The ultimate skincare haul of fame

When it comes to creams that truly nourish the complexion, I have two standouts: Crème de La Mer and Augustinus Bader. Both have cult status, and it seems that most women I speak to have a favorite of the two, depending on their skin type. Crème de La Mer is rich, making it luxuriously nourishing for stressed skin – for me, it’s almost a cure-all – while Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream sinks in beautifully to leave skin velvety-soft. Both give weary skin an incredible dewy glow.

Skincare can be confusing, but of one thing we can be sure: every skin needs more hydration, which is why hyaluronic acid has become the shining star of modern beauty. Found naturally throughout the body (though levels decrease with age), it holds up to a thousand times its own weight in water, so, like a super-sponge, it gives dull, dry, ‘flat’ skin that fresh dewy glow. Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum is particularly good because, with both long- and short-chain hyaluronic acid (which have different molecular sizes), it works on the surface to quickly smooth out crepey texture, while also penetrating deeper to hydrate and help skin function better. It also has a great texture (some HA serums can be sticky). Try applying, then re-applying, under eyes, over lines and on the tops of cheeks, where skin is usually drier.

Who knew that a pillowcase could be a beauty essential? While cotton leeches moisture from our skin, Slip’s pure mulberry-silk pillowcase does not, plus it minimizes sleep creases in your early morning face, keeps hair more frizz-free and feels wonderful. Once tried, there’s no going back.

With LED light treatment already hugely popular in clinics, and having used Dr. Dennis Gross’s DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro mask at home almost daily for more than three months, I can only rave about it. With more than 150 LED lights (blue light neutralizes acne bacteria, red light boosts collagen), I have found that the red lights calms any redness (it deals brilliantly with the after-effects of a peel, cold weather or invasive treatments), while in just days the blue lights completely cleared a travel-included breakout when nothing else helped. FDA-cleared, it’s taken up permanent residence on my bedside table.

As the first area of the face to show aging, eye creams should be a beauty staple. For me, there is one real hero: La Mer Genaissance de la Mer Eye and Expression Cream. More a treatment than just a cream, it works almost like a mask to visibly fill out the dry, flat, dehydrated skin we can have under the eye – plus you can use it on frown lines and as and where needed. It really is outstanding.

Regular polishing is excellent for healthy skin; however, excessive skin peeling is now one of the main causes of problems seen by skin doctors. Which is why Tata Harper’s Resurfacing Serum is so good – with a blend of acids to peel, plus hyaluronic acid to hydrate, it’s gentle enough to use day and night, but effective enough to just lift off dead and skin-dulling surface cells, revealing fresh skin underneath.

There is a reason that Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask is a bestseller – it works, showing a real ‘before and after’ difference. If you want your skin to look dewy, smooth and velvety, use this for 15 minutes and then check in the mirror.

Pollution can be a major problem for skin, because it’s almost unavoidable and is super-sticky, making it difficult to remove. Lixirskin Electrogel Cleanser is cleverly formulated with negative ions, which work like a magnet to attract the positive ions found in pollution, dirt, heavy metals and free radicals. Plus, this cleanser’s light texture leaves skin properly clean (I use it to remove eye makeup) but still really comfortable.

Pre-event, post-vacation, between seasons or whenever your skin needs a real boost, I can’t recommend Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Radiance Recharge 10-day ampoule kit highly enough. With a planned program that involves a different daily ampoule – lactic acid to micro-peel, antioxidant cocktail for clarity, glow complex, hyaluronic acid to hydrate – it gives world-weary skin a weekend-at-the-spa glow.

Developed by a Cambridge University scientist and backed up by extensive clinical trials, Lumity’s morning and evening supplements are specifically formulated to help improve everything from sleep and energy to skin and hair. And adding to the already long list of anecdotal reports from those who use it, the first change I noticed was deeper, less broken sleep from the very first night, and by week four even my nails were growing stronger.

If you can commit to using this device (it won’t work if you leave it in a drawer), then the FDA-cleared NuFACE microcurrent facial toner is brilliant for fighting off gravity in the long term and brightening the skin, face and features in the short term. Easy enough to use while watching TV, a regular five minutes is enough to de-puff and reshape the face.

Not all sheet masks are created equal: to do any good they have to fit the face, not drape over it, which is why I rate those from 111Skin. With a great choice of eight targeted treatments in two textures (hydrogel and bio cellulose, which act like a second skin), there are masks to de-puff, brighten up, treat breakouts and spot-treat lines.

Sustainably produced and directly sourced from the Amazon, Costa Brazil Kaya Anti-Aging Face Oil is beautiful to use: it sinks in fast to leave skin supple and glowing, not greasy, so it can even be used under makeup. Use at night and skin invariably looks healthier in the morning.

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