Glossy Picks: 16 new wellness and beauty buys from £3

21 August 2024

We have rifled through all the new beauty and wellness products hitting the shelves to find the best buys worthy of your time and money

Any products in this article have been selected editorially however if you buy something we mention, we may earn commission

Here at GTG towers, we never take it for granted that we are privileged to be sent and see everything new in the world of beauty, health and wellness before it lands in the shops. But we also take our roles as chief testers and product advisors very seriously. We will never recommend things that we wouldn’t spend our own money on and rigorously try out everything on ourselves, friends and family (sometimes all three) before telling you about it. Because if we like it then we know you will too.

And this week, we’ve got another bumper-filled read for you. Editorial director Victoria packed a new beach-friendly SPF on her recent holiday and couldn't wait to share her family's feedback. Our content coordinator Isla tried out the budget lip balm that has gone stratospheric levels of viral on TikTok. Meanwhile, our writer Florence was very excited about a new cereal collab (a mega fitness brand is involved) that looks like the cereal of your childhood dreams, tastes delicious but is genuinely good for you. And Beauty director Inge, who is on a perpetual search for eyeliners that won’t budge, has struck gold with a new find.

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Victoria Woodhall, GTG Editorial Director

Mo1 Luce Dorata hair and skin oil, £82.99

"When you want to ‘be the change’ as climate entrepreneur Aline Miller did, she looked at industries with the highest climate impact and discovered that beauty was a repeat offender, you have to step up. So she created Mo1 (pronounced ’moy’) a small skincare line with ingredients from her farm in Puglia. She knows everyone and has elite Hollywood celebs and even world leaders using it (clue: King Charles is a patron of her climate change organisation MAD Impact Initiative). This face oil is the lightest, finest thing you will ever wear and like magic. Like its founder, it’s unforgettable and game-changing. I urge you, if it’s in your price range, to make the switch."

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And Begin Serum in a Cream, £29.99

"Now that regulations around over-the-counter retinol strengths have limited us to a tolerable 0.3 per cent, any seasoned user looking for something stronger will be focusing on either retinal (less irritating and not subject to new rules) or the even more potent prescription retinoid tretinoin. This Serum in a Cream is a seamless and affordable way to get tretinoin dosed for your skin concerns by filling out an online questionnaire and sending photos of your skin for review by a prescriber. Mine arrived with ceramides for my mature skin and 0.01 tretinoin, peptides and hyaluronic acids. You use it at night and a new 18ml bottle arrives every month – small but with plenty of power."

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Delph Sun Lotion SPF30, £5.98

"This budget highly water resistant and scent-free SPF came with us on holiday (as did the Delph SPF50 sun lotion, £6.46) and it was perfect - no whiteness, easy to apply (love a lotion!) and not sticky. At such a good price you’re more likely to apply it unsparingly, which is how it should be. The whole family loved this."

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No Knot Co Gentle Detangler, £15

"My lucky teenage son has the thickest shoulder-length hair and brushing has always been an ordeal, until Keshia East, sister of singer Fleur, makeup artist and Get the Gloss Beauty Awards judge sent us this genius datangler from her No Knot Co hair range. If you have Afro hair particularly check it out – it’s available in Boots. It cuts through thick and curly hair like a dream, no snagging, and is easy to use (and rinse clean) in the shower with conditioner. Well done Keshia!"

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Ingeborg van Lotringen, GTG Contributing Beauty Editor

Gatineau Radiance Enhancing Vitamin C Serum, £49

"A peachy serum that backs up its long-term brightening credentials with an instant flattering and soft-focus gleam is always a winner – this one can even be used as a highlighter (although the glow is by no means over-the-top). There’s ubiquitous (but always helpful) vitamin C, collagen-boosting sea fennel and antioxidant watercress alongside plenty of moisture."

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Studio 10 I-Lift Longwear Liner, £24

"My search for truly budge-proof pencil liners (many pencils claim to be, few are) continues apace. And while it’s been a good year for very decent ones, it’s taken five years at least since the last time I found a brilliant specimen. This two-sided pencil has an off-white end to subtly trace the waterline for bigger, brighter eyes, and a rich (no red tinge) brown to add oomph (there are other shade combos as well). They slide on without a hitch and absolutely don’t transfer, run or smudge, blowing many far better-known brands out of the water."

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The Inkey List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm Tints, £11

"The original Tripeptide Balm was a runaway hit because it visibly plumps lips with moisture and peptides, not ‘tingly’ ingredients that irritate lips so that they swell. Light-feeling (it’s the texture of a gutsy lip oil rather than a thick balm) and full of added nourishing ingredients, this product now has three siblings and they’re pink, berry and mocha-tinted. They’re sheer but not so sheer as to be evanescent, and the shades are flattering and true to their names (ie not a ‘berry’ that’s actually brown or a ‘pink’ that tends more towards fleshy). Lush and effective."

