skin

Of all the practises that make my little beauty editor heart skip a beat, cleansing my face tops the list. Years of regularly falling asleep with my makeup on in my early twenties (so cringe, I know!) have lead to my near-obsession with thoroughly removing every stitch of gunk and goo from my skin at night, and for me, that means double cleansing is my go-to method. Only, I don’t always reach for the traditional first step, oil cleansers. I often reach for cleansing balms instead. I know some of you might be clutching your pearls right now, so allow me to explain. Straight oils are great for many skincare purposes, but the truth is they can be a bit messy, and portion control can be problematic. Cleansing balms are an excellent alternative since they del...

First things first, there’s squalane and squalene. Unhelpful, I know, but it makes it easier to explain what it is. Squalene is naturally produced by the oil-producing glands (sebaceous) in our skin. We’ve been made to believe that oils are the bad guys, but they’re a wonderful way to keep skin moisturised. So, squalene maintains our skin barrier and keeps everything nice and hydrated.  Cosmetic chemist Rachael Polowyj says: “Although squalene is a key component of our skin’s natural moisturisation factor–to keep the skin soft, supple and to prevent transepidermal water loss–it’s a relatively unstable chemical molecule which breaks down quickly, hence why we tend to use squalane in our cosmetic products instead.” So, in the same way that the&nbs...

I don’t know about you, but the minute the mercury drops below 15, my skin starts freaking out. While warm weather and sunny days bring out the best in my complexion, the winter brings out the worst. For the last few weeks, thanks to a combination of cold climes, central heating and beating winds, I have been experiencing dryness, irritation, breakouts and general dullness when it comes to my skin. And I know that I am not alone. In fact, many of my close friends and colleagues have also been complaining of skin issues recently. In a bid to get my skin back on track come winter, every year I bring out my ultimate glow-boosting kit. From super-nourishing moisturisers to light-reflecting highlighters, I turn to the same sort of results-driven products every single year in orde...

For those of you who have been diligently applying hand sanitiser for years, you’re probably feeling pretty smug right now—especially considering all of the eye-rolls you encountered every time you took out your prized bottle before a meal. Well, as this is our new normal, we all need to get on board and befriend the not-so-humble-anymore hand sanitiser. There are obviously two camps of sanitiser: the usual medical-scented ones and the more luxe versions.  With frequent use, the strong alcohol scent can often seem a bit harsh, so we’ve done the legwork for you to find the best hand sanitisers that also smell pretty nice. Reminder: It’s recommended to go for an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that has at least 60% alcohol content, so keep an eye out for th...

Aside from plumbing fixtures and tiles, there are so many ways to help elevate your bathroom, and needless to say, beauty products are a good place to start. While you’ll likely have a cupboard lined with lotions and potions, it’s important to think about the bathroom beauty products you want to have on display. To create a calming ambience, you’ll need to select these products carefully. It helps to stick to a tonal colour palette to ensure each product blends together seamlessly to create a chic backdrop. Brass bath caddies and waste bins, fresh room sprays housed in amber bottles, tufted Berber-style bath mats, coordinating (and industry-loved) shampoos and conditioners, elegant toothpaste (yes, that’s a thing), and nourishing oil soaks—scroll below to browse my edit of the b...

And trust me when I tell you this is out of character. Deep, warming scents do not usually appeal to me, as someone who likes my home to feel fresh and airy. The sweet, sickly scents that are traditionally associated with autumn (think pumpkin, vanilla and spices) really do not tickle my fancy. However, one particular launch this year has totally converted me. Comprising of six, bisque ceramic jars (which are arguably works of art themselves), the new Jo Malone London Townhouse Collection manages to exude all of the wonderful crispness of autumn, without being too overpowering.  However, before I reveal to you what exactly it is that has me fussing over these candles, I want to mention the price. They are £90 each, which even by this candle-hoarders standards, is pricey. TheyR...

Despite the fact ageing is very much a part of life, it is still, without a doubt, one of the most widespread concerns when it comes to our beauty needs. It seems like every new beauty launch has some sort of mind-boggling anti-ageing ingredient complex. But the sad truth is hardly any of these products actually live up to their age-delaying claims. One term that you definitely should be on the lookout for when shopping for anti-ageing products, however, is “antioxidant.” Chances are you will have heard about antioxidants before. Skin experts and beauty editors wax lyrical about them, but does anyone actually know what they do? Celebrity facialist and skincare expert Debbie Thomas explains, “Free radicals are toxic compounds that can damage healthy cells and weak...

First things first, let’s talk about the shades. I don’t feature any brands that don’t have a wide shade range, because it’s 2020, we have iPhones and apps that can literally run our lives, so not having a diverse range of foundation shades is inexcusable. So, when I found out that there were only 6 shades I was somewhere in between rolling my eyes and asking to speak to someone in charge. But, there’s good reason for it.  The shades were formulated using the Fitzpatrick Scale that takes into consideration things like sun exposure and skin tone to ensure a perfect match. The 6 shades have different undertones and I was pretty shocked that shade 5 was an ideal match for me and also worked for my mum too, despite us being different skin tones. You can get f...

‘Over the years, vitamin C has become a buzzword within the beauty realm, which is another reason why Face Base has become the cult classic product it is,’ continues Dowdall. ‘[Vitamin C] one of the few proven anti-ageing skincare ingredients – it encourages collagen production –, can improve visible signs of sun damage and scarring, and helps defend skin against environmental damage. With a comprehensive vitamin line-up and a buttery-soft formula, Face Base sinks into skin like a dream and works wonders under makeup, too.’  With so much hype surrounding Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, it’s unsurprising that the brand, this August past, unveiled the latest addition to its Vitamin Rich collection; the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Eye Base ...

To start with, it’s important to really understand your skin type—something which can be genuinely confusing to the uninitiated. Simply speaking, the skin is usually broken down into four key categories: oily, sensitive, dry and normal (lucky you). If you’re not entirely sure which category you fall into, you can conduct a little bathroom experiment of your own to find out. Cleanse your face, wait a few minutes and then follow this rule of thumb as a rough guide as to your skin type: If your skin feels like you could skip the moisturiser and is already looking shiny, you’re oily. If your skin looks red and feels irritated, you’re sensitive. If the skin feels uncomfortable and tight, you’re dry, and if you’re feeling pretty good, your skin is probably nor...

I feel like face masks need a new PR. Sure, they’re having a bit of a moment right now, because what else is there to do? But, all too often they get put into the fun but frivolous category of skincare, along with cooling eye masks and scented body mists.  We tend to focus both our energy and spending power on heavy-hitters like active-packed serums and decadent night creams. So, consider this the beginning of my campaign for treating face masks with a little more respect.  First of all, we’re talking 20 minutes for results here. Not weeks and weeks of testing and trying. Sure, the results aren’t as long-lasting as an entire suite of skincare, but adding a powerful mask into your routine has plenty of benefits.  You Deserve to Make Money Even When you ...

Simply put, it’s our job to find the best beauty products out there for you. From the newest serum to the hottest lipstick color to the dry shampoo that will change your life, we will find it, test it, and let you know what we think. We’re not complaining. It’s a pretty fun gig, and we’ll volunteer to be beauty guinea pigs any day. But one of the cool things to come out of this is finding out what products you’re loving and buying. It helps us figure out what you want to learn more about and what you’re into so we can bring even more personalized recs to you. Because we share a lot of our favorites with you every single day, we recognize it might be hard to keep up. So we’ve decided to put together a handy weekly list of what we...