This is where you come to find out whether a beauty product lives up to its promises - and price tag. Beauty Director Charlotte Jolly gives her honest take on the latest drops, limited edition launches and cult buys, covering skincare, makeup, hair, fragrance and wellness.
How we choose the products
This is my edit of new and noteworthy products. As Hello! Fashion’s Beauty Director, I am sent samples to try and I have the opportunity to question the founders and formulators behind most brands. These are the products I would spend my own hard-earned pennies on.
Why you should trust me
When I’m not directing shoots, interviewing experts or camping out backstage at fashion week, I’m mostly swatching, spritzing and sharing out products - trying to figure out what really works. I love print magazines and have been writing for weekly and monthly publications for over 15 years, but I’m starting to see how gratifying it can be to do away with lead times and report on new brands and emerging trends for online, too. Right now, my to-do list looks like this: weigh up the case for human-derived exosomes in skincare, research fragrances that smell like rice steam and stalk the Cécred PR to try and secure an interview with Beyoncé.
Lip Service
Kissen Lush Lipstick Crayon in Charlotte
Monika Blunder Beauty
Why it works
A vibrant, flattering shade meets nourishing formula containing shea butter, antioxidant-rich rosehip oil and soothing arnica.
I was lucky enough to meet Hollywood make-up artist Monika Blunder in London recently. She was in town to promote her cosmetics line and we swatched her popular Kissen Lush Lipsticks. Predictably, I snapped up the Charlotte shade, a warm, coral red. I love a lip crayon - they’re so low maintenance. And this one contains a crazy amount of skincare ingredients so it's really comfortable to wear.
Sun Safe
Zelens Daily Defence Sunscreen SPF 50
Zelens
Why it works
A sun cream that comes off more like a moisturising make-up primer - but it still sees off the longer, more deeply-penetrating (and therefore more damaging) UVA rays.
This is everything I want in a sun cream. A really flattering, soft-focus finish. Broad spectrum protection. Skin strengthening ingredients and antioxidants to fight pollutants, as well as UV rays. I apply it after moisturiser, before make-up - but it’s so hydrating that you could sub out your moisturiser. Sometimes I even skip foundation, I’m that fond of its finish.
Base Camp
Studio Face and Body Foundation
MAC
Why it works
This sheer, self-setting foundation is a permanent fixture backstage at Fashion Week. The formula is hydrating, coverage buildable and finish long-lasting.
My head is often turned by new foundations, but I always come back to this one. Buffed in with a fluffy brush is best. A penny size amount is enough to even out your complexion, but it’s such a fluid consistency that you can really pack it into your skin - if you want more coverage. The finish is bright but not dewy - more of a dry shine.
Patch Test
Aura Protection Inhalation Patches
Subtle Energies
Why it works
Thanks to an Ayurveda blend that is grounding and gives you a sense of clarity, these patches are a really efficient form of passive self-care.
Admittedly, these Inhalation Patches are expensive. But they’re powerful. And discreet. Soaked in essential oils, apply one to your chest or wrist and benefit from wafts of its calming, therapeutic concentrate throughout the day. I have actually tried to recreate these patches using cotton wool and plasters, but you don’t get the same subtle slow release.
Slow Burner
Oribe Côte d’Azur Candle
Oribe
Why it works
For the Oribe-obsessed, a candle that captures the haircare brand’s citrusy signature scent is the dream. It’s so ornamental, too.
I’m manifesting sunnier days by lighting up this Côte d’Azur candle. Made from coconut and soy wax, with a cotton wick, Oribe is famous its fragrance - a blend of citrus, jasmine and creamy sandalwood. Fresh, a bit soapy, very sexy. It smells like a high-end hair salon in full force, and I love the look of this twisted glass goblet.
