I bought Florence by Mills Skin Glow Serum fully expecting to hate it. Celebrity skincare rarely hits — it’s usually overpriced and under-formulated.
But here’s the thing nobody tells you: the glass bottle is heavy enough to break your bathroom tile. That’s not a flex. That’s a shipping nightmare I’m still bitter about.
It’s a lightweight, milky serum that’s supposed to “glow from within.” At $26 for 1 oz, it’s double the cost of a basic drugstore hyaluronic acid serum.
Squalane Base
Not greasy — sinks in before you finish blinking.
Niacinamide
Listed as a key ingredient, but it’s not the star. More like a backup dancer.
Mica Particles
Yeah, it has shimmer. Tiny, barely-there shimmer. Not makeup, just… deception.
Photo: Viva Luna Studios / Unsplash
It’s clean-ish. No parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. But the hero ingredients are squalane (hydration), niacinamide (brightening), and aloe (soothing). Nothing groundbreaking.
- Squalane: Locks in moisture without clogging pores
- Niacinamide: Fades dark spots slowly — think weeks, not days
- Aloe Vera: Calms redness instantly
- Mica: Gives that fake glow that rinses off
Photo: ibnu ihza / Unsplash
It’s watery — almost like thin milk. Absorbs in 8 seconds flat. No sticky residue, no tacky film. Smells vaguely like cucumber water that’s been sitting in the fridge too long.
Week 2: My skin looked fine. Not radiant, not dull. Just… fine. The shimmer settled into my smile lines once, which was a hard no.
Photo: Content Pixie / Unsplash
After 3 weeks: hydration improved maybe 20%. No visible brightening. Shimmer gave a temporary illusion of glow — but wash it off, and you’re back to baseline.
Photo: Elsa Olofsson / Unsplash
It’s a fine entry-level serum that relies on optical tricks instead of real ingredients. Drugstore wins this round — and keeps the change.