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Navigating the world of skincare can be a bit of a minefield.
We'd definitely be lying if we said it doesn't take a bit of trial and error to build up a trusty arsenal of products with textures, ingredients and formulas that actually work well for you. Breakouts and a shiny T-Zone? No thanks.
Often, though, there comes a time when the serum you know and love just isn't cutting it when it comes to banishing that flaky forehead of yours, or you feel like your favourite moisturiser could do with a little something extra for when your skin is lacking its usual glow.
But instead of shelling out on a whole new army of products entirely, you might want to look in the direction of all-natural skin and haircare brand, Emulsion, who have jumped on the bespoke beauty bandwagon (one of Cosmetics Business' biggest trends for 2018, FYI) but have taken it to a whole new level of cool.
The 43-strong product line encourages you to pretty much play apothecary with a myriad of lotions, potions and tinctures, all housed in Insta-worthy dropper-style bottles, jars and pots - and it's hands down the most fun we've had since nail art.
So how does it work, exactly? Well, the collection consists of a number of 'base products' - necessities that we all use day in, day out - such as cleansers, serums, moisturisers, shower gels and even shampoos and conditioners to name but a few. Completely unscented and free from actives, each product is essentially a blank canvas upon which you can create and customise your very own products from scratch, simply by mixing and matching the 'add-ons' - and that's where you can really go to town.
Add-ons range from Essential Blends, like Green Goddess - concentrated green tea extract, providing all-over antioxidant protection from things like pollution and UV, Matte Maker - harnesses petit grain, clary sage and rosemary to keep shine under wraps and Secret Weapon - a megamix of rose oil, carrot seed, bitter orange and lavender to nourish skin and hair. That's before we've touched on the all-natural Exfoliants, which include coffee grinds, seeds and whole, dried flower buds.
And if the smell of your body and hair-care products is just as important to you as the ingredients inside, you can beef them up with skin and strand-friendly fragrances, from neroli (basically summer in a bottle and totally our favourite) to oud, coffee and coconut, and grapefruit and begamot - just the tip of the iceberg.
The Emulsion Combinations You Need To Try ASAP:
- Aqueous Serum Base, £22 + All Nighter, £16
Mix this silky, fast-absorbing, non-tacky serum base with a one to two pumps of the juniper berry, clary sage and marjoram-infused oil to soothe and nourish face and scalp.
- Seeds Exfoliant Mix, £15 + Shower Gel Base, £18
Prep your limbs for summer by adding a handful of this seed and coffee grind-packed exfoliator to your shower gel base. It'll wake you up in the morning and leave you with soft, smooth skin.
- Shampoo Base, £18 + Sweet Dust, £14
Notes of lemon, orange, vanilla and candy floss make Sweet Dust the perfect addition to this SLS-free shampoo base. The end result smells insane and won't strip your colour.
- Face Wash Base, £15 + Deep Sea Secret, £18
Seaweed extract, minerals and proteins dislodge and eradicate oil, grime and make-up, supercharging your evening cleanse.
