It’s that time again – Escentual’s new beauty must-haves are here! Whether you love keeping up to date with the latest beauty launches or you’re in need of something new and exciting to try, you’re sure to find some new beauty you love here.
From makeup to fragrance to skincare to male grooming, March has been packed full of exciting new products. Read on to find out our favourites from this month…
1. The Innovative Tech-Powered SPF
Name: Kate, Communications & Campaigns Assistant
If there’s one thing I don’t like about SPF, it’s the heavy, greasy feel you can sometimes experience after applying. It’s for this exact reason that I’ve been left so impressed with the YSL Pure Shots Airthin UV Defender; it’s incredibly lightweight and doesn’t feel at all thick or greasy. There’s definitely a reason why it’s called Airthin; you’d be forgiven for forgetting you had it on!
Aside from it’s super lightweight feel, it also has loads of extra benefits that meant I couldn’t resist picking it as my monthly favourite. Of course, the very high SPF50+, broad-spectrum protection is great (skin is protected against both UVA and UVB rays, which otherwise cause sunburn, premature ageing and skin damage), while it also allows skin to breathe, and even shields against urban stressors like dust and pollution, so it’s perfect for city settings.
2. The Luxurious Body Spray
Name: Richard, Merchandising Manager
Jack Black Black Reserve Body Spray ups the game on traditional body sprays. This beautiful black glass bottle should be the go-to product for any man’s daily routine. I love using it after the shower as the warming scents of cardamom and cedarwood leave you smelling great and feeling ready to go for the day ahead. Jack Black has hit another home run with this and it only makes me want to try the rest of the Black Reserve range more! It’s had great reviews from the rest of the team too, so I know I’m not alone in saying this!
3. The Brightening Eye Cream
Name: Eleni, Merchandiser
I love sustainable and vegan beauty. I believe it is the future of the beauty industry. I’ve always had a problem with dark circles under my eyes. They’ve been a constant pain in my life, even when I was very young. So when REN made their new Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream, I had to try it. REN promises visible results in 7 days, so I thought I should give it a try. The first 3 days I didn’t see any results, but I felt that my eyes lifted. After the 5th day, you can definitely see the results. What I love the most about this product is the texture and the feeling it leaves afterwards. It is soft and doesn’t irritate my eyes one bit! The best part is that you only need a tiny amount to do the trick!
4. The Iconic Palette With a Twist of Blue
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Name: Keavy, Communications & Campaigns Assistant
My relationship with makeup went through two stages during lockdown; the first one is the realisation I don’t have to wear a lot of makeup to feel good about myself. The second one is that I actually really enjoy the experience of putting on a full-face and have been looking forward to any opportunity to go full-out (aka to the shops, walk or office – wild, I know!). Lockdown hasn’t put me off wearing makeup; if anything I’ve felt the need to go bolder with my beauty choices – bright lipsticks and bold eyeshadows are my jam at the moment!
I’ve always been a Naked Palette girl from the age of 16, so I can’t help but want to try out every palette that is released. Their latest edition Naked Wild West is one word: fun!
Their selection of wearable shades of neutrals, taupes, golds and the addition of turquoise and emerald just takes it far enough out of my comfort zone to experiment. You won’t catch me recreating the look above for work or zoom meets but I definitely had fun creating it, and for me, that’s the best bit about these more colourful palettes!
5. The Fruity Spring Fragrance
Name: Caitlin, Communications & Campaigns Assistant
I had high expectations for Olympea Blossom, the original Olympea is one of my all-time favourites! And I wasn’t disappointed, I love this fruity-floral celebration! Centred around the delicate notes of freshly cut roses with nuances of sharp pink pepper and a splash of refreshing pear and blackcurrant sorbets, Olympea Blossom is a fruity-floral delight that maintains the alluring sensuality of the original. The dry down of vanilla and cashmeran musks echoes the cosiness of the original, while I love how long the Eau de Parfum lasts. I spritzed it first thing in the morning and could still smell the warm lingering muskiness before my evening shower. As a dedicated Olympea fan, this is definitely a winning flanker for me!
6. The Scented Men’s Body Lotion
Name: Michael, Operations Administrator
I’m really impressed with the new Hydrating Body Lotion from Jack Black’s Black Reserve range. I found it to be quite thick and the texture really luxurious – smoother than other lotions I’ve used before, and not at all greasy. I’d say the scent is not too strong nor too light, it has a nice balance – very masculine and refreshing, which I like. The efficacy is impressive too; I’ve used it on my back which gets dry on occasion and it’s not been as itchy as it would have been typically prior to using this lotion, so that’s a big plus. The bottle is quite chunky to hold, and looks/feels expensive too.
7. The Flawless Concealer
Name: Ceryn, Communications & Campaigns Editor
Over lock-down (AKA the entirety of 2020), I embraced my natural skin. Foundation took a back seat most days, but I never skipped concealer. A good concealer is a makeup staple; you never know when a spot or dark circles can creep up!
Over the last couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of testing bareMinerals’ latest release, the Original Liquid Concealer. It’s a part of the iconic Original range; yes, the one with the best-selling powder foundation. What’s unique about this concealer is that it contains fewer ingredients than others on the market. But the texture is what stole the show for me; it’s creamy but not heavy, so it gives excellent coverage that’s not cakey or unnatural looking. Most days, this concealer is all I need on my face to even my skin tone, hide any pesky pimples and brighten-up my under-eyes. I love it!
8. The Gentle Baby Wash
Name: Monika, Supply Chain Planner
As I am a big fan of Mustela products for my little one, I just had to try the Stelatopia Cleansing Gel! The cold weather has made my little one’s skin even more sensitive than it was before so I’m always on the lookout for gentle products that will be kind to his delicate skin. I’m always trying to protect his skin and this is the perfect soothing addition to his bath time routine. It’s so easy to use and gently lathers all over his body and hair without getting any irritating soap in his face – what more could we ask for!
8. The Foaming Cleanser
Name: Jade, Merchandiser
What can I say, the Clarins Gentle Cleansing Mousse is everything you need in your skincare routine. The hydrating foam not only removes all the dirt, makeup and pollution from the day but also leaves the skin feeling pampered and gives the skin a natural glow!
What I love most about this product (and the entire Clarins cleansing collection) is the eco-conscious decision they made to only use recycled materials for the packaging and the most sustainable and natural ingredients to respect the environment. The Cleansing Mousse has a citrus scent of neroli, tangerine and ylang-ylang which leaves the skin feeling fresh. I highly recommend this cleanser and I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.
10. The Invigorating Body Wash
Name: Ben, Merchandiser
I love to trial new Men’s body products, and as a huge fan of Cedarwood-based fragrances, the Black Reserve range by Jack Black definitely piqued my interest! I was most excited to try the Body & Hair Cleanser, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. I use this cleanser every morning and it leaves my skin feeling revitalised and squeaky clean. The scent is everything I wanted it to be, masculine and fresh, but not overpowering; this is great because it doesn’t interfere with the parfum of choice post-shower! It has an air of nostalgia about it. Even though it’s quite sumptuous in appearance, the label is printed with a silky finish, so when picking it up in the shower, it’s very slippery – as far as cons go, that’s not bad at all! Will be repurchasing – and can’t wait to try the rest of the range!
11. Our Perfume Trial Box
Name: Chelsey, Communications and Campaigns Manager
It’s incredible to see our #EscentualScents campaign come alive! We have close to 400 members learning about fragrance families monthly, and it’s so rewarding to work closely with Thomas (Candy Perfume Boy) and see how many people have used this experience to give themselves a little bit of escapism during the lockdown.
