Here they are: your favourite products. The canon of beauty greatness
as anointed by you, the readers. And you haven’t skirted around the margins
— everything you’ve chosen is a big hitter. These days, however, commercial
doesn’t have to mean lacking in credibility. The beauty industry has a
basketful of goodies that live up to their marketing hype.
Check out the facts and figures on beauty and you’ll find that in 2005, the UK
toiletries market was worth £3.75 billion. From the thousands of products
sold every year, you select maybe 10 or 20, or, if you are an obsessive,
even more. Each day, as you use them, you evaluate their performance. You
either finish every last drop and buy them again or you leave them half
finished and try something new. These are the products you bought again and
again. And again.
Lancôme Juicy Tubes and John Frieda Frizz-Ease won for an incredible fourth
year running. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette and Clarins suncare won for the
third year running. Clinique foundation and Dermalogica facial skincare won
for the second year running. Stella by Stella McCartney, a swelling,
swooning orchestration of rose notes, is yet again one of your most favoured
fragrances.
Newcomers to the podium include Johnson’s Holiday Skin. I wrote about it last
summer when it became a high-street phenomenon, selling for inflated prices
on eBay and spawning a flotilla of light-bronzing summer-skin imitators.
Fittingly, it’s garnered two main awards: best newcomer and best fake tan.
Can we draw any conclusions about your shopping habits from these results?
Well, first, it’s likely that most of you shop in department stores, Boots,
Superdrug and supermarkets for beauty booty, rather than cultish boutiques.
But the occasional Dr Hauschka or Dermalogica product will draw you off the
beaten path. High-street cults, such as Holiday Skin and Max Factor
Masterpiece mascara, are on the rise. And, second, you are creatures of
habit (“repeat customers”, as they say in the trade). If we try to prise
your favourite beauty products out of your little paws, we take our lives in
our hands.
BEST SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER
John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Brown is the colour of the moment, and
as 60% of British women are natural brunettes, this product is all about
giving multidimensional shine to those mocha-hued tresses. The active
ingredients are mild organic acids, the sort you find in apples and milk,
that seal and heal the surface of the hair. Cheapish, cheerful and effective
haircare. Brilliant Brunette shampoo and conditioner, £4.50 each; 020 7851
9800
Editor’s choice Kérastase makes high-tech products based on years
of laboratory grind. Along with Philip B, Alterna and Frédéric Fekkai, it is
my haircare of choice. Its Reflection range bestows gloss and lustre on
dishevelled, coloured locks: try Shampoo Bain Miroir, £12.25, and Masque
Chroma Reflect, £24; 0800 316 4400
BEST HAIR STYLING TREATMENT
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum This is a beauty megalith: launched
in 1990, one is sold every 20 seconds, and it has made Frieda an incredibly
wealthy man — he sold his company in 2002 for a staggering £300m.
Essentially, its magic is to make crinkly, fuzzy hair smooth, silky and
shiny. Frizz-Ease Hair Serum Thermal Protection is about to launch to
safeguard hair from heat and UV rays. £5.99; 020 7851 9800
Editor’s choice Jonathan Product Finish Shine. The LA celebrity
hairstylist’s shine serum laminates hair without dragging it down or making
it limp. A joy to use. £20, from www.hqhair.com
BEST SKINCARE FOR BODY
The Body Shop Body Butter Launched in 1992, this has been a cult
product ever since. The cream is said to lock in moisture for 24 hours, and
it certainly feels sumptuously, ostentatiously emollient. There are 12
varieties, from robust, zestful fruits such as pink grapefruit and mango to
coconut and almond, some formulated with cocoa butter and others with shea.
