It isn’t easy to be named a beauty icon at Escentual. A product only gets this sought-after title if it’s better than all the others in its category and delivers phenomenal results – and if it’s multi-purpose, even better! Wondering which beauty products fit the bill? I’ve selected some of the best multi-purpose beauty icons worth knowing about…

1. The Soothing Face Mist

Multi-purpose hero: Avene Thermale Spring Water Spray.
How to use it: Soothe skin, calm irritation, hydrate and soften skin, and restores and protect your skin barrier.

The Avene Thermale Spring Water Spray is an icon. The famous soothing water spray has been loved worldwide for over thirty years. It has several awards under its belt, including Beauty Bible Awards 2021. Its calming formula can be used by the whole family and is adored for its soothing formula that reduces itching, hydrates, and softens rough areas of skin all over the body. The water has so many incredible benefits that Avene has included it in all their products; its unique biological character is rich in minerals with calming and rebalancing properties.

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2. The Rosy Lip and Cheek Stain

Multi-purpose hero: Benefit Benetint – Rose-Tinted Lip & Cheek Stain.
How to use it: Adds a sheer tint of deep rose stain to your lips and cheeks.

The Benefit Benetint has been a multi-purpose beauty icon that has built notoriety since 1977—used initially to colour show girls’ nipples. Fun fact, your ideal Benetint colour is your natural nipple colour!

The Benetint has had many variations over the years, but the original Rosy shade is the reason for its popularity. Its sheer tint is subtle, adding a soft sheen to your lips and cheeks. The tint even has an in-built doe-foot wand for easy application without needing a brush.

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3. The Nourishing Face Mist

Multi-purpose hero: Caudalie Beauty Elixir.
How to use it: Setting spray for makeup, hydration boosts, nourishes, brightens, tightens pores and smooths skin.

The Caudalie Beauty Elixir has been a skincare icon for 25 years. The 100% plant-based formula is cult for its multi-tasking abilities, including everything from hydrating and boosting the skin’s radiance to adding a healthy, dewy finish to your makeup. It gets its nourishing properties from a cocktail of essential oils and is also where it gets its invigorating fresh mint-like scent.

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4. The Skin Protecting Cream

Multi-purpose hero: Elizabeth Arden, The Original Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant.
How to use it: Soothes, hydrates, heals and softens chapped lips, cracked heels and dry hands. It creates a fluffy laminated brow effect and is a highlighter for the face and body and tame flyaway hairs.

The Elizabeth Arden The Original Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant needs no introduction. The icon is a cult skincare staple that features in women of all ages’ beauty stash. There’s one thing everyone agrees on is that it does so much more than what first meets the eye. The creamy balm can heal dry, chapped lips and soften rough, dry, cracked skin all over the body thanks to petrolatum, vitamin E and salicylic acid.

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5. The Nourishing Balm

Multi-purpose hero: Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm.
How to use it: It can be applied on the face and body and babies for 3+ months. Heal new tattoos, chapped lips, dry hands, dry cuticles, cracked heels, cuts and grazes, and eczema. Soothe burns, Irritations like rashes, often dry, rough areas of the skin on elbows, knees and ankles. Soothe nappy rash for 3+ months and a dewy highlighter to finish a glowy makeup look.

Celebrities and beauty lovers sing Aquaphor’s praises! Emily Ratajkowski, Billie Eilish, and Beyonce use the affordable multi-purpose balm; Meghan Markle even wore it on her wedding day as a highlighter.

There’s one thing that everyone loves most about Aquaphor balm, and that’s its healing benefits. Its semi-occlusive formula allows oxygen in to help heal skin while also keeping it protected and comfortable; I like to think of it as breathable plaster!

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6. The Blemish Reducing Cream

Multi-purpose hero: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF30.
How to use it: Reduces the appearance of spots and acne marks, soothes inflammation and protects skin from UVA and UVB damage.

The La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] SPF30 has been a cult anti-blemish skincare product for almost a decade. The cream is clinically proven to reduce the size and redness of spots and residual scarring when they begin to fade. Its innovative formula smooths uneven skin texture while decongesting pores using micro-exfoliates using LHA (a derivative of salicylic acid). Niacinamide aids skin repair to help minimise the appearance of your acne and soothe inflammation. Not to mention, the formula helps to protect skin from UV damage and premature ageing thanks to added SPF30.

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7. The Nourishing Face and Body Oil

Multi-purpose hero: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil Spray – Face, Body and Hair.
How to use it: Used on hair, face and body. Nourishes, hydrates, and adds a healthy glow.

Nuxe has released many versions of the Huile Prodigieuse over the years, but this Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil is the original! The Nuxe Dry Oil is the best solution for dry hair and skin. Its award-winning formula hydrates and nourishes the skin and hair with 100% botanical oils and scents it with orange blossom, magnolia and sweet vanilla.

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8. The Hydrating Serum

Multi-purpose hero: Vichy Mineral 89 Serum.
How to use it: Hydrates, primes skin, smooths, plumps.

The Vichy Mineral 89 Serum is a hydrating hero. Its legendary multi-purpose formula features only 11 ingredients. Of course, one is moisturising hyaluronic acid, with 94% of beauty lovers who tried the serum saying their skin felt more hydrated for up to 24 hours. The gel-like serum is lightweight and is the perfect base under makeup for smooth and flawless application, and it leaves skin hydrated and plump.

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