Commensurate with the soaring costs of, well, everything, beauty products are more expensive than ever. In fact, a survey conducted by UpCircle and YouGov, found 1 in 5 people in the UK are concerned about not being able to afford skincare, while the British Beauty Council noted a 20% decline in sales of prestige make-up products in the first half of 2022.
These findings suggest that while, yes, there will always be someone who can afford that hugely expensive moisturiser or incredibly decadent bath oil, for many, beauty luxuries are very much just that, a luxury — and that those products with prices nosing at the three figures are out of reach.
With that in mind, I’ve pulled together a list of products all of which come in under the £50 mark with two firm criteria: they have to be unequivocally brilliant, and there has to be something that makes them worth that extra bit of cash — an edge, be it multi-use, or being the best in a pool of similar.
Tom Ford Lip Colour
Having a Tom Ford lipstick is A Thing amongst beauty lovers for several reasons. First, the colours are impeccable, as are the textures. Second, I know the packaging shouldn’t influence choices — but it’s hard to resist this solid square of joy.
Tom Ford Lip Colour, £48, lookfantastic.com
Mortar and Milk Lip Complex
I have told scores of people to buy this lip balm by my favourite facialist, and they all come and tell me they’re converts. It’s a very hydrating, clear balm that isn’t sticky and stays put for many hours, and I have one to hand at all times.
Mortar and Milk Lip Complex, £30, mortarandmilk.com
Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist
Texture sprays offering oomph, a little dry shampoo-ness, and a little hold abound — but Sam McKnight, the legendary hairdresser who created the modern bedhead look, makes the best. Also worth noting is the scent by Lyn Harris, which reflects Sam’s great love of gardens and is accordingly designed to evoke an English one after rain has fallen.
Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist, £27, cultbeauty.co.uk
Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette
I know it doesn’t look very exciting — but trust me on this, it is a superior powder (but not powdery) highlighter, that doubles as an eyeshadow, triples as a blush, quadruples as a bronzer. Cult for very, very good reason.
Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette, £40, sephora.co.uk
Lisa Eldridge Eyeshadow Palette
Make-up artist Lisa Eldridge has spent years making up models and actors, and has funnelled that expertise into a very solid make-up range. These palettes offer many options, and you could use a single, double, or a wider combination of the shades to create multiple eye make-ups.
Lisa Eldridge Eyeshadow Palette, £49, lisaeldridge.com
Sisley Paris Phyto Eye Twist Eyeshadow
There are many benefits to eyeshadow sticks, including that they tend to hold their ground very well, while not ending up showered across the face as some powder eyeshadows do. These, by Sisley, are the top of the pile thanks to their colour range and skin-loving ingredients.
Sisley Paris Phyto Eye Twist Eyeshadow, £40, cultbeauty.co.uk
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
This product is legendary — and it really lives up to that status. It is a multitasker, working to remove make-up (yes, even a hefty application of mascara), to cleanse off grime of the day, and has a nice slip for a face massage.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, £48, cultbeauty,co.uk
Ultra Violette Queen Screen Luminising Sun Serum SPF 50+
The most important thing about sunscreen is to wear it every single day. The second most important thing is for it to give you the sort of skin you want. If that’s sheeny, soft-focus, Hollywood glow, get your hands on this. It unfailingly invites praise for my skin every time I put it on.
Ultra Violette Queen Screen Luminising Sun Serum SPF 50+, £36, spacenk.com
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer
This concealer is the product to which I’m most faithful, always providing just the right colour blend thanks to the two colours you can customise, and it looks like skin when on. I have covered some seriously intense blemishes with this, and wouldn’t opt for anything else when my skin flares up.
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer, £31.50, spacenk.com
Michael Van Clarke LifeSaver Ultra Intense Pre-wash Treatment
When your hair is ratty, tired, and in need of a little injection of health, this will do the trick. You apply it before washing hair, while it’s dry (this is handy, meaning very little faff) then leave it in for anything from half an hour to the full day, then wash out.
Michael Van Clarke LifeSaver Ultra Intense Pre-wash Treatment, £34.50, vanclarke.com
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Any number of Tilbury products could’ve made it onto this page, but, on balance, I think this is perhaps one of the most iconic products. I’ve used it many a time to add a sneaky extra hollow into my cheekbones, and a little light to the tops of them. It works enormously well with the Powder & Sculpt brush from the range.
