The Fashion Journal team shares the beauty products they’ve repurchased after trialling
WORDS BY FASHION JOURNAL
The makeup and skincare products we can’t get enough of.
Here at Fashion Journal, we are so lucky to be given regular opportunities to try new skincare and makeup products. It’s an undeniable perk of working in the beauty space, one that our small team (and our extended family and friends) very much enjoys. Being a certain level of beauty and/or fashion-obsessed is a prerequisite in this industry, and we’re often chatting about product formulations, foundation shade ranges or the very best eyebrow gels.
We like nosy people. Don’t be shy, head to our Beauty section for more.
But beauty is very personal, and not all products can be widely loved winners. So below, we’ve curated a list of the products our team has trialled and repurchased (or is planning on it). Whether you’re a skincare lover like Giulia, an eyebrow aficionado like Georgi, a glowy gal like Cait or an on-the-fly makeup applier like Izzy and Ella, there’s a product on this list for everyone.
Izzy Wight, Fashion Journal’s Assistant Editor
Milk Makeup Kush Mascara
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Working as an intern here at Fashion Journal, Milk Makeup was one of the first-ever brands to send me beauty goodies. It was a pretty special moment (who doesn’t love receiving mail?) and I eagerly ripped open the packaging to find the most brightly-coloured, glittery product in the assortment. What can I say? I’m a simple gal.
But after trialling a little of everything, the Kush Mascara was my standout. The product comes in this luxurious silver packaging, holding the kind of weight you know means it isn’t from the supermarket. Also, I’m no mascara snob – I’ve been loyal to Maybelline’s Falsies since high school – but this truly hits differently. An oversized, fluffy-and-full brush holds an ample amount of the ultra-black formula; while the product works to define and flare lashes from root to tip. I get compliments every time I wear it.
Get it here.
Ere Perez Rice Powder Bronzer in Tulum
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As someone who is pale year-round, bronzers often walk a fine line between too light and Jersey Shore. As it turns out, local makeup expert Ere Perez has the sunkissed glow down-pat. The brand’s duo compact bronzer came across my desk just before the summer of 2021, and I wore the oil-absorbing formula until I hit pan only a few months later. Its two shade options mean you can opt for different levels of bronze, while the velvety finish feels natural on the skin. Also, it’s vegan, cruelty-free and refillable. Needless to say, I’ll be purchasing again.
Get it here.
Giulia Brugliera, Fashion Journal’s Managing Editor
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Peel Daily
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These wipes seem like a heinously expensive outlay when you purchase, but considering I’ll happily drop $6 a day on a takeaway coffee, they’re well worth it in comparison. Few products I’ve found offer such immediate and noticeable results. A comparable product (at a much lower price point) would be Alpha-H Liquid Gold, so there are always options! But Liquid Gold works its magic overnight, and I’m rarely so organised or so patient. These wipes are marketed for daily use, but I save them for before special events or when I need a little lift.
Get them here.
Sunday Riley A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum
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Since I first tried A+ a year ago, I’ve purchased it on repeat. It’s a retinoid serum with a higher concentration than I’d previously used in retinol, using a five per cent retinoid-ester blend and another one per cent liposomal-encapsulated retinol blend. I’ve found it gets the best results for my skin. It also uses CoQ10, which I had to Google, but it seems to be a lauded and effective ingredient in the world of skincare.
Get it here.
Nu Face Hydrating Leave-on Gel Primer
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My love for my Nu Face microcurrent machine is the hill I will die on. It is by far the most treasured element of my skincare routine and I use it almost daily. Like a mini workout for your face, it works by running a small electric current through the facial muscles, similar to the technology used to treat patients of Bell’s Palsy. It requires a specific gel to conduct the current, and I think at this point that gel is my most purchased beauty item.
Get it here.
Ella Taverner, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Manager
Benefit 24-Hr Brow Setter
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I first tried this shiny little wand while getting ready at a friend’s house before heading out to an event. I was running late (as per usual) and my brows were looking particularly unruly, serving a little too much Eugene Levy for my liking. I’d forgotten my usual tinted gel, so my friend kindly lent me hers for the evening.
