Time for a reset
September gives us the opportunity for a restart.
It’s time to jump into new-season mode, make
plans and start afresh. And the perfect springboard
is your wellness and beauty regime.
Whether you’re committing to an illuminating
eye cream, enriching your haircare or
investing in a new lip colour, there’s
work to be done.
By Claire Brayford
THE HAIR TAMER
The clean, hair-inclusive line by stylist Jonathan Van Ness is fast becoming a styling go-to. His Air Dry Cream is packed with chia seeds and linseed extract to build hair, hemisqualane (a lighter derivative of squalane used in moisturiser) to strengthen and moringa seed to add softness. It tames frizz and gives shine with no greasiness – perfect when you need your hair to look good, fast.
Complete Air Dry Cream, £9, JVN Hair
THE HAIR CARE
‘No-shampoo shampoos’ purport to clean hair without chemicals but often leave it greasy. Thankfully, a new range from Canadian skincare disruptor The Ordinary focuses on the scalp, gently cleaning product build-up from hair while supporting healthy growth and shine. Championing sulphates, which The Ordinary believes are misunderstood, it uses the detergent at a very low concentration.
Sulphate 4% Cleanser for Hair & Body, £6.80, The Ordinary
THE NEW TONER
Want to restore your glow overnight? Charlotte Tilbury has just the tonic. Its acid-free toner contains potent ingredients that the skin drinks in, including prickly pear cactus extract, which boosts clarity, and a super peptide that mimics the protein of a beehive’s royal jelly. It resurfaces and hydrates, supporting the skin’s natural renewal with gentle exfoliation. Simply swipe it on after cleansing.
Glow Toner, £40, Charlotte Tilbury
THE EYE RESET
With a science-led, natural approach, New Zealand skincare brand Emma Lewisham is setting a new benchmark in beauty. A deep conditioning treatment boasts eighteen active ingredients that regenerate collagen to lift, firm and smooth tired eyes. And we love that the carbon-positive brand takes back all used packaging to be refilled or recycled.
Skinreset Eye Cream, £70, Emma Lewisham
THE CLEVER QUAD
Vieve, created by makeup artist and YouTuber Jamie Genevieve, is becoming the name for palettes. The latest are glow-giving compact quads that will help bring your face to life: the Dawn and Dusk Dimension palettes, feature a bronze, two blushers and a highlighter in vivid neutrals that bring plenty of warmth.
Dawn and Dusk Dimension Face Palettes, £39 each, Vieve
THE ULTIMATE SERUM
Sometimes you need to turbocharge your skin’s natural rejuvenation. This lifting and firming infusion from La Prairie contains beads of a powerful cellular complex, skin caviar, that melt into the gel on application. Skin immediately feels firmer and satin-smooth but the real difference is over time: contours appear sculpted, skin regains volume and the appearance of wrinkles lessens. It’s well worth the investment.
Skin Caviar Harmony L’Extrait, £650, La Prairie
THE SHOWER GEL
Never underestimate the catharsis and reset of a shower. Kankan, a new plastic-free shower gel alternative, is the perfect therapeutic accompaniment. With invigorating scents of coconut, lemongrass and pomelo, alongside essential oils and 99 per cent organic ingredients, the gel comes in a glass bottle that can be refilled from recyclable aluminium cans. They even plant a tree for every can sold!
Starter Set No.1, £8, Kankan London
THE NOURISHING CREAM
Sometimes you need a superhero skin cream that does more than moisturise, and Tatcha feeds the soul as much as the skin. Rooted in Japanese wisdom, each of its multisensory products leaves you looking and feeling rested. The Dewy Skin Cream, with plumping hydration and antioxidant-packed Japanese purple rice, gives skin a wonderfully healthy glow.
The Dewy Skin Cream, £63, Tatcha
THE ON-THE-GO SCENT
A simple yet effective way to reset is by switching your scent. The latest sublime fragrance by French house Floraïku is an invigorating blend of candied jujube, a fruit from the Himalayas, Egyptian jasmine, Turkish rose, Madagascar vanilla and white musk, in a convenient vial that’s perfect for your work bag. And each comes with a sample to try – you can return the scent if it’s not for you.
And Your Lips, £260, Floraïku Paris
THE LIP COLOUR
There’s no denying the everyday magic of a new lipstick, and Bobbi Brown – the queen of easy makeup – has launched a line that is instantly uplifting. Somewhere between a balm and a stain, it gives a sheer wash of colour that you can build throughout the day. With nine flattering shades (our favourites are Just Peachy and Nude Rose), the colour lasts even under a mask.
Lip Tint, £24, Jones Road
THE PEACE MIST
In moments when you seek calm and balance, ESPA Modern Alchemy’s harmonising aromatic mist will quickly make you feel centred. Blending ten essential oils, the warmly-spiced fragrance – with patchouli, clove, ylang-ylang and vetiver – grounds the senses and soothes the skin. Accompanied by ESPA’s Grounding Blend caffeine-free botanical tea, it brings peace to body, mind and spirit.
The Harmonising Mist, £35, ESPA Modern Alchemy
THE SKIN PROTECTOR
Amid days spent commuting and sitting in front of a screen, a gentle way to protect your skin is simply by building its barrier. Clinisoothe+ is an affordable range created to do just that. The hero product is a purifier that can be spritzed throughout the day to help shield your face from pollutants, rebalance your skin’s natural microbiome, reduce inflammation, prevent breakouts and promote rapid recovery.
Skin Purifier, £14.95, Clinisoothe+
