These Are the Must-haves You’ll Find in Every Beauty Editor’s Kit
Working in the beauty industry allows editors the enviable opportunity to test out hundreds of new beauty products every single month. The bad get binned (read: recycled) the good get used up, but it takes a truly great product to stick around for the long-haul.
But magazines, websites and blogs often focus on the new products these beauty editors have been recently trying and testing, forgetting those oldies-but-goodies that have firmly cemented a place in these experts routines.
So we asked 5 of the UK’s most talented beauty editors to share those products they use on repeat, repurchase and (most importantly) recommend to all their friends…
Shannon Peter, Beauty Director at STYLIST
It took me a good few attempts to get to grips with Glossier Brow Flick but now I’ve mastered it, I’d honestly never use anything else. If you use the very tip, and hold the pen perpendicular to your face, it’s the best thing for creating ultra-fine strokes that look like genuine hairs.
Clinique Take the Day Off Balm, £25
In terms of make-up removal, nothing beats Clinique Take the Day Off Balm. It melts down even cement-like mascara and stubborn brow gel without the need for any reckless scrubbing. And unlike loads of other cleansing balms I’ve tried, it doesn’t render you temporarily blind if you get it in your eyes.
Sanctuary Spa Wet Skin Moisture Miracle, £6
I’ll never be someone that moisturises my body everyday, I’m far too lazy. But this stuff is epic. You put it onto wet skin while you’re still in the shower and it soaks in so quickly, you can just towel off straight after. No hopping around a cold bathroom necessary.
Larry King Liquid Hairbrush, £42
Liquid Hairbrush is one of those products you need to see in action to really believe, but let me tell you, nothing sorts out my matted curls quite like it. You use it like a conditioner, and it melts away tangles and sort of glazes hair so hair emerges from the shower shinier than when it went in.
Aurelia Botanical Cream Deodorant, £18
I’m a total natural deodorant convert, but have to admit, only a few of them really work. Aurelia’s Botanical Cream Deodorant is undoubtedly the best. If you can get over the fact you have to apply it with your fingers (it’s stops feeling weird around day 3, I promise), it works just as well as any hardcore industrial-strength drugstore equivalent, but with totally natural ingredients.
Perdita Nouril, Beauty Editor at Women’s Health
It sounds hyperbolic, but for me, this serum is great skin bottled. Its hero ingredient is reishi mushroom extract, which beefs up your skin’s defences so that it can protect itself from internal damage (aka stress) and environmental damage. Honestly though? You won’t care about how the science works; you’ll be too busy admiring the results. Worth every penny.
L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara, £10.99
I must get sent new mascara launches weekly, and yet nothing even comes close to this lash lengthener. For me, it’s the brush. The bristles are perfectly positioned to comb through my lashes without clumping. Ever. Two coats and my tiny mole eyes go from zero to hero.
Laura Mercier Extreme Velour Lipstick, £24.50
I’m a lipstick nut and currently obsessed with these bad boys. The nib of lipstick itself is thin enough so that you can trace an outline around your lips and then fill in, meaning you don’t have to faff about with a lip brush or lip liner. The formula also has serious staying power and lasts much longer than most matte lippies out there.
Moroccanoil Texture Spray, £20
Bouncy and thick my hair is not. However, this does an epic job of making everyone else think otherwise. A few blasts lift roots and adds just enough texture to that my hair looks anything but lank.
Laura Capon, Deputy Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan
NYX Professional Makeup Born To Glow Foundation, £10
I talk about this foundation so much it’s borderline embarassing, but honestly once you try this you will never spend your money on a high end formula again. It gives all the glow, combined with coverage, I’ve just cut my tube in half to get the last dregs out.
Truth be told everytime someone asks me what perfume I’m wearing, I don’t want to tell them, that’s because Glossier You is my signature scent. However, I guess I should have picked a fragrance that doesn’t make people stop in the street and ask you what perfume you’re wearing… more fool me.
Having dark hair I often scoff at any dry shampoo that claims to be ‘invisible’. Hand on heart, Colab is the only truly invisible formula I’ve tried, hence why I get through about a can a week.
