The products on which editors actually spend their own money
The best, most honest, beauty recommendations you'll ever hear
Last month, I bumped into a beauty editor friend who had just been to Boots to pick up her favourite product. Having worked in women’s magazines for years, I know the volume of products that these editors are sent by brands on a daily basis. They have ‘cupboards’ larger than my daughter’s bedroom, and shelves laden with so much make-up and skincare that they can’t possibly ever need to pop into Boots.
Then I realised: there is no higher recommendation than a beauty editor actually forking out for something when they get sent so many similar products for free.
Beauty editors truly are experts. They spend their lives researching the latest skincare science and testing new products. But they’d be the first to admit that their recommendations in newspapers and magazines are often influenced by many factors: advertising, sponsorship and relationships with certain brands. That’s not to say those products aren’t good - they’re just not always unbiased.
“What I would like to read,” I said to my editor friend, “is a list of the products that beauty editors actually buy with their own money.”
Realising that no media brand relying on advertising will ever commission that piece, I decided to put it together for Well Well Well subscribers (and for myself, let’s face it!). So here it is…
Sarah Jossel, beauty director-at-large, Sunday Times Style
Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser, £19 for 200ml
“A cleanser should be so easy to get right. It has a very functional role in our routines: to clean skin. And yet there are so many that wreak havoc on our complexions. Too drying, skin stripping, pore blocking, and so on. My Dr Sam’s cleanser is a gem that works on everyone. The jelly texture removes the day’s dirt, takes off make-up and soothes the skin barrier. I have it on subscription so that I never run out!”
Rosie Green, associate editor (beauty), You magazine
Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint, £49
“It’s the holy grail of bases. I apply it with my fingers and it blends in seamlessly. Makes skin look even-toned and gorgeously glowy in two seconds flat.”
Keeks Reid, beauty director, Cosmopolitan
Charlotte Mensah Manketti Hair Oil, £52 for 100ml
“I use this Manketti oil three to four times a week on the lengths of my hair. Honestly, I don’t think my hair has looked or felt better than it has since I started used this religiously a few years ago.”
Perdita Nouril, beauty editor, Women’s Health
Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, £115 for 75ml
“It sounds hyperbolic, but for me, this serum is great skin bottled. It's had several upgrades over the years and each time It Just Delivers. And it doesn't contain any ingredients that peel off the top layers of the skin, which is great news if you have skin that's more sensitive than in-flight wifi.”
Lucy Partington, beauty journalist, copywriter & brand consultant
Nécessaire The Deodorant Gel, £18 for 50ml
“Boring, yes, and also perhaps a tiny bit mental to spend £18(!) on a deodorant, but I do, I have and I will continue to do so – because it’s the very best. I prefer the unscented version, but Necessaire’s The Deodorant Gel also comes in a eucalyptus scent which I’ve used and do like, so it really comes down to personal preference. Regardless of which you choose, the lightweight, non-sticky formula remains the same. It dries down quickly and doesn’t leave white marks on clothes. Plus, it has 5% AHAs which, over time, work to smooth the underarm area and through consistent use, I no longer have little red bumps post-shave or any uneven, discoloured skin.”
Alexandra Friend, Senior Beauty Editor, Red magazine
Footmender All in One, £19.32 for 100ml
“It’s not chic, but this foot cream is completely brilliant if you’ve let your pedicure slide to the apparent point of no return. I don’t know how it works, and I don’t think I want to. I just buy it and let it do its thing. It’s the practical stuff that beauty editors really buy because we get sent everything else.”
Hannah Coates, beauty and wellness editor, Vogue
Klira The Special (£59 a month, for the annual plan)
“Nothing has changed my skin like Klira’s The Special. A bespoke dermatology prescription service (that’s infinitely better than any other prescription platforms I’ve found), my active blend contains azelaic acid, ivermectin and a tiny dose of tretinoin, which work together to treat my rosacea and acne-prone skin, while keeping those all-important collagen stores intact. It has transformed my skin clarity, texture and tone. Best of all, a fresh blend gets delivered through my door each month for peak ease.”
Elle Turner, senior beauty editor, Glamour
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, £12.99
“I’ve tried hundreds of mascaras as a beauty editor, at all different price ranges, but there's one that never fails to bring my lashes compliments whenever I wear it – Maybelline's Sky High. It may be a high street formula but it easily keeps up with mascaras double and triple its price. I love that it manages to give me everything I need in one hit: length, definition, volume, flutter. It XXLs my lashes in a couple of coats and it's always on offer in Boots. Whenever I stray from it to try new formulas for work, I always find myself coming back to this.”
Joely Walker, head of beauty, Grazia
Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF 50+ Hydrating Skinscreen, £34 for 50ml
“80% of visible skin ageing is UV-related, so we’re doing our faces a disservice not to slap on SPF daily. For one that you’ll actually want to wear - because it leaves your skin looking glowing and fresh - invest in this. It sits comfortably under makeup, too.”
This week I’m…
Fascinated by the New Scientist’s deep dive into cooking oils (tl;dr buy extra virgin olive oil, avoid palm oil).
Following Julia Samuel’s advice for building resilience in times of crisis (tl;dr acceptance, self-care, connection, good habits, gratitude).
Learning about parental controls at a Meta event to showcase Instagram’s new teen accounts. Are teenagers actually on Instagram?? Endlessly interested in advice on this from parents of teens (my kids are still only 10 and 7, but I’m getting prepared!)
Necessaire is so worth the hype ! Love the deodorant and body wash. Need to try the neck serum next…
Thank you for making this public! Not sure why I bought that sky high mascara recently but I loved it and am pleased to see this in the list! I spent two years using Rumi Cosmetiques one which did wonders to bring my lashes back to their old long length they had prior to 12 years of extensions. 😅 (or maybe they got that way on their own but it made them look longer when I had it on, too).