I’m 35 and my skin is way less plump than it used to be—but this sell-out serum is restoring its bounce

I have to be honest, as much as I’m trying to embrace the skin that I’m in, as I grow older, there is something rather confronting about spotting visible changes in my skin that prove I am, in fact, ageing. Plus, as someone who has spent the best part of two decades working out how best to care for my spot-prone skin, there’s a feeling of it being unfair that I’ve now got loss of elasticity, changing texture and an overall dullness to contend with. (First world problem? Most definitely.)

Admittedly, as a beauty editor, I might spend more time than most looking at myself in the mirror to check whether a new moisturiser, spot treatment or LED mask is delivering on its promises, but that doesn’t mean that I’m alone in a bit of bathroom mirror analysis. Now that we’re in our mid-30s, my friends and I often spend time to-and-fro-ing about whether we’re going to take the plunge with aesthetic treatments like so many of our peers or simply let nature take its course and embrace the beauty of our changing faces. I’m currently in a bit of a will I/won’t I dichotomy with the prospect of Botox so before I make my final decision I am spending quite a bit of time (all in the name of journalistic research, you understand) investigating which skincare treatments might genuinely help to restore some of the bounce and plumpness to my skin that I took for granted in my 20s. And there’s one such serum which has impressed me more than others: Trinny London Plump Up Peptide+ HA Serum.

Launched back in 2022, this serum enjoyed sell-out success from day one, with a bottle being sold every single minute on launch day. Rather hilariously, Trinny herself describes this on the back of the box as being “like a support bra for your skin” and it really does have that effect—lifting, plumping, firming and lifting. Let’s get into why I rate it so highly…

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was very much aware of the hype surrounding the Trinny London Plump Up Serum when it launched a couple of years ago, but as a beauty editor, I am all too aware that buzz doesn’t always equate to efficacy. However, the fact that this serum has hundreds of 5-star reviews on the Trinny London website with customers raving about how much it improved the appearance of their skin meant that my expectations were high when it came to trying this for the first time.

First up, I love the packaging. Not only is the powder pink tube aesthetically pleasing (not essential, but always nice), but I love how you twist it up to reveal the pump dispenser. It’s sleek, functional and feels like every detail has been considered for the offset. Of course, this doesn’t have any bearing on the formula inside, but when you’re spending £72 on a skincare product, then I think it’s really important for every element of the product to feel worth it.

Something to note is that although it has a high price point, you can buy refills for less that slot nicely into the outer pink casing.

THE FORMULA

So, onto the serum itself, which is brimming with peptides. Recommended by skincare experts as a really crucial ingredient when it comes to supporting the skin, their role is effectively to improve cell-to-cell communication and skin function. This means that you can expect to see an improvement in anything from collagen production to skin barrier health, and different peptides provide different benefits.

With that in mind, the Trinny London Plump Up Serum contains hexapeptide-9 to stimulate collagen production and improve fine lines and wrinkles, oligopeptide-1, which improves skin structure and firmness, and a 4-peptide complex for bouncier skin. Plus, there’s hyaluronic acid to boost skin hydration and improve plumpness. It’s no doubt an impressive lineup of ingredients, all working together to make a visible difference to the texture, clarity and volume of skin.

THE RESULTS

At first, I wasn’t sure that the Trinny London Plump Up Serum would live up to its dizzying reviews—the serum itself is lightweight, and I wasn’t sure that it had the viscosity to add much juice to my skin. However, I’m happy enough to admit when I’m wrong. Just two pumps of this serum applied to my skin morning and night has undoubtedly restored some of that fullness to my face that has been declining over the last few years. While the bouncy cheeks of my 20s might never be fully restored with topical products alone, there has certainly been an improvement in the firmness and elasticity of my skin. It feels plump, smooth and looks brighter too—presumably because it’s been enjoying a real drench of hydration after a long winter.

Plus, I love that, unlike other more intensive “anti-ageing” skincare on the market, this serum really proves that you can make a difference to the clarity of your skin without relying on harsh ingredients or a huge amount of actives. The fact that it’s a peptide-based formulation means that it plays really nicely with the rest of my skincare products too and has earnt a permanent spot in my routine.