Over here on the woman&home beauty team, we're experts on all things beauty advent calendars, so much so that it would be our specialist subject if we were on an episode of Mastermind.

If, like us, you've also had your eye on the best beauty advent calendars of 2026, you'll know that they've been dropping left, right and centre recently. Retailers such as Liberty and John Lewis have launched their multi-brand advent calendars, and now other brands are following suit.

Having unboxed Charlotte Tilbury's advent calendar in 2025, it's almost a tradition for us to do the same this year. So, without further ado, here's your sneak peek inside the 2026 edition of Charlotte Tilbury's sell-out beauty advent calendar – and we think it's the best one yet.

What's inside the Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar 2026?

For those who want to be in the know as to what they can expect to unbox throughout December, we've put together a list of everything nestled inside this year's Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar...

• Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk Medium - Full size
• Hollywood Beauty Light Wand in Pillow Talk Original - Full size
• Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick in Rosy Glow - Full size
• Lip Cheat Contour Duo in Medium - Full size
• AIRBrush Flawless Setting Spray
• Unreal Lips in Juicylicious Strawberry Vanilla
• Rock 'N' Kohl in Bedroom Black
• Charlotte's Magic Cream
• Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir
• Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara
• Collagen Superfusion Facial Oil
• Big Lip Plumpgasm in Nudegasm Diamonds
• Pillow Talk Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk Medium
• Charlotte's Magic Sculpting Gua Sha Tool
• Pillow Talk Velvet Organiser Makeup Bag

When does the Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar go on sale?

The Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar is ready and waiting to be snapped up now, having officially launched on 10th September 2026.

How to shop the Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar

For those wanting to nab the calendar, you'll be able to shop it via the Charlotte Tilbury app, website, or at your nearest Charlotte Tilbury store. Orders placed online will receive free standard 2-5 business day delivery or click and collect to your nearest Evri delivery point. Alternatively, you can opt for express 1-2 day delivery for £5.95 (or free on orders over £185).

We're of the opinion that selecting a classy nail look is never easier than in the autumn. You have so many rich hues at your fingertips, all of which instantly afford a sense of sophistication, but these seven in particular are unrivalled.

While classy manicures do, of course, exist among every season's nail trends, there's just something about autumn's nails, especially when styled alongside its fashion trends, that really ooze a certain air of timelessness. Picture a deep, glossy burgundy peeking out from the sleeve of a camel trench coat or chocolate brown nails worn alongside a lightweight, cashmere jumper - classy on all counts. And it's not just darker colours that afford such a look; there are also several soft, creamy neutrals and muted olive-y tones that can instantly elevate the look of both your hands and outfits.

In fact, we can think of seven shades and designs that definitely fulfil this classy autumn nail assignment, all of which work with any nail length and shape.

7 effortlessly classy autumn nails to request and recreate now

Of course, one person's classy manicure might not be another's, but when it comes to these autumnal hues, we think there's truly something for every preference. Whether you're seeking a subtle neutral or a rich, indulgent plum for your September nails.

Our classy autumn mani must-haves

1. Red wine nails

When we think of a classy manicure, a merlot-like burgundy look instantly comes to mind, paired with a sleek and short shape. It's rich, modern and incredibly chic - the exact shade you want to complement soft knitwear and stylishly tailored coats. Like a classic red, this colour is also incredibly versatile and will add a cool, moody pop to any look - be it a white shirt and jeans outfit or an evening dress.

2. Cashmere nails

For something soft and simple, a cashmere-like neutral is a great and very classy choice. The creaminess of the colour feels very fresh and clean, especially when paired with a short nail shape.

3. Mocha nails

Warm taupe and mocha browns are another timeless and classy choice for autumn. They're smooth, warm and perfectly on-theme for the season - what more could you want?

4. Plum nails

If you want a chic but slightly more individualistic look, go for a purply plum tone over a burgundy. This will set your nails slightly apart from the crowd, and the depth of the colour is just so rich and expensive-looking - we love it, especially from October onwards.

5. Berry nails

This sort of berry tone is one of our favourite looks to go for when autumn descends, as it's just so stylish and sophisticated, especially with square and almond nails (as we can see above).

6. Olive nails

If it's too early in the season for very dark nail colours, may we suggest an olive green instead? It's muted, versatile and just a true autumn classic - both nail and fashion trend-wise.

7. Chocolate brown nails

For a reliably classy look, a chocolate brown manicure is always a lovely choice for autumn. No matter what nail length or shape you pair it with, the richness of the colour really shines and complements every outfit you pair it with.

Beauty advent calendar season is in full swing, and take it from us, John Lewis' offering is one to be on your radar.

If you've visited the woman&home beauty channel recently, you'll know that we've had our eyes on some of the best beauty advent calendars to hit the market this year. That means we're well-versed in knowing which ones are actually worth parting with your money for.

While we've given our flowers to the likes of the Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar and the Harrods Fragrance Calendar that instantly flies off the shelves every year, there's one calendar in particular that we've heard everyone talking about – the John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar. After getting our hands on it, we can see why it's the name on everyone's lips right now...

What's inside the John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar 2026?

For those wanting to take a sneak peek inside this year's John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar, you've come to the right place...

• Clarins Lip Comfort Oil, 7ml – Full size
• FOREO UFO™ 3 Mini – Full size
• Foreo UFO Mask - 1 mask – Full size
• Molton Brown Red Berry Hand Wash, 100ml – Full size
• Jo Loves Mini Candle – Full size
• L’OCCITANE Almond Shower Oil, 75ml – Full size
• Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Relaxing Edition and Muslin Cloth, 100ml – Full size
• Grown Alchemist Rich Restorative Hand Cream, 65ml – Full size
• NUXE Dry Oil Huile Prodigieuse® Spray Bottle, 50ml – Full size
• Clinique All About Eyes Brightening Serum Concentrate, 10ml – Full size
• Benefit Juice Blush Stick in Figgie, 8ml – Full size
• Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Serum, 30ml – Full size
• Aveda Botanical Repair Strengthening Leave in Treatment, 25ml – Full size
• Philip Kingsley Frizz-Fighting Gloss, 50ml – Full size
• MALIN+GOETZ Niacinamide Restorative Cream, 50ml – Full size
• Mavala Pure Diamond Nail Polish, 5ml – Full size
• Dermask™ Vital Hydra Solution™ Pro Sheet Mask – Full size
• La Mer The Lip Balm, 9ml – Full size
• Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, 13ml – Full size
• Sculpted by Aimee Line and Shine Lip Liner & Gloss Duo in shade Blush – Full size
• Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumising Mascara, 10ml – Full size
• Laura Mercier Translucent Hydrating Setting Spray Ultra-Blur, 100ml – Full size
• Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, 12ml – Full size
• Trinny London Bounce Back Moisturiser Mini, 14.5ml
• LANEIGE Bouncy & Firm Serum, 15ml
• The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser, 50ml
• Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, 15ml
• This Works Perfect Cleavage, 50ml
• Rituals Ayurveda Body Cream, 70ml
• Neal’s Yard Frankincense Intense Age Defying Cream, 50ml
• Skin Rocks The Moisturiser, 15ml
• ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Future Restore Serum, 15ml
• Sisley Paris Black Rose Mask, 10ml
• Sisley Paris Black Rose Skin Infusion, 10ml
• Shiseido Vital Perfection Uplifting & Firming Advanced Cream, 15ml
• Shiseido Intensive Sculptdefine Serum, 7ml
• Lumière d’Issey Eau de Parfum, 10ml
• Wella Ultimate Smooth Shampoo, 100ml
• Versace Crystal Emerald, 5ml
• Lancôme Absolue The Eye Cream, 5ml 
• Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum Intense, 5ml

When does the John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 go on sale?

Good news: the John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 is officially on sale both online and in stores now – having launched on 7th September. Enjoy free standard 2-5 day delivery (with orders over £50) or the free click and collect service on orders over £40. Alternatively, you can upgrade to named or next-day delivery for an extra £7.95.

How to shop the John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar 2026

Want to shop the John Lewis Beauty Advent Calendar 2026? You can head to the John Lewis website or visit your nearest store to get your hands on the calendar.

It's true that fragrance can be very expensive, but if you're willing to let go of those designer names, an affordable and surprisingly luxe-smelling blend can be yours. In fact, our beauty team have 12 under-£30 perfumes they really rate.

Okay, yes, you can't bag a bottle of Chanel for 30 quid, and many of the best long-lasting perfumes are on the more premium side, but that doesn't mean the array of popular cheap scents can't hold their own against the pricier ones. M&S' and Zara's perfumes, for instance, are touted for their chic notes and similarities to more luxury blends. We have also come across many more under-the-radar options that are both inexpensive and boast impressive sillage - you just need to know where to find them.

So, if you're seeking a blend that smells great but doesn't make you feel like you have to ration it because of its price, we can help you there. Our beauty team have each shared the three under-£30 scents they really like - and recommend for their staying power and compliment count.

The under-£30 perfumes our beauty team say rival luxury ones

Naomi's 3 under-£30 perfume picks

Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson, for one, loves Gisou's Honey Dewy hair and body mist, which costs £27 for quite a good-sized bottle. She's also recently discovered the Korean perfume brand Anillo and has been really smitten with their Shower Time scent, which is £21 and blends rainy notes of muguet, pepper, incense and cedar - ideal for a new autumnal fragrance.

Fiona's 3 under-£30 perfumes picks

From under-the-radar French perfumes to a fruity-floral perfume oil from The Body Shop, Digital Beauty Channel Editor, Fiona McKim, knows a thing or two (or three, we should say) about affordable, chic scents.

Aleesha's 3 under-£30 perfumes picks

Digital Beauty Editor Aleesha Badkar has cracked the code on travel sizes that are actually worth the spend. Merit's Retrospect, for instance - the formula is an extrait, meaning it's very concentrated, so a little goes a long way. Boots have also launched their very own scent line, and she loves the new Soft Island Drift fragrance, with its sparkling notes of banana flower, pear, coconut, apple blossom and musk.

Sennen's 3 under-£30 perfumes picks

It's a clean high-street sweep for Digital Beauty Writer Sennen Prickett's under-£30 favourites, with a ZARA, & Other Stories and M&S perfume winning a spot in her scent collection. The latter is part of Marks and Spencer's newer Studio collection and marries rich, warm notes of tonka bean, tobacco and vanilla - another lovely option as we head into autumn.

To state the obvious, Trinny Woodall knows a thing or two about beauty. Specifically, the founder and industry expert understands what 40+ women want from their routines and has built her Trinny London brand around streamlined, effective skincare and flattering makeup without the faff.

So, when an offer came in to meet Trinny and try a top-secret new launch at her Kings Road HQ, I was off like a shot. Now, after learning all about this radiant, weightless base - and wearing it for weeks without being able to reveal what it was - I can finally spill the tea.

