skin

Almost like magic, after just a couple of days, my skin will already be showing signs of clearing up. And after a couple of weeks of using the blemish-fighting cleanser every day, I can usually expect my skin to be more or less blemish-free. Put it this way: If I could have it my way, this would be the only cleanser that I ever use. When a cleanser costs under £10, I’m always a little dubious. However, a quick glance over the ingredients list of this one proves that top-notch skin clarifying ingredients don’t always justify a steep price tag. Most notably, it contains congestion-busting salicylic acid to slough away at dead skin cells with minimal irritation. On top of that, and this is where my real skincare geek comes out to play, it contains hydrating and glow-boosting niacin (or vitami...

In times like these, keeping on top of what’s new in beauty can seem a little bit tricky. All of the big advertising campaigns that we usually rely on to keep us in the loop are on hold, and new products seem to be trickling onto online retailers almost silently. And if I’m finding it tricky as a beauty editor, I think it’s safe to assume everyone else is struggling too. It makes sense, therefore, that now more so than ever, we’re turning to Instagram to get our beauty news and do our browsing.   So while I am all for utilising the likes of Instagram to discover new beauty treasures, I am also very aware of the pitfalls of doing so. You see, while Instagram is a great way to gather valuable first-hand reviews of products, it does also tend to champion the prettier, more aesthetic...

Summer is officially here and, if the weather forecast is anything to go by, we’ve got some seriously hot, sunny days ahead of us. And I’m not sure about you, but the minute things start heating up, any will I have to keep my daily beauty routine alive diminishes. Very quickly, my twice-daily, ten-step skincare routine becomes a simple two-step cleanse (with refreshingly cold water, of course) with a generous smattering of lightweight but repairing serum afterwards. Similarly, any desire to spend time applying makeup vanishes as the threat of it melting off in minutes makes the whole act seem a little pointless. There is, however, one beauty product that I find myself reaching for far more than any other during the summer months. Sure, if I had to pick my most important summ...

As a beauty editor, there are only so many times you can harp on about the importance of looking after your skin barrier before you send a room to sleep. The truth is, while us beauty eds love geeking out over the sciencey stuff about skincare, the majority of people just want to know the basics. You know, the really necessary information like what ingredients the skin actually needs to maintain its health. Personally, the one beauty ingredient my skin genuinely can’t be without is ceramides. Sure, I know that these things are different for everyone, but I genuinely believe (and have many experts to back me up) that every single one of us should be using ceramide-based beauty products whenever and wherever we can. And let me be clear, this isn’t beauty fluff, this is the real deal. If...

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...

Very rarely in the world of beauty does a new, game-changing ingredient come along. Sure, there are new technologies and patents being developed every single day, but as far as seriously efficacious, ingredient-led discoveries go, they’re few and far between. Before the likes of super-hydrating hyaluronic acid, glow-boosting alpha hydroxy acids and fine line–reducing retinol were discovered, I wonder what was worth writing about. However, it’s been a good few years now since any ingredient made waves in the skincare world, and I think we’re overdue a discovery. With that being said, over the past few months or so, one particular ingredient name has been popping up more frequently on ingredient lists and in conversations among experts. Tranexamic acid is heralded by experts and ed...

If you ask me, great skincare shouldn’t have to come with an eye-watering price tag. Unfortunately, when it comes to anti-ageing products, more affordable brands often get written off as ineffective because of their overuse of the phrase “anti-ageing” in their ads. And sure, while so many affordable products that claim to rewind the clock do little more than give your skin a hefty hit of moisture, there are many that do actually contain the rare ingredients older skin might genuinely benefit from. So to save you from having to try out every single budget anti-ageing product out there, keep scrolling for the affordable options that contain powerhouse ingredients. Oh, and they’re all under £27. You’re welcome. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimag...

Some beauty products fill me with total, unadulterated joy. In fact, whenever I need a little boost in spirits, beauty is the first thing I turn to. And it sounds shallow, I know, but it really does work for me. When I start the day on a downer, there are very few things that can actually improve my mood. I mean, a slice of freshly-baked Victoria sponge and a cup of tea can only keep me content for so long. And I’m not one of those people that can power through a situation regardless of their mood, either. If I’m sad, anxious, grumpy or just plain angry, it’s an all-encompassing sort of situation. I have found that over the years, the way that I’m feeling has a lot to do with how I’m treating myself. With a solid beauty routine being one of...

However, a few weeks ago, a Charlotte Tilbury parcel turned up at my door. I had a pencil in my diary for a Zoom webinar to celebrate a new launch from the brand the week after, but at the time, I had no idea what the product was set to be. The product, it turned out, was Charlotte’s Magic Cream Light (£75). That’s right, people. She heard us. A Magic Cream alternative for oily skinned guys and gals that delivers skin-perfecting radiance but with a matte, natural-looking finish is finally here. And for the last few weeks, I’ve been giving it a go. Unlike the serum, Magic Cream Light is very much a heavy-duty moisturiser. It’s formulated with vitamin E, SPF20, anti-blue-light technology and the brand’s patented peptide-based smoothing and perfecting ingredient, Replexium. On top o...

When you see a Neighbourhood Botanicals product, you won’t forget it quickly—the glass bottles double as ornaments for your bedside table or bathroom display, as each product has a special illustration as a label that looks like it should be blown up as a wall print. But the brand is much more than Instagrammable packaging—founder Micaela Nisbet works on the formulations from her small lab in Leyton in East London. Her motto is “pure skincare rock’n’roll”, and she strives towards sustainable and ethical practices in all aspects of the business. The range is vegan and cruelty-free and all the packaging is recyclable—”there’s no animal testing, no big-pharma, no crazy markups, and no unnecessary ingredients.” You Deserve to Make Money ...

Chances are, at some point over the past few months, you’ve looked into giving yourself a spa-level facial at home. And while nothing beats the feeling of a good, deep cleanse with a luxe, dreamy-smelling cleansing balm, if you really want to reap the benefits of a great at-home facial, you need to know the moves. That’s right, you know those crazy hand movements and massage techniques that facialists carry out while you’re either fighting off sleep or flitting in and out of states of relaxed consciousness? Yep, they’re super important if you want to see drastic anti-ageing results over time. “It’s often news to people that over 40 muscles make up the scaffolding of our face,” says Inge Theron, Founder of FaceGym. “Just like the muscles in the body, the more you mo...

There are very few high-street shops that manage to embody French-girl style as perfectly and effortlessly as Sézane. Over the years, the brand’s pretty pastel knits, laid-back crochet and iconic boxy shirts have come to epitomise French-girl style, and frankly, I couldn’t be more on-board with the whole aesthetic. It’s laid-back, easy and takes chic to a whole new level. However, with that being said, I was always aware that the brand was missing a pretty major trick.  While I admit that French-girl style really is an art form, if you ask me, it’s the French girl’s approach to beauty that inspires me the most every day. For a brand like Sézane, which embodies all of the chicest, most stylish things about the French way of life, to not have a beauty offering always upset me ...