I'm not always sold on natural skincare, but this ingredient has been my secret to glowing winter skin

As a beauty journalist who is always trying new products, it's the ones with ingredients that promise to brighten, plump and give skin a gorgeous glow that really excite me. My most recent discovery? Lumene's Nordic Bloom range, and since incorporating it into my skincare routine, I'm willing to admit that I am a natural skincare convert. Seriously, these products have been my secret to how I've kept a glow all winter. 

I like a simple skincare routine but one that actually gives me visible results. That's where Lumene comes in; they produce high-performing products that incorporate both natural and clinical ingredients. The Nordic Bloom range comprises exactly the kind of natural products I've been searching for for years: skincare that uses natural ingredients with tested efficacy. The Nordic berry complex uses a mix of cloudberries, birch sap and lingonberries, combined with science-backed ingredients to deliver what I have found to be a truly exceptional natural glow. 

Personally, I like to take a preventative approach to my skincare, and I'm a fan of retinol for its abilities to speed up cell turnover. However, the potent ingredient can be harsh on my skin, so I've been searching for a retinol alternative—which is how I first stumbled across Lumene's new Nordic Bloom range. The key ingredient: a pre-retinol compound made from Nordic berries, which when combined with sea buckthorn oil and cloudberry seed oil, promises to deliver similar skin-smoothing, glow-boosting results to those you'd expect to see with retinol. But there's more; the unique lingonberry extract also helps to maintain elasticity in the skin.

If you've been worried about the side effects of retinol, want to minimise the appearance of fine lines or just want to boost your overall glow, these are the products I've found to be really great.

1. Lumene Nordic Bloom Anti-wrinkle & Firm Moisturising V-Shape Serum

If there is one part of a skincare routine I'm really familiar with, it's face serums. The first thing I noticed with this one was its gorgeous scent, and the second was the instant glow it delivered as soon as I pressed it in. Since incorporating it into my routine, my skin looks smoother and has a luminous finish before I even add moisturiser. The serum is formulated with the Nordic Berry Pre-Retinol complex, along with red algae, which helps to plump.

2. Lumene Nordic Bloom Anti-wrinkle & Firm Moisturising Eye Cream

I'm picky with my eye cream; it needs to be so hydrating that it reduces the appearance of any fine lines, but absorb quick enough to not ruin my concealer. This eye cream does just that. As with the rest of the Nordic Bloom range, the eye cream is formulated with the pre-retinol complex, so it works at preventing fine lines around the eyes, too.

3. Lumene Nordic Bloom Anti-wrinkle & Firm Day Moisturiser

Yes, my skin is already radiant from applying the serum, but this day cream really amps up the glow and hydration. So much so that I have been skipping my usual illuminating primer (which is unusual for me), but this cream makes me glow more than ever. Usually, with a cream that offers this much glow, hydration is compromised, but not here. It absorbs just as quickly as the eye cream, while still being super nourishing, so I can go straight into applying my make-up.

4. Lumene Nordic Bloom Vegan Collagen Essence

Lumene's serum is so hydrating you could probably skip out on an essence, but using one has become part of my routine that I simply really enjoy. Essence is to be used after cleanser and before serum to help the serum absorb better. This one is made with vegan collagen and three different types of hyaluronic acid, leaving the skin hydrated, plump and, you guessed it, glowing.

5. Lumene Nordic Bloom Anti-wrinkle & Firm Night Moisturiser

100% vegan, fragrance-free and wild-crafted, this nurturing night cream has all the same Nordic Berry goodness as the day cream but is a little thicker in texture, with the brand's patented Nordic Lingonberry extract for extra moisture. It's a nourishing, overnight treat.

6. Lumene Nordic Bloom Berry Pre-Retinol Facial Oil

The star of the collection, made from 99% naturally-derived and 98% upcycled ingredients, the Berry Pre-Retinol Facial Oil includes a beautiful blend of hand-picked berries. It blends together wild Arctic cloudberry, sea buckthorn and Nordic lingonberry for supple, smooth skin with a natural glow. An efficacious, sensorial face oil that has impressed sustainability credentials? I'm sold.