Meet Trinny London Fearless Skin Tint Drops: buildable, skincare-packed coverage painstakingly formulated for, and rigorously tested on, mature skin. For my money, this is one of the best lightweight foundation launches of the year - although, as Trinny herself asserts, "it's not foundation, it's a skin tint."

On the inspiration behind Fearless, Trinny explains, "We evolve so much, but sometimes our coverage doesn't evolve with us. So we might use things that worked on a younger skin, when we had more oil, and we wonder why a foundation makes our skin look a bit dry, or sits in fine lines."

"When you get to peri-menopausal, we can have a bit more rosacea; we can have pigmentation coming up," she continues. "So you have women who either wear the same coverage for a long time... or you stop wearing foundation, but you have that feeling, 'I'd like to wear something, but I don't want to look caked.'"

Can you relate? I'd urge you to try Fearless. As well as that buildable coverage, it cleverly combines biomimetic lipids (ingredients that replicate the natural fats in your skin that are lost over time) with Evodia Rutaecarpa plant, which boosts your skin's own natural radiance - rather than simply creating the illusion of glow with light-reflecting particles, as many foundations do.

After taking my top-secret bottle of Fearless Skin Tint home, I fell in love with its juicy feel and flattering finish, and it became my constant companion. I've been wearing this base for weeks - at work in a London heatwave, on holiday in the South of France and all day and night at a Scottish wedding.

It covers the rosacea on my chin and around my nose, reliably stays put and doesn't sink into the lines around my eyes. It's also comfortable, hydrating, and (this is rarer than it should be) looks like skin, not makeup.

I've had a good few compliments while wearing Fearless, and have even been asked outright what foundation I was wearing. It has pained me to respond with an irritatingly coy "watch this space" while I waited for launch day. Sorry for that, friends and family; the secret's out now.

Wondering how to apply Fearless? It's easy - one pipette is the exact amount needed for medium coverage on a full face. Push down the lid to drop the formula out, either onto your hand to pick up bit-by-bit and blend, or straight onto your tool of choice.

"We give you three options: your fingers, your sponge, which we developed, or your brush," advises Trinny. "If you have things to cover, I think a sponge is better because you feel you're not moving it too much, whereas if you want it to become part of your skin and you've got nothing to cover, then use a brush and buff it in."

As for where to apply, that's important too. "I've realised I don't really need that much here," Trinny explains, pointing to her jawline, "but I might need it here around my nose, so I start where I need it the most, and then I blend out."

"If you apply it heavily where you hardly need it, you have to put it even heavier where you do want it. So starting the other way is a much better way to do it."

While it was no great shock that my encounter with Trinny furnished me with makeup formulation education and clever application tips, it was a pleasant surprise to leave with a new can't-live-without-it product.

What's more, there were actually two top-secret launches up for discussion that day, and I'm even more excited to tell you about drop #2 in a month. Watch this space (sorry!)

There's a particular moment most of us notice, somewhere in our forties or fifties, when skin doesn't just look tired - it starts to look like it's lost its shape. Cheeks sit a little lower, the jawline softens, and the reflection in the mirror feels less like "ageing" in the abstract and more like a specific, tangible shift in structure. It's one of the most common complaints among women navigating midlife skin, and also one of the hardest to address with skincare alone.

Sagging is one of the most visible signs of ageing skin, and one of the hardest to treat - which is likely why Shiseido has spent the last 30 years researching exactly what causes it. Now, the brand says it's identified five distinct factors behind the loss of facial firmness and contour, and has built a new serum specifically designed to target all of them at once.

The new Vital Perfection Intensive Sculptdefine Serum is the latest addition to Shiseido's number one Vital Perfection range, and the brand has revealed it improves sagging, firmness and brightness in just one week.

According to Shiseido's research, the most significant contributor to sagging is the decline of the skin's collagen network - but not simply in terms of collagen levels. The brand's latest findings look at how collagen is structured within the skin, specifically a net-shaped collagen network that helps support facial contours from within. As we age, both collagen levels and this internal support structure decline, making it harder for skin to hold its shape.

Facial muscles play a role too. Shiseido notes that as facial expression muscles weaken over time, they provide less structural support to the skin, making contours harder to maintain. Combined with reduced skin cell activity, slower nutrient delivery and declining nerve function, the brand says these factors accelerate the visible signs of sagging.

To address these causes, Shiseido has developed a new D-AminoLift Complex™, combining SafflowerRED™, Niacinamide and D-Aspartic Acid. Working alongside the brand's existing ReNeuraRED™ Technology - designed to optimise the skin's responsiveness and regenerative capacity - the formula is intended to help rebuild, reinforce and retain the skin's internal support structure. It's also formulated with Licorice Extract, which Shiseido says helps support the skin's anchoring structure and its natural resistance to gravity.

The serum effectively combines and streamlines the brand's previous LiftDefine Radiance Serum and Night Concentrate into a single day-and-night formula.

Shiseido has confirmed clinical testing showed enhanced firmness, improved brightness and a reduction in the appearance of sagging. In consumer testing, results after one week included a 42% improvement in the appearance of cheek sagging, a 39% improvement in the jawline, and a 43% improvement in the appearance of the corners of the mouth. After four weeks, these figures rose further - cheek sagging improved by 67%, jawline by 68%, and the corners of the mouth by 68%.

Since 1872, Shiseido has built its reputation on combining Japanese aesthetics with advanced cosmetic science, and this latest launch feels like a continuation of that approach rather than a departure from it - grounded in three decades of sagging-specific research rather than a single new ingredient story. Whether the appeal is the science behind the collagen-structure discovery or simply the promise of visible results in a week, it's a serum worth watching as it rolls out nationally this September.

As summer fades and the temperature starts to drop, most of us notice a shift in our skin before we notice it anywhere else. The dehydration that comes with switching from air conditioning to central heating, the dullness that sets in once the golden-hour glow fades, the sudden reappearance of fine lines that felt invisible in July - it's a familiar story, and one that tends to catch us off guard every single year. Skin doesn't do well with abrupt change, and the shift from summer to autumn is one of the more demanding transitions it goes through.

It's timely, then, that Dr. Barbara Sturm has relaunched the serum at the heart of her cult Super Anti-Aging Collection - reworked and enhanced for exactly this kind of seasonal skin stress.

The new Super Anti-Aging Serum is an evolution of Dr. Sturm's signature formula, described by the brand as "the powerhouse formula, reimagined." It's been amplified with next-generation bioactives, including sunflower sprout extract - included to support the skin's NAD+ levels, a molecule linked to skin energy and vitality - alongside superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant enzyme that helps defend against oxidative stress, and Dr. Sturm's signature biofermented purslane.

Dr. Sturm has revealed the reformulated serum is clinically proven to reactivate the visible hallmarks of skin youth within three months. Brand trials reported a 180% increase in hydration, a 58% improvement in smoothness, a 49% boost in radiance, a 29% increase in elasticity, and a 38% reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In consumer testing, 90% of participants said their skin appeared more youthful, 93% reported skin that felt hydrated and nourished, and 97% said their skin felt smoother.

Designed to be applied to the face, neck and décolleté morning and evening before a preferred moisturiser, it's formulated for skin experiencing dryness, sensitivity and loss of elasticity - which makes it a natural fit for the kind of barrier stress that autumn tends to bring on.

Alongside the serum relaunch, Dr. Sturm has introduced a new addition to the range: an intensive, cream-to-oil weekly treatment mask formulated with Japanese camellia and passionfruit oils, biofermented purslane and a hyaluronic acid complex. Left on for 15 to 20 minutes, it melts into an oil that's worked into the skin using the included Gua Sha tool.

Dr. Sturm has said the mask is clinically proven to restore elasticity by 84% in just five uses, with a single application reported to increase hydration by 93%, boost radiance by 16%, reduce fine lines and wrinkles by 21%, and reduce the appearance of visible pores by 11%.

Whether it's the reformulated serum leading the charge or the new mask working as a weekly reset, Dr. Barbara Sturm's expanded Super Anti-Aging Collection makes a strong case for treating the season change as a genuine skincare moment rather than something to push through. As always with Dr. Sturm's line, the price point sits firmly in prestige territory - but for anyone whose skin reliably struggles with the shift from summer to autumn, this is a collection built with that exact complaint in mind.

Much like how bright pinks, corals and blues are synonymous with summer styling, a rich, burnt orange is something of an autumn signature, and now Gillian Anderson is making a case for it not just in your wardrobe, but on your toes too.

While there are, of course, plenty of chic, timeless pedicure colours to choose from, there's always something so fun about matching your nails (both finger and toe) to the season's trending colour palette. Especially now that every brand and retailer is debuting their new autumn collections. Red is always a classic, as are chocolate brown nails, but for something really warm and toasty, it's got to be a burnt orange.

In fact, we've seen firsthand how well this rich shade can complement and elevate the new season's styles, with Gillian Anderson having worn it while modelling M&S' September line.

As the brand's 'Chief Compliments Officer,' the actress took to Instagram to share the arrival of the autumn collection, with a carousel of snaps showing her wearing the new pieces, all of which she wrote have her 'seal of approval.'

The outfits included a chic black and orange checkered skirt, a long black dress and a plum-coloured satin shirt and tailored trouser combo, all styled with a pair of strappy heels and, you guessed it, a dark orange pedicure.

Burnt orange nails are always an obvious choice for us when the seasons shift, thanks to the colour's warmth and versatility, but it's often a shade we forget all about when it comes to our toes. But as Anderson proves, it's just as wearable and can really complement and elevate both transitional outfits and full-blown autumn ones too - more so if you opt for a matching orange mani-pedi.

It feels especially apt for your September nails, though, as sporadic sun is still on the cards, meaning you might need to debut your toes at a moment's notice, and a warm, smoky orange definitely works for that, whilst also toasting the approaching autumn season.

Longevity is the latest buzzword in beauty. Until now, it’s been cornered by the skincare market, with ingredients that make your cells behave as if they’re younger. It’s about keeping your skin as healthy as possible for as long as possible. And now, it’s your hair’s turn to get in on the action.

K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum essentially extends the life of your hair. Trials found it cut shedding dramatically and even reduced the number of grey hairs. K18 is a brand known for its innovation, leveraging biotechnology to restore healthy hair. If you haven’t already used the hero K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, get on that.

Where the mask has conquered repair, the new K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum is focused on preservation, building resilience, and reversing premature ageing of the hair and scalp. It’s not a reactionary fix, but more a wellness product that addresses scalp health and hair ageing before the outward signs accelerate.

But can a hair serum, even one that claims to reverse hair ageing in three months, justify a £110 price tag? I’ve been testing it to find out.

How does K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum work?

Since skincare ingredients for haircare is a huge trend and very relevant to this new launch, let’s think about skincare for a second. There are plenty of products out there that target skin concerns once the damage is done - hyperpigmentation treatments or the best eye creams for wrinkles, for example.

But prevention is always easier than cure, and the most effective way to stay looking fresh for longer is to get on the front foot with ingredients that support cellular health and a resilient skin barrier to future-proof your skin. This is exactly what K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum sets out to do for hair.

