We round up the best new products to land on our desk this week, plus for a bit of festive cheer we've collated our favourite Christmas beauty gift sets
You might think that with the festive season in full swing, beauty launches would be slowing down, but that's far from the case. New products are coming in quicker than a snow flurry, and we've been diligently trying them all out to bring you the ones that are worth parting with your money for (especially when it could be going on prosecco, at this time of year).
To sprinkle some festivity on proceedings, we've also included our favourite gift sets to grace our desks this year.
Milk Makeup MVPs Set 2019 Limited Edition, £39
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"There’s something eminently playful but also supremely practical about Milk Makeup – no wonder makeup artists love this simple stick-based brand. Who wouldn’t de delighted to receive the 2019 limited edition greatest hits set of seven MVPs (Most Valued Players)? It contains two mini skincare sticks, the Cooling Water with caffeine to depuff eyes, the solid Watermelon Brightening Serum and a mini of the cult silicone-free Hydro Grip Primer which comes in a pump dispenser. On the makeup front there are sticks for lips and cheeks, bronzer and a highlighter and to top it off there’s the Kush mascara which has a fluffy brush for pumped-up volume. I love the full-size Milk sticks but they can be a bit heavy if you carry a few at once. For on the go, this is a stellar kit."
Ole Henriksen Truth Juice Daily Cleanser, £22 launches December 31
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Thanks to Ole Henriksen, I’ve finally found a juice cleanse I can get on board with. This gel creme cleanser has a delightful zingy citrus scent courtesy of orange juice water; it really wakes me up of a morning and makes me look forward to hopping in the shower - no mean feat when it’s so dark. Not only does it add pep to my step, it also loosens and lifts dead skin cells thanks to PHA, leaving me with glowy skin that I definitely don’t deserve at the moment, what with late nights and many mulled wines."
Arriving on boots.com on December 31.
No7 Best Face Forward Collection, £39
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, beauty and wellness awards manager
“Now, this is something everyone can get behind. Receiving £156 worth of product for only £39 - uh, Merry Christmas, right? Our old favourites, No7, have released this brilliant collection just in time for St Nick to be able to pick up a few for us beauty lovers out there. This whopping box full of goodies will be loved by any mother, sister, aunt or wife (unless you snaffle it for yourself like I did) as it contains full-sized versions of the entire Protect & Perfect range, as well as makeup remover, hydration mask, primer, lip gloss and mascara. I mean, what more could you ask for? Not to mention that it was originally £80 before today, so you are making an even bigger saving, allowing you to get one for yourself too."
All Even London Colour Shield Glow, £42
Loved by: Hayley Barnes, beauty assistant
"I live by a few simples rules in life, and one of them is that if it’s good enough for Beyonce, it’s good enough for me. It’s why I was implored to buy the Glossier Lidstars when they first came out back in 2018 after I heard her makeup artist, world-famous Sir John used them on her for the Oscars. Thus, when the All Even London Colour Shield in the new Glow formula came into the offices, I was ecstatic to try them. This product was famously responsible for Beyonce‘s skin looking in her own words “flawless” during her historic Coachella performance. The product remarkably withheld her 105-minute supercharged all-singing, all-dancing performance, leading it to become of cult-status. The Glow formula performs precisely the same as the original, offering a luminous finish for evened-out, glowing, velvet-looking skin, but gives some gentle luminosity to the skin, ideal for this party season."
Eco Style Professional Styling Gel: Olive Oil, £3.99
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"Now that the weather has become even-more unpredictable, I need a little more security when it comes to maintaining my locks. For me, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than spending 15 mins sleeking and scraping my hair in the morning. Only to discover the hot-mess I become after disembarking from the central line. Enter the Eco Styling Gel, my holy grail styling product for years; naturally, I was thrilled to hear they’ve realised a new styler made with 100% pure Olive Oil, that works to nourish the scalp, tame frizz without any awful tacky, flaky gel-like texture. With great value, heaps of product and not to mention the superior weightless hold – what’s not to love?"
Murad All Star Vibes Limited Edition Set, £40
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, associate editor
"When it comes to skincare I’m fussy with a capital F. It has to be high performing, backed by science and make a visible difference to my skin within days. No pressure skincare brands. As a result the pool of skincare brands I stick to is tiny. And I mean tiny. But Dr Murad always performs and is a firm favourite amongst my regular empties. So when I was handed this Limited Edition box worth £64 but retailing for £40, I grabbed it with both hands and ran. Targeting dullness, fine lines, dehydration and signs of ageing the products include the AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser (30ml), which exfoliates to reveal smoother, younger-looking skin, the Retinol Youth Renewal Serum (10ml) which is the number one Retinol product in the U.S. with 93% seeing a reduction in lines and wrinkles in just 2 weeks and the Hydro-Dynamic™ Ultimate Moisture (15ml) which is my current all time favourite beat the winter dryness moisturiser. And they’ve also included the Multi-Vitamin Infusion Oil (10ml) with six key vitamins. Perfect for taking on the road this Christmas and New Year and keeping your skin looking glowing despite back to back movies and Quality Street."
Beauty Pie Love Fragrance, £16.68 for members / £125 for non-members
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Once upon a time, I was a one fragrance kind-of-girl. I had my signature scent and that was that. But then it was discontinued and I decided no longer would I be loyal to one perfume when there was a whole world out there to be discovered. As part of this new way of life, I’ve discovered endless fragrances and the latest is Beauty Pie’s Love Fragrance. It’s warming, cosy and perfect for wearing on intimate evenings in (a rarity this month, I know). It has top notes of bergamot and quince, middles notes of black orchid, apricot and nectar, and finishes on notes of cedarwood, sandalwood and amber. Altogether is an easy-to-wear scent which is feminine and comforting."