Mango was the first to launch, coconut is the bestseller, and each variety
contains a community-trade ingredient. J.Lo and the Beckhams are apparently
fans, if that means anything. £12 for 200ml; 01903 844554
Editor’s choice Kiehl’s Creme de Corps is an old favourite, an
unscented and voluptuous paste containing betacarotene, aloe vera and
vitamins A and E. From £14 for 100ml; 020 7240 2411
BEST SKINCARE FOR FACE
Dermalogica Beauty insiders say that for young, troubled skin, there’s
no beating it. Don’t give hormonal skin an Asbo; treat it with Dermalogica
instead. If you want to start with one product, try the Daily Microfoliant,
which lightly sloughs off dead skin cells without causing irritation. Forget
break-outs, blackheads, milia, acne and that lagoon of oil around your
T-zone: the entire range is non-comedogenic and contains no occlusive
mineral oil or lanolin. What I also love is that there’s no overwhelming and
oppressive artificial fragrance in these products, either. £29.40; 0800
591818
Editor’s choice Vaishaly skincare is the only thing I’ll put on
my face right now. The Facial Wash smells of lemon groves and lifts off
grime; the Day Moisturiser is 80% organic and contains lavender and geranium
essential oils. Vaishaly Facial Wash, £35, and Day Moisturiser, £45; 0808
144 6700
BEST FOR BLACK OR ASIAN SKIN
Bobbi Brown Founded in 1991, the creation of a former session make-up
artist, this range is appropriately named. Bobbi Brown majors in a tawny,
toffee-toned spectrum of shades from chocolate to cream, perfect for anybody
seeking the natural look. It has been jokingly dubbed Maoist for its
totalitarian use of sludgy browns and beiges, but women flock to it in
droves. These neutrals work on all skin tones. The bestseller for black and
Asian skin is the Oil-Free Even Finish Foundation, which has several darker
shades and comes with a complement of correctors and concealers. £24; 0870
034 2566
Editor’s choice Mac. With a back catalogue of faces that includes
Ru Paul, Lil’ Kim and Mary J Blige, Mac has always promoteed diversity. Each
of its eight foundation formulas comes in about 20 shades, so any woman is
almost guaranteed to find a match. Try Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15, £19; www.maccosmetics.com
BEST SALON TREATMENT
Dermalogica Face Mapping skin analysis is the key to the Dermalogica
experience. What this means is that a skin therapist pores over your face,
looking for blemishes, blackheads, milia, pigmentation issues, open pores,
dryness and oil secretion — a gamut of ills. The facial is then customised
to your specific needs with manual extractions, masques and unique
touch-therapy massage. A utilitarian treatment that’s absolutely ideal for
teens with troubled skin. From £50; 0800 591818
Editor’s choice Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Radiance
Facial is great for dry and older skins: it kicks off with a scalp massage,
then softens, moisturises and nourishes, using damask rose water, and ends
with the massaging-in of various rose oils. From £50; 020 8569 7030
BEST FAKE TAN
Johnson’s Holiday Skin Launched in summer 2005, this one reached
critical mass last year. It shifted 6.6m bottles in 2006 alone — one bottle
was sold every five seconds. Johnson’s was the first gradual tanner, which
bestowed a subtle golden glow, rather than the orange of most full-strength
fake tans, because it contains considerably less DHA (the active ingredient)
than many other self-tans. It now comes in firming, night-time and facial
variations. The end of orange and the rise of the stealth tan. £4.95
for 250ml; available nationwide
Editor’s choice St Tropez Aero Bronze is the most easily applied
fake tan on the market. It comes in a foolproof aerosol that gives a nice,
even caramel stain. £25 for 170ml; 0115 983 6363
BEST SUN PROTECTION
Clarins I hate ritually pasting myself in thick, coagulated,
ultra-white sun cream, but these days, it’s a necessary evil. Clarins makes
great sun lotions that sink in quickly, smell pleasant and include
multicellular protection and plant extracts to defend and nourish skin
cells. Oil-Free Sun Care Spray SPF 15, £16 for 150ml; 0800 036 3558
Editor’s choice Korres Sweet Orange Sunscreen Face and Body SPF
15 is a joy to use. Based on titanium dioxide, it provides broad-spectrum
UVA/UVB protection and contains sweet-orange extract, said to boost melanin,
thereby deepening a tan. It smells delicious, melts into the skin and,
unlike some other mineral-based sunscreens, doesn’t leave behind a white
sheen. £13; 020 7581 6455
BEST MAKE-UP FOR EYES
Max Factor mascara Max Factor makes eight mascaras, all beloved of
make-up artists, of which Masterpiece is the bestseller. However, its latest
