In the past year, Emma Lewisham has made significant strides in the UK market, with the April 2024 launch of its groundbreaking Supernatural Vitale Elixir serving as a key moment for the brand. This hero product, lauded for its transformative results, has quickly become a bestseller, propelling Lewisham’s expansion and securing its place in the country’s luxury beauty scene. Today, the brand’s coveted range can be found exclusively at leading retailers such as Net-A-Porter, Harrods, Liberty, and Space NK.

But this week’s dinner wasn’t just a celebration of business milestones, it was a chance to honour the dynamic community that has supported the brand’s journey. The guest list was a carefully curated mix of influential figures from fashion, art, and media, underscoring the diverse appeal of the brand’s ethos.

Attendees included fashion designers Roksanda Ilincic and Emilia Wickstead, celebrated chef Skye Gyngell, actor Anna Shaffer, photographer Benedict Brink, and jewellers Jessica McCormack and Anna Jewsbury. Each brought their own creative spirit to the evening, reflecting the brand’s commitment to fostering genuine connections.

The menu, crafted by Ruthie Rogers of The River Cafe, was a celebration of seasonal Italian cuisine. Guests shared plates of antipasti, followed by indulgent Panostti di Zucca (pumpkin ravioli) and Branzino al Forno (wild sea bass roasted with lemon, wild oregano, and black olives). The meal concluded with The River Cafe’s famed Chocolate Nemesis tart and a selection of gelati – an elegant end to a night of lively conversation and shared moments.

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What ingredients actually yield results? And which brands live up to the hype? We just want something that works, at the end of the day. And is that really too much to ask? Having asked these questions ourselves, we’ve done some digging and have surfaced with this handy guide to the best skincare lines and the products we buy on repeat. In no particular order, see our lists of the best skincare lines.

Best luxury skincare lines

1. Augustinus Bader

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You don’t need to part with a week’s pay to secure skincare that works. But if you’re going to do it (the heart wants what it wants) don’t go past Augustinus Bader. Named after its founder, a biomedical scientist and physician who in 2008 created a wound gel to help heal severe skin trauma like burns without the need for surgery or skin grafts, each product in the line is powered by the patented TFC8. After 30 years of research, Dr. Bader crafted this ingredient to harness the body’s natural ability to heal and reawaken the cells that became dormant through ageing or damage.

Hero Product: The Cream

Start your Augustinus Bader journey with the cream featured in thousands of beauty shelfies. Sure, $390 for a 50ml product is enough to raise anyone’s blood pressure, but if you’re in the business of treating yourself or simply have the cash, it’s worth it. Especially as it can replace all other products – save for cleanser and SPF. Texture-wise it’s closer to a serum and smells kind of like fresh milk in the best way possible. According to its clinical trials, you’ll begin to notice differences after 27 days.

2. La Mer

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A very specific kind of person uses La Mer. They are refined, live by the sea, have never forgotten their house keys or their mother’s birthday and are always on time. If you’re channelling this energy, or simply prize skincare driven by the intersection of science and nature, then La Mer is for you.

Hero Product: Crème de la Mer

At the heart of La Mer is the moisturiser that started it all. Astrophysicist Dr Max Huber was working in his lab one day when he sustained chemical burns from an experiment gone wrong. From this point he redirected his research, and thus La Mer was born. Harnessing its Miracle Broth, an ingredient made with sea kelp harvested out of the clear waters off Vancouver Island, and paired with antioxidant-rich Lime Tea, Crème de la Mer provides instant relief to stressed skin and with persistent application minimises lines and plumps skin.

3. Dr. Barbara Sturm

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Maybe you’ve come to Dr. Barbara Sturm via the German founder’s soothing Instagram facials and tutorials, or perhaps you’ve heard of its science-based results and effective ingredients, either way there’s a reason that this skincare line is a favourite of Bella Hadid and models globally.

Hero Product: Glow Drops

While Dr. Barbara Sturm has formulated a lineup of products to make your skincare-obsessed heart leap, if you’re impatient like myself, it’s the Glow Drops that stand out for immediate results. Crafted from purslane, panthenol, hyaluronic B5 and Polygonum bistorta, which evens out texture and improves radiance, Dr. Barbara Sturm Glow Drops brighten skin and can replace makeup, if less is more.

