‘Skinimalism’ is set to be one of 2021’s biggest beauty trends, and after the year we’ve had, it’s no surprise. It means using efficacious multitasking products to strip back on multi-step skincare and make-up regimes which are as beneficial for bank balances as the time-poor.
Lockdown living has afforded us more free time than ever before and our understanding of our skin’s needs has peaked while our capacity for faffy multi-step routines is at an all-time low.
Perfect for the overtaxed, these hard-working products with multifarious uses will save space in your hand-luggage, and ease you back into wearing make-up. Here’s what to stock up on now.
U-Beauty launched in 2019 with the pioneering Resurfacing Compound to really shake up the beauty industry. The multifunctional serum brightens, resurfaces, renews, tightens, and protects skin, encased in one unassuming bottle. Thanks to the signature patent-pending SIREN Capsule, a cocktail of antioxidants, peptides, retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid are delivered where most needed. Smoother, glowing skin begins to show within three to six days of use: pores look diminished, skin appears to brighten, and dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles visibly fade. Massage one pump in morning and night for game changing results.
The multifunctional serum brightens, resurfaces, renews, tightens, and protects skin, encased in one unassuming bottle.
This is a wonder balm many a Beauty Editor swears by. It's a godsend for dry lips, but it’s uses are multifaceted thanks to Australian pure medical-grade lanolin, which is known for its deeply hydrating properties. The texture is reassuringly thick, without any stickiness or greasiness but with all-important staying power. Warmed on contact with skin, it can be used on dry patches and elbows, to nourish cuticles, seal grazes, and mollify irritation. Keep one stashed on your desk or bedside table, and make it a permanent fixture in your handbag too.
Loyal fans of 111SKIN’s Rose Gold Brightening Facial Mask can now harness the benefits of Rose Damascena Extract with this nifty booster. A skincare-meets-cosmetic hybrid, not only does it hydrate skin and sooth inflammation, it also delivers on that signature iridescence for a lustrous visage. Wear all over skin as a radiant primer, mix with foundation for a glossy, dewy sheen, or simply sweep atop checkbones as you would your favourite highlighter. Dull skin won’t stand a chance.
A skincare-meets-cosmetic hybrid, not only does it hydrate skin and sooth inflammation, it also delivers on that signature iridescence for a lustrous visage.
We love the Byredo make-up line for its 'tear up the rule book' approach. Maverick Ben Gorman's collaboration with edgy Make-Up Artist Isamaya Ffrench, presents a liberating method to create their new range which feels true to the Byredo brand. The pair started with colours they like from nature, which has resulted in the creation of multitasking Colour Sticks in vibrant hues from ocean blue and deep burgundy to more neutral earthy tones. The creamy, buildable textures glide onto lips, cheeks, and eyelids – wherever your intuition takes you.
Layering multiple hair products can be a careful balancing act: too little and your hair remains drier than the Sahara (making your hard work redundant) whilst too much will weigh down hair and make it sticky. The Almost Everything Cream dispels the need for a cabinet full of oils, sprays, and serums that overpromise and under deliver. It’s a (take a deep breath) primer, shine booster, frizz fighter, tamer, curl definer, conditioner, and mask providing a one-size-fits all solution to hair woes. Bad hair days are a thing of the past.
The Almost Everything Cream dispels the need for a cabinet full of oils, sprays, and serums that overpromise and under deliver.
This wonder powder is like fairy dust and its uses are endless. Applied directly to skin it transforms into a hard-hitting cream. Alternatively, it can be added to your favourite moisturiser or serum for a brightening boost. Added to the Dr Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask it becomes a treatment targeting acne and pigmentation. Or, you can mix it into your hand cream and leave on overnight for a powerful anti-ageing treament for the hands, helping to improve brown spots and pigmentation. Worth its weight in gold.
An all-in-one make-up palette is a worthy investment and cost-efficient too. Not only are they visually pleasing, but great for top-up applications on-the-go and saving space in your vanity case. The aptly named 'Instant Look In A Palette' comprises all you need for a rose-tinted smoky eye, sculpted bronze contour, and youthful peachy blush in one sleek case, and there’s not a dud shade amongst them. The creamy and blendable powders glide on like a dream, as you'd expect from the Queen of glowing skin, Charlotte Tilbury.
An all-in-one make-up palette is a worthy investment and cost-efficient too.
We know the feeling when you are in a rush in the morning, or simply too tired at the end of a long day for a multi-step cleansing ritual. Thankfully, with the Tata Harper Resurfacing Cleanser skin is cleansed, exfoliated, refined, and hydrated in one easy step. This may be formulated from 100% natural ingredients, but don’t be fooled, it offers an unparalleled deep clean with both a chemical and physical exfoliation thanks to apricot seed powder, willow bark, and zingy grapefruit. Pink clay draws out impurities, whilst aloe vera soothes skin sensitivity and inflammation making it suitable for daily use.
As someone who used to wear a full face of make-up everyday, one silver lining of lockdown living is a dramatic change in the texture and clarity of my skin. Many are feeling the same: skincare-foundation hybrids are increasing in popularity, with a desire to show off skin, rather than mask it under a cocoon of heavyweight foundation. Mastering the minimalist make-up look is made so much easier with the MZ Skin Tint & Protect: a quick-to-absorb lightweight daytime moisturiser with a subtly skin-blurring tint to cover imperfections and fine lines. SPF 30 protects against full spectrum UVA and UVB rays, whilst a cocktail of vitamin C and hyaluronic acid brightens and hydrates. Skin is left luminous with a lit-fromwithin glow.
Skincare-foundation hybrids are increasing in popularity, with a desire to show off skin, rather than mask it under a cocoon of heavyweight foundation.
Lixirskin was founded on the notion that as long as you have a good formula, there is no need to treat one part of the skin and not another. Case in point, the cult-worthy Universal Emulsion: a serum/ moisturiser to be used on the face, eye contour, lips, neck, décolleté, arms, and hands. The texture is dewy and velvety, leaving skin plump to the touch with minimised wrinkles. Purse-friendly, it can be used for both morning and evening, and the rose and ylang ylang scent is particularly remedial by night.
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