Adjusting to that post(ish) pandemic life can be tricky enough, and then if you’re like us, the change of season just GETS you! Here, we’ve rounded up the best beauty products on the market, tried and tested by us because self-care is a year-round priority, baby.
Raaie Morning Dew and Yellow Moonbeam
If you’ve seen these GORGEOUS sculptured bottles on Instagram and thought, ‘damn my bathroom counter needs these’ then you’re in good company!
Raaie is a new active skincare brand that ‘harnesses the transformative power of land, sea and alpine botanicals’ that survive in extreme New Zealand environments. The new brand has launched with two products for morning and evening: the Morning Dew Vitamin C Serum, a powerful antioxidant serum that promises dramatically brighter skin (and leaves your skin feeling AMAZING, trust us) and the Yellow Moonbeam Retinal Elixir, a luxurious overnight treatment containing encapsulated retinal, a vitamin A derivative that is clinically proven to work 11-times faster than retinol, but without any irritation.
Raaie’s sculptural vessels not only look gorgeous in the bathroom but can be collected from your doorstep for a refill in their lab, caring for the earth from which the products are derived which is a HUGE bonus. We’re sold!
Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Eye Crème
It’s no secret we’re MASSIVE fans of Emma Lewisham at Capsule (we SWEAR by her Supernatural 72 Hour Crème) and now Emma’s finally, following two years of research and development and a 5,000+ global waitlist, released something that’ll help these pandemic-stressed eyes because Jesus, we need SOMETHING to hydrate these under-eye crevasses.
The Skin Reset Eye Crème harnesses two liposomal delivery systems, based on biomedical technology designed to enhance the delivery of treatments to target cells – this allows key ingredients to reach deeper into the skin. Most definitely one of the best beauty products on the market right now.
Dermalogica Hyaluronic Ceramide Mist
Ah, our other great love – Dermalogica have been our go-to for incredible skincare results for years, but this mist has been an absolute gamechanger as we’ve slowly slid into winter and our skin has NOT liked it. This mist saturates skin with hydration, and locks in moisture to help it bounce back. It’s formulated with ceramides and four types of Hyaluronic Acid and hydrates and seals in moisture for supple skin; smooths fine lines; and strengthens skin’s barrier for supple skin that bounces back from stress. You can mist it onto your skin after cleansing in the morning, or do what we do and keep a bottle on your office desk for a little spritz throughout the day.
Glow Lab Foaming Cleanser
Glow Lab are proof you don’t need to spend big bucks to get quality skincare or the best beauty products (or shower gel – we’re particularly obsessed with the Sandalwood and Coconut) and their new foaming cleanser is no different. At $15, this is the first-ever New Zealand-made, natural pump foaming cleanser sold in supermarkets that gets rid of everything on your face, but doesn’t leave it all tight and weird.
Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Lipstick
We’re lucky enough to have had a little sneak peak at these lippys and trust us when we say they are STUNNING. Lipstick has taken a bit of a back seat in the last two years (is there anything worse than forgetting you have some on, chucking a mask on and then being left with a smudgy clown mess?!) but we’re getting ready for its revival, baby – but instead of reaching for our old drying lip stains, we’re going back to soft and nourishing, but with staying power and high-pigment colour.
With 30 shades in the range both satin and matte, the reformulated high-pigment lip colour conditions lips with a new anti-ageing formula enriched with Advanced Ceramide Complex, Vitamin E and Maracuja Oil for soft, smooth and youthful lips. Whilst last year they focused on their Skincaring Foundation + Concealer, now these Skincaring ingredients are carrying through to lip products too. We’re really loving the gentle formation – one of the best beauty products in our handbag right now!
$54 (will be available at Farmers)
Jeuneora Renewing Booster
You might be more familiar with Jeuneora’s cult collagen powder, but the Kiwi wellness company has been expanding into the skincare side of collagen too. Its latest product is the Rewewing Booster, an advanced retinol serum which contains a bioactive form of retinol that supports the skin’s natural collagen production, but also contains gentle aloe vera, jojoba, macadamia and olive, meaning it’s suitable for all skin types, even those with sensitive skin. We’ve been using it at night and it’s a silky smooth serum that absorbs quickly – just be careful if your skincare regime contains AHA’s: use retinol products on alternative days.
Tronque Scar Concentrate
When it comes to best beauty products, Tronque’s range of body care actually can’t be beaten. They’ve been on the market for a little while, but I couldn’t not include this because I’ve never experienced something like this that ACTUALLY WORKS. Tronque launched last year with a gorgeous vanilla Firming Butter, an Exfoliating Refining Serum and this gorgeous Scar Concentrate and look, all of these body products are actually out the gate good and we couldn’t recommend them enough.
But it’s the Scar Concentrate that’s been the real star for me (Kelly) as someone whose body is riddled with them thanks to two ACL replacements, a tumble down a cliff when I was younger (sounds more dramatic than it was) and, erm, a few stumbles that might have happened following a few too many grapes in a glass. This concentrate has minimised the appearance of my scars, especially my knee surgery scars, and as a real hidden perk, for some reason, has smoothed out those little bumps you get under your skin?! I have them quite bad on my upper arms, and now my (ahem) biceps are smooth as silk, baby.
Raww Superfood Face Tint
Like every woman we know, the best things in life are things that can multitask, and that very much applies to beauty products! We’re really loving Raww Cosmetics’ new Superfood Face Tint, a does-it-all little pop of colour that’s perfect to chuck in your handbag, and can be used on eyes, cheeks and lips for a fresh complexion with minimal effort (and it comes in six shades of pinks, reds and nudes).
Mutual
We could not be more jazzed about this new Kiwi brand who are looking to change the game in personalised skincare.
Mutual is all about bespoke beauty, by harnessing sophisticated tech to develop customised formulas for individuals, depending on your personal needs and wants.
You head along to mutualskincare.com and complete a skin assessment form, detailing what your concerns/needs are, and Mutual will recommend a unique blended formula specific to your skin. You get an all-in-one product that starts with a nourishing base cream, which is then amplified with up to three high-strength ‘boosters’.
