From Selena Gomez's new lip oil to the viral £9 Tilbury dupe and the tinted SPF that impressed our fussiest beauty editor, here's what to get excited about this week
Time to spring clean that makeup bag and bathroom shelf? Out with the old, in with the new - but not before you've perused our edit of the best new beauty bits on the block this week (including a dreamy new Diptyque candle). We try everything but we only put the products we love in Glossy Picks. Here goes....
The colour correcting eye brightener: Ole Henriksen Banana Bright+ Vitamin CC Stick, £25
"Concealers often need to be paired with a colour corrector to reduce redness or blue in the skin. This handy colour-correcting stick does just that. I’ve found it so effective I’ve gone beyond just under the eyes and put it all over my face and haven’t needed concealer afterwards. Like my favourite Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum, £56, it contains vitamin C to target pigmentation and banana powder to instantly brighten the skin under the eyes along with colour-correcting pigments. It comes in three shades and you apply it post-skincare - you can use a conventional concealer on top, but like me, you may find that this does the job of both to perfection" SJ Corfield-Smith, GTG Beauty Director
For a happy scalp and thicker hair: Necessaire The Scalp Serum, £60
“Ever since I went to see the Hair Whisperer (Ricard Vila Nova) for hair loss and he told me to use a hydrating scalp serum, I’ve been in search of The One. Now I’ve found it. Many scalp serums are too thick or oily for everyday use but this watery, oil-free and unscented formula didn’t leave any residue meaning that I could use a few drops most days without needing to wash my hair every time. It has one per cent green tea extract (anti-inflammatory and antioxidant) to help calm inflamed and itchy, flaky scalps as well as peptides to support hair growth and hyaluronic acid to hydrate a dry scalp. Plus the bottle is a decent 50ml size, a good 20ml more than most scalp drops." Victoria Woodhall, GTG Editorial Director
The spring home scent: Diptyque Fleur de Cerisier Candle, £56
"Diptyque's new Fleur de Cerisier candle is spring in a jar and like the cherry blossom after which it is named, it's only here for a limited time until the end of spring. It's a light light floral limited edition with a sext base note of musk. With 60 hours of burn time, it will elevate your space until summer – if you're quick enough to snap one up before they go. " Christina Callaghan, GTG Commercial Director
The sensitive makeup remover: Fenty Skin Melt Awf Jelly Oil Makeup Melting Cleanser, £25
"Looking for a game-changing makeup remover that won’t strip your skin? Fenty Skin’s newest drop melts away makeup, SPF and any daily debris without stripping. You apply dry and on contact with water, the jelly texture transforms into a luxurious oil. It’s suitable for all skin types, including sensitive ones. With its nine different oils, I was surprised that the texture wasn’t too rich for my oily skin. A delicious nourishing treat." Jemma Thompson, GTG Design and Social Media Manager
The revolutionary lippie: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil, £20
"Selena Gomez makeup brand Rare Beauty has killed it once again with a tinted lip oil launch inspired by the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush we all love. This unique jelly-to-oil lip tint has a very thin and lightweight texture that feels comfortable and hydrating. It has a minty, cooling sensation without being tingly or sticky. It comes in eight shades which are highly pigmented but nevertheless buildable. This formula lasted all day - I didn't need to reapply, even after eating." Amy Rostas, GTG Beauty and Social Media Assistant
The fire hydrant for skin: La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 Serum, £39
"As I keep banging on about to anyone who will listen, hyaluronic acid is not the only moisture-trapping humectant in town, and it’s not the ‘best’ one either. There are plenty of others that have added benefits, and all the best hydrators have a blend of them. So it is with this silky, slippy, fragrance-free serum, whose main (but not only) humectant is panthenol (vitamin B5) at 10 per cent. Normally you shouldn’t stare yourself blind on high percentages of something but in this case, you can’t overdo it because apart from quenching, B5 is actively calming and supports barrier repair. It proves that even a ‘simple’ hydrating serum can be very hard-working, effectively repairing and strengthening your skin without the risk of any irritation. One to have on standby for those days your skin plays up and you don’t know how to help it: this will." Ingeborg van Lotringen, Contributing Beauty Editor
The easy breezy skin base: Dr Jart+ BB Premium Beauty Balm SPF50, £35
"I love a lightweight tinted moisturiser - I have waxed lyrical about my love of It Cosmetics CC Nude Glow - and this new BB cream from Dr Jart+ is fast becoming a new contender for my affections. As good BB and CC creams should, it delivers light coverage and colour-corrects simultaneously. On my skin that means reducing the redness and countering sallowness too. It doesn’t deliver lots of glow but the skin doesn’t look flat either and it’s super easy to apply, one pump and you just buff it all over with a brush or rub in with your fingers. It comes in four, very stretchable shades." SJCS