4. Susanne Kaufmann

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Just as you turn to luxury fashion for clothing made ethically, from quality materials and with tailored cuts, the same applies to luxury skincare. Susanne Kaufmann hits this brief; a handshake between top-of-the-line natural ingredients and the safety of science, this Austrian-born brand is sustainable too.

Hero Product: Glow Mask

While any product that makes our skin tingle would be slam-dunked into the trash bin immediately after spot-testing, Susanne Kaufmann’s Glow Mask is an exception to the rule. Calling on herbal actives like papaya powder, ginger, coffee and raspberry extract, together they work like an enzyme peel leaving your skin feel refreshed and bright after 15 minutes.

5. Sisley

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When payday comes and you’re looking to treat yourself in a big way, Sisley is one avenue to do so. It’s a family-owned French luxury beauty brand that utilises the best ingredients to blend the most coveted formulations.

Hero Product: All Day All Year

From days spent chained to the work desk to summer vacations in the South of France, when Sisley says All Day All Year, they mean it. This anti-ageing day cream protects from two of the biggest outside aggressors for your skin: the sun, and that pesky pore-clogging pollution. The first is combated through micro-encapsulated filters blocking 90 per cent of ageing UVA and UVB rays from the sun, while anti-free radical agents (namely Vitamin E, Apple Skin and Rice) reinforce the skin’s protective barrier to shield it against pollutants in the air.

6. Dr Dennis Gross

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We might not all be able to afford to visit Dr Dennis Gross at his famous New York clinic, but we can certainly get access to his potent, formula-forward products for at-home use.

Hero Product: Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel

His daily peel product is considered widely to be one of the best over-the-counter chemical exfoliation products on the market, and has a cult following of die-hard fans. His products just feel luxurious, and – bottom line – they work. The range also offers a bunch of travel-sized versions of their best-selling products, so you can bring beautiful skin with you as you travel.

Best drugstore skincare lines

1. The Ordinary

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Beauty doesn’t need to break the bank nor does it need to travel from the Austrian Alps to be worth your time. Sometimes one just needs to head to their local Priceline, which is all that is required to track down cult favourite The Ordinary. It’s truly a godsend, hinging on the simple premise that one should be able to access high-performance ingredients in the simplest form on a budget.

Hero Product: Retinol 0.2% in Squalane

When it comes to retinol, the key is to start small and work your way up at a snail’s pace. Good thing The Ordinary has doses ranging from 0.2% to 2%. You’ll want to know the names of ingredients and their properties too as there’s no cutesy names to cling to instead. Personally, I also always have a bottle of its Hyaluronic Acid 2% B5 on my shelf too. But your own cocktail of ingredients will depend on your skin type and conditions.

2. CeraVe

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A staple in the bathrooms of your grandparents, dermatologists and beauty-obsessives on TikTok alike, CeraVe is for everyone. Don’t be fooled by its nondescript packaging, it’s packed with ceramides and lipid molecules, giving everything and stripping nil. It’s normcore and it has our hearts.

Hero Product: Moisturising Lotion

Free from fragrance, hypoallergenic, oil free and non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog your pores), we’re randy for CeraVe’s Moisturising Lotion. It’s affordable and can be pat onto your body or face, both will be all the better for it. Not convinced? Get on TikTok and spend an hour swiping through reviews.

3. Weleda

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Weleda makes the fashion industry go round. A silent workhorse, catch the brand and its many products in the bags of makeup artists and models alike.

Hero Product: Weleda Skin Food, duh.

When we talk about drugstore favourites, nothing has been offered up as often or with as much reverence for our RUSSH ‘In the Bag’ series as Weleda Skin Food. Thick and emollient, it can be used for slugging or as a nourishing barrier for parched skin, especially during winter. With a roll call of ingredients like sunflower oil, wool wax, beeswax, sweet almond oil, rosemary leaf extract, chamomile flower extract and calendula flower extract, there’s a reason this formula hasn’t altered since 1926. Proving skincare doesn’t need to take a chunk out of your paycheck to be effective.

Best natural skincare lines

1. Fresh

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Born in Boston and raised in New York, fresh was born out a want for skincare products that were both natural, effective and luxurious. Back by rigorous research, each addition to the fresh range is built with purpose and heroes one natural ingredient – from rose, kombucha, black tea, soy and lotus. Because of this, each product is also trailed by a cult following.

Hero Product: Soy Face Cleanser

People with sensitive skin can wax lyrical about the evils of cleansers that strip the skin of moisture, thus drying it out. This cleanser from fresh does neither. A bestseller, it in fact maintains the skin’s natural pH balance, calling on the properties of upcycled soy proteins to deeply cleanse and hydrate.

