In our monthly Let’s Make-Up round-up, we bring you a selection of the tried and tested, freshest, and buzziest beauty launches that are worth adding to your basket.
All types of lotions and potions across makeup, skincare, haircare and more cross our desks and we take it upon ourselves to review them all so you don’t have to. If we include it below, then you know it’s a good ‘un.
Hydration is top of the agenda this October as our parched complexions are feeling the effect of the changing weather. Luckily Kate Somerville is on hand with a new innovation in the space, while Trinny London is combining two of our favourite ingredients - peptides and hyaluronic acid - to create a plumping powerhouse.
Elsewhere cult fragrance house Byredo is adding a spicy new aroma to its line-up and Aussie-born waterless label Conserving Beauty is showing us how it’s done to put more sustainable practices into your skincare routine.
For all this and more besides, see our edit of the hottest beauty drops you need on your radar.
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FOREO Luna 4
When FOREO launched the first LUNA way back in 2013, it had a tough job on its hands. The brand had to educate the consumer to replace their traditional (and free) manual method of facial cleansing with this hi-tech alternative. While your fingers can do a fine job in your morning and night routine, it has nothing on the facial cleansing device that has silicone touchpoints and deep cleansing modes that not only are more thorough but boost circulation and encouage collagen production at the same time.
The LUNA 4 - as the name suggests - is the latest iteration of the gadget that still boasts all the features you know and love of its predecessors but with added NIR LED light, heating and microcurrent. There are a variety of modes for gentle or deep cleanses and different massage patterns that you can control through the accompanying app. When on-to-go, you’ll appreciate the new travel lock.
Buy now £239.00, FOREO
TULA
US skincare label TULA has launched in the UK with a bang. The brand was founded by Gastroenterologist Dr Roshini Raj and puts probiotic extracts and superfoods at the heart of its products to restore skin from the outside in.
The science-backed collection is designed to nourish skin where the Purifying Face Cleanser is one of the most popular on the American market as a testament to its impressive dirt-removing but not stripping properties.
The range also includes the Hydrating Day & Night Cream - a lightweight, non-greasy hydrating hero as well as the Cooling & Brightening Eye Balm that can be slipped into you bag and applied onto the eyes when needed for an immediate soothing effect. The latter includes rosewater and rosehip oil in the formula to tackle fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration and has a glowy finish.
Buy now £10.00, Space NK
Byredo Eye Closed
The new addition to the Byredo collection is Eyes Closed. “Distance and separation have been a recurring theme over the past few years and I wanted to capture a scent that supersedes this fragmentation”, explains the fragrance house’s founder Ben Gorham.
The aroma is designed to be a highly sensorial experience that opens with the candied spice of cinnamon and cardamom with the unique cocktail of patchouli and papyrus with orris butter, ginger and carrot.
Buy now £182.00, Available October 6
Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask
To give you the radiant complexion that you deserve, layer on this creamy mask from Japanese label Tatcha. In 15-20 minutes of pampering, it uses a combination of AHA fruit acids as well as antioxidant vitamin C and Japanese beautyberry to leave skin bright, glowy and luminous. The formula is quick acting and also has a hydrating effect.
Buy now £65.00, Space NK
Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Liquid Peel
When you’re prone to breakouts, you have probably tried every product on the market looking for a skin saviour - and this launch from Dermalogica may be exactly what you’ve been searching for.
Not a targetted spot treatment but a peel that is packed with AHAs (lactic, mandelic and azelaic) and BHA salicyclic acid that act as gentle exfoliants to encourage claearer, brighter complexions.
In just one week in a trial, 95 per cent saw clearer looking skin, while 85 per cent said they experienced less breakouts after only a month of usage.
Buy now £27.00, Dermalogica
Conserving Beauty
Over from Oz to UK shores comes eco-conscious label Conserving Beauty that is doing things a little differently from the norm. Across the collection, there is no added water to ensure potency. With staples like the wipes and sheet masks, there is also less wastage as the products are disolvable after use. Self-care Sunday but make it sustainable.
Buy now £11.00, Cult Beauty
Kate Somerville HydraKate
If you’ve noticed an increase in breakouts or your complexion is looking duller than usual, it may be down to a lack of hydration. Give your skin a moisturising boost with this latest innovation from Kate Somerville.
The HydraKate collection is made up of a Water Cream and Recharging Serum that is designed to give skin the H2O hit that it needs - increasing hydration by 81 per cent in just 20 minutes with long-lasting effects over the course of the day.
The formula is made up of the brand’s AquaPort Hydration Technology that takes inspiration from the dermatologist’s in-clinic treatment and stimulates aquaporin in the skin for immediate plumping results. There’s also rosemary peptide complex to encourage natural recovery, marigold flower for elasticity, hydration hero hyaluronic acid and blue-light shielding algae extract.
Buy now £65.00, Kate Somerville
Trinny London Plump Up Peptide+ HA Serum
In this supercharged serum, you have two of the most hyped-about ingredients in the beauty sphere rolled into one skincare step staple. From Trinny London, this formula has both anti-ageing peptides and hydrating hyaluornic acid that combined, encourage a plumping effect - the clue is in the name after all.
Buy now £65.00, Trinny London
BaByliss Wave Secret Air
BaByliss is on a mission to make effortless beach waves exactly that, effortless. Instead of embodying a contortionist with your straighteners, the Wave Secret Air can help you create the coveted style in a matter of minutes. Simply place your locks - no matter the thickness - into the large ceramic barrel and it will leave you with long-lasting curls and a healthy sheen at the same time.
Buy now £150.00, lookfantastic
EVE LOM Radiance Repair Retinol Serum
To streamline your multi-step routine, Eve Lom’s one-stop serum contains the winning combination of AHAs, retinol, prebiotic oat kernel and a patented biomimetic mesh to turn back the clock. While protecting the skin barrier from further stresses, it brightens, smoothes and minimises the appearance of fine lines.
Buy now £145.00, lookfantastic
Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Camo Drops
This is one Tiktok viral sensation that deserves all its praise and it comes from innovative Korean skincare label Dr Jart+ that is finally available on British soil. The green-beige cream has colour-correcting properties as soon as it’s applied onto the skin but that’s just where the fun begins. It also leaves a dewy finish and sets the foundation for your makeup to follow as a clean and clear canvas. As the cherry on top of the cake, there’s SPF35 too.
Buy now £35.00, lookfantastic
Glossier Generation G
Glossier has more than a few hero products in its collection, one of which is the beloved matte Generation G lippy that has long been a handbag essential. The subtley tinted formula is available in an additional three shades; Fuzz - a rosy taupe, Malt - rich brown and Punch - rosy red.
Much like the rest of the collection, these are buildable by nature. Just one swipe will leave you with a very light impart of colour that has been designed to replicate the post-blotting effect that is hugely popular among professional makeup artists. The pigment also adapts to your natural lip colour which gives it a customised quality, while blue agave leaf extract and safflower seed oil brings nourishment.
Buy now £14.00, Glossier
Verso Skincare Super Elixir
Skincare experts have long pegged retinol as the anti-ageing ingredient but for many, incorporating this into your skincare is not as simple as it sounds. The component can be harsh and drying, causing irritation to those with sensitive skin. Enter Verso’s new innovation.
The label’s Super Elixir is a facial oil that has a brightening and fine line-filling effect. It is designed to build the skin’s natural defences against external aggressors with the Verso patented NEAR 1 at the heart. This complex combines vitamin A and niacinamide where the latter of which makes the active more stable and thus less reactive. Follow by sun protection.
Buy now £155.00, Cul Beauty
