Carola Long, FT Deputy Fashion Director
Jones Road, the lip tint in Valencia Orange, £24, jonesroadbeauty.com
Halfway between lip balm and lipstick, this new product from Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road clean beauty line provides a casual splash of color that doesn’t seem too over the top. Valencia Orange is my favorite – a zingy geranium shade that would add a modern accent to a little black dress.
Biotherm, Waterlover Facial Sunscreen, £12.60, cocooncenter.es
My local lido is a major sun trap with a reflective metal floor so it requires some serious waterproof sun cream. Biotherm’s Waterlover includes vitamin E and niacinamide to soothe, and glycerin and shea butter to nourish, and appears to limit post-swim freckles. Now it comes in a more eco-friendly paper tube.
Yves Saint Laurent, Nu Bare Look Tint, £27, yslbeauty.es
Makeup with skincare benefits is all the rage, and this sheer tinted moisturizer contains hydrating glycerin and soothing marshmallow from YSL’s community gardens. It gives a purely natural look that won’t look artificial in the bright summer light and the shade finder on the brand’s website is quite accurate, which is helpful when shopping online.
Chanel, Rose Coquillage nail polish, £25, chanel.com
When you can’t decide whether to wear a subtle or bold nail color, this coral pink from Chanel is a great middle ground. It looks elegant and understated, a bit Slim Aarons, but not as predictable as, say, shell pink. It also lasts a long time, and when it finally chips, it’s not too obvious, so good for the laissez faire among us.
Warriors Three, Face Tan Aqua Mist, £32, feelunique.com
This bronzing water that you spray on your face and then rub on gave me a convincing glow that made my fair complexion appear more toned. New to the UK, the Australian brand uses naturally-derived ingredients (including tanning agent) like aloe vera and rosewater so it doesn’t have an ominous chemical smell.
Teo van den Broeke, Style Director, GQ
La Roche-Posay, Anthelios Uvmune 400 Invisible Tinted Fluid Spf50+, £18, laroche-posay.es
The ultra-light yet satisfyingly hydrating sunscreen from French drugstore favorite La Roche-Posay comes with a new filter called Mexoryl 400, designed to protect against ultra-long UVA rays. It’s also sweat and water resistant, meaning this bad boy offers top-notch protection against the ravages of sun-induced aging.
terabody, Theraface Pro, £375, therabody.com
You may have come across a TheraGun, you know, one of those portable percussive pump guns designed to soothe and loosen post-workout muscles, but the latest gun on the market is made for your face. Available with a multitude of attachments: the microcurrent attachment is there to tone, tighten and firm, while the percussive therapy attachment relieves tension, I use it every day.
Sisley, All Day All Year Essential Anti-Aging Protection, £304, sisley-paris.com
Parisian brand Sisley’s products may not be cheap, but they work, and now they’ve improved the classic All Day All Year cream. Its goal is to protect the skin from external stressors ranging from UVA and UVB rays and pollution, to blue light and free radicals. Which means it’s great for everyday urban life, including a dirty commute on the subway.
Dermalogica, Melting Moisturizing Masque, £59, dermalogica.es
Earlier this year, Dermalogica, the favorite “this really works” brand of all beauty and personal care editors, launched their Melting Moisture Masque, and I’ve kept a bottle on my desk ever since to give my skin a boost. humidity ad hoc. You only need a half-pea-sized amount, and the butter-like cream with vitamin E absorbs without looking greasy.
Kloris, CBD patches, £9 for three, kloriscbd.com
Like Generation Z nicotine patches, Kloris Biodegradable CBD Patches release a slow dose of 16mg of cannabidiol over a 24-hour period. Packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients, like turmeric and resveratrol, the patches are designed to enhance relaxation without, well, leaving you high and paranoid like a joint might. Victory.
Billie Bhatia, Fashion & Beauty Director, Stylist
Chanel, Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch, £51, chanel.com
When Chanel launched Les Beiges fresh water-based tint in 2019, it created a summer makeup revolution thanks to a water-based gel formula with micro-droplets of pigmentation that melted on contact with the skin for sheer, hydrating coverage. Now, Chanel has added a higher concentration of pigment that allows for more buildable coverage. Think midway between foundation and concealer.
Augustinus Bader, The Light Cream, £135, agustinusbader.com
You’d be hard-pressed to find a beauty editor whose bathroom shelf doesn’t feature the cult classic Augustinus Bader. The Light Cream is a mattifying daily moisturizer formulated with the same patented TFC8 technology that hydrates, improves the appearance of fine lines and blemishes, and enhances the overall complexion. Lighter than the original Rich Cream, it’s good for those with oily skin or those looking for something lighter in hot weather.
