February Thrills: This Month’s Must-Have Beauty Buys
With fresh and innovative new beauty brands landing on The Handbook beauty desk every single day, the choice of products is fast becoming overwhelming, even for me.
So, I’ve done the hard work for you and filtered out the products which really are worth parting with your hard-earned cash. From a blush that cleverly adapts to your skin tone to a filler that gives Botox a run for its money, these are the products that has made me squeal with excitement this month.
If like me, you tend to wake up with tired eyes that look like you haven’t slept a wink, then this cooling eye gel will power up your eye area in no time. Consider this your morning smoothie of peptides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and plant stem cell extracts will give a wide-eyed refreshed look. Plus, it’s unfragranced so it’s a great choice for sensitive eyes or contact lense wearers.
I’m obsessed with this latest member of the iconic On-The-Glow family – a new PH reactive blush. It’s more than just a cheek tint; its transparent finish seamlessly blends into the skin, allowing your natural flush (with a little help) to shine through. Genius.
Expect to be wowed with this groundbreaking DIY at-home wrinkle treatment, that specifically targets expression line. It works by limiting the intensity of facial muscle contractions, similar to Botox, by relaxing muscles which diminishes wrinkles. It uses a neuropeptide complex that hinders neurotransmitter release and muscle contraction, smoothing lines while stopping new ones from forming. Definitely worth a shot (quite literally!)
When one of my favourite skincare brands develops a product to help depleting collagen levels (a subject I’m fascinated by) I sit up and take notice. We are often misled in believing that topically applied collagen has the same effect – it doesn’t. Topically applied collagen molecules are simply too large to penetrate into the skin’s surface or restore it own collagen reserves, so we can’t build collagen by applying collagen (which is why I religiously take a daily ingestible collagen sachet). However, we can help preserve the collagen that skin already has, which is where this amino acid formula – the building blocks of collagen, comes in. My skin is visibly plumper and more luminous since using this.
New to the UK, this Nordic brand encourages self-care every day. Founder Katja Kokko has over 24 years’ experience in traditional Chinese medicine, facial reflexology, and lymph drainage, so it’s no surprise this jade gua sha is one of the best I’ve tried. It’s shape is well considered with ‘teeth’ on one side and a smooth curved angle on another that fits perfectly into the palm of my hand. Plus, there’s gua sha workshops that you can follow online to learn helpful massage techniques and get the most out of your tool.
I’ll try anything and everything to shift my cellulite, so I’ve recently welcomed this little cup in to my life. It’s basically a suction cup that you gently sweep across the areas of cellulite you want to tackle. It drains, smoothes and tones areas, but the sensation does need a little getting used to. This dimple blaster is not pampering by any means, but it will fast become a tool you never realised you needed in your life.
This hybrid wonder has the same impact of a normal mascara while simultaneously nourishing lashes with every swipe. It has a biotin-enriched formula (the go-to supplement for lengthening and strengthening hair) that gets to work immediately. Brilliantly impressive and affordable, but I did find it quite a wet formula, so just one sweep is ample. And don’t pump your wand, it picks up plenty of pigment without help.
Since this book arrived on my desk, I haven’t put it down! Brilliantly written by the founder of wellbeing NEOM Organics, containing a wealth of information, advice, top tips and wisdom about better sleep, less stress, more energy, and a boosted mood – which I certainly could do with a lesson or two in.
The products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however, The Handbook may make a small commission on some products purchased through affiliate links.
