When we cut open the tube to get the last drops out, you know it's good
It's our job to bring you the latest and greatest finds in the world of beauty which means we're using an ever-evolving lineup of products (check out our latest favourites in our weekly Glossy Picks edit of newness) , but every so often we try something so good, we use it down to the very last drop. Here we reveal all of the beauty products our editors finished this month.
Jemma Thompson, design and social media manager
Wildsmith Skin Toning Body Serum, £65 for 150ml
"This firming body serum contains potent ingredients that help to reduce the appearance of cellulite , wrinkles, and lines with visible results after 28 days of use. It uses two main ingredients, brassica alba (aka yellow mustard) and capsaicin (pepper, an alternative for circulation-boosting to caffeine ) that work together to break down fat cells and improve blood and lymph flow. I was genuinely shocked at the efficacy of it, after a few weeks of using I could notice that my upper arms, thighs, and bum look firmer and more toned."
Bondi Sands Coconut and Sea Salt Body Scrub, £8.66 for 250g
"This body scrub smells exactly like a piña colada and transports you to a beach in the Bahamas all from the comfort of your shower. It includes naturally-derived exfoliants such as Australian sand and sea salt, coconut husk and walnut shell that all work together to buff away dead skin cells and impurities for super-soft, summer-ready smooth skin with no oily residue. Use a few times a week and your skin will be glowing in no time."
Aurelia Aromatic Repair and Brighten Hand Cream, £28 for 75ml
"My friends and family have always known me to be the gal with the softest hands, a humblebrag, I know! But it’s all down to this hand cream. It’s part of my night-time ritual ; I apply before I go to bed and wake up and start my day with nourished mitts. It’s has a very luxe feel and contains several natural and active ingredients suitable for all skin types including omega-rich baobab, kigelia Africana and red algae that all work together to repair and rejuvenate cracked and chapped hands. It’s been a godsend throughout the past year. It is on the pricier side for a hand cream, but I bought this over a year ago and I’ve only just cut the tube open, a little goes a long way!"
Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Gypsy, £12
"Yet again, I’ve finished another ride-or-die product *cries*. Oddly, I don’t have any makeup empties (I guess that’s lockdown life) except this. This is the fourth Magnificent Metals liquid eyeshadow I’ve finished mainly because it’s just the perfect way to elevate your makeup. Last-minute Facetime? one quick swipe of this. A walk in the park? Let me add on a speedy sparkle. It’s super buildable so you can apply either opaque or super sheer, plus it effortless to apply but has maximum glitter impact. If you need a good excuse to buy this it’s currently half price; run don’t walk!"
Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
The Beauty of Eczema Calming Cream for Face and Body, £20
"Don't think you have to have eczema to love this beautiful body lotion, full of natural butters and oils such as jojoba and soothing oat kernel. It instantly revives any dry and dull skin; I use it all over and on the odd dry patch too, plus it's gentle enough to use on babies. The Beauty of Eczema range was created by eczema sufferer and health coach Camille Knowles to be a luxurious self-care experience rather than the usual clinical one that those with dry skin conditions are usually offered. It's hard enough feeling good about yourself when your skin is flaky or red-raw. I wish this had been around when both my children had their childhood eczema and I struggled to find anything effective and affordable that wasn't rammed with the mineral oils. I've since recommended it to a friend's 10-year-old, who is all over the recyclable pink packaging too."
Volition Celery Green Cream, £31 for 30ml
"I love a green juice and this gorgeously light gel cream, made by disrupter 'skindie' brand Volition from an idea by celery juice fan and Olympic gymnast Natia Liukin, is like inhaling fresh stalks of the stuff with lashings of cucumber too. If you want hydration that lasts this is for you. It was also meant to be for me until I discovered the empty in my 17-year-old daughter's bedroom. I'm not surprised it was an instant sell-out on launch last year."
Spots and Stripes Skin Goals Gentle Cleansing Lotion for Boys, £13 for 150ml
"This empty comes courtesy of my 13-year-old son who has rediscovered cleansing (on my insistence) now that schools are back and he has the joys of a London public transport commute. If you want to get your tweens into good habits with a skin-kind natural product that won't strip, but at the same time keeps bacteria in check, this cleanser is excellent. Spots & Stripes also sent us the Skin Goals Gentle Cleansing Lotion for Girls, £13, which is identical apart from the yellow spotty packaging, and my son is now making his way through that one as well, massaging in as instructed and then washing off with a flannel. Why bother making different ones? My son said that knowing that he was using a cleanser 'for boys' made him feel like he had permission and was the thing that got him started. Now he's a veteran!"