As someone with dark eyebrows, I’d always prioritised a gel with a coloured tint as opposed to shape and hold, but by the end of the evening, I was a full convert. Now on my fifth tube, the double-sided wand provides the perfect amount of fluffiness and hold to last me through even my sweatiest of evenings. It’s quick-drying, flake-free and completely transparent meaning it’s perfect for all brow types.
Get it here.
Make Up Forever Ultra HD Loose Powder in Translucent
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I spent the entirety of my teenage years scolding the gods for gifting me with a heinously shiny T-zone and was never without blotting pads or an excess of pressed powder. Once I hit my early twenties, my skin started to balance out/ I found I wasn’t needing to set my make-up as much. For the warmer months, I dabbled in a few pressed powders until I found one that a) was finely milled and comfy on the skin, and b) was well-packaged. I’ve gone through countless of these Make Up Forever Loose Powders, and have recommended them to a lot of friends. A little goes a long way, and the compact is designed so it only distributes a small amount at a time.
Get it here.
Cait Emma Burke, Fashion Journal’s Editor
Mecca Max Zoom Shadow Stick Matte in Rose, Caramel and Toffee
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I first got my greedy little makeup-obsessed hands on Mecca Max’s Zoom Shadow Sticks while on a trip Mecca organised to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new sunscreen (you can read more about that here). During that trip, we were lucky enough to experience a skincare and makeup masterclass from Mecca’s Skincare Manager, Lucy Shaw, and one of the products we were each gifted was these shadow sticks. As soon as I applied them I was hooked – they’re creamy, buildable and blend out seamlessly.
I also like that they’re devoid of sparkle and shimmer, so they make for a great natural, everyday shadow. I’ve since purchased other colours in the range, but my everyday go-tos are the Rose shade mixed with either Caramel or Toffee. Even when I’m wearing minimal or no makeup, I like swiping a bit of the Caramel or Toffee shade on my lids just to make me look more awake (if you’re pale and have veiny eyelids you’ll know what I mean, and you’ll probably also be a big fan of these shadow sticks). I will be purchasing these on repeat well into the foreseeable future.
Get them here.
Clarins Milky Boost
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I’ve had this Clarins Milky Boost skin tint for well over seven months and despite using it almost daily, it still isn’t close to running out. So, while I have technically not yet repurchased, I don’t doubt that I will. It’s the perfect fusion of skincare and makeup; lightweight, nourishing (it contains kiwi fruit and peach extract) and luminous, it blurs imperfections while still letting your natural skin shine through.
I don’t use foundation on nights out anymore either, because I much prefer the look and feel of Milky Boost paired with my Nars Creamy Concealer for some extra coverage. And while I was doubtful when a Clarins PR package first landed on my desk – I think I associate the brand with an older, department store demographic of makeup wearers – I have to say many of the products I’ve tried from its newer ranges have become go-tos for me. The brand nails hard-working, high-quality formulations that are super buildable and comfortable to wear.
Get it here.
Georgi Woolcock, Fashion Journal’s Partnerships and Campaign Executive
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze
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I have incredibly thick and unruly brows, so my bimonthly brow laminations are my holy grail beauty treatment. So when I recently had to take a devastating four-month break from the lams, I was recommended ABH Brow Freeze in its place. Safe to say it’s the only brow product I’ve ever used that actually puts my disobedient brows in place. Even though I’m back to my regularly scheduled lamming, the product is still a staple in my routine when my brows need a bit of extra love to stay in place.
Get it here.
Nars Light Reflecting Foundation
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After not wearing foundation for over two years, I was convinced I would stick to tinted moisturiser indefinitely. However, I was pleasantly surprised when trying Nars’s newest foundation in its range. Available in 36 different shades, it’s the only product I’ve found that truly has long-wear use and looks and feels like a second skin, keeping me feeling hydrated and glowy all day long.
Get it here.
For more of the best beauty products on the market, head here.
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