Brand Spotlight Archives - mamabella

Spotlight on MAC Cosmetics UK – the makeup artist favourite

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:00:08 +0000

UPDATE: The MAC Advent Calendar is back for 2023 and it’s full of 24 MAC bestsellers – 21 of which are full-size.

It sells out really quickly so if you want to get your hands on it, click the Buy Now button below.

Alternatively, head over to our MAC Advent Calendar 2023 guide, or our best beauty advent calendar round-up to learn more about what’s inside, its price, value and more.

Buy now

For the latest in our Brand Spotlight series, we take a look at MAC Cosmetics and pick out our favourite MAC products

When many of us start experimenting more with makeup, and want to graduate from traditional high-street brands, MAC is the place to start.

It’s incredibly accessible, both on and offline, and recently went on sale in Boots, ASOS and Next.

It has makeup artists on hand to help out and the products themselves are great. Super versatile, highly pigmented, long-lasting, not to mention quality formulas.

These are just some of the reasons why MAC Cosmetics is the latest in our Brand Spotlight series.

Over the past few months, we’ve been shining a light on brands that represent and align with what we stand for – brands that offer great products at low prices; brands that champion inclusivity and diversity; clean, sustainable, and ethical beauty brands, and brands that are challenging the beauty industry hierarchy.

MAC Cosmetics UK: A brief history

MAC

Founded in Toronto in 1984 by make-up artist and photographer Frank Toskan with salon owner Frank Angelo, Make-up Art Cosmetics was created out of a need to find make-up that looked beautiful and photographed well.

In the decades since, MAC Cosmetics has become an international phenomenon, sold in 105 countries across the globe, finding its way into the make-up kits of film sets, photoshoots, and our homes. What makes MAC so amazing, is its universal appeal, versatile offering and high-quality products.

FURTHER READING: We’ve reviewed and ranked every MAC foundation to finally reveal which is best

︎ Why we love MAC Cosmetics UK

Everything MAC does – from its product lines to its community of makeup artists – is done with diversity and inclusivity at its heart. As the brand itself explains, MAC is “all ages, all races, all genders.”

It has a strong sense of social responsibility, and has been a pioneer with initiatives including its Viva Glam lipsticks (scroll down to read more) and the MAC AIDS Fund.

Then there are the products. They don’t come cheap – and are more expensive than many of those we tend to feature in our Brand Spotlight lists – but we believe they’re worth the extra money. The base products, in particular, are superb.

If you have mature skin – although it’s also great for all skin types – MAC’s Waterweight concealer is second to none. Its MAC Studio Fix foundation – in both fluid and stick forms – are fantastic, and we’re big fans of its Prep+Prime Fix+ Setting Spray. You can read more about all of these in our best concealer, our Studio Fix Foundation review, and best setting spray guides.

Best MAC Cosmetics UK products

MAC Viva Glam Lipstick – £17.50
MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush – £23.50
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation SPF15 – £27
MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Spray – £21
MAC Mineralize Skin Finish – £26.50
MAC Skin Solutions Kits – from £60

︎ MAC Viva Glam Lipstick

£17.50 | Buy now from MAC Cosmetics UK

MAC Cosmetics

Who’s it for? Created in partnership with charities fighting AIDS and HIV, 100% of profits from any of the three current Viva Glam lipsticks help to fund the prevention of the condition as well as treatment and support for those affected by it.

Why we love it: MAC’s lipstick formula is up there with some of the best available. It’s a staple, and there’s a reason why it’s consistently featured on best-seller lists. It’s creamy, pigmented and great value for money.

How to use it: We like to pair Viva Glam II, a pinkish-hued mauve, with a similar lip liner and a nude eyeshadow look, that has a spot of gold sparkle. Perfect for the everyday.

Buy now from MAC

︎ MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush

£23.50 | Buy now from MAC Cosmetics UK

MAC

Who’s it for? A staple brush in every kit is a big, fluffy blending brush. The MAC 224 is a classic for achieving seamlessly blended eyeshadow.

Why we love it: Because its tapered bristles and larger brush head mean that blending initial crease shades is as easy as it gets. It picks up the right amount of product and distributes it evenly. Used with back and forth and small circular motions, blending and building up eyeshadow has never been easier.

How to use it: We use it to, firstly, set our eyeshadow primer with a white or bone-toned shadow and then apply our transition shades. We like to add new shades using a clean brush, and go back to the first 224 to blend them all together.

FURTHER READING: Best makeup brushes: The best natural and synthetic makeup brushes

Buy now from MAC

︎ MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation SPF15

£27 | Buy now from MAC Cosmetics UK

MAC Cosmetics

Who’s it for? Anyone looking for a flawless full-coverage foundation that stays all day and photographs well. Perfect for events!

Why we love it: Because of its unreal full-coverage, Studio Fix will cover everything. And it’s buildable. It can be quite thick – so you only need a small amount if you want a more natural finish – but its staying power is worth it.

It has an SPF of 15 meaning your face is protected from the sun (though we recommend applying a separate SPF before your make-up to protect further), a matte finish, and comes in tonnes of shades and undertones.

How to use it: After priming, use a damp sponge or duo fibre foundation brush to buff a small amount into the skin. Add extra product where further coverage is needed and follow with concealer and set with powder.

FURTHER READING: MAC Studio Fix foundation review

Buy now from MAC

︎ Prep + Prime Fix+ Spray

£21 | Buy now from MAC Cosmetics UK

MAC Cosmetics

Who’s it for? Anyone who needs a versatile setting spray.

Why we love it: Fix+ is one of Mac’s most versatile products.

Primarily a prep spray, Fix+ can be used to prep and prime the skin, to set and finish makeup, to provide hydration throughout the day, or to give your favourite shimmer shades an extra pop.

It comes in a range of fragrances, too, for those who prefer an extra scent boost, as well as the original. Although the original is technically scentless, it’s not – it has a slightly odd chemical smell – but this soon goes away.

How to use it: Hold about 12 inches from the face and spritz a few times before make-up application to prime the skin. Apply after foundation and powder to set the face and add an extra glow.

Spritz throughout the day to refresh hydration and boost natural glow or spritz onto shimmer shades on your make-up brush to wet shadow, boosting pigment, shine and staying power.

Buy now from MAC

︎ Mineralize Skin Finish

£26.50 | Buy now from MAC Cosmetics UK

MAC Cosmetics

Who’s it for? Anyone looking for a healthy highlight that complements natural glow.

Why we love it: Available in a range of shades to complement all skin tones, Mineralize Skin Finish is the perfect natural highlight for your face and your body.

Created using 77 different minerals and Vitamin E, it gives a gorgeous sheen and doesn’t look too overpowering.

How to use it: Apply to the high points of the face, such as your cheekbones, and your collarbones with a fluffy brush for an all-over natural-looking radiance.

For something a bit more metallic and intense, pick up the product on your brush and spritz it with Fix+ before applying it to your cheekbones.

Buy now from MAC

︎ MAC Skin Solutions Kits

£60 | Buy now from MAC Cosmetics UK

MAC

MAC has made it even easier to shop for products based on your skin type thanks to the launch of the Skin Solutions kits.

There are six kits to choose from (listed below) and as each of the names of these kits suggests, they include products best suited to those six particular skin types.

Depending on which kit you choose depends on which type of primer, foundation and setting spray you receivem, and you can customise each one to suit your skin tone.

Not sure which skin type you are? Check out our What skin type do I have? guide

Each kit costs £60 and while that may seem pricey, by purchasing these products as bundles instead of individually you can save up to £21.

The six kits are as follows:

FURTHER READING: Foundation samples UK: How to get free foundation samples online

Buy now from MAC

HyperReal Skincare

MAC Cosmetics recently launched a new skincare range called Hyper Real. It features a serum-moisturiser, a moisturising cream and a cleansing oil, as well as a skincare brush.

Each product contains what MAC calls its Pro-4 Power Infusion Matrix – a mix of ingredients designed to brighten the skin tone, nourish the complexion and repair the skin barrier.

It doesn’t come cheap – with travel versions starting at £18 – but we’ve ordered the lot and will let you know our thoughts. In the meantime, you can read more about the Hyper Real skincare here.

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Spotlight on MAC Cosmetics UK – the makeup artist favourite appeared first on mamabella.

Stitch Fix UK vs Lookiero: Which personal styling service is worth trying, and which should be avoided?

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 20:30:14 +0000

In our Stitch Fix UK vs Lookiero reviews, we pit both personal styling services against each other to discover which is best – and how to use each

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Stitch Fix vs Lookiero: Similarities
Stitch Fix vs Lookiero: Differences
Stitch Fix review
Lookiero review
Thread review

UPDATE: It is with a heavy heart that we announce Stitch Fix UK is closing. You have until 31 October to take advantage of this superb service (and get some hefty discounts in the process)

Blaming poor sales, and layoffs, an Instagram post from the official Stitch Fix account said:

“Stitch Fix was inspired by a very human problem: to help people look and feel their best by finding clothes they love.

Over the past four years, we’re proud to have helped thousands of people in the UK discover their personal style. Now, we’re sorry to say that our Stitch Fix UK journey is coming to an end.”

The post goes on to say that customers have until 31 October to place their final fixes and as a way of shifting remaining stock, Stitch Fix has increased the discount it gives to people who keep all the items in their box.

From now until the final fixes are shipped, you get:

70% off the total sale price if you keep all five items
50% off the total sale price if you keep four items
To get £15 off your first Stitch Fix box, sign up using this link: Stitch Fix Referral

We’re genuinely gutted by this decision.

Stitch Fix has been styling us for three years. It helped us through Covid and it feels a little like a breakup. Keep reading to see why we love it and will miss it so much, and how to take advantage of not only a discounted first box but a hefty reduction on the clothes.

Original Stitch Fix UK vs Lookiero reviews continue below

We hate clothes shopping. Scouring through rails for the correct size is a minefield when you’re plus-sized like us. Not to mention having to hang items over your arm, and use sweaty changing rooms.

So when we heard about Stitch Fix and Lookiero, it felt like it was the answer to our prayers.

Stitch Fix and Lookiero are very similar online personal styling services.

Not only are you sent a selection of clothes each month, but a personal stylist picks out your items. These are based on your size, your preferences, your budget, and if you have any events coming up.

We recently put these services to the test and had very different experiences. One, we’d recommend in a heartbeat. The other we wouldn’t touch again.

Read on to find out more.

And if you’re looking to sign up for either service, the referral links below will save you money on your first boxes. This isn’t an advert or sponsored post – these are honest, independent reviews.