Your hair is subject to the ageing process, just like your skin, and accelerated by lifestyle stressors like sun exposure, pollution, hormonal fluctuations, heat styling and chemical processing. These cause inflammatory stress on the scalp and follicle, which results in premature ageing, which eventually manifests as shedding, hair thinning, early greying, and a compromised scalp barrier.

K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum essentially puts a support system in place for healthy hair, using peptides and antioxidants that mimic those in your body, and a root-anchoring complex. Together, they strengthen the follicle’s hold on the hair and bolster its natural defences against oxidative stress, as well as helping to restore pigment production to reduce the number of grey hairs.

The serum taps into the body’s recovery mode overnight, so it’s designed to be applied in the evening. It has a dropper system that measures out the perfect dose per section - apply one down the middle parting, one down each side part, and one at the hairline.

How does K18 FutureIQ™ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum perform?

During the clinical trials, testers retained as many as 19,000 hairs over 90 days. Given that most people shed between 100 and 150 hairs a day, this is a significant improvement. It’s a running joke in my household that I shed like a labrador. Since using the serum, particularly in the last fortnight of testing, I’ve noticed less hair coming off on my brush every morning, and down the plughole when I wash it.

The three-month trial also demonstrated that up to 70 per cent of participants showed fewer greys. Usually, my greys start peeking through within days of colouring - the bane of a brunette’s existence. By the two-week mark, there’s a visible silvery line along my parting and around my face. At three weeks, I’m forced to reach for the at-home hair dye.

But since I’ve been using K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum, I’ve noticed that this whole cycle has been drawn out. My colour looks darker for longer. I’m not seeing the grey creep back through as quickly, which has meant that I’ve been able to wait longer before colouring.

K18 FutureIQ Biomimetic Hair Longevity Serum: W&H verdict

I have to preface this final verdict by saying that I’ve only been using the serum for two months. K18 does say that it takes three months to start reversing hair age, and all of their clinical testing was conducted over a three-month period of nightly use.

However, they do admit that improvements can be seen in as little as one month. So where am I at after two months and two bottles? I don’t suddenly have a new head of hair, but the fall out on my brush is a good indicator that I’m not losing as much hair as I was pre-serum, and I think things look a little fuller around my hairline.

It's the grey hair reversal that has really astounded me. It's now three weeks since my last dye job, when ordinarily I'd be forced to colour it, but the regrowth is nowhere near as noticeable. My greys always made me feel tired, run-down, and unkempt, but since they're not as visible or as quick to show through, I don't feel the desperate need to re-colour my hair after three weeks now.

I’ve luckily never had any issues with my scalp, so it’s hard to say if it’s in a better state now, but if beautiful hair is a by-product of a healthy scalp, then this serum has truly made a difference. My hair has never been softer, silkier or shinier. I’m about to start my third bottle, and I hope that by the end of the 12 weeks I'll see a thicker ponytail and even fewer greys - fingers crossed!

As a beauty editor with a slightly lazy approach to skincare, my job involves navigating a fair amount of ‘do as I say, not as I do’. I don’t really think an eye cream is necessary. I’ve disgusted a lot of trichologists by telling them I only wash my hair once a week.

None of these little rebellions particularly worry me - I’m confident in my ability to reach my skin goals (plump, dewy skin) and how to achieve them (enough hyaluronic acid serum to sink the Titanic). One little miss does bother me, though - I don’t use Vitamin C serum.

Even the best Vitamin C serums break me out, and I’ve tried them all. They irritate my skin and cause breakouts almost immediately. I resigned myself to being antioxidant-less and vulnerable to the perils of pollution until I found this powerful protective serum that doesn’t rely on Vitamin C as an ingredient. The best bit? It’s only £26.50.

I know - in the grand scheme of things, my intolerance of Vitamin C isn’t actually that concerning. Having interviewed plenty of skin experts and dermatologists over the years, though, it does feel like I’m breaking quite a crucial rule.

If you know what vitamin C does, you’ll know that it’s an antioxidant that protects skin from pollution, while also helping to heal damage that’s already occurred. Vitamin C is one of the best-known and most commonly used antioxidants, but the downside is that it can irritate sensitive skin types.

Lucky me, then, that I stumbled upon Cetaphil’s Advanced Defence Serum, which is sold as an alternative to Vitamin C for sensitive skin - something I’d never even considered seeking out. I thought I was doomed to be spotty from blemishes or pigmentation forevermore.

I tried it on a whim, half expecting a breakout or a reaction, and was happy to note that it never arrived. I was happier still, a week later, when I noticed how much brighter and fresher my skin looked. I found myself using less concealer, or sometimes skipping base altogether.

Instead of pesky Vitamin C, this serum is powered by a blend of Gallic Acid and Vitamin E. These, working in tandem, have been proven to be two times more effective than Vitamin C, minus any irritation - so it’s no wonder I saw the results so powerfully (and so quickly).

Another thing I never enjoyed about Vitamin C serums was the texture. They were sticky or oddly gritty, and never sat nicely on my skin. Cetaphil’s Advanced Defence Serum is positively silky. It glides on beautifully and sinks in almost immediately, never leaving skin feeling tacky or pilling.

This might also be down to the ingredients list - pairing it with my good friend hyaluronic acid and tightening niacinamide makes it a clever multitasker that provides multiple skin wins.

If you found Vitamin C irritating or hard to fit into your routine, I'm betting you'll enjoy using Cetaphil's Advanced Defence Serum much more. I'm certainly hooked.

From exfoliating our pits to scrubbing our dry lips, our beauty team are getting really candid about the more unglamorous areas of their weekly routines, for all those seeking effective and inexpensive skincare and makeup tips.

While many of us intentionally line our bathroom shelves and bedroom dressers with our most aesthetically pleasing and luxurious-looking lotions and potions, it's the basic, affordable and 'unsexy' products that tend to be the ones we can't do without. The buys that get stuffed in the cabinet, hidden from prying eyes, despite usually giving us the best results. Heartily unfair, if you ask us, so we're thrusting them into the spotlight - along with the clever (and more niche) ways we use them.

From applying glycolic acid to our feet and armpits to going to bed with the best Korean face masks on, these are the more unglamorous steps of our beauty routines that really work and make the rest far more low-maintenance.

The unglamorous tips and products we swear by

Whether you have stubborn spots or dry, crusty soles, we're getting very open and honest about all the boring bits of our routines, which, when you consider their benefits, aren't really boring at all. So, below is a rundown of the essential products we've repurchased over and over and how we apply them, but just don't go expecting any good-smelling lotions or fancy face creams here...

In our 60s, the conversation around skincare often shifts from trying to erase visible signs of ageing to helping our skin look its healthiest, reflecting how vibrant we still feel inside.

But that doesn't mean giving up on skincare or harking back to our younger years. Instead, the best skincare routine is about choosing products and treatments that work with our skin's changing needs, helping it to maintain vitality and stay in great condition as the years go by.

When holistic facialist and skincare expert Smita Ahluwalia, of Smita London, is treating clients, she says that rather than focusing solely on wrinkles, she is more concerned with overall skin quality. Does it look healthy? Is it hydrated and resilient? By this stage of life, many of us have made peace with a few lines and wrinkles – what we really want is skin that looks well-rested and glowing.

The best skincare routine to follow in your 60s, according to experts

Smita adds, "For me, healthy skin is skin that looks even in tone, not patchy. It's properly hydrated and calm. When the skin is well-supported, it has a softness to it and reflects light better. It doesn't look tight or overworked.

Well-cared-for skin at this age just looks comfortable in itself, and that's what reads as beautiful." The goal isn't necessarily to look younger – but when skin is functioning at its best, a fresher, more youthful appearance often follows naturally.

Smita recommends focusing on getting the basics right: gentle cleansing, restoring hydration, locking in moisture and protecting the skin every day. She believes that once skin feels more balanced, you can gradually introduce more targeted products if needed.

And if you're in your 60s and wondering whether you've left it too late to improve your skin, Smita has some reassuring words: "It's not about turning the clock back, it's about improving the quality of the skin you have now. Even in your 60s and beyond, you can improve hydration, tone and overall skin health quite quickly once you start supporting it properly. It's never too late to make your skin feel and look better."

Step 1. Cleanse without stripping

As skin becomes drier and more fragile, harsh cleansers can do more harm than good. When shopping for the best cleanser, look for nourishing balms and creamy formulas that melt away makeup and SPF while helping preserve the skin barrier.

Step 2. Hydrate, cushion and strengthen

One of the skin’s biggest challenges in our 60s is holding on to moisture. Hydrating serums and barrier-supporting creams can help replenish lost comfort and keep skin looking plump and healthy.

Step 3: Bringing back the glow

Many women notice that their skin looks less vibrant in their 60s, even when they're well rested. Antioxidants such as vitamin C can help restore luminosity and defend against environmental damage.

Step 4: Comfort and joy

In your 60s, skincare is often less about correcting and more about helping skin look healthy, nourished and feel good. The best face moisturisers will be comforting, plumping and nourishing – to keep skin functioning well.

Step 5: Pamper and protect

Nourishing and protecting your skin against further environmental damage is key to supporting its health. Top tip: Don't forget your hands. Years of sun exposure and daily wear and tear can leave hands looking older than the face, so apply any excess serum, moisturiser and SPF to them.

The top professional treatment for skin in its 60s

Smita recommends LPG Endermologie because it supports wellness as well as skin health. "What I really like about it is that it works with the skin rather than against it," she says. This holistic approach to facial rejuvenation helps boost circulation and lymphatic drainage while stimulating the skin's natural production of collagen and elastin. In turn, this can help reduce puffiness, improve firmness and leave the complexion looking fresher, brighter and more revitalised.

Unlike treatments that aim to create dramatic change, LPG Endermologie aims to gradually improve skin quality over time. It can also be used on the body to support lymphatic drainage, reduce feelings of heaviness and help improve the appearance of cellulite. "For women in their 60s, this kind of consistent, non-invasive approach often gives more natural-looking results over time," Smita concludes.

Do you have fine hair that falls flat? Perhaps you’ve experienced some post-partum hair loss? Or maybe your hair just won’t grow past your shoulders? Whatever your gripe, the answer could be hair extensions.

Anyone who knows me knows I always have a long-term hair plan. Before my wedding, I wore my hair up for weeks knowing that it would be long and loose on the Big Day. I’ll cut a fringe in winter to grow out in time for summer.

A couple of years ago I chopped my hair off into a bob, hoping I'd have enough time to get back to Rapunzel-length in time for the big 4-0 this year. That didn’t quite work out, and come 2026, it was sitting at a very nothing-y, in-betweeny midi length. So there was one thing for it - hair extensions.

How hair extensions helped me feel 10 years younger

"Over the last year, we've seen a huge increase in the demand for hair extensions and hair pieces," says Hadley Yates, celebrity extensionist and Co-Founder Hadley Yates Salon. "The majority of women coming in are looking to address hair loss, which can be attributed to weight loss jabs, hormonal issues or stress."

