How Products Are Rated

The six criteria

Each is scored out of five stars, and each measures something different:

• Performance — does it do what it claims, over a real testing period?
• Ingredients — formulation quality, concentrations where disclosed, and whether the actives are present at levels that do anything.
• Ease of use — texture, application, how well it fits into an actual routine.
• Packaging — protection of the formula (light and air degrade many actives), dispensing, and waste.
• Value — cost against performance and quantity, not cost alone.
• Luxury experience — scent, texture and ritual. Scored separately so it never inflates the performance judgement.

Beyond the stars

Every review also records:

• Overall score out of 10.
• Repurchase likelihood — definitely, likely, maybe, or no.
• Best for — who the product actually suits.
• Avoid if — who should skip it, and why.
• Testing period — how long it was used before the verdict.
• Recommendation — Editor’s Choice, Highly Recommended, Recommended, Worth Considering, or Not Recommended.

Why value and luxury are scored separately

A product can be a pleasure to use and still not work. Keeping experience apart from performance is what stops an expensive, beautifully packaged product from scoring well simply for feeling expensive — and stops an unglamorous, effective one from being marked down for it.