Index / Geek & Gorgeous / A-Game 10
Geek & Gorgeous

A-Game 10.

Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10

About this product

A retinaldehyde serum at 0.1% strength designed to deliver anti-aging benefits with a creamy, hydrating base at an affordable price point.

Best for

Mature skin

The Guru Index verdict

84%

Approved

Approved · 84%
3Reviewers
3Approved
0Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

Gurus overwhelmingly praise this as a standout budget retinoid that punches above its price. The consistent strength of the formula (more potent than many retinols on the market) paired with a nourishing, creamy texture that minimizes irritation is the recurring win. Creators reliably reach for it year after year as a go-to. The only caveat: the yellowish color signals high retinaldehyde concentration, so it may not suit very sensitive skin, though most find it forgiving enough to dial back strength within the brand's range if needed.
Synthesized from 3 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

RetinoidVitamin EFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Oleyl Erucate, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cyclodextrin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/​Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Retinal (0.1%), Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"Another great option at a very affordable price is the Geek and Gorgeous A-Game 10. This is a retinol formula. Very lovely formula at a little bit lower price. The one thing you will notice about this formula is it's quite yellow. That means the retinaldehyde in here is at a pretty high percentage. If you start to get irritation, you can easily back down to a lower percentage in the Geek and Gorgeous formulas. So they have these sliding scales so it's really easy to find the exact retinoid for your skin readiness."
Approved
"The 10 is a great all rounder. They're really inexpensive. I think this is one of the cheapest products on this list, but really works. If you're somebody that loves retinol as an ingredient for anti-aging, but you want to keep the cost really low, I don't think it gets better than this. You've got the airless pump. This does come with a top. An airless pump, just a wonderful, wonderful product. If retinol is the one, it doesn't get better than this."
All 14 takes from Mad About Skin
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"Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 is a wonderful high strength retinal, super creamy, nourishing and hydrating, but has a higher concentration than this oil equivalent for those of us that have a much more resilient skin type. It will definitely give you amazing next-level anti-aging but could be a little sensitizing on certain skin types."
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"Geek and Gorgeous is probably the retinoid that I bought most frequently over the years, it's the one I keep going back to time and time again, and for good reason. Definitely drugstore, unaffordable, this is probably the cheapest of all of the recommendations. You have two different strengths, a mid strength and a high strength, so most people can start with the mid strength and then work their way up with no problem whatsoever. It's definitely more accessible than The Ordinary. I love the formulation and the way that it feels. It's an emulsion but you blend it in and it definitely hydrates and nourishes. It's not as luxurious feeling as the medicate one but it's a lot cheaper and definitely adds a layer of hydration on."
Best OTC RETINOID SERUMS 2024 - Best Retinol For Anti Aging
"For most people they can reach for this A-Game 10 and get some amazing amazing results. It's not always about chasing those percentages. If you're somebody that just wants to keep it drugstore, keep it affordable, maybe sacrifice a little bit of the elegance of the application to save some of your coin, then Geek and Gorgeous is going to have you covered. Going for Geek and Gorgeous is my day-to-day anti-aging hero."
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"This is their A-Game 10, a phenomenal budget-friendly option that means you don't have to break the bank but you also don't have to compromise on the results. This packs a punch, it's a high strength option comes in a beautiful airless pump and they've actually recently just changed the pump on it. This is so much better than the original pump, so if you had trouble with the pump say like a year ago, give this another try because this new pump is amazing. One pump is all you need to do the face and the neck, so it's really easy to dose and to get the right amount. And for £4, which is what I paid for this, I honestly don't think you can beat this for a high strength retinal with a budget-friendly price point. It's still a feature in my skincare routine and I think a great option for those that want to be a bit budget conscious but don't want to compromise on the outcomes. This is a winner every single time."
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"We've got the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10, stronger than most retinols on the market, not impacted by any of these restrictions and new legislation, and just works so so well with minimum risk of irritation."
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"For years I've reached for the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10, a wonderful retinol serum. You don't have to pay a higher price point for retinoids when there are options like this one available."
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"If you prefer a cream then this is the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10. This is great, hydrating, same price point as that oil option, so it'll come down to whether you want an oil or you want a cream, but this is a great option if you're looking for that cream base. I love this and I do use some of these interchangeably. Retinal, my skin just loves it. I get great anti-aging benefits, it doesn't strip, dry and irritate."
