skin

While I’ve always trusted my French contemporaries to inform my wardrobe wares, it’s only recently that I’ve really started to take note of the beauty products they use, too. Surely their trademark glowing skin and barely there (but beautiful) makeup isn’t all down to genetics, right? After dedicating the last few months to road-testing French beauty products, I’m all in. From lightweight serums to sensitive but high-performing cleansers, items on my bathroom shelf are becoming more Gallic by the day.  Continuing my quest to discover the best French beauty products and create their flawless looks for myself, I consulted five of the chicest French influencers I know to find out which beauty buys they personally swear by. Scroll below to see what ...

So why do I love the serum? Let me count thy ways. First, the texture: it has a lightweight, milky feel that glides on very easily. It really wakes up my skin instantly, especially when my face looks as tired as I feel. It makes my face look glowy, fresh and more even. Over time, it also helps brighten my post-acne marks, which is what I originally sought out the product for. Be patient with results, though, as the marks won’t fade right away. The serum’s ingredient that helps with dark spots is called viniferine, which is derived from grapes. Last but not least, it basically doubles as a moisturiser for my oily/combination skin. If you have dryer skin, you’ll probably want to add a heavier moisturiser, but I have felt that it’s great on its own for me. Without...

There’s nothing that gives us more glee than all of the best, most sought-after beauty products strategically grouped together to deliver a truly foolproof shopping experience (especially right now when IRL beauty shopping is a thing of the past). As if answering our prayers, Net-a-Porter did just that. Say hello to the retailer’s annual Beauty Hall of Fame—a drool-inducing edit highlighting a crème-de-la-crème assortment of skin, makeup, hair, body and fragrance heroes carefully chosen to represent the brand’s curated vault of beauty must-haves. NAP explains that its Hall of Fame comprises the most trustworthy products that will stand the test of time and satisfy even the nitpickiest and most discerning beauty consumers. ‘There ar...

When it comes to my nails, I always play it safe. I have two colourways of choice and I’ve not dabbled in any nail art. Call me boring but I’m a minimalist at heart. However, there’s only so much baking I can do, so in an effort to find a new lockdown hobby, I’ve been dabbling in minimal nail art.  I thought I’d start off slow by baby-stepping my way into the world of nail artistry. Not too sure if I should call it artistry at this point, but I tried. I also wanted some new styles to cut out and keep for when I book in for my post-lockdown manicure. Sometimes, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. If you’re like me and have an aversion to wild styles gracing your fingernails, then keep scrolling for all the minimal nail art ins...

If there is one thing I have learned in my time as a beauty editor, it is this: A great formula does not a successful beauty product make. It’s painful to admit, but believe me when I say that the secret to a successful beauty launch is rarely down to whether or not the product actually works. Once upon a time, the success of a beauty launch was dependent on huge advertising budgets and maybe just a little bit on how good the formula was. Now, however, things are even shallower. In a world where social media runs the game, aesthetics come first, and it is with that shift that my job as a beauty editor has also changed.  Whereas it was once the role of a beauty editor to spread the news and wax lyrical about new launches, now with the power of social media, the job of pr...

The truth is making sure that you are applying the correct sun cream in the correct way is absolutely crucial in ensuring sun safety. “From March to October, UV levels are at their highest. I would recommend applying sunscreen to any exposed skin 15 minutes before you head outdoors,” advises consultant dermatologist Justine Kluk. “It is possible to burn, tan and sustain sun damage that increases your risks of skin cancer and premature ageing from just 15 minutes of casual sun exposure without the right protection.” And this is where the issue lies. In reality, very few people do apply sun cream correctly, and thus expose themselves to damage. “Many people make the mistake of thinking that their makeup contains SPF, so they don’t need to wear a separate sun protection product, but...

Every beauty editor has a stash. The varying factors are the level of organisation, location and size of said stash. But, we all have one. It’s filled with the almost daily drops of samples that we receive to write about and review, the beauty products that we actually buy and the ones that our well-meaning aunts still insist on getting us for Christmas.  We’re all very aware of the privileged position we’re in and have many strategies in place to make sure products are never wasted. One being, a ban on any newbies until I’ve made my way through most of what I have. So, as lockdown started and I wasn’t near any of my friend’s or family member’s faces to slather them in moisturisers, I hit pause on writing and sampling and d...

When I finally asked Lotte what foundation she used (it only took me over a decade), I wasn’t expecting it to be a No7 product. So what is it about this foundation in particular that Lotte loves? She told me that while she can’t remember how she discovered it, when she went into a shop to be shade-matched, she was pleasantly surprised they had a shade pale enough for her. She went on to tell me that part of the reason she’s so obsessed with it is down to the coverage. It’s not too heavy and still allows her skin to shine through. She uses three pumps daily and blends it into her skin using a Beautyblender. The result? A super-even, fresh finish. Lotte says, “If I had a pound for every time someone had mentioned how great my skin looked and what found...

And I can vouch for it. Over the past week or so, I have been using Magic Serum every single day before applying my makeup, and honestly, it’s all I ever wanted. It delivers the perfecting qualities of Magic Cream (glowing hydration, refined pores, smoothed texture), just without the threat of oily breakouts. My only niggle? Much like the original Magic Cream, I’m still not entirely sure how it fits into an evening routine. While the brand recommends application both morning and night, a quick glance over the ingredient list leaves me conflicted. Sure, both products are jam-packed with skin-loving goodness, but they also contain perfecting ingredients that could be potentially pore-clogging and are largely unnecessary for pre-bed application. However, if you’re willing...

When I lived in New York City, every trip I made to come back to England involved a suitcase filled with bagels, Oreos and Glossier. While there’s definitely been some questionable Oreo flavours, I’ve never met a Glossier product that I’ve not liked.  They recently launched their Priming Moisturizer Balance, to add to the other pair in the moisturiser family. The OG that is the Priming Moisturizer and the super luxe big sister, Priming Moisturizer Rich.  So let’s talk balance. I didn’t think I needed this one as the other two are staples in my routine. I use the original on days when I want a light base and I use the rich one, when my skin is feeling dry and deprived of dewiness.  Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Balance is slated to wo...

Its secret ingredient is Estée Lauder’s ChronoluxCB Technology, which promotes the skin’s natural nightly repair process for healthier, more youthful-looking skin come morning. The foundation of this serum, however, is beauty’s super ingredient, hyaluronic acid. In fact, it’s full of the stuff. So while the ChronoluxCB Technology works on renewal and helps to counteract the signs of ageing, the HA helps to restore moisture and plump, resulting in a smoother, more hydrated and radiant complexion. The proof, as they say, is very much in the pudding when it comes to this stuff. As someone who has very sensitive skin (I just have to look at a bottle of glycolic acid for my face to start burning up), Advanced Night Repair has been my saviour. It doesn’t smell fancy, it doesn’t feel l...

“Benjamin Buttoning.” Ageing backwards. Stopping time. If there’s one effect or buzzword that elicits the same visceral reaction from beauty editors, skincare experts and customers alike, it’s anything with the term anti-ageing in it. The truth of the matter is this: There’s no miracle cream, gel, serum or treatment that has the power to actually reverse or halt the signs of ageing on the skin. (Sorry, it just doesn’t exist.) That said, there are a small number of products that come pretty close, and we’re about to share an edit of them below. Per a roster of celebrity makeup artists—Emily Cheng, Naoko Scintu and Emma White Turle—we’re uncovering a curated selection of the best anti-ageing moisturisers. The keyword he...