Like any innovation, I’m always thrilled when I meet a product that really improves on the existing standard we’ve come to expect from the category.
For makeup that can be the feel, look and wear of a product or with skincare, the visible improvements it provides.
I generally need to live with a product for a month or two to know if it’s a really game changer, but with one of the products I’m highlighting this week (A Maybelline lipstick, below), it was love at first swipe. I knew straightaway it it was different, in the best way. Even so, I’ve been wearing it for weeks, so I have my own experience to back it up.
This week there’s also been a lot of beauty industry chat about the importance of aesthetic appearance of packaging vs what’s inside, off the back of the re-launch of Marc Jacobs makeup line. The original makeup products from the US fashion brand were contained in sleek black packaging and had great formulas that worked well, so I was really sad when it closed in 2021. Now, it has relaunched with playful and somewhat cutesy ‘foil balloon’ inspired packaging, although reassuringly, the formulas look fresh and modern.
Personally I totally see the appeal of standout packaging for bathroom counter appeal and it certainly helps drives general interest (and TikTok hype) in the brand, but for me, performance overrides this value. Then there are brands like Rhode, whose minimalist packaging carries a cachet of its own. There are room for both, if the products deliver.
Here are the products to know about this week:
Jane Iredale Skintuition Brightening Under Eye Concealer
This is an under-eye concealer dispensed from a brush tip so you can apply directly and blend, though I also used a separate small fluffy makeup brush to spread the colour to achieve a seamless finish.
I really like the coverage level of this, and you can add a little more to build up if you need. It spreads over skin and sets, rather than sliding around or bunching up in lines and the colour naturally hides those deeper shadows under my eyes.
While I generally rely on skincare to treat skin, I appreciate that this also contains ingredients the brand says helps improve fine lines (a peptide complex) and dark circles (a microalgae called Chlorella Vulgaris).
Abel Miami Split EDP and Double Scoop EDP
Abel knew what it was doing with the name Double Scoop. It’s so evocative of ice cream, you immediately get the sense the new release from the NZ natural perfume brand contains milky vanilla. But it doesn’t tell the full story, and Abel’s scents are always contemporary and nuanced. Like the fine dining equivalent of that dairy-bought cone, this fragrance also has elements of toasted black sesame and rosemary, a butterscotch heart, and a creamy vanilla that lingers.
Another surprise is Miami Split, a perfume that takes green banana and burnt sugar and joins it with the dark intensity of oud and labdanum. Definitely one to check out if you want a scent that’s unexpected.
Gisou Honey Milk Active Repair Leave-In Conditioner Mist
This one I rate less for its hair-improving properties, though I am sure they are valid. I had so much fun using this trigger spray, and the mist is satisfyingly fine which is a useful innovation that is emerging across beauty.
But what I think justifies the price tag for this product that is designed to detangle and tamp down frizz, is its scent. Like a hair perfume, its sweet notes of vanilla, honey nectar, jasmine and sandalwood last on strands all day. It’s the kind of scent that lingers on collars and pillowcases and diffuses to others when you swish your hair.
Maybelline New York Serum Lipstick
Okay here it is, the winner I knew I loved when I swiped it on. This lipstick is so silky and lightweight, it really changed my expectations for the texture and feel of classic lipstick.
The serum name comes thanks to moisturising ingredients that likely contribute to that barely-there feel, but the colour is surprisingly opaque, giving one-swipe coverage that lasts on lips without drying out.
It also comes in a matte-finish but the one I love is the hydrated satin finish that has a hint of smoothing moisture that makes lips look fresh and full. It doesn’t feather into lines around the lips either.
Perhaps my favourite product of the year so far!
Lancôme Rénergie Collagen+ Lift-Xtend Cream
Collagen is a focus for product formulation and label call outs right now as we are more aware than ever that it depletes with age. This contains specific peptides that aim to help maintain firmness and lift in our skin, supporting natural collagen and elastin to help skin looking its best for longer. What’s more, it has a desirable gel cream feel that sinks in nicely.