To get £15 off your first Stitch Fix box, sign up using this link: Stitch Fix Referral

To get £10 off your first Lookiero box, sign up using this link: Lookiero Referral

Stitch Fix UK vs Lookiero reviews

As Stitch Fix and Lookiero are very similar, we’ve listed their similarities as well as their notable differences.

Stitch Fix vs Lookiero: Similarities

Stitch Fix

Both Stitch Fix and Lookiero ask you to fill in a style profile. This includes:

What size you usually wear
What kinds of clothes you like (and which you don’t)
Any areas of your body you’d rather show off or cover-up
Your budget

From here, Stitch Fix and Lookiero assign you a personal stylist to pick out your first five items. You’re then sent these five items via Royal Mail, and both sites charge a £10 styling fee.

If you choose to keep any of the products in the box, the sites take this £10 styling charge off the final price.

Both services have apps, as well as websites, and both let you give your stylist feedback. Or you can ask for a new stylist for your next box.

Delivery and returns are free on Stitch Fix and Lookiero, but they offer different experiences. More on that below.

FURTHER READING: Best beauty subscription boxes UK: From Glossybox to FabFitFun, we look at which are worth your money

Sign up to Stitch Fix | Sign up to Lookiero

Stitch Fix vs Lookiero: Differences

In terms of styling, Stitch Fix offers styling for men and women in the UK. They also offer kid’s styling in the US. Lookiero is only currently available for women.

mamabella | mamabella

Preview: Stitch Fix lets you preview your upcoming box. Although you don’t have to complete this preview. Lookiero doesn’t offer a preview.

Review period: Stitch Fix gives you seven days to make your clothing choices. Lookiero gives you five.

Extensions: With Stitch Fix, you can ask to extend the decision date via the app or the website. Lookiero extensions are managed by emailing customer service.

Packaging: Stitch Fix products ship in a cardboard box with paper packaging. It also ships with a Royal Mail return label. Lookiero sends its products in paper packaging in a cardboard box. Although you have to send clothes back in a plastic bag.

Sizes: Stitch Fix clothes are available in sizes 6-18 for women. Lookiero offers sizes 6-20.

Brands: Stitch Fix works with 1,000+ brands including Kate Spade, Toms, Joie, and Barbour. Lookiero works with 150+ brands including Moss, Dr Denim, Vila and Tiffosi.

Purchase discounts: If you choose to keep all five items from Stitch Fix, you get a 20% discount. If you choose to keep all five items from Lookiero, you get a 25% discount.

Exchanges: Both sites allow you to swap products in your box for the same item in a different size. In our experience, products at the top and bottom of the size range are usually out of stock. However, if you’re looking for something in the middle, you’re unlikely to have a problem.

Returns: Stitch Fix returns are made using a prepaid label at your local Hermes Parcel Shop, CollectPlus store, DPD Pickup Shop, or Post Office. Lookiero only accepts DPD drop-off returns. If you don’t live near a DPD drop-off location, Lookiero won’t give you an alternative. In this case, you’ll have to pay for the return yourself and are liable if the products get lost.

FURTHER READING: This clothing size conversion chart reveals which sizes you should go for across UK stores

Sign up to Stitch Fix | Sign up to Lookiero

Stitch Fix UK vs Lookiero reviews: Which one is best?

In our Lookiero and Stitch Fix UK reviews below, we detail our personal experiences to help you choose which service to try.

Stitch Fix reviews

mamabella

When friends have asked us which is the best online personal styling service, we’ve said Stitch Fix. Without hesitation.

Style match and choice

We had a positive experience with Stitch Fix UK from the first box. Our stylist captured our style straight off the bat and we kept three of the first five items. Subsequent boxes were hit and miss because we hadn’t updated our size profile after putting on weight during lockdown. Yet it’s rare for us not to buy at least one item from a box each month.

Stitch Fix

Most items are true to size, as in if it says it’s a 16, it fits like we’d imagine a 16 to fit.

We went through a period where the boxes didn’t feel that tailored to us. After sending notes to our stylist, though, the majority of boxes we’ve had since have been full of items we love. In our most recent box, we’d have bought the lot but one of the items was too small. And there wasn’t an exchange available.

We also love that we’ve bought items we would never have chosen ourselves. We have wide hips and tend to opt for loose-fitting tea dresses when shopping for ourselves. Through Stitch Fix, we’ve bought fitted skirts, long T-shirt dresses, and more. And we wear them regularly. Another huge plus point is just how many of the products from Stitch Fix also have pockets. A small but very important point!

Stitch Fix also sells bags and shoes and one of our most recent boxes included a pair of Toms wedges. Elsewhere, we got sent a cute T-bar necklace in one box, and a pair of Only trainers in another.

We set our budget at £30-£40 per item, and the quality of the products we’ve received match this. We’d even pay more for the items than what Stitch Fix charges. Just don’t tell Stitch Fix that!

StitchFix preview

Stitch Fix offers an optional Preview for each box. If you prefer a surprise, you don’t have to use this Preview. If you do choose to use it, you get a link to your personalised Preview 72 hours before your box ships.

From this Preview, you can choose up to five out of 10 items – but you don’t have to choose all five. You can also tell your stylist if there’s anything you don’t like, as well as why you don’t like them i.e you don’t like the style, you already have enough skirts, it’s the wrong colour, and so on. This will help your stylist make better choices in the future.

Returns

Returns are easy. Seal the box, stick the prepaid label on and take it to whichever postal service best suits you. Most months we send the box back via the post office counter in our local shop. We have also used the Hermes option without any issues. As a result, we’ve been a Stitch Fix customer for more than two years.

Exchanges

The only issue we’ve had with StitchFix is when exchanging clothes. We love that the brand offers the chance to swap outfits for different sizes. The exchanges can also be made directly from the checkout page.

Yet, in our experience, we’ve only been able to exchange one item, once. This is because our body sits at the top end of the Stitch Fix size range. We usually wear a 16 but when we’ve needed to swap to an 18, the larger size is almost always out of stock.

Read our full Stitch Fix UK review here

Sign up to Stitch Fix

Lookiero review

Lookiero

Lookiero is a different story. We only tried two boxes because the whole process was tedious and the clothes felt old and dated.

Style match

Firstly, not a single item fit. Despite us using the same size profile on Lookiero as on Stitch Fix. Not only did they not fit, size-wise, but the overall fit of each item was poor. We got a family member to try the clothes on too, but every item made them look frumpy and old. All were lacking style and the materials weren’t anywhere near the quality as with Stitch Fix. Despite the prices being similar.

Lookiero

Painful returns

Lookiero only accepts returns via DPD Drop-Off. We live in a major town (Aylesbury) the nearest DPD local drop-off point is 7.25 miles away in Princes Risborough. Door-to-door, it would take us 52 minutes to do the round-trip in the car. Or more than two and a half hours on public transport.

When we told Lookiero it’s not feasible to make such a journey, they said there weren’t any other options.

The only option for us to return the package was to cover the cost of return postage ourselves. We explained this to Lookiero and paid £5.10 to make sure we could track the parcel.

Two weeks later, despite the parcel showing as signed for, Lookiero said they’d charge us for not returning the items. They also said that because we hadn’t used DPD, we’d be liable. This left a bitter taste in the mouth.

We’re not huge fans of the plastic returns bag either. From an environmental point of view and because we’re responsible for recycling the box. Neither are huge inconveniences, but alongside the other pain points, they add up.

Lookiero may suit you if you’re an older customer looking for basic staples, or live in London or cities with many DPD Drop-Off sites. But if you want style and substance, opt for Stitch Fix.

Sign up to Lookiero

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Stitch Fix UK vs Lookiero: Which personal styling service is worth trying, and which should be avoided? appeared first on mamabella.

Is Stitch Fix UK worth it? Read our Stitch Fix review to find out what it’s like for a plus-size woman

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Sat, 19 Aug 2023 21:25:48 +0000

In our Stitch Fix UK review, we explain how Stitch Fix works, what its pros and cons are, and whether Stitch Fix UK is worth it after three years of using the styling service

JUMP TO SECTION

Click the links below to jump to the relevant section:

How does Stitch Fix work?

Which brands does Stitch Fix use?

Stitch Fix UK review

We’ve never been a fan of clothes shopping. Partly because we hate trying to battle against shops with wildly varying sizing (a big problem when shopping online) and we don’t actually truly know what suits us and what doesn’t.

Then during lockdown, we physically couldn’t go into stores.

Having toyed with the idea of signing up for a personal styling service for months beforehand we took the Covid pandemic as our opportunity to give it a go – and we haven’t looked back.

Three years later we can honestly say we know the Stitch Fix experience inside out.

We’ve had highs, and some lows, and having previously discussed these experiences in our Stitch Fix UK vs Lookiero guide, we felt it was time to write a full and in-depth Stitch Fix UK review; to explain if the service really is worth it.

Keep reading to find out more about how Stitch Fix works, which brands Stitch Fix uses, what quality the clothes are, and the experience of using the service as a plus-sized woman.

And if you’re looking to sign up for the service, the referral link below will save you money on your first box. This isn’t an advert or sponsored post – this is an honest, independent review.

To get £15 off your first Stitch Fix box, sign up using this link: Stitch Fix Referral

Stitch Fix UK reviews

Stitch Fix

Signing up for Stitch Fix UK can feel a little intimidating if (like me) you don’t have a strong steer on your own personal style, or fashion isn’t something you’re particularly interested in. Let us help demystify things for you!

How does Stitch Fix work?

In summary, Stitch Fix works like this:

You tell Stitch Fix your size and budget
A stylist sends you five items of clothing based on these answers
You’re charged a £10 styling fee
You have a week to try the clothes on
Once you’ve decided what you want to keep, and what you want to return, you “Checkout” on the Stitch Fix app or website
If you buy anything, you get your £10 styling fee back
If you buy everything, you get 25% off
If you don’t buy anything, Stitch Fix keeps your styling fee
You return the box, for free, via Royal Mail or courier

A more detailed explanation is as follows:

Style profile

When you first sign up for Stitch Fix you’ll be asked to fill in a style profile. This sounds intimidating but it’s a short quiz that asks:

What size clothes you typically wear: Even if you fluctuate in sizes in different stores, chances are you know roughly what size you are. You can also check your body measurements against a standardised size chart.
What kinds of clothes you like and importantly, any you don’t: For us, we love wearing dresses but never wear trousers.
Any areas of your body you’d rather show off or cover-up: We put in that we don’t like our arms being on show, and we prefer things to fit relatively loosely around our stomach and hip dips
Your budget: This is how much you’d typically spend on a single item of clothing, or what you think is a reasonable amount of money to spend. This will determine which Stitch Fix brands you’ll be sent.

