A year’s worth of products, a shortlist of winning game-changers. Hand-selected by the ELLE beauty team, plus seven pro judges, these are the heroes set to redefine your hair, skin and make-up with their transformative formulas and boundary-breaking innovation...
Dr.Jart+ Ceramidin Cream - £30
Whether your skin is dry, oily,sensitive or spotty, it will love strengthening, soothing ceramides. This cream is packed with them, delivered in the most delicious texture we’ve ever come across: balm-like with no grease and rich without feeling heavy.
Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum - £70
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We might be guilty of occasionally taking our serums closer to the eye than you’re meant to, but it’s not worth it. Dr Gross has answered our anti-wrinkle, pro-brightness prayers with this eye cream.
FaceGym Medi Lift - £415
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There is no escaping the Hannibal Lecter comparisons with this one. But is it worth it for the killer jawline? Yes. It works by delivering low-voltage electrical currents to the facial muscles, causing them to contract, meaning lifted and firmer skin.
Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Concentrated Even Skin Tone Serum - £80
As the world’s first carbon negative skincare brand, Emma Lewisham’s refillable skincare range actively offsets more carbon that it puts out. Now that’s something to feel good about.
Faace Period Face Mask - £27
Fact: period skin is real. Enter the first face mask to specifically target the fallout of the hormonal fluctuations during your period. It uses a bespoke blend of zinc, clary, white willow and green tea to soothe inflamed skin and kick breakouts to the curb.
Guerlain Abeille Royale Advanced Youth Watery Oil - £108
A watery oil might sound counterintutive but trust us when we say that this innovation is a game changer. The lotion-meets-oil-meets- serum harnesses 95% natural ingredients to heal and nourish your skin.
Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum - £62
Overdoing the active products is more common than you think, but you don’t need to avoid them fully. This gentle option delivers precise portions of retinol for all the benefits (smooth texture and firmness), while ceramides protect your skin barrier.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF30 - £35
Forget thick, paste-y formulas that leave a greyish tone and highlight your face fuzz, this ingenius blue gel disappears into skin as if it was never there. But you know it was, because your face feels packed full of hyaluronic acid and plumper than ever.
Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser - £32
With its blend of spinach, kale and green tea, think of this as a skincare smoothie. The benefits of the vitamin C and E and fatty acids found in these ingredients deliver anti-inflammatory and hydrating goodness – all before your morning coffee.
Murad AHA/BHA/Retinoid Daily Clarifying Peel - £33
Balancing the benefits of AHA and BHA acids and retinoids together in one exfoliator wasn’t an easy task. Murad tackled this by creating a bi-phase formula that, like our favourite cocktail, combines these ingredients when shaken (not stirred).
Chanel N°1 De Chanel Powder-To-Foam Cleanser - £42
Powered by red camelia extract (the fashion house’s floral emblem that happens to be loaded with revitalising and regenerating powers), this powder whips into a velvety foam with just a few droplets of water.
Paula’s Choice Hyaluronic Acid +Peptide Lip Booster - £24
Our lips lose firmness and appear less defined as we get older, and most balms will only touch the surface. Try this instead: hyaluronic acid and squalane moisturise, while peptides help to minimise fine lines.
111SKIN Concentrates - from £125
‘Within a week, these concentrates create real change in the skin and are an easy way to customise your home routine.’
Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Skinscreen SPF50+ - £34
‘This SPF works wonders. It’s suitable for all skin types and, importantly, suitable for all skin colours, too.’
Babyliss 9000 Cordless Hot Brush - £180
Sitting somewhere between a tong and a straightener, this device smooths hair while giving it shape and volume. A full charge gives you 40 minutes of styling time, though we find just 10 is enough to go from flat to full Rihanna.
Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer - £23
With the revival of high glamour hair last year came the unexpected return of mousse. Used on damp hair, this option, backed by Chris Appleton (king of the bouncy blow dry), promises volume without weight.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Scalp Serum - £80
Not content with looking after our faces with her celebrity-loved skincare line, Dr Sturm has turned her attention to our hair. The standout product for us is this serum, with hyaluronic acid and calming purslane. Used on wet or dry hair, it leaves no trace of stickiness.
ghd Unplugged Cordless Styler - £299
It’s hard to improve on a hair tool as iconic as the ghd straightener, but in 2021 the brand did just that, by cutting the cord. Aptly named Unplugged, it allows you 20 minutes of styling action with no compromise on results. We’ll have to find another excuse for a bad hair day.
L’Occitane Purifying Freshness Solid Shampoo - £10.50
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A shampoo with a rich lather (not something solid bars usually provide) might be one of our guilty pleasures, but this offers an eco-friendly alternative without compromising on that froth. Shout out to L’Occitane’s leading efforts in sustainability.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo - £23
A common drawback of dry shampoo is it can still leave us feeling less clean than we’d like. This one goes way further than just masking day-three grease; a few spritzes banishes sweat and unwanted scents, imparting a fresh, cleansed feeling.
Shu Uemura Art Of Hair Izumi Tonic - £39.60
Inspired by the Japanese tradition-turned-TikTok- trend yu-su-ru (bathing hair in rice water), this strengthening treatment combines ancient principles with a cutting-edge formula. The result? Hair that’s 10 times stronger in one month.