2. Youth to the People

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Born out of California, it’s easy to conceive of Youth to the People as a natural skincare brand. Basing its products around the properties found in plant matter like antioxidant-rich berries, leafy greens, and black teas, it’s a go-to label for those who believe that mother nature already offers up all we need.

Hero Product: Superfood Cleanser

Two pumps of this bad boy you’ll notice your skin instantly refreshed. It digs out the muck in your pores, and is something of a green juice for your skin. Packed with cold-pressed antioxidants like kale, spinach and green tea, it’s a cult favourite for a reason.

3. Biossance

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Biossance is a brand that started somewhat of a clean beauty revolution. After a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gate foundation, biotechnology company Amyris had a goal: to clean up the realm of beauty. So Biossance was born, a brand with a mission to stop waste, protect endangered animals and to end deforestation, all while creating luxury skincare that works.

Hero Product: Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum

Squalane is a core ingredient of Biossance’s beauty line. This is because it’s a leader in formulating the ingredient ethically from sugar cane rather than harvesting the liver of sharks. Incredibly hydrating, squalene occurs naturally in the skin but disappears over time, so it’s a must for any beauty routine. The addition of vitamin c is perfect for anyone with dark spots from acne scarring or those prone to pigmentation.

4. Tata Harper

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If you’re looking for luxury skincare that’s completely natural, run don’t walk to your local Tata Harper stockist. Packed with as many ingredients possible at their highest concentration, more is more for this brand that aims to deliver maximum results. Even still, you won’t find anything synthetic, artificial – be it fragrance or colours – either. Only the best.

Hero Product: Resurfacing Mask

The Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask is a favourite of RUSSH Content Director Elyssa Kostopoulos. Apply a thick layer and watch it form a shiny film, lifting all the grit from your pores and leaving a smooth, bright surface.

5. Grown Alchemist

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We have nothing but good things to say about our friends at Grown Alchemist, who are constantly looking at ways to improve its environmental footprint with eco-refills. Led by science and using certified-organic botanicals and natural actives, its skincare works wonders in nourishing the skin. Plus, we’ll always back an Australian-owned brand too.

Hero product: Natural Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF30

While Gwyneth Paltrow swears by its Vanilla and Watermelon lip balm, we’re big fans of its Natural Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF30. Not only does it come in the chicest packaging we’ve ever seen for a sunscreen, it’s lightwearing and doesn’t leave any sticky residue or white cast. It’s not overly perfumed either, which is always a bonus when you have sensitive skin like I do.

Best refillable skincare lines

1. Emma Lewisham

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We’re drawn to Emma Lewisham for more than its refillable packaging – its efficacy and status as a B Corp certified business deserves praise all on its own – but it’s this feature that adds joy to the beauty process. Born across the ditch, this clean brand is truly committed to sustainability, and reducing waste is a large part of that, offering refills for every product.

Hero Product: Skin Reset Serum

A powerhouse serum that evens skin tone, improves pigmentation and restores radiance, basically everything my eczema-prone skin craves. It’s light and smells fresh, and is a regular favourite amongst the RUSSH team.

2. Foile

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Bondi-born, Foile was dreamt up to transform and reimagine the way we consume, experience and connect to skincare. A central element of this is enabling and empowering people to be a part of a more circular model that lessens the impact on our environment and natural resources. Centring a singular oil that would be refillable, the idea snowballed into a concept store, which is an important facet to create a rapport with its customer base and create a space to experience the brand.

Hero Product: Jojoba Face Oil

Packed full of vitamins A, E and D, jojoba oil shares the same molecular structure to the sebum our skin naturally generates –  providing nourishment and restoring balance to the skin. A regular in the luxury beauty world, jojoba is a lush oil that acts as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and is high in antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Yum.

3. Fluff

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Fluff may have started with its viral refillable and multitasking lip oil, but it’s simple approach to skincare that has kept us coming back.

Hero Product: Face Oil #1

Released in small batches and crafted up locally, it’s Face Oil #1 is a homage to the power of Jojoba Oil, offering it up in its purest form. Although, we do find ourselves gravitating towards Face Oil #3 featuring Hemp Seed Oil, Frankincense, and Bakuchio.

