skin

To access the products, the idea is that members pay a small monthly fee of £15, that allows them to shop at heavily discounted prices. If you don’t want to commit to a membership? You can still buy the products, just at a higher price. And I must admit, when it first launched, my thoughts were that it provided an interesting and niche business model but would likely only appeal to serious beauty buffs and have a relatively short lifespan. But boy was I wrong. Many years later, Beauty Pie is going stronger than ever. With each new product launch, my love for the brand grows a little more. Take, for example, the best-selling Triple Hyaluronic Acid Peptide Serum, which even my non-industry friends swear by; the Detox Shampoo, which uses activated charcoal and amino acids to de...

I’m going to save you the preamble of why we love French women and just cut to the chase: they do everything so effortlessly. And, as if their flair for style wasn’t enough, they also know how to look after their skin well. Mais bien sûr. I’ve read plenty of pieces over the years about how French women do everything they can to ensure their skin is as glowing as possible. They don’t wear too much makeup and they invest in anti-ageing skincare much earlier than us across the channel. But is that true? I decided to get in touch with four French women who I admire and ask them what’s really behind great skin. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It beg...

And I want to be clear that I am not knocking beauty advent calendars here. I totally get their appeal and I can see how the good points outweigh the bad. But personally, for the first time this year, I haven’t got one. It wasn’t an intentional thing, mind you. I just didn’t sign up for waitlists, and by the time I went to purchase (Space NK’s was a total feat), my first choice was sold out.  I am now a beauty advent calendar-less beauty editor. But the truth is, I’m kind of OK with it. Not because I think they’re a waste of money, but because there are some other options out there that I, personally, would prefer. This year, beauty brands have seriously upped the ante when it comes to luxury gift sets. They costs about the same as an advent calendar and, granted contain fewer product...

There’s no denying that one of the biggest trends to emerge in 2021 has been the rise of ingestible beauty products. In fact, when we asked experts at the start of the year to predict the biggest trends in the skincare space, almost all of them called out skincare supplements and products that focused on the inside as trends to watch. This really comes as no surprise. As a lot of our traditional beauty routines have been stripped-down and pared-back over the last 18 months, it makes perfect sense that ingestible beauty supplements that promise plump, radiant skin and stronger hair are growing in popularity. So when we heard that Vida Glow—a market leader in ingestible beauty and the number one global marine collagen brand—was launching in the UK, we were understandably intr...

It also works even better when paired with certain other ingredients. “It can work well with niacinamide, which is soothing on the skin and helps to reduce sensitivity and irritation,” Garshick says. “Similarly, it pairs well with hyaluronic acid to help boost moisture and reduce any potential dryness or irritation.” Obviously, this all sounds good and dandy, but these ingredient pairings are especially key if you have sensitive skin. Chemical exfoliants can be drying and potentially irritating if you aren’t used to them yet, so when selecting the right glycolic acid product for you, you’ll want to make sure it has another moisturising agent in it. There are so many ways to incorporate this super-effective ingredient into your ro...

Created by Elizabeth Arden herself, the balm is a blend of vitamin E and petrolatum that was specially created to soothe the skin of clients at her Red Door salon in New York. In line with Arden’s ethos on all things beauty, it was specially formulated to actually do good to the skin—healing it from the outside rather than just masking the problem like many other cosmetics at the time. Legend has it that the name came about when one of Arden’s regular clients used the balm to treat her child’s grazed knee. Eight hours later, the skin was healed, Arden had a name for her product and a beauty best seller was born. Whether you buy the anecdote behind the ointment or not, there’s no disputing that this restorative balm has been used to troubleshoot a multitude of b...

TikTok has blessed us with many great things: mouth-watering recipes, killer outfit transitions and a shedload of beauty hacks. However, as someone who has dedicated her entire career to helping people get the most out of their beauty products, I beg you not to put lubricant on your face.  As a beauty editor, I don’t shy away from being outspoken on pointless viral hacks, but I must admit this is the first time I have actually felt compelled to dedicate an entire article to one. If you have been on TikTok at all over the past few months, there’s a high chance you will have seen many videos with TikTokers showcasing the beauty hack du jour—using lube as a skin-smoothing, pore-disguising makeup primer. Yes, you did read that correctly. TikTokers are prepping their skin for makeup b...

There’s an undeniable allure about the beauty and style choices of French women, from their chic trademark fringes to their classic wardrobe basics. For me, though, there’s one specific area that I feel they’ve consistently excelled in more than most: skincare. Yes, French girls have seriously amazing skin, and it’s down to the array of hard-working skincare brands that they have access to. Over the years, I’ve lost count of the number of industry-approved makeup removers and celebrity-beloved face oils that have been exported from France. Trust me—if it’s cult skincare products that you’re looking for, then French pharmacy brands are the best place to start. Luckily, many of these historic bra...

“The moisturiser you should use is very much down to your age and skin type. It’s also down to the weather. If it’s sunny out, go with something lighter. If it’s freezing cold outside and your cheeks are getting red, then you want a moisturiser with ceramides. Most moisturisers, unless you’re heavy-handed, will last a season. When the season changes, change your moisturiser.  “When I received Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream, I noticed it smells of marzipan, and I hate marzipan, so I didn’t use it. That was stupid because the smell dissipates really quickly, and it’s a beautiful formula. That one is great for winter, and for summer, Sunday Riley C.E.O. C+E Antioxidant Protect + Repair is great. Having said that, you can buy affordable moisturisers in the p...

I don’t know about you, but post-lockdown there was one thing that I was desperate to get back out and enjoy: IRL beauty treatments. Sure, there are plenty of treatments that we can do at home when necessary (nails, brows, and hair colour, to name a few), but there’s nothing like letting a professional go to town at what they do best. There’s no denying that in-salon treatments can be costly. (And for good reason—your treatments are being conducted by a pro with years of experience under their belt.) However, in my years as a beauty editor, there have definitely been times when I’ve been left feeling underwhelmed by a buzzy facial or trending massage—and when it’s your own money on the table, I think it’s important to know which treatments are genuinely worth your time and cash. Thank...

Your best beauty discovery of 2021: I am hard to please when it comes to new discovery, however I have to say Fenty Skin Fat Water Pore Refining Toner Serum (£25) really had me gripped from the first use. Everywhere I turned people were talking about it, so I was a little dubious. Once I tried it, I instantly fell in love. I mean I was always going to love it (because Rihanna and Fenty never misses) but the product really works! It makes my skin look and feel juicy, especially on those no makeup days where I want to be dewy and hydrated. The under-£20 gamechanger: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay (£8). This is an actual life changer—no exaggeration! I adore products I can use on both my skin and my hair and this works well to not only give my skin a powerful deep pore cleans...