The contenders: Concentrated blends of vitamins, peptides, antioxidants, and botanicals formulated to avert or minimize fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and uneven tone.
Testing time: Eight weeks.
No7 Beauty
And the winner is... Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum ($23, amazon.com or Target) was a superior performer overall and shared the highest consumer score with the second-place finisher, Mary Kay (details to follow). Consumers gave this vitamin A- and E-enriched formula high marks for its tone-evening and skin-firming properties; the latter victory was echoed in the lab, where Boots received a perfect firming score, according to our Cutometer measurements. "It's easy to apply and nongreasy," said one panelist. "My skin has never looked better."
