AS a 43-year old smoker, my forehead wrinkles are pronounced and plentiful. I've tried dermal fillers, with good results, but can't afford to keep up the costs of paying for decent injectables. So my ears prick up when I hear that Frownies – skin patches that smooth wrinkles overnight – are now cited as a cheaper, natural alternative to Botox .
But do they actually work? Scrolling through Amazon reviews you might think so – returning customers give five-star reviews in numbers. “Can't believe they actually work” writes one user and another user pipes up: “Surprisingly good.” So when they arrive I ripped open the parcel, excited.
The packaging doesn't disappoint – all pristine, pastel pink and petite enough to travel with. That evening I tried them for the first time as part of my seven-day experiment to see if they could shift my stubborn forehead lines. I needed to spend 15 minutes online first to figure out just how to apply them correctly.
It felt like I actually needed training – complete with ' how-to videos' on the website - just to use them. The entire application took about 20 minutes. You massage your frown lines on the forehead, so they flatten, then spray a small square plaster included in the kit with the rose water hydrator.
It does smell like roses and I didn't find it unpleasant. Next , you smooth the patch over the wrinkle, I used about five patches per application. As I walk into the bedroom to settle for the night, my boyfriend laughs: “H.