Patchology Winter Warm-Up Gift Set, £14
Loved by: Hayley Barnes, beauty assistant
"I’m somewhat fussy when it comes to sheet masks; I find they often give a superficial appearance of benefitted skin rather than making a lasting change. However, I've always adored Patchology’s masks; having a background in medical patch technology, they really do know what they're doing, plus they’re so decently priced. Their Winter Warm-Up Christmas Gift-set (which includes the luxurious self-heating Perfect Ten hand mask and softening Best Foot Forward mask) has been a recent favourite of mine as the combination of blustering winter winds and heated offices have left my talons in desperate need of moisture. This would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone who is in need of a bit of me-time this Christmas."
Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Lip Palette, £45
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, beauty and wellness awards manager
"The makeup gods that are Lancome have spoken and gifted the world with a shiny, silvery, beautiful palette full of seven luscious lip colours and two topcoats to add that magical sparkle. The creamy and hydrating texture continues to thrill and amaze me, even the matte colours don’t leave your lips feeling like you’ve poured concrete on them. As a makeup artist I am totally biased towards palettes as they are so handy for me to use while working, however this gorgeous selection of colours is a must-have for anyone as they complement almost any outfit or mood and not only that but the lovelies at Lancome have included an easy to use lip brush too. Ummm, THANK YOU!!"
Oskia Super-C Smart Nutrient Beauty Capsules, £62 for 60
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"I always look for oil-soluble vitamin C as it’s vital for the stability of the powerhouse antioxidant, which can turn pro-oxidant (i.e. gone off and nasty) if not formulated well or used at too high levels. High doses can also be grainy and have an unpleasant acidic sting. Oskia takes a little-and-often-approach with these single-dose oil serum capsules, which incidentally are biodegradable and vegan. They combine a relatively low dose of two per cent vitamin C with something called ‘smart vitamin E’ (tocotrienols) which is supposed to be a more powerful anti-oxidant version of vitamin E as well as other free-radical fighting goodies such as tomato lycopene as well as squalane, which is a hydrating and softening ingredient.
"I love a capsule, not only because it protects the ingredients inside from damage from light and air, but because you can bung a few in your makeup bag and have all your need for skincare on the go. It absorbs fast, feels luxe and is a brand I have trusted for years to know what’s good for my skin."
Bramley Cottage Gift Box, £110
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Without meaning to brag, a lot of gift sets pass over our desks at this time of year, and while they’re all exciting, none sparked joy in my heart quite like this one from Bramley. Illustrated by Get The Gloss founder Susannah Taylor, this perfect little package (which looks suspiciously like my dream home), opens to reveal a collection of bath and body products, including hand wash, hand cream, body wash, body lotion, bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner and exfoliating body scrub. I hope my mother isn't reading this, because I fully intend to give her this for Christmas..."
Drunk Elephant F Balm Electrolyte Water Facial, £44 launches January 2020
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"There’s always great excitement when Drunk Elephant launches a new product, so heads up for January when this overnight mask balm for dry and hungover skin is landing. It’s one of those creams that just makes you say ‘ahhh’ as you feel your face relaxing and softening beneath your fingers. It’s called a balm but has none of the greasiness you might expect. It’s light, almost whipped, but full of hydrating and barrier protecting ceramides, niacinamide and squalane. The hero ingredient is vitamin F (aka linoleic acid) which is a protective and nourishing coating for skin keeping moisture in – something our skin gets worse at as we age, so this is particularly good for mature faces. I put it on overnight over an acid peel and even dabbed a bit over my facial oil in the morning – you don’t need to save it for night. It’s more hydrating than my other Drunk Elephant overnight ceramide favourite, the La La Retro Whipped Cream, so for ‘dry’ January, this won’t be leaving my side.
Arriving on Cultbeauty.co.uk and Spakenk.com
Beauty Bakerie Funfetti Set, £36.50
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"As a devoted lipstick hoarder and a lover of the brand, I of course volunteered to try out Beauty Bakerie's deliciously adorable Christmas gift set. Containing five mini Cake Pop Lippies and their smudge-proof Lollipop Liner, this is a recipe for the perfect gift for any makeup fiend. Personally, I’m not a fan of continually topping-up my makeup throughout the day so I was delighted to discover my favourite colour, Sorbet on Sunday (yes please) saw me through from day to night. What’s more, the whole range is vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free and long-lasting, this cutie pie ticks all the boxes in my book."
Nazan Schnapp Luminous Youth Diamond Eye Crème, £290
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, beauty and wellness awards manager
"Okay beauties, this is one for those of you that don’t flinch at the idea of selling a kidney to pay for a seriously fantastic beauty product. Nazan Schnapp’s diamond (Yes! Real bloody diamonds) eye cream is an eye-watering cost but the benefits and results are totally worth it. This ultra-hydrating and firming luxury treatment leaves your eyes looking lifted and illuminated, whilst also soaking your skin in active tuberose plant cells, hyaluronic acid and a blend of minerals. I mean, who wouldn’t want that? I use this very sparingly as a little goes a long way, which is fabulous considering the price point, but it really is a miracle cream and leaves me feeling proud of my peepers rather than having to hide them behind a giant pair of sunglasses, especially at this time of year when the tiredness now fully outweighs any sign of being awake. If you can invest in this little beauty, I promise, you won’t be disappointed."