You can additionally add where you buy most of your clothes, any “fit quirks” you think Stitch Fix should know – for instance, if you always like to cuff your jeans – any colour preferences, and if there’s anything you need. For example, if you’re going to a wedding, you can ask for wedding dresses, or if you’re short on work clothes you can request smart items.

Stitch Fix

Once you’ve completed your Style Fix quiz, you’ll be assigned a personal stylist. You don’t know who this is but they’re usually assigned based on your answers. For instance, if someone is great at styling plus-sized people, or if they’re particularly great at styling casual over workwear, and so on.

FURTHER READING: This clothing size conversion chart reveals which sizes you should go for across UK stores

Stylist picks

This stylist will select 10 items based on your answers. You’re given the option to see this list of 10 and pick your favourite five, or to leave it to your stylist to pick. In this case, five random pieces are posted to you.

These five items are sent by Royal Mail, at which point you’re charged a £10 styling fee. This fee is refunded if you purchase any of the products in the box.

Once the box arrives, you have seven days to try the clothes on at your leisure. You can also ask for an extension on this 7-day period via the app or website. For example, if you’re on holiday for part of the seven-day period.

Checkout

Once you’ve decided which items you want to keep, and which you want to return, you go to the online checkout. All of your clothes will be listed and you can choose to:

Exchange
Return
Keep

You’re also given the option to feedback to your stylist on whether you liked the style; whether it was too small, too big, or just right; the quality, cut, and value for money. These are optional and can help make future Fixes even more personalised, but you don’t have to fill in these details.

Equally, the general feedback questions at the end of the checkout process are optional, too. These ask how satisfied you were with the Fix, how personalised it felt, and if you’d like to keep the same stylist.

Fees

Whatever clothing items you choose to keep, you pay for. If you buy anything at all, you’ll then get your £10 styling fee back. This means Stitch Fix will take £10 off the price of your clothes.

If you buy everything, you get 25% off the total.

If you don’t buy anything, Stitch Fix keeps your styling fee but you don’t pay anything more.

Returns

Stitch Fix products ship in a cardboard box with paper packaging.

Inside each Stitch Fix box is a Royal Mail Free Return label. You stick this label over the current label on the top of the box, seal it up and take it to your local Post Office.

You can also choose to get it collected by a courier if you can’t get to the Post Office.

FURTHER READING: Best beauty subscription boxes UK

Sign up to Stitch Fix

Which brands does Stitch Fix use?

Stitch Fix

Stitch Fix works with 1,000+ brands including global names such as Kate Spade, Toms, Joie, and Barbour, as well as a mix of high-end and high-street fashion labels and brands such as Sundry, Dolan, Original Penguin, Helmut Lang, Alternative Apparel and Scotch & Soda.

Stitch Fix also has a number of its own brands, these include:

41 Hawthorn
Pixley
Market & Spruce
Brixon Ivy
Truly Poppy
Fairlane
Mauvette
Mix by 41 Hawthorn

Note: We love Mauvette and every dress we’ve been sent from this brand, we’ve kept!

Sign up to Stitch Fix

What size range does Stitch Fix offer?

Stitch Fix clothes are available in sizes 6-18 for women.

Stitch Fix UK review

mamabella

We’ve been Stitch Fix UK customers for over three years now and have been (almost) consistently impressed with the service.

When we first started using Stitch Fix, our stylist captured our style straight off the bat. We kept three of the first five items that we received and would always end up buying at least one item in every box we received over the following months.

We love that we’ve bought items we would never have chosen ourselves. We have wide hips and tend to opt for loose-fitting tea dresses when shopping for ourselves. Through Stitch Fix, we’ve bought fitted skirts, long T-shirt dresses, and more. And we wear them regularly. Another huge plus point is just how many of the products from Stitch Fix also have pockets. A small but very important point.

Stitch Fix also sells bags and shoes. In our most recent box, we received a pair of Toms wedges. Elsewhere, we got sent a cute T-bar necklace in one box, and a pair of Only trainers in another.

After putting on weight during lockdown, we had a couple of boxes where items didn’t fit as well and this was because we hadn’t updated our size profile. Stitch Fix recommends checking your style profile every two to three boxes (or ideally before every box) but this can be a bit much.

Stitch Fix

We recommend changing this profile as the seasons change, and if your weight does change.

After sending notes to our stylist, we had a much better experience and until very recently, the majority of boxes were full of items we loved.

At the start of the year we got a series of boxes in which either nothing fit, or we hated everything. One box contained jeans even though we’ve been very clear we don’t wear jeans or trousers. So much so, we checked our profile to see if it hadn’t been reset.

During one checkout, we gave feedback that we were unsatisfied and weren’t looking forward to another box. Less than six hours later, Stitch Fix customer service emailed to a) ask if there was more detailed feedback and b) that they would send us a new box and waive the styling fee.

Since this interaction, we’ve gone back to getting boxes we love to the point where in August 2023, we bought every single item in the box. The first time this has happened in the three years of using Stitch Fix.

Most items from across the Stitch Fix UK brands are true to size. If the label says it’s a 16, it fits like we’d imagine a 16 to fit. This hasn’t always been the case but is in the large majority.

We set our budget at £30-£40 per item, and the quality of the products we’ve received matches this. We’d even pay more for the items than what Stitch Fix charges. Just don’t tell Stitch Fix that!

Returns are then super easy. Seal the box, stick the prepaid label on the top, and take it to whichever postal service best suits you. Most months we send the box back via the post office counter in our local shop. We have also used the Hermes option without any issues.

Our only complaint – other than the blip in boxes at the start of this year – is that the Exchange option during Checkout rarely works. We love that Stitch Fix offers the chance to swap outfits for different sizes, and they range from 6-18, but in our experience, we’ve only been able to exchange one item, once.

This is because our body sits at the top end of the Stitch Fix size range. We usually wear a 16 but when we’ve needed to swap to an 18, the larger size is almost always out of stock.

Overall, we highly recommend Stitch Fix UK to anyone looking for a personal styling service that gets it right. The service is affordable, the clothes are high-quality, and the returns process is easy. We’ve been very happy with our experience with Stitch Fix and would definitely recommend it to others.

Sign up to Stitch Fix

To get £15 off your first Stitch Fix box, sign up using this link: Stitch Fix Referral

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Is Stitch Fix UK worth it? Read our Stitch Fix review to find out what it’s like for a plus-size woman appeared first on mamabella.

Glossier UK: The best Glossier products from across its makeup and skincare range

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:00:46 +0000

Glossier has earned a cult following for its cute packaging and effective makeup and skincare lines. Here are what we consider to be the best Glossier products you need to try

UPDATE: After weeks of teasers and reports, Glossier has officially announced its Stretch Fluid Foundation.

Building on the formula of its hugely popular Stretch Concealer, the Stretch Fluid Foundation is designed to offer buildable light to medium coverage and is packed with skincare to improve your skin as you wear it.

Glossier claims the foundation is transfer and sweat-resistant and lasts up to 12 hours. This is the first official foundation from Glossier. It already has the Glossier Skin Tint but not a dedicated foundation product like the new Stretch Fluid Foundation.

The Stretch Collection is due to launch on 22 August and the foundation will come in 32 “flexible” shades across seven skin tone families, each with 4-5 undertones. At the same time, Glossier’s Stretch Concealer will be re-released to match the 32 shades of the foundation.

As Glossier explained on Instagram: “Ultimately, it’s designed to live with you, not on you. Stretch Fluid Foundation and Balm Concealer will be available on Glossier.com and in Glossier stores on August 22nd.

We’ll update this page when the foundation goes on sale and once we’ve had a chance to try it out. In the meantime, you can see the current results from our major best foundation group test here.

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A post shared by Glossier (@glossier)

Original Glossier spotlight article continues below

These days it feels like every other brand that arrives on the market has a soft pastel aesthetic and Instagram-friendly packaging, but Glossier is one brand that deserves its hype.

Its products are practically fool-proof; perfect for everyday wear when you don’t want to feel like you’re wearing a mask, and they’re relatively good value for money given their high quality.

With products available for every need and skin type, we’ve compiled a list of tried and tested skincare and makeup products from Glossier that we believe will be staples in your collection.

The best Glossier products: Makeup

A number of the best Glossier products appear in our Best Buys lists – namely the Stretch Concealer in our best concealer, the Glossier Futuredew primer in our best primer list and the Glossier Cloud Paint in our best blusher guide. We’ve detailed more about these, and a number of Glossier’s other makeup staples below.

FURTHER READING: Skincare makeup: Save time, money and your skin with these makeup products with skincare ingredients

Shop now at Glossier

︎ Glossier Cloud Paint

£15 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: Glossier’s cult Cloud Paint has left our powder blushes sad and neglected at the back of our makeup collections, and for good reason.

It provides the perfect sheer wash of colour on the cheeks if that’s your vibe, but is also buildable if you prefer a more intense glow.

Its lightweight formula blends perfectly onto either clean skin, over liquid foundation, and even powder, giving an air of natural glow.

Available in six natural shades, inspired by NYC sunsets, this blusher is perfect for any skin tone – we especially love Puff for a bright yet natural flush.

How to use: Apply a tiny bit at a time either with the fingertips or a stippling brush and gently buff in. Can be applied before or after powder products.

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Stretch Concealer

£15 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: Whilst the Stretch Concealer won’t cover more aggressive breakouts or get rid of dark circles, it is the perfect natural corrector to conceal minor flaws without caking.

Practically undetectable on the skin, the Stretch Concealer leaves a glowy finish that can be used on bare skin or over a light foundation for extra coverage. It comes in twelve shades covering a broad spectrum of skin tones, although we admit this could be higher.

How to use: We like to apply the Stretch Concealer with our fingertips and the natural warmth of our hands provides a seamless blend. However, for a more even – or more hygienic application – use a small dense brush and gently sweep a small amount of product over the areas you want to conceal. If you don’t already follow legendary makeup artist Katie-Jane Hughes on Instagram, she swears by minimal contact when applying base products because it prevents them from becoming cakey. And it gives you a more natural finish.

If you’re not sure what we mean by a more “hygienic” application, check out our guide on How to clean makeup brushes to learn more.

FURTHER READING: How to use concealer on mature skin

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Glossier Boy Brow

£24 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: Boy Brow provides a light tint to brows and locks hairs into place, giving them an instantly fluffy appearance.

Its tiny brush makes Boy Brow effortless to apply and the creamy formula is almost invisible and doesn’t leave a crunchy residue that flakes off during the day.

With oleic acid, lecithin and atelocollagen, this product also works to moisturise brows, assisting with growth. It is available in four natural shades – following the latest addition of Boy Brow Auburn – as well as a clear formula.

Like the rest of the Boy Brow range, Boy Brow Auburn provides a light tint to red and auburn brows, locking hairs into place, making them looking fluffier and fuller.