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, £49, charlottetilbury.com
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder
If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and thought “that won’t do” about your skin but only have a few minutes before you need to fly out the door, it is imperative that you purchase one of these. It confers a soft glow to skin, a bit of candlelight warmth and, of course, sets make-up if you’re wearing any.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder, £48, hourglasscosmetics.co.uk
Ouai Body Creme
If you’re a body cream person, and you want an elevated experience, I can’t recommend this more highly. It feels like silk slipping on your skin, is beautifully scented. It will be hard to return to anything less sensorially pleasing after you’ve finished the pot.
Ouai Body Creme, £34, cultbeauty.co.uk
Mirror Water Bath Salts
The combination of Himalayan rock salt, Epsoms, and magnesium doesn’t just look pretty — it also is seriously remedial, softening skin and easing tense muscles. Top marks for the vetiver, cedarwood-y scent, which adds to the sense that this is not just a bath potion but a product designed to really do something.
Mirror Water Bath Salts, £42, mirrorwater.earth
Acqua di Parma Arancia Di Capri Hand & Body Wash
There are hand and body washes, and then there are hand and body washes by Acqua di Parma, which make you feel like for the minutes you use them that you are somewhere in Italy, sun beating down, fresh air scented with herbs and citrus and ocean.
Acqua di Parma Arancia Di Capri Hand & Body Wash, £47, sephora.co.uk
Selahatin Of Course I Still Luv You Toothpaste
If you want your day-to-day products to be an utter joy to use, let me acquaint you with Selahatin. They make toothpastes that do all the usual stuff (including giving your teeth that all-important dose of fluoride), but also come in great scents. My favourite is this, a citrus, bergamot, cardamom combination that feels at once clean and evocative.
Selahatin Of Course I Still Luv You Toothpaste, £19, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Waken Sonic Toothbrush
Outstanding in a market where similar toothbrushes cost upwards of £150, this is eco-conscious (with post-consumer recycled plastic and a head with a combination of bio-plastic produced using renewable energy and soft bristles made from castor oil), and a full charge will give you up to 60 brushes.
Waken Sonic Toothbrush, £29, Ocado.com
Meder Circa Hand Cream
Designed to repair hands overnight, but equally as good as an intense, but not greasy or heavy, day option. Expect your hands to look and feel smoother and softer over the course of using it.
Meder Circa Hand Cream, £45, mederbeauty.com
Skimono Advanced Moisturisation + Bio-Cellulose Face Mask 4 Pack
These bio-cellulose masks hug the face contours perfectly, and deeply, deeply moisturise. I don’t get on a plane without them, and frequently whip one out while getting ready for a big night.
Skimono Advanced Moisturisation + Bio-Cellulose Face Mask 4 Pack, £45, skimono.com
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
If your skin looks tired and generally a bit sad by the middle of the afternoon, it might just be in need of this cult mist. Refreshing, energising, and reliable, I use this over or under make-up for skin oomph.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir, £34, cultbeauty.co.uk
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo
Forget the dry bit of dry shampoo - all this does is leaves hair feeling clean, clean, clean. And smelling clean too, for that matter. Top marks for not leaving any white powder in its wake and for adding a little volume boost while its at it.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo, £38, livingproof.co.uk
Olverum Body Polish
Olverum have enjoyed a resurgence lately thanks to its superlative bath oil, but in my view this polish is also a star product thanks to the comprehensive scrub it offers. I always apply it to dry skin then really massage it in before adding water for baby soft skin.
Olverum Body Polish, £42, harrods.com
Susanne Kaufmann Alkali Salts
These sea salt and whey scrubs can be used in a few ways. Either use as a foot bath, pop a few in your bath to relax, or — my preferred use — massage a little onto décolletage and the tops of arms, then recline in a hot bath for two-benefits-in-one.
Susanne Kaufmann Alkali Salts, £40, net-a-porter.com
Virtue Restorative Hair Mask
Hands down one of the best hair masks I’ve ever used, this contains protein to strengthen and repair hair, while also adding shine, smoothness, and a degree of protection for hair facing the elements.
