Kick start your new year with these happy beauty products
Each week, Marie Claire’s Beauty and Style Director, Lisa Oxenham, shares her edit of products which will enhance your beauty routine. This week, she focuses on six products that’ll propel your beauty routine into 2022. From plastic-free razors to express tanning, here’s what she’s rating this week…
Dermatology M Rose Otto Rejuvenating Cream, £68 | Dermatology M
The key to looking after normal to sensitive skin and skin with rosacea this time of year is by deeply hydrating, calming inflammation and nourishing the barrier. I’ve been using the Dermatology M Organic Rose Otto Rejuvenating Face Cream. Their brilliance is their background in Traditional Chinese Medicine and their underlying philosophy and belief that with redness, blood circulation becomes stagnant and heat rises to the face, bringing with it inflammation. My skin is normal to sensitive so I try to avoid fragranced cleansers and creams, as well as some conventional skin exfoliators and chemical peels and load my skin with this moisturiser.
Zero Waste Club Reusable Stainless Steel Razor, £27 | Selfridges
One of my main aims this year is to reduce the amount of bathroom empties I accumulate. Although I’m well on my way to zero waste thanks to reusable face pads and refillable haircare, I’ve turned my attention to my razors and have found this metal razor from Zero Waste Club. It comes with ten recyclable, complimentary blades which are easy to change for a clean, planet-friendly shave every time. As a brand, SWC is committed to paying fair wages, offsetting single-use items and planting trees - all things that every brand I invest in should be striving for. Check them out.
Aveda Invati Advanced Thickening Foam and Brow Serum, £56 | Aveda
Rumours of the ‘90s skinny brow making a comeback over the New Year might have filled me with nostalgia, but I can assure you that mine (although blonde rather than bushy) are staying exactly as they are. In fact, I recently got my hands on this thickening brow serum to help my brows to look more full. The gel holds flyways in place throughout the day and gives the appearance of a boost, and its active ingredients also nourish at the roots. Ginseng, turmeric and knotweed (which supports natural keratin) combine to condition and soften the hairs, leaving you with a healthy-looking brow without even a whiff of the nineties.
UpCircle Coffee Body Scrub with Lemongrass, £14.99 | UpCircle
It can be hard to stick to routines and schedules over the winter break, so I’ve been trying hard to rekindle my positive habits this week. One of those is exfoliating my body, which is my foolproof way to reboot the skin and to get my blood pumping. This scrub has the most spa-like scent thanks to its zingy lemongrass, and it brightens my skin after one use. The exfoliant also gives me a caffeine and antioxidant kick from repurposed arabica coffee grounds that the team at UpCircle have collected from artisan cafes across the country. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s stored in 100% plastic-free packaging.
James Read Glow20 Facial Tan Serum, £25 | LOOKFANSTASTIC
We’ve all heard a thousand tips for how to ace our Zoom face, but a quick tan is the fastest way for me to be video call-ready in minutes. The James Read Glow20 facial tan serum is an express product that works its magic in 20 minutes, leaving my skin bronzed and hydrated. I wash my hands immediately after popping it onto my face (a vital tip that’ll stave off those telltale tanned palms), and then let it sit for about half an hour before rinsing so that I really benefit from the holiday glow in a bottle. The product is also vegan and formulated with a 100% naturally-derived tanning agent, which means it’s free from nasties.
NUXE Huile Prodigieuse® Néroli Multi-Purpose Dry Oil, £29.50 | M&S
A key part of my daily routine is taking time out to moisturise from top to toe, and a beauty goal everyone should try to keep too. It also helps to provide me with a sense of balance and awareness of my body that leaves me feeling empowered for the rest of the day. Recently, I have been enriching my routine with the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, a dry oil that soothes my body, hair and nails. The plum and sesame organic botanical oils are complemented by subtle neroli to leave a healthy sheen and delightful scent on the skin. This multi-purpose product is also COSMOS certified (aka great for the environment).