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, £9.50
I know it’s lazy writing to say that CeraVe cleansers are life changing because no beauty product should ‘change your life’. But, if it could, CeraVe cleansers would. I’ve converted my entire friendship group, and even brother to them… it’s my religion.
L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, £19.50
Despite being an incredibly spoilt beauty journalist (I know), I still put this on my Christmas list every single year. It is the most indulgent shower oil (without being greasy) and honestly transforms your shower into as close to a spa-like experience as you can get.
Farzana Ali, Beauty and Wellbeing journalist and sound therapist @thesoundtherapist
Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner, £5.99
I’ve tried pretty much every eyeliner out there, but I always come back to this purse-friendly buy. The perfectly shaped felt-tip applicator also makes winged eyeliner a breeze.
Spacemasks, £15 for a pack of five
It was love at first wear with these self-heating eye masks. I love to pop one on at the end of the day to soothe tired eyes, or even when I’m meditating.
Huda Beauty Overachiever Concealer, £24
Luckily, the days of not finding the right shade for darker skin tones like mine are long gone (amen!) and this concealer offers the perfect coverage for undereye circles. It’s magic in a tube and can be worn with or without foundation.
L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, £19.50 (again!)
This deliciously scented, sensitive skin saviour turns from an oil to a milky emulsion on contact with water and is my absolute go to come bath time. The eco-refills make this a guilt-free purchase too.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, £87
Not only do I love this, but I make everyone I know use this too. It’s light enough not to clog up pores, but it’s incredibly hydrating and smells divine.
Annie Vischer, Beauty Editor
Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser, £68
I started using this years ago but soon after fell into the trap of opting for higher and higher coverage bases. I ended up routinely masking my skin during the day and quickly lost confidence in it. Lockdown has seen me ditch make-up for perhaps the longest time in ten years and I’ve reacquainted myself with my skin and one of my favourite tinted moisturisers in the process. Now, when it comes to a base, I want something sheer and glow-giving that complements instead of covering. Chantecaille’s Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser does the job and then some.
Benefit Rollerlash Mascara, £22.50
When it comes to lashes my priorities are length, definition and curl. I’ve never been on board with the Twiggy-esque clumped-up effect. I make a play for doll-like lashes that look full but natural, it’s why I love treatments like LVL and lash extensions. Benefit Rollerlash Mascara is one of the only mascaras that succeeds in staving off those lash appointments. The formula is light, and the curved plastic brush separates, thickens and curls lashes back.
The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Moisture Lotion SPF15, £18
My skin is like a moody teenager. Sometimes it’s happy, other times it’s kicking off big time. It’s sensitive and prone to hormonal breakouts. Whether I’m suffering from a reaction to a new serum, face mask or moisturiser, I run back to this soothing failsafe like a flirt who’s got her fingers burned by the bad boys. I started using it way back on my teens when it was the only moisturiser that could calm my puffy re face down after using a harsh toner. It might not be fancy but it hasn’t let me down since.
La Roche Posay Hyalu B5 Serum, £38
This is the best hyaluronic acid serum I’ve come across bar none. Hyaluronic acid particles hold on to up to 1000 times their weight in moisture. It’s my sure-fire route to supple skin and an all-day glow. After using consistently for the last year or so I wouldn’t be without it again.
Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo, £21
My hair is fine but I’ve got a lot of it and striking the balance between nourishing and not weighing it down is always difficult. I seem to have managed it at last though and it’s all down to Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo. It uses coconut-based ingredients to lift dirt and product residue away (handy when you’re a dry shampoo obsessive like me) without stripping my hair or drying out my scalp. My hair is full and shiny for days after use. Oh and it helps that it looks darned beautiful on the side of a bath too.
This Works Skin Deep Dry Leg Oil, £42
The smell of this oil had me at hello. Think aromatherapy levels of sweet orange, rose and bergamot oil, cocktailed together with coconut, jojoba and rosehip oil for their nourishing properties. It’s meant for legs but I use it all over. I smooth it on straight out of the shower whilst my skin’s still wet. If I’m about to head out I’ll add a little more to my shoulders, clavicles and legs (if they’re on show) to add more of a sheen.