creation, Masterpiece Max, is the apogee of lash enhancement. It claims to
give 400% more volume than bare lashes, and the techno wand has bristles
further apart than the original to plump them up more effectively. Like a
quilted Chanel handbag, it is a modern classic — you need it in your beauty
retinue. £10; available nationwide
Editor’s choice Dior Diorshow mascara plumps, volumises and
generally transforms spindly, mousy lashes into diva-worthy, glossy black
fronds. Brings out the Maria Callas in everyone. £18; 020 7216 0216
BEST MAKE-UP FOR LIPS
Lancôme Juicy Tubes Lipstick may be in the ascendant for
fashionistas, with Dior, Givenchy and Shu Uemura all launching beguiling new
versions, but for you, lip gloss prevails (well, I guess not every beauty
product is eulogised in a Pulp song). It’s sexy. It’s youthful. It’s a 1970s
pop-culture classic born in the era of roller discos and denim flares. Why
Juicy Tubes? One is sold every 90 seconds in the UK. Why not? £13.50,
available nationwide
Editor’s choice For me, gloss is a dim and distant memory. I’m
addicted to Shu Uemura’s Rouge Unlimited in orange, yellow, blue, green and
black (they also do neon pinks, carmine reds and neutrals, if you’re
interested). Lipstick is your 2007 essential. £15; 020 7240 7635
BEST FOUNDATION
Clinique Clinique makes 12 foundations in a total of 100 shades. Its
bestseller, Superbalanced Makeup, adapts and adheres beautifully to
combination skin, mopping up oil in greasy areas and moisturising where it
is dry. It comes in 19 colours, including hues suitable for black and Asian
skin. Those in search of an antiageing base should try Repairwear AntiAgeing
Makeup; those with acne or blemishes should seek out Clarifying Powder
Makeup. Superbalanced Makeup, £17.50, Repairwear Anti-Ageing Makeup, £21.50,
Clarifying Powder Makeup, £17.50; 0870 034 2566
Editor’s choice By Terry Light Expert is the latest word in
foundation. A mutation of Touche Eclat and base, it’s light, easy and
precise to apply, and lends skin a rare luminosity: we’re all converts here.
£38; from www.spacenk.co.uk
BEST ETHICAL BRAND
Dr Hauschka Founded in 1967 by Dr Rudolph Hauschka, a medical chemist,
this is perhaps the most famous and revered of all the ethical brands on the
market. Many of the ingredients are fair trade — rose is bought from farmers
in Turkey and Romania and shea butter from Burkina Faso. There are no
parabens. Although not certified by UK organic associations, it is
recognised by the BDIH (the German equivalent), and, wherever possible,
ingredients are organic or from biodynamic sources. All packaging is
recyclable, except for the caps on bath oils and aromatherapy baths. It is
not, however, carbon neutral. Its bestseller, Rose Day Cream, is a great
place to start. £16; 01386 792642
Editor’s choice Neal’s Yard Remedies. Renowned for products such
as the nurturing Organic Wild Rose Beauty Balm, it was the first UK skincare
company to receive Soil Association accreditation, in 2002. It doesn’t test
on animals, uses fair-trade ingredients wherever possible and has recyclable
glass or plastic packaging. By September, the brand is also set to be carbon
neutral. Organic Wild Rose Beauty Balm, £22; www.nealsyardremedies.com
BEST FRAGRANCE
Stella When Stella McCartney started off as a fashion designer in the,
1990s, her clothes, often pretty little slip dresses edged in lace, were
suffused with a longing for a vintage golden age of cobweb-like delicacy. In
2003, she brought the same aura of nostalgia and romance to Stella, her
debut fragrance. It’s a delicate paean to the feminine mystique, with a
heart note of rose absolute; a mist of Victoriana. Drown in roses, like a
latterday Lizzie Siddal. £39.50 for 50ml eau de parfum; 01444 255700
Editor’s choice Ce Soir ou Jamais. A honeyed muddle of pear and
rose that hovers brightly, then settles softly and becomes redolent of the
smell of flesh itself. A delicious delight. £52 for 50ml eau de parfum, from
Harrods; 020 7730 1234
BEST NEW FRAGRANCE
Femme by Boss Nobody would suggest that this fragrance, launched last
September, is about to turn the perfume industry upside down with its bold
innovation. For a start, it’s “created by a panel of perfumery experts”
rather than a single “nose”. But commercially, it’s a winner. It’s a fruity
floral, which, in perfumery terms, equals a licence to print money — pretty,
feminine, unchallenging and comforting. Notes include blackcurrant,
Bulgarian rose lily and stephanotis underscored by a creamy base of apricot,
amber and satinwood. £31 for 50ml eau de parfum; 0191 297 5000
Editor’s choice Nuit Noire, Carnation and Lux by Mona di Orio are
three of the most dense, florid, seductive signature fragrances imaginable.