Boy Brow costs £24 so is far from cheap, but a little goes a long way and it’s a tad easier to use than a regular pomade.

How to use: We like to brush on Boy Brow before using any other products to set the brows into place. Once they are set, you can see where any gaps are and can fill them in using your brow product of choice for a natural look that doesn’t appear over-drawn.

mamabella tip: We recently discovered some great makeup alternatives and this includes a cheap Glossier Boy Brow rival from e.l.f Wow Brow. Instead of paying £14, you can get an almost identical product for £4.50. Read more in our makeup alternatives UK article.

FURTHER READING: How to do eyebrows

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Glossier mascara: Lash Slick

£14 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: While we all love long, thick lashes, heavy-duty mascaras can be irritating for everyday wear. Not to mention clumpy.

Glossier’s Lash Slick is the best mascara to be worn daily, providing lengthening without clumping.

Its formula is water-resistant, rather than waterproof, so it won’t run during the day, and this means an accidental rub of the eye won’t end in a makeup disaster.

And while you can’t go swimming wearing Lash Slick, the plus is that it’s not impossible to remove at the end of the day.

The formula is gentle on the eyes, making it perfect if you wear contact lenses or spend a lot of your day looking at a screen.

FURTHER READING: What is mascara made of?

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Perfecting Skin Tint

£15 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: The Perfecting Skin Tint provides natural coverage and a wash of colour that conceals redness without covering your skin.

The sheer formula won’t hide your freckles (not that they should be hidden anyway!), but it will brighten the natural appearance of your skin.

It also contains diamond powder which is said to be behind the fact this CC cream/foundation provides a soft-focus effect, minimising the appearance of pores. Meanwhile, glycerine works to provide gentle moisture throughout the day.

Perfecting Skin Tint comes in twelve shades to match the Stretch Concealer, so they blend together to improve the appearance of your natural skin.

How to use: We like to apply this product either with fingertips or a stippling brush for quick, easy-to-apply coverage for daily wear.

mamabella tip: As part of our wider makeup alternatives UK article, we recently discovered that The Ordinary’s Serum foundation is a great, cheap alternative to Glossier’s Skin Tint.

FURTHER READING: Best foundation brush

Buy now from Glossier

The best Glossier products: Skincare

Glossier doesn’t just sell makeup. It’s also got a great line of Glossier skincare.

FURTHER READING: How to layer your skincare: Knowing the best skincare order will help make the most of your products

︎ Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

£15 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: This creamy Glossier cleanser works to gently break down makeup, dirt and pollution, leaving your face feeling soft and clean.

Its gel formula is soap-free, so it won’t leave your skin feeling tight like gel foaming cleansers often do, and this makes it suitable for all skin types, even if you’re dry.

It’s made from the same cleansing agents that you can find in contact lens solution, making it gentle for use on the eyes and effective at removing even stubborn mascara.

More recently, Glossier launched a new cleanser to its skincare line-up called Cleanser Concentrate. This foaming, clarifying face wash is like the Milky Jelly Cleanser but is more concentrated. In fact, it cleanses, exfoliates and re-energises your skin.

Despite its colour, and description, it’s not harsh. It uses gentle exfoliators, including grape ferment, grape extract, lactic acid, and malic acid, with niacinamide to help refine pores

The Glossier Cleanser Concentrate costs £18 for 100ml and is available now.

How to use: We recommend using this product alone in the morning or after an oil-based makeup remover or cleanser in the evening to remove any residue of makeup, dirt or pollution.

FURTHER READING: Best cleanser

Buy Milky Jelly from Glossier | Buy Concentrate now from Glossier

︎ Glossier Universal Pro-Retinol

£10 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Glossier recently entered the world of retinoids with the launch of its first anti-ageing, retinol serum called Universal Pro-Retinol.

It’s formulated with 0.5% pro-retinol made using Retinyl Sunflowerate. This is a hybrid of pure retinol and sunflower seed fatty acids designed in such a way that gives you the benefits of a retinoid without all the typical side effects, including dryness and irritation. You can learn more about these in our What is retinol and what does retinol do for your skin? guide.

These side effects are one of the reasons why retinol products are not recommended for people with sensitive skin and experts have been trying to find various ways around this using different combinations.

Avon famously makes Protinol, found in its Avon Plumping Shots, meanwhile, The Inkey List (and other brands) have started selling Bakuchiol as a plant-based retinol alternative. You can read more in our Plumping Shots reviews, and our skincare ingredient checker guide.

Other ingredients include Stevia Leaf Extract to help smooth out the look of skin, as well as plant-based humectants including glycerin and Mondo Grass Root Extract to make it easier for all skin types to manage.

According to the brand’s clinical trials, after 4 weeks of use “100% of testers said their skin looked and felt renewed, smoother, softer, more radiant, and visibly transformed.”

Buy Universal Pro-Retinol from Glossier

︎ Glossier lip balm: Balm Dot Com

£10 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: As one of Glossier’s bestselling products, Balm Dot Com is a great all-rounder that can be used on your lips or to relieve dry skin on your hands, elbows, feet or anywhere it’s needed. It’s great for cracked cuticles too.

Following a recent relaunch, the balm is now made with vegan moisturisers including synthetic beeswax, Castor Jelly and a plant-based, emollient blend and comes in eight flavours.

These include Wild Fig, Rose, Birthday (vanilla), Coconut, Lavender, Mint, Mango and Berry. Wild Fig is back as part of the reformulation launch but sadly Glossier has got rid of the Cherry flavour. Mint and Coconut, as well as a fragrance-free Original, go on clear while the others have a sheer tint.

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Glossier Solution

£19 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: Glossier’s Solution is the brand’s offering to provide gentle chemical exfoliation without irritation, improving the appearance of skin texture and improving radiance.

It contains AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) and PHAs (polyhydroxy acids) which work to clear dirt and excess oils from both the surface of your skin, and deeper into your pores, working to reduce blemishes and blackheads and soothe redness.

Its gentle formula makes it suitable for even dry skin, although we don’t recommend using chemical exfoliants if you suffer from any skin conditions such as rosacea or eczema.

How to use: Use Solution once every other evening either with your fingertips or on a cotton pad. Make sure to use SPF in the morning!

FURTHER READING: The truth about the acids in your skincare

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Super Bounce Serum

£24 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: This is our personal favourite from Glossier’s range of serums and is perfect for everyday use.

Super Bounce serum contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to hydrate every layer of the skin without leaving the skin sticky, making it perfect for under makeup.

See our science of moisturiser article or our What is hyaluronic acid guide? for more info.

Its soothing and hydrating formula is also great for dehydrated and dry skin, instantly restoring your skin’s natural radiance. You can read more about how serums work in our guide to the science of serums.

How to use: Use Super Bounce morning and evening after cleansing and follow with a moisturiser. Alternatively, use whenever your skin looks a bit lacklustre and needs a boost of hydration.

FURTHER READING: Best face serum

Buy now from Glossier

︎ Priming Moisturiser Rich

£29 | Buy now from Glossier

Glossier

Why we love it: Don’t let the “rich” in the name put you off – this Priming Moisturiser is perfect for even oily skin, melting instantly into the skin to provide intense hydration. Ceramides and fatty acids work to restore your skin’s natural moisture and give long-lasting results.

The Priming Moisturiser Rich also contains an Anti-Redness Complex to combat irritation and redness, as well as an Oxygenating Agent that improves the texture of the skin. You can read more about how moisturiser works in our science of moisturiser guide.

If you’d rather have a lighter formula, Glossier also sells the original Priming Moisturiser as well as the gel -based Priming Moisturiser Balance version that’s well-suited to oily and acne-prone skin.

How to use: We love using this product as a base for makeup to soothe and moisturise the skin, but it also works perfectly to provide intense hydration overnight when applied in the evening. Use after cleansing and applying any thinner-consistency serums or oils.

We also highly recommend putting this moisturiser in the fridge before use – check out our best skincare fridge guide for more info – because the consistency and texture feel amazing on the skin when it’s cold.

FURTHER READING: Best moisturiser

Buy now from Glossier

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Glossier UK: The best Glossier products from across its makeup and skincare range appeared first on mamabella.

Spotlight on Benefit: The OG brow makeup brand

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 07:00:40 +0000

Benefit

UPDATE: The Benefit Advent Calendar 2023 has officially been revealed!

You can see the full list of what’s inside the 2023 Benefit calendar here, but it’s a 24-day calendar full of Benefit bestsellers and new products. This includes bronzers, blusher, POREfessional skincare, and more.

The calendar costs £145 but is worth £281 and it’s due to go on sale on 30 August. The waitlist is not currently open but we’ll update this page as soon as the link goes live, or you can follow our best beauty advent calendar 2023 guide to get all the latest information.

Or keep reading to discover the best Benefit products and why we love the brand so much.

Original Benefit Cosmetics Brand Spotlight continues below

An OG makeup brand, Benefit Cosmetics has been a cult-favourite since 1976. Founded in San Francisco, it is part of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) conglomerate and is sold at more than 2,000 counters in over 30 countries. It’s one of our favourite cheap makeup brands and, as a result, it’s the latest to feature in our Brand Spotlight series.

Over the coming weeks and months, we’re shining a light on brands that represent and align with what we stand for at mamabella – brands that offer great products at low prices; brands which champion inclusivity and diversity; clean, sustainable and ethical beauty brands, and brands that are challenging the beauty industry hierarchy.

We’ve previously taken a look at The Ordinary and Carbon Theory, both affordable but science-led skincare brands offering fantastic products. Elsewhere, we’ve taken a look at makeup brands Revolution,NYX, and Sleek MakeUP.

Benefit Cosmetics: A brief history

Benefit

Formed by twins, Jean and Jane Ford, the pair’s initial business plan was to “make $33 per day to break even” and they set up the Face Place, a tiny original makeup shop in San Francisco’s Mission District. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the face place was renamed Benefit Cosmetics and the brand opened its first Benefit counter at Henri Bendel in New York, followed by one at Harrods in London.

Just two years later, Benefit Cosmetics was bought by LVMH – the world’s leading luxury products group headquartered in Paris and expanded to 2,000 counters in 30 countries.

Such is Benefit’s brow legacy, the brand is in the Guinness World Record Books for the most eyebrow waxes in eight hours by a team, achieved in 2012. There has been some confusion and controversy around whether Benefit is cruelty-free or not and we’ve explained more at the bottom of this article.

Why we love Benefit

Benefit’s prices put it at the top end of what we would deem to be cheap makeup, but it warrants inclusion for a number of reasons.

Benefit led the eyebrow game before anyone else started playing. It’s now renowned for its multiple brow bars in various department stores and boutiques, specialising in shaping customers’ brows and giving them the signature Benefit treatment, and it has helped us learn more about how to do eyebrows and which products to use.

