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I’ve just made a big order at Geek & Gorgeous, a Hungarian brand that you will hear about in the next few months.
If The Ordinary, Niod, Paula’s Choice and Skinceuticals had a child (I know, it’s impossible to have a child at 4, but let’s assume), it would be Geek & Gorgeous.
Geek & Gorgeous, what is it?
There is little information about this brand, as it is a Hungarian brand. The creator has created an equivalent of Paula Ingredients, which allows users to write reviews or analyze cosmetic products’ ingredients. She realized that it would be better to launch her own brand, with a minimalist list of active and concentrated ingredients.
I am delighted with my serum at The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and its Niacinamide 100% powder. Still, I have had feedback from some readers who don’t like the zinc in this serum, so I wanted to test B-Bomb from Geek & Gorgeous to see if I can recommend it to readers.
Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb
This serum contains 2 star ingredients: Niacinamide & Zinc along with Sarcosine
Aqua (water), Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Zinc PCA, Sarcosine, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Niacinamide
Niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin of B3, ultra-moisturizing. It improves the skin’s barrier function by stimulating the synthesis of lipids, limiting water loss, and fighting against dryness. It stimulates the production of collagen (reduces wrinkles), has an anti-inflammatory effect (against acne), reduces and regulates the production of melanin (superb for spots)
B-Bomb contains 10% Niacinamide, just like The Ordinary. 10% is a lot! Some dermatologists recommend only 5%, but my skin can tolerate 10% Niacinamide without any problems.
Zinc
The 1% Zinc present in the serum of The Ordinary seems to purge a lot of people. Geek & Gorgeous offers the same Zinc PCA version: a mixture of Zinc and L-PCA, the exact concentration of which is not known:
- Zinc helps normalize sebum production and limit the proliferation of bad bacteria responsible for acne.
- L-PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. It is a key molecule in the skin that helps the hydration and energy processes (it is an NMF, a natural moisturizing factor).
Sarcosine
Sarcosine: An amino-acid derived ingredient that works as a so called 5α-reductase inhibitor helping to normalise oil-production and pore size.
Packaging
All Geek & Gorgeous products have an icon on the cardboard. For B-Bomb, it’s simply a bomb. So cute.
All their serums are in dark glass bottles like this to protect them from the light. Niacinamide does not need to be protected from light. But a bottle like this looks great in the bathroom. I validate! The dropper is convenient and allows to dose exactly one drop.
Comparative: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% versus Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb
I will make a quick comparison between The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (link The Ordinary, link Sephora) versus Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb (link G&G).
On the left, you have The Ordinary in 60 ml format (I like this serum too much, so I bought the biggest size possible), and on the right, you have the B-Bomb serum from Geek & Gorgeous.
We can see that niacinamide does not need to be protected from light, so The Ordinary uses a normal (slightly opaque) glass bottle. The Ordinary uses a dropper system as well.
Then, when we compare the two textures, we notice that the Ordinary serum is more viscous, thicker than the one of Geek & Gorgeous. You can also see it in color: the one from Geek & Gorgeous is more transparent. Thus, for The Ordinary, 1 to 2 drops are enough for the whole face, while for Geek & Gorgeous, you can go up to 4 drops.
So, if you like to use 3 – 4 serums on your face, Geek & Gorgeous is a better candidate because this serum is lighter, and you can use lots of other serums at the same time without any worries.
However, if you like to use a maximum of 1 to 2 serums, it is better to choose The Ordinary. This serum is quite thick. It foams in some people, while Geek & Gorgeous does not foam at all.
In terms of ingredients :
The Ordinary: Aqua (Water), Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.
Geek & Gorgeous : Aqua (water), Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Zinc PCA, Sarcosine, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Zinc PCA is placed a little further away by Geek & Gorgeous. We can assume that the zinc concentration is lower than at The Ordinary? Geek & Gorgeous has sarcosine, which The Ordinary does not have, but I don’t think this ingredient has much impact on my skin.
My opinion
In terms of efficiency, the two are very similar. In any case for me who can handle Zinc without any problem
I use them to prevent hormonal acne: before and during my period, I put some generously on my face to not end up with hormonal pimples. And it works! With these two serums, the pores look smaller, probably because the excess of sebum is regulated, so the pores are clean and look smaller?
My skin no longer suffers from hormonal acne, neither with the serum from The Ordinary, nor from Geek & Gorgeous.
However, the effect on acne spots and hyperpigmentation is quite limited. I see more effect with azelaic acid and retinol than with niacinamide.
In short, choosing The Ordinary or Geek & Gorgeous, is like choosing the texture: thicker or more liquid, that’s all.
Where to buy it?
Geek & Gorgeous is currently only sold on their official website. This allows them to deliver the freshest products.
You can buy it here for 8,5€ per 30ml
Delivery is free for orders over 50€, and costs 5€ for orders between 25€ and 50€. 15€ for any order under 25€.
Personally, I also recommend you to buy C-Glow, aPad, and HA 5 Light from the same brand, which I will review later (see the one for aPad here). These products are excellent too.
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