Collection Review
Review: BeautyLab Black Diamond Range
By Nell Hankins
I tried BeautyLab's superior Black Diamond Range...
If you have never heard of BeautyLab before, this powerhouse premium skincare brand is renowned for its innovative, science-driven approach to beauty. Established with a commitment to delivering high-performance products, BeautyLab focuses on harnessing the power of advanced active ingredients and cutting-edge technology to create formulas that address a wide range of skin concerns.
One of the brand’s standout collections, the Black Diamond collection – features the most luxurious products infused with diamond powder; spherical particles with a trapped photoluminescent diamond core. On the skin, these particles manipulate light by converting invisible UV light to blue light in a process called 'photoluminescence’, selectively scattering blue and green light. The range is particularly popular for its ability to deliver visible youth-boosting benefits which comes down to the ability of the particles to settle into wrinkles and fine lines, subtly illuminating a blue glow making the skin appear more radiant and youthful. Created for all skin types including lacklustre skin, uneven skin tones, imperfections, and those experiencing fine lines and wrinkles, this collection’s standout ability of creating a soft focus, is the perfect addition to your skincare routine regardless of age. I was kindly gifted a selection of the Black Diamond collection to test and review in order to give you the most transparent feedback I can before you go ahead and purchase. Here’s what I thought…
Me, Myself, and My Skin-type
As always, let me introduce my skin. I am a 24-year-old female with fairly sensitive combination skin, I don’t actively seek out anti-ageing products but upon learning that the Black Diamond collection was created to give the complexion a younger-looking, flawless glow, I was desperate to get my hands on it. I am very facially expressive and have already developed small concerns regarding my frown lines and smile lines, so I was excited to see how the soft focus effect would work with my skin. My complexion is uneven, - I suffer from redness and am not safe from the occasional acne breakout – I often get flare ups with continued use of strong actives, and my combination skin leaves me with an oily T-Zone but dryness around my cheeks, jaw, and eyes.
Given that this collection is primarily marketed as promoting a more youthful-looking complexion, I was initially sceptical about whether I was actually doing further damage to my skin through using Black Diamond. However, with further research, and a lovely conversation with BeautyLab themselves, I discovered that actually these are products that are suitable for all but also happen to be great at anti-ageing. With this in mind, I wanted to set some goals for my skin to assess the post-trial period. I wanted my skin to feel more hydrated, my complexion to be more even, and for my under-eyes to feel and look less tired.
I used the Black Diamond collection for 2 months, day and night, to truly give you my best, most experienced opinion… and if you were considering investing in the Black Diamond collection, you’ll be pleased with my findings!
Black Diamond Energizing Serum
Let’s begin with, possibly, my favourite product from the entire collection, the Energizing Serum. Including a ferment extract with two peptides – tripeptide-1 and tripeptide-10, this exceptional product is designed to boost collagen synthesis in the skin and reduce the depth of wrinkles. The addition of hexapeptide-8 works to reduce the appearance of lines caused by repeated facial expressions – like my stubborn smile and frown lines – and it also has water-binding properties which promote skin elasticity for a more youthful appearance.
It technically sounded like the perfect product, but after using, I was still blown away. It has really become a game-changer in my skincare routine; from the very first application, I noticed an immediate boost in my skin’s radiance. My skin felt plump and moisturised and so soft to touch – almost buttery if you will. The serum itself has a lightweight, silky texture that absorbs quickly, and yet a little does go a long way. Throughout the trial period, people started to notice that my skin was looking vibrant, healthy and vital. I was getting plenty of compliments and I believe this was due to the Energizing Serum.
The formulation is luxurious, packed with high-quality ingredients that seem to work wonders together. The ultimate test for a serum, did it start pilling under my makeup? Nope! Seamless. If anything, my makeup was sitting better than without it. It seemed to create the perfect base alongside the moisturiser, for my skin to look radiant underneath. Overall, the Black Diamond Energizing Serum has exceeded my expectations for a product. Everything from the texture, to the smell, to the packaging, to the efficacy, was beautifully constructed to form potentially one of my favourite products…ever! It’s perfect for anyone with dull or tired-looking skin and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Black Diamond Eye Serum
Like the Energizing Serum, the Eye Serum contains hexapeptide-8 to reduce the appearance of smile/laugh lines around the eye area, caused by repeated expressions. The inclusion of pentapeptide-11 helps regulate skin tissue repair to rebuild the skin’s protective barrier, making this a supercharged product when discussing fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
I have never used an eye serum that has depuffed my under-eyes so quickly and effectively. You can actually feel the product working after application with the cool tingle that is moreish. I was using a small amount every morning for a week and could see an immediate difference in my bags and dark circles. I can only imagine the effects it would have for someone who has fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
The pump dispenses the perfect amount of product for your under-eyes so that you need not waste any of the precious serum. Immediately after my first application, my under-eyes felt more hydrated and looked instantly refreshed, but with continued use, I swear it worked miracles on my sleepless nights. The serum’s cooling effect soothes tired eyes making it perfect for morning skincare routines. The miraculous results are testament to the powerful ingredients and impressive science throughout this collection. The luxurious feel of the product added an extra layer of indulgence to my morning skincare routine, making it something I genuinely looked forward to each day.
