skin

Before we couldn’t fly anywhere, I took my in-flight beauty routine very seriously. So, in the month before my trips I would test all manner of products to see which ones would make the final cut. These are the ones that I deem to be worthy of decanting into the dozen tiny pots that fit into my clear bag. On one of these lab-worthy skincare trials, I came across Patchology. I rarely make time for products like eye gel masks but on an 8 hour flight, there’s really nothing else to do. So in my bag they went. Not only was it a joy to use but the eye gels were surprisingly effective and I embarked from the plane looking pretty fresh looking. Patchology have the kind of products that you don’t think you need and may not go looking for, but they’re seriously good if you w...

As a beauty editor, I spend a lot of time telling you about the stuff you need. You know, the game-changing lotions and potions that will smooth your skin, give you shiny hair, make your hands hella soft, and a whole host of other beauty wish list items. But today, I’m coming at you with a cold, hard fact you might not be ready to hear. Here’s the truth: Mediocrity abounds in the beauty industry. That’s right. So much of the stuff out there marketed as miracle workers actually don’t do much at all.  As you can imagine, I get an up close, firsthand look at the ploys and truth-stretching that takes place, but as a consumer, I’m sure you’ve also had your suspicions. If I’m being totally honest, there are too many products that fall short of ...

When it comes to caring for my skin in summer, I get pretty lazy. I can strip back my routine to the bare bones of cleansing and moisturising, and my complexion doesn’t seem to be the slightest bit effected. Winter, however, is a whole other story. As soon as the temperatures start to plummet, so does my skin’s appearance. My lips chap, my eyes water, my skin becomes irritated, and almost every morning I wake up to find a new spot has taken up residence on my face. Sure, it used to knock my confidence, but as I’ve come to expect this annual skin meltdown, I know how to better combat it. I start reintroducing acids to my regimen, and have various masks on rotation. However, as my skin is suffering more this year than most – I put it down to fabric mask-weari...

If you walk into any bookshop and head to the fashion and lifestyle section, you’ll find the shelves lined with various books filling you in on the style of French women. Beauty is right up there too, as long before we had French pharmacy brands in the UK, trips on the Eurostar always ended with bags of creams and potions that only reside on the other side of the channel.  There’s an effortlessness that so many French women exude and mastering simple yet extremely effective skincare routines is just one of the ways they do it. While it can be incredibly thrilling hunting out the latest buzzy ingredients, there’s something very satisfying about being a spy on the wall in someone else’s beauty routine.  So, we decided to ask the questions we know you...

It’s a controversial thing to say but, in theory, Black Friday is so not my thing. I spend my working life advising people to consider their beauty purchases very carefully, and that message simply doesn’t align with the concept of Black Friday. Trust me, I totally understand the temptation of a bargain, especially when it comes to pretty beauty products. However, doing your research and working out which products are right for you is just as important on Black Friday as it is any other time. With that being said, there’s no doubt that now is the time to stock up on age-old favourites and dream products that have always been slightly out of budget. If you’re anything like me, your inbox will be flooded with flash sales, discounts and offers from every beauty brand and retailer out there, a...

Yep, we all know that one person who looks as if they’ve stopped time. They might be in their 30s to 40s but easily look like they’re a 20-something. Maybe they even ID’d. Call it what you want, but I’d venture to guess that there’s someone in your life who’s managed to negate the natural effects of aging in one way or another, and we’d be lying if we said it didn’t absolutely intrigue us. No matter what age you are—or whether you’re even concerned with “ageing”—it’s near impossible not to be curious about how these people have managed to Benajmin Button right in front of our eyes.  One such example is Caroline Labouchere, a grey ambassador and model whose glowy, flawless complexion has stopped me in my scrolling track...

Whenever I tell someone that I didn’t have a shower in my house until I was in my late teens, they’re always incredibly shocked. What can I say? Both my mum and I loved baths, so we never really felt the need to reconfigure our entire (relatively small) bathroom to fit an unsightly cubical. As far as I was concerned, showers were an oddity. That was until I started working and the shower my mum had finally permitted my stepdad to install came in especially handy when I was running late (which, admittedly, was just about every day).  Now that I have a bathroom all my own—with a shower and everything—I still prefer to soak than stand. I have a bath almost every night, particularly in the winter months. A bath is a perfect way to unwind after a stressful or busy day or to warm you...

While we all like to think that our skincare routines are tip-top, even those with 10-step routines complete with serums that will set you back hundreds of pounds aren’t immune to a pesky spot from time to time. That’s right. Although getting the odd whopper of a spot can leave you screaming Why me?! from the rooftops, you should also find solace in the fact that literally everyone gets spots. Some spots might be painful and rock-hard, and others may appear red, inflamed, and juicy. While they can often leave you feeling helpless, providing you know exactly what to do, they shouldn’t stick around for too long. Howard Murad, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Murad explains, “There are two overarching types of spots: non-inflammatory and inflammatory. Non-inflammatory sp...

If we’re being honest, with there being so much choice these days, there aren’t many beauty brands we go back to time and time again. Elemis, however, is one of them. Most of the Who What Wear team, whether beauty obsessed or not, had a favourite hero product from 30 year old brand when posed the question on our slack channels. Whether it’s the Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm, or award-winning Marine Cream, divinely smelling Frangipani Body Oil or, well, the whole Superfood range, Elemis products have a widespread cult following like no other.  Why, you ask? We’re going to hedge our bets and say it’s because they actually work. Effective and luxurious, every bathroom cabinet of lotions and potions can benefit from a little Elemis, no matter your age or skin type. So, forgive us for getting all...

I’m a dessert person. I like to believe that all people are dessert people, but I’ve been left rather disappointed at the end of many a meal, by dessert-refusers. My penchant for sweet, creamy things has translated into beauty, as I spent most of the early 2000’s hunting out gourmand fragrances (hello, Britney Spears Fantasy) and grabbing any body cream that smelled like the inside of a bakery.  As my age and taste has shifted somewhat, I’m less into vanilla-scented everything but dessert textured skincare is where it’s at for me. I’m talking dense, thick, whipped cream-like moisturisers. The products with that ever-so-satisfying finger dunk that remind me of a mixing bowl of meringue.  This isn’t only a sensory thing as these rich creams sure work...

Finding good skincare products can be overwhelming—there’s always a buzzy new ingredient you absolutely haveto try or an update on a formulation that promises a slew of benefits you didn’t know you needed. Having access to these products is undoubtedly a perk of being a Who What Wear editor, but it also has its setbacks.  On the one hand, it helps us discover products we really, truly love, which we can then reiterate to you firsthand. On the flip side, the potency of really great products is sometimes diluted by the sheer volume of moisturisers, serums, balms, and oils we road-test. As such, we thought it was high-time to cancel out the noise and simply focus on the skincare buys we know—from months, if not years of use—work. Editors and experts from both sides of the Atlantic...

I can’t speak for everyone, but my skin has changed since the start of the pandemic. While I’m pretty fortunate to have skin that rarely breaks out, I’ve had more spots and more dullness since March. I don’t believe that this is a coincidence, either. In fact, a quick look at Google Trends and the phrase “bad skin in lockdown” shows that it’s clearly something people are googling (and are looking for a solution to). It’s not exactly surprising—stress has been proven a big factor for skin becoming spotty and inflamed and can increase the rate of ageing.  When I’m stressed out, I often turn to a trusty facial roller, but this time, I needed something more powerful. So when I saw that Foreo, a Swedish skincare device brand, was launching a new facial toning gadget, the Foreo Bear,...