Q&A Niacinamide Daily Toner, £8 for 100ml
"Yet another empty from my 17-year-old daughter stolen from me. I can see why she loved it. It's not an acid toner, but a gentle balancing one thanks to niacinamide , a brilliant all-rounder that's anti-inflammatory and skin barrier boosting - perfect in the age of maskne. Hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and glycerin provide moisture. When you are a teen you often don't need a day cream, although she does use a moisturiser with SPF . Perfect for all skin types, thsi was a finalist in our Get The Gloss Beauty and Wellness Awards 2020 for good reason."
Jane Scrivner Balance Body Splash Oil, £33 for 150ml
"I always use a body oil in the shower rather than afterwards as the combination of water and heat can be very drying, even though you don't notice it when you're wet. It causes trans-epidermal water loss, where moisture from the skin escapes. I like to head that off at the pass with this oil which, as the name suggests, you really can splash all over. It has a finer more liquid texture than many body oils, it goes on quickly and smoothly and if you tip a few drops at the base of your neck and use the showerhead to wash it down, you can even oil your own back. Jane Scrivner knows oils like no other. This has tons of skin-nourishing vitamins and the scent is an intriguing mix of opposites: masculine and feminine, uplifters and calmers and it never fails to put my mind and my skin back into balance."
Hattie Sloggett, GTG columnist
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight , £29
"I will happily swear on a stack of bibles that this is the best highlighter I have ever owned, used and run-out of. It has an incredible champagne warmth, that works with any skin tone and creates a highlight effect that you might expect from a candlelit supper, under a balmy sky, on a Mediterranean island. But don't get me wrong, this magic wand is not just made for special occasions, I use it every day (which is probably why I've got none left). If I'm not wearing makeup, I just dab a little on my high cheekbones and under my brows, on top of my skincare and it provides a different dimension of a healthy glow, just as perfectly as it blends seamlessly into a night, day, festival, carnival, wedding, disco, funeral makeup look. It really is essential for those of you that prefer a dewy, sunkissed glow, but heads up; make sure you twist the cap to lock as it does have a tendency to explode everywhere if you don't... trust me!"
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting and Refining Serum, £68 for 30ml
"I am obsessed with this serum and heartbroken that I have run out. Talk about a filter in a bottle, this is a magical elixir of hydroxy acids and farnesol which keeps bacteria at bay and it not only decreases the look of my existing enlarged pores but helps prevent any new build-up that I am prone to. Say goodbye to blackheads and hello to a smoother, more refined, even skin tone. This powerful serum eliminates dead skin cells and helps resurface, which is amazing, especially as it can be worn under makeup. So it not only helps create a smooth base for your foundation it is also working behind the scenes (literally) to create a flawless canvas for when you choose to go make-up free."
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, £42 for both
"I cannot stop harping on about how this product has revolutionised my hair. Genuinely, I have noticed such a difference; added hydration, silky smooth, shiny and glossy like a Disney princess. Alterna has created this dream duo using a signature blend of caviar extract and sea silk, which leaves your hair feeling as luxurious as that sounds. For someone like me, who has lots of thick wavy hair, that doesn't need much maintenance but does need a ton of love (unless I want to look like I've been dragged through a bush backwards), this stuff is absolutely brilliant. Sulphate-free, it works wonders on my dehydrated bleached sections too, leaving them soft and manageable rather than dry and erratic. I don't know if it makes my hair look younger but it sure does make it look and feel 100 times better than it did before. So, for me, it's time for a refill."
Marie-Louise Pumfrey, GTG contributor
Josh Wood Colour Blending Brush, £19
"Three months with lockdown hair, and not surprisingly my Josh Wood Blending brush is almost finished. This brilliant root concealer paints away greys and unwanted roots, giving a great natural result. You simply pump out the product onto the brush to accurately cover-up the unsightly silvers! It’s been a lifesaver and comes in three shades, Dark Blonde, Darker Brown and Lighter Brown."
