Serum to save bleached hair, an innovative retinol and eyeliner that gives the best flicks ever - all made it into our edit this week
Treat yourself to some new beauty buys, from a seriously impressive lip liner, to soothing CBD skin oil that calms 'inflammageing' to a hard-working moisturiser that makes light work of dry skin. Here are the best new beauty buys of 2021 so far.
Kérastase Blond Absolu Cica Nuit Hair Serum , £33.90 for 90ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"This overnight serum is among the latest additions to Kerastase's Blond Absolu collection (designed specifically to care for blonde hair) and is responsible for softening my recently bleached hair. It's a cream-gel formula which I apply before bed to dry hair to hydrate and restore shine and it works wonders and doesn't leave my hair greasy or sticky, it just soaks it right up. Ingredients including hyaluronic acid and edelweiss flower plump the hairs making them look instantly healthier and seals split ends too to make it look fuller."
Allies of Skin 20% Vitamin C Brighten + Firm Serum, £28 for 8ml
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, associate editor
"Vitamin C comes in all strengths, shapes and sizes and this one stands out for a high-performance blend packed with potent ingredients. So what makes it different? First, the texture. It’s an unusual honey-like balm that feels nourishing on a dried-out winter skin first thing in the morning. If it’s too sticky for you, try mixing it with the Allies of Skin Prebiotics and Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster , £65, to create a thinner, easier to apply combination serum. After using thinner vitamin C products I welcomed the thicker texture which felt more nurturing for my skin at the same time as giving it a boost of antioxidants. Next the ingredients. It’s an ethylated form of 20% pure L-ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C) which gives antioxidant protection, plus orange extract to boost elasticity and smoothness mixed with glutathione to protect skin and diminish dullness. So a powerhouse of skin superstars. It’s made my skin plump, glowy and supercharged. It’s my new Vitamin C superhero."
Vieve Modern Lip Definer, £15
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG designer and social media
"My love for Scottish beauty influencer Jamie Genevieve’s debut makeup range is going strong with these 90s inspired lip liners. Creamy, comfortable and powerfully pigmented, the matte pencils have become my new makeup must-have. They’re exceptionally blendable; I like to wear them without lipstick and just a dab of my Glossier Balm Dot Com , £10, for a natural look, or occasionally I’ll add a little more to softly accentuate and define my shape. Long-lasting and perfect for any lip-lovers these face mask approved liners are available in five shades."
Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream , £39 for 50ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Forever dreaming of a plump, dewy complexion? Summer Fridays have bottled (potted?) it in this pink brushed glass pot. It’s an ultralight gel-cream with three types of hyaluronic acid, ceramides and pineapple enzymes to drench the skin and improve tone and texture. It feels cooling on the skin and while you might not think that’s what you want on a cold January morning, it absolutely works, refreshing the skin and waking you up. Apply on top of slightly damp skin to really amp up the hydration."
Paula’s Choice CBD Oil + Retinol, £47, and CBD Treatment Milk, £43
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
At the launch this week of her first two CBD products, the incomparable formulator (and self-confessed skincare geek) Paula Begoun explained CBD so clearly that, for the first time, I understand why this confusing and fad-dogged extract of the cannabis plant is essential in a 21st-century skincare routine. Modern life – stress, pollution, sun damage, poor diet – creates inflammation. For some of us that shows up as eczema or rosacea or acne but for all of us it's a major cause of skin ageing - inflammageing as it's known. CBD is a cell communicator and by connecting with cannabinoid receptors in our skin it can tell them to calm down the inflammatory response. Hey presto calmer, younger-acting skin.
The two new products are a gorgeous Skin Treatment Milk which is light but moisturising, perfect for day and has 150mg CBD. Then there's the CBD Oil + Retinol with 0.5 retinol, with cannabis sativa seed oil (hemp, another calming ingredient), borage oil and ditto 150mg CBD. As with all Paula's Choice skincare, it contains no irritants or fragrance and homes in on results. Both are a delight to use - if you have oily skin don't be afraid of these, they won't break you out, in fact quite the opposite.
Modern Botany Oil, £35 for 60ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
Modern Botany is an Ireland based brand which is produced in West Cork using local ingredients. They have sustainability at their heart but concentrate on creating results-driven products including a natural deodorant and this multi-use oil, made from flax seed oil to help blemished and scarred skin, chamomile to soothe the skin and arnica to help improve the appearance of damaged skin. I’ve been using this in place of a hand cream this week and have noticed a definite improvement in softness and those annoying bits of skin at the sides of my nails.
She Wolf Hair Tsubaki Hair Oil, £16.50 for 100ml
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG designer and social media
"I’m loving this brand at the moment; firstly it makes me want to yell out its name in the voice of Shakira and secondly, I’ve fallen in love with the hair oil. The range took three years to develop and is the brainchild of hairstylist Mariano Ruiz, who has over 20 years experience within the hair industry. My afro hair gets exceptionally dry during the colder months and I’m always reaching for a good oil to help seal the moisture back in. This one from She Wolf is perfect, it defrizzes, smooths and leaves me with the softest hair. I only need two to three pumps to get through my whole mane and always feels lightweight. Great pre/post-styling or if you need an extra shot of hydration between wash day. Plus, it has the most refreshing, zingy fig and tuberose fragrance – no hair perfume needed."
R&R Serenity Whipped Shea Butter, £13
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Mask wearing combined with faffing about with too many active ingredients left me with dermatitis on my chin. A few days of applying this on the affected areas took the red rings right down and my skin showed no sign of the trauma of a few days before. It can also be used on the body, but I tend to reserve for night time because it doesn’t dry hugely quickly."
Ruby Hammer Precision Eyeliner, £19
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
I hang off legendary MUA's Ruby Hammer's every new product launch as I know it's going to be not just useful, but pretty, affordable, and a future classic. This jet black superfine liquid pen demands a steady hand but you'll get the perfect lash-hugging line or feline flick that lasts all day. I can't wait to get my hands on her new Precision Eyeliner Pencil, £18 too - a twist-up a black superfine crayon, that never demands a scramble for a sharpener. Both are vegan and cruelty-free and as Ruby says, "unapologetically me".
Lumity Restful Nights Booster Supplement, £37 for 28 capsules
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"If you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it a thousand times; our sleeping patterns are shot at the moment, with more than half of the UK population having struggled with sleep during the lockdown, according to a recent study by King's College London. Enter Lumity’s new vegan supplement. They include adaptogen holy basil to help us acclimatise better to stress and anxiety, plus pumpkin seed oil to boost mood, magnesium, turmeric and vitamin D3. The ingredients combine together to reduce feelings of stress, help you relax and thus have a restful sleep. They’re in a softgel format so very easy to swallow and after taking them for two weeks I’m starting to feel better rested come morning."