The British Beauty Blog
by Jane Cunningham since 2008

*DON’T FORGET YOU CAN FIND ME ON AD-FREE SUBSTACK HERE [unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Bright red or cosy neutral? Each to their own but these are new shade discoveries for me and I love them both. If you haven’t encountered Urban Decay Lip Bond, be prepared! I’ve got shade Unbreakable and it’s probably the most intense red that…

[unpaid/affiliate] The Mango sale has started and it’s a particular favourite of mine – less chaotic than Zara and less identifiable too. I’m quite good at thinking ahead rather than just considering the now so I’ve pulled out three items that I think will work through all seasons. The black cashmere knit – this one…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Hmmm, pre-game? I think if you know what the game is, you’re exactly the customer that Milk is hoping for. I actually don’t know, and despite not speaking Gen Z, I’m not going to let it stop me from liking one of the best glow primers I’ve come across. You’ll either be a glow…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Definition is one of the claims on this stylish mascara and that’s very much helped by having a rubber nodule brush rather than bristle. Big bristle brushes don’t really ‘comb through’ lashes but coat over them. This style of brush gives you a fair shot at individual lash coating but it’s always going to…

[unpaid/affiliate] So many brands are going into sale early – my guess is that this is Hush’s pre-sale sale and more will follow, but who knows? However, I do know that after the sparkly rush up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, January leaves us with the wardrobe blues – nothing feels quite right and…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I’m really not much of a powder fan so very rarely wear it, but I was sent the Laura Mercier Winter Glow Prime & Set Duo so thought I’d dip my toe back in the water (or desert, because powder tends to dry my skin) and give it a go. I used to be…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I like the way that Molton Brown has gone facet cut on this year’s baubles – it makes a change from the usual globes and gives it a bit of extra luxe – especially for the sparkly Vintage With Elderflower fragrance. As a family tradition, we put a small present on the Christmas lunch…

[unpaid/sample] I was never much of a ‘wellness’ tea believer – I’d always rather have a cup of Tetley or similar and I find Earl Gray positively offensive because it tastes like furniture polish to me. I hate fruit teas – they just taste like horrible water and they’re not even tea anyway so the…

[unpaid/sample] Fragrance discovery sets are very popular because – I’ll be blunt – we’re not the loyal customers we used to be. It’s very irksome for brands that we don’t stay with the same fragrance for a lifetime in the way that we once did and neither do we visit stores for samples in the…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] The brand, Grace & Stella, is more well known in its home country of Canada. It was acquired by a European investment group in 2023 which is what most likely accounts for its venture into new markets. On the surface, it’s a cosy, feel-good brand with a personal touch – dig below and its…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I can see that my usual one post per day routine won’t suffice at the moment as Christmas gift options are coming in left, right and centre. I like to get as much as I can posted because if you’re stuck for ideas it’s good to have as many suggestions as possible. This is…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Yes, I’m one of those eye cream cynics who think that your general cream will do just as well for your eye area and you don’t need anything special. But, left, right and centre I’m watching anti-eye creamers being converted by the DoSe Vitamin C Eye Cream and that’s really quite something. I had…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Now we are at peak socially busy season, this exceptional spray is really coming into its own. It’s coyly called a Home Spray and indeed, you can spritz it anywhere you please, but its true home is in the loo where it serves as an odour neutralizer spectaculaire. If we are going to measure…

[unpaid/affiliate] I’ve still got a black Cos sweater that I bought years ago that I like to pull out on a day where I just want to feel cosy. It’s full of badly sewn up holes but I can’t bear to get rid of it. What I love about Cos sweaters is their shape –…

[unpaid/sample] I am loving watching Hildun rise through the beauty ranks – from a handful of kohls to a full collection, and now these two beautiful palettes. Quality wise, like the kohls, these palettes are meeting their competitors full on. As you can see, I couldn’t even wait to take pristine pictures before I had…