The first time I ever stepped foot into a magazine beauty cupboard was a little over 12 years ago.
I stood in awe of the floor-to-ceiling shelves that housed what I could only assume was every beauty product the world had to offer. I spent weeks in that cupboard. I whiled away my days massaging unctuous face creams onto the backs of my hands, tracing my fingertips over silky blushers and misting perfumes into the air around me until I lost sense of my whereabouts—infatuated, mesmerised and consumed entirely by the beauty that surrounded me. The beauty cupboard became my own enchanted Aladdin's cave, and each product that entered it was another masterpiece for me to behold.
But as the years passed, the seriousness of my job as a journalist took over. I started learning ingredient lists by heart. I began studying chemical formulations. I spent years interviewing medical professionals. I undertook all of this in an effort to answer the question that has been the focus of my career: What makes the perfect beauty product? After all, beauty is a serious industry (surprising though this may be to some), and as such, it requires a serious approach, so that was the route I took for the best part of a decade.
But at some point last year, as I watched myself in the mirror mindlessly slathering a £250 face serum over my tired, dull and grey complexion, something hit me: I had fallen out of love with beauty products. My expensive skincare had all the right ingredients, but its fragrance-free formulas, sticky textures and bland brown bottles didn't set my heart on fire. I realised that perhaps, in my efforts to be taken seriously in an industry so often considered frivolous, I had somehow sucked the "beauty" out of it all.
I thought back to the 19-year-old girl who just loved beauty products for what they were at face value: treasure. And if I was feeling this way, as someone with every beauty product in the world right at my fingertips, surely others were, too? So, it was at this point that I made a pact with myself. I would not, could not, feed into a narrative that every beauty product requires a deeper explanation for a minute longer. I promised, from that moment onwards, that I would surround myself with only the most beautiful, joy-sparking beauty products out there, beauty products so beautiful that using them feels decadent and almost mischievous. I want my products to tap into my soul and move me in much the same way as losing myself in a piece of art.
And so, true to my word, I am throwing out the notion that beauty has to be all science all of the time. Sometimes it is simply enough for a beauty product to be beautiful. So, behold: eight mini masterpieces fit for a museum to fill your soul with wonder.
1. Prada Monochrome Lipstick
There is something inherently artistic and artisanal about lipstick in all of its forms. The transformational power of just one swipe over the lips means that, by its very nature, lipstick has come to epitomise not just beauty as an industry, but beauty as a feeling. And this is a concept explored so masterfully by Prada during the design process of this product, that the result is perhaps the most beautiful lipstick ever created, not just in the way it looks, but in the way it makes you feel.
Of course, there are the weighty, metal cases that become precious keepsakes as you refill them with different shades and finishes over time. But the true beauty of this little luxury lies in the bullet itself; an homage to the house's iconic Re-Nylon fabric in both its embossing and its lightweight, diffused finish. Prada Monochrome Lipsticks showcase both design and performance at their greatest.
2. Bottega Veneta Alchemie
Key notes: Pink pepper, mandarin, nutmeg, myrrh, leather accord, labdanum, vetiver, sandalwood
If time has proved lipstick to be one of the most physically transformative beauty products in existence, then there is no doubt that perfume is the most emotionally transformative. Bottega Veneta is, perhaps, the brand that has taken this concept to its most extreme heights. Whilst Alchemie's blend swaddles you in a flurry of excess and luxury, with its nose-tickling spices and grounding, skin-hugging creamy aroma, it's its artisanal glass vessel, inspired by the glass craftspersonship of Veneto, that makes it one of beauty's most coveted prizes.
3. Celine Perfumed Soap
Key notes: Neroli, bergamot, musk, oakmoss
The humble soap bar is indisputably the most tactile beauty product of them all, and its power is not to be overlooked. Though unassuming, apothecary-style bottles of hand wash have come to signify status in beauty circles over the past decade, solid soaps have been quietly evolving to compete for sink-side airtime, and Celine has led the way. Not only do these emblemed bars look like they've been carved by Michelangelo himself, but simply leaving them out in a dish has their creamy, citrus aroma filling the entire room.
4. Oribe Hair Comb
Whilst the majority of beauty offerings have undergone artistic glow-ups in recent years in a bid for brands to create products that appeal to those who, like myself, are seeking beauty, the haircare category has long championed such an approach. Artisanal, hand-crafted hairbrushes and combs have been cherished by women for hundreds of years (you only have to look towards heritage brands such as Mason Pearson and Officine Universelle Buly for proof). These resin combs by luxury haircare brand Oribe show how historic mastery can merge with modern design to create hair products that deliver in both results and aesthetic appeal.
5. Loewe Home Fragrance
Our collective infatuation with home fragrance has reached new heights in recent years. From candles and diffusers to room sprays and potpourri, it seems as though we're all looking for the most luxurious scents for our surroundings. And sure, the fragrances themselves have a part to play in our selections, but more so it's the vessels that sway our decisions—something Loewe knows all too well. The House's approach to home scenting is simple, and with seemingly single-note blends, the aromas fill a room with unparalleled ease. But it would be foolish of me to suggest that the reason many of us feel a desire to spend £100+ on a candle, room spray or even incense sticks is solely down to Loewe's aromas, and not at all to do with the works of art that hold them.
6. Hermès Compact
There is a reason that the memory of running my fingers over velvety blushers in that first beauty cupboard all those years ago has stuck with me: spoiling a perfectly set, artistically embossed pressed powder feels simultaneously criminal and euphoric. I have lost count of the blushers I've tucked away in my drawers over the years because they were simply too beautiful to use. But that was the old me. The new me has learned that the feeling of using such a thing of beauty far outweighs my desire to keep it stashed away, only to remove it from its drawer once a year, simply to look at it. From the moment this limited-edition Hermès compact landed on my desk last month, its radiant powders have graced my cheekbones every single day.
7. 39BC Oil Body Cleanser
Key notes: Neroli, ylang-ylang, tuberose, jasmine, gardenia, musk, amber
To know me is to know that I take my bath and body routine very seriously indeed, but not in the serious sort of way I mentioned previously. I care little for ingredients and actives in my bodycare, but a lot about fragrance, texture and how the product looks on my bathroom shelf. My nightly bath is my self-care time, and I deserve to spoil myself. 39BC Oil Body Cleanser calms my mind, body and soul from the moment I pop the cap. In a bottle worthy of a Turner prize and with a nourishing texture that spreads over limbs like the finest silk and aromas that smell as though they've been blended purely to put your entire body into a perpetual state of tranquillity, these body washes are a feast for the senses.
8. Aurezzi Oral Care
I can assure you: no part of your routine has to be exempt from my rule of beauty. Aurezzi is an oral care brand that proves it. A 24-carat, gold-plated toothbrush and a menthol toothpaste that must be hidden from overnight guests at all times (lest they help themselves!) might not be considered essential shopping, but my word do they take the mundanity out of one of the most tedious must-do rituals. In 2025, I want my dental hygiene chic.