Redken Acidic Perfecting Concentrate Leave-In Treatment - £21.50
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‘I was so impressed with this range. The key ingredient in this treatment is citric acid, which really helps to bond and repair damaged hair.’
Gucci Sérum De Beauté Fluide Matifiant Mattifying Primer - £42
Finally, the words ‘matte primer’ don’t have to mean chalkiness. This long-lasting liquid helps foundation grip and keeps oil at bay for longer than any other we’ve tried.
BareMinerals Strength & Length Serum-Infused Brow Gel - £18
There are many excellent gels on the market that hold, define, fill and fluff. But not many are proven to also create visibly fuller brows with use over time. That’ll be this serum-based formula, enhanced with peptides that help aid growth and strength.
Milk Makeup Bionic Blush - £21
Somewhere between a skin tint and cream, this buildable, seamless blush would be a winner in our eyes for its application alone. The fact it’s loaded with soothing hyaluronic and plumping collagen makes it an even worthier winner.
Dior Backstage Face Brush N°18 - £38
To the untrained eye, Dior’s foundation brush might appear to be more at home alongside a bottle of shoe polish. We can confirm that it’ll leave you looking flawless.
Lashify Stardust Gossamer Lashes - £24
Revolutionising the way we apply our lashes, these combine the speed of at-home lashes with the semi-permanence of extensions. You apply under your own lashes in the time it takes to make a cup of tea, and they’ll last up to a week. A genius product.
Glossier Ultralip - £14
This half lip balm, half lipstick is the best in the game. With a subtle shine, just the right amount of tint and a hyaluronic acid formula that feels so comfy you’ll forget you put any on, it earns its description as the ‘cashmere sweatpants’ of lipstick.
Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation - £28
‘This is one of my favourites because it covers like foundation but with all the benefits of an SPF. It also has a really great shade range.’
Vieve Skin Nova - £27
‘This is my ultimate skin saviour. Worn alone, under or over make-up, I love that it gives instant radiance to your skin with a very subtle shimmer. Plus, it doesn’t feel greasy at all.’
Jones Road Beauty Miracle Balm - £34
This ingenious multi-use product is our go-to for combatting miserable British weather and dull complexions. Watch it melt into your skin and enjoy a truly lit-from-within radiance.
L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum - £14.99
The trend for skin-perfecting rather than covering is here to stay. This hyaluronic acid-infused tinted serum gives a dewy base with the perks of skincare, making it a true 2-in-1 beauty product.
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer - £25
We’ve been stretching our concealers to their limits, preferring precisely-placed touch-ups to a full face. This offers something in between: use in micro amounts over blemishes, or buff out for a natural coverage.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Light Catcher - £34
Laura Mercier’s finishing powders have always provided a perfecting veil over your make-up. This version is for the glow-getters, who want that shine control without looking flat. Expect blurred pores, a luminous finish and many compliments.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara - £8.99
This revolutionary brush coats every individual lash (including ones we didn’t even know we had) in a silky formula for full, fluttery lashes. We mainly love how easily it slides off at the end of the day: no pulling, no tugging or stubborn, post-cleanse panda eyes.
LOEWE Bar Soap - £40
Our love for fancy soap knows no bounds, so when Loewe launched its oh-so aesthetically pleasing soap-on-a-rope last year, we went into a cleansing frenzy. The planet-friendly packaging is a perk, too.
Nécessaire The Body Serum - £45
2021 was the year we started taking skincare beyond our faces. Hydrating hyaluronic acid, strengthening ceramides and repairing niacinamide make up this serum. Flaky shins? Never heard of her.
Plus Body Wash - £12
What if you could rinse your shower gel packaging down the drain, too? Thanks to ex-ELLE beauty editor Julie Schott and her innovative dissolvable sachets, you can. Plus’s body wash is zero waste and cute to look at as well.
St Tropez x Ashley Graham Ultimate Glow Kit - £38
If you didn’t repeat-watch Ashley Graham’s reel of her applying her own fake tan kit, then you’ve missed out. Giving the tone of a long weekend in Capri, it’s vegan, cruelty-free and recyclable.
Dizziak Body Conditioner - £20
After conquering the co-washing hair game, Dizziak are here to save us from the ravages of scaly skin. The rich shea butter and glycerin-infused formula instantly melts, leaving a skin barrier so hydrated your limbs will feel soft for days.
Shiseido Clear Suncare Stick SPF50+ - £28
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Holidays are back! But don’t you dare reach for that expired sun cream in your drawer. Instead invest in this, a travel-friendly, high factor stick that leaves no white cast, is water resistant and can be used on the face or body.
Keys Soulcare Renewing Body + Hand Wash - £24
‘I love that the moisturising butters create a lasting barrier of softness on skin. Simply using it is such a soothing wind-down to my day.’
Hermès Les Mains Hermes Nail Enamel - £42
Getting a piece of Hermès without a bank loan is a treat. These nail colours give an even coat in a single swipe. Our favourite is obviously the iconic Hermès Orange Boite.
Mylee Magic Gel Remover - £10
The days of hacking away at gel nails are over. Mylee’s game-changing remover softens gel into an easy-to- remove paste. No more salon appointments, acetone or dodgy DIY tricks.
Augustinus Bader The Serum - £280
‘I like to use this on clients as it absorbs so seamlessly. It’s hydrating and protects against environmental aggressors, which we’re exposed to on a daily basis.’
