Is Idris and Sabrina Elba's new skincare line any good? Should you buy Bioderma's new micellar water? All this in our roundup of the week's new finds
'Back to school' new season is the perfect excuse for a beauty refresh and we've corralled all the newness to know about in our weekly roundup of the best tried-and-tested beauty and wellness. From the new super serum to boost your skin's resilience to the hydrating body scrub to buff away the last of summer, a miracle makeup-removing micellar and even brought you a new pearlescent top coat that will make a 'glazed-donut' mani from home easy as pie. You're welcome.
The gentle glow-giver: Sisley Exfoliating Enzyme Mask, £90
"Sisley is known for its gentle but powerful approach to skincare – you won’t find a retinoid or chemical (acid) exfoliant in its lineup. But if you love a deep cleanse but don’t like physical scrub and are nervous about acids then an enzyme cleanser such as this is just the job. It’s a really indulgent power-to-foam cleansing experience that takes no time at all. You tip a teaspoon into your palm, dribble with water and see it transform into a creamy foam mask (no harsh foaming agents or grains) which you leave on for one minute.
"It works via papain, a papaya enzyme, which loses potency quickly on contact with water and which is why they haven’t bottled it as a liquid. Enzymes dissolve the bonds between the dead skin cells. Acids, on the other hand, dissolve the skin cells themselves, sometimes the living ones if you are not careful. This is kind to sensitive skin and better for the planet as, like all powder cleansers, it's waterless. I was surprised at how supple my skin felt afterwards. You get 40 teaspoons (I use half) and can use it twice a week, so although pricey, if you’re clever it will last you most of a year!" Victoria Woodhall, GTG Editorial Director
The makeup-removing micellar: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Eye Bi-Phase Makeup Remover, £12
"Another product that’s evidently very hard to perfect (judging from how many sub-par ones I’ve tried), bi-phase removers need to strike the exact right balance between makeup-melting oils and oily residue-removing cleansing water. And most don’t: either you’re left with oily eyes or you’re forced to scrub your mascara off with a too-watery solution. This is the first one I’ve found in a long time that can compete with the best in my book (La Roche Posay Respectissime bi phase) - it’s just as good and just as gentle. Hurrah." Ingeborg Van Lotringen, GTG Beauty Editor
The hydrating scrub: Biossance Squalane + Enzyme Sugar Body Scrub, £22
“I like my body scrubs to be really gritty without leaving my skin feeling dry and this ticks both those boxes. It contains sugar crystals to provide a seriously good scrub factor that dissolve away as you rub them into the skin. The other key ingredient is ethically-sourced squalane - the key ingredient Biossance is known for - that hydrates skin to the max. A little goes a long way so this will last quite a while and I think it’s just what everyone’s skin needs right now to buff away the summer and prep it for autumn.” Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith, GTG Beauty Director
The 'glazed donut' top coat: Essie Expressie FX Nail Polish - Iced Out, £8
“Glazed donut nails have been all the rage lately thanks to Hailey Bieber, and I too have fallen victim to that trend (and personally I think this one’s here to stay). Going to the nail salon however is very expensive, and with the current cost of living crisis, it's a luxury I’m taking a break from - so this special FX top coat is ideal for anyone looking to re-create the pearly look from home. It needs about two layers on top of your neutral base to achieve the iconic celebrity mani. It dries super quickly and adds the perfect amount of shimmer. You can also layer it onto any nail colour and it will add a holographic effect - I’ll be trying it with a dark purple next!”" Amy Rostas, GTG Beauty and Social Media Assistant
The super serum: Fresh Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum, £97
"Why have a product that targets one skin concern when you can have one that acts on multiple? Is the thinking behind many of us who are looking to streamline our skincare routines (and beauty cabinets). Enter Fresh’s newly launched Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum, which is some 15 years in the making. With the hefty price tag, it’s got to be good, right? Right. Rather than targeting specific skin issues, it has been formulated to boost the skin’s natural resilience to everyday life stressors (think sleep deprivation, stress, poor diet), so that it can adapt accordingly to its environment. With Mauritius tea plant to level up antioxidant protection, niacinamide to even skin tone and an ultra-low weight hyaluronic acid to hydrate, it’s firing on all cylinders and glides on like a dream, with a refreshing green tea scent." Rosie Fitzmaurice, GTG Contributor
The velvety nude lipstick: La Perla Matte Silk Lipstick in 109 Rosewood Nude Red, £47
"Lipstick lovers, listen up! La Perla has launched the dreamiest range of everyday nude lipsticks - and we are seriously impressed. From Tiramisu to Cinnamon, Terracotta and Almond, these richly hued shades are a blend of earthy reds and delicate pinks and are ultra-pigmented, with a lovely velvety finish. My favourite is Rosewood, which is inspired by richly hued Italian villas and has the perfect matte-silk finish. The lipsticks are all free from parabens, fragrance, talc, alcohol and gluten, and come in a beautiful rose gold and garnet red casing. They're sustainable, too - once you're out, you can simply buy a refill." Marie-Louise Pumfrey, GTG Contributor