If you’re considering adding extra length, volume and fullness, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about getting extensions, from the different types to essential aftercare and maintenance.

What are the benefits of hair extensions in midlife?

In my case, hair extensions were used to add instant inches, but they've also bulked up my ends, which were looking a bit straggly, giving my hair a luscious, healthy appearance.

James Silk, Senior Extensionist at Hadley Yates Salon - and the man behind my own age-rewinding locks - notes that over the years his clientele has got older, with a priority on adding fullness over length. “Many women, particularly in their 40s, 50s and beyond, are coming in to address thinning or loss of density rather than to gain inches,” he explains. “They want their hair to look like it did ten or twenty years ago - healthier, thicker and more resilient.”

Increasingly, hair extensions are being used to tweak the colour without using dye. “Extensions are an incredible way to add depth, highlights or lowlights without committing to chemical colour,” explains James.

“I often work alongside our colourists so we can do minimal colouring to the natural hair and let the extensions do the rest of the work. It’s a brilliant option for women who want brightness around the face or added dimension without over-processing their own hair.”

What happened when our beauty editor tried hair extensions?

I visited Hadley Yates Salon with a strict brief - help me look like I did on my wedding day, 13 years ago. My hair was long, thick and healthy-looking. Fast-forward to the current day, and it lacks the pizzazz it once had. I don’t know if it’s an age thing, a hormonal thing, a post-partum hair loss thing, but it’s just not as thick or lustrous as it was.

James and I had a thorough consultation before my appointment. We discussed my references, expectations, and lifestyle. He advised that keratin bond extensions would be lower maintenance for me, and would last for four months without the need for move-up appointments in between.

On the day, he played around with a few shades until he found two that blended perfectly with my own soft balayage. My hair was washed and blow-dried, then James began the process of attaching the keratin tips to my own hair. He used 120 pieces in total, which took about two hours. He then trimmed the lengths and cut into the front section to blend the layers with my own hair and create a seamless transition.

As soon as I left the salon, I felt like a different person. I’ve always seen my long hair as a bit of a comfort blanket, and I suddenly felt more confident, more put-together, more youthful. What James created was exactly like the hair I enjoyed on my wedding day, 13 years earlier. Revisiting the length, the fullness, the vitality of my twenties has made me feel fresher and younger.

As James neatly summarises, “For many women, extensions are not about transformation; they’re about restoring what time, stress or hormones may have taken away. That confidence boost can be genuinely life-changing.”

How to care for your extensions

Do hair extensions work for everyone?

“Most of the time, yes, but expectations have to be realistic,” explains James. “Many clients come in for a consultation worried their hair isn’t suitable, and often there’s more we can do than they think. The only time I would advise against extensions entirely is when hair is extremely fine and sparse to the point where the scalp is very visible, as that can make the attachments difficult to disguise."

As a beauty editor, I'm constantly testing new launches, but it's the products I reach for again and again - the ones that get used right down to the very last drop - that tell you everything about what's actually worth your money.

There's nothing quite like a running tally of empty bottles and jars to make you feel like you have a put-together beauty routine (rather than just a bathroom shelf of best foundations and face moisturisers that occasionally get used). And if this summer's heatwaves taught me anything, it's that a good natural deodorant is worth its weight in gold - I got through three of them, and I'm not even a little bit sorry about it.

My skin, meanwhile, decided that "dry" wasn't dramatic enough a descriptor for the warmer months, so my hydrating skincare usage went into overdrive: think serums layered on serums, a rotating cast of milky toners and face oils, and more lightweight moisturisers than I can count, all doing the heavy lifting my skin barrier couldn't. And with all that hydration came a renewed appreciation for SPF that doesn't fight it - the sunscreens on this list pilled less, layered better and left my skin looking (dare I say it) glowy rather than greasy. So, here are the 27 products I finished over the past couple of months, and why I loved them.

In these early September days, it's easy to feel quite stuck in that no-longer-summer, not-yet-autumn limbo, especially with your clothing and nails. Thankfully, though, Sandra Bullock has offered a solution to the latter conundrum with a very classic, but witchy-looking pedicure.

While you might think sandal season is at an end, sun in September can't be ruled out just yet; thus, having a chic, timeless pedicure colour at the ready is a very good idea. And even if summer is truly over, it doesn't mean your toe maintenance should be; foot care is a year-round concern. The real question is, what shade do you pick for such an in-between time? Being a 'ber' month, you can definitely get away with a cosier, autumnal hue. In fact, we'd make a case for following Sandra Bullock's lead, with a certain moody shade that is both timeless and right on-theme with the approaching spooky season.

Stepping out for the London premiere of Practical Magic 2 (the highly anticipated sequel to the 1998 witchy romance), the star paired a leopard print gown with a stylish pair of strappy heels and a matching black pedicure. The combination feels so sophisticated, whilst also being perfectly fitting for right now.

As we can see, Bullock opted for a matching mani/pedi, which is always ideal for creating a sense of cohesion and achieving a chic sort of 'put-togetherness.' The dark, glossy nail colour itself goes with everything - be it flip-flops on your late summer holiday or open-toed heels - much like a staple black T-shirt or little black dress would with the rest of your wardrobe. It's timeless but also simultaneously modern and cool, the sort of shade that instantly elevates the look of your feet and outfit, no matter the season.

As mentioned, though, Bullock wore the look to the premiere of Practical Magic 2, which perfectly suits the theme of the movie but also the month we're currently in - making it a great source of inspiration for your own September nails.

Black polish also affords a very pristine and expensive finish, as it hides any imperfections and can be elevated even further with a clear, glassy top coat. Like with a dark red or burgundy, it's a colour that you can achieve a very professional, almost gel-like finish with at home.

It's also fairly low-effort, as just two coats will deliver a streak-free, even wash of colour. It also looks just as good on your nails as it does on your toes, a point Sandra Bullock herself reaffirmed on the red carpet. We recommend layering it under a clear top coat, though, to ward off scratches and lifting and enhance the depth of the moody hue with a luxe-looking shine.

Not many people can say that testing dozens of beauty products is part of their job description, but our team is lucky enough to be able to do so.

Collectively, we've tried hundreds, if not thousands, of beauty formulas, everything from the best mascaras to the best cleansers. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that a handful of those have left such a good impression on us that we've continued to purchase them time and time again.

While there aren't many formulas that we've gone through multiple tubes, bottles, and tubs of, the following buys have defied the odds and managed to do just that. In fact, we've repurchased these 9 products more than 9 times so far...

The 9 beauty buys we've repurchased more than 9 times

From an industry-favourite multipurpose repairing cream to a peel-off tint for fuller-looking brows, these are the formulas that will always have a spot in our shopping basket.

We spend a huge amount of time and money protecting, treating and correcting our skin - serums to brighten, creams to plump, treatments to smooth away what's already changed. What we spend far less time thinking about is what skin actually needs to keep doing its job well in the first place.

The answer, according to a growing number of aesthetic doctors, comes down to protein. More specifically, amino acids - the building blocks that keep skin structurally strong, in much the same way protein keeps muscle strong. And from our late twenties onwards, skin starts running low on them.

That's the thinking behind Celora™ Vita, the new injectable powering The Protein Facial, from DermaFocus - the regenerative aesthetics company behind the UK launch of Plinest Polynucleotide. Rather than correcting what's already depleted, it works with skin's own biology to help rebuild and regenerate it from the inside out, delivering a complex of nine amino acids - including all three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) - directly where skin needs them. DermaFocus describes it as the most complete amino acid blend of its kind currently available.

Why amino acids matter for skin

"Skin cannot be rebuilt without the biological materials required for its reconstruction," says Dr Lee Walker, Director and Clinical Lead at BCity Clinics. "Amino acids play a fundamental role in supporting those processes, and patients are increasingly seeking treatments that go beyond correction and focus on overall skin quality."

It's a shift several doctors are seeing in clinic. "Aesthetic medicine is moving towards prevention, skin longevity and improved skin quality," says Dr Marwa Ali, Resident Aesthetic Doctor at The Wellness Clinic, Harrods. "The Protein Facial supports skin from within and helps maintain healthier, more resilient-looking skin over time."

Dr Saleena Zimri, founder of Skin Doctor Clinics in London, Leeds, Manchester and York, sums up the rationale simply: "We've spent years talking about what ageing skin loses, but not enough time discussing what it needs. Celora™ Vita helps replenish those foundations. For anyone seeking natural-looking improvements in skin quality, it's an exciting step forward."

What it treats

The Protein Facial is designed to address the appearance of fine lines, dullness, dehydration, uneven tone and texture, loss of elasticity and the effects of sun damage - but the emphasis is on skin function first. The idea is that the glow comes from skin working better beneath the surface, rather than treating what's visible on top.

What happens over a course of treatment

The recommended course is three sessions, spaced three weeks apart, treating the face - including the forehead, under-eye area, cheeks and around the mouth - as well as the neck.

Hydration tends to improve first: skin feels more comfortable, looks less flat and takes on a natural luminosity that's hard to replicate with topical products alone. As the course progresses, texture refines, fine lines soften, and a firmness develops that comes from skin functioning better from its foundations up, rather than being temporarily plumped or filled.

It can be used as a standalone treatment or alongside other aesthetic treatments, and DermaFocus positions it as suited to two quite different patients: those in their twenties looking to protect skin health early, and those seeking more visible improvement later in life.

The Protein Facial powered by Celora™ Vita is available at aesthetic clinics across the UK, with prices varying by clinic. You can find your nearest provider at dermafocus.co.uk.

As a team, we test dozens of beauty formulas each and every month, meaning we know a thing or two about how to spot a good'un.

We've been treated to an assortment of new beauty products this summer; just take our roundup of the best beauty launches in August, for example, which welcomed one of the best eye creams and the best shampoos for fine hair.

Fortunately for us (and our bank accounts), many of the buys making their debut sport price tags of £20 and under. So, we're here to keep you in the loop with the 12 best that are worthy of a spot in your basket.

12 under-£20 beauty products new to the market

The woman&home beauty team has been buffing, blending, spritzing and slathering their way through summer with the plethora of new launches that summer has brought us. After much deliberation, we've whittled it down to our favourite 12 beauty buys that will set you back less than a £20 note.

LED masks are big business. According to Forbes, the global red light therapy market reached $440 million in 2025. With so many different versions on sale, from high-end to (suspiciously) low-end, new launches need to be genuinely exciting to stand out.

Enter Shark’s CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body, an innovative all-in-one LED mask system to treat not just your face, but your chest, back and hands too. It launches on Wednesday 9th September, with the waiting list live now. The launch is ever-so-slightly controversial timing-wise, as the brand only launched their CryoGlow Plus mask in July, (an upgrade on the original Shark CryoGlow) and it does feel a bit much to release an upgrade just weeks later. Shark’s answer? They’re so proud of the new developments that they didn’t want to deliberately withhold a brilliant product from their customers for the sake of a spot-on launch calendar.

