It's been a busy year for beauty and wellness launches. It felt like every week saw Hailey Bieber drop a new Rhode Skin Peptide Lip Treatment (miss you, Strawberry Glaze!), and the beauty world went wild for new products from Vieve, Victoria Beckham Beauty and Refy on a regular basis.
With so much on offer, it's difficult to tell which of the latest "must-haves" is truly worth your time, so we asked our HELLO! Beauty Collective to single out one discovery they fell in love with this year. From lust-worthy spas, to can't be without foundations, read on for their best finds of 2023...
Melanie Macleod, HELLO! Wellness Editor: Grey Wolfe, Barnes
© ANTHONY CHOKOf all the spas and wellness retreats I’ve visited this year, Grey Wolfe is the one I’ve booked back into multiple times and recommended to all of my friends in need of an afternoon of calm.
The ultra-zen bolthole in South West London is one of the most unique wellness spaces I’ve ever been to, with a truly bespoke offering, all taking place in their soothing, grey-walled heaven.
Alongside detoxifying infrared saunas and blissful massage, they also offer a treatment called rebalance impulse, which turned out to be the most relaxing, cocooning wellness experience I've ever tried - read about it here.
If one of your New Year's resolutions is to find your inner calm, you will not regret an afternoon spent at Grey Wolfe - maybe I'll see you there!
Kate Lockett, HELLO! Health and Beauty Editor: Dcypher Foundation
My best beauty find of 2023? How can I pick just one? Can I have two…or ten?
We all know the battle of trying to find a base that blends in seamlessly with our skin. For many the search has been decades, with some questionable looks along the way.
So this year, the top product I’ve discovered has to be Dcypher Foundation. I might be late to the party but the state-of-the-art skin tone matching technology means that now I no longer have to struggle to find a foundation to match my skin tone. Through selfie skin tone analysis on your phone or computer, AI tech and handmade machines determine your bespoke shade. You can decide your finish, whether it’s full coverage or dewy and you have the opportunity to go back and adjust your shade, although the first time success is super high. This is personalisation at its best and my skin has never looked better.
What’s even more exciting is that they've just launched Custom Concealer, which covers the angriest of blemishes. I can't wait to see what next year brings for this AI-powered beauty brand.
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Donna Francis, HELLO! Beauty Expert: E.L.F Suntouchable! Woah Glow SPF30
I was sent dozens of free beauty products to test during 2023, but my favourite by far was actually one that I bought for myself.
I first reviewed E.L.F Suntouchable! Woah Glow SPF30 on Instagram back in April after finding it in my local drugstore in Florida. It caught my eye as it was a cheaper dupe of one of my favourite SPFs, but because it cost over 50% less, my expectations were low. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes, it’s cheaper but the results are just as good, if not even better.
This product is brilliant on many levels: it protects skin with a broadband spectrum SPF30, acts as a great face moisturiser, plus gives your skin a gorgeous natural glow, with or without makeup on top.
I love a multi-purpose product but they can often deliver on one thing, but not be so effective on the other. Not the case with this. No wonder I have bought four tubes since.
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Lydia Mormen, HELLO! Junior Beauty Writer: Omorovicza London Institute
© Mark CocksedgeWhenever I have the chance to go for a treatment I usually opt for a massage as I never know whether a one-off facial will do much, but I was blown away by a recent visit to the Omorovicza Institute in Mayfair.
Admittedly it’s pricey, as expected given the price point of their products, but I left with the most glorious glow that would be the perfect pamper before any special event or as spoiling gift. The Andrassy Facial is tailored to your specific skin type and includes a deep clean, clay mask, extractions and dreamy hand and arm massage inspired by Hungarian massage techniques.
© Mark CocksedgeNext time you’re looking for some local luxury or you’re heading to London for a pamper, lose yourself in the basement haven, hidden away from the bustling street and fitted with the perfect shade of millennial pink tiles and star-studded ceilings.
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Beatriz Colon, HELLO! Writer: Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener
While there are countless beauty products that I’ve tried that have immediately found a firm spot in my routine, none have been as game-changing as the Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener.
While I’m not one to claim that it’s a first-of-its-kind product, it certainly feels that way to me and has been the best addition to my day-to-day beauty routine, maybe ever.
The light texture and cool metal applicator make it satisfyingly refreshing for a day when it’s the only make-up you feel like putting on, but it’s also the perfect primer under concealer for days you need all the brightening you can get.
It simultaneously simplifies, but also amps up my routine, depending on how I use it, it being both the exemplary 'no make-up make-up' product, but also one that can take a make-up-heavy eye all the way.
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