skin

During my years working as a beauty editor it has become increasingly apparent that there’s one skincare product that people are obsessed with above all others—moisturiser. There’s no doubt that questions about which moisturisers are genuinely worth the money are some of my most frequently asked, and it’s really no surprise when there are so many on the market. However, skincare is deeply personal, and why most of us are becoming increasingly clued-up on our skin types there’s another major factor at play when it comes to sourcing a moisturiser that will work for you—your age. Before we get into it, let me be clear: I have no time for wild anti-ageing claims or products that promise to deliver line-free skin. Nothing is going to turn back the clock or eliminate wrinkles...

But I figured the good cleanser and great reviews from peers were enough reasons for me to give the brand the benefit of the doubt, so I logged on to Zoom to have a conversation with the co-founders and cousins, Greg Gonzalez and Joe Cloyes. And I’ll admit I spent the next half an hour getting one hell of a reality check. Turns out Youth to the People isn’t just another natural skincare brand out of California. In fact, it’s not a natural skincare brand at all and is, instead, rooted in science and philanthropy. “Our grandmother started a professional skincare line in 1979. She was a true pioneer in the space and actually advocated for and helped write the first curriculum for an aesthetician license. Her whole passion and vision was built on the power of plants and science that was h...

We’re not sure about you, but in recent years, it feels as though shopping for beauty products has become more difficult than ever before. Not because of the fact we don’t find ourselves shopping IRL much, and not because of the rather daunting amount to choose from (although these things don’t help), but rather because what we want from our beauty products has changed exponentially. After spending many years of our lives buying every beauty product that came our way, nowadays we want to buy less and buy smarter. At Who What Wear, we have found ourselves prepared to spend more money on our beauty products, but we want them to work. Think easy-to-use, fuss-free products that deliver tangible results. We’re talking face creams that deliver instant glow, 10-minute hair masks th...

If you’ve worked in the beauty industry long enough, you’re bound to pick up beauty tips and tricks. As beauty editors, we regularly talk to nearly everyone in the industry, from nail pros to dermatologists. Along the way, we’ve each picked up hacks that we’ve taken with us and incorporated into our own routines.  Personally, the hacks I’ve learned have been nothing short of mind-blowing. I’ve learned how to style my waves to make them perfectly beachy, make my dry skin so dewy that it looks lit from within, and even found a way to firm and plump my lips (sans fillers). Luckily, my co-workers have also picked up some beauty hacks over the years (including a glow-boosting trick from J.Lo’s makeup artist). Keep reading to learn our absolute favorite tricks and how to make your own...

I’ll admit, we beauty journalists are a tough crowd to please on Instagram. The Insta beauty community is flooded with millions of product reviews, conflicting recommendations and more questionable skincare advice than you can shake a stick at. As a result, it’s fair to say that most beauty journalists hold a high standard when it comes to the beauty accounts they choose to follow. One fashion and beauty content creator that has totally won beauty editors over, however, is Alexis Foreman. Yes, she delivers beautiful and engaging content, but her advice is rooted in truth and experience, too. As someone who is adored by beauty editors, fashion editors and just about anyone that might stumble across her profile, not only do I, as a beauty editor, wholeheartedly admir...

This might come as a real shock to most people, but your skin really doesn’t need a separate moisturiser for the day and night. In fact, our skin doesn’t have the ability to know what time of the day it is at all. General beauty-editor consensus is that you only need a separate moisturiser if your skin is asking for one. “Some nights I can put on a balm, and the next morning I have a huge breakout. Other nights my skin looks glowing for it. It’s all about judging what your skin needs,” says Zoe Cripps, deputy beauty editor at OK! magazine. The caveat to this rule comes down to active ingredients. “Unless there are actives that are advised to use only at night, then your daily cream will work just fine, but people are obsessed with this ‘day’ and ‘night’ language,” muses George Dr...

They are the brands that just seem to really understand the skin’s health. They don’t get sucked in by trending ingredients and instead focus on skincare products that give the skin exactly what it needs to stay healthy. It’s not to say that every single one of the products in that brand’s offering will be suitable for everybody, but rather everybody will find a great skincare product that suits them. In order to make a definitive list of the best skincare brands around, I didn’t think it smart to compile a list of my favourites. In a bid to make this as fair as possible, I reached out to everybody I know to get their insights. From Who What Wear editors to beauty PRs and every beauty buff and lover that follows me on Instagram, I received a huge amount of nominations. After cons...

I should probably start by clarifying: Even pre-COVID, 50% of my job entailed unboxing, testing, reviewing, and re-testing beauty products. This is not a luxury I take lightly, and while it might seem like a mundane task, my fellow beauty editors and I take a lot of pride in our ability to test and provide thoughtful feedback. (We quite literally receive hundreds of packages each month, so you can understand how this makes up a big part of our job!) Some of this feedback is just between the three of us on Slack, some of it goes to a brand’s PR team or even its CEO, and a lot of the time, it comes directly to you! With so many swipes and swatches under my belt, it takes a lot to impress me, and I’ve admitted on more than one occasion that I’ve become a ...

A few weeks ago, I spent a very long weekend in Paris, which is one of my all-time favourite cities! As you can imagine, my trip was spent eating my way through the city, but I also spent a lot of time exploring the French pharmacies. While I’m fortunate enough to write about beauty on a weekly basis, I still somehow never get bored of discovering new products, and that’s exactly what I set out to do in my time in France. While rummaging through the pharmacy shelves, I found many products that I had heard of before and that are currently available in the UK, such as La Roche-Posay and Caudalie. But I also discovered several less familiar brands, including Horace, a Parisian natural skincare and grooming brand for men, and R...

When it comes to the causes of irritated skin, clinical aesthetician and co-founder of Mortar & Milk, Pamela Marshall reveals there are plenty of daily irritants around. “Pollution can take its toll on the skin, I have many clients that really struggle in London—the skin can only handle so much. Irritated skin can also just come down to having dirty sheets, so wash them weekly in hot water,” she says. Very commonly, however, irritated skin can just come down to overusing actives—something I can be very guilty of. In my job, I try countless skincare products a year for research purposes, and you better believe a whole bunch of them will irritate my skin. “The number of times I’ve had to completely hone down someone’s routine and it’s solved the problem is uncountable,” says Marshall. “R...

Ask any skincare expert out there, and they will agree that cleansing is the single most important part of any skincare routine. Even if you don’t find the time to do anything else, washing your skin should never be skipped. “Cleansing should be a part of both your morning and evening skincare routine,” says Rayhaneh Zahedi, a dermatology specialty doctor at Quality Health Care Ltd. “It removes impurities, pollution and sebum, creating the perfect canvas for serum application and absorption,” she adds. The good news is your cleansing routine doesn’t have to be complicated. “I have always been an advocate of the less-is-more approach. You just need to find the products which work for you,” says Alexis Granite, CeraVe consultant dermatologist. To create a blank canvas, keep skin irritation t...

The face oil can be used both morning and night towards the end of your routine. One of my favourite ways to use it at night is after my moisturiser as the last step in my night routine to help seal in all the moisture from my previous products. When it comes to using it during the day, it should always be applied before applying SPF. I’ve found since using this face oil that I’m reaching for fewer products during my routine as the oil easily absorbs into my skin leaving it feeling extremely nourished for hours. It’s definitely not the most affordable face oil on the market, however, I found the hydrating results to be instant and if it means reaching for fewer products, I’m all for it. Plus, I reach for this face oil all the time and despite it ...