Best skincare lines for sensitive skin

1. La Roche-Posay

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Behind every French girl with clear skin is at least one La Roche-Posay skincare product. The brand may sit at the steeper end of your drugstore beauty favourites, but it’s worth every dollar. Designed to include active ingredients that target specific skin problems like acne, rosacea and eczema, with corresponding lines for each, watch it form the workhorse of your beauty routine while trendier products come and go.

Hero Product: Anthelios Invisible Fluid Facial Sunscreen SPF 50+

At this point we all know that SPF should be a non-negotiable in all our skincare routines. La Roche-Posay make one that’s non-greasy, non-stinging, affordable and leaves no white cast. It’s easy to see why it’s become a cult favourite. A special mention to its Effaclar Anti-Acne Salicylic Acid Serum too. A must try for anyone contending with irrepressible acne and breakouts.

2. Rationale

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If Australian skincare functioned as a hierarchy, Rationale would be atop the throne. The Melbourne-based skincare brand has become the apple of most beauty editors eye’s and has collected a cult-like clientele for its scientific, non-invasive, results-based approach to good skin.

Hero Product: #3 The Tinted Serum SPF50+

The product itself is a thin beige-coloured liquid, that when applied to your face, evenly blends, smooths and perfects your complexion – and offers 50+ SPF protection. Think of it as an all-in-one. The final step in your skincare routine and the first step in your makeup routine.

3. SkinCeuticals

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If you have sensitive skin, then it’s always best to refer to the the brands loved by dermatologists. SkinCeuticals is first on the list. Crafted up by a dermatologist itself, it pioneered topical use of antioxidants from the beginning and is best known for its myriad formulations of Vitamin C.

Hero Product: C E Ferulic Vitamin C Serum

We weren’t kidding about the Vitamin C thing. As one of the best and most powerful antioxidants, its incorporated in its most potent form to protect skin against atmospheric ageing and free radicals.

4. Josh Rosebrook

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Working with a team of industry-leading natural cosmetic chemists and herbalists, Josh Rosebrook creates formulations that aid the skin with its natural ability to regenerate and heal.

Hero Product: Vital Balm Cream

RUSSH editor in chief Jess Blanch has this to say about the product: “This balm is like a big drink for dry skin like mine. Because I spend a lot of the time out in the elements I love the way it works like a barrier cream, giving really strong protection, and how it doesn’t seem to slide off my face like so many creams. I’m always looking for all-natural products that are active and this has Indian senna seed which is a natural alternative to hyaluronic acid (used for encouraging regeneration) and some blue tansy which I like in everything as it is so calming to my skin.”

5. Cetaphil

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When we’ve wandered into hellish beauty territory, Cetaphil is the haven we return to. Basic in the best way possible, its cleanser and moisturisers are gentle and with time, can resuscitate even the most traumatised skin back to its former self. Our Aunts and sceptical doctors had it right.

Hero Product: Gentle Skin Cleanser

There’s a reason why this cleanser was a reference point when Glossier was making its beloved Milky Jelly Cleanser. It’s a universal favourite and our dermatologists won’t stop banging on about it. You don’t even have to wash it off if you don’t want to.

Best skincare lines for dry skin

1. Tatcha

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After struggling with dermatitis, Tatcha founder Victoria Tsai went on a journey for considered and effective skincare. Along the way, by chance she had an encounter with a modern day geisha and the brand was born from her beauty rituals. It’s for this reason that you’ll find a threesome consisting of green tea, rice and algae integrated into most of Tatcha’s products.

Hero Product: The Dewy Skin Cream

As far as moisturisers go, this one from Tatcha is on the pricier side. But if you’ve got terminally dry skin like me, this little jar keeps your face looking glossy all day long, unlike others that absorbed in seconds. Plus, I like the handy little applicator and its holder too.

2. Kiehl’s

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Kiehl’s is beauty with heritage. What began as a family apothecary has bloomed into a global skincare brand loved across generations, from Andy Warhol to Zoe Kravitz.

Hero Product: Ultra Face Cream

When I’ve been exposing my skin to too many new products, this is the base I bring it back to. Fragrance free, ultra rich without being heavy or tacky and set at an affordable price, this has become the workhorse in my beauty routine, and my parched skin laps it up every single time.

3. Furtuna Skin

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Italians do it better. Madonna knew it and so do we. At least that’s how we feel about Furtuna Skin, which uses organic, wild foraged botanicals from Italy that are packed with nutrients. Sitting on the luxury price end, it’s chic packaging drew us in while the science behind us holds our attention.