Individual, original and utterly unforgettable: they will make men hang onto
your every word and women beg to know where you bought them. £75 each for
50ml eau de parfum, from Les Senteurs; 020 7730 2322
BEST FOR MEN SHAVE
Gillette For the first time, a gadget wins a gong. The Gillette Fusion
Power razor, launched last August, has surpassed all previous innovations.
With five blades on one side and one on the other, sharper than a surgeon’s
scalpel, it delivers a close and comfortable shave. Use it in conjunction
with Gillette Fusion Hydra Gel Shave Gel and Hydra Soothe After Shave Gel
for the best results. Fusion Power razor, £9.99, Fusion Hydra Gel Shave Gel,
£3.99, Hydra Soothe After Shave Gel, £6.49, available nationwide
Editor’s choice Aesop Moroccan Neroli Shaving Serum. This is an
ecofriendly, plant-based serum with a silky slip and uplifting scent that
makes shaving a soothing and luxurious experience. £17.50, from Liberty; 020
7734 1234
BEST FOR MEN SKINCARE
Clinique M Lotion Launched way back in 1976, this is a straightforward
moisturiser for men of all ages and skin types. Use it as the third step in
a routine that starts with cleansing and exfoliation. The lightweight
formula won’t clog up pores, either. £19.50; 0870 034 2566
Editor’s choice Biotherm Homme is the biggest-selling men’s
skincare brand in Europe. Gents who like a fresh, clean-smelling,
lightweight product that doesn’t leave the skin greasy or overloaded should
try the Aquapower moisturiser. A hit with every man we’ve given it to. £23;
0800 037 1020
BEST FOR MEN FRAGRANCE
Chanel Allure Homme Sport Created in 2004 by Chanel’s in-house nose,
Jacques Polge, it is described as “a faceted reworking of Allure Homme”.
Essentially, it’s an airy, oxygenated, outdoorsy remix of the original, with
top notes of Sicilian orange, Tunisian neroli and mandarin drifted over
amber, white musk and black pepper. £32 for 50ml eau de toilette; 020 7493
3836
Editor’s choice Caron Pour un Homme. There’s a good reason this
fragrance, created in 1934, has stood the test of time. Its blend of
lavender, amber, vanilla and musk bestows a rarefied, distinguished and
irresistibly manly aura on the wearer. Tom Ford is a fan. £35 for 75ml, from
Harrods; 020 7730 1234
BEST NEWCOMER
Johnson’s Holiday Skin This product single-handedly marked the
end of the terracotta-hued tanorexic era and the start of a new subtle age
of golden gleam. Perfect for pale-istas who seek only the most tentative of
tans and holidaymakers who want their bronze to endure long after the plane
has landed back home. It has spawned a rash of imitators — the true mark of
a beauty monolith. £4.99, available nationwide
Editor’s choice Vaishaly skincare. Yes, we’ve said it before, but
this is by far the best beauty invention of the year. Everyone who tries the
organic, essential-oil-rich products loves them. Follow the massage
techniques provided and you can’t help but be left with a childlike rosy
glow. 0808 144 6700
MOST VOTED-FOR BRAND
Clinique Not a surprise: it’s the bestselling premium cosmetics brand
in the UK. And it was arguably the very first derm brand, founded in 1968
with the help of Dr Norman Orentreich as the new baby in the Estée Lauder
family. It’s very much a product of that era — the age of Nasa’s futurism
and feminist radicalism. It was the first serious, androgynous,
froth-and-frill-free skincare range — all products are allergy-tested and
fragrance-free — and Clinique has now expanded into haircare, bodycare and
make-up. Its bestselling product is the Dramatically Different Moisturizing
Lotion (£15) — one is snapped up about every four seconds globally. And its
three-step cleansing regimen has virtually become a religious ritual for
modern women. It launched the first premium men’s skincare range in 1976,
when the metrosexual was just a flicker in a marketing man’s eyes. As for
me, I just love the Irving Penn advertisements — they revolutionised the
aesthetics of beauty iconography.