Beyond its brow products, it’s known for its fantastic bronzing and mascara products, we remember it being the first ‘serious’ makeup brand we fully got into. Years down the line there are still products in the range that we still can’t live without.

FURTHER READING: We put every Benefit mascara to the test to discover which is best

Best Benefit makeup

1. Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

£22.50 | Buy now from Benefit

Benefit

https://fave.co/3Ybj0fW

Why we love it: As we’ve explained, Benefit has become a leader in brows and this eyebrow gel explains why. It’s the easy, on-the-go solution to fixing your brows; giving them the right amount of pigment and volume. The brow gel is tinted and is perfect for both slicking those brows back and giving them texture and definition. We would recommend you have one of these in your bag at all times – it will always come in handy, we promise you.

FURTHER READING: How to do eyebrows: A quick, easy way to draw and fill in eyebrows like the pros

Buy now from Benefit

2. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

£22.50 | Buy now from Benefit

Benefit

Why we love it: We recently spent a month putting every Benefit mascara to the test to finally determine which is the best and there was a hands-down winner – Roller Lash. As our writer Laura said in her Benefit mascara review: “Having tried everything from lash extensions to lash lifts, falsies and curlers, plus well over 100 mascaras in our time, this is hands-down the best mascara we’ve used. Not just the best Benefit mascara, but the best mascara. Period.” Roller Lash features a plastic curved wand that is easy to get right down to the roots and you only really need one coat, which also makes it a huge time-saver.

FURTHER READING: Best Benefit mascara

Buy now from Lookfantastic

3. Precisely My Brow Eyebrow Pencil

£22.50 | Buy now from Benefit

Benefit

Why we love it: Yes, yes, we know. Another brow product. But if we’re listing two brow products, then surely this confirms Benefit’s position as a brow connoisseur? This pencil offers a precise and natural-looking effect to add to your brows, creating hair-like strokes. Smudge-proof for up to 12 hours and with a twist-up pencil so no sharpening is required. This is the perfect product for anyone wanting to create that blendable colour – start with a few fine strokes and then build up to thicker, bold ones.

In July, Benefit released a couple of new brow products to go alongside the Precisely, My Brow Pencil. They’re called the Goof Proof Brow Powder, the Hubba Brow serum, and the Whoa So Soft Brow Oil.

The Good Proof brow powder costs £19.50 and comes in 10 shades, ranging from Cool Light Blonde to Cool Soft Black, and it’s designed to help your eyebrows look fuller. The Hubba Brow serum costs £58 (!) and promises to improve the appearance of brow volume in four weeks, to leave them looking “fuller, healthier, natural, and nourished.” While the Whoa So Soft Brow Oil costs £24.50 and has been formulated to nourish and soften your brow hairs to leave them looking shiny and healthy.

FURTHER READING: How to get thicker eyebrows

Buy now from Benefit

4. Hoola Matte Bronzer

£27 | Buy now from Benefit

Benefit

Why we love it: The award-winning bronzer from Benefit, this box of goodness was included in top bronzer lists in Vogue, InStyle and Nylon magazines. It now comes in a variety of shades too – Lite, Caramel and Toasted are additions to the original product and all share the same soft and blendable formula. Offering a matte finish, are you beginning to understand why this is also the number one selling Prestige bronzer in the UK? Sweep a spot of sunshine and colour onto your cheeks, creating warmth and definition all in one.

FURTHER READING: Best bronzer: Our fave bronzing products to give you that golden glow

Buy now from Benefit

5. Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer

£19.50 | Buy now from Benefit

Benefit

Why we love it: A seriously underrated product, in our humble opinion. While there are so many cosmetics brands killing it in the concealer department right now, we don’t think we should forget that Benefit is among them. This full-coverage concealer is music to my ears as it successfully hides the dark circles under my eyes – as well as covering any blemishes that have decided to make an appearance. Our favourite of the ‘Boi-ing’ concealer range, this one delivers a smooth and seamless coverage for up to 24 hours and is waterproof too.

FURTHER READING: Best concealer: Discover which concealer is best for your skin

Buy now from Benefit

6. POREfessional setting spray

From £12.50 | Buy now from Benefit

Benefit

Called The POREfessional: Super Setter, the Benefit setting spray has a microfine mist that promises to lock makeup in place while also blurring your pores. It forms part of the wider POREfessional range, which includes a primer and “rescue gel.” The primer comes in three variants – the standard version, a hydrating version and one with pearl pigments designed to give your skin a natural glow.

It’s currently on sale for £12, for the smaller 30ml version, or you can get a 120ml version for £26. This latter price puts the Benefit POREfessional in the same price range as Urban Decay and Charlotte Tilbury’s own sprays.

FURTHER READING: Setting spray 101: What is setting spray and what does it actually do?

Buy now from Benefit

Benefit Pore Care skincare

Benefit

In March, Benefit took its first proper foray into skincare with the launch of its Pore Care range.

As an extension of the Porefessional range of primers, every product in the Pore Core range promises to clear your pores and reduce their appearance. We should note that it’s not actually possible to shrink your pores; they’re determined by your genetics (read more here). However, you can reduce their appearance by keeping them clear.

The range includes masks, cleansers, toners and moisturisers with prices starting at £13.50 up to £35. We’re going to be putting these products to the test as part of our large-scale skincare group test and we’ll update this page when we have a more informed opinion of the product line.

If you’re keen to try them yourselves in the meantime, click the link below.

Buy now from Boots

Is Benefit cruelty-free?

We’re big believers in championing vegan and cruelty-free makeup and skincare but it would be remiss for us not to address the somewhat controversy linked to Benefit products.

It’s proud to not test its products on animals, and the brand is committed to eliminating the testing of cosmetics products on animals and is outspoken about how misleading cruelty-free certifications are. However, Benefit has come under scrutiny because it sells products in China. While LVMH products themselves are not tested on animals and haven’t been since 1989, once these products are imported to China, the Chinese authorities do test them on animals.

This is why Benefit refuses to claim to be cruelty-free, because it would not be “transparent or honest”, but its takes protecting animals seriously and supports the Fund for Alternatives to Animal Testing in the United States. It’s also an active participant in validation studies of new alternative tests in the framework of the European cosmetics association, Cosmetics Europe. It’s also one of the few companies to have its own internal department to test raw materials and ingredients to ensure the quality of its products.

Of course, it could just stop selling in China and be done with the whole thing but until it does that, we’re satisfied they’re doing everything else to live up to cruelty-free standards.

FURTHER READING: Vegan beauty products: The best affordable vegan makeup and skincare brands in the UK

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Victoria Woollaston-Webber

Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget

The post Spotlight on Benefit: The OG brow makeup brand appeared first on mamabella.

Spotlight on Nimya UK: Where to buy the skincare and makeup line from NikkieTutorials in the UK

Katherine O'Shea — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:00:02 +0000

Nimya is the beauty line from one of the original makeup influencers, NikkieTutorials. Here’s how to buy her Nimya range in the UK

UPDATE: Nimya UK is now available at Beauty Bay.

Having originally only been available at SpaceNK, the makeup and skincare line from NikkieTutorials is now on sale alongside Beauty Bay’s own makeup range, as well as a number of other US-based cult brands, including Bubble.

This includes a number of exclusive bundles. We immediately bought the Ace Your Base Bundle which includes

Where It All Starts Cream: A moisturiser, primer and gentle exfoliator in one, with glycerin, honey and lactic acid.
Brrr Brrr Cooling Eye Stick: A depuffing eye stick that contains caffeine, green tea extract, xylitol and olive squalane to get rid of puffiness, redness and pigmentation.
Blow Before You Go Fan: A handheld fan that dries layers of makeup and skincare quickly.

This bundle costs £57, but you can also buy the individual products on their own.

Explore the rest of the Nimya UK range at Beauty Bay here, or by clicking the links below.

Original Nimya UK article continues below

If you’re a beauty junkie, you’ll know all about NikkieTutorials, aka Nikkie de Jager.

She’s an OG of the makeup tutorial world and has made up the likes of Drew Barrymore and Lady Gaga on her YouTube channel. After making her name using cosmetics from established brands, Nikkie recently launched a brand of her own – a cosmetic and skincare range called Nimya.

You won’t find lipstick, contouring powder, or even foundation in Nikkie’s makeup range. The influencer said at the launch of Nimya that her “biggest insecurity is predictability” which meant starting with the standard makeup products would be, in her own words, “would have been boring.”

Nikkie’s products are directly influenced by her tutorials. She’s known for her iconic one-liners like, ‘blow before you go’ and, ‘set it and forget it,’ which are now the namesakes of two of her products.

In a nod to her fans, who she affectionately calls, ‘her glow babies’ there’s also the product title, Licence to Glow Serum.

Shop Nimya at SpaceNK

Nimya UK: A brief history

It took Nikkie years to get comfortable with producing her own cosmetics brand, mainly because she didn’t trust a big investor getting involved. She set out to make a “boundary-breaking” cosmetic range that was true to Nikkie’s style and personality, and not affected by outside sources.

Nikkie started by listing the products she felt were missing from her own beauty routine. As well as filling the gaps in the market. She effectively wanted to improve on what existing brands and products were already doing.

There is one product that didn’t meet the launch deadline and Nikkie has said that this proves she’ll only release a product when it’s truly ready and perfect. She also said (tongue in cheek in reference to her own recent coming out of being transgender), “we don’t force anyone to come out. They come out when they’re ready.”

We’ll update this page when that product is finally launched.

Shop Nimya at SpaceNK

︎ Why we love Nimya UK

The best thing about the Nimya range is that the products are so true to Nikkie’s own personality, beauty style and makeup tutorials, for which she’s famous. There’s no denying that every product in the range has been designed with thought and love.

The brand is loud and bolshy, sexy and confident, full of creativity and the cosmetics really work. Nikkie says they enable you to, “express, identify and act as your true self. We live in a world full of labels, but with Nimya you get to create your own.”

We absolutely love the strong orange and blue colour she’s picked for the brand (which you might have seen sneaky previews of in earlier tutorials). We think it reflects Nikkie’s bold and fun style to a tee.

It really feels that she has made Nimya especially for us. Nikkie said, “I want you to feel how we feel. Share love, compassion, confidence, sexiness. We just want you to feel your best you.”

