Beauty Knowhow: Are you ready for this face jelly?
Gels – they’re everywhere, and no longer just for hair or nails. We’re now seeing gel moisturisers, treatments and even make-up. But what are the benefits of this new formula? Would you switch your lip balm for a smoothing gel? Or your go-to moisturiser for a hydrating jelly? Well, you know what they say about the proof of the pudding…
After the monumental success of Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotions and Creams, the brand has rounded out its texture offerings this year with Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly (£31, clinique.co.uk). According to Dr Tom Mammone, Clinique’s vice president of skin physiology and pharmacology, this texture is ‘appropriate for all skin types, as it’s hydrating enough for drier complexions, but also will not make an oilier-skinned person feel “weighed down”.’
With more consumers than ever choosing to layer different products within their routine, an instantly absorbed texture has obvious benefits. Added hydration without any extra grease? A winner in our books.
Our go-to gels
● Nip + Fab’s new Glycolic Fix Jelly Mask (£14.95, nipandfab.com) has a soothing and calming gel texture that keeps skin cool while the tougher ingredients get to work.
● Fresh Sugar Lip Wonder Drops (£21.50, johnlewis.com) are a quick fix to soften and smooth your lips. While some balms can act as barriers to moisture, here gentle fruit and flower extracts work with hyaluronic acid to retexturise and hydrate.
● Store Primark Gel-Filled Mask (£2) in the fridge, then grab it day or night to reduce puffiness and redness. A year-round essential, it’s especially handy during party season.
● Vichy’s new LiftActiv Micro Hyalu Patches (£20, boots.com) feature self-dissolving gel micro needles to help ingredients penetrate the skin. Pain-free but tingly, these work harder than your average under-eye patch!
Also worth trying
● Murad Nutrient-Charged Water Gel, £50, murad.co.uk
● Eos Crystal Lip Balm, £7, boots.com
● Illamasqua Sealing Gel, £12, illamasqua.com
● Vichy Mineral 89, £25, boots.com
● Lancôme Advanced Genifique Hydrogel Melting Mask, £16.50, lancome.co.uk
● Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Masque, £50, cultbeauty.co.uk
● Shiseido VisionAiry Gel Lipstick, £25, johnlewis.com
A no-spill saviour
Don’t like working with a liquid oil? Try Rodin Olio Lusso Face Oil Stick (£55, liberty.co.uk) – a handy update on a classic formula. With no fiddly droppers or chances for spillages, it’s great as a simple on-the-go moisturiser for everything from elbows to cuticles. You can even use it as a facial highlighter. And it’s available in the same fragrances as the original oil – Jasmine and Neroli, Lavender Absolute and Geranium and Orange Blossom.
Luxe for a lot less
If you’re not a beauty label fanatic then you may well have looked into Beauty Pie, the members’ club where, for a minimum monthly fee, you can buy luxury products at super low prices. The beauty club found fans for its Plantastic Cleansing Balm, among others things. Working with nose Frank Voelkl (the man behind Le Labo’s Santal 33), Beauty Pie has now launched its first fragrances. Choose from a sparkling Red Apple, White Peony & Cashmere Wood, a fresh Brazilian Lime, Fig Leaves & Tea or a sweet Petals, Heliotrope & Ambrette (from £18.46 each, typical retail price £125, beautypie.com).