The person next to you stays asleep.
£8.59
Check price9/10
Bright Starts · 4.8/5
The ball a baby can actually grab
Holes, so small hands win. Survives being thrown.
£8.31
Check price9/10
CeraVe · 4.7/5
The big CeraVe tub, not the tiny one
The moisturiser that actually lasts. Face, and winter shins.
£16.71
Check price9/10
Mattel · 4.7/5
The card game that ends in time
UNO. Everyone knows it. Over before anyone properly falls out.
£4.17
Check price9/10
LEGO · 4.9/5
The Lego DeLorean, for a wet Sunday
A proper build. The day has something to show for itself.
£15.56
Check price9/10
Virginia Evans · 4.5/5
The novel I lend and then miss
The Correspondent. Quiet, and people don't give it back quickly.
£9.92
Check price9/10
Kilner · 4.7/5
The storage jar that actually seals
A Kilner. The lid clicks. Flour stays flour, not a worktop weather system.
9/10
Medik8 · 4.5/5
Vitamin C that doesn't sting
Medik8 C-Tetra. A bit brighter by morning, without the flush.
£45
Check price8.5/10
medicube · 4.5/5
A box of glow vials, then stop
For a dull fortnight. Use the box. Don't make it a religion.
£10.95
Check price8.5/10
Estée Lauder · 4.5/5
The night serum for tight skin
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. A few drops. The bottle gets used up.
£63.41
Check price8/10
Crayola · 4.7/5
50 crayons, and a quiet Sunday
A tin big enough to last the visit. The sofa comes through it.
£6.66
Check price8/10
Owala · 4.6/5
A bottle that doesn't leak in your bag
Owala. Still cold later. The lid holds.
£24.78
Check price8/10
Silentnight · 4.7/5
A duvet for a damp British winter
Warm enough. Not a sauna. 3am stopped being a negotiation.
£13.99
Check price8/10
AC/DC · 4.7/5
Back in Black, for a flat afternoon
Turn it up. Check the neighbours are out.
£16.99
Check price8/10
KEPLIN · 4.6/5
Blush hangers you'll want to look at
They hold the clothes. They also make the cupboard worth opening.
£6.66
Check price8/10
Crayola · 4.7/5
Crayons with nothing to sharpen
Twist them up. No blade, no shavings in the rug.
£5.68
Check price8/10
LEGO · 4.8/5
Lego Ronaldo, built the day it lands
For someone who already owns the shirt and doesn't need another beeping toy.
£17.14
Check price8/10
Hasbro · 4.7/5
Monopoly in 15 minutes
The grabbing, without a three-hour row. Often a second game.
£4.99
Check price8/10
Crayola · 4.7/5
Pens that wash off the sofa
Crayola washables. Colour without a permanent cushion incident.
£11.52
Check price8/10
8/10
Richard Osman · 4.6/5
Richard Osman's new one, for a dull Thursday
We Chase Shadows. Easy in, good on a train, finished by the weekend.
£12.50
Check price8/10
AMAGIC · 4.6/5
Tea lights that can't set the curtains alight
Battery flames. The table looks warm. Fine in a rented flat.
£5.99
Check price8/10
medicube · 4.5/5
Ten minutes in a jelly mask
Door shut. Peel it off. Skin looks like someone bothered.
£12.83
Check price8/10
LeapFrog · 4.7/5
The book that says the word out loud
They press. It talks. Your tea stays hot.
£11.85
Check price8/10
Double Dragon · 4.6/5
The Europe adaptor to pack first
So day one isn't spent hunting a socket that takes a UK plug.
£4.27
Check price8/10
Michael Jackson · 4.8/5
Thriller on vinyl, the whole side
Michael Jackson. Cooking takes longer. Nobody minds.
£19.50
Check price8/10
Colleen Hoover · 4.5/5
Verity: don't start it on the train
Colleen Hoover. You will miss your stop. That's the review.
What I take. Not a clinic.
Well edit
9/10
Nutrition Geeks · 4.5/5
Magnesium for cramps at night
Evening capsules. Not a prescription. Ask a GP if you take other medicine.
£8.49
Check price8.5/10
Uncommon Knowledge
A sleep download with no ocean noises
A plain voice, long enough to drop off to. A recording, not a therapist.
£14
Check price8.5/10
Nutrition Geeks · 4.6/5
Collagen powder that doesn't spoil coffee
Unflavoured. Stir it in. The cup still tastes like coffee.
£16.99
Check price8.5/10
Nutrition Geeks · 4.6/5
Turmeric capsules, not a curry
With lunch. Stairs bothered my knees less. This is not a painkiller.
£5.94
Check price8.5/10
Nutrition Geeks · 4.6/5
Vitamin D from October to spring
One tablet. The British dark-month habit. Follow a doctor's dose if you have one.
£8.49
Check price8/10
Uncommon Knowledge
A short track for a racing mind
It doesn't empty your head. It slows it enough to finish a thought.
£14
Check price8/10
Nutrition Geeks · 4.6/5
A year of B12 by the kettle
Tiny tablets. No taste. Easy to remember because they're in the way.
£7.64
Check price8/10
Absolute Collagen · 4.6/5
Collagen you drink in one go
A sachet at the sink. No fishy aftertaste. Then coffee.
£20.64
Check price8/10
Nutrition Geeks · 4.5/5
Creatine with no strawberry in it
A scoop in water. The end of a workout is a bit less grim.
£8.49
Check price8/10
Uncommon Knowledge
For mornings that already feel too big
A download, not therapy. In danger call 999. Samaritans are on 116 123.
£14
Check price8/10
Nutrition Geeks · 4.6/5
Iron tablets, taken with food
For a real slump, get a blood test first. With lunch, these didn't fight me.
£5.94
Check price8/10
Uncommon Knowledge
The 20-minute sleep download
Same calm voice, shorter. One file a night is enough.
£14
Check price