Saie, Hydrabeam Concealer, £20, cultbeauty.es
I recently discovered clean beauty brand Saie and my makeup game has improved tenfold. The Hydrabeam concealer, which launched in May, has already become a sensation in the beauty world, flooding my TikTok thanks to its filter-like blurring quality. The ingredients include cucumber extract that soothes and reduces inflammation, as well as olive hydration and squalane derived from sugar cane.
Tom Ford, Soleil Brûlant Shimmering Body Oil, £75, tomford.com
With a woody amber fragrance that smacks of hedonistic summer, this shimmering gold-flecked body oil can be used on dry or damp skin to transport you to sun-kissed shores, even when you’re in rainy England.
Face Halo, Glow Skin set, £20, selfridges.com
Face Halo Glow is a three-piece set of reusable cleansing pads that exfoliate and cleanse skin with just water. First comes The Removalist, designed to remove makeup, then the next cloth acts as a double cleanse, while the third step is The Exfoliator, which gently exfoliates leaving skin brighter and more radiant.
Fable & Mane, HoliRoots Hibiscus Hydrating Hair Oil Mist, £26, intl.fableandmane.com
My curly hair needs a lot of help in the summer as it has a naturally dry texture and is prone to frizz at the slightest touch of moisture. Fable & Mane, founded by sibling duo Akash and Nikita Mehta, harnesses the power of Ayurvedic healing learned from their Indian grandparents. Using red hibiscus to soften hair and amino acids to strengthen it, with amla, an antioxidant from Indian gooseberry packed with vitamin C to nourish hair, this oil hydrates my hair in a ritualistic way.
Funmi Fetto, Contributing Beauty Editor, British Vogue
Hermmes, Terre d’Hermmes Eau Givrmee Eau De Parfum, £98 for 100ml, hermes.es
If perfumers were football clubs, Hermès’s lauded perfumer Christine Nagel would be at the top of the first division. Nagel told me that the process to develop it was “complicated”, but the end result is worth it. This combination of juniper berries, citron and timut pepper is fresh, yes, but on the contrary woody and dare I say sexy. And like most fresh scents, it doesn’t dissipate in seconds.
THOM Scalp Serum, £46, steppelomio.world
Stylist Cyndia Harvey has worked with brands like Bottega Veneta, Simone Rocha, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Schiaparelli, and has now just launched her own brand THOM, an acronym for This Hair Of Mine. Her first product is a lightweight scalp serum she created for textured hair, which uses peptides, enzymes, and moisturizers to boost growth, exfoliate the scalp, and help hair retain moisture.
Off-white “Papeleo”, Print color bar, £31, selfridges.com
Before he died, Off-White founder Virgil Abloh was working on beauty for his brand. He described Paperwork as “another canvas, another surface for human expression.” There are great pigments and textures in the color range, but what I really love is the versatility. The crayons could be a blush. Or a lip color. Or none of the above. They defy definition. Which is a small but beautiful ode to Abloh’s legacy.
Shiseido, Urban Environment Age Defense Oil-Free SPF 30, £34, shiseido.com
I am obsessed with sunscreen. I use it, for better or worse, throughout the year. And so using SPF in the summer doesn’t feel like an extra step in my skincare regimen. The key things I consider before an SPF makes the cut are: Does it leave an ashy tint? (Should not). Does it have a light texture, almost like a serum? Does it work well under makeup? Does it have skin care ingredients that provide deep hydration and prevent pigmentation problems? This product ticks all those boxes.
Youth To The People, Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Scrub, £32, youthparalagente.com
Scrubs are now a natural part of my skincare regimen and on the odd days that I miss this step, I can tell the difference. Many scrubs can be harsh, which irritates the skin, but not this one. It’s gentle yet powerful, includes antioxidants kale, green tea, licorice root and also helps strengthen the skin’s barrier.
Jo Malone London, Bergamot Violet Leaf Home Candle, £63, jomalone.co.uk
I know most people don’t tend to light scented candles in the summer, but I find it comforting and a great way to lift the mood. Created in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Jean-François Piège, the idea of a food-inspired fragrance initially made me wonder: I’m not a fan of gourmet scents. This is divine though, really green and very fresh and actually quite addictive. Bergamot picks up notes of Earl Gray tea and violet leaf is said to mimic hints of warm, fluffy rice.
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Letter in response to this article:
Beware the chemical threat posed by cosmetics / By Kristine Moore, Llanidloes, Powys, UK
Source: www.ft.com