The idea that we must all follow trends like brainless sheep is, of course, increasingly inane. That said, some trends are worth paying attention to, not because of the hype but because they make sense/work – like latte makeup. Inspired by the coffee, it is essentially wearing shades of browns, deep chocolate, bronze and nudes for a monochromatic look. It’s clever, chic and makes you look radiant, which is particularly key as winter draws in.
1. Carolina Herrera Good Girl Liquid Blush in Peach Begonia £36, johnlewis.com
2. Milk Makeup Highlighter £22, spacenk.com
3. Fenty Beauty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick in Power Thirsty £24, fentybeauty.com
4. Haus Labs’ Eye Library Eyeshadow Palette, Volume 001 £46, sephora.com
5. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Divine Bronzer £40, patmcgrath.com
I can’t do without… An excellent toner that makes light work of dark spots
I’m so impressed by the new wave of toners. Unlike their brutal predecessors, they are gentle, effectively get rid of post-cleanse debris and make the rest of your skincare work more efficiently. Some go one step further and also treat/combat specific skincare maladies. Case in point: Farmacy’s Brighten Up Dark Spot Toner, which is said to buff away dullness-inducing dead skin cells and eradicate dark spots, quickly. As someone who has always dealt with hyperpigmentation and dark spots, I was immediately interested. But also sceptical. Still, I rate Farmacy pretty highly – it brilliantly combines farm-sourced, conscious and sustainable ethos with innovation and science – so I had hope. And it didn’t disappoint. The formulation includes azelaic, tranexamic and lactic acids, which are all exfoliators and deliver a great glow. The difference with this is that – unlike many acid-based products – it is so hydrating. It is like a supercharged liquid moisturiser. My glow was off the Richter scale and my dark spots were significantly diminished in a week. Now to be clear, this is not a skin bleaching product and neither is it – or am I – advocating that. Simply put, if like me you’ve long battled uneven skin and scarring from breakouts or sun overexposure, I cannot recommend this enough. Just don’t forget to finish off with SPF. Farmacy Brighten Up 3% TXA Dark Spot Toner, £31, spacenk.com
On my radar… Three brilliant beauty books that go in deep
Decolonising My Body Journalist and writer Afua Hirsch embarks on a remarkable journey to unlearn western beauty standards and explore ancestral skin, hair and body modification rituals. Decolonising My Body by Afua Hirsch, £15.49, amazon.co.uk
Glossy An exposé that peeks behind the walls of Glossier – a brand that revolutionised the beauty industry – and reveals how its enigmatic founder Emily Weiss built a $2bn company. Glossy by Marisa Meltzer, £18.99, waterstones.com
Disobedient Bodies Offering a radical look at the culture of beauty, the latest book from Emma Dabiri, a Nigerian-Irish academic, urges us all to rebel against societal ideals of beauty. Disobedient Bodies by Emma Dabiri, £7.59, bookshop.org
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