Luxury face creams, a world-first in tanning formulas and a reimagining of a classic concealer made it into our top launches this week
What better way to celebrate the long-weekend than with a bumper crop of new beauty buys? Long after you've nibbled your Lindt bunny, these will stick around making you feel good about yourself.
Templespa Truffle De-Light, £90 for 50ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"This cream-gel moisturiser has added a real touch of luxury to my skincare routine. It sinks in ultra quickly and feels refreshing, leaving a semi-matte finish (ideal for oily skin types, and my shine-prone forehead). It contains Champagne extract to gently exfoliate the skin, black truffle to brighten and kombucha to improve radiance, while prickly pear soothes irritation and rose quartz delivers radiance. It feels weightless but is busy plumping and hydrating the skin. Plus the bronze packaging looks very fancy and it has a pump to stop you having to put your fingers in, keeping the formula fresh.”
Vita Liberta Heavenly Elixir Self Tan, £34
Loved by: Catherine Fulwood, commercial projects manager
"With a super fair complexion, I am forever the first to volunteer to try a new tanning product. Enter Vita Liberata Heavenly Elixir Self Tan. I mean the name alone is enough to make me feel immediately better about myself. This calls itself the world's first slow-release tan; you still have to leave it on for the standard eight hours but the formula actually slowly releases the tanning agent over the next 72 hours. It definitely lasted longer than my standard tan and the smell after using was next to nothing. My haphazard application still left me with a few steaks but much better than my normal attempts. This is a tan I’m not going to relegate to the bathroom cupboard, in fact I’ve inspired myself to give it another shot tonight so I’m rocking a bank holiday glow!"
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer, £28
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, social media and design manager
"Back in 1996 Laura Mercier created her legendary Secret Camouflage , £30, designed to retouch the skin and leave it looking natural yet flawless and this duo compact found its way into MUA kits and makeup bags alike. Although it’s still is a firm favourite today, the brand decided to give the product a revamp with a new stick applicator. For fans of the OG, it’s still available, but for me, this is a welcome change. I love the effortless application this dual end wand allows plus the product is slightly creamier so far better to blend. One side features a matte cream texture designed to colour correct any dark spots and discolouration whilst the other works to brighten and uses pink and golden undertones to neutralise any under-eye darkness. The pigment is super-rich, so it covers my dark circles in seconds plus you don’t need to set with powder."
Olivia's Haven Irish Fireside Soy Candle, £27
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, GTG columnist
"Is there a place that feels more like home than your grandparent's house? Even in memory, I can feel the cosy warm embrace of sitting by the fireside with my grandparents at their cottage in Southern Ireland. Which is probably why I am so obsessed with the candle fragrance Irish Fireside from Olivia's Haven. Olivia has managed to package one of my fondest memories and for that, I am eternally grateful and officially her number one fan. Each vegan-friendly, 100 per cent soy candle she creates comes in a beautiful matte white glass jar which means after you have enjoyed hours of her unique happy-place fragrances you can reuse them to house everything from makeup brushes to jewellery. Hoorah for no waste and great taste (in smells)."
Aroma Active Laboratories Sleep Salt Soak, £15 for 500g
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
" Aroma Active Laboratories comes from the same lab as Aromatherapy Associates, at a much more accessible price point. The newly-launched sleep collection comprises of a Sleep Mist , £10, a Pulse Point Rollerball , £8, and Over Night Recovery Face Oil , £15, but these salts are the star of the show. One shake of these in my bath and I was out like a light at bedtime. They contain lavandin and valerian for relaxing, sleep-inducing properties and have a really noticeable lavender scent that lingers in the bathroom long after you’ve pulled the plug on your bath."
Dr Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum, £110 for 30ml
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, GTG contributor
"A-lister favourite Dr Sturm has combined three forms of vitamin C to create this super serum. There's oil-soluble vitamin C THD combined with stabilised vitamin C in glucosidic form blended with an extract from kakadu plum, a fruit potent with plant-based vitamin C. Together this potent trio claims to reduce uneven pigmentation , improve tone and creates anti-oxidative protection. And if that wasn’t enough the serum contains zinc for easier absorption. So does it get results? The first thing I noticed was it doesn’t have that stingy sensation that high percentage vitamin C serums have when you apply them first thing to a freshly cleansed face. This one has a milky, calming and silky smooth texture with zero sting factor packaged in a signature Sturm sleek bottle. It’s early days but as spring breaks through it feels like a lighter, fresher first serum for my skin. I’m a super-fan of Dr Sturm so if the ingredients and texture are anything to go by I am expecting great long-term results."
