Decent beauty products shouldn't cost the earth and these new buys are all tried, tested and under £19. Fancy a fabulous new body mousse from Sanctuary Spa or the boujis-smelling candle? Read on...
We're always on a mission to find the most effective and hard-working beauty products that won't break the bank. Everything else is already expensive enough – your beauty regime shouldn't have to be. Case in point: Elf has a new sun protector, chosen by beauty and social media assistant Amy Rostas, that needs to be added to our list of best face SPF. Erborian has knocked it out of the park with the new version of its cult CC cream and Aveeno has a new range of body products to keep sensitive skin happy. Oh, and if you're looking for an alternative to collagen supplements, we have a much cheaper and yummier alternative.
Victoria Woodhall, GTG Editorial Director
The fun foaming body cream: The Sanctuary Spa Mousse to Oil Moisturiser, £14
"Sanctuary Spa’s new sandalwood body care range is my favourite yet (I still love you too though, Ruby Oud). The scent is sophisticated, combining florals with sandalwood, which is known as the oil of yogis because it’s supremely grounding. Each product has a unique, fun, and often time-saving way to use it. There’s a three-phase oil that you apply in the shower, a salt and sand body scrub that turns the bath beautifully milky, a body butter with burstable pearls, a body moisturiser you can apply straight to wet skin and this fluffy foam that turns to a light oil and makes skin look instantly glossy.”
The ‘everything’ cleanser: Simple Replenishing Cream Cleanser, £8
“If you wanted to take just one cleanser on holiday that everyone could use, it would be this new skin barrier-supporting ceramide and hyaluronic acid cream cleanser by Simple, which is giving Cerave a run for its money. While it’s soap-free it does contain surfactants which make it lather (for non-foaming see our best cream cleansers edit) but it will get most holiday debris including SPF off easily and cheaply!”
The £5 off spritz: The Weleda Skin Food Ultra Light Dry Oil for face and body, £11.95
“Weleda keeps on expanding its best-selling skin food range and this new biphase (i.e. oil and water) dry oil in a travel-friendly 100ml bottle is a brilliant multi-tasker for face, hair and body, for all the family. I like it for a quick moisture hit on my chest and my legs, as it sinks in so fast I can get dressed in a flash. That fresh, herby Skin Food scent is irresistible, especially now that it’s £5 off at Sephora.”
SJ Corfield-Smith, GTG Beauty Director
The sensitive skin body reviver: Aveeno Skin Renewal Gentle Body Scrub, £9.99
“I find many body scrubs excessively aggressive and while they leave my skin smooth it feels dry afterwards. Not so with this creamy scrub from sensitive skin experts, Aveeno. It has enough ‘grit’ to give good polish but has a gorgeously creamy consistency that then transforms into a milk when mixed with water. It features the brand's signature skin-calming colloidal oats as well as barrier-supporting antioxidant niacinamide.”
The cooling and depuffing eye masks: Klorane Smoothing & Soothing Eye Patches, £16
“Klorane now offers more than just one of the best dry shampoos, they have ventured into skincare too. There are a few products to pick from but I love these super-cooling eye masks – of which there are seven sets in the pack. They contain 99 per cent natural ingredients including cornflower floral water which is known to depuff as well as hydrate.”
The 'smells more expensive than it is' candle: Self(ish) Lazy Rhubarb Candle, £18
“You won’t find a bigger candle fan than me, but sometimes it can feel like you have to remortgage your house for really good one. Step in Self(ish) Company candles that are all about delivering high-quality candles for those moments of much-needed self-care at an affordable price tag. They offer 40 hours of burn time and the scent 'throw' on them is brilliant. There are four scents to choose from but this Lazy Rhubarb one is just divine.”
Ingeborg van Lotringen, Contributing Beauty Editor
The bargain 'collagen' drink: Freja Beef Bone Broth, £6.99
"Bone broths are the clever woman’s tasty and nutritious alternative to collagen supplements as they are known for being abundant in bio-available (because from a food source) collagen and vitamins (because drawn from animal bones and skin, plus vegetables and herbs). The only drawback is that they take some effort to cook (as I can testify from watching my husband make them after roasting a chicken ), so Freja does the work for you. There’s a choice of beef and chicken alongside a vegan veggie broth alternative (it has all the vitamins and gut-healing properties but not the collagen). There are three portions in every pack to eat with lunch or dinner or enjoy as a hot drink. Yum!"
