skin

If we had to pick out what we believe to be the biggest beauty movement of the last couple of years, there’s no doubt that we’d settle on clean beauty. More so than ever, we all want to know exactly what it is we’re slathering on our faces. From preservatives like parabens to drying foaming agents like sulphates, as consumers we are increasingly starting to question the purpose (and side effects) of certain ingredients in our skincare and makeup. It’s therefore no surprise that the clean beauty movement has really started to take off. People are starting to switch on to the fact that actually, some of the ingredients in our products might not be necessary. And, while over here in the UK we adhere to strict EU safety laws (at least for now), elsewhere in the world, the levels of p...

Day in and day out, we scroll through Instagram to make sure we’re bringing you the most up to date fashion and beauty trends. (It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it.) From the most talked-about products and new drops to the best advice, the social media platform is our favourite place to find out what people in the know are actually using.  That’s why, when we decided to compile a list of the best beauty products out there, we thought who better to ask than the women we always stop and ogle? The ones who get sent product after product and have tried and tested them all. That may be why every time we see them, through the app or in real life, we can’t quite get over how amazing their skin looks. We had to know their secrets...

I don’t know about you, but I’m trying find my summer kicks wherever I can right now. Following last week’s heatwave, I’m ready to start embracing all things summer. I ordered some new sandals, hooked out my shorts and rejigged my beauty cabinets so that my most-loved SPFs sit front and centre. I have slotted so easily back into the summer way of life, in fact, that I often have to remind myself that, unfortunately, this summer will probably look a little different than normal. You see, usually at around this time of year, I am packing a suitcase with swimsuits and beach cover-ups, ready to hop on a plane to somewhere a bit more exotic than the puddle-filled streets of London. However, this year, the main event of so many people’s summer has been put on...

There’s no doubt that as we get older, our skin’s wants and needs begin to change. While skincare routines of our late teens and early twenties might have focused heavily on oil-absorbing products that worked to keep breakouts in check, as we enter our thirties, it’s likely that other, more pressing skin issues start cropping up. For instance, spots of pigmentation might start surfacing, fine lines may begin to form and skin that was once plump and glowing could appear lacklustre and dull. The sorry truth is that as we enter our thirties, all of the stuff that makes our skin naturally healthy starts to deteriorate. “By the time we get to our thirties, we have around 50% collagen left in our skin. Hyaluronic acid production also slows down and cellular tu...

Nothing gets me more excited for summer than a great body product. The minute the sun starts shining, the first thing I do is dust off my go-to body beauty products from summers past and slather myself in them top to toe. If you ask me, you really can’t beat the feeling of prepping your body ready for a day of sun-drenched fun. You see, while a good summer body routine leaves skin silky smooth and glowing (which in itself is sure to make you feel good), the act of actually using summery-scented products comes with its own level of joy entirely. From sun cream and sunshine to tropical cocktails and zesty fruits, when the scents of summer come all wrapped up in the form of super nourishing, skin-loving beauty products, it’s like all of the great feelings that come hand-in-hand...

Everyone knows that they should be wearing SPF every day, but in all honesty, I kind of get why it’s such a difficult cause to get behind. With the way that it feels on the skin and formulas that seem to aggravate breakouts, being willing to apply SPF every day when you can’t physically see the damage that the sun is causing is quite an accomplishment. With that being said, I do apply it every day (gold star for me), and I will continue to harp on about the importance of doing so, even if my nagging falls on deaf ears. So yes, avoiding daily SPF application, come rain or shine, is logic I can sort of reason with. However, I absolutely draw the line at skipping SPF for a day spent sunbathing. And yes, this is far more common than you might think it is. During the recent heatwave, ...

Let’s play a game: Name the most minimal, most buzzworthy and most affordable skincare brand available right now. If you shouted The Ordinary, we commend you. The brand does, indeed, offer up a spectacular lineup of skin heroes, and some of the brand’s main talking points are simplistic, in-demand formulas clocking in at very impressive (i.e., budget-friendly) price points. However, as much as we love The Ordinary, it’s actually not the holy-grail skincare brand we’re referring to. Beauty lovers everywhere, meet The Inkey List—the under-the-radar brand that delivers sleek and minimal product formulas for under £15 each. Yep, you read that right! Founded by former Boots’ branding and product developers Colette Newberry and Mark Cur...

Pat McGrath is one of the most iconic makeup artists in history, and her namesake makeup brand, Pat McGrath Labs, more than lives up to her legendary name. Fun fact: The brand also just announced iconic supermodel Naomi Campbell as its first-ever global face of Pat McGrath Labs. “The entire planet is just as cosmetics obsessed as I’ve always been,” McGrath explains on the brand’s website. “Makeup is a movement. Makeup is mesmerising. Makeup is major. Mantra-esque, three words have repeated over and over in my mind ever since I was young. Obsession. Inspiration. Addiction. Those words became my guiding principles, my manifesto as I brought this brand to life.”  Visit the brand’s website and you’ll be faced wi...

I have never suffered from acne. My skin is oily and prone to the occasional whopper of a spot, but I’ve never really experienced full-blown acne. Really, if we’re going to get pernickety, we’ve all experienced acne in some form, as all spots are just acne in varying degrees. But if we’re talking about acne in the cystic form that we all envisage it as when we hear the word uttered, then no, I’ve never had acne. Something that I have experienced though, is really severe breakouts on my chest. However, these breakouts aren’t made up on just any normal spots, and I think a whole bunch of you will know what I mean. You see, when I took to my Instagram stories a couple of weeks ago asking for help about the red bumps and congestion that plagued my chest, I was swamped with...

I am, for lack of a better phrase, a total sun-worshipper. It’s not that I’m addicted to tanning or anything (trust me, sun-induced premature ageing means I am slathered in factor 50 all summer long)—it’s just that I really love the heat. As someone who lives in London where we spend the majority of the year wrapped up in waterproof jackets, fighting broken brollies and wearing down the soles of heavy-duty boots, the laid-back, carefree nature of summer gets me excited.  And I think it might have finally arrived. With the mercury finally hitting 20+, I have flung open the windows, pulled out the fan, packed away my knits and pulled out my dresses and shorts. However, my wardrobe is not the only area where I have been making substitutes. As the heat from the sun get...

I am, for lack of a better phrase, a total sun worshipper. It’s not that I’m addicted to tanning or anything (trust me, sun-induced premature ageing means I am slathered in factor 50 all summer long), it’s just that I really love the heat. As someone that lives in London where we spend the majority of the year wrapped up in waterproof jackets, fighting broken brollies and wearing down the soles of heavy duty boots, the laid-back, carefree nature of summer gets me excited.  And I think it might have finally arrived. With the mercury finally hitting 20+, I have flung open the windows, pulled out the fan, packed away my knits and pulled out my dresses and shorts. However, my wardrobe is not the only area where I have been making substitutes. As the heat from the sun gets m...

Ask any makeup artist, and they’ll tell you prepping your complexion with high-quality, strategic skincare products before going in with foundation, concealer and powder is just as (and perhaps more) important than the makeup application itself. In order for your makeup to look amazing, the goal is to get your skin looking and feeling its absolute best. We’re not talking perfection; we’re just talking coaxing your skin into living its best and glowiest life courtesy of A+ products. Think about it this way: You wouldn’t show up for a marathon without putting in ample work and training beforehand. And in a way less dramatic sense, the same goes for your skin. Celebrity makeup artist Pati Dubroff (who works with Margot Robbie, Priyanka Chopra J...