Ringing in at £549.99 for the full light therapy system, including a face mask and the add-on body panel, it’s not a small investment. So can it justify its price tag? I put it to the test to find out…

Join the waiting list

Our beauty editor’s review of the Shark CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body

Shark CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body features

As I’ve already mentioned, the most exciting thing about the Shark CryoGlow Clinic is that it’s not just an LED mask for the face, but comes with a multi-use body panel for your neck and chest, back and hands too. It ties round your neck with a choker-like strap for your chest and back, or can be turned into a little tabletop tent shape (picture a nail salon gel lamp) for your hands. There are already LED hand masks on the market, but nothing this sophisticated, or that allows you to (delete as appropriate) scroll/change the channel/eat your dinner with the other hand at the same time. One of my first questions was what if you already have a Shark LED face mask? In this case, you can buy the body panel separately for £249 (the Shark CryoGlow Clinic mask also retails separately for £379). If you are buying them individually, the only small downside is that you’ll have two remotes rather than operating them both on the same one.

Both the face mask and the body panel have three light modes: red, infrared and blue. Blue is for blemishes, and the key difference between red and infrared is that red light works more on the surface to reverse signs of ageing, while infrared goes a little deeper. It’s not as simple as just selecting your light mode though – there are 17 signature routine options, letting you mix and match programmes across face and body.

The other big selling point versus the original CryoGlow is that the CryoGlow Clinic has 170 LED bulbs instead of 160. The new bulbs are also 2x more powerful than the original, giving you quicker results with the same treatment time.

A piece of customer feedback Shark have taken on board is that while the cooling under-eye setting is a treat for bleary, puffy morning eyes, it doesn’t feel quite right for the evening. Enter the hot-and-cold contrast therapy add-on. Inspired by the trend for cycling between teeth-chattering wild swimming and sweaty saunas, it’s a nice way to reset your eyes after squinting at a screen all day.

Shark CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body design

One of the things you should know about LED masks is that not all of them are created equal, and one key element that separates the wheat from the chaff is the placement of the bulbs – you want them to overlap so no areas are left untreated, but not overlap too much to overheat the skin. You also have to be really consistent to see results, so your LED mask needs to be comfortable to avoid being relegated to the dusty back of the wardrobe.

Shark’s new CryoGlow Clinic ticks both of these boxes. Rather than switching to a soft mask, they have stuck with their recognisable ‘glow shell’ face mask design for optimum distribution of light across the skin. If an LED mask sits flush to your face, you’re just getting dotted coverage where the lights touch your skin. But if you move it 15mm away, as the Shark CryoGlow Clinic does, the dots overlap for even light distribution. Shark advises that the under-eye patches should touch the skin, which aligns the placement of the rest of the mask perfectly.

With the body panel, rubber ‘bumpers’ on the side work to hold the device slightly away from the skin. Both parts are really comfortable to wear, and although the face mask is a bit heavier than my current LED mask from another brand, the T-shaped strap at the back makes it easy to get a nice snug fit.

How does the Shark CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body perform?

According to early clinical trial data, it takes between four and six weeks to see results from the Shark CryoGlow Clinic on the face, and between eight and twelve weeks on the body. The reason it takes longer on the body is that the makeup of our skin and its oil production levels differ between the face and the body. I have only managed to test mine for a couple of weeks, so I’m excited to see an improvement once I hit the four-week mark.

As a device, it’s really easy to use. Compared to my current LED mask, which only has two settings, on or off, it feels very high-tech to have a remote to select your specific programme. I also really like that you can vary the settings between face and body if, for example, you wanted to tackle signs of ageing on your complexion at the same time as treating a backne flare-up. Once you’ve started the programme, the remote counts down to tell you how long you have left – a handy feature that means I can save my husband the horror of walking in on me looking like an extra in Dr Who by shouting how long I’ve got left to go.

My only gripe would be that it is noisy – a bit like putting your face inside a fan on a low setting. I like to wear my mask while watching TV, and this does mean I need to crank the volume right up to hear it over the top. Not the end of the world by any means (and actually another good warning sign for my husband), but just something to be aware of.

Shark CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body: My verdict

Good LED masks are expensive, and my advice to anyone who asks me which one to buy is always the same: don’t invest unless you’re going to commit to using it. It’s a very costly and quite bulky ornament if you haven’t got the patience to wait to see results. If you are willing to commit and can stomach the £549.99 price tag, I do think Shark is leading the charge in terms of clinical trials, innovation and user experience.

Your average LED mask doesn’t necessarily feel like a treat to use, but the hot and cold setting has changed that, making it much more enjoyable with instant results too. As for the body, it’s a fuss-free way to enjoy the benefits of LED in those often neglected, early-to-age areas like your hands and neck. In short, it's a game-changing mask system that’s well worth the splurge if you can stomach the cost.

We might've been talking about Christmas for the last eight weeks, but now September is here, we're officially declaring the start of beauty advent calendar season.

We're back for our third year of dissecting the best beauty advent calendars 2026 (what a lucky job to have, hey?), meaning we know a thing or two about how to spot a good one. Having already unboxed top-shelf beauty options, such as Harrods and Liberty, this week we've added Lookfantastic and now Boots to the list of calendars to have hit the market.

Speaking of the latter, the drugstore retailer has launched three options this year, including beauty, skin and fragrance, so there's something for everyone. Having seen the contents of the trio, this is the one that's best value for your money...

What's inside the Boots 24 Days of Skin Skincare Advent Calendar?

For those who don't want to know what's inside the Boots 24 Days of Skin Skincare Advent Calendar, take this as your warning! But for those who do, we've put together a list of the entire 24-product lineup below. Plus, you can watch a video of us unboxing the calendar and showing our team's top picks...

• Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Mist 100ml – Full size
• Haruharu Black Rice Probiotics Barrier Essence 120ml – Full size
• Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Toner 200ml – Full size
• Byoma Phyto-Mucin Glow Serum 40ml – Full size
• Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water 150ml – Full size
• The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm 150ml – Full size
• RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream 15ml – Full size
• Genabelle PDRN Rejuvenating Cream 20ml – Full size
• HABI Sunny Shield SPF 40 50ml – Full size
• Q+A Salicylic Acid Body Wash 250ml – Full size
• e.l.f. SKIN Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm 56.5g – Full size
• Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm Red Dahlia 4.25g – Full size
• Boots Glossy Lip Crème Caramel 15g – Full size
• Hero Mighty Patch Original Spot Patches 24 pack – Full size
• Curel Moisture Repair Eye Cream 25ml – Full size
• Soap & Glory Vanilla-licious Fragrance Mist 50ml – Full size
• Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser 118ml – Full size
• PRAI Beauty Ageless Throat and Decolletage Crème 30ml – Full size
• Dr.Reju-All Advanced PDRN Rejuvenating Mask - 1 Sheet – Full size
• Zeriod Soothing Cream 80ml – Full size
• Tocobo Cotton soft sun stick SPF50 PA++++ 19g - Full size
• Clean Skin Club Clean Towels® Original Travel 10 pack
• Mediheal Collagen Ampoule Pad 14 pads
• Nursem Caring Hand Cream 30ml

When do the Boots 2026 Beauty Advent Calendars go on sale?

You'll be pleased to know that the Boots 2026 Beauty Advent Calendars are officially on sale now, having launched on Wednesday, 2nd September. That said, with demand for beauty advent calendars through the roof, we don't know how long we can expect them to be sticking around for. So, take it from us, it's worth adding them to your basket sooner rather than later.

How to shop the Boots 2026 Beauty Advent Calendars

You can shop all three beauty advent calendars online via the Boots website. For those wanting to pick them up at your nearest store, you can make the most of the free click and collect service. Alternatively, you'll also enjoy free standard delivery or next-day delivery (on orders before 10pm) for an extra £5.95.

Shop the other Boots Beauty Advent Calendars for 2026

Oh, and if you didn't already know, Boots also has two more beauty advent calendars to shop this year – the 24 Days of Luxe Beauty Advent Calendar and 12 Days of Scent Fragrance Advent Calendar. Here's everything you need to know.

If powdery florals and sweet scents don't do it for you, Sarah Jessica Parker's vintage-y 'suede' perfume definitely warrants a spritz - especially as autumn approaches.

When it comes to investing in a new long-lasting perfume, discovering which olfactory families you gravitate towards and, perhaps more importantly, the ones you don't, is key to finding a true forever-favourite. In Sarah Jessica Parker's case, her scent match did not lie in the popular floral fragrances on the market, nor the gourmands, but amongst the softer, spicier genre. And more specifically still, in a certain French maison's collection.

In an interview with British Vogue, the actress shared that her signature is actually one of the best Diptyque perfumes. A blend inspired by sand dunes and infused with smooth, leathery notes that really linger. A point this beauty writer can also attest to, as it's part of my scent collection too.

In the Vogue Asks column of the September 2026 issue, Parker was quizzed about her signature scent, which she revealed to be Diptyque's Eau Rihla. She said, "It smells like really good suede that's soft and thin - like a coin purse from 1971 with a snap closure."

She added that it's not a conventionally 'feminine' scent, noting that it's not a floral fragrance or a sweet vanilla-y blend, which is what she prefers in her fragrances. Instead, it opens with a spicy trail of pink peppercorn and saffron, before softening into notes of iris, leather and warming cedarwood.

Parker has actually spoken about preferring more woodier, unisex perfumes before. She told Who What Wear in 2023 that she is also a fan of Guerlain Vétiver: "It's a men's fragrance that has now been around for, what, 15-plus years?"

As for her Diptyque go-to, its name 'Rihla' means journey in Arabic, with the blend having been inspired by travels through deserts and explorations of ancient cities. And as someone who actually owns this very scent, I would recommend it to those who gravitate towards oud, musk and spicy perfumes. I can definitely see what Parker means by it smelling like suede; there's a smooth, textural quality to it, as well as this alluring closeness and warmth.

I find it to be a very familiar sort of fragrance - the smell reminds me of vintage leather jackets, wooden furniture and spiced, smoking candles. It therefore makes for such a chic autumn perfume, or wintery blend, though, like the Sex And The City star, you can wear it year-round too - such is its timeless appeal.

Perfectly timed for the shift in the seasons, when sunny heat turns to chilly gloom, Diptyque's Les Rituels de Soin collection is here to nourish your skin and soothe your mind.

When the weather takes a turn, our beauty routines, much like our wardrobes, also tend to rotate. We swap lightweight formulas for the best face moisturisers to ward off dryness and irritation, for instance, and often invest in scented body lotions that match the themes of the season (like warm vanilla-y or woody blends). A colder snap may also tempt you into taking more baths and calming showers, accompanied by luxurious bubble baths and oils, candles and scrubs, to not only nourish and repair your skin, but lift your mood, too.

As if anticipating our needs for the season ahead, Diptyque has taken care of every soothing step, with a body collection that spans both your morning and evening routines - all inspired by ancient bathing rituals and artfully packaged in the elegant style the French maison is so famed for.

