From the cult Aussie SPF that has just landed on our beauty shelves to the skin-clearing body wash everyone has been talking about and the Krispy Kreme-inspired launch from Hailey Bieber, meet the beauty buys that caught our eye this week
If looking for a new SPF to take you from the final days of summer into the start of September, we've found two impressive face SPFs that have made it into our hall of fame. Plus we've discovered new makeup buys to refresh your look. So scroll on to find out about the new beauty buys that impressed our team this week.
Victoria Woodhall, GTG Editorial Director
Kendall Jenner's new favourite lipstick: L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance Lipstick in Lipstick & Chill, £11.99
“You’ll be seeing Infallible Matte Resistance Lipstick everywhere now that the Kendall Jenner-fronted campaign has landed – she wears shades 400 and 120 of the 12-shade range in a look created by her MUA Mary Phillips (who also used her trademark underpainting technique with concealer for sculpted but natural-looking base). As Mary advised editors at the launch, matte liquid lipstick can be drying (it’s this that makes it last) so prep using a lip scrub and lip balm to avoid creasing. I slicked balm over the top, which didn’t affect its staying power hugely. The doe-foot applicator gives a nice crisp outline too.”
The night serum that does it all: Erborian Skin Therapy - Multi-perfecting night oil serum, £52
"Korean skincare brand Eborian has come up with a one-and-done night treatment that tackles multiple concerns such as evenness, barrier repair, and brightness with 17 ingredients (including light oil squalane, barrier-supporting lactobacillus ferment, calming centella asiatica, fermented yuzu for antioxidant protection) and a real lightness of touch. The pretty red glass bottle disguises the fact that this is actually a bi-phase serum – remember to shake it to mix the oily and watery ingredients. Try this too if you find face oils too heavy, but want something a little more nourishing”
Your new favourite moisturiser: NIP+FAB Ceramide Fix Overnight Repair Cream 12%, £20
"This night ream (currently a third off) is for you if you wake with dry skin or if you have mature skin that’s feeling the age-related loss of moisture-trapping and skin-structuring ceramides. It’s not at all heavy and comes in a bright yellow glass pot. I like it when an unscented product provides a visual treat. It doesn’t clash with any active serums (although wait 20 minutes before applying anything over retinoids to avoid dilution). If, like mine, your skin is playing up and needs something calming and cocooning, or if you just need a great new moisturiser, this has your name on it."
For lazy girl nails: Leighton Denny Less is More, £12.50
"I never have a salon mani (no time!) but I like my nails to look healthy and a little soigne and turn to Leighton Denny nail products every time. This is an almost clear vegan raspberry polish that gives a rosy glow and a high gloss. Time-pressed mani-phobes people like me can just paint on another coat once it starts to chip (it’s pretty chip-resistant though) without too much effort. This is a welcome upgraded re-release of a best-seller that makes bare nails look instantly healthy and glossy.”
SJ Corfield-Smith, GTG Beauty Director
The perfect SPF: Supergoop! Every. Single. Face SPR-Shield Watery Lotion, £34
“Texan brand Suopergoop's Every.Single.Face needs to go straight into our hall of fame of best face SPFs. It has a super lightweight and fluid consistency that feels really refreshing and hydrating on the skin. It sinks in before you’ve even had time to think about what you’re going to have for breakfast and leaves a lovely glowy shine.”
The swimmer's hair multitasker: Sun Bum 3 in 1 Leave In, £16.99
“As a regular swimmer - who doesn’t always have time to thoroughly wash her hair afterwards - this spray helps hydrate my hair speedily and efficiently, plus it makes me feel like I’m on a tropical beach holiday rather than a leisure centre. It works as a leave-in conditioner and shine enhancer. It claims to defrizz and it definitely keeps my fine hair under control."
The glacial skin-lifting face mask: Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask, £53
“If you love the idea of a Wim Hof ice bath but can’t bear the reality, this face mask is a way of dipping your toe (or should that be your face) into the trend. It's a blue-tinged creamy menthol mask that feels very cold for about a minute after application. You slather on a thick layer, leave for ten minutes and then wipe away. It certainly wakes you up first thing in the morning and from a skin POV it peps and tightens everything up. An excellent prep if you have a big event or party.”
The dissolvable face wipes: Conserving Beauty Instamelt Day Dissolver Wipes, £14.30 (for a pack of 30)
“It’s not often you can relate to a supermodel but it seems Elle Macpherson beauty routine and mine are not so dissimilar as we both like these eco-friendly wipes. I normally favour a cleansing balm, but there are times when you need the convenience of a wipe. These are made from an innovative biofilm that you pop into your food waste and will fully degrade in 14 days – or you can dissolve them in water. They’re not quite as soft as a conventional wipe and they are on the oily side, which I quite enjoyed, but they do the job with less damage to the world, so what more do you want?”
The luxe fig scent of the season: La Collection Privée Christian Dior Dioriviera EdP, £245
"Yes, it costs a bomb, as do all the ‘private collections’ of the big perfumery houses. But for that, you won’t smell like everyone else, and get to enjoy perfumes that really intrigue, like this one. It’s the scent of the shade of an old fig tree, capturing it so precisely that you feel instantly cool – even cold- when smelling it. Overlaid by Dior’s signature avalanche of flowers in full bloom, you still instantly pick up the fig’s resiny scent, sweet, spicy and slightly bitter, and it stops the fragrance from being overly blousy. It’s feminine and confident and the figgy dry-down lasts forever, like a tonic."
The dark circler blurring eye cream: Gatineau Miracle Eye Contour Cream, £34
"Creams containing bubbles of pigment that pop when you smooth them on to give an instant tint and subtle coverage have been around for a long time, but this is the first eye cream I’ve seen it in. An oil-free, weightless blend of humectants (like glycerin) to hydrate and silicones to seal in moisture, it also has a host of antioxidants to fend off damage, and it immediately adjusts to your skin tone to cover dark circles and blur lines. Half the time, I don’t even need an under-eye concealer."
