When it comes to over-priced beauty products, La Prairie’s Micellar Water (150ml/£110) springs to mind pretty quickly.
So today it’s about the lighter, brighter beauty stars: those sunny day beauty essentials with breezy “barefoot in the grass” price tags.
From Barry M’s dual lip and eye crayon precision sharpener (works brilliantly and it’s currently just £1.45 on Amazon UK) to Madara’s ‘Become Organic’ try-me-trio featuring a purifying foam cleanser, deep moisturising fluid and a regenerating night cream which rings in at exactly £20, here are seven more “summer beauty steals” for the longer warmer days ahead…
SUKIN ROSEHIP HYDRATING DAY CREAM £18.95 (120ml)
A fruit bowl full of oils encased in a creamy, light hydrating aloe base – Rosehip, Aussie favourite Kakadu Plum, Avocado, Pomegranate and Tangerine among them – this nicely priced cream would work particularly well for dry and distressed skin types.
For those averse to overly rich or buttery creams this veers in the direction of a fresh feeling cream, almost more like a thick lotion. There’s a very barely there orange-lavender-cocoa scent and it absorbs super-fast, making it a refreshingly light choice which will last for ages.
Housed in a nice, weighty amber glass 120ml jar worry keeping to use with tea light candles or to store spices, herbs or spare keys in, later…
BARRY M dual sharpener £1.45
If your sharpener’s losing its sharpness, this one is excellent – I just ordered another from Amazon.
KURE BAZAAR 85% NATURAL NAIL POLISH £15
Brazilian-born Italian model Kartika Luyet’s free-from nail brand KURE BAZAAR blazed the trail for more pro-natural nail formulas when it originally launched. 85% natural polishes in some of the prettiest Pantonesque colours out there – and made from wood pulp, wheat and potato extracts?
For me, Kure Bazaar’s shades really are the prettiest on the market, spanning gorgeous deep winter red wines to ballet shoe pinks, icy mints and pastel powder blues.
Shade: Bikini & Co
100% PURE LIP & CHEEK TINT £24
Just over the £20 mark but with summer berry names in blasts of happy pinks, there’s plenty to love about Susie Wang’s easy breezy lip-to-cheek shea and cocoa butter multitaskers. Inspired by her garden and Mother Nature’s unique palette, Susie left corporate beauty and founded 100% Pure where she’s been playing with colour and infusing natural formulas with vibrant fruit pigments like raspberry and pomegranate (and black tea, dark berries and cocoa in mascara) ever since.
EYE CARE COSMETICS WATERPROOF EYELINER £16.95
A favourite of Beauty Shortlist Awards judge, cruelty-free red carpet makeup artist Justine Jenkins who works with stars such as Fearne Cotton and Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson, this particular eyeliner will stick around all day. It’s one of the most budge-proof ones I’ve ever tested.
Two thumbs up for the colours as well: black, deep brown, navy and a pristine teal-turquoise blue.
A good beach to beach bar beach bag essential thanks to its no-budge, no-smudge prowess.
MAVALA’S MINIS £5.20 each
Not one or even two but four mini bottles of liquidy creams and shines will tip you just a tad over £20 – perfect for small bags and crowded dressing tables.
Mavala’s Mini collection is huge. And for summer you’ll find a plethora of sandy pinks, sky blues and ocean or cool minty greens…
Love the colours, love the price. Big thumbs up. Happy mix and match summer.
BURT’S BEES 4-PIECE ESSENTIAL EDIT £12.99 (Amazon)
On to this affordable set now…
Here we’ve got two different full sized lip balms (clear/minty and tinted, the shade is Zinnia) a 20g Coconut Foot Cream – more of a balm – and a very small cream cleanser, all approx £3.30 each.
What I liked was the sheer tinted lip balm actually delivers enough colour to make a difference, I was expecting it to be more washed out. Useful and affordable. These’ll be in my bag all month.
KORRES TWIST LIPSTICKS £14 (Amazon)
Shiny, deeply pigmented, moisturising and decidedly non-drying, Greek apothecary-turned-beauty-brand Korres has absolutely nailed the twist-up lip crayon.
Have you tried these?
MADARA ‘BECOME ORGANIC’ 3-PIECE GIFT SET £20
Lotte Tisenkopva didn’t just put her Latvian skincare brand on the map, she took it global. Named one of the most influential business women in Northern Europe (alongside Bjork), Lotte and three other female entrepreneurs have taken Madara to places other brands are still dreaming of.
One of Madara’s biggest strengths is its innovative science meets nature formulas. Ingredients like birch water. Innovative natural SPFs.
Madara’s skincare game is strong but its cosmetics launches are well worth dipping into, too. If you love shimmer/luminosity-boosting/metallic highlighters and you haven’t seen Madara’s Cosmic Drops (love those!) have a look.
What it contains
• Purifying Foam, 150ml: A gentle, rich and soft foam that removes impurities and makeup for all skin types including sensitive.
• Deep Moisture Fluid, 25ml: Feel the instant moisturising touch of northern plants balancing oily and dry areas of the skin.
• Regenerating Night Cream, 25ml: A rich night cream with regenerating extracts that works overnight and helps stimulate cell renewal and reduce visible fine lines.
You have to love a well priced, all natural try-me set by an award-winning brand and you can find this 3-piece set at Naturisimo now.