16 new beauty and wellbeing wonders, tested by the team – Glossy Picks are go!

KERRY POTTER

Want to eat fewer UPFs? Our deputy editor has an easy way

M&S Food Only… Ingredients range, from £2.25

“Everyone’s trying to reduce their ultra-processed foods intake and M&S Food have made that easier with the new additions to their excellent minimal ingredients range. I’m especially impressed with the sliced white loaf (just 4 ingredients), £2.25, the ketchup (8 ingredients), £2.25, and the mayonnaise (8 ingredients), £4.50 – expensive but worth it. All of these are foodstuffs that get wolfed down at 100mph in my household but all can be tricky to find without a load of weird additions on the ingredients list. A great option for those of us who don’t have time to make our own mayo – and who does really?”

Medshrum Cordyceps Organic Tincture, £41

“This new British family-run brand produces a bijou range of seven high-grade, organic functional mushroom tinctures and powders. I tried the cordyceps, said to support energy and stamina. Every day this month I’ve squirted a pipette’s worth into my 6am PG Tips (it doesn’t ruin the taste! Big tick) and found myself positively skipping off to the gym, full of beans – which is not my usual January vibe. They also do Lion’s Mane for clarity and reishi for sleep, all in clever biodegradable fungi packaging. The 50ml bottle will last you just shy of a month.”

Start Where You Are: The Beginner’s Guide to Running 5k for Women by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, £13.99

“As an experienced runner, I sniffily thought this guide for newbies, by ultra-runner and co-founder of Black Trail Runners Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, would be too basic for me. I was wrong. There’s something for everyone here, whatever your level. The author’s enthusiasm is so infectious, I now even find myself willingly sprinting up hills (or “mounds of opportunity” as she rebrands them). Her back story is deeply inspiring too.”

Shark Glam 4-in-1 Hot Tool Air Styling and Drying System, £339.99

“This multi-styler won Best Hair Tool in our 2025 Beauty Awards and I can see why. It comes with numerous attachments: including nozzle, diffuser, straightening plates, curling gizmos and a hot brush. It took me a while to get my head around them all plus the complicated controls (I’m a hair tool novice) but once I did, I was sold. It dries and smooths my fine, frizzy hair in a jiffy. My daughter likes it on her very curly hair too. Special mention to the dry hair settings, which give such a good finish I can finally wear my hair down on day 2, rather than bundle it into a tatty ponytail.”

SJ CORFIELD-SMITH

Simplifying her haircare routine has paid off for our beauty director

Gielly Green The One For Strength, £58

“When hairdressers make hair products, good things happen. And the new range from prestigious London hair salon Gielly Green –tested on customers to ensure it works for all hair types – is exceptional. It simplifies hair routines to prevent overloaded scalps and strands. There’s one shampoo, conditioner, a treatment mask and a 4 boosters to target different concerns. My pick is Strength, a bonding, leave-in treatment designed to strengthen coloured or processed hair. My sources tell me it was tested against all the well-known bonding treatments and out-performed them all. You need only a pea-sized amount before blowdrying and I noticed after two weeks how much stronger my hair looked and felt.”

Uni Plush Marine Shower Oil, £33

“If you are yet to try any of cool Australian bodycare brand Uni’s products, then let this – their new deliciously scented, silky smooth shower oil – be your entry point. (Although I can also highly recommend the 24-Hour Body Serum, £25 – I have never experienced hydration with zero stickiness like it.) Unlike other shower oils, this turns into a light foamy lather rather than a milk, when mixed with water. I have used it post-swimming when my skin is at its driest and reeking of chlorine, and it restores it perfectly (it contains hydrating glycerin, skin-balancing niacinamide, and antioxidant rich algae and kelp extracts). The scent is cedar leaf and sandalwood, musky but uplifting, and like a designer fragrance that lingers.”

Clinique Quickliner For Lips in Pink Honey, £20

“Clinique Black Honey was a makeup icon of the ’80s and ’90s, thanks to its unique barely-there colour that adapted to everyone’s natural lip shade. Then it got forgotten about until 2024, when TikTok put it back in the spotlight and it gained a younger fanbase. Today there are two new shades (Nude and Pink Honey) that sit alongside the original lipstick, plus now these co-ordinating lip pencils, that comes in all three ‘honey’ shades. They are fabulous. They’re creamy but stay put and have a twisty lid so you don’t need to worry about sharpening them.”

Fenty Dew N Plump Hydrating Nectar Glow Serum, £38

“I am aware I am not Fenty Skin’s target audience but my interest was piqued by this as it invokes all my favuorite skincare buzzwords. Hydrating – check. Plump – check. Glow – check! And it hasn’t disappointed. It contains hyaluronic and polyglutamic acid to drench the skin in moisture but it’s the texture that makes it really stand out. I was expecting it to be quite ‘wet’ on the skin, but it has a mattifying primer consistency, creating an instant velvet finish to the skin that’s glowy but not glittery. Makeup sits beautifully over it too.”

INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN

Our contributing beauty editor splashes out on a whizzy new skin test

Medichecks Skin IQ Blood Test, £249

“Eating and supplementing for better skin is more popular than ever – but how do you know what essential nutrients you’re actually lacking? That’s what this test will show you: it analyses the 50 most important biomarkers for your skin (omega 3, magnesium, vitamin D, hormones and loads more) and sends a detailed, personalised report on how your levels impact your skin as well as your health, with suggestions on what to do next. I was thrilled to find out that my cortisol and inflammation levels were not through the roof as I feared, and that my vitamin D supplementation has paid off. It’s pricey – you have to get your blood professionally drawn, which costs another £35 – but easy to do, and very insightful and helpful.”

Bare Biology High Flyer Creatine Monohydrate, £34.95

“Humble creatine has leapt from bodybuilders’ kit bags to kitchen counters everywhere, thanks to the mounting evidence of it supporting muscle function, cognition, hormonal fatigue and even mental health. A December 2025 study even showed it to bolster women’s lifespans. Now Bare Biology has created this creatine specifically for women, using a third party-tested, ultra-pure form of the amino acid that should not cause stomach upsets. Your 5g daily dose dissolves instantly in hot or cold drinks and is entirely flavourless – a very easy win.”

Rosalique Sensitive Skin Defence Serum SPF25, £34.99

“Products for sensitive skin tend to be rich and the same can be said for most daily sunscreens – so this is a rare weightless and dry-finish skin soother, with decent broad-spectrum sun protection. A milky lotion that absorbs instantly, it’s powered by established (bisabolol, panthenol) and new (Agascalm) anti-inflammatory and redness-reducing actives to bring instant and long-term relief alongside a non-irritating, white cast-free chemical sun filter blend. The SPF25 is plenty for these grey winter days.”

Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tinted Balm, £32

“These chic balm sticks are arctic winter-proof, with serious plant butters and oils alongside plumping peptides and healing ceramides. They’re unscented so they won’t irritate chapped lips, and they come in no less than 15 shades – finally a brand that takes tinted balms seriously as a makeup item! It’s a tad disappointing that the colour pay-off is so vanishingly subtle that all those different colourways become somewhat moot. It means you can swipe these balms on without a mirror but I would love to see a bit more punch.”

ISLA HUFFADINE

Our content coordinator is even more fragrant than usual

Phlur Vanilla Skin Body Oil, £45

“If you love gourmand scents, this body oil in the cult brand’s bestselling vanilla skin fragrance is a warming way to nourish and smooth the skin. Infused with brightening vitamin C, hydrating squalane and ceramide-rich oils, the silky formula melts into damp skin without feeling heavy or sticky. Layer it under moisturiser to lock in hydration, or apply before fragrance to enhance your scent’s longevity. Perfect for daily use or a night out, the decadent vanilla aroma has staying power.”

Chelsea Peers Strawberry Scallop Edge Pyjama Set, £58

“A great pair of PJs can lift your mood – a small self-care moment and part of the nightly wind-down ritual. Made from soft organic cotton, these are ideal if winter flannelettes feel too warm, while the added stretch keeps them comfortable. The B Corp-certified London brand’s new collection features Valentine’s Day prints that make a thoughtful gift for someone special – or a treat for yourself. Plus, they’re more reasonably priced for a full set compared to high-end single pieces I’m seeing everywhere lately.”

Huda Beauty Easy Bake Pressed Powder, £32

“Huda is renowned for her iconic loose powder – one of the most blurring formulas I’ve tried – so expectations were high when she first launched a pressed version. It initially missed the mark but after listening to consumer feedback, it’s been reformulated and now delivers that signature blur. Use it to set under-eyes, sweep across the face to lock makeup in place, control excess shine and achieve a matte finish. Available in eight shades to suit a range of skin tones, the sleek compact is ideal for on-the-go touch-ups.”

Jo Malone Amber Labdanum Cologne Intense, £116 for 50ml

“We’re all craving a mid-winter escape but if travel is off the cards, this fragrance is the next best thing. Inspired by sunny Andalusia, it instantly transports you to golden hour Spain. A vibrant top note of bitter orange is layered with labdanum and amber, creating a warm, woody scent that’s zesty, without being overly citrussy. It’s a bold addition to your seasonal fragrance wardrobe – and one our beauty director calls “perfection”. As a ‘cologne intense’, it’s designed to be richer and longer-lasting than the brand’s other scents – and that’s reflected in the higher price point.”