As February draws to a close, here are the latest launches to round off the month, from a seriously cool scrub to a blush that will bring a touch of spring to your complexion
We're all looking ahead to April 12 when beauty services fling open their doors once more, but in the meantime, these are our latest picks from the beauty world to put a spring in your step this weekend and tide you over until the salons reopen.
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Poppet, £44
Loved by: Catherine Fulwood, commercial projects manager
"These sticks feel like a slightly more grown-up version of Glossier Haloscope, improving your complexion from the inside-out, detoxifying the skin while promoting the production of hyaluronic acid, nice right? This bright pop of pink is just what I need to see me through the summer and can be applied to lips and eyelids too, win-win I say!"
Lush Mother of Pearl bath bomb, £5.95
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
“This white, pearlescent bath bomb is part of Lush’s 2021 Mother’s Day offering and while I am not a mother, and have a mother who would have loved to sink into a bath with this in, I couldn’t resist dropping it into my own tub. It creates a pretty, milky bath that smells of orchids with an outer layer that softens and moisturises when it melts. It’s not the all-singing all-dancing technicolour bath bombs Lush is famed for, but when it smells this heavenly and leaves skin silky soft, who needs rainbow bathwater?”
Beauty Banks Makeup Bag, £4.99
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG social media and graphic design
“Looking for a new makeup bag? Then look no further. Superdrug and Beauty Banks, a charity dedicated to ending hygiene poverty across the UK, have joined forces with some of the best beauty influencers in the industry to create these limited-edition bags. Each bag costs £4.99 (bargain!) with 100 per cent of the profits going to beauty banks. Plus, you’ll be doing some good for mother nature too; they’re made entirely from recycled materials, from fastenings to fabric everything is made from reclaimed plastic bottles. Even better, you have four fabulous designs to choose from (or collect them all!) from the 80s themed print from MUAs Sam Chapman and Nic Chapman-Haste, a Versace inspired design from influencer Gary Thompson AKA The Plastic Boy, an iconic red bag from Sali Hughes, co-founder of Beauty Banks and my personal favourite, the 70s inspired bag with all the positive vibes from MUA Cher Webb.”
Babyliss Hydro Fusion Hair Dryer, £60
Loved by: Catherine Fulwood, commercial projects manager
"It’s not often I treat myself to a new hairdryer, but since the one I had has been in my possession since basically my university days, (please don’t ask how long ago that was!) an update was very overdue. Let me tell you there’s a plethora of upgrades to improve and speed up your hairstyling routine leaving hair feeling silky and conditioned, something that my old hairdryer definitely did not! My hair can get all the help it needs at the moment and this is certainly bringing a little bit of control into the mane before I run to the salon in six weeks, bring on April 12 hey?"
Lancôme Lash Idole Mascara, £23.50
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"When everyone was creating a song and dance about Maybelline’s Sky High Mascara , this new lash definer from Lancôme quietly snuck in the back door but it deserves just as much fuss as the budget buy everyone’s raving about. The curved brush perfectly fits my lash line, ensuring every lash is combed through for definition thanks to 125 different bristle sizes and 360 micro-bristles. It’s a gel formula which resists clumping even when I apply a lot and remains weightless.”
Nail HQ Strengthener Treatment, £7
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG social media and graphic design
“As much as I’m counting down to beauty reopening (come on April 12) I am starting to enjoy my DIY mani time. However, I’ve been struggling to keep the polish on for over four days as my weak brittle nails make it impossible. Enter this nail strengthened; the treatment is formulated using keratin, coconut oil and a complex of AHA’s (alpha hydroxyl acids) which have nursed my nails back to health and now they’re thicker, stronger and longer than ever. All in a matter of days may I add! Great alone as a shiny base coat, for those who are big acrylic fans or those who just naturally have weak nails.”
Frank Body Clean Body Wash: Sunday Brunch, £9.95
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Best known for their coffee body scrub, Frank Body has entered the body wash game with this milk and honey-scented shower gel and my morning routine just got a little bit more fun – not least because of the cheeky slogans on the bottle. Made with Kakadu plum, pomegranate and coffee seed extract and without 20 common ingredients which can cause trouble for your skin (including silicones, parabens and sulfates), this is a nourishing, simple body wash with pretty matte pink packaging that brightens up my shower."
Wild Deodorant Limited Edition Peach Bellini scent, from £25
Loved by: Catherine Fulwood, commercial projects manager
"Earlier this year I made a pact with myself to try natural deodorants having historically not been a fan. Enter Wild. You might have seen your favourite bloggers raving about them on Instagram. For me, the biggest draw is the recyclable packaging; you simply have to remember to order your refill, but you can use the case time and time again and even personalise it if that takes your fancy. If you’re forgetful like me there’s a handy subscription option so the replacement deodorant stick comes direct to you every month. I’m a sucker for anything limited edition, because who likes smelling like everyone else, and this new peach bellini scent has me dreaming of boozy summer brunches (they will be happening!!) and feeling clean and fresh at the same time."
Sunday Riley Charcoal Smoothie Body Scrub, £32
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I normally hate using a scrub in the shower. I find it so fiddly opening a tub and then while I'm scooping out a handful all the shower water gushes into the pot while the lid is off. Sunday Riley has solved this faff by putting their scrub in a handy holographic pouch which allows you to squeeze out the right amount without water getting inside and ruining the formula. The formula itself is as amazing as the mesmerising shiny packaging. It has a jelly texture with large grains inside it which refines rough skin thanks to salicylic acid which smoothes bumps and natural exfoliating powders and charcoal which massages away dull, dead skin cells. It moisturises too with coconut water and avocado oil so I'm hoping for the smoothest limbs of my life by the time summer comes around."
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