The smoothing body wash: Body Proud Thirst Quencher, £9.95
"Once again, affordable alternatives follow hot on the heels of an expensive new beauty trend. The last two years saw the emergence of body products with fancy skincare ingredients – but they came at a price. Now, here’s a non-drying, nice-smelling (‘pear and bamboo’ - didn’t know bamboo smelt of anything but we’ll let that go) body wash with oil-balancing niacinamide and skin-smoothing PHA (polyhydroxy acids) for less than a tenner. And it comes in a nice big bottle too – top value."
The Banana Bright Eye Creme dupe: Revolution X Sali Hughes Ringlight Creamy Illuminating Eye Balm, £10
"This successful and affordable range of reliable skincare basics keeps expanding, with this eye cream set to be an instant favourite. Silky and balmy yet very light-feeling, it’s a blend of shea butter, glycerin and hyaluronic acid for instant as well as long-lasting hydration, plus antioxidants for protection and brightening, tightening caffeine. But its main party trick is that it leaves under-eyes with a subtle radiance (like Ole Henriksens's Banana Bright Eye Creme, but a third of the price) as if a dark-circle-blurring ring light is aimed at it. Strike a pose."
Amy Rostas, GTG Beauty and Social Media Assistant
For plump juicy skin: L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Filler 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, £16.66
"I will stop at nothing to get plump, juicy, hydrated skin and this serum from L’Oreal Paris does it for me. This serum contains two types of hyaluronic acid, one to immediately plump and hydrate and one to penetrate deeper within the layers of the skin to boost moisture levels over time. Not only that but it also fills out the appearance of fine lines. I love to use this morning and night. "
The sheer SPF for face: Elf Suntouchable! Invisible Sunscreen SPF 30, £14
"Editor Victoria loves the Elf sunscreen primer that was launched earlier in the year (Suntouchable! Whoa Glow, £14) but I found it too glowy (yes, it's possible!) so thank goodness for this new version that is slightly more mattifying. It's suitable for all skin tones as it has no white cast and it's non-greasy and super lightweight, doubling up as a velvety smoothing, blurring primer, which layers seamlessly under makeup without pilling. It is also water resistant, so ideal for any holidays."
For subtle Barbiecore: Morphe Dripglass Glazed High Shine Lip Gloss, £12 in Pink Mirror
"The Barbiecore aesthetic is everywhere and I am here for it with this iridescent, super shiny lip gloss from Morphe in Pink Mirror. It's packed with hydrating ingredients and feels really comfortable to wear. There are five other shades to choose from spanning nude-browns to deeper pinks. All six shades are also available in the 'Drenched' collection which are more pigmented and less glossy. I would buy all 12 if I could!"
Jemma Thompson, GTG Design and Social Media Manager
For a glowy natural base: Erborian CC Water, £15.38
"I've never vibed with CC creams as they rarely match my warm caramel-esque skin tone and leave me looking quite chalky. But this new CC Water left me speechless. The ultra-lightweight gel formula contains micro-pigment capsules, which transform from grey-silver to your tone (see swatch, above) as you apply — it's quite magical to watch! It gives your complexion a natural, luminous finish and is perfect for daytime. If, like me, you have oily skin but want to switch to something light with decent coverage, you'll love this."
For the juiciest pout: Catrice Cosmetics Plump It Up Lip Booster 070 Fake It Till You Make It, £3.79
"This little gem is perfect for anyone craving luscious, fuller lips with a dazzling shine. Formulated with a blend of tingly menthol (for plumping) and hydrating vitamin E and jojoba oil, it is available in nine shades. My favourite is Fake It Till You Make It, a warm orange tone with a gorgeous iridescent finish. The plump lasts a good couple of hours and all for less than a fiver!"
The pocket-rocket spot saviour: Purifide by Acnecide 3 in 1 Power Patch Salicylic Acid Spot Patches for Blemish-prone skin, £7.49
"I've struggled with blemish-prone skin for years and am always on the lookout for effective spot treatments. These salicylic acid-infused patches are a game-changer. They effectively target, shrink and soothe early-stage spots at the first sign of a breakout. They’re easy-to-apply and remove, super thin and discreet so no one would ever know you’re wearing them. Each pack contains 36 patches with two patch sizes. An absolute steal if you ask me!"