The planet-friendly patches: Pacifica Reusable Brow Mask, £15
"I love a sheet mask, especially around the eyes where they can make a real difference to lines and wrinkles. But oh, the packaging! Vegan and ‘clean’ beauty brand Pacifica have a solution with reusable silicone masks, such as this one for the forehead, which makes me look like Wonder Woman when I’m walking around the house. I also have their Reusable Undereye Masks, £15, undereye patches and Lip Line Masks, £15. You put your favourite serum or cream and then apply the patch over the top for 20 minutes or so – wash, store in the cute tin and reuse. I like to pull the skin flat underneath it to iron out wrinkles. Creating a seal with silicone stops the moisture from evaporating and make sure more of the goodies penetrate your skin. If you want to get more out of your serums, this is an easy and planet-friendly win." VW
The weightless hair balm: Hair by Sam McKnight Happy Endings Nourishing Balm, £36
"Leave-in hair balms are a hard thing to get right - they need to be nourishing enough to make a difference to your hair but light enough not to make it look stringy and greasy. Most balms do the latter to my fine hair so I’ve learned to avoid them. So I’ve been amazed at this potion - a light cream, I fully expected it to make a mess of my puny ends but a tiny bit squeezed into dry hair revives it entirely, adding gloss, bounce and a gentle, healthy wave. It appears to nourish without any weight at all and can also be worked into towel-dried ends before styling to prevent frizz altogether. Happy endings indeed!" IvL
The silky sunscreen: Saltee City Serum SPF50, £38
“The best anti-ageing protection you can give your skin is to wear a great daily SPF for the face and I shall be using every drop of this. While it is called a serum, it doesn’t have the expected serum consistency, it is more like a lotion in that respect, however it disappears into the skin just like a serum leaving my skin feeling silky smooth and making it a great option for under makeup - no chalky white residue or stickingess. It smells like holidays which I will definitely enjoy as the weather cools.”" SJCS
The sustainable face pads: Sali Hughes Make Up Remover Mitts, £8
"I’ve been using reusable makeup pads for a few years now, and I love how they remove my makeup without filling up landfill. These mitts from Sali Hughes’ collection with Revolution are like little pillows for your eyes. They are ultra soft so there is no pulling or tugging on the skin, which is so important around the delicate eye area. I love that these mitts have a little section for your fingers to slot into, giving you more control while using them. Use them to take off both eye and face makeup with either micellar water or cleanser, or simply soak with water." AR
The iridescent soft gloss: Highr Collective California Lip Milk, £22
"Milk-based skincare is trending (according to TikTok), and I'm personally loving a resurgence of the milk-like lotions and potions I remember my mum using when I was growing up. This lip product from California-based carbon neutral lipstick brand Highr Collective is one of my latest discoveries, a hybrid soft gloss/nourishing treatment that’s designed for everyday use, it gives the conditioning of a balm with a hint of extra sparkle - or you can simply use it as a pre-colour treatment. The softening emulsion is enriched with sustainably-sourced sunflower and meadowfoam oil, while hyaluronic microspheres plump out my pout nicely." RF
The creamy exfoliator: S'Able Labs Qasil Cleanser, £28
"I didn’t have a clue that this exfoliating cream cleanser was by actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina (S’Able is Elba's backwards) until I read my colleague Inge’s glowing review of S’Able Labs Black seed Toner. Like her, I may have dismissed it as a vanity project. But by then I’d already fallen for this creamy concoction that’s unlike any cleanser that I’ve tried. It’s a brown pulp that looks like praline mousse and transforms into the silkiest cream with a delicious earthy smell and delicate exfoliating grains. The secret sauce is qasil (aka Tree of Gob – if that sheds any more light!) that’s been crushed into a fine powder by Somali women for centuries. It’s cleansing, brightening, anti-inflammatory and contains twice the antioxidant level of vitamin C, they say. I use it daily and it’s something I look forward to. I came across it in the S’Able Labs Essentials Discovery Set, £45 of all three products (there’s also a moisturiser) which is well worth a go." VW
The lengthening mascara: L’Oreal Paris Paradise Mascara, £11.99
“If you haven’t found your perfect mascara yet then let me introduce you to mine. I have loved this mascara for years and L’Oreal has just reformulated it, which is always a worry in case it’s not as good as before, but I can confirm this is even better. It now contains castor oil which is great for lash lengthening and it goes on really smoothly, depositing inky black pigment as it goes. The wand is a fairly thick bristle brush which I find coats lashes more evenly and is easy to comb through the tiny inner eyelashes as well as the bottom ones.” SJCS