Our editors share their honest thoughts on every new beauty product to land on our desks in July.
In the depths of winter, glow-giving primers and punchy lip tints boost so much more than complexions — they’re a welcome mood-booster, too.
This month, we were sent a selection of
We uncovered a handful of products we’d be willing to spend our own hard-earned cash on, and others that fell short of expectation (and their price tag).
Read on for the Viva team’s picks of new beauty products worth trying this month.
Skincare
“I don’t currently have a vitamin C serum in my skincare regime. Though I liked the feeling and application of this one, it’s not one that would convince me to extend my routine — I’m pretty staunch about keeping my skincare brief and achievable. I do love the smell, with its sweet, citrusy aroma, and it dissolves nicely into the skin, but it hasn’t provided any convincing reason to spend the extra time in front of the mirror.” — Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist lifestyle premium
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Advertise with NZME.“Gold dust? Active crystals? Colour me intrigued. I felt like an alchemist using this. It’s a loose powder that you mix in with a water-based cream, lotion or serum to activate. I did this on the back of my hand (is that the right way?) and it was a little bit messy, but that’s probably more due to user error than anything else. The dust didn’t dissipate into the cream immediately — although maybe I used the wrong moisturiser — so more practice might be needed here. The box told me to expect a: “gentle tingling sensation” and it wasn’t wrong. It’s not uncomfortable though, even on my sensitive skin, and only lasts a few minutes. An interesting vehicle for vitamin C treatments, but may be a bit fussy execution-wise for my lazy regimen.” — Emma Gleason, deputy editor lifestyle audience
“I really wanted to like this serum from The Facialist because it contains many of the ingredients I’m looking for to hydrate and protect my skin — like prebiotics to balance the microbiome and niacinamide to regulate oil — but unfortunately the fragrance was too strong for me. I’m a fragrance-free girly when it comes to skincare and this serum is a botanical bouquet of lavender and other essential oils. It was also a little sticky to the touch. I can imagine people loving this scent and enjoying the ritual in its application but it’s not for me.” — Johanna Thornton, deputy editor lifestyle premium
Makeup
“I’ve seen many an Instagram video featuring iterations of this lip oil — in the bottle it appears as a clear gloss but quickly shifts to a pinkish hue after application. It reminds me a little of long-ago high school science experiments, where we’d don lab coats to dip litmus paper into acidic and base formulas and gasp as the hues changed. Akin to stick on earrings and crackling nail polish, this gloss feels like something I would have treasured in my early teenage years. Now, though the concept is fun and nostalgic, it won’t make its way into my everyday makeup bag (its scent is also quite off-putting, similar to nail polish remover). I do find it interesting that these colour-changing products inadvertently implore consumers to consider the chemistry of cosmetics — something we’d likely all benefit from knowing a little more about.” — Madeleine Crutchley, multimedia journalist lifestyle premium
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Advertise with NZME.“I’m not familiar with this brand, but the bright orange box that landed on my desk caught my attention, and I love a skin tint. I really like this. It’s not fluid-y like other tints, so it applies in quite a luxurious, protective fashion. It feels super hydrating — great for my dry, winter-ravaged skin — and that’s due to ingredients like jojoba, hyaluronic acid and grape seed oil. The fact that it’s SPF50 is also a bonus, as I usually rely on my base to do double duty. The smell is good, not too hectic. It felt nourishing on my skin and sank in quickly. The moisturised, protective feeling lasted throughout the day. It’s great, I would buy this. Also, and I know Ash has me on a moratorium for mentioning BareMinerals Complexion Rescue, but I am going to slide it in here because Madge Face Tint is, after years of searching, the most similar base I’ve find. So if you like one, you’ll like the other, and Madge has higher SPF coverage. It’s also cruelty-free and vegan.” — Emma Gleason, deputy editor lifestyle audience
“It was a case of love at first swipe when I was sent a bottle of Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter to try, and since then I’ve been trying to find a suitable dupe to fit my champagne-taste-on-a-beer budget. I’ve tried a handful, but few have wowed me quite as much as L’Oreal Paris’ take. The new Lumi Glotion is as luminous as it is lightweight, it doesn’t create a film like others I’ve tried and it lends a very natural-looking sheen to skin. I’ve subbed this into my makeup routine in place of primer, and my foundation sits beautifully on top. You can daub it onto the high points of your face like you would a highlighter, so I’ve been dutifully doing so over the bridge of my nose and cheekbones. I don’t mean to gloat, but I’d absolutely repurchase this when my current tube runs out.” — Ashleigh Cometti, beauty editor
*Editor’s note: Available exclusively from Farmers on July 22, before launching at Chemist Warehouse on September 2.