Inside Diptyque's Les Rituels de Soin body care collection

This Les Rituels de Soin wellness collection officially launched on September 1st and is described as a 'holistic vision of body care,' designed to allow you to slow down, be in the moment and care for yourself and the world, with its naturally derived ingredients and luxurious scents. Each detail is expertly and intentionally crafted, from the signature illustrative oval labels to the very formulas.

As for the inspiration behind it, the brand looked to bathing rituals handed down from ancient civilisations to create "a complete collection that enhances well-being, promoting a profound reconnection of body and soul."

The collection boasts buys for both your morning and evening rituals, including new candles: Le Matin (mint and ginger for awakening your senses) and Le Soir (chamomile and sage for calming them), as well as lotions, body gels, oils and even a new lip wax. There are also 'sensorial' tools like body brushes and decorative accessories to further elevate your routine.

So essentially, Diptyque has equipped us with the ultimate shield against the harsh and gloomy effects of autumn/winter, whilst instantly elevating our bathroom shelves in the process.

A beauty writer's thoughts on Diptyque's body care collection

As both a loyal fan of many of the best Diptyque perfumes (specifically Fleur de Peau and my all-time favourite, Orphéon) and a lover of baths, to say I was excited for this collection is a serious understatement. It combines all my favourite things: illustration and artistry, history, moisturising ingredients and a bouquet of luxe scents.

There's a buy for everyone, whether you prefer a more indulgent evening ritual, with thick, balmy lotions and calming candles, or a refreshing morning one that hinges on citrusy body washes and lightweight body milks.

As you can see above, I've tried the new Rich Soothing Body Balm, Nurturing Cleansing Gel, and the Soothing Evening Ritual Discovery set (which features minis of the cleansing gel, body milk, oil-in-oil and Le Soir candle), and can vouch for their indulgent and deeply nourishing powers.

Even a quick shower with the bergamot, neroli and green mandarin cleansing gel feels like a treat, as does just lighting the Le Matin candle, which I've taken to doing on a Saturday morning. Each element, while designed to be used together for the ultimate self-care morning or evening ritual, can also be turned into its own little moment - which is something I really love about this collection. Diptyque is a luxury brand, with much of the lineup costing £50 and over, but whether you invest in just one thing or all of it, it can enrich your getting ready or un-ready experience.

As for my favourite buy, it's a tie between the gel and body balm. As someone with quite dry skin, a good-quality cream is an essential for me, and already, this balm is a favourite. Of course, I'm trying to use it sparingly, but its barley and rose scent makes it very hard to resist. The cleansing gel too, as mentioned, boasts such a lovely scent and leaves my skin so soft post-rinse.

With just three months to go until the Christmas countdown begins, now is the time to bag yourself a beauty advent calendar ready for the festive season.

Lookfantastic didn't come to play this year, not only launching one of the best beauty advent calendars of 2026 but also bringing back their fan-favourite fragrance advent calendar – which flew off the shelves in just three days last year. Priced on the more affordable side of beauty advent calendars, these two are stashed with some of the best face moisturisers, best mascaras and long-lasting perfumes on the market.

Whether you've been eyeing up the waitlist over the past few weeks, or this is your first time hearing about it, you'll be pleased to know that the calendars have officially launched today. But after seeing what's inside, we can't imagine they'll be sticking around for very long...

What's inside the Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar 2026?

For those wanting a sneak peek into what you'll be unboxing every day of December, we've put together a list of the 27-product lineup of the Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar...

• Medik8 Total Moisture Cleanser (Full Size) | Curated by Sarah Jossel
• LANEIGE Vanilla Lip Glowy Balm (Full Size) – Curated by Ash Holme
• Color Wow Kale Cocktail (Full Size) – Curated by Dom Seeley
• The White Company Amalfi Lemon Home Spray (Full Size) – Curated by Cinzia Bayliss Zullo
• Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator (Full Size) – Curated by Sophia Tuxford
• MAC Fix+ Setting Spray (Full Size) – Curated by Gary Thompson
• Aveda Cherry Almond Softening Shampoo & Conditioner (Full Size) – Curated by Keeks Reid
• Benefit Roller Lash Mascara (Full Size) – Worth £27, curated by Jennifer Richards
• Kanzen Pore Purifier (Full Size) – Curated by Staff choice
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze (Full Size) – Curated by Amelia Olivia
• MZ Skin Hydra Lift Golden Facial Treatment (Full Size) – Curated by Roxie Nafousi
• The Beauty Crop Primer & Tinted Lip Oil (Full Size) – Curated by Cissy Jones
• Avant Hyaluronic Acid Molecular Boost Eye Cream (Full Size) – Curated by Saroop Sangha
• Made By Mitchell Strawberry Cream Blursh (Full Size) – Curated by Hollie Flynn
• Spectrum Collections Sponge Duo (Full Size) – Curated by Jeyanney Calderbank
• The Ordinary UV Filters SPF 45 Serum (Full Size) – Curated by Olivia Attwood
• UK LASH Lash Serum (Full Size) – Curated by Georgia Nelson
• LOOKFANTASTIC Branded Eye Patches (Full Size) – Curated by Keely Gough
• Aveeno Skin Relief Body Oil Spray (Deluxe Size) – Curated by Mel's Wardrobe
• Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion (Deluxe Size) – Curated by Dr Pyal
• Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Ultra Blur (Deluxe Size) – Curated by Saffie Khan
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Night Cream (Deluxe Size) – Curated by Perrie Sian
• ESPA Bergamot & Jasmine Bath & Shower Gel (Deluxe Size) – Curated by Molly-Mae
• Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Texture Spray (Deluxe Size) – Curated by Sam McKnight
• Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 40 Perfume Mist (Deluxe Size) – Curated by Beth Hughes

When does the Lookfantastic 2026 Advent Calendars go on sale?

Having officially launched on 1st September, both the beauty and fragrance advent calendars are now officially available to purchase via the Lookfantastic website. You'll get free 2-3 day tracked delivery (with orders over £25); alternatively, you can upgrade to next-day delivery for £5.95.

How to shop the Lookfantastic 2026 Advent Calendars

For those wanting to shop either the Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 or the Fragrance Calendar, you'll want to head to the Lookfantastic website, as it's exclusively available to purchase online.

Do the Lookfantastic 2026 Advent Calendars sell out?

Thanks to being some of the most affordable multi-brand beauty advent calendars on the market, it'll come as no surprise that the Lookfantastic Beauty Advent Calendar is in high demand.

In fact, the e-tailer's Fragrance Advent Calendar is even more sought after, having completely sold out in just three days last year. So, if you've got your eye on either of them, it's worth adding your chosen calendar to your basket sooner rather than later to avoid missing out.

As a new season looms, and with it, a plethora of new fragrances waiting to be discovered, we're taking a look back at all of summer 2026's perfume launches - spanning revamped icons to ultra-splashy, sun-soaked scents made for holiday spritzing.

Aside from bringing a change in weather and wardrobe, each season also ushers in another wave of beauty launches - some intentionally on theme, others just new, trendy and improved formulas. This is especially true in the fragrance world, but with there already being so many chic, long-lasting fragrances to choose from and brands (both designer and budget) to keep track of, it's easy to miss the newcomers. Not on our watch, though. We've been fortunate enough to try many of them over the last few months, from Chanel's first Coco Mademoiselle launch in six years and limited-edition relaunches to Maison Margiela's latest sunset-inspired blend.

It was tough, but we've narrowed it down to just nine newbies we think you should know about - many of which aren't just 'summer perfumes' but timeless blends you can wear year-round, should you choose to invest now.

A tour of the 9 new summer fragrances 2026 brought and we loved

The standout notes of summer

Summer smelt like: juicy mango, Mediterranean coastlines, soft wafts of orange blossom and creamy solar florals...

Following spring's perfume launches, which featured surprising fruit notes like banana perfumes, this season's fragrance trends followed a similar fruity theme, but with more of a sunny, citrusy twist. Many of the scents were vibrant, but there were also some salty, marine-like blends and, as to be expected, a few perfumes that smelt like suncream. We also welcomed a few reimaginings of very iconic blends.

As Almira Armstrong, founder of perfume brand LUMIRA (which also became available in Boots this summer) notes: "This season has felt particularly optimistic. We are seeing a move away from very heavy, gourmand fragrances towards scents that feel luminous, transportive and effortless. There is a strong desire for fragrances that evoke escapism - Mediterranean coastlines, tropical destinations and sun-drenched landscapes continue to inspire both consumers and perfumers."

As for what notes have been in high demand: think citrus, citrus and more citrus. "Citrus notes remain incredibly popular, particularly bergamot, mandarin and neroli, but I've also noticed a growing interest in green notes that bring freshness and texture," says Armstrong. "Fig, basil, blackcurrant leaf and aromatic herbs are appearing more frequently, alongside solar florals such as orange blossom, honeysuckle and jasmine. Consumers are increasingly looking for fragrances that feel radiant rather than overly sweet."

What makes a great summer scent?

Of course, not all this season's launches were summery, but many did boast very on-theme notes - begging the question of what exactly defines a great summer scent?

It's quite a subjective one, but for Armstrong, "a great summer fragrance should feel refreshing without being fleeting. It should have brightness and lift, but also enough depth to evolve beautifully throughout the day. The best summer scents don't overwhelm in the heat; they become part of your skin and leave behind a subtle, memorable trail."

We all look forward to going on holiday. But with the sand, sea and sun in full force, you may find the elements start to work against you. And when it comes to biting bugs, the unlucky among us may find ourselves in itching hell.

That’s certainly the position I was in when I visited Sri Lanka and Singapore recently. At one point during my travels, I counted a hideous – yet somehow comical – 97 bites across my body. Not only had I been attacked by every mosquito within a 10-mile radius (apparently), but I also found myself grappling with sand flies after surfing sessions, as well as other biting pests during a sunrise safari. Why I didn’t wear long trousers, I will never know.

Luckily, I had packed a truckload of travel beauty essentials that could help. This is largely because I bought a one-way ticket to travel, so I was packing for several months rather than a short break. This means that I’ve had time to do the legwork and try all the best multi-purpose beauty creams to discover which one you truly need to pack for your next holiday.

Why do some people get more mosquitos bites?

I’ve always been the most susceptible to mosquito bites, no matter who I travel with. If you’re the same, there may be a reason for that. Charlotte Vøhtz, organic skincare expert and the founder of Green People, notes that “some people are more prone to mosquito bites” than others.

Several factors can affect this, from the levels of lactic acid, uric acid and ammonia in your body odour to higher body temperatures, blood types (those with O are most prone to bites) and increased carbon dioxide exhalation (usually because of physical activity).

Charlotte says that for those who have been bitten, you should opt for either aloe vera, which “is soothing and helps reduce inflammation,” or hydrating lotions “containing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and ceramides to help hydrate the skin and restore the barrier.”

As well as these – and along with any beauty product I’m about to mention – it’s advised you invest in an effective mosquito repellent product and medicinal treatments (such as hydrocortisone creams) for any bites you do experience.

