7 new launches to add to your basket this week
What a week it's been! It started with sweltering heat that had us reaching for face-cooling tools and has ended with (welcome) torrential rain. August is traditionally a quiet time when it comes to beauty launches, but we've still managed to try out seven new arrivals that we need you to know about, from a skin-calming moisturiser to soothe heat-ravaged skin to a hair-saving hero from Olaplex.
Beauty Pie Mandarin Leaf, White Cedar & Freesia perfume, £125, £18.60 for members
Loved by: Jane Druker, GTG contributor
"In this intense heat, we need lightness on our skin and fresh and uplifting fragrances. This one from beauty club Beauty Pie (you join, get access to superior products at rockin’ prices) is just the thing: fruity fun light, a brand spanking new and subtle summer scent; it has a heavenly citrus base with a sexy softness on top. It’s utterly unisex as everyone will smell better with a spritz or three. It has been blended by a pro and that is obvious – a “nose” always will add detail and depth to any scent and this one has been created by Sidonie Lancesseur of Grasse perfumers Robertet – notorious for the beautiful and brave in the perfume world. He knows what he is doing. This is seriously summer in a bottle."
Not a member of Beauty Pie? Join using code GTGSENTME and get an extra £50 to spend.
Megan Rose Lane Self-Care Kit, £49, worth £111.15
Loved by: Catherine Fulwood, commercial projects manager
"We’re always told self-care isn’t selfish. Mine typically involves a glass of wine, some trashy reality TV and the phone on aeroplane mode, but when this cute velvet turquoise pouch landed on my desk I was obviously going to get stuck right in! I’m all about getting my moneys worth, so at a value of £111 for just £49 you can rest assured you’re getting a good deal. This bundle promises to add a moment of calm to your day and upon opening them all up I felt like I’d stepped into a high-end spa, minus the zen music. My bath time essentials are the Urban Apothecary candle, which comes in a chic black jar with notes of coffee and vanilla (mmmm!) and the Organic Beauty Miracle Mask with my fave ingredient, fruit AHA. A spritz of the L’Occataine Pillow Mist around the room before bed had me feeling very relaxed and ready for sleep. Pair with that wine for best results, trashy tv optional."
Pure Sport CBD + Vitamin B5 Face Moisturiser, £22.99 for 50ml
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"As we swelter away in the heat, honestly, I’m just managing to exist at this point! I’ve turned to a lightweight moisturiser to help my skin get by. This is my first venture into the world of CBD skincare and I couldn’t have picked better timing. It revitalises your skin and relieves puffiness with the help of almond oil, much needed after far too many sleepless nights! It also contains vitamin B5 to help keep skin soft, smooth and free from irritation. The gel-like texture is the perfect antidote for max hydration without feeling oily and helps to keep the skin quenched by absorbing moisture from the air, I want to slather my whole body with it! Vegan, 100 per cent free from THC and incredibly soothing, it might just be my only moment of calm this week."
MORE GLOSS: The best CBD skincare we've tried so far
Scientia Rainbow Headband, £8
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Scientia has released some of my favourite products I've tried this year, including the Peachy Clean cleanser and with this latest launch I feel like a real skincare wizard because I finally have a headband to protect my hair from all the oils and suds I administer to my face every night - not to mention stopping me from wasting valuable clay mask on my baby hairs. I also feel like a charitable wizard because every penny made from this 100 per cent cotton headband is donated the NHS Charities Together. Feeling good and doing good."
Olaplex No. 0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment
Loved by: Jane Druker, GTG contributor
"I haven’t seen my colourist since January – something I would have hitherto thought preposterous – but this seven month enforced break has led to a softer, better-conditioned barnet. Taking that up a notch is the new intensive bond-building hair treatment from Olaplex - born in a salon six years ago, it’s the bestselling haircare brand that “bonds” broken hair and restructures to give youthful looking locks. This is the first time you can DIY at home as it’s usually administered by the professionals in a salon-only environment. But a new era needs a brand new attitude to at-home treatments, right? This is a two-parter repair mask – Olaplex “O” and “3” which work in tandem to boost and imbue silky, strengthened hair. On the tin it says leave each on for 10 minutes and I duly went the extra mile and saturated my hair in “0” for a full 30 minutes, then added “3” for a further 20 then washed it off and conditioned my hair as usual. This resulted in the softest, shiniest, healthiest hair possible for chemically damaged hair such as mine. Sold!"
Olaplex No. 0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment is launching this Saturday 15th August in a limited edition kit alongside the bestselling No. 3 Hair Perfector, exclusively at Space NK, priced at £26.
Amika Flash Instant Shine Mask, £20
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"When I found out Sephora’s best-selling hair mask was landing in the UK, bells were ringing! Seriously, this cult hair mask sold out in the first week of launching in the US and has over 180 five star reviews in just a couple of months, so naturally, I had to try to see if it was over-hyped or worth the hype. It’s ideal for dull hair that needs a quick fix effective solution in less than 60 seconds and after suffering from dry lacklustre locks thanks to the heatwave my hair was in the perfect condition to give it a test run. It works for all hair types; for fine and oily hair you use the mask in place of conditioner and if you have thick and dry hair like me, you use after conditioner. It delivers an intense hit of moisture and shine and is formulated with an amino acid complex that works to smooths the cuticle and boost elasticity, hydrolyzed flax seed gives it a knockout shine and UV filters keeps your colour vibrant and popping. If you can’t get a salon appointment and in are dire need of some fast-acting TLC, give this a whirl."
So...? Glow Illuminating Body Mist Prosecco, £5.95 for 125ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I always see all the Love Island gals on Instagram spraying body illuminator onto their collar bones and looking like glowing goddesses and I wanted a slice of the shiny pie, so I was pleased when this came into my life. It doesn’t give me the absolute dazzling shimmer that some of the Insta ones do, but being 30, that’s probably for the best. Instead, this imparts a barely-there glow onto the limbs, along with a very subtle prosecco scent that I am definitely on board with. If you want a more intense shine it comes in three other more noticeable hues, but this touch of glow is perfect for me."