Virtue Restorative Hair Mask, £32, cultbeauty.co.uk
Legology Air-Lite Contouring Cream for Legs
Beauty Journalist Kate Shapland parlayed her fascination with leg function and health into this range of products. The contouring cream remains firmly at the top of my favourites list thanks to the combination of anti-inflammatory caffeine, antioxidant lemon, and a host of other ingredients to help legs look and feel light and energised.
Legology Air-Lite Contouring Cream for Legs, £45, sephora.co.uk
Vieve The Ninetease Eyeshadow Palette
Vieve’s make-up is excellent across the board, so go and have a look at the whole lot. That said, if you like eyeshadow and fancy some colours that are perfect right now, this palette will serve you very well.
Vieve The Ninetease Eyeshadow Palette, £49, vieve.co.uk
Grown Alchemist Body Cleanser
I’ve made it through three bottles of this excellent shower gel over the past year, and return to it because it never strips my skin, smells excellent (the chamomile, bergamot, and rose one in particular is a delight), and a little goes a long way.
Grown Alchemist Body Cleanser, £33, grownalchemist.com
Victoria Beckham Reflect Highlighter Stick
If you like your cheekbones to be enhanced but loathe the idea of any product being visible, you need this. Plus the stick is just the right size to swipe directly on and then blend with fingers so it makes adding a little extra bounce to skin and sharpness to contours a doddle.
Victoria Beckham Reflect Highlighter Stick, £40 victoriabeckhambeauty.com
Margaret Dabbs London Professional Foot File
It is one of life’s tragedies that an unfiled foot will start to harden and eventually resemble hide, and the only answer is to file away. This is the best one out there, offering a comprehensive and satisfying removal of dead skin. Once you’ve filed away to your heart’s content, you just remove the used pad and replace it with another.
Margaret Dabbs London Professional Foot File, £30, lookfantastic.com
Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask
This New Zealand brand has created a range of clever, perfectly-realised products. This mask is perhaps my favourite thanks to the Manuka’s ability to nourish and hydrate while also keeping spots at bay.
Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask, £28, uk.antipodesnature.com
Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara
Containing shea butter to nourish, this mascara is one of my ultimates, providing anything from a thin layer of mascara to a full whammy of fluttery black lashes (but minus flakes and clumps).
Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara, £42, cultbeauty.co.uk
NEST New York Himalayan Salt and Rosewater Classic Candle
Many home fragrance brands are pleasing at first and then lose their scent entirely. This is never the case with NEST New York, and I am consistently impressed by the innovative scents and sheer lasting power. This salty floral mix is my favourite of the bunch.
NEST New York Himalayan Salt and Rosewater Classic Candle, £45, cultbeauty.co.uk
Tatcha The Kiss Lip Mask
If your lips are dry and cross, apply some of this and leave it to work overnight. If you want a little extra exfoliation, apply it with a cotton bud and gently roll it over lips to lift dry skin and make sure this is in all the parched patches.
Tatcha The Kiss Lip Mask, £27, spacenk.com
RANAVAT Radiant Rani Brightening Saffron Serum
Brightening, illuminating, and firming, this serum is effective and a huge joy to use thanks to the scent (which is a consequence of the oils in the formula). It’s also perfect if you like to administer a little facial massage once you’ve applied your skincare.
RANAVAT Radiant Rani Brightening Saffron Serum, £35, cultbeauty.co.uk
Skinceuticals Ultra Facial UV Defense SPF 50
This SPF is a workhorse, and is regularly recommended to me by those in the know. It is free of irritants, never blocks pores, and disappears quickly so is ideal if you want protection without a whisper of product in your way.
Skinceuticals Ultra Facial UV Defense SPF 50, £45, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 Night Serum
A famous product for its efficacy and clever formula that minimises irritation, Medik8’s Retinal range is designed to be used at night to smooth, firm, and render skin brighter. Ease in gently — if new to Retinal, opt for one of the lower numbers in the range, and apply twice a week, working your way up to what your skin can tolerate.
