I had never been inside a Primark store until this autumn, when Alessandra Steinherr launched her skincare line for the brand. For those of you that don’t spend silly amounts of time on Instagram checking people’s skincare routines: she is a former Glamour magazine beauty director and a current skincare guru. I have always found her advice useful and she didn’t strike me as a woman who would put her name on random crap to cash in. So off to Primark I went.

There are 20 products, divided between five targeted lines: Pollution Solution, Pore Balance, Pump & Glow, Sleep Spa and Maximum Moisture. I ended up buying four items, only missing out on the last sub-section. I got the Super Detox Clay Mousse Mask (PB), Oil-Free Gel Hydrator (PS), Every Night Eye Mask (SS) and Pump & Glow Moisturiser (PG).

And you know what? They are all great. I could leave the mask, as I have other similar ones and I don’t use clay masks that much anyway, but it’s a perfectly good mask with a cool texture. The moisturisers are excellent: I find the effect of them pretty similar, they are both light-weight, spread easily and sink in beautifully. The Hydrator is more of a gel and the Moisturiser slightly creamier (it’s described as serum-in-cream), both keep my skin hydrated for the entire day. I have been reaching for them regularly, despite having Drunk Elephant and Biologique Recherche creams in use as well. I also really like the eye mask, which I’ve used both in the morning and evening – it does a lovely job hydrating the eye area without being heavy.

So the products are great in themselves, but they are also very, very affordable: everything is priced between three and five pounds. The packaging is excellent (lots of proper pumps involved), the design tasteful and the sizes are significant. Everything is also scent-free, cruelty-free and suitable for vegans.

Overall, it’s a very well thought-out line for those on The Ordinary/The Inkey List budget, but don’t really get excited about ingredients and gazillions of serums. People who want a cleanser and a moisturiser and maybe a mask or something for a specific concern. While it would be great for students and young professionals, I would have no hesitation to recommend the line for people my age who want nice, fuss-free skincare.

In fact, was impressed enough to go and visit Primark for the second time in my life to get a few other items I’ve been curious about. Unfortunately, I could no longer find the products. I don’t think this is the end, though – Lisa Eldridge just recommended the line in a recent video, so surely it’ll be available at least in some stores. If you have one near you, it’s worth braving the crowds for.

PS The picture is from the Primark website, as it’s too dark for me to photograph my own products…