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Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide and Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum, £190

"Allies always packs its skincare to the rafters with good stuff and not just so they can dazzle you with big numbers: the formulations are carefully thought out so the results for your skin are better than the sum of their parts (you’d expect no less at the price). This soothing and ‘post-procedure’ serum (evidently everyone is having tweakments, judging from the rise in this type of product) relies on proven healers such as copper tripeptide, ectoin and antioxidant ergothioneine, and throws in density and skin renewal-promoting peptides and other copper derivatives in as well. A fresh blue gel, it lightly hydrates as it treats."

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Isla Huffadine, GTG Content Coordinator

Benefit The Porefessional Matte Primer, £32

"If you have oily skin you know the struggle of looking glowy vs greasy. And the key step (as many makeup artists have told me) is to create a matte base and go in with glow after. Step in this new primer from Benefit. It blurs the appearance of pores, while delivering a matte finish. Formulated with niacinamide and rosehip extract, it not only works to absorb oil as the day progresses but also nourishes your skin to keep you on the right side of looking luminous not shiny."

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Boots Cherry Glossy Lip Balm, £3

"Thanks to TikTok this budget lip gloss has been flying off the shelves at a rate of one every 30 seconds so, of course, I had to see whether it lived up to the hype. It has a delicious cherry scent and a slight red tint adds a subtle flush. It leaves your lips moisturised and feeling soft, without being overly glossy - perfect to toss in your bag for daily wear. At just £3 it’s no wonder it's so popular and I'd highly recommend stocking up on a few if you see it in your local Boots."

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Dr Paw Paw Hydrating Face Mist, £15

"Commuting and travelling in hot weather is grim to say the least and if, like me, you need a quick refresh at the end of your journey, I've found the solution! This hydrating face mist is formulated using Dr Paw Paw's hero papayaluronic ingredient - a blend of papaya fruit and hyaluronic acid - and niacinamide so not only does it hydrate but it reduces redness and helps reduce excess oil and shine. Ideal for spritzing over makeup when you get off the tube or bus or on clean skin for a refreshing pick-me-up wherever you are and whenever you need it."

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Seoulista Hydrate Cryo Cooling Eye Patches, £15 for 3

"I'm not sleeping well and this has resulted in some seriously puffy eyes. But these cryo cooling eye patches - like cryotherapy but for your eyes - not only feel soothing, but the cooling sensation helps to depuff and brighten. Inused with niacinamide, black rose and hyaluronic acid, they deliver a surge of hydration in just 15 minutes. I apply them while getting ready for the day after cleansing and massage the remaining serum into my skin."

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Florence Scordoulis, GTG Contributing Editor

Gymshark x Surreal Strawberry Milkshake Cereal, £24 for 4 boxes

"This healthy breakfast start-up has partnered with iconic gym wear brand Gymshark on a new flavour of their high protein, high fibre cereal. Each bowl contains 13g of protein - the equivalent of more than two eggs - plus it’s low carb (at only 8g), and low on sugar (1g). But still tastes pretty sweet. They’re also vegan, gluten-free and keto diet friendly. Now, I’m no gym-goer: but the strawberry hoops - which turn the milk a Barbie shade of pink - do make it rather appealing. It’s a grown-up take on a childhood, sugary throwback, with none of the guilt. (They also do other flavours: cocoa, cinnamon, frosted and peanut butter.)"

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Only Curls Curl Refresh Spray, £17

"My curly hair always looks best on wash day, but life is too short! So this lightweight refreshing spritz - from small London-based, female-founded brand Only Curls - is a game-changer for flat, dry second-day frizz. It contains a nourishing, gentle cocktail of avocado oil, quinoa protein and rice water, which helps to reactivate curls and add definition - without any crunchiness. The trick is to shake your hair upside down and spray on a liberal amount, then use your fingers to detangle the roots and scrunch, before finishing with a quick blast of a diffuser. My curls looked instantly bouncier and less thirsty . The best in-between washes cheat I’ve tried. Check out their website for tonnes of curly hair tutorials, too."

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Dermalogica Biolumin-C Night Restore Serum, £96

"I’m a huge fan of Dermalogica, the cult professional-grade brand founded by skin therapist Jane Wurwand back in the 80s. Their latest launch is a vitamin C serum designed for overnight use - instead of daytime, as you might be used to. Rather than protecting against daily damage, the antioxidants are being harnessed here to support the skin’s nighttime recovery and regeneration (working with its natural circadian rhythm). An added pro-vitamin D complex helps to boost collagen and hydration, too. The waft of sunshiny, freshly squeezed orange juice just before bed is a little confusing and it’s pricey, too, but a few drops of the thick, jewel-toned amber liquid go a long way. It gave me instant glassy skin. I woke up with brighter, glowier and softer skin (without using any other moisturiser)."

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Ciate Watermelon Burst Lip Mask, £16

"If you’re looking for a multi-tasking lip hydrator, this one packs a punch. It contains jojoba oil for soothing super dry lips - plus moisturising watermelon extract which also gives it a zingy summer scent. You can use it as an intensive overnight mask (say goodbye to dry lips in the morning). Or, it doubles up as a daily gloss, too: the pearly blush tint has a slightly plumping effect, while still looking natural - and there’s no stickiness thanks to the no-tack formula."

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