Every year, thousands of new beauty products hit the market with brands hoping they will find their way onto our bathroom shelves and into our make-up bags.
Faced with so many tubes, tubs, bottles and lipstick bullets promising to transform how we look and feel, it can be hard to sort the goods from the duds.
These are the make-up marvels, skincare saviours and fragrance favourites that blew the competition out of the water this year.
1. BareMinerals Strength and Length Serum-infused Mascara
You may be confused by the wand of this mascara, which looks a bit like a venus flytrap plant, but once you get the hang of it, trust us, you’ll never look back.
First, you use the inner bristles to coat your lashes, then the outer bristles to lengthen and separate, and do your lower lashes. The vegan formula is also enhanced with strengthening serum to give you fuller-looking lashes over time. It’s a win-win.
2. 3ina The Longwear Lipstick 270
A highly-pigmented but non-drying matte lipstick is hard to find, but this liquid formula covers all the bases. Lightweight and long-lasting, it’s available in 16 shades. We love shade 270, a deep ruby red that’s ideal for winter.
3. Revolution Beauty XX Revolution MetaliXX Gold Crush Eyeshadow Palette
With a mixture of pale nudes, shimmering brown tones and bold metallics, this 15-pan eyeshadow palette has everything you need to create subtle daytime looks, dramatic evening eyes and everything in between.
4. Typology Targeted Blemish Serum 2% per cent Salicylic Acid + 1 per cent Zinc
During this, the year of face masks and, subsequently, the dreaded ‘maskne’, salicylic acid has become a daily essential for many. The beta hydroxy acid penetrates deep into the skin, dissolving the debris that clogs pores and produces spots, and helps to dry out existing acne.
Containing 2 per cent salicylic (the maximum allowed), this light serum is easy to apply – smooth over problem areas nightly, so it gets to work while you sleep.
5. Wishful Clean Genie Cleansing Butter, Boots
The first cleanser from beauty mogul Huda Kattan’s skincare line Wishful, Clean Genie is the ideal make-up remover, the creamy balm melting away even the most stubborn mascara and rinsing off to leave your skin feeling clean and soft.
6. Dior Capture Totale Super Potent Serum,
Harnessing the power of the Madagascan longoza flower, this silky serum gives your complexion an instant glow while working, over time, to help skin appear plumper and firmer. A great addition to your skincare regime in winter, when we could all do with a bit more radiance.
7. Orly Opulent Obsession, NailPolishDirect
From the autumn/winter Metropolis collection, this deep burgundy hue is the perfect accessory for festive season outfits and, as you would expect from Orly, the long-lasting polish stays pristine for days.
8. Giorgio Armani My Way Eau De Parfum Refillable, The Perfume Shop
One of the most hotly-anticipated women’s fragrance launches of the year, My Way did not disappoint. Not only is the scent seductive, blending potent tuberose and jasmine with zesty bergamot and white musk, the perfume production is carbon neutral and it comes in a refillable bottle.
9. Jo Malone Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense
Part of the Lost in Wonder collection, this unisex scent has a real depth to it. A wonderfully woody composition, the cypress tree notes are elevated with the freshness of vetiver and the warmth of amber, evoking the cool air of a shady pine forest.
