Bottom shelf: The unsexy products beauty editors swear by
Words by Sarah Tarca and Sherine Youssef
Underrated and overused.
Sarah Tarca and Sherine Youssef are Australian beauty editors and the founders of Gloss Etc, a weekly newsletter dedicated to the best beauty reviews, news and tips.
As beauty editors, we fundamentally don’t believe in gatekeeping – it’s just not part of our DNA. But, what often happens is we get caught up in the ‘newness’ cycle the beauty industry has jacked up on guarana in the last few years, supplemented by the endless nano-trend cycle on TikTok. And in doing so, we often forget those solid beauty staples, the ones that work the hardest despite getting no hype due to the shinier, younger, more aesthetic siblings.
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But that, dear friends, is an error, because despite flying under the radar, often it’s these products that form the backbone of our routines. They’re the ones we hoard and happily spend our own money on, and roll off the tongue whenever we’re asked for specific suggestions.
They’re not bad beauty products, they just have non-existent PR (and often, unsexy packaging that looks like you uncle Kevin designed it in Microsoft Word). But luckily for us, we know great PRs (it’s us! We’re the PR) so here’s a few that deserve a spin in the spotlight.
Head & Shoulders Shampoo and Conditioner
Like clockwork, my scalp sheds every time there’s a change of season. The key to a good dandruff shampoo: it must dislodge flakes, soothe the scalp skin and hydrate just enough so the scalp doesn’t dry out and shed even more. Head & Shoulders Shampoo and Conditioner, from $15, ticks all those boxes and it’s why I have a pair in my bathroom cupboard all year ’round. – Sherine
Beauté Pacifique Instant Hydrating Mask
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I’m highlighting one product here but this entire brand is completely underrated (I wrote about it here), and the fact it’s still relatively unknown is a mystery to me. Beauté Pacifique is Danish, which in itself is a dead giveaway for excellence, but this Instant Hydrating Mask is the equivalent of drinking a bottle full of water on a hot day: it just hydrates, immediately. The secret sauce is in a combination of squalane and sodium hyaluronate (the salt version of hyaluronic acid) to hydrate, and vitamins A, C and E to strengthen the skin barrier. Also, I really love an old-school cream mask instead of a sheet mask because it’s not single-use. – Sarah
L’Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray
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My fine, frizzy hair requires a mist of hairspray every now and then, especially when it’s humid outside. L’Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray, pulls off a neat trick: it delivers sturdy hold but brushes out quite easily, like magic. It’s not heavy or too stiff and sticky either, so I don’t feel (or look) like I’m wearing a helmet. Even better, you can often find it for less than $10. – Sherine
Rimmel The Multitasker Concealer
Everyone bangs on about the Nars Creamy Concealer or the Tarte Shape Tape, but you know where else you’ll find a truly excellent concealer, for under $20? Woolies. Rimmel’s The Multitasker Concealer hits all the right notes for concealer greatness: creamy enough to not settle into creases, pigmented enough to cover both redness and those stayed-up-bingeing-Real-Housewives-eye-bags, and long-lasting enough that you don’t have to reapply it at lunch. – Sarah
CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara
Clumpy, cloggy mascara is my bugbear, I simply cannot abide it. With about 99.9 per cent of the mascaras I use, I’ll first vigorously wipe down the wand on a tissue to remove a good portion of the formula (yes, even the exxy ones) and comb through my lashes after applying with an old (clean) mascara wand. The only one I never, ever do that with is the CoverGirl Clump Crusher mascara. Beauty scientists should study this brush and formula. – Sherine
Leif Limited Edition Gold Label Buddha Wood Hand Wash 1.5 litre
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If you’re wondering how a $100 Leif hand wash has any right to be here, hear me out: this is all about cost to joy ratio. See, we wash our hands every day, multiple times a day. It’s one of the beauty products we probably use most, yet we don’t spare a thought for what’s in the pump. What if you were the kinda girl with the fancy hand wash? What if you left the bathroom and gave your hands a secret sniff because they smelt so good? See: joy! Also, this jumbo size lasts for almost an entire year, so it’s basically saving you money. – Sarah
Clarins Lip Comfort Oil
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Every brand has lip oil these days and there are some very good ones out there. But props to one of the originals, Clarins Lip Comfort Oil, which doesn’t get the same kudos as, say, Dior? But clearly those in the know are loyal fans, because the brand says they sell one every 11 seconds worldwide. It has an addictive conditioning formula, an oversized doe-foot applicator and a juicy, non-sticky shine. How good is it? – Sherine
Cultiver Silk Linen Flip Pillowcase
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We all know how good sleeping on silk pillowcases is, right? Better for your hair (less static) better for your skin (less bacteria) better for your products (the silk doesn’t absorb like cotton). But the thing is… silk is kinda ugly? Like it belongs on a waterbed in the ’80s kind of vibe. Which is why the Silk Linen Flip Pillowcase by Cultiver is so brilliant: Linen for the aesthetics during the day, then you flip it over for the business side (AKA the silk) at nighttime. – Sarah
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Colour
No one on the planet can do streaky nail polish quite like me but even I find it hard to mess up a DIY mani using the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Colour. The combination of a flat, tapered brush that coats the width of the nail bed and a slightly thick lacquer formula overcomes my unco ways, and since it’s quick-dry, my impatience doesn’t ruin my perfectly polished tips. – Sherine
QV Ceramides Cream for Face and Body
I’m one of five kids so bulk buys really speak to me. This tub of QV Ceramides Cream is one of those products every household should have because it does everything; it’s excellent for a body cream, great for when you run out of your exxy face cream, perfect for the partners who refuse to buy their own skincare, exceptional for small humans who are weird with textures, and it’s fragrance free so even those with sensitive skin can use it. Plus, it’s half a litre so it feels like it will never run out. What a guy, what an all rounder, what a big yes. – Sarah
For more on underrated beauty products, try this.
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