We've been waiting a long time for some of these hotly tipped launches
Some beauty launches come out of nowhere, filling a gap in your life you didn't know was there (affordable organic tampons, glitter lip balms) while there are others you wait patiently for until they finally land (thank you Suqqu Nude Wear Liquid Foundation and AHC Essential Eye Cream for Face). We've got a bit of both this week.
If increased stress levels have left your skin breaking out, we've got an oil to calm it right down plus we've found the perfect foundation for slapping on minutes before your Zoom meeting begins. Fans of clean beauty are in for a treat too, as we've reviewed the latest launch from Tata Harper - spoiler: it's as a gorgeous as you'd hope.
AHC Essential Eye Cream For Face, £26
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"This cult cream sells one every three seconds in its native South Korea and is packed with peptides to stimulate collagen formation. The curiously-named Eye Cream For Face came about after customers were using the brand’s original eye cream with its highly concentrated ingredients all over their face, it was that good. Now AHC (Aesthetic Hydration Cosmetics) has created a version for the face, which I’ve been trying for the past couple of weeks and have had great results in terms of hydration and feeling generally a bit more ‘sucked in’. The brand is all about micro technology - shrinking ingredients to a size smaller than the pores to allow for greater penetration - and it’s new to the UK today. It wouldn’t surprise me if this hero Eye Cream for Face was snapped up immediately. It’s definitely one to bookmark for your wishlist."
Tata Harper Water Lock Moisturiser, £55.07
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I’m a sucker for skincare that has water in the name ( Sunday Riley’s Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream , for example) and this new launch from natural brand Tata Harper is every bit as hydrating as the name suggests. It targets the upper layers of the skin, where we need hydration most, creating a silicone-free barrier that lets the skin breathe but creates a smooth effect. The formula has 19 high-performing ingredients including orange peptides and pomegranate spheres to boost water retention and bind moisture to the skin. It smells citrussy and refreshing and has eco-credentials too; you keep the outer pot and just replaced the inner tub of product to reduce waste."
Oio Lab Organic Facial Treatment, £45
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"After too many bars of Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate and my time of the month looming, my skin was starting to have a very angry breakout. So I called upon this new launch from Polish brand Oio Lab - a vegan and cruelty-free facial treatment oil - for a helping hand. Designed for hormonal or acne-prone skin, Harmony First works to calm and detoxify the skin by harnessing the power of nature with a mix of ten organic cold-pressed oils such as evening primrose and borage seed, great for supporting the regeneration process of the skin. It’s an incredibly lightweight formula and doesn’t leave you with an overly-oil residue. I like to apply in the morning for a nourished natural glow and since using I’ve found that my complexion is much brighter and retains hydration."
Platinum Night Caviar Firm & Lift Serum, £38
Loved by: Marie-Louise Pumfrey, GTG contributor
"When your 20-year-old daughter asks you “how come your cheeks are so soft mum?” something must be going right. As I’ve not been genetically gifted with super smooth skin, I’m attributing it to this new product in my routine, which delivers a perfectly peachy soft texture in an instant. My new and improved skin texture is most likely down to the argan and avocado oil mixed with the precious metal platinum to nourish and heal the skin. I’ve been following it with the Prai Gold night cream which I’ve been using for a few weeks and am now a firm advocate and officially obsessed with this brand. My only challenge now is how to keep my daughter’s hands off it!"
Lore Originals The Bar Vegan Shampoo and Body Wash, £15
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"I’ve wanted to get on board with shampoo bars for a long time for their environmental creds of being water-free and plastic-free. But I’ve always been afraid they will turn my har to a crisp. Lore Originals have persuaded me otherwise with this soft luxe bar full of natural ingredients such as magnesium, vitamin E, and Cornish kaolin clay to help detox the scalp (they explain what and why they have used in a very detailed and accessible way).
"I was really surprised at the lather I got from this; it creams up in an unprepossessing way in your hand. You think, 'this is never going to work as a shampoo!". But when it hits your hair and you work it in, it transforms into a burst of foam. The foaming agent is SCS which is derived from coconut and, unlike the more common synthetics surfactant SLS, it doesn't irritate the skin. It makes a great body cleanse – you can use it on the face too. It lasts a good couple of months and leaves the hair and skin remarkably soft. If you’ve been a shampoo bar avoider/snob (guilty) I challenge you not to be converted by this."
Huda Beauty Diamond Balm, £22
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, GTG contributor
"Who remembers the Polly Pocket glittery lip balms we had as kids? You know the ones; a little colour, lots of shimmery glitter that made us feel like a big girl. Well the genius that is Huda Beauty has made a real-life big girls version in the form of the new Diamond Balm. Encased in a pastel ombre bullet that would make any unicorn jealous, this simple yet wonderful bit of kit that transforms your lips into a better version of themselves, with a subtle shimmer.
"It comes in three colours but if I am honest there isn’t a huge difference between them. Over my many years as a makeup artist I found that anything that contains glitter is often quite drying on the lips but this dialled down little beauty is anything but. I use it on its own and have never felt sticky or crackly. In fact, my lips are softer than ever."
