I Tried $1200+ Worth Of Drunk Elephant Products — Here’s What I Really Think

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Few beauty brands are as revered by skincare obsessives and novices alike as Drunk Elephant. With its colour-pop packaging, cryptic product names and smart approach to layering, it was always destined to become social media clickbait.

All the superstar ingredients you would want to include in your routine are here, from retinol and vitamin C to hyaluronic and glycolic acid. What's more, the entire lineup is cruelty-free (though not 100% vegan). According to brand founder Tiffany Masterson, Drunk Elephant is 'clinically clean' which, as our beauty editor Jackie recently explored, is a term that should always be taken with a pinch of salt. However, when broken down, Drunk Elephant’s focus on simple ingredients that work is very attractive.

The products are designed to mix with one another, be used in any order and are supposedly suited to every skin type. In the most basic terms, this means Drunk Elephant is for everyone — that is, if you are willing to spend some money. From $30 for a lip balm (the most affordable product in the lineup) to $223 for a night serum (the most expensive), Drunk Elephant doesn't come cheap. The cost of an entire skincare routine would be staggering, which is the self-indulgent reason I signed up to review the whole shebang. I said goodbye to my existing favourites and lined up my new collection of 16 Drunk Elephant products on my dresser (much like a small, colourful army ready for a beauty battle) to embark on a skincare journey over several weeks.

Is Drunk Elephant worth it? Or is it all just social media hype? Read on for my honest thoughts.