MAC Strobe Cream Hydratant Lumineux, £13.50 for 50ml
"If, like me, you feel like you’ve aged ten years since the lockdown began then you need this in your make-up armoury. Just mix a blob into your foundation to add an instant, dewy hue to your skin. It contains super-powered botanicals and nutritious vitamins and is a great way to boost tired-looking skin."
Elizabeth Arden FourEver Bronzing Powder, £29
"I’m very sad my this has come to the end of its life. This brilliant four-in-one compact has all the colours you need to sculpt, contour, glow and bronze. The colours are subtle and can be used alone or blended and is the perfect one-stop-shop palette for when we can travel again."
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Liquid Concealer, £20.40
"This is a miracle stick and my most trusted quick make-up fix. It has a nifty brush application and covers up everything from dark circles, blemishes, pigmentation and redness. I have mine on my desk and use for a quick fix before many a Zoom meeting."
Natura Bisse C+C Micellar Cleansing Water, £54 for 200ml
"I struggle with dry skin and hate cleansing at night with water. It leaves my face so dehydrated and even the richest of moisturisers struggle to quench its thirst. So this micellar water has been a game-changer. You just need a few drops on a cotton wool pad, and it wipes away make-up and grime in an instant. Brilliantly, no rinsing is required and it always leaves my skin feeling fresh and nourished. Plus it smells divine with trace elements derived from bitter orange extract."
Melanie Macleod, digital writer
Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner, £34.15 for both
"Whenever I get my hair coloured and it's in that 'just-bleached-frazzled' stage, I always use this duo from Pureology. It contains a blend of sage, green tea and jojoba to nourish the air and soothe tangles, plus the conditioner has menthol and mint in it for a truly refreshing, zingy feel. I use the matching Softening Treatment mask, £21.45, for an extra treat and never dry it until it's been spritzed with the Color Fanatic Spray , £20.10, all of which contain a colour-protecting formula to keep my blonde looking fresh."
Kalmar Love Sensual Senses Bath Oil, £40.50 for 100ml
"After a long weekend of walking, I love sinking into a bath with this in it. It genuinely feels like the best self-care to treat myself to, smelling comforting and cocooning. It was designed to inspire self-love and sensuality and it does the job with ruby gemstone, cinnamon and velvet bean, selected for their Ayurvedic properties. Botanical oils, rose stem cells, edelweiss and shea butter hydrate, restore and promote collagen production for a luxe skin finish when I climb out of the bath. I like to follow with the matching Kalmar I am Loved Body Cream , £40.50 for 200ml. It has an ultra subtle shimmer too and smells like grown-up baby powder."
SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF, £145 for 30ml
"I feel like a bad beauty writer when I admit this, but this is the first vitamin C serum I've ever used. But what an introduction it was. It has high-performing ingredients to back up the price, including 15 per cent l-ascorbic acid vitamin C, alongside 0.5 per cent ferulic acid for glow-boosting, as well as 0.5 per cent silymarin which ups the antioxidant protection and helps limit breakouts. 0.5 per cent salicylic acid is in the mix too to gently unclog pores. My skin was brighter than it has been for a long time while using this, it doesn't smell as strongly as some vitamin C serums can and absorbs fast enough to layer my other skincare on top. I'm saving up for another bottle."
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Comfort Cream D-Stress, £59 for 30ml
"Created by celebrity facialist Sarah Chapman, this rich, nourishing cream was reserved for night time only because it felt extra-decadent and sumptuous (day time me does not deserve). It includes ceramides and bio-placenta growth factors to soothe and strengthen the skin barrier and my skin felt smooth and soft while I was using it. Plus it has an airless pump dispenser keep the active ingredients protected which is essential when they're pricey like this."
Diego Dalla Palma MyToyBoy Mascara, £24
"This mascara tube is comically large (not one for taking out and about) but it creates equally dramatic lashes which reach right up to my brows. It's the best-selling mascara in Italy and I can see why. It gives the longest, most voluminous dark lashes outside of lash extensions and the soft silicone tube is easy to hold on to and manoeuvre, plus it claims to help your lashes grow after using for 30 days thanks to lash-nourishing ingredients. Diego Dalla Palma is one of my favourite makeup brands out there; I've been using their black liquid eyeliner , £15.50, for over a year and it's just a pigmented and long-wearing as this."
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