The skin caring lip plumper: Inkey List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm, £10.99 (available 1 September)
"It’s easy to make lips look a bit fuller if you irritate them with menthol, chili or cinnamon oil (as many ‘plumping’ lip products do), but over time, lips will just get drier as these ingredients can damage their protective barrier. Smart plumping lip balms have always relied on moisture-trapping and barrier-boosting ingredients like hyaluronic acid spheres and squalane plus line-smoothing peptides, but at an often considerable price – until now. This fragrance-free, runny balm has all of the above at a price you can afford, and leaves lips looking instantly full and glossy, as well as smoother and juicier in the long run."
The seriously hydrating skin mist: By Terry Hyaluronic Glow Setting Mist, £35
"Much more than a water mist (which evaporates and leaves skin drier) but free from essential oils (fine for some, but very irritating for others), this setting spray, or frankly top-up-whenever-you-like mist, has eight (!) weights of hyaluronic acid to make sure the moisture actually gets trapped in your skin, plus antioxidants, ceramides and probiotics to reinforce it. The only drawback is that, like so many ‘fine mists’, it’s actually quite a splashy spray that leaves skin rather wet for a bit – but worth it."
Amy Rostas, GTG Beauty and Social Media Assistant
The delicious lip treat: Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment in Strawberry Glaze, £16
"Hailey Bieber skincare brand Rhode has added a fifth limited edition flavour to its best-selling peptide lip treatment. Sticking with Mrs Bieber's obsession with all things glazed, it has been inspired by Krispy Kreme’s strawberry glazed donut. The taste reminds me of strawberry Starburst and is packed with all the hydrating and restorative ingredients of the previous incarnations; shea butter, peptides, cupuaçu, and babassu. It leaves your lips looking super glossy but sadly isn't tinted which I was hoping it would be."
The caring cleanser: Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Cleanser, £25
"If a product mentions ceramides or something to do with strengthening the skin barrier, I (and my sensitive and dry skin) am all in. This creamy cleanser for all skin types has avocado oil, oatmeal and pre- and post-biotics, which all help support the skin barrier and pH. It lathers really nicely and cleanses the skin without it feeling tight. I use it after a cleansing balm as a second cleanse but it's effective enough for a single cleanse if you don't wear much makeup."
The cult Aussie SPF: Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF, £35
"Mecca is the Aussie equivalent of Space NK selling high-end beauty products. This SPF is part of the store's own brand and the first product to land in the UK. When it comes to great sun protection, Australians tend to do it best, and this mineral SPF has smashed every retail record donw under: one is already sold every minute in Australia and New Zealand. Very much designed with beauty obsessives and makeup-wearers in mind, it's lightweight, non-greasy and has a pinky peach tint to prevent a white cast. It feels luxe and contains barrier-strengthening vitamin E and softening glycerin, feels great to wear. I totally understand why it's such a cult buy."
The makeup skincare hybrid: Summer Fridays Blush Stick Pink Skies, £28
"When skincare meets makeup, it's time to get excited. This multi-purpose lip and cheek blush stick from Summer Fridays contains hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin to add a veil of flush to your cheeks and hydration to your skin. It blends seamlessly and you can easily build up the colour to be either a sheer wash or more pigmented and obvious. Its handy stick format makes it perfect for on-the-go use. There are four shades but my favourite is the cool pink tone, Pink Skies."
Jemma Thompson, GTG Design and Social Media Manager
The elevated classic cleanser: Pro-Collagen Green Fig Cleansing Balm, £48
"You're most probably familiar with the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm as one is sold every ten seconds. Now, there's an exciting new version with a delightful green fig scent that transports you to a Mediterranean getaway. I use it as part of my nightly double-cleanse routine, and its gentle oils leave my oily skin feeling smooth, plump, and refreshed, without any greasy residue. This is a cleansing balm that even oily skins will love."
The skin-perfecting shower gel: Naturium The Perfector Salicylic Body Wash, £18
"Every beauty editor has been losing their mind over this launch, which has just touched down in the UK from the US – and for good reason. It offers gentle exfoliation to purify pores and smooth skin without drying it out. The inclusion of salicylic acid is great if you’re trying to tackle bacne and buttne but it's moisturising too. I was lucky enough to get my hands on it a few weeks ago and have been using it consistently. I’m thoroughly impressed. It really delivers on its promise of clearer, balanced skin. Its fragrance-free formula will suit all skin types."
The budget body beautifier: Garnier Body Superfood Nutri Glow Body Cream Vitamin C and Mango, £9.99
"This affordable body cream is a genuine treat for achieving a radiant glow! In fact, some may say it’s a great Sol de Janeiro's Bom Dia Bright Cream, £21 dupe. The formula combines skin-brightening vitamin C and highly nourishing mango extract. While it is a body butter it has a lightweight lotion consistency that is absorbed really easily. It smells so good you may be tempted to eat it (don't!) as it reminded me of yellow Starbursts!"
The reimagined classic scent: Flower by Kenzo Ikebana Eau de Parfum 45ml, £45
"Flower by Kenzo fans may notice that for the first time in the fragrance's 23-year-long history, this new version - which is bolder and woodier - does not centre around a poppy. Instead, it draws inspiration from the art of Japanese floral arrangement known as ikebana, and focuses on the essence of the powdery notes of the sakura flower as well as roasted notes of sobacha tea, along with sexy tuberose and sandalwood. There's an improvement in packaging too. The bottle is made from recycled glass. This scent really is one of the best summer perfumes I've sniffed this year."