The instant skin calmer: Murad Exasoothe Collection £46-£54
"The timing of this new eczema soothing range couldn’t have been better for me. I’d had an angry dry, red, blotchy face and neck for a week as part of the healing process from a Neogen Plasma tweakment (it was all over the press when Strictly judge Shirley Ballas had a stunning transformation with it). The feeling of soreness, tightness and a compromised skin barrier reminded me of when I did have eczema in my twenties and struggled to find skincare that was soothing and calmed the infernal itch. These products do it all, including on the neck and eyes. The moisturiser is so velvety that I have carried on using it even though my skin has healed. For comfortable soft, protected skin this is a winner.” VW
The woody fragrance: Miller Harris Secret Gardenia Edp, £125
"If you like floral fragrance with an edge, Miller Harris' Secret Gardenia fragrance is an enchanting scent with an intricate blend of floral and woody notes. While it's not new, it’s new to my fragrance library and I was so impressed by it as spring scent that I wanted to share the love. Some people find gardenia old-fashioned, but I find it regal and timeless – it reminds me of my mum, in the best way. It's a scent that is versatile enough for both day and night wear, and has staying power to last throughout the day." CC
The skincare makeup hybrid: KVD Good Apple Serum Foundation, £34
"Two years ago, the KVD Good Apple Foundation Balm went viral, with beauty lovers claiming it's the best coverage they've ever seen. I couldn't agree more; I hit pan twice thanks to its unreal full-coverage ability to conceal my blemishes and scars. Now, KVD has launched a serum version, still with a vast 40-shade range and the coverage we all want, but with a lightweight texture similar to a BB or CC cream. It's formulated with apple extract and hyaluronic acid, designed to leave your skin feeling hydrated with an undetectable natural finish while still covering hyperpigmentation, acne scars and discoloration. This foundation is best for those with combo to oily skin (like me) as the non-comedogenic formula also contains quince leaf extract, which helps to keep oil and shine in check all day long." JT
The blinding dupe: Elf Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand, £9
"Budget brand Elf has just launched a new beauty wand range of contour, blush and highlighter in multiple shades. They've gone viral on TikTok as £9 dupes for the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Wands. These warrant a space on your shelf regardless. They are all excellent, but as I’m a glow obsessive I have to shout out the highlighter Champagne, which adds the most radiant effect to your skin. This liquid formula dries quickly so you do need to work fast. Tap it into your skin with your fingers for best results." AR
The powerhouse skin brightener: Naturium Vitamin C Super Serum Plus, £27
"Vitamin C is the skincare ingredient to get your skin looking more even and glowy. If you’re on the lookout for one of the best vitamin C serums that does that and a bit more then this could be for you. Not only does it contain ascorbic acid (a potent form of vitamin C) but its been teamed with niacinamide (we are forever extolling the benefits of niacinamide), exfoliating salicylic acid and wrinkle-softening retinol. It can be used day and night, just make sure to team it with SPF during the day." SJCS
The golden tinted sunscreen: Sun Bum Glow 30 Moisturizing Sunscreen Face Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF30, £19.99
"Despite not having remotely oily skin (quite the opposite), I prefer my facial sunscreens not to be rich, because of the sheer amount of SPF you need to slap on to get full protection. That two fingers-worth of product is a lot for any skin to absorb, so the less oily my SPF, the better. Brownie points, then, for this unscented cream, which is hydrating (it has plenty of humectants) but feels dry to the touch: from what I can tell from the ingredients, it’s oil-free, although it’s not advertised as such. What also isn’t advertised is that it’s very slightly tinted, giving a light tinted-moisturiser effect that leaves the prettiest (universal) golden glow on your skin. I’d say this everyday sunscreen is hiding its light under a bushel!" IvL
The age well super serum: Institut Esthederm Age Proteom Advanced Serum, £86
“If you are after a super age-proofing serum that does the thinking for you then try this clinically tested formula that has oodles of longevity biotech science behind it. The new thinking behind the science of ageing, according to the brand, is that we need to protect our ‘proteome’ the collection of proteins that we are made of as a way to stave off the signs ageing. All eyes have been on the new No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal range this week, but this serum has as much impressive science and clinical trials behind it as well as a more luxe feel without any pilling. Think is this as your glow-giving, damage repair shield that gets better the more you use it.” VW