Shop Nimya at SpaceNK

Best Nimya UK products

Nimya Brrr Brrr Cooling Eye Stick – £19
Nimya Where It All Starts Cream – £26
Nimya Licence to Glow Serum – £32
Nimya Set It and Forget It Spray – £22
Nimya Blow Before You Go Portable Fan – £13
Hello Nimya Bundle: £99 (worth £112)

︎ Nimya Brr Brr Cooling Eye Stick

£19 | Buy now

Nimya by NikkieTutorials

This is a great beauty product for both men and women. If you have skin that’s dry and flaky under your eyes, or you just need a refreshing feeling for your skin, this cooling stick is for you. Nikkie says it, “gives a cooling sensation that wakes you up.”

It’s also great under-eye primer for your makeup. If you watch Nikkie de Jager’s tutorials, you’ll know that priming is of the utmost importance to her!

If you really want to maximise the results of this cooling stick, pop it in the fridge and it’ll feel even more refreshing on your skin. It can also be good if you suffer from hayfever.

To use the cooling stick, twist the tube and a clear gel comes to the top. You then sweep from the outer to inner corners of your eyes on both upper and lower lids.

FURTHER READING: Best eye cream for dark circles, wrinkles, fine lines and bags

Buy now from SpaceNK

︎ Nimya Where it All Starts Cream

£26 | Buy now

Nimya by NikkieTutorials

One of Nikkie’s most iconic lines is, ‘not to prime is a crime,’ so of course, a primer had to be part of Nikkie’s Nimya UK range.

This is a moisturiser and primer hybrid and one that Nikkie is hugely proud of. In her online tutorials, Nikkie typically combines up to four primers to achieve the base she wants for her makeup. To solve that problem she created a cream that does it all.

The Where It All Starts Cream moisturises your skin, gets rid of dry patches and provides you with the grip you need for your makeup to stay put all day. When you’re going to put all that effort into getting your makeup right, you don’t want it to go droopy as the day goes on.

Nikkie said this cream is, “like a magnet. It sticks together and doesn’t let go until you decide to take it off.”

The Nimya cream has a marshmallow-type texture, making it very airy and soft. It comes in a big jar, so you get a lot of product for your money, plus you don’t need to apply much each time, so it should last even longer.

The cream is only lightly fragranced (so as not to irritate your skin) with Nikkie’s own design of fragrance. She describes it as a “sweet mix of mysterious and sexy.”

FURTHER READING: mamabella’s miracles: Save time and money with these multi-purpose makeup, skincare and hair products

Buy now from SpaceNK

︎ Nimya Licence to Glow Serum

£32 | Buy now

Nimya by NikkieTutorials

The next, ‘little love baby’ in the Nimya UK range is the Licence To Glow Serum. It not only makes your skin glow but it’s really good for it too. That’s partly down to the ingredient Marula Oil which hydrates and reduces redness – an issue Nikkie herself says is the bane of her life.

Apply this serum to your face before you put anything else on, including your moisturiser. It can also be used as a glowy primer to go on before you apply your makeup. A top tip from Nikkie is to add a couple of drops of the Licence To Glow Serum to your matte foundation to give you a glowy look.

It’s slightly more expensive than other serums on the market, but that’s down to it using better ingredients and the fact it contains less alcohol.

What we love and find really captivating is its striking blue colour, which really goes well with the brand’s image. You also get this little window down the whole side of the bottle, so you can easily see how much you have left.

FURTHER READING: The science of serums: What is serum and what does serum do?

Buy now from SpaceNK

︎ Nimya Set and Forget It Setting Spray

£22 | Buy now

Nimya by NikkieTutorials

There are a *lot* of setting sprays on the market, but the Nimya Set It and Forget It Spray is loaded with even more PVP – the ingredient that makes makeup last and stay in one place. It essentially creates a layer over your makeup to keep it looking fresh.

You can mix this setting spray with your foundation, or add it to your brush or makeup sponge to help improve the durability of your powder products.

Like with the Where It All Starts Cream, this Nimya setting spray has Nikkie’s signature scent added to it and it smells gorgeous!

The spray bottle is of course in Nikkie’s blue and orange vibrant brand colours and her tip is to push the spray trigger all the way down in slow pumps each time. That way you get the right coverage over your makeup. “This is your perfect soul mate when it comes to keeping your makeup on,” she adds.

FURTHER READING: Best setting spray: Lock in your look with the best makeup setting sprays from Urban Decay, e.l.f and MAC

Buy now from SpaceNK

︎ Blow Before You Go Portable Fan

£13 | Buy now

Nimya by NikkieTutorials

This is a small but powerful fan that is your “perfect companion in life,” says Nikkie. Of course, even the cable is orange to match the gorgeous, punchy Nimya brand colours.

This fan is perfect for setting your makeup and helping to freeze it in place. It’s best used along with the Set It and Forget It Spray because they work towards the same goal.

It has three different speeds, a little stand so that it can easily be placed anywhere (whether that be your makeup table, desk or bathroom shelf) and it’s really easy to use by just pressing the button on the front to change the setting.

This cooling fan may have been designed to help set your makeup, but it’s a really handy little device to use throughout the day and is portable because it’s battery operated.

FURTHER READING: Best setting powder: Set your makeup with the best powders for oily and dry skin from Laura Mercier to e.l.f

Buy now from SpaceNK

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Katherine O'Shea

Kat is a freelance journalist, photographer, and the founder of Simply Gender Free – a company dedicated to smashing gender stereotypes in kids’ products. As a mum of two, Kat is passionate about making the world a better place for the next generation

The post Spotlight on Nimya UK: Where to buy the skincare and makeup line from NikkieTutorials in the UK appeared first on mamabella.

Beauty Pie UK: What is Beauty Pie and how does it work?

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Sun, 21 May 2023 11:00:17 +0000

In our Beauty Pie UK spotlight, we explain everything you need to know about the beauty buyer’s club membership

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Click the links below to jump to the relevant section:

Beauty Pie UK: A history

How does Beauty Pie work UK?

Beauty Pie membership cost UK

How to cancel Beauty Pie UK

Beauty Pie has taken the industry by storm in recent years.

Founded by Marcia Kilgore as a way of giving people access to premium makeup and skincare at a reduced price, the site is officially known as a “beauty buyer’s club” and it cuts out the middlemen to offer makeup, skincare, haircare, and candles at cost price.

It does this by ordering high-quality products in bulk, direct from the manufacturer. Yet instead of adding a significant markup, it ships them straight to its warehouse and sells them at cost price.

Beauty Pie members, who pay a monthly fee to join the “club” can then buy these products for a reduced fee, compared to what such products would sell for in-stores and via third-party retailers.

Below we explain how Beauty Pie UK works, how much it costs, how to cancel Beauty Pie UK memberships, and more. You can then see decided if Beauty Pie is worth it by reading our Beauty Pie reviews UK page.

FURTHER READING: Best cheap makeup alternatives to Charlotte Tilbury, NARS, Huda Beauty and more that are just as good

Sign up to Beauty Pie

Beauty Pie UK: A Brief History

Beauty Pie

The idea for Beauty Pie UK came to Kilgore – who has more than 25 years of experience in the industry – one afternoon following a visit to a beauty manufacturing region in Italy, known as ‘Lipstick Valley’. She explains that she had “about $5,000 – ‘street value’- of cosmetic and skincare product samples from all the best labs and third-party manufacturers” in her shoulder bag and suitcase, and they had cost her nothing.

This made her think that there must be a way to get such products into the hands of everyday people. And the idea for Beauty Pie was born.

“I thought ‘I bet a lot of women would love to come on these trips with me and have this kind of access,’ even if it meant putting some noses in the industry out of joint. But then even better would be thousands of lab-direct items in a warehouse that women could shop online.”

Sign up to Beauty Pie

How does Beauty Pie work?

The brand’s sourcing teams work directly with suppliers in Japan, Italy, France, and beyond. This includes the manufacturers of high-performance haircare, luxurious body care, scented candles, deluxe fragrances, supplements, and much more.

Beauty Pie UK buys them in, and its members can shop “as if they’re sneaking in the warehouse of every one of those labs before the crazy industry markups are added to the products.” Put more simply, you get access to them before they have all the marketing, markups, and branding costs added on.

Beauty Pie claims that such additions can cause beauty products to cost TEN TIMES more than what they really cost to make and on the Beauty Pie site, you’ll see what the brand called Typical Prices. These give you an idea of how much the items would cost if you bought them outside of Beauty Pie, while also showcasing how much of a saving it offers.

Beauty Pie membership cost UK

mamabella | mamabella

To become a Beauty Pie member, you need to pay a membership fee, and this membership structure was recently revamped.

Instead of offering multiple membership levels, you can now choose between:

Beauty Pie monthly membership: £10 a month/charged monthly

Beauty Pie Plus annual membership: £59 a year (the equivalent to £4.95 a month)

Both memberships come with a 14-day cooling-off period. This means that at any time in the first two weeks, you can cancel your membership free of charge (and get a refund for any membership you’ve paid). As long as you haven’t bought anything.

Beauty Pie monthly membership UK

For £10 a month, you get access to the full Beauty Pie collection at up to 70% off Typical Prices and your membership will automatically renew unless you cancel. This membership comes with free skincare consultations.

Beauty Pie Plus annual membership UK

Alternatively, for £59 you can get an annual Beauty Pie Plus membership, which works out less than £5 a month. This annual membership also comes with full access to the Beauty Pie collection at up to 70% off Typical Prices. You get free skincare consultations, as well as exclusive access to Beauty Pie Insider launches before anyone else.

Non-member prices

You can alternatively buy the products at full price without signing up for a membership. This is particularly good if you want to give Beauty Pie products a go before committing to a three-month subscription.

FURTHER READING: The best cheap skincare alternatives to La Mer, Estée Lauder and more

Sign up to Beauty Pie Plus

How to cancel Beauty Pie UK

Beauty Pie

If you’re looking for how to cancel Beauty Pie UK memberships, you can either submit your cancellation here, or you can email customer services directly.

If you’re using the Beauty Pie Cancellation form, you need to allow at least 72 hours before your next renewal to make sure Beauty Pie has enough time to process your request, and to make sure you don’t get charged an extra month.

Click here to cancel Beauty Pie

The cancellation policy is then as follows:

How to cancel Beauty Pie UK Annual Memberships: If you’re on a yearly membership, and you’re outside of the 14-day cooling-off period, Beauty Pie will cancel your auto-renewal at any time, no further membership payments will be taken and your membership will expire at the end of its current term.

How to cancel Beauty Pie UK Monthly Memberships: If you’re outside of the 14-day cooling-off period, you can still cancel your monthly membership at any time you will still be able to cancel your membership at any time, however, you will not be refunded your membership fee.

If you want to cancel Beauty Pie UK with the customer services team, you can email: customer.service@beautypie.com. Make sure you include your full name, the email address linked to your account, and your postcode.

You can also cancel your Beauty Pie membership over the phone by calling 0808 164 8264. Be aware that standard local call charges will apply if you ring this number, so email may be the cheaper route. In our experience, the team gets back to you pretty quickly.

