Hello and welcome to Newshub Lifestyle's Best in Beauty, a series sharing our favourite products of the past month for fellow beauty buffs, skincare savants and makeup maestros to enjoy. Disclaimer: we take no responsibility for any damage to your bank balance.
If #BeautyTok has taught us anything, it's that it's not cute to gatekeep: gorgeous, gorgeous girls and guys share their holy grail products for others to enjoy, even at the risk of said product selling out before they can stock up. It is a selfless act.
With that being said, another month has passed, meaning more products have been swiped, stippled, swirled and smeared - and these are the cream of the crop.
Mecca Max Life Proof Cream Concealer, RRP$25
Regular readers will know I'm a staunch supporter of Mecca's own brand Mecca Max. It offers a range of products at a reasonable price point, and those I've tried are pretty damn good. The Life Proof Cream Concealer is another winner: creamy, lightweight and buildable, the formula is medium-to-high coverage and sits beautifully on top of foundation, drying to a natural but matte finish. I'm a full-coverage gal, so I tend to apply mine with a brush - my favourite being the Bobby Brown Full Coverage Face brush - rather than a sponge, but if you're looking for a more natural look, a damp blending sponge will sheer it slightly. This method also works well under the eyes to minimise creasing and prevent the concealer looking too cakey.
There's 25 shades to choose from - if you're fair like me, the lightest shade, 100, works well for highlighting or if you like an ultra bright under-eye. Some find the formula to be drying, but I find using a hydrating mist over the top helps to add back moisture and keep it comfortable on the skin. And of course, prepping your skin with hydrating products beforehand will help with the end result. At the end of the day, for the price, I have no complaints.
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, RRP$42-$93
There's a reason Bum Bum Cream (pronounced 'boom-boom', not bum-bum') continues to be a mainstay of many a beauty guru's must-haves: it's a cult favourite, and for good reason. It's a body cream that strikes the balance between a rich and creamy formula that's also fast-absorbing and not too heavy on the skin. When I say this is hydrating, I mean it: my skin is silky soft, and my boyfriend will testify. Plus, it has other benefits too: infused with caffeine-rich guaraná extract, this product helps to smooth and tighten the skin, while açaí and brazil nut oils add some protection against environmental aggressors. Maybe it's placebo, but I feel it genuinely helps with the appearance of my skin - at least temporarily - making my not-gym-honed legs appear somewhat tauter. The scent is also divine: the product's ongoing popularity is partly down to Sol De Janeiro's signature Cheirosa '62 fragrance, packed with notes of pistachio, salted caramel and vanilla. Other key ingredients include cupuaçu butter, which is full of fatty acids, phytosterols, and polyphenols to help support skin elasticity, and coconut oil, which is ultra-nourishing and softening. Big fan.
If you like the Bum Bum Cream and have had it in your arsenal for a while, I'd also recommend the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil - an ultra-nourishing body oil designed to help firm and tighten the skin. It leaves the skin with a luminous glow and that lingering, delicious scent - and no, it's not greasy either.
Dermalogica Phyto Nature Oxygen Cream, RRP$200
I'm a diehard fan of Dermalogica and will continue to sing its praises from my silly little desk for as long as I can. I introduced this moisturiser into my routine a month or so ago, and I feel like I can already see a noticeable difference in the appearance of my skin. The bottle states that it contains oxygen-optimising phytoactives - whatever that means - but in a nutshell, it's super hydrating, soothing and feels beautiful on the skin. Although it's touted as an anti-ageing product for my mature girlies out there (those aforementioned phytoactives are said to "firm, lift and revitalise), my fellow 20-somethings should know that prevention is the key to maintaining youthful-looking skin for longer. Yes, the high price tag might be a bit off-putting, but if you have the cash to splash I would consider the splurge. It's lightweight enough to wear as a daytime moisturiser (plus it sits nicely under makeup) and is hydrating enough as a night cream. For anyone else with rosacea, I've also found it can help to minimise redness as part of a proper skincare routine, which is probably down to it containing antioxidant-rich Rose of Winter: an ingredient that helps to soothe and boost the skin's resilience.
Jeuneora Hydrating Booster Hyaluronic Acid Serum, RRP$48
For the price, I can't recommend this serum enough. Made by New Zealand beauty brand Jeuneora, this lightweight product is affordable and does what it says on the tin, providing a boost of hydration while supporting the skin barrier. Most of you reading this will know that hyaluronic acid has been a bit of a buzzword in the beauty community for a few years now, known for its ultra-hydrating properties. According to Jeuneora, the formula contains a highly efficacious form of the acid and super-hydrating botanical ingredients, as well as MultiMoist: a beetroot extract that supports both short and long-term hydration. There's also soothing jojoba and cucumber seed oil in there to maintain a happy and healthy skin barrier, which in a nutshell, locks in hydration and keeps out environmental pollutants. Plus, it's vegan, cruelty-free, and made without nasties such as parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, palm oil, SLS, etc. While I'd also recommend the Dermalogica Circular Hydration Serum, which retails for a cool $116, this is a far more budget-friendly option that essentially packs the same punch. As a sidenote, the packaging is also very pleasing to me: it comes in a bright-green container that twists to open and close the pump with a satisfying click.
The above products have been independently selected by Newshub Lifestyle. In some cases Newshub Lifestyle has been supplied with samples to review.
