As a beauty editor, one of my favourite parts of my job is that I get to test new beauty products for a living. I’m lucky to often get a sneak peek of products before they launch to test them out for review, and I’ve tested out hundreds of products during my career as a beauty journalist. This means I’ve come across some brilliant products that I swear by, and others which are a bit ‘meh’.
With so many beauty brands out there, and many launching every week, there is a lot of excess in the beauty industry, and I’ll always advocate for people to shop sensibly and ask themselves if they really need this in their beauty routine. It can be tempting to hop from product to product and buy the new ‘must have’ serum or sell-out makeup product. But I know full well how annoying it can be parting with your hard-earned money to end up with an hyped-up beauty product that ends up being a bit of a dud. Just because a product is trending ok TikTok, doesn’t mean it’s good.
I get sent a lot of products to test for my role, but the truth is, not all of them get a permanent spot in my bathroom or dressing table. New launches are filed away for testing, but if I don’t love it, I’ll soon return to my tried and tested favourites.
The ones that do make it into my favourite line-up, however, are so good that I’ll finish them up completely. Ever ounce is squeezed out of the tube or scooped out of a tub. These are the ones I love so much, that I’ll happily part with my own cash and recommend on Who What Wear UK—no gatekeeping here. Once, finished, I usually pop the empty packaging into a box to refer back to and draw upon these great products when I’m writing beauty content.
Ahead, I’m digging out the said box of beauty empties to share the products I really think are worth it and can’t live without.
This lip mask has developed a loyal following, and I’m on board too. Although it’s designed as an overnight lip mask, I like to use it throughout the day, particularly in cold weather when my lips seem to be chronically dry. It’s really hydrating but doesn’t feel cloying or thick on the lips, and this tub will last you ages. The cocktail of hydrating hyaluronic acid and moisture-retaining humectants means parched and flaking lips are soon restored and beautifully soft. I’ve just finished the original flavour, which is mixed berry, but it’s not overly fragranced. However, I do have my eyes on the chocolate version, which smells exactly like Nutella.
I’ve been testing Larry King’s City Life Shampoo and my hair has never felt better. There are a three shampoos in his line; City Life to detoxify hair, Good Life to hydrate and repair, and Social Life, which is ideal for prepping hair before styling. The idea is to rotate them throughout the week to give your hair exactly what it needs while pairing it with his Liquid Hairbrush conditioner (more on that below). I like this formula as it helps to remove build-up from the hair and scalp, whether it be from styling products, scalp sebum and minerals that can cling to your hair if you live in an area with hard water. I’ve been using this for the past couple of weeks and my hair feels so clean, shiny and bouncy. Plus, it has a beautiful rosemary scent which makes lathering up a treat for the senses too. The aluminium bottles are not only chic in your bathroom but can also be refilled—so it’s win for the planet and your hair.
The Liquid Hairbrush conditioner has also had permanent residence in my bathroom. My long hair can get knotty and tangled after shampooing, but this conditioner really melts into my hair to give it slip and lightweight nourishment. My hairbrush glides through my hair after using this.
I really, really hate how good this serum is, because the price tag is eye watering, but it makes my skin look like glass. It usually goes for around £145, however, you can grab, a bottle on Face The Future for £115, linked here if you did want to invest. It’s probably the serum that gives both instantaneous results (instant glow? Check) and long term benefits (pigmentation? We don’t know her). It’s without a doubt one of SkinCeutical’s best products because it really does generate results. It’s an antioxidant serum comprised of 15% vitamin C (which brightens and shields skin), ferulic acid—another powerful antioxidant—and vitamin E. These work in tandem to give your skin an otherworldly radiance. So when people ask me if it’s really worth the money, I unfortunately say yes.
Price shown is member price. When it comes to hyaluronic acid serums, this is by far my favourite. My skin has never been more hydrated and plump that when I’ve been using this. Without out going too much into the science, it has different wights of hyalruonic acid, which is what you want to look for in a hydrating serum to get the most benefits out of it. Hyaluronic acid isn’t expensive to produce, so it’s great to see Beauty Pie offer one at a reasonable price-point. The addition of peptides also makes this serum ideal if you want to plump out fine lines and wrinkles while quenching parched skin. Trust me, I’ve tried hyaluronic acid serums that are over £100, and nothing I’ve tried has topped this one.
If like your skin to have a glowy finish (who doesn’t?) you have to try this SPF next. I’d liken it to Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter, except you also get the benefit of SPF 30, so it streamlines your routine if you usually layer an SPF and highlighting primer underneath makeup. It’s not tinted, but I find that the glow evens out my skin tone well, so on days when I don’t want to wear makeup, I find this offers enough blurring effects. Underneath makeup, however, it also makes the most amazing glowing primer and doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.
I’m prone to eczema breakouts and skin sensitivity, and during these flares, almost everything stings my skin—but not this moisturiser. This extinguishes redness and irritation and supplies a great dose of hydration and calm to the skin. It helps to repair the skin barrier which can often become compromised after overusing exfoliating acids, or getting your skin used to retinol, leaving it soft, hydrated and comfortable with a velvety finish. I like to keep a tub of this on my bedside table as a ‘break in case of emergency’ kind of moisturiser. I also love that it’s not too heavy, so it doesn’t exacerbate my skin’s tendency to breakout. I don’t think my skin could survive winter without it.
This tinted serum has me in a chokehold—I absolutely love how this makes my skin look. It has a serum consistency that’s lightweight yet offers really great coverage—a couple of drops are all you need, so it will last you for ages too. As for the finish, it’s very dewy and radiant, and makes your skin look like you’ve just stepped out from an expensive facial.
I really didn’t want to like this moisturiser because of the price tag, but my skin loves it. The first time I used it, I woke up with the kind of radiance my skin rarely has— it was so radiant. My skin sensitivity was also quelled while using this, so I’d highly recommend it if you do want to make the investment, but want something that will agree with irritated skin.
It was love at first sniff with this candle, which is Diptyque’s take on the hazelnut tree. Think roasted hazelnuts, bark and the green leaves. It’s a bit praline-like, but without the sickly sweetness. Instead, it’s warm yet fresh. I continue to buy it every year as it makes the ultimate cosy candle scent, and I use the vessel for makeup storage once I’ve burned it.