All I can really say is that this eye serum is a standout product for the brand and within the field of luxury skincare. If you haven’t tried it yet, let this be your sign to add it straight to your basket.
Black Diamond Moisture Complex
Much like the Energizing Serum, the Moisture Complex contains the same ferment extract peptides which were designed to boost collagen synthesis for reduction of wrinkle depth meaning when used in tandem, these two products are unstoppable at reducing the appearance of ageing on the skin.
It has a rich and creamy yet surprisingly lightweight texture that instantly hydrates the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and soft. From the elegant packaging to the sophisticated formula, every aspect of this product exudes quality and care. It absorbs quickly, leaving no greasy residue, which is a significant plus for those of you with combination skin like mine. A little really does go a long way with this skincare essential, you can easily moisturise your face and neck with 2-3 pumps. Like the products discussed so far, the Moisture Complex gave me an instant boost in hydration, leaving my skin feeling softer, more supple, and immediately glowy. It created an amazing base for my daily makeup routine and as per the other products in the range, did not cause any pilling underneath foundation.
After continued use, I felt that the firmness of my skin noticeably improved. If I was seeing these types of effects on 24-year-old skin, I can imagine ageing skin would benefit greatly from the firming and tightening properties within this hero product. I believe the moisturiser also helped in reducing my skins redness, leaving me with a noticeably more balanced complexion. As this was one of my main aims of the product testing, I was thrilled to see these types of results after only 4 weeks of continued use.
As with the rest of the range, the black diamond powder within the Moisture Complex enhances luminosity within the skin. I can honestly say that I am converted to black diamond powder after using these products. The immediate and long-lasting results that I gained whilst trialling this product makes it well worth the investment. If you’re looking to elevate your skincare routine with a moisturiser that offers both luxury and efficacy, the Moisture Complex is the one for you!
Black Diamond Cellular Repair Night Cream
A night cream, the one time where you can pack the most actives into your skin without worrying about greasiness, makeup, SPF usage etc. Black Diamond Cellular Repair Night Cream does not disappoint. Containing pentapeptide-11 for regulating skin tissue repair, as well as hexapeptide-14 to stimulate cell turnover, reduce wrinkles, and brighten the skin; this product essentially takes years off your skin whilst you sleep.
I am not usually one for a nighttime skincare routine past the point of washing my face and maybe moisturising. But this! This product made me wake up the next morning feeling like I actually looked presentable and ready to face the day with confidence. If you have been reading my previous brand/product reviews, you may remember that I have been attempting to better my skincare routine to feel more confident wearing no makeup… The Cellular Repair Night Cream might just be the hack for no makeup confidence.
The rich and velvety texture of the cream feels indulgent upon application, really making it feel like a luxurious and special experience. Although rich, it is not too thick! The consistency gives you the right amount of nourishment and hydration without feeling like you’re caked in product. With its non-comedogenic ingredients, this is the perfect answer to those worried about the richness of night creams causing blocked pores. All your pores are safe with the Cellular Repair Night Cream!
The morning after my first application, my skin felt plumper and more hydrated than it had been in years. This essentially recharged my skin overnight leaving me feeling happy to wear no makeup throughout the day. Over time, the appearance of fatigue that usually plagued my skin has lessened, leaving me looking bright and hydrated even after nights where I definitely haven’t had enough sleep. A shortcut to looking well-rested? Try it for yourself and let me know!
Black Diamond Pearl Dermabrasion
An exfoliator is either hit or miss for me. I have teenage trauma from the St Ives Scrub that damaged my skin beyond repair for many a year, but I will tell you now; if I knew exfoliators could be this wonderful… I would have invested in the BeautyLab Black Diamond Pearl Dermabrasion years ago. Containing mother of pearl to enhance lacklustre skin, giving a pearlised effect, as well as glycolic acid and lactic acid, this product is everything you never knew you needed in an exfoliator.
The texture is fine and creamy with a delicate, yet effective mix of exfoliating particles, designed to nourish and exfoliate the skin without causing damage to the skin barrier. After the first use, my skin felt so smooth and soft. Having removed the dead skin cells and impurities via this product, my complexion was brighter, more radiant, clearer and polished-looking. The results were far better than I have experienced with other exfoliators.
I generally have large, visible pores, but with continued use of this product, - I was using it twice a week so as not to irritate my skin too much - I found that my pores appeared more refined with a noticeable reduction in congestion and size. The dermabrasion also boosted the efficacy of the other products in the range. By removing the dead skin cells, it allowed the serums and moisturising agents within all the other products to penetrate my skin more effectively. I would definitely recommend this one as one of the most beneficial to the range.
Overall, my time spend trialling these products was a wonderful dip into the world of BeautyLab products. Having reacted so well to this range, I’m excited to try out the rest of their products including some of their best sellers which can all be found exclusively at John Bell & Croyden. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderfully my skin reacted to the collection. I never expected my skin to look as refreshed, alive, and healthy as it did whilst using these products, and I definitely hope to be repurchasing in the future. I definitely will not be giving up the Energizing Serum or the Eye Serum anytime soon, and I recommend you try those first if you would like an introduction into this powerhouse, superhero range of skincare products.