skin

As a beauty editor, I’m lucky enough to have seasoned skin experts examine my complexion on a regular basis. For years, I have had facialist after facialist tell me that my congested pores need a little help. And it’s true; they always have. Unlike those that are blessed with buttery complexions, my T-zone is plagued with blackheads, and where they aren’t present, my pores appear like cratered pinpricks all over my face. Usually, it doesn’t bother me all that much. Not because they’re not evident but because every time things start to get a little out of hand, I can go running to a facialist who I know will fix it for me. However, the last few months have seen my pore situation get out of control. Without the option of going for regular facials (honestly, who do I think I am?) and since th...

With the power of social media, it is very rare in the world of beauty that any brand can be regarded as “under the radar.” You see, every time a person of note likes something and posts about it on their Instagram, they set the whole beauty world on fire. While this is most certainly the case for the majority of brands and products, even in 2020, not everything great breaks the internet. I know we’ve discussed this before, but the reality is even when a product is really, really great, if it doesn’t look the part, the chances of it making it onto the Discover page are low. How do I know this, you ask? Well, because I’m very much in the midst of it. When you spend a lot of time around friends and colleagues who are also beauty editors, experts and specialists, you soon realise that th...

But then, one afternoon a couple of months ago, as I cleared out my beauty stash, I stumbled across a pack of three single-blade women’s facial razors in my bathroom cabinet. They had been sent to me by a brand many moons ago when I was writing a feature about the new-at-the-time beauty fad of dermaplaning. A form of professional, mechanical exfoliation popular in salons and clinics, dermaplaning is the beauty industry’s fancy name for face shaving. Usually carried out with a single-blade razor, it works to remove dead skin and, more importantly for me, vellus hair (peach fuzz) to leave your complexion looking smoother and brighter.  And I say that dermaplaning was a “new” treatment but in fact, from Cleopatra to Marilyn Monroe, rumour has it that some of beauty’s most influential wom...

Despite my love for foundation, I find that it does have a tendency to suck the life out of my complexion. While some totally eradicate any hint of glow, others might cling to dry patches, crease or create an unwanted layer of oily sheen. Because of this, over the years, I have found it very difficult to achieve a perfect, seamless base with speed and ease. That was until one day a few months ago, I started trialling a new skincare product. The minute I put it on, I realised that my skin felt smoother and looked perfected and glowing. And as I continued to use it every morning for the following few weeks, I noticed that my base went on like a dream. I didn’t find myself having to reach for powders or liquid highlight—it just looked glowing and healthy, first time, every time. Intrigued, I ...

If we had to pick out what we believe to be the biggest beauty movement of the last couple of years, there’s no doubt that we’d settle on clean beauty. More so than ever, we all want to know exactly what it is we’re slathering on our faces. From preservatives like parabens to drying foaming agents like sulphates, as consumers we are increasingly starting to question the purpose (and side effects) of certain ingredients in our skincare and makeup. It’s therefore no surprise that the clean beauty movement has really started to take off. People are starting to switch on to the fact that actually, some of the ingredients in our products might not be necessary. And, while over here in the UK we adhere to strict EU safety laws (at least for now), elsewhere in the world, the levels of p...

Day in and day out, we scroll through Instagram to make sure we’re bringing you the most up to date fashion and beauty trends. (It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it.) From the most talked-about products and new drops to the best advice, the social media platform is our favourite place to find out what people in the know are actually using.  That’s why, when we decided to compile a list of the best beauty products out there, we thought who better to ask than the women we always stop and ogle? The ones who get sent product after product and have tried and tested them all. That may be why every time we see them, through the app or in real life, we can’t quite get over how amazing their skin looks. We had to know their secrets...

I don’t know about you, but I’m trying find my summer kicks wherever I can right now. Following last week’s heatwave, I’m ready to start embracing all things summer. I ordered some new sandals, hooked out my shorts and rejigged my beauty cabinets so that my most-loved SPFs sit front and centre. I have slotted so easily back into the summer way of life, in fact, that I often have to remind myself that, unfortunately, this summer will probably look a little different than normal. You see, usually at around this time of year, I am packing a suitcase with swimsuits and beach cover-ups, ready to hop on a plane to somewhere a bit more exotic than the puddle-filled streets of London. However, this year, the main event of so many people’s summer has been put on...

There’s no doubt that as we get older, our skin’s wants and needs begin to change. While skincare routines of our late teens and early twenties might have focused heavily on oil-absorbing products that worked to keep breakouts in check, as we enter our thirties, it’s likely that other, more pressing skin issues start cropping up. For instance, spots of pigmentation might start surfacing, fine lines may begin to form and skin that was once plump and glowing could appear lacklustre and dull. The sorry truth is that as we enter our thirties, all of the stuff that makes our skin naturally healthy starts to deteriorate. “By the time we get to our thirties, we have around 50% collagen left in our skin. Hyaluronic acid production also slows down and cellular tu...

Nothing gets me more excited for summer than a great body product. The minute the sun starts shining, the first thing I do is dust off my go-to body beauty products from summers past and slather myself in them top to toe. If you ask me, you really can’t beat the feeling of prepping your body ready for a day of sun-drenched fun. You see, while a good summer body routine leaves skin silky smooth and glowing (which in itself is sure to make you feel good), the act of actually using summery-scented products comes with its own level of joy entirely. From sun cream and sunshine to tropical cocktails and zesty fruits, when the scents of summer come all wrapped up in the form of super nourishing, skin-loving beauty products, it’s like all of the great feelings that come hand-in-hand...

Everyone knows that they should be wearing SPF every day, but in all honesty, I kind of get why it’s such a difficult cause to get behind. With the way that it feels on the skin and formulas that seem to aggravate breakouts, being willing to apply SPF every day when you can’t physically see the damage that the sun is causing is quite an accomplishment. With that being said, I do apply it every day (gold star for me), and I will continue to harp on about the importance of doing so, even if my nagging falls on deaf ears. So yes, avoiding daily SPF application, come rain or shine, is logic I can sort of reason with. However, I absolutely draw the line at skipping SPF for a day spent sunbathing. And yes, this is far more common than you might think it is. During the recent heatwave, ...

Let’s play a game: Name the most minimal, most buzzworthy and most affordable skincare brand available right now. If you shouted The Ordinary, we commend you. The brand does, indeed, offer up a spectacular lineup of skin heroes, and some of the brand’s main talking points are simplistic, in-demand formulas clocking in at very impressive (i.e., budget-friendly) price points. However, as much as we love The Ordinary, it’s actually not the holy-grail skincare brand we’re referring to. Beauty lovers everywhere, meet The Inkey List—the under-the-radar brand that delivers sleek and minimal product formulas for under £15 each. Yep, you read that right! Founded by former Boots’ branding and product developers Colette Newberry and Mark Cur...

Pat McGrath is one of the most iconic makeup artists in history, and her namesake makeup brand, Pat McGrath Labs, more than lives up to her legendary name. Fun fact: The brand also just announced iconic supermodel Naomi Campbell as its first-ever global face of Pat McGrath Labs. “The entire planet is just as cosmetics obsessed as I’ve always been,” McGrath explains on the brand’s website. “Makeup is a movement. Makeup is mesmerising. Makeup is major. Mantra-esque, three words have repeated over and over in my mind ever since I was young. Obsession. Inspiration. Addiction. Those words became my guiding principles, my manifesto as I brought this brand to life.”  Visit the brand’s website and you’ll be faced wi...