Medik 8 Crystal Retinal 3 Night Serum, £49, libertylondon.com
Sculpted by Aimee Bare Basics Palette
Sculpted by Aimee’s thing is make-up made easy. The formulas, colours, and packaging are all enormously well thought out — and this full face palette is no exception. Perfect for travel, or if you just want to streamline your make-up bag, you’ll find the colours in this harmonious and very easy to sling on your face.
Sculpted by Aimee Bare Basics Palette, £34, sculptedbyaimee.co.uk
Kerastase 8H Magic Night Serum
If you’ve ever woken up with knotted hair that’s dry and frazzled, you need to know about this serum. First, it’ll stop all that nonsense. Second, it’ll smooth and strengthen over time, meaning your hair is less likely to become ragged and miserable both overnight and in general.
Kerastase 8H Magic Night Serum, £45.80, kerastase.co.uk
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
Aromatherapy is now very much recognised as being able to switch mindsets — and sleep is the perfect time to harness its powers. This contains lavender, vetiver, and wild chamomile natural oils, and will help to engender the shift you need to get a good night’s sleep.
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, £37, lookfantastic.com
Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel
The most important thing to know about this muscle gel is that it works, relieving aches and pains thanks to the rosemary, lavender, black pepper, and ginger essential oils, which jointly soften and soothe. The next most important thing: it is a nice experience to use, not burning, or itching, or smelling so intense that you need to wash any clothes it’s touched.
Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel, £36, spacenk.com
Clarins Eau Dynamisante
This sits somewhere between being a perfume and a hit of uplifting aromatherapy — and it has gained legendary status for its ability to do both while hydrating skin.
Clarins Eau Dynamisante, £40, johnlewis.com
Hayo’u Jade Body Comb
Perfect when you need a pick-me-up and burst of upped circulation. Gently run this over skin in a combing motion and notice tension dissolving in its wake. You can also use this on your scalp to encourage oxygen into the follicles for enhanced growth.
Hayo’u Jade Body Comb, £48, hayoumethod.com
By Terry Terribly Densiliss Concealer
The most creamy concealer imaginable, this is ideal if your skin is dry or prone to flakiness and you want to add a little coverage that won’t exacerbate the situation.
By Terry Terribly Densiliss Concealer, £49, spacenk.com
Suqqu Foundation Brush
If you find applying foundation a nightmare, this brush will be a godsend. The thick wedge of synthetic hairs will push foundation in and blend it seamlessly and quickly. One bit of housekeeping: make sure you wash your brush every few uses to keep bacteria at bay.
Suqqu Foundation Brush, £36, cultbeauty.co.uk
Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Setting Powder
Gone are the days when powder meant looking… powdery. Now, you can expect clever formulas to absorb excess grease and sheen while adding a soft focus element to skin. This is one of the best out there, and it really goes the distance.
Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Setting Powder, £43, lookfantastic.com
StriVectin Hyaluronic Tripeptide Gel-Cream for Eyes
This wonder gel-cream manages to really hydrate but also reduce puffiness and refresh. I tend to apply it first thing in the morning before I put any other serum on my face to get the maximum benefits.
StriVectin Hyaluronic Tripeptide Gel-Cream for Eyes, £45, boots.com
Three Warriors Aqua Mist
Tanner to all the A-listers, James Harknett introduced me to this mist, telling me I couldn't go wrong with it. I suspected he might be wrong, but no, it truly is terribly easy to apply. All you do is mist, wait a few minutes, then get on with your life. The tan it develops is very believable.
Three Warriors Aqua Mist, £32, fenwick.co.uk
Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer
If you used this really excellent bronzer years ago and have since forgotten about it, let this be a reminder that is it one of the very best matte bronzers going.
Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer, £30, cultbeauty.co.uk
Ilia In Frame Brow Gel
This is very good for two reasons: the clear gel comes on a tiny spoolie, meaning lots of control as you apply, and it really holds brows in place once on.
Ilia In Frame Brow Gel, £24, sephora.co.uk
Le Labo Santal 33 Shampoo
Generally speaking, scented shampoos fail on either the scent or shampoo front. This, happily, fulfils both, adding a little of that hugely popular Santal 33 scent to lengths and gently cleaning hair while softening. A triumph.
Le Labo Santal 33 Shampoo, £39, cultbeauty.co.uk