Whind Marrakech Light Illuminating Magic Oil, £60 for 30ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"New to UK shores, Whind is inspired by sun-soaked Morocco and aims to bring a burst of warmth to our beauty regimes. This subtly amber-scented oil absorbs quickly to nourish the skin and leave it looking luminous. It’s made from a blend of argan, olive, jojoba and almond oils to moisturise the skin and make it look plump. The gold-topped bottle and rust coloured packaging is luxe too and looks like something Princess Jasmine would have on her dressing table and I certainly feel like royalty when I used it; pampered, precious and glowing."
Vitality CBD Infused Bath Salts, £12.99
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, GTG columnist
"How do you make a relaxing bath more relaxing? You add CBD of course. Or at least you get yourself a jar of the delicious rose bath salts from Vitality CBD who have infused them for you. Honestly, nothing quite beats chucking a handful of these muscle-soothing salts in the water, smelling the fresh rose aroma filling the room, lighting a candle and soaking in the tub for as long as you can keep that door shut. Kick back, unwind and indulge in the relaxing, baby pink bathwater that looks as good as it feels."
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Dr.Jart+™ Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Re.pair Cream , £36 for 50ml
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, social media and design manager
"You've probably seen the Dr.Jart+ Colour Correcting Treatment *everywhere* on TikTok but that’s not the only product from the brand that has won the hearts of beauty fans. In fact, before their viral stardom the Korean skincare brand had been smashing beauty balls out the park since 2005 and everything in this Cicapair range is a testament to that. I rarely find a day/night cream that feels like it’s worked wonders in just a few hours, but this certainly does. My skin just soaks up the silky-smooth textured cream and stays hydrated and calm throughout the day. Formulated with the reparative power of cica AKA Tiger Grass, the range is designed to repair your skin's barrier and ward off irritated, tight, stressed, or reddened skin and is particularly great for those with sensitive skin."
This Works Stress Check Hair Shield, £20.25 for 80ml
Loved by: Marie-Louise Pumfrey, GTG contributor
"I have never come across a hair mist before so was curious to try this. It's vegan and paraben-free and invigorates in an instant leaving your locks smelling five stars, as if you’ve just had a luxurious spa treatment. It's made with 70 per cent alcohol and nourishing essential oils such as ylang-ylang, neroli and patchouli plus vitamin B2. It’s a handy little spray which is now my favourite desk accessory, especially when I hit the afternoon slump and need a pick-me alternative to coffee and cake."
Emma Lewisham Skinshield Daily Face Antioxidant Protect and Repair SPF30, £32 for 100ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Another skincare brand that’s just landed in the UK is New Zealand name Emma Lewisham. Her formulas are naturally-derived and the packaging is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. What’s inside the tube is equally impressive. It’s a mineral sunscreen that combines SPF30 (UVA and UVB protection) with hyaluronic acid , prickly pear and kakadu plum to support the skin’s elasticity and brighten it all the while providing sun protection, now that the sun has got its hat on again. It feels fairly thick when you apply it but it soon sinks in and is non-greasy making it a good base for makeup. I used to dread applying my SPF to my face (I know, very bad, almost as bad as Gwyneth Paltrow’s SPF crimes this week) but this makes it a joy and a step I never miss.”
Maya Nije Tobak Eau de Parfum, £90 for 50ml
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, GTG columnist
"Inspired by creator Maya Njie's grandfather and his tobacco pipe, this memory-evoking familiar fragrance transports you to a place of comfort and aged wisdom. The scent is sweet, deep and layered, not to be mistaken for a heavy smoke-filled speak-easy, but to that of times gone by. With hints of cinnamon, vetiver, musk and tonka this super sultry eau du parfum wraps tight around, leaving you feeling sexy yet cosy, like wearing silk lingerie next to an open fire. For those who prefer a lighter more floral fragrance, look to the brand's other bottles, because this is only for those who have the confidence to wear such a powerful scent and not have the fragrance wear them. This is for the bold and the beautiful."
Diego Dalla Palma Green Ballet Eyeliner, £14.50
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I've been a strictly black eyeliner girl for as long as I can remember, but this emerald green liner has swayed me away from jet black. It's ever so slightly metallic and makes my blue eyes pop – I can only imagine what it'd do to green eyes. Dreamy. I normally use the black version of this liquid liner and this green one is just as easy to apply, giving deep colour pay off in just one stroke. If you fancy a change from standard black, give this a whirl."
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