skin

There are a few things that I’ve come to rely on Amazon for: books (along with an intense feeling of immediate guilt that I should have purchased directly from a bookshop instead), emergency gifts for basically everyone before Christmas and weird household things like light bulbs and batteries that I always forget to buy when I’m at the supermarket. Beauty products? Never. While I might be something of a beauty purist—preferring to shop for my cosmetics IRL where I can swatch and smell or via knowledgable beauty web spaces like Cult Beauty, Space NK (and Who What Wear of course)—there’s no doubt that the popularity of Amazon in the beauty and cosmetics arena is ever-growing. In fact, in the U.S., Amazon is the fifth most popular destination for beauty purchases. You Deser...

If I were to count on my hands the number of beauty editors I know (myself included) who rely on Marshall’s expert help, I’d run out of hands. Her no-BS approach to skincare is truly what keeps us going back. Let me first start by saying the Marshall spends all day every day working with skin; she sees people’s concerns and puts them on skincare routines that truly really make a difference. Marshall spends a long time trying to get to grips with your complexion, your lifestyle and, importantly, your skincare routine. Second, one of her biggest attributes is that she isn’t affiliated with any brands (finding experts who aren’t is very difficult), meaning she’s not going to flog you product just because she’s paid to. Above all, though...

The collection is made up of five products: a cleanser, a face cream, a face oil, a hand-and-body cream and a body oil—oil-heavy, as expected. Upon opening up my box, the first thing I was struck by was the outer packaging. Considering both brands sit in the luxury sector and champion a high-end aesthetic, I must admit I was a little let down by the boxes. As far as I’m concerned, outer packaging is a waste of time and bad for the environment, but brands and retailers put the need for it down to protecting the product from damage. Only, the boxes these products come housed in are flimsy. In fact, mine had already come undone on their way over in the post. Besides the lack of sturdiness of the boxes, though, I must admit that the packaging design of the products themselves is chic as ...

If you have eczema, I feel your pain—not to mention the itch. Eczema can be a troublesome and painful skin condition and particularly difficult to manage no matter how big or small a flare is. Skincare products that once worked for you now make your skin sting, and trying to find products that won’t irritate your sensitive skin can be a long, laborious task—and an expensive one, too. I’ve had a number of major eczema flares on my face and body, and what no one tells you about eczema is the sheer cost of trial and error when you’re looking for eczema creams that actually work. And when you’re in the midst of an eczema flare, you’re usually willing to try anything to help soothe your skin. However, trying too many products can also make matters wo...

Everyone has a complicated relationship with SPF, right? Some formulas feel way too heavy and leave a white cast. Add skin tone in to the mix, and you’re unlocking a whole new level of complexity. The majority of facial SPFs can leave a ghostly white tint when applied to darker skin tones. However, I have searched high and low for the best SPFs for darker skin tones, and things are looking up. No more white casts; hello, gorgeous, gorgeous glowing skin.  Enter a new wave of SPFs that are lightweight, absorb like a dream into the skin and even have added skincare benefits. Best of all, they are all totally or near invisible. Since there is no getting out of using SPF daily, come rain or shine, the new generation of upgraded formulas make using SPF a lot easier for everyone re...

You can ask anyone I know—anyone, even my dad, who I’m certain still thinks cold creams are the height of skincare and who uses three-in-one hair, face and bodywash—what my favourite skincare ingredient is, and they will say vitamin C. It’s the game-changer ingredient that has helped me get the skin of my dreams. I struggle with hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, and adding vitamin C into your skincare routine is one of the best ways to tackle both. And the easiest way to add it into your routine without needing to add more steps? A vitamin C moisturiser. “Vitamin C is a fantastic ingredient to add to your skincare routine,” agrees Bianca Estelle, skin specialist and medical aesthetician. “In fact, it’s one of my favourites. It’s a powerful antioxidant with a multitude of be...

Perhaps one of my least favourite pieces of skincare advice out there is that we must avoid fragranced products like the plague. Please believe me when I say this is categorically untrue. Not everyone needs to avoid fragrance in their skincare products. If you have extremely reactive skin (for example, in the form of contact dermatitis, eczema, acne, rosacea, etc.), you will probably benefit from cutting out fragrance, as it can further irritation. For most people, however, fragrance in skincare is a perfectly okay thing. As a beauty editor who has a pretty in-depth knowledge of skin function and skincare formulation, I’m happy to admit that most of my skincare products contain fragrance. Why? Because I like it. My skincare go-to, aesthetician Pamela Marshall of M...

In Denmark, the name of the game is incorporating soothing treatments into your beauty routine. Two soothing routines Danish people regularly do, according to Henriksen, are chamomile eye treatments and lavender facial steam treatments. Chamomile treatments are easy to try at home—just steep chamomile tea bags in cool water for a minute or two and place them on your eye area for 10 to 15 minutes before beginning your skincare routine.  Henriksen explains that it’s also easy to try a lavender facial steam at home. “Lavender is the most calming, soothing, and healing essential oil, and the aroma in itself is very relaxing,” he says. “Fill your sink [a third of the way full] with warm water and take a tablespoon full of lavender essential oil and stir in the water. Drench a terry face cl...

The best thing about being a beauty editor is that I get the opportunity to speak with some of the world’s top beauty experts basically every single day. From celebrity makeup artists to Harley Street surgeons, I am forever picking the brains of experts in a bid to learn everything there is to know about beauty. And while picking up different makeup tips and tricks is wonderful, the one thing I am always most fascinated by is the sort of products skin experts swear by. There’s no doubt that shopping for skincare can be daunting and often frustrating, and not just because of the abundance of choice. All too often we are let down by miracle claims that don’t live up to their promises. And while most medical skin experts and dermatologists insist that if you have seri...

A good moisturiser is a skincare staple. Second only to a great cleanser, a moisturising cream is an important step in your routine to ensure you’re flooding your skin with hydration and vital antioxidants. Plus, a good one will act as the final step in protecting your skin against environmental aggressors during the day and will help your skin cells recharge and rejuvenate overnight. The problem with many moisturisers, however, is that they can be the most expensive element of a good skincare routine. Moisturisers often have clever active ingredients and luxe textures, so you can expect to pay a little more, but that doesn’t mean you should have to. There are now some seriously amazing dupes out there from more affordable brands, all of which offer high-quality products withou...

Toner I rarely use toner. It’s usually recommended for removing any dirt from the skin, but if you’re cleansing properly, you shouldn’t need to do this. If you do opt to add BHAs or AHAs to your routine though, the toner formulas are often quick and easy to use. MistsRefreshing? Yes. Necessary? No. I’ll use a mist as an SPF top-up or sometimes if I’ve left it long between cleansing and moisturising to re-dampen my skin, but other than that, they’ll often sit unloved on my shelf. Masks I see masks as a fun and indulgent way to treat my skin, but they are by no means vital to a good skincare regimen. If I use them, I’ll do a pre-night-out hydration or brightening mask, or, as someone lucky enough to own an LED mask, I will use this to treat the hyperpigmentation afte...

Made up of 98.1% natural ingredients, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse contains seven precious oils to create an intensely nourishing formula. In addition to Tsubaki, almond, camellia, borage, hazelnut, macadamia and argan oils, it’s also enriched with vitamin E for moisture that deeply penetrates even the driest of skin types. The unique thing about this oil, though, and one of the reasons I love it, is that it’s actually a dry oil. This means that it sinks in quickly to your skin without any greasy residue you might associate with heavy-duty body lotions or oils. In fact, I often put this on after my morning shower and get dressed for work immediately. Oh, and it smells absolutely incredible—like holidays. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. ...