My favourite beauty creams for aiding bite symptoms

I’ve worked as a beauty journalist for 15 years, and in that time I’ve seen a lot of trends come and go.

The longer I’ve been in the job, the easier I’ve found it to spot the passing fads versus the game-changers that really deserve a place in your skincare routine. Skincare fridges? Ugly! Pointless! The 12-step skincare routine? Not for me, thank you. Red light therapy? I’m a superfan. Hot cloth cleansing? I still do it every night.

My job, essentially, is trend spotting sprinkled with a healthy dose of scepticism - and I’m afraid that you’re going to have to listen to me be sceptical for the next 500 words.

Why I think these trending sheet masks are a pointless fad

When I saw my first TikTok video about Korean collagen sheet masks, I was fascinated. Women were using them on long flights to combat the moisture-sapping side effects of being in the air for hours. It was addictive viewing - a white gel mask, over the course of eight to ten hours, turned translucent, revealing fresh, plump skin just in time for passport control.

I understood the potential - I step off a short two-hour flight feeling as parched as a camel, but as more and more videos popped up, and more and more brands launched them, my intrigue turned into scepticism.

Surely there are more efficient ways to keep your skin quenched? An application of your facial moisturiser or a spritz of the best face mists offer a cooling, refreshing hit of hydration, and it takes just seconds to get to work.

I’m also wondering if keeping your face smothered for that long might actually suffocate your skin and clog pores, especially when you’re sitting in recycled, dry air for hours and hours. Surely at a certain point, your skin reaches peak hydration and can go no further? Wouldn’t you rather spend the first few hours of your holiday drinking an overpriced prosecco, or watching a ‘90s rom com, or napping?

Don’t get me wrong - I’m not an anti-masker. I really enjoy using the best face masks. But they’re definitely not essential, and won’t treat your skin as effectively as a facial at home or in a clinic. The idea of spending hours wearing a mask feels excessive. Some of them even have to be worn overnight. I can think of nothing worse than being cocooned in a sticky gel mask, lying perfectly still like a vampire to stop it sliding down my chin.

3 sheet masks I think are actually worth your time

My scepticism turned into full-blown cynicism when I used one of these collagen masks. I couldn’t believe how long it was all going to take. The one I used was billed as one of the most efficient, needing only (!) an hour and a half.

I don’t know what was challenged more - my impatience or my mild claustrophobia. 20 minutes in, I was confused. After 45 minutes, I was itching to peel it off. After an hour, I was aggy. The second my timer went off, I yanked it off and noticed…barely anything!

Yes, my skin looked nice - the glass skin effect had definitely kicked in. Fine, it looked healthy and dewy - but I’ve had similar results from using my normal skincare routine. Dare I say, a £4.99 sheet mask achieved much more in 15 minutes.

If you’ve used and enjoyed using these dawdling masks and like their effects, by all means, carry on using them. Don’t let my impatience put you off. If you’ve been eyeing them up from the sidelines though, or feel peer pressure to look like Freddy Kreuger on your next easyJet flight, let me set you free - don’t bother.

As a beauty team, we love a wavy hairstyle, and after years of trial and error, we've really gotten our techniques down to a fine art. That said, we don't all rely on the same tool or trick for achieving a tousled look.

While there are plenty of chic updos and textured styles to try among the 2026 hair trends, we always find ourselves coming back to our trusted waves. Adding a soft bend or very loose, brushed-out curl never fails to afford an effortless feel to your look and outfit, and perhaps best of all, there's really no right or wrong way to wave. You can use heatless rods, tie your hair in plaits or, of course, turn to one of the best curling irons and wavers. There are many methods to try and products to consider, but in case you're seeking some tutelage and guidance on which waving tools to invest in, our beauty team can lend a hand.

From the best straighteners to the Dyson Airwrap, each one of us has a different way we like to add shape and texture to our strands. Four, to be exact, and we've broken down every step. So no matter what tool you have at home, you can achieve chic, versatile waves in minutes.

The 4 ways our beauty team add waves to their hair

1. Waves with an Airwrap

The Dyson Airwrap is something of a fan favourite for achieving very bouncy, blown-out looks and for Digital Beauty Editor Aleesha Badkar, it's definitely one of her go-to tools for styling her long hair - especially into chic, loose waves.

"I like my waves to look quite bouncy and blow-dried, so I opt for the Dyson Airwrap to style my hair. I don't like too much movement in the top half, so I first dry that straight (and go over it with my ghd Sculpt straighteners if it's in a particularly frizzy mood). Most people's gripe with the famous Dyson tool is how to make the Airwrap curls last, so for this style, it's all in the prep. If my hair is already dry, I'll spritz with a little water - as I find the style lasts longer if I go from wet to dry - and then smooth on a touch of blow-dry cream followed by the L'Oréal Flex Pli Thermo Modelling Spray.

"When going in with the Airwrap, I like to use a Tangle Teezer to help wrap hair around the barrel, as I find this helps it come out really smooth, and my curls tend to last longer. I hold hair onto the tool until it's fully dry and then blast it with the cool shot before removing. A mist of light hairspray and my hair is done for the week in the space of 10 mins!"

2. Waves with a curling wand

For Digital Beauty Writer Naomi Jamieson, it's an affordable curling wand that she relies on for her signature waves. "This Babyliss trio was such a great find; it comes with three different wands, but I actually only really use the wide, oval one. I wear my hair wavy about 90% of the time, and while I do love using the Airwrap too, when I want waves that will last for days and days, it's this trusty tool I turn to.

"With it, I can literally do my entire head of hair in 10 minutes (yes, I have timed it). The oval shape of the barrel gives my strands those perfect, fluid-looking curves, and as you can see above, I always wrap them out and away from my face - holding the wand in an angled, downward position. You can chop and change the direction you wrap your hair and hold the tool (this is great for a very textured, beachy kind of effect), but I find doing them all the same way gives my hair a very soft, quite romantic finish, which I personally prefer.

"I hold each strand for about 10 seconds before gently removing the wand from the newly formed wave and gently pulling the end of the strand downwards - almost like I'm stretching the curl straight out again. I find this helps to loosen it slightly without disturbing the shape. I repeat this process throughout, working in sections. Once every last piece is waved, I spritz a bit of the John Frieda Medium Hold hairspray and give my hair a good shake-out and ruffle it with my hands."

3. Waves with straighteners

Straighteners, while designed to iron your strands into silky-smooth styles, are actually quite versatile tools. With a bit of practice, you can use them to add curls, flicks and waves too, the latter of which Digital Beauty Writer Sennen Prickett is a pro at.

"Whenever I want to wave my hair in a flash, I reach for my Remington AIRvive Slim Straightener. While curling your hair with a straightener gets a bad rap, this tool makes it easier than ever. Its ceramic plates glide seamlessly through my tresses without requiring any tugging or pulling, while its airflow system cools and banishes static strands as you style.

"For my technique, I work from the back of my hair to the front, taking small sections at a time. I typically curl inwards; however, I curl a few strands outwards for a naturally non-uniform look. I constantly rotate the straightener towards my face as I pass through the hair, before releasing at the end. I then use my finger to twizzle the strand into a twist, before letting go to reveal an accentuated wavy result. Repeat this process for your entire head of hair, and voilà, you have salon-worthy, bouncy blow-dry!"

4. Waves with a waver

For a quick and effortless option, a waver, with either two or three barrels, is definitely the way to go and is Digital Beauty Editor Fiona McKim's tool of choice for adding instant, tousled texture.

"I like my hair to look a bit imperfect - although it's a chicken-and-egg situation as I have so little getting ready time in the morning I'd have no hope of fitting in a multi-step, ultra-coiffed style, even if I did aspire to one. When I want a departure from my usual air-dried 'do, I look to my hair icon, Kate Moss, and have a stab at emulating her signature, texturised bends with the ghd Wave.

"The amazing thing about this tool’s technique is, there basically isn’t one. You quickly clamp it over large sections of hair, the more random the better, leave your roots and ends out, and in less than five minutes you’ve got a whole head of perfectly imperfect waves. It’s actually quite silly how easy and fast the whole thing is. If your hair’s fine like mine, finish with a bit of hairspray for grip, and maybe some dry texturising spray for a matte, mussed-up Moss effect."

I’ve always enjoyed the sun. I’m a child of the '70s and '80s – the days you’d fry your skin on the sun lounger for the sake of a deep tan. At the start of the new school year, my post-holiday tan lines were my badges of honour. I remember showing them off proudly to my friends who were all jealous of how dark my skin had turned since the end of term.

Fast forward to my twenties: after becoming a beauty editor, I quickly learned how damaging the sun is to our skin, so I became more mindful with my approach. While I’d always used suncream in my childhood, the factors barely crept above SPF 15, but in my twenties they began to increase. And the older I got, the higher the factor on my best facial sunscreen climbed.

In my early thirties, after my first pregnancy with my now 21-year-old son, I noticed some darker pigmentation patches on my upper lips and cheeks. I now know that this was ‘melasma’ – a common postpartum skin condition that is triggered by hormones like oestrogen, but also by sun exposure. And while the upper lip darkness gradually faded as my hormones settled, the patches on my cheeks would flare up whenever I was in the sun.

And then, five years ago, I moved to Florida, so my sun protection game turned up a notch. SPF 50 became a non-negotiable on both my face and body. Hats began putting in an appearance on every beach and boat day. Shade became my best friend – and the due diligence paid off. My skin is in great condition, and my tan is never as deep as it had been after a fortnight in Florida when I was younger. However, I did notice when I first moved that my pigmentation worsened a little.

Living with pigmentation: Why I refuse to hide from the sun

For those wondering if skincare can fade pigmentation, lifestyle is a very important factor too. Experts say that once you have pigmentation, you’ll always be prone to it. But it can fade, as long as you minimise your exposure to the sun.

Living in Florida, staying out of the sun completely isn’t realistic – nor do I want it to be. I love the outdoor lifestyle too much. It’s part of who I am, and my routine, and while I know that exposure will prevent my pigmentation from fading completely – I refuse to let the fear of it stop me from living my life. I’m cautious, but I take a total "YOLO" approach: I love the sun, and I’m going to enjoy it, while being super strategic about how I repair and protect my skin.

My daily skincare routine for fading dark spots and melasma

Over years of testing products, I've found that a consistent mix of vitamin C, retinol and LED therapy makes a huge difference in keeping mine minimised. My morning routine is centred on protection and prevention. I apply a vitamin C serum every morning to help brighten and repair. I love the Murad Vita-C Glycolic Serum, which has the double benefits of brightening vitamin C and smoothing glycolic acid.

If I'm just working at home and running quick errands in the car, I don't mind wearing a lower SPF 30 like e.l.f. Woah Glow, which has a gorgeous built-in tint, too. But if I’m choosing to be out in the sun for prolonged periods, an SPF 50 is non-negotiable. I love formulas by SkinCeuticals, COSRX, or No.7. Their new Prime Forever SPF 50 is brilliant under makeup. If I want extra coverage, I’ll use a foundation base with built-in SPF 50 too – Naked Sundays are brilliant.