Hero Product: Due Alberi

Based around olive oil infused with botanicals that have been hand-picked from Furtuna Skin’s certified organic farm in Sicily, a great deal of care has been taken at every stage of production. The oil aspect creates a long-lasting barrier while the use of nutrient-rich olive leaf water hydrates the skin. It’s an indulgent option for anyone battling dry skin.

4. Sunday Riley

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Sunday Riley founded her eponymous brand with an almost non-existent budget and a passion for change. Now, 12 years on, the brand has gone from strength to strength, transforming the skincare regimes of people around the world – and leading the pack on the path to sustainability as it’s B Corp Certified.

Hero Product: Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment

Exfoliants is dicey territory for anyone with dry skin. Sunday Riley do a good one. It’s chemical exfoliant, powered by lactic acid, gently buffs away dead skin cells while the presence of arnica soothes and liquorice adds radiance and reduces dark spots.

Best skincare lines for oily skin

1. REN

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REN has maintained a solid presence in the beauty world for over two decades, formulating clean products and working only with naturally derived ingredients to create effective products for all skin types.

Hero Product: Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk

When you want something with a bit more grunt than Cetaphil but need its gentle approach, this is the cleanser for you. Its crafted with soothing Calendula extract and can be dabbed on and off, to avoid as little irritation as possible. A godsend for the times when you’re skin is feeling particularly tender.

2. Omorovicza

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The earth’s crust is thinner in Hungary, which is just to say that its thermal springs have unique healing properties due to the minerals present. It’s for this reason that Budapest, with its many natural springs, has been dubbed the “International Spa City”, a claim Hungarian skincare brand Omorovicza pivots off. Leaning into this history, the founders behind Omorovicza wanted to find a way to deliver these properties deep into the epidermis.

Hero Product: Balancing Moisturiser

Arriving in a gel-like formula, this moisturiser from Omorovicza has a cooling effect and is anti-shine for all oily girlies.

3. Alpha H

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Made on the Gold Coast, in the 25 years since Alpha H has been operating it’s become somewhat of an authority on the use of glycolic acid in skincare, delivering a range of corrective solutions.

Hero Product: Melting Moment Cleansing Balm

A cleansing balm just has a certain ring to it. From the outset you’re made aware that it won’t strip your skin, instead it will leave it feeling clean and supple. For those of us with oily skin, there’s nothing else you can ask for. This one from Alpha H melts away dirt, pollutants and the more stubborn SPF.

4. Caudalie

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In the 1990s, when Caudalie was conceived, creating skincare from ingredients meant for taste was not the norm. ‘Clean’ or ‘natural’ were not ideas that had made their way into the wellness zeitgeist. With natural-origin ingredients and organic essential oils, they’re at the forefront of this beauty movement,

Hero Product: Vinoperfect Radiance Serum

According to Caudalie, one Vinoperfect Radiance Serum is sold every 30 seconds around the world. So yeah, you could say this one has garnered a reputation as the brand’s hero product. It’s oil free and dermatologically tested.

Best Australian skincare lines

1. Go-To

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At the helm of Australian skincare is Zoe Foster-Blake’s millennial pink beauty brand Go-To. The former beauty editor and author is in no rush to load up the line with random products all claiming different results. Go-To is no nonsense and straight-talking, cutting through the often jargon-heavy marketing of the beauty world.

Hero Product: Face Hero

Beauty editors have been singing the praise of face oils for some time now. Face Hero is a testament to their staying power. It’s lightweight – and so should be applied first, counterintuitive I know – and made from 10 different plant and nut oils. If you’re wearing makeup, this makes application a joy, and will leave your skin glowy and glistening.

2. Aesop

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Aesop has set the gold standard for body care. The Melbourne-born brand is instantly recognisable with its chic packaging and herbaceous, earthy scents, a mainstay on the bathroom vanity’s of celebrities and regular folk alike. It’s skincare is no different, developed with reputable ingredients and scientific processes, each product dreamt up as a result of a genuine response from Aesop admirers.

Hero Product: Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum

If you’re new to Aesop skincare, there’s plenty of hidden gems to unearth. We suggest starting with its Parsley Seed range, specifically its much-loved serum. Use it daily for best results. Lightweight and arriving with a fresh floral scent, it fortifies skin and guards it against the many pollutants we encounter on a daily basis.

3. Lesse

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Founded on a philosophy that less is more, through rigorