We test hundreds of beauty products every year – these are the best of 2024
IN the Fabulous magazine office, the beauty team’s desks can be spotted from a mile away.
Lipsticks and mascaras clutter the desks, stacks of gift boxes cover the floor, and a random blend of candles and diffusers scent the air.
Needless to say, we trial hundreds of beauty products every year, in order to bring you the very best.
2024 has been a bumper year for beauty, as brands continue to up their game and raise the bar, introducing clever innovations, better formulas, and improving inclusivity.
There have been so many impressive new products that we’ve almost lost track, so we’ve wracked our brains (and emptied our cosmetic bags) to compile our favourite products of 2024.
Beauty Writer Mia Lyndon’s top picks
The best make-up
Erborian Super BB Concealer, £28
I’ve never been very impressed with concealers. While many claim to brighten dark circles, camouflage spots, and minimise creasing, few actually do.
I’ve tried all the concealers that have gone viral, and all the ones that my friends rave about, but I’ve never been much of a fan, finding that many are either too thick, thin, lightweight, or heavy.
At least, that’s how I felt until I discovered Eborian BB Concealer.
This is a Holy Grail product. Its BB (AKA blemish balm) formula has a chameleon effect on the skin, shapeshifting into a tone that suits you.
It blurs uneven skin tone and blends easily with a few taps, leaving an invisible, skin-like finish.
Infused with 5% niacinamide, it feels hydrating and flexible on the skin, meaning it doesn’t become dry, crack, or crease.
If I never tried another concealer again, I’d still be confident that I’d found the best.
The best tech
BaByliss Air Power Pro Hairdryer, £150
I live with my boyfriend, meaning he has carte blanche over all the beauty products I bring home from work.
He’s never been interested in the many moisturisers, shampoos, or serums I thrust into his hands, but this hairdryer has mysteriously disappeared since I brought it home.
Needless to say, he loves it and – when I manage to prise it from his grip – I think it’s one of the best hairdryers of recent years, too.
Weighing the same as a can of cola, this tool is the definition of a pocket-rocket.
With three airflow settings, it dries or styles hair in moments – not hours like other dryers I’ve tried.
It’s also a lot quieter than other models, thanks to its noise-reducing digital motor.
While you wouldn’t manage a conversation over the top of it, its quiet design makes for a much more pleasant styling experience.
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The best fragrance
Arkive No One Elsie Fragrance, £30
The Arkive The Mastery Hairspray smells so good – think tangy rhubarb and leafy greens – that I’ve been known to spray my entire body with it.
So, considering I love the scent of a hairspray enough to douse myself in it, you can imagine my joy when Arkive launched a perfume version earlier this year.
And it’s wonderful.
Scanning at just £30, this perfume feels (and smells) like it should be a lot more expensive.
With its heavy, embossed bottle and vibrant, complex scent, it feels like a touch of luxury at a high-street price.
There are four perfumes in the collection, spanning sugary florals to fresh, dewy woodlands – but No One Elsie is my ride-or-die.
It’s so popular that it’s now sold out – fortunately, you can still get your hands on it alongside the brand’s other gorgeous scents in the Discovery Set.
The best haircare
Living Proof Clarifying Detox Shampoo, £31
There are a few reasons why I only wash my hair twice a week.
Washing my thick, long hair takes me hours, and Living Proof Clarifying Detox Shampoo does such a good job at cleaning my hair that I don’t need to wash it any more often.
I use this (rather strange, black formula) shampoo once a week, relying on its charcoal-infused technology to deeply clean my hair and scalp.
Many shampoos fail to cut through oiliness at the back of my head, but this shampoo nails it every time without drying my strands or irritating my scalp.
At £31 it’s not cheap, but use it once a week like me, and it’ll last you months.
The best skincare
CeraVe Advanced Repair Ointment, £11
I’d love to slather my face in rich oils and fragranced creams, but I know my skin would protest.
Thanks to a recent eczema flare-up, I’ve had to completely strip back my skincare routine, swapping complex formulas for unsexy products that get the job done.
One of my favourites? CeraVe Advanced Repair Ointment.
Its rich, balm-like formula envelops dry, chapped skin, enrobing it in a calming barrier – meaning it’s perfect for skin affected by chilly weather.
I apply it to my lips, around my eyes, and hands, and while its rich formula feels a little heavy, it won’t leave your skin feeling greasy or looking shiny.
Packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid and barrier-boosting ceramides, it’s a hotline to calmer skin during cooler months.
Beauty Editor Tara Ledden’s top picks
The best make-up
Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick, £48
It’s not often that I rave about a product the first time I’ve used it – especially when it comes to make-up.
I like to really put them through their paces and use them a few times before I form my opinion, but when I tried Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick, £48, I couldn’t help myself.
Never did I think I’d spend almost £50 on foundation, but it’s not just a foundation.
It renders my concealer redundant, and is the first foundation I’ve ever used that I can wear without using a setting powder on top.
Even after a rush-hour commute through the busiest train station in London and a full day in the office, followed by drinks and dinner, it doesn’t separate and slip off my face in an oily mess.
Like the rest of the Dior Forever franchise, it boasts 24-hour wear – even in extreme conditions – and while I’ve not left it on overnight, I feel confident that it would last.
It’s also the most weightless foundation I’ve ever used – the first few times I wore it I found myself rubbing at my eyes or picking at a spot (don’t do this!), completely forgetting that I had make-up on, so if you don’t like being able to feel base products on your skin, I think you’ll be able to stand this.
I’m amazed by how quickly and easily it makes my skin look near flawless without feeling (or looking) heavy and cakey.
I’ve yet to find a single fault and have just bought my second stick.
The best tech
Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask, £269.99
2024 has been a bumper year for at-home beauty tech, but there’s two products that are truly ahead of the game.
Combining heat-styling with AI, Dyson AirWrap ID, £479.99 practically gives you a hairdresser in the palm of your hand – all you have to do is complete the quiz on your phone, switch the airwrap on and it’ll tell you exactly what to do, remotely controlling the tool for a more efficient styling session and results that last.
Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask, £269.99, combines two impressive functions with under-eye cryotherapy pads to reduce puffiness and dark circles alongside skin-repairing red LED light and blemish reducing blue LED light.
I’ve held out using an LED mask until now, and it was definitely worth the wait.
I’ve only been using it for about three weeks, which is too soon to properly assess a before-and-after, but given the lack of spots on my face and the amount of compliments I’ve been getting despite burning the candle at both ends, I’m confident it’s working miracles.
It’s expensive, but compared to many on the market, it’s a bargain for what it offers.
The best fragrance
MERIT Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum, £79
Perfume is my absolute favourite beauty category – so choosing one is pretty much like picking a favourite child.
I’ve been as ruthless as possible and managed to narrow it down to three – all of which claim a spot for completely different reasons.
Glossier You Doux, £62, immediately piqued my interest because it’s an update on Glossier You, £62 which has been one of my go-to scents for over five years.
The addition of earthy palo santo and warm myrrh make it heavier and longer lasting than the original, perfect for this time of year.
I’d been eagerly waiting for LA-based fragrance brand DedCool to come to the UK, so when it hit our shores in March, I dedicated a whole day to finding it in-store at Space NK.
After judiciously testing the lot, two came home with me: DedCool Xtra Milk EDP, £71 – a subtle, musk scent that feels like home, and adds depth to any perfume when layered – and DedCool Fragrance Number 01 Taunt EDP, £71, a more attention-grabbing salty vanilla scent that’s not at all sweet or sickly.
Finally, MERIT Retrospect L’Extrait de Parfum, £79, which is the most intriguing perfume to land on my desk in years.
It feels vintage and modern at the same time, combining the aldehydes of Chanel No.5 with pear, musk and bergamot for a scent that smells slightly different every time you wear it.
The best haircare
L’Oreal Elvive Hydra Pure, £7
When it comes to thinking about my favorite products, it’s much easier to remember the products that have impressed me in the last few weeks as I’m still trying them out, compared to those that launched at the start of the year.
Yet, when I think about the best haircare launch of the last 12 months, there was one product – or range, I should say – that came to mind L’Oreal Elvive Hydra Pure.
Made specifically for hair that’s dry at the ends and oily at the roots, it’s answered my biggest beauty bugbear.
The shampoo lathers easily and leaves my scalp clean but not dry, and the lengths of my hair are nourished and shiny.
They’re both mainstays in my shower, which says a lot when I regularly take home sets that are five times more expensive.
The best skincare
Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid SPF50+, £12.99
My skin generally has a hard time tolerating vitamin C – it often leaves me with breakouts, which aren’t exactly the desired brightening results I’m after.
This year, however, I’ve found a compromise in hybrid vitamin C-boosted SPF.
There are two that top my list – and they’re great for a whole host of reasons without taking the multitasking function into account.
Paula’s Choice 5% Vitamin C Sheer Moisturizer SPF 50, £46, is the one I use every day, as it’s not sticky or greasy so you can apply make-up on top immediately after.
It also won’t go streaky or disappear (although technically, you should wait five to 10 minutes for the sunscreen to dry first).
Next is the more affordable Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid SPF50+, £12.99, which has a slightly thicker consistency so you definitely have to wait for it to settle in, but then it too sits well under make-up.