At night, my focus shifts entirely to repair. Advanced aesthetic nurse practitioner Emma Wedgwood,notes that "the skin’s natural repair processes continue overnight, making an evening routine a good opportunity to use targeted active ingredients." She recommends using serums containing ingredients like niacinamide and azelaic acid, while ones with retinoids deliver deeper results. “Retinoids can be more effective but should be introduced gradually – perhaps start with two nights a week initially. The key is not to overload the skin: introduce one active at a time and increase frequency slowly."

I currently use my favourite retinal, Medik8’s Crystal Retinal 10, about four nights a week to help fade dark spots over time. However, I’m extra cautious; if I know I have a long day in the sun the following day, I skip it as they can make your skin extra sensitive to the sun.

Alongside these actives, LED light therapy is another step in my routine that really helps. While it takes a conscious effort to make it a daily habit, using red light at home calms underlying inflammation that sun exposure can exacerbate, and as Wedgwood explained, it has been proven to help cells recover and heal after a day in the sun. "At-home LED devices may help support overall skin recovery," she explains, adding that they work best alongside targeted skincare rather than as a standalone fix for pigmentation.

Why do dark spots and pigmentation show up after a summer holiday?

It turns out there was a scientific reason for this slow creep of sun damage. If you’ve ever come home from a holiday only to notice dark patches cropping up weeks later, you aren't imagining things. Wedgwood explains that pigmentation is actually a delayed reaction. "UV exposure activates melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the skin, causing them to produce and distribute more melanin as a protective response," she explains.

"Unlike an immediate tan, this process does not happen all at once, Wedgwood continues. "New pigment can continue developing over several days and may become more noticeable once the surrounding tan begins to fade, which is why uneven patches often seem to appear after you return home."

She adds that heat and inflammation can further stimulate conditions like melasma, bringing previously subtle spots to the surface weeks after exposure.

The post-holiday reality check: Why you still need SPF when it’s cloudy

And if you’re reading this in the UK thinking grey autumn skies mean you can put your sunscreen away, Wedgwood offers a bit of a reality check. "UV radiation still penetrates cloud cover, and pigmentation-prone skin can remain particularly reactive to it," she tells me. "Skipping SPF once the weather feels cooler or less sunny is one of the most common reasons pigmentation treatment plans stall. I would recommend a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or above every day, all year round, regardless of how grey the sky looks."

How long does it take to fade pigmentation?

Fading pigmentation takes time, and Wedgwood stresses that most people need "around eight to 12 weeks of consistent treatment before they see a noticeable improvement," with daily SPF being the single biggest factor in keeping it from returning.

At the end of the day, loving the outdoors and protecting your skin don't have to be at odds. As Wedgwood sums up, "You don’t need to avoid the sun entirely, but it is important to enjoy it sensibly. Seek shade during the strongest midday hours, apply a broad-spectrum SPF and reapply it every two hours when outdoors... Enjoying the outdoors and protecting your skin are not mutually exclusive."

That’s me back off to the beach then…

My job, as a beauty editor, is completing a series of mini missions. It’s my responsibility to find the best facial sunscreens that sit nicely under makeup, and test the best hair straighteners so you don’t singe your hair to a crisp.

A mini mission I’ve been working on for around three summers now is finding a way to stop my brunette hair from going red in the sun. There’s always a lot of talk about how to care for blonde hair during the summer months. Cool-toned blondes are notoriously prone to UV-induced brassiness, or even a tinge of green when the ends dip into a swimming pool.

Walk into Boots, and there’s a line-up of purple shampoos, conditioners and masks for toning blonde hair ready to remedy the problem. But for brunette hair like mine that takes on a frustratingly warm, unwanted red tone in the sunshine? There’s barely anything that works.

I’ve tried blue shampoos and conditioners, but all they really do is stain my palms and make me look like I might have frostbite. There is one quite expensive green mask that takes the edge off, but only for a wash or so. But then, a clever, affordable buy came along that changed everything.

After a pre-summer colour appointment where I left the salon with a much warmer-toned brunette than I hoped for, I ordered Osmo Colour Revive Mushroom Colour Conditioner on a whim. I wanted a solution, and ideally a solution with next-day delivery.

I tried it almost as soon as the delivery driver handed over the package. The instructions recommend you apply evenly to towel-dried hair, or to dry hair for a more intense finish, for between three and ten minutes. I just did a small section of dry hair to begin with, in case it went terribly wrong, and left it on for four minutes.

Once the timer went off I rinsed it through and dried my hair to find that it was a much cooler brown. The shade is described as mushroom, and it definitely has that earthy tone to it. I was really chuffed, so I got straight in the shower to apply the mask all over. The end result was a bit darker than I might have predicted, and it pretty much covered up all of my lighter balayage pieces, but there wasn’t even a hint of redness in sight – mission complete.

I used the mask for the next two washes, and have kept it up every two weeks since to stop red tones from creeping in throughout the summer. If I use it too regularly, my hair can end up quite dark, but easing off for a few shampoos remedies that.

I like that it’s quick and easy to use, and saves me a lot of time, money and effort compared to visiting the hairdresser for a top-up toner in between my root touch-up appointments. On that front, it doesn’t cover greys, but it does make them slightly less noticeable.

If you’re also someone who finds their hair takes on a red tinge whenever the sun starts shining, or who can’t go without their hat on holiday for fear of undoing all the money they’ve spent at the hairdressers, this mask is truly a must-try.

Payday is here, so now felt like a fitting time to put together a one-stop shop of the newest beauty buys to hit the market this month that are actually worth parting ways with your money for.

Haircare launches have been coming in thick and fast this month, from the best shampoos for fine hair and nourishing hair masks to the best dry shampoo and volume-boosting creams; trust us, there's a lot worth talking about.

But that's not all; we've also been treated to an ultra-lightweight concealer from a popular Scandi beauty brand and a renewal lip mask with nourishing ingredients straight from Iceland's Blue Lagoon. All this and more in this guide of the best beauty products to make their debut this August.

The 11 best new beauty launches to land on our desk in August

We've been misting, slathering and lathering our way through the month, including the best body lotions with serum-infused formulas and an all-new addition to the Jo Malone perfume lineup...

In other news...

🍐 Rare Beauty expands their perfume range with the new Rare Beginnings Eau de Parfum

🤎 Tangle Teezer announces limited-edition collaboration with Skims

🐈 After demand from shoppers, Kayali officially launches their April Fools fragrance, Boujee Kitty Caramel Milk Eau de Parfum

🛍️ Dr. Melaxin’s Peel Shot Rice Range now available in Boots and Amazon UK

‼️ This month's honourable mentions go to Isle of Paradise's Champagne Sunny Serum, Rose and Caramel Purity IQ Self Tan Prep Wipes and Jones Road Beauty Minimalist Defining Mascara.

By now, we're all big fans of French skincare, but if you've spent any time in an Italian farmacia, you'll know their skincare shelves are just as good. They operate on a different level to the average high street chemist - clinical, ingredient-led, and often years ahead of what lands in the UK. MIAMO is one of the brands behind that reputation, and it's now bringing its lab-coat approach to British skin.

MIAMO sits in that pharmacist-formulated, ingredient-first space that brands like SkinCeuticals and Medik8 have made familiar to UK skincare fans - think patented actives, percentages on the label, and routines built more like a treatment plan than a "pick and hope" shelf edit. Where it carves out its own identity is in how far it pushes the personalisation angle: rather than one hero serum for everyone, the brand's whole approach is built around layering multiple targeted serums together, a bit like how the bestselling Korean skincare popularised multi-step routines, but reworked through an Italian clinical lens with a heavier emphasis on published testing data behind each active.

So why is the brand worth trying and which products should you start with? We've laid it all out here...

What to try first

If you want to try the very best bits from the brand, these are the products to try your hand at first...

Why MIAMO is a brand worth knowing

Founded in 2012, MIAMO is still a genuinely family-run business - co-founding pharmacists Dr Elena Aceto di Capriglia and her daughter Dr Camilla D'Antonio lead the brand's scientific direction, while Camilla's brother Giovanni D'Antonio steers things as CEO.

That mother-daughter pharmacist partnership is baked into everything MIAMO makes: this is a brand built by people who formulate for a living, not a marketing team retrofitting a lab coat onto a product line.

What sets MIAMO apart is how far it leans into the "clinical" part of clinical skincare. Every formula goes through clinical, instrumental and dermatological testing, and every production batch is nickel tested - a level of transparency you don't often see spelled out this plainly. The brand has also developed its own patented technologies, including ELPA25® (in the Renewal Peel Serum) and Epigenage®, a complex built around epigenetic research into how genes involved in skin ageing are expressed.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all range, MIAMO works around what it calls the MIAMO System: more than 100 customisable protocols built around a structured six-step routine, designed to be adapted to different skin types, ages and concerns.

Central to this is MIAMO's "Science of Serum Layering" - the idea that instead of picking one hero serum and hoping it does everything, you layer compatible serums in a specific order to target several concerns in the same routine. It's a philosophy that will feel familiar to anyone already deep into K-beauty-style layering, just with an Italian pharmaceutical spin.

While we rarely get a peek into the bathrooms of A-listers, the odds are never zero – and we've just spotted Cat Deeley's affordable shampoo that rescued her strands after an at-home hair dye mishap.

As a beauty team, you can often find us with our detective hat on, scanning the background of celebrities' Instagram posts to uncover the products that their routines actually make home to – whether that be one of the best perfumes for women or the best face moisturiser.

Fortunately, Cat Deeley just gave us an insight into a recent bathroom hair dye experience, which also gave us the chance to spy one of the best drugstore shampoos perched on the side of the sink...

In a video posted to Instagram on Tuesday, 25th August, Cat Deeley documented a 'day on set' – notably, having her hair washed in the shower by her hairstylist, Chad Maxwell. With her head tipped upside down, Deeley can be heard saying: "It's in my eyes," as her makeup artist, Amanda Grossman, asks: "What should I do? It's all over everything." Maxwell then questions: "Why are you covered in hair colour?"

While the relatable video first made us chuckle, we then put our sleuthing skills to good use as we spotted a few bottles of shampoo lurking in the background. What we believe to be the Childs Farm Blackberry & Apple Hair and Body Wash earned a spot in Deeley's shower; however, we also peeped a very quick glimpse of a green tube perched on the side of her sink.

After some research (and a Google search or two), we uncovered the green tube in question to be Attitude's Nourishing Hair Shampoo. It boasts a vegan formula, made from 97% natural-origin ingredients with no SLES. It is also super gentle on the strands, making it a great choice when washing out hair dye without causing any severe damage – just like Cat.

Ideal for every hair type, whether fine, thick, curly or straight, it's designed to delicately yet thoroughly cleanse the hair, while boosting shine and soothing a dry scalp too.