Don’t believe the hype? Or do believe the hype? The Ordinary, created by Deciem, is a beauty collection that arrived on the scene last year with a LOT of hype.

Sali Hughes devoted a whole column to the range in the Guardian, and Caroline Hirons interviewed the man behind the brand on her blog.

The products are cheap – most of them are under a tenner, which, of course, makes beauty fans question their efficacy. How can they make them so cheaply. It seems that, because Deciem create other, much more expensive products, they can, quite simply, afford to do this line. (Their other lines include NIOD and Hylamide.)

Which is all very nice. The stripped back products are basically just the active ingredients. I was suspicious of the amount of active ingredient being low, due to the low prices, but as Sali points out, it isn’t. The Vitamin C content is higher than needs be to make the product effective, and the bottle of Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% is just £4.90.

I was sent four products by the people at Deciem, which should help with the skin concerns I outlined to them. I’ve only tried two so far. (I’m a little scared of the Advanced Retinoid 2%, but I have read this blog about it with interest.)

I’ve used “Buffet” which is a multi peptide serum, and is the most expensive at £12.90. The technologies are Matrixyl 3,000 peptide complex,  Matrixyl Synthe’6 peptide complex, Syn-Ake peptide complex, Relistase peptide complex, Argirelox peptide complex, Probiotic complex, in a base of 11 skin-friendly amino acids and multiple hyaluronic acid complexes.

Phew! This serum is an all-encompassing, anti-ageing serum, but, if you are on The Ordinary website, you will see that they recommend their other brands, should you require “a stronger effort against signs of age”…

I’ve also been using the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, which is £5.90. I like it, and I have used it for a few weeks now, not long enough to tell how it really is, but, like Sali Hughes, I don’t find it has enough of a moisturising kick, as it were. I need something that makes my skin feel more moisturised instantly.

The packaging is simple, and I actually think, despite it being described as plain, and therefore, saving money, it’s been very carefully designed to give The Ordinary a clinical, pared down, instagram friendly look that will appeal to beauty bloggers, and hipsters alike.

If you are interested, The Ordinary is available at a few different outlets, direct from Deciem, or others including ASOS, beautybay.com, lookfantastic.com