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Spotlight on The Inkey List: Affordable skincare and hair care that does as it promises

Phee Waterfield — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 10:12:18 +0000

UPDATE: The Inkey List recently announced it would be raising its prices in the wake of the pandemic, rising inflation, and due to the increasing price of materials.

In a blog post, its founders explained that its products will always remain accessible, at fair prices and that the price changes will be “kept to a minimum”. From looking at the site, these price increases range from £1 to £3.50. The Inkey List Retinol has risen from £9.99 to £10.99, as one example.

That said, a number of products are also staying the same price.

These include the Caffeine Eye Cream, Omega Water Cream, and its SuperSolutions range. The new prices went live on 1 January on The Inkey List website but you may be able to get the products at lower prices from third-party retailers.

The original The Inkey List Spotlight continues below

Often, when we’re faced with purchasing different products for our skin and hair, it’s hard not to get confused by all the many and varied ingredients listed on packaging.

Thankfully, there’s a major movement within the beauty industry to change this and one of the brands at the heart of this movement is The Inkey List. We use multiple The Inkey List products on the daily – and can’t live without them – so it made sense for this brand to be the latest to feature in our Brand Spotlight series. It also features on our best skincare brands list.

Over the coming weeks and months, we’re going to be shining a light on brands that represent and align with what we stand for at mamabella– brands that offer great products at low prices; brands which champion inclusivity and diversity; clean, sustainable, and ethical beauty brands, and brands that are challenging the beauty industry hierarchy.

We’ve previously profiled The Ordinary, another fantastic and affordable brand doing amazing work in the science of skincare, as well as Carbon Theory – the must-have skincare brand if you have spots, among others. Read all of our Brand Spotlight guides here.

Shop now at Cult Beauty

The Inkey List: A Brief History

The Inkey List

The beauty brand was founded by Colette Laxton and Mark Curry in 2018 and was born from a belief that better knowledge powers better decisions. This was based on the confusion created by beauty and skincare companies, but also because people are curious and “want to understand more about their skin”, enabling them to make the right decisions.

This aligns almost perfectly with what we at mamabella are striving to do; to breakdown the science involved, and cut through the bullshit surrounding skincare and beauty products generally.

In just a short period of time, The Inkey List has transformed what it means to be a beauty and skincare brand today, with digital and online services making it even easier to get products that are just right for you. It even has a live chat tool called #askInkey where you can get personalised skincare advice at any time of the day, direct from experts.

Shop now at Cult Beauty

Why we love The Inkey List

Where do we begin? The Inkey List has a range of products and services that makes it one of the most innovative beauty brands out there.

On its website, customers can benefit from its Recipe Builder—where people can put in what they’re looking for in skin care products—or can get advice directly from the company’s digital skincare specialists or via the #askINKEY.

Its range of skincare – and hair products – also target a variety of problems customers face such as wrinkles and fine lines, redness, dryness, hair loss, grey hair and many more.

The price tags are also not unreasonable. When we put our requirements into the Recipe Builder, we were given an entire skincare routine that would cost us around £50. You can also tailor the recipe based on your budget and requirements – maybe you only need a cleanser and eye cream for example. A concentrated hair treatment that promises to reverse grey hair, meanwhile, costs just £15.

The last thing to love about the brand is its simple packaging. There’s something striking about it; compared to other skincare and hair products, The Inkey List’s selection is black and white, which makes it stand out amongst the crowd.

FURTHER READING: The Ordinary and The Inkey List launch free online skincare consultations

Shop now at Cult Beauty

The best Inkey List products

For removing makeup: The Inkey List Oil and Water Double Cleanser — £10 | Buy now
For wrinkles and fine lines: Retinol – £10.99 | Buy now
For rough skin: Apple Cider and Vinegar Peel — £14.99 | Buy now
For dull skin: 15% Vitamin C+ EGF Serum — £15.99 | Buy now
For plumper and firmer skin: Collagen Booster — £9.99 | Buy now
For acne and blemishes: Succinic Acid Blemish Treatment– £7.99 | Buy now
For redness: Redness Relief Solution – £15.99 | Buy now

The Inkey List recently released a host of new products to brighten and clear your skin. Like the rest of its range, each of these new Inkey List products is super affordable and highly effective. We haven’t added them to the list below (yet) because we want to put them to the test properly but the details of each are as follows:

Fulvic Acid Brightening Cleanser: This gentle cleanser contains 0.5% Nordic Beauty Peat – high in fulvic acid – to exfoliate the skin; 1.5% kakadu plum extract with Vitamin C; 1% liquorice root to get rid of hyperpigmentation, and 0.5% aloe vera to soothe and calm your skin
Symbright Moisturiser: A day and night cream that uses fermented clary sage to brighten and consolidate skin tone, 2% kakadu plum extract and 1% red algae complex to hydrate the skin

1. The Inkey List Oil and Water Double Cleanser

£10 | Buy now

The Inkey List

Who’s it for? Anyone who needs a good skin cleanse without causing dryness.

Why we love it: This one-step double cleanser uses Sea Buckthorn and Sweet Almond Oil to cleanse the skin as well as remove makeup. It also includes Panthenol, which restores skin moisture levels.

How to use it: Shake well and apply to the face with a cotton pad.

FURTHER READING: Best cleanser: Discover which face cleanser best suits your skin from oily to dry and acne-prone

Buy now from Cult Beauty

2. The Inkey List Retinol

£10.99 | Buy now

The Inkey List

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants to finish off their fine lines and rid themselves of uneven skin tones.

Why we love it: Retinol is trending everywhere and for good reason—it helps massively in targeting the signs of aging. Derived from Vitamin A, this serum reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, with the bonus of less risk of irritation. If that wasn’t enough, it also boosts overall skin clarity and uneven skin tone. You can read more about the benefits of Vitamin A in our guide to the acids in your skincare.

How to use it: Use it as part of your nighttime skincare routine only. Following cleansing and applying hyaluronic acid, apply a pea-sized amount of the product to your hand and massage it into the face and neck. See our science of moisturiser article or our What is hyaluronic acid guide? for more info.

The Inkey List recommends starting off using this product two to three times a week, increasing gradually if the skin can tolerate it. A moisturiser or oil can be applied afterward.

FURTHER READING: What is retinol and what does retinol do for your skin?

Buy now

3. The Inkey List Apple Cider and Vinegar Peel

£14.99 | Buy now

The Inkey List

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants glowing, smooth skin.

Why we love it: With a tagline like “glow in 10 minutes”, what is there not to love? This peel is meant for multi-level exfoliation and while it’s effective, it’s also non-irritating.

According to The Inkey List, apple cider vinegar helps reduce redness and brighten the skin, while also minimising the appearance of pores and marks from blemishes. It also reduces breakouts and is a great cleanser for your hair.

How to use it: Use it in the evening, once a week. You can increase use to twice a week if you think your skin can take it, but The Inkey List warns not to over-exfoliate. You can usually tell if you’re over-exfoliating if you have a particularly shiny forehead. Apply a thin layer to dampened cleansed skin and leave for 10 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Pat your face dry and continue as normal with your serums and moisturiser.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

4. The Inkey List 15% Vitamin C+ EGF Serum

£14.99 | Buy now

The Inkey List

Who’s it for? Anyone looking to tackle dull skin.

Why we love it: Used any time of the day, this product helps those looking to rid themselves of dull, lifeless skin. The Vitamin C, combined with plant-derived EGF, aids with skin regeneration, the support of producing natural collagen and elastin, and creates an even-looking complexion.

How to use it: This product is gentle enough for daily use and can be used either in the morning or evening. However, The Inkey List advises only using once and in the morning.

After cleansing the skin, apply a pea-sized amount of serum to the face and neck. Wait 10 minutes before applying a moisturiser. This gives the skin cells enough time to respond to the EGF and won’t affect the cell rejuvenation process, according to The Inkey List.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

5. The Inkey List Collagen Booster

£9.99 | Buy now

The Inkey List

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants to have younger-looking skin.

Why we love it: Don’t worry – we don’t mean injecting collagen into your skin. This is a serum that includes Matrxyl 3000 peptide and Syn-Tacks Dual Peptide to boost the skin, mimicking the effect of what natural collagen would do. Skin appears plumper and firmer, as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

How to use it: After cleansing and toning, apply a pea-sized amount of serum into the hand and pat it into the face and neck. If you prefer, you can follow with other serums, moisturiser, and oils.

FURTHER READING: Best anti-ageing cream for targeting wrinkles and fine lines

Buy now from Cult Beauty

6. The Inkey List Succinic Acid Blemish Treatment

£7.99 | Buy now

The Inkey List

Who’s it for? Anyone with blemishes, spots and blackheads.

Why we love it: The latest product to join The Inkey List ranks is the Succinic Acid Blemish Treatment. Going against the grain of many acne and spot treatments, this The Inkey List treatment doesn’t dry out the skin, thanks to the addition of hyaluronic acid.

It works by gently exfoliating dead skin cells, through the use of 1% salicylic acid, while reducing excess oil without stripping skin thanks to 2% succinic acid. Succinic acid is a bio-based chemical that’s derived from corn. Then, 0.4% hyaluronic acid helps moisturise and plump the skin. Spots are cleared while the complexion stays soft, supple, and oil-free.

How to use it: You can apply this treatment all over your face because it’s gentle enough not to dry out areas not affected by blemishes. Or you can use it as a direct spot treatment.

FURTHER READING: How to get rid of spots fast with this failsafe makeup artist tip

Buy now from Cult Beauty

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Phee Waterfield

Sophia is an international journalist covering technology, healthcare, culture and lifestyle. Her words appear in outlets such as Newsweek, Forbes, Metro UK, New Scientist and more

mamabella.uk

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Thread review: How good is the online styling service that calls itself “Stitch Fix without the subscription?”

Victoria Woollaston-Webber — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 07:00:42 +0000

UPDATE: As of 30 November 2022, Thread is no longer trading. It has gone into administration with the IP being bought by M&S. We’re a little short on details beyond this but we will update this page as and when we know more.

If you’re looking for an alternative then we highly recommend Stitch Fix. It lacks some of the direct styling advice of Thread but instead, a stylist picks clothes for you and sends them monthly. This helps take the hassle out of shopping online and puts the onus on the experts to dress you. We love it and have been using it for years now.

You can read more about it in our Stitch Fix vs Lookiero guide, or you can start exploring the service by clicking here.

To get £15 off your first Stitch Fix box, sign up using this link: Stitch Fix Referral

Original Thread review continues below

We recently pitted two of the UK’s largest personal styling services together in our Stitch Fix vs Lookiero reviews, and this appears to have sent our targeted ads into a frenzy recommending all sorts of fashion apps and sites. Most are simple e-commerce shops but one ad did catch our eye, and that was for a service called Thread.