Flo Organic Eco-applicator Tampons , £2.53 for 14 (8 regular, 6 super)
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"I never thought I would see the day that I got excited about having my period, but that day came when I received a pack of Flo Tampons. Maybe because a) the packaging looks like a tub of Halo Top ice cream and b) because they’re totally spot on in terms of eco-credentials.
"I know a Moon Cup is top-tier but I’ve yet to get grips with a menstrual cup and let’s be real, they’re not for everyone. So, this is the step in the right direction for me. Not only is Flo PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free , they are also made of 100 per cent organic, hypoallergenic, biodegradable cotton and the applicators made from BPA-free recyclable bioplastic made of sugar cane. They're ethical but certainly doesn’t compromise on efficacy, they absorb as well as any I've tried and are leak-proof. Plus they're affordable! If that’s not enough, five per cent of profits go to charities supporting women and girls in need, alongside products to help fight period poverty in the UK. It’s a win-win and a massive thumbs up from me."
Decorte Phytotune Softening Cleanse, £30
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"Japanese luxury skincare brand Decorte do some of the most gorgeous packaging I’ve seen; I know that’s not the most important thing but the whole new Phytotune range in its beautifully sculptural pale violet bottles is something I love seeing in my bathroom. It's a softening range which is perfect for the extra dryness we may all be experiencing right now (which many facialists have told me is to do with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol).
"This velvety-soft cleanser looks and feels like a rich moisturiser and you can certainly leave it on as a mask. When I wash it off, my face feels incredibly soft and clean but not stripped. There are many botanicals in here including the hydrating oil squalane as well as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate which is a non-acid form of vitamin C that’s better tolerated by sensitive skins. The primary ingredient is mineral oil, which provides great softness, but which may not suit sensitive skins. The Phytotune Refining Softener body lotion , £42, is a real treat too and looks gorgeous enough to make a lovely gift."
Susie Mermaid Seaweed Silk Luxe Hydration Body Butter, £80 for 200ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I had zero interest in the unicorn beauty trend. As far as I was concerned they could gallop off back to fantasyland and never return. But mermaids? They’re a different kettle of fish. There’s something about their shell bras and flowing hair that draws me in so I was very intrigued when Susie Mermaid’s products arrived at my house. The range was created by holistic facialist and bodyworker Susie after her clients wanted to take the magic of her treatments (performed at retreats on the Italian coast and Swiss lakes) home with them.
The products (which also include a bath oil , a night oil , a moisturiser , a cleanser and a mask ) are all housed in turquoise and rose gold (recyclable) packaging and had me entranced. The sumptuous body butter is my pick from the collection; it infuses mineral-rich kelp, spirulina, jojoba oil and shea butter to hydrate the skin, with a coastal-inspired citrus and herb scent that makes me feel like I’m walking the cliffs of Cornwall rather than working from home, unable to retreat to the sea."
Jusbox Black Powder Perfume, £140
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, GTG contributor
"I just love perfume, I mean, it is an addiction. I can often wear up to ten in one day, layering them up to create combinations that are unique to me. I recently discovered Jusbox and, boy oh boy, are they on the same page as I am. Not only are their fragrances fresh and inviting but there is such a wide range that you could experiment for days with this collection alone.
"My favourite, usually used as my base, is Black Powder. It is intense and deep with notes of tobacco and sandalwood. It's inspired by the authenticity that led to the grunge music of the '90s, and I definitely get that vibe. As a girl who rocked purple cord flares and blasted Blink182 from my parents' car radio, this fragrance takes me back to me to my first summer camp out, without grownups, where the apple trees were fresh and the power of music was deep and the self-discovery was abundant. You make not get the same reaction, but for anyone who loves a warm but crisp fragrance, this is the guy for you."
SVR ABC Ampoule Anti-Ox C 30ml, £30
Loved by: Marie-Louise Pumfrey, GTG contributor
"Anyone else struggle with morning face? My look is puffy and pale and a little bit saggy which is never a great start. Emergency measures were required in the form of a vitamin C serum and I’m delighted to report that I’ve discovered the creme de la creme of them all, by the French pharmacy skincare brand SVR which is world-renowned for its dermatological solutions. I apply this first thing in the morning and it delivers an instant glow and is one of the most powerful vitamin C products available with a whopping great 20 per cent concentrate. Thankfully my morning face is brightened in an instant."
Suqqu Nude Wear Liquid Ex Foundation, £48
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"Suqqu has made some of the best glow-getting foundations of all time and this recent arrival is the perfect formula for our socially-distanced times. It’s been my go-to for those days when I have a Zoom meeting or an Instagram Live or just need to feel a little bit more put together and refreshed.
"A revamp of the popular Nude Wear Liquid, the Liquid Ex has a higher SPF (up from 15 to 25 or 30, depending on which of the 12 shades it is). It's quite runny as the name suggests and comes in a dropper bottle. As a serum foundation, it comes with moisturising and anti-ageing benefits too with fine light-reflective particles. I layer it up around the corners of the nose and chin where I need more coverage, without it being cakey. It’s as fine and weightless as the name suggests that it’s almost invisible. I use it around the eyes too in place of concealer. "