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"The 10 is a great all rounder. They're really inexpensive. I think this is one of the cheapest products on this list, but really works. If you're somebody that loves retinol as an ingredient for anti-aging, but you want to keep the cost really low, I don't think it gets better than this. You've got the airless pump. This does come with a top. An airless pump, just a wonderful, wonderful product. If retinol is the one, it doesn't get better than this."
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"The Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 is a wonderful cream-based retinol. Since I transitioned from retinol to retinol, I'm getting the results I want with less side effects, which is why it's the form of vitamin A I personally chose when it came to creating my own product."
ULTIMATE RETINAL SERUM - The Ordinary Retinal 0.2% Emulsion Review
"This is a great universal lower strength option but still packs a punch in terms of results. The strength of this is 0.1%, so half the strength of The Ordinary. Lots of people use the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 and get great results. This is packed full of hydrators, beautiful humectants which are going to really deeply nourish and hydrate the skin. I think this is more hydrating than The Ordinary equivalent and definitely prefer the base formulation. If you're happy with the results you're getting from it, stick with it. If you're feeling like you need a little bit more, then obviously you can graduate to a higher strength option."
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"If you're someone that likes maximum results, no compromise, you just want those maximum results and maybe you've been using a super high potency retinol and with the restrictions you need to make the switch, I would always recommend the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10. This is a super high potency retinal which might not work on the super sensitive skin types out there, but for a lot of people can give you the best anti-aging experience on a really fair budget. Geek & Gorgeous is super affordable, so this is a great option for people that were using a super high strength retinol and need to make the switch to a retinal in order to still be able to comply with those EU regulations. This is a great product and one of my favorites I recommend all the time."
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"If you really want your retinol in a cream base, reach for this, the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10. A wonderful option that's super hydrating because of all of the moisturizers in here and it just glides onto the skin. A wonderful retinol packed cream that's so drugstore and affordable."
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"This is the Geek & Gorgeous A-Game. Now, they do three strengths. They do the A-Game 5, they do the A-Game 10, and the A-Game 20. Start with the 5 and work your way up. But all of them are packed full of moisturizing ingredients, humectants, and calming and soothing components. This way, you're getting a high dose of retinol in this case, which is one of my personal favorite retinoid forms, but with far less risk of side effects and irritation because of a quality formulation. This also demonstrates that you don't need to break the bank to get that hydration because in here you've got all that hydration, that beautiful dose of retinol, and these are really, really inexpensive. Geek & Gorgeous is one of my favorite drugstore skincare brands. And yeah, this is a good example of not just packing a product full of a retinoid, also thinking about that wraparound formulation and how you can improve user experience. I love this and it's been my go-to for years."
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"The Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 is wonderful, super affordable, I think this is the cheapest of all the recommendations. It's great for everyone, super hydrating, and that 0.1% strength makes this work for almost all skin types. Best for beginners."
Approved
"After you get comfortable with their lower-strength retinoids, you can work up to the A-Game 10, which is wonderful. It's got no scent or anything like that. It's pretty affordable. If you compare it with the Ordinary retinol, it actually becomes a little bit more affordable because the Ordinary comes in half the size. It's also got ectoine in there for soothing. Their retinoids are outstanding."
All 3 takes from No BS Beauty
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"The Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 uses 10% retinal. It's a great product overall, you can't go wrong with it. Geek & Gorgeous just does a wonderful job."
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"If you're not into the super strongest retinoids, Geek & Gorgeous has the A-Game 10 and the A-Game 5, which are both more gentle. Always be very cautious starting it, start it slow in your routine, use it with moisturizers. The sandwich method is a great one: in your evening routine apply a thick moisturizer, then apply your retinoid, then apply a thicker sleeping mask or a thicker moisturizer over it to prevent dryness. Start out slow. If you're newer to retinoids, mixing one of these with a little bit of moisturizer is not a bad way to start. Don't start too fast because you don't want to irritate your skin."
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"After you get comfortable with their lower-strength retinoids, you can work up to the A-Game 10, which is wonderful. It's got no scent or anything like that. It's pretty affordable. If you compare it with the Ordinary retinol, it actually becomes a little bit more affordable because the Ordinary comes in half the size. It's also got ectoine in there for soothing. Their retinoids are outstanding."
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