“From the bright packaging, I was expecting this to have a fruity scent or flavour but it tastes and smells vaguely chemical. It’s billed as a tinted lip stain with a balmy gloss finish but it dries out quickly to more of a matte finish. I do like the colour once the gloss disappears — like a natural, bee-stung flush — very French girl makeup, if a French girl had lips as dry as the Sahara.” — Johanna Thornton, deputy editor lifestyle premium
Fragrance
“The newest scent in the My Way story is described by the brand as: “a pink, mesmerising and feminine talisman” and I tend to agree. It’s far sweeter than the original, a fresh and fruity blend that opens with notes of pear accord and aromatic rhubarb accord, spliced with zesty bergamot and orange blossom; a heart of creamy white florals including tuberose absolute; and a sensual vanilla bourbon and white musk base. To this effect, on first spritz its slightly heady and sweet, but dries down to a delightfully soft, powdery scent on skin. It’s long-lasting, too, and I fielded many: “What perfume are you wearing?” questions on the first day I spritzed it on.” — Ashleigh Cometti, beauty editor
Hair care
“I think the last time I used mousse was in the early 90s when I was in primary school (very advanced I know). I’ll never forget the crunchy texture it gave my hair before I graduated to the lethal Dax hair wax in intermediate. Thankfully Bread’s latest hair-foam doesn’t give that same, tough texture. It’s light to the touch and not too sticky. The smell is great (it actually reminds me of a very tart version of Timotei shampoo which I’m obsessed with) and is formulated from a clean and vegan formula. You definitely get the sense of this not being overly formulated with harsh chemicals. It’s great for curly and wavy textured hair as it sets as your hair air-dries. I put a small amount into damp hair and ran an accompanying Bread 100% silicone scalp brush and massager in my hair. You can use a diffuser with this easily, but I prefer to let my curls do their thing. I also love the packaging, minimalist but not too serious, the bottle itself is easy to hold with a matte finish that allows for easy grip.” — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director, Viva
Body care
“As the late, great Nora Ephron once wrote: “I feel bad about my neck”. I never really considered my neck before — it was just there. But since turning 40, it seems to suddenly have become droopy, saggy, and the texture of a turkey’s wattle. This cream promises to give fast results for a firmer neck. I can’t say I’ve noticed a difference yet but I am enjoying the nourished, fresh feeling after application, similar to how my skin feels after a facial. The scent is delicate and clean, and I love the fact the product is made in New Zealand — Katikati to be precise — and the company is a certified B-Corp. For every order placed, they plant a native mānuka tree, so it’s not only your skin, but also your conscience that feels good after using these products.” — Stephanie Holmes, premium lifestyle and travel editor
* Editor’s note: The new ManukaRx Firming Collection is available from July 24.
Supplements
“I like the idea of adding a collagen powder to my smoothies if only to feel like I’m doing something good for my body. I tried this a couple of times over the past week and it has a subtle and not too overpowering taste that works well for me. Each 10g serves up Marine collagen peptides so I try not to put too much in as I often prefer to have that taste come from Sea Moss, which I also put into my smoothies. This is an easy addition to any of your favourite drinks, and if it helps support your skin, nails and hair then why not give it a go.” — Dan Ahwa, creative and fashion director, Viva
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