All posts tagged: Sali

Sali Hughes on beauty: the best tinted sunscreens deliver SPF, moisture and a spring glow all in one | Beauty

Sali Hughes on beauty: the best tinted sunscreens deliver SPF, moisture and a spring glow all in one | Beauty

Published by Sam Flores

There are two things I invariably reach for at this lovely time of year: a trench coat and tinted sunscreen. The life-changing appearance of sunlight – if not quite blazing heat – means that most of us are venturing outdoors for longer periods while perhaps lightening our makeup load a little to be more seasonally appropriate. A tinted sunscreen in the right formula can kill two – or even three – birds with one stone, offering some makeup coverage, lighter moisture and high-factor sun protection in one portable product. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Garnier Ambre Solaire makes lots of terrific facial sunscreens at very good prices. The newish Vitamin C Wonder Tint SPF50 (£9.99) is among their best. Available in light, medium and dark, it’s a silky sunscreen that packs enough glycerin to moisturise skin as well as protect it, making it a good choice for drier skin types. The pocket-friendly bottle is compact and practical if, like me, you’re …

Sali Hughes on beauty: get your skin ready for summer with the best new exfoliants | Beauty

Sali Hughes on beauty: get your skin ready for summer with the best new exfoliants | Beauty

Published by Sam Flores

The onset of sunshine has caught my limbs by surprise. I went out in short sleeves last week and my neglected, greyish arms looked as if they were recently freed from a plaster cast. If you are to be a bride this spring, you may already be thinking about how best to restore what lies beneath the winter layers. The answer for us all is an exfoliating body lotion – an all-over moisturiser to even out upper arm bumps, slough off dead skin, smooth roughness and moisturise dry patches, ready for lighter clothing. There are several new ones that improve on predecessors. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. I typically recommend Ameliorate to brides who’ve likely ringfenced some budget for pre-wedding skincare. Punchier than those on supermarket shelves, its clinically proven Transforming Body Lotion uses effective levels of lactic acid and urea to exfoliate without stinging or drying, plus glycerin and sweet almond oil to moisturise the newly uncovered skin beneath. Now …

Sali Hughes on beauty: how to repair your hair in three minutes – no scissors or faffing required | Women’s hair

Sali Hughes on beauty: how to repair your hair in three minutes – no scissors or faffing required | Women’s hair

Published by Sam Flores

There are few brands one can credit with having changed the beauty game, but the launch of Olaplex just over a decade ago invalidated the assertion that the only way to fix damaged hair is to cut it. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. It used a patented ingredient (the unpronounceable bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate) to strengthen and rebuild all types of hair bonds ravaged by bleach, colour and other chemical or heat treatments. Having looked at bonds under a microscope, I think it’s easiest to think of them as tiles on a roof: when they’re in good nick, they’re even, smooth and regular; when not, more jagged, missing and letting in rain. Hairdressers raved about Olaplex, clinical and consumer trials agreed, rival and new brands jumped on the bonding trend and launched countless – sometimes inferior, occasionally credible – variations on the theme. And yet for me, even the promise of stronger, healthier hair could never quite tempt me to undertake with any regularity …

Sali Hughes on beauty: delicious designer scents without the exorbitant price tag | Beauty

Sali Hughes on beauty: delicious designer scents without the exorbitant price tag | Beauty

Published by Sam Flores

The business of modern perfumery can stink. While I accept that the cost of everything is now troubling, large sections of the niche fragrance sector seemingly pluck their prices from the sky. It’s not unusual for a bottle costing £300-odd to launch without any accompanying explanation as to why. An unknown name, a needlessly quirky bottle, an egregious price tag – all serve to underline the assertion that this is a “niche” fragrance for people who take their scents seriously, who should be too in the know to question its calibre. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. And so when I see a brand doing things honestly, authentically and with great care, I must give due credit. Essential Parfums is new to John Lewis (and available directly from the brand online) and its aim is to democratise creative perfumery. What this means in practice is an open brief to perfumers, who include such big hitters as Dominique Ropion and Anne Flipo; their …

Sali Hughes on beauty: new foundation launches come with a lot of hype. Do they deserve it? | Beauty

Sali Hughes on beauty: new foundation launches come with a lot of hype. Do they deserve it? | Beauty

Published by Sam Flores

Three very big hitters have new foundations: one risky reformulation of a cult classic; one addition to a wildly popular skincare franchise; and one to launch a new brand from a beauty legend. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Let’s start with Armani’s Luminous Silk (£49 for 30ml), loved by many for its buildable, versatile coverage, and perhaps the most worn bridal foundation of all time. While I’m not against a reformulation in principle (technology, regulations and ingredients move on, and that’s all for the better), Armani does seem to have reformulated here for little discernible reason beyond Google Analytics. The new Luminous Silk contains the much-searched-for niacinamide, a beneficial ingredient in skincare but, to my mind, not necessary in makeup. Luckily, it makes little difference. double quotation mark This is a soft, blurry, ethereal-looking makeup in 25 shades, which sets softly – no cake, no chalk The new version is a tad dewier in finish, but nothing your usual setting powder can’t handle, and …