Thread calls itself “Stitch Fix without the subscription” and, as a result, offers some of the same features of other personal styling services, albeit with a slightly different spin.

With Thread, you still get a personal stylist, tailored advice, and suggestions in your size. However, you choose what and how many items you buy from Thread’s huge catalogue of 500 brands.

We’ve spent the past month putting Thread to the test and this is what we think. You can sign up via the link below, or you can get 20% off your first order over £75 using this link instead.

Sign up to Thread

Thread: How does it work?

Thread/Victoria Woollaston-Webber

When you first sign up to Thread, you fill in a style profile. This profile asks you questions about your height, budget, and the brands you like. You need to put in your measurements, but if you don’t know them you can manually change these at a later date.

From here, you are assigned a personal stylist who pulls together a selection of outfit choices and style recommendations. What’s more, you are given Style Tips that help you make more of your own informed choices. For us, Thread said that V-neck tops will suit us best, in deep plum and navy colours.

When you’re ready to browse and buy, only options that suit your style and that are in your size and within your budget are shown. Regardless of what category you choose. For example, if you’re looking for a blazer, only blazers that are in stock and which fit your measurements are shown in the search results.

There are 500 brands in the Thread stockist list, but Thread will prioritise brands that are similar to what you like. You can also filter based on how sustainable brands and items are.

After you’ve added everything to your basket, you can choose to pay upfront or pay via Klarna. If you choose the latter, you have 30 days to make your payment, allowing you enough time to try the clothes on and return any you don’t want before any money leaves your account. You then have an extended 100-day return period.

Thread reviews

Thread/Victoria Woollaston-Webber

On first glance, Thread and its wide array of outfit suggestions, styling tips, and recommendations are entirely overwhelming. One of the reasons why we love Stitch Fix so much is because it removes the hassle and confusion (and the price) of shopping online.

However, if you start off by ignoring what images the app is showing you, and instead concentrate on the styling tips, everything becomes a lot clearer. For instance, we have a fuller bust, so our Thread stylist Leanne suggested V-neck tops would look good on us. Because we have broad shoulders, it similarly suggests V-neck and scoop-neck tops.

Elsewhere, Leanne recommended wearing warm colours like stone and sand to complement our blonde hair, while our pale skin suits jewel tones: “vivid, gem-like colours like sapphire blue, teal and aubergine that are so rich and nuanced they can make basic clothes look higher quality.”

Purchasing

From here, you can shop by entire outfits, from the My Ideas tab, or from the general Shop tab. The great thing about any of these options, though, is that Thread will only show you clothes that in stock, in your size and within your budget. Many will also be shown with your body shape, type, or style in mind. This takes away so much hassle from clicking on items online only to find out they won’t fit, or they’re not available.

You then simply add your items to the Checkout and pay either via card, or via Klarna. We managed to add £389 to our basket, knowing full well it’s unlikely we’ll keep all of it, but because we know we have the 100-day return window, we felt more confident about giving things a go and being able to easily send them back.

With Klarna, by delaying the payment by 30 days, too, you can try everything on and return what you don’t like before any money has left your account. In this way, you save time and hassle with refunds.

Delivery

The biggest downside, so far, is that delivery takes AGES. We made our first order on the 12 April and we only got a notification that it had shipped on the 19th. This is disappointing as we a) weren’t told delivery times would be so long and b) had ordered items to arrive in time for Easter. Which they didn’t.

When they did arrive, they were extremely well packaged. Out of the eight items we selected, we kept four and returned four. Three didn’t fit but one we just didn’t like the look of when it was on.

Returns are incredibly easy. You get a choice of return options and we simply used the self-enclosed Royal Mail label. We took it to our local Post Office inside a One Stop and the box was returned for free. We haven’t had this return processed, yet but we’ll update this Thread review once we do.

Sign up to Thread

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Spotlight on Ameliorate: The saviour for rough, bumpy and textured skin

Katherine O'Shea — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 09:34:57 +0000

Ameliorate’s clinically backed skincare range is a saviour for anyone with rough, bumpy skin on their face and body

The Ameliorate brand was established specifically to create products and treatments for keratosis pilaris. Its mission is “to make better” and based on the clinical trials and public response thus far, it’s doing exactly as promised.

Since we launched, we’ve been shining a light on brands that offer great products without the BS; brands that champion inclusivity and diversity; clean, sustainable, and ethical beauty brands, and brands that are challenging the beauty industry hierarchy.

We’ve previously profiled The Ordinary, a fantastic brand doing amazing work in the science of skincare, as well as Tonik Skincare, Carbon Theory, and more and now it’s the turn of Ameliorate.

FURTHER READING: How to layer skincare: Knowing the best skincare order will help make the most of your products

Shop the Ameliorate range

Why we love Ameliorate

Ameliorate

All Ameliorate products are dermatologically approved and formulated by skin care experts to gently exfoliate and deeply moisturise skin, to give it a much softer and smoother texture.

It specialises in treating a condition called keratosis pilaris, also known as KP or “chicken skin” because it gently gets rid of rough, bumpy, and textured skin.

The fact that the Ameliorate products work so well has led to them becoming the number one brand in the UK for treating keratosis pilaris.

You may well have seen them on TikTok because the popularity of the products is soaring. They also have the backing of beauty expert and journalist Nadine Baggott who has recently become one of its brand ambassadors.

However, that doesn’t mean only people with KP will benefit from this. In short, if you want smoother skin, you need Ameliorate.

Shop the Ameliorate range

The best Ameliorate products

Ameliorate Smoothing Body Exfoliant – £10
Ameliorate Nourishing Body Wash – £19
Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion (Fragrance-Free) – £24
Ameliorate Transforming Body Spray – £19
Ameliorate Restorative Facial Mask – £22

︎ Ameliorate Smoothing Body Exfoliant

£10 | Buy now

Ameliorate

Why we love it: The Ameliorate Smoothing Body Exfoliant should be your first step when looking to treat keratosis pilaris, or just clear and smooth your skin.

It contains what’s known as alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that help make bumpy, rough chicken skin smoother because it chemically exfoliates above and below your skin’s surface.

Another exfoliant property in this Ameliorate product is the biodegradable bamboo granules, which help to remove dead skin cells and unblock your pores.

AHAs can make your skin more sensitive to the sun so make sure you don’t skip SPF on days you’re exfoliating.

Your skin will also feel smoother and look healthier because of the LaH6 skin hydration complex (unique to Ameliorate products), which helps get rid of dead skin cells and encourages new healthy cells to surface.

This particular Ameliorate product then contains coconut oil and shea and coco butters. These help to leave your skin hydrated for up to eight hours after application.

FURTHER READING: What is SPF and why is it so important?

Buy now from Ameliorate

︎ Ameliorate Nourishing Body Wash

£19 | Buy now

Ameliorate

Why we love it: The next step in your Ameliorate skincare routine is cleansing. Some body washes dry out your skin and that’s not ideal at the best of times, let alone when you have KP.

Using a nourishing body wash, like this one from Ameliorate, washes the skin without it drying out. In fact, Ameliorate promises that this wash will leave your skin moisturised for up to eight hours after use.

If you use this body wash for keratosis pilaris regularly your skin’s natural protective barrier will be enhanced.

That’s because it’s soap-free and ph-balanced. It also contains natural Omega oils from Starflower and Camelina, as well as Ameliorate’s own LaH6 skin hydration complex.

As well as treating the areas of your body with keratosis pilaris, this body wash is fantastic for dry shins or if you have cracked heels because of its intense moisturising qualities.

FURTHER READING: How to get rid of dry skin on feet: The causes and treatments for rough skin and cracked heels

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︎ Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion

£24 | Buy now

Ameliorate

Why we love it: If you can only afford, or only want to buy, one product for your rough bumpy skin, make it the Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion.

It’s safe to use every day, all over your body, and it both exfoliates and moisturises your skin – the key components when looking to treat keratosis pilaris.

It removes dead skin cells and unblocks hair follicles, whilst also softening and smoothing your skin.

It also helps to promote surface skin cell renewal. The 500ml version comes with a pump, so it’s really easy to get the right amount of product in your hand to apply to your skin easily and there are two versions available.

A fragrance-free version that we’ve listed here, and a fragranced version that smells like orange and cedar wood. The former is better for sensitive skin.

If you use this keratosis pilaris body lotion in the morning, make sure you use an SPF afterward because your skin’s sensitivity to the sun will be increased with the use of AHAs.

FURTHER READING: What SPF do I need? The best moisturisers with SPF, from Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen to Heliocare 360

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︎ Ameliorate Transforming Body Spray

£19 | Buy now

Ameliorate

Why we love it: The Ameliorate Transforming Body spray gives you an easier option when it comes to application because it has a 360⁰ nozzle, which means you can target any areas of bumpy skin that otherwise would be hard to reach.

Like with the Ameliorate moisturising cream, this spray contains optimum levels of lactic acid to help clear your hair follicles of dead skin cells.

It renews and exfoliates surface skin cells, whilst drawing moisture to your skin. There’s also sweet almond oil that helps to hydrate your skin, unblocks hair follicles and increases moisture levels.

This body spray for keratosis pilaris additionally has the benefit of a floral, orange blossom-type fragrance.

We recommend you apply this spray twice daily for four weeks to any problem areas of dry, rough skin. After four weeks, you can drop to once a day.

Again, be aware that because this keratosis pilaris body spray contains hydroxy acid (AHA) make sure to apply SPF following application, as your skin will be more sensitive to the sun.

FURTHER READING: Best moisturisers: Discover which moisturiser best suits your skin

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︎ Ameliorate Restorative Facial Mask

£22 | Buy now

Ameliorate

Why we love it: This Ameliorate Restorative Facial Mask leaves your skin feeling intensely hydrated whilst you sleep.

The formula for this overnight face mask includes ceramide therapy, to help strengthen your skin’s natural barrier and improve hydration; hyaluronic acid, to help your skin stretch and flex, ultimately reducing fine lines and wrinkles; and lactococcus ferment lysate, which stimulates your skin’s surface cell renewal process and again enhances your skin barrier function.

We recommend applying this bedtime face mask once or twice a week to your cleansed face. You can alternatively put it on for 10 minutes at a time. Just make sure whichever route you take, that you rinse the mask off properly with a gentle cleanser before toning the skin to remove any excess.

FURTHER READING: Sleeping beauty: The best overnight hair masks, face creams and foot treatments

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Katherine O'Shea

The post Spotlight on Ameliorate: The saviour for rough, bumpy and textured skin appeared first on mamabella.