The camembert has been purchased. The gifts have been wrapped. And the Quality Street? Well, those little jewel-toned treats have been eyed up more times than you can say; ‘Happy Holidays!’
As December — and all its festivities — rolls on, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the year we’ve just had, and wow, what a year. Seemingly everyone (like, everyone) entered their Swiftie Era, with Taylor Swift taking the world by storm with her Eras Tour. Meanwhile, Elton John drew his decades-long music career to a close, bidding ‘adios’ to the thousands who packed in to see him on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury festival.
In the on-screen world, Barbiemania gave us all a hot pink makeover, while Saltburn left us a little less pink and a little more... concerned? IYKYK. And that’s not all. Kim Catrall’s Samantha made an epic (albeit seven-second) comeback to the Sex and the City spinoff, And Just Like That. Elsewhere, Kourtney Kardashian broke the internet with her and Travis Barker’s pregnancy announcement, and TikTok continued to TikTok, introducing us to trend after trend.
Speaking of trends, it was certainly a big year in the beautysphere, with the likes of balletcore beauty and gothcore going head-to-head, while Hailey Bieber continued to lead the way as the Queen of Trendsetting (see: latte nails and lazy girl make up). And the magic behind all of these must-try trends? The beauty products used to create them, of course.
So, without further ado — here’s your look at this year’s best in beauty...
BEST IN BEAUTY 2023: SKIN CARE
Quench thirsty skin with this lightweight cream-toner hybrid, formulated with LANEIGE's proprietary Cerapeptide to visibly firm your complexion and protect its natural moisture barrier.
What our community says: “This is a beautiful product which soaks into the skin, making it feel nourished and hydrated. Skin is smoother and plumper. The packaging is lovely too.”— Amelia, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL LANEIGE >>>Reveal dewy, petal-soft skin with this moisturising must-have, infused with Damask rose extract and hyaluronic acid to deliver 72 hours of hydration.
What our community says: “I love how silky and hydrating this moisturiser is... perfect for my dry skin! I like to apply this as part of my evening skin care routine.” — Lois, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL FRESH >>>
Gently exfoliate skin and improve the look of texture with this glycolic acid toner, which also stars a Tasmanian pepperberry derivative, ginseng root and aloe vera to enhance radiance and offer soothing benefits.
What our community says: “I’ve bought this several times over, it clears and brightens the skin, and it’s super affordable.” — Amanda, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL THE ORDINARY >>>
SHOP ALL SKIN CARE >>>
BEST IN BEAUTY 2023: MAKE UP
Add instant volume (and length and curl) plus intensely rich pigment with this Jamie Genevieve-approved mascara, infused with nourishing, lash-loving vitamins.
What our community says: “This mascara really does it all. AND it doesn’t smudge AND it’s easy to remove! I’ll definitely be re-buying!” — Maegan, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL VIEVE >>>
Boasting medium-to-high buildable coverage and light-diffusing technology, cheat the look of a great night’s sleep and add a soft-focus finish to your complexion with this fan-favourite.
What our community says: “I find this concealer amazing for my under-eyes, it’s brightening and doesn’t set into my creases!” — Emma, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL NARS >>>
Brighten, blur and blush with this staple, starring long-lasting pigments and an easy to blend formula in shades ranging from pink to peach.
What our community says: “I love the effect of this blush, it's easy to use and leaves such a natural and long-lasting glow!” — Francesca, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL CHARLOTTE TILBURY >>>
SHOP ALL MAKE UP >>>
BEST IN BEAUTY 2023: BODY CARE
Bringing Brazilian flair to your bathroom shelf (and your body), transform the look of skin with a smoothing and tightening blend of Amazonian guarana, jaboticaba and muira puama.
What our community says: “This smells gorgeous and is nice and light. I use it daily and it keeps my skin soft and moist, absorbing quickly, especially on wet skin.” — Marina, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL SOL DE JANEIRO >>>
A luxurious blend of nourishing ingredients (see: cupuaçu butter and coconut oil) come together in this holiday-scented body cream, the secret to curing your post-holiday blues and bestowing an all-over glow.
What our community says: “I adore this cream! It has a thick, velvety texture but absorbs really well and leaves my sensitive skin hydrated. The scent is highly addictive; it’s fruity, summery and tropical, and it lingers nicely too.” — Annabelle, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL OUAI >>>
SHOP ALL BODY CARE >>>
BEST IN BEAUTY 2023: HAIR CARE
The perfect finishing touch to your styling routine, welcome shinier, healthier, swishier hair with these strand replenishing drops, brimming with squalane to boost hair health.
What our community says: “These drops truly make your hair shinier, without the need to use a lot of product. I have very thin, straight hair so keeping the volume is super important and this doesn’t weigh it down or make it greasy. It also has a lovely scent.” — Patricia, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL JVN >>>
Protect colour-treated hair, seal strands with an invisible waterproof cloak and tame flyaways with this heat-activated spray. Sleek, smooth and ultra-silky tresses are on the way...
What our community says: “I can’t believe how shiny and frizz-free this made my hair after I blow dried it! And it’s good that you don’t need to apply after every wash, so it lasts longer.” — Holly, Cult Beauty customer.
SHOP ALL COLOR WOW >>>
SHOP ALL HAIR CARE >>>
MORE 2023 CULT BEAUTY COMMUNITY FAVES
SHOP ALL TRENDING >>>