Sali Hughes on beauty: finally, a dry skin remedy with a touch of elegance | Skincare

Sali Hughes on beauty: finally, a dry skin remedy with a touch of elegance | Skincare

Published by Sam Flores

I could write a thesis on derma body lotions, but it would be as boring to read as they are to use. You know the ones – rows of near-identical white and blue family moisturisers for extra dry skin, smelling of nothing, feeling like lard and standing unhappily away from the fun aisles full of fruity, silky and whipped creams costing half as much. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. The joyless, pricey pharmaceutical aisle is where we dryness-, cracked-, eczema- or sensitivity-prone skin types must shop, because a vat full of something more elegant would barely lubricate an elbow. For us, I deliver good news: Mixa has landed from France, 102 years late. You may remember its UK launch and swift withdrawal some years ago (because of something boring about distribution). Now it’s back, in supermarkets, chemists and online – and it’s marvellous. double quotation mark Mixa’s fine, ungreasy textures will be a pleasant surprise to those of us for whom …

Sali Hughes on beauty: the best tints to warm up your skin | Skincare

Sali Hughes on beauty: the best tints to warm up your skin | Skincare

Published by Sam Flores

Having one’s foundation match one’s skin tone exactly is a classic case of beauty industry dogma v popular opinion. The truth is that many people seek a little more warmth in their complexion – not only but especially come winter – and are disinclined to use another method such as tanning drops or bronzer to achieve it. And I’m always for whatever someone wants to do with their own face. All that concerns me is recommending the right product for the job. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. A full coverage foundation in too dark a colour stands out like a sore thumb. The key to subtly deepening, or “warming up”, any skin tone is in choosing a sheerer base with clear pigment better able to “stretch” across any disparity in tone between skin and makeup. double quotation mark When I wear this tint, I look how I imagine I’d look if my holiday face weren’t meticulously basted in SPF50 Armani Beauty’s …

Sali Hughes on beauty: luxury hand washes that won’t break the bank | Beauty

Sali Hughes on beauty: luxury hand washes that won’t break the bank | Beauty

Published by Sam Flores

Please can we all admit that on occasion, when we’ve been gifted and subsequently drained a posh-looking hand wash, we unscrew the luxury cap and pour in something from Asda? And that those of us privileged enough to have a downstairs loo that visitors see, routinely leave the posh soap there while the resident family rely on a bumper dispenser of Carex? Surely no one is above such behaviour. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. An illicit bargain refill last autumn inspired a hunt for stylish-looking and luxury-feeling hand soaps that, while not weekly-shop cheap, feel at least like a justifiable luxury. I’ve rarely enjoyed my research more. Let’s get the most expensive one out of the way, because it cannot be ignored: Beauty Pie’s Lemon Butter & Hemp Seed Hand Wash is £12.50 to members for a whopping half-litre of a glorious, creamy wash that leaves hands soft and fragrant. It is a rare combination of fresh (the lemony scent is …

Sali Hughes on beauty: why cica creams belong in every first-aid kit | Skincare

Sali Hughes on beauty: why cica creams belong in every first-aid kit | Skincare

Published by Sam Flores

If you were to open the smallest cupboard in my kitchen, you’d find some Elastoplast, paper-wrapped wound dressings, sterile latex gloves, surgical tape and some La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume (£11). I could name a good handful of consultant dermatologists who would probably say the same. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Some cosmetic creams are more – at least in practice – than mere beauty products, and no home should be without them. A rich, no frills, multipurpose emollient is essential family kit to support the soothing and healing of scalds, grazes, rashes and any other signs of vexed skin. And what the best ones generally have in common is the inclusion of cica, AKA Centella asiatica or (as it’s known in much South Korean skincare) tiger grass. This wild plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and is known for its skin-calming benefits and ability to support a skin barrier compromised by illness, everyday injury and …

Sali Hughes: forget smooth and glassy – glam beauty is back | Makeup

Sali Hughes: forget smooth and glassy – glam beauty is back | Makeup

Published by Sam Flores

I’ve always judged the Pantone colour of the year to be way less interesting to readers than to journalists. But the 2026 winner (an unremarkable off-white called Cloud Dancer) struck me as even less relevant when trends are finally looking interesting again. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Around the time of that news, Mac named glam pop queen Chappell Roan as its new global ambassador. The appointment of Roan – all grunge glitters, colourful face jewels and clumpy mascara – celebrates the experimental, edgy and playful Mac aesthetic, and signals what may be the end of what industry figures often describe as the “beige buffet” of post-Covid fashion and beauty. Oh, the relief in seeing the back of all-over “camel”, in enjoying makeup textures other than perfectly smooth and “glassy”, the joy in a glinty eyelid or gemstone applied haphazardly and for no other reason but fun. The effect on my mood of wearing a touch of slightly silly colour to work is noticeable Mac has …