I thought I’d introduce a new monthly feature around here – sharing the very best beauty products I’m using and loving each month. I’m a lifelong beauty lover (I was sneaking into my mother’s dressing table and trying her lipstick before I could even walk), and obsess over the perfect fragrance, high-tech skincare solutions, and finding the very best versions out there.
I’m lucky enough to get sent a lot of products to try, but I buy a lot myself too. Either way, I would never recommend anything on here unless it really passes my (very high) standards. So rather than just telling you about the latest launches or things I’ve just bought and am excited to try (which I’m more likely to share over on my Instagram stories), this is where I’ll share those products I’ve genuinely been using for a while and think are worth shouting about – from my fragrance of the month to the skincare solution I don’t know how I lived before discovering and think you should try to. Below, this month’s favourite things. And as always, please do let me know if there’s anything specific you want to see or know about – your requests are my favourites!
J. Crew earrings // Sunday Riley Good Genes // James Read Gradual Tan Drops c/- // Herbivore Botanicals Face Mist
1. Sunday Riley Good Genes // This treatment does what it says on the tin and makes you look like you’re one of the lucky few blessed with really good skin (even if you’re not). I’ve been using this religiously for a year now, and I honestly don’t know how what I ever did before; I can always tell the difference in my skin if I stray and forget to use it for a while. It gently exfoliates and brightens dull skin and has really sorted out my stress breakouts and uneven skin tone. I use one pump 2-3 times a week as a night treatment before my moisturiser and – without fail – wake up with better skin than I had the day before. It’s not exactly *cheap*, but I’ve only just used up my first bottle and bought my second after a year of use – so it’s good value in the long term. I’m adding this night oil (for the evenings I don’t use this) and this daily face serum to my routine next.
2. Herbivore Botanicals Face Mist // This is a new-to-me brand, but I’m already hooked. I also bought the rose face mist and I’ve also been using this body oil before bed – I want to try their face oils next. I like a spray toner the best and use this after cleansing, but also keep one in my bag for refreshing my makeup throughout the day (or to make a sweaty commute feel a little more lovely). Not too expensive and lovely in every way.
3. James Read Tan Drops // I’ve been using James Read‘s tanning products for a year or two now (this overnight Sleep Mask and rosewater Tan Mist are firm favourites), so when this cool new product landed on my desk it went straight to the bathroom. I used to hate tanning my face because everything used to cause my skin to freak out (the aforementioned Rosewater Tan Mist was the first one that didn’t irritate my sensitive skin or cause a breakout), but this just slots into your existing skincare routine – just add a drop or two to your usual moisturiser a couple of times a week. I exfoliate two nights a week and use this the morning after and by the afternoon my naturally whiter than white skin is glowing.
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter // Bobbi Brown Sparkle Stick Eyeshadow c/- // Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Balm
4. Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter // I’ve been a Charlotte Tilbury loyalist for years, and admittedly there are very few products from the brand that I don’t love. But this new illuminator is perhaps my favourite yet – Charlotte’s been perfecting and secretly using it on all her A-list clients for years, and if it’s good enough for the red carpet… I use shade 02 (perfect if your skin tone is fair to medium) and blend it over my foundation wherever I would any other highlighter – around my cheek and brow bones and a little on my cupid’s bow above the lip. But if I’m looking especially sleep-deprived or generally blah, then it is a miracle worker mixed with your foundation. Like an IRL Instagram filter for your face.
5. Fresh Sugar Advanced Lip Therapy // Maybe it’s because I’m being lazy, but I’ve hardly worn lipstick all month (which is saying something – anyone who knows me knows I’m a lipstick evangelist and am rarely without a pink or red lip). Fresh tinted lip balms are one of my all time favourite products (I’ve just used up my favourite bubblegum pink ‘Candy’ version) – they smell like lemon tart, are seriously hydrating, and are so pigmented you can skip lipstick. This new advanced version in ‘Dream’ is even more moisturising and the perfect petal pink. Perfect for those summer days when you can’t bear proper makeup but still want to look like you’ve made an effort.
6. Bobbi Brown Sparkle Stick Eyeshadow // Continuing my theme of low-maintenance summer makeup (because there’s nothing worse than your carefully-applied makeup melting off by lunchtime), I’ve been skipping my usual bronze eyeshadow in favour of this cream stick version. I like them all, but ‘Gilded’, ‘Molten Bronze’ and ‘Prosecco’ are my favourite shades for summer and would look good on everyone. You literally just swipe it on your lids + a little under your lower lash line and blend it with your finger. Just add a good coat of mascara and you’re done.
Mermaid Perfume // Ouai Hair Oil // Clarins Neroli Body Lotion c/- // Chelsea Candle diffuser + candle
7. Mermaid No.1 Perfume // My friend Nicolette first introduced me to this brand about 7 years ago. I was staying with her and immediately demanded to know what she was wearing because she smelled so amazing (the answer was this perfume). But when I got back to the UK, I couldn’t find the perfume anywhere – despite obsessively searching for it ever since to no avail – so settled for splurging on the brand’s incredible shampoo and conditioner (which has the same scent and is always stocked in Liberty) from time to time. Until last week when I went to Liberty to get my hair done, and spotted it sitting there when I walked through the beauty hall (it only arrived that day and isn’t even online yet, but should be soon). I don’t think I’ve ever brought a product faster – they didn’t even have a tester but it didn’t matter. The closest equivalent is Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom (another of my all-time favourites) mixed with just a hint of vanilla and coconut. Summer in a bottle!
8. Clarins Neroli Body Lotion // I have a lot of love from Clarins, and the body lotion is one of those staples that I’ve been using for at least a decade. So when they sent me this limited edition set for summer I already knew I would like it, but I love the scents so much I’ve bought two more sets to stockpile for later (told you I’m a beauty junkie...). The set includes Neroli (my current favourite), Jasmine (which smells like a holiday somewhere exotic), and Magnolia (so fresh and pretty), and is really good value – you get three tubes in the set and each one lasts a while.
9. Ouai Hair Oil // This brand gets a lot of hype, but deservedly so. I like everything I’ve tried from the range so far, but this hair oil is probably my favourite. I use a few pumps from my mid-lengths to ends in clean damp hair, and it really helps to combat humidity (my hair is curly so otherwise turns into a frizzy mess at the slightest whiff of moisture in the air) and to keep my naturally parched ends nice and hydrated (even when I’m desperate for a cut). I’ve been using this bottle for months and it has barely made a dent, so it’s really good value too. Definitely going to try the rose version next!
10. Chelsea Candles // I’m normally a snob when it comes to my candles, but I work from home two days a week and like to have one burning on my desk the whole time and my Diptyque habit was getting expensive so I’ve been trying to find some inexpensive – yet still lovely – versions I don’t feel guilty burning for hours on end (so I can save my favourites for the evening when it’s time to relax). I hadn’t heard of this brand before, but they were such good value I picked up three of the candles and one of the diffusers in ‘By The Pool’, which makes my hallway smell of coconuts and sunscreen and summer. They won’t replace my more expensive versions for the evening, but a nice cheap alternative when you want to burn something all day.
Which products are you loving at the moment? Let me know your recommendations in the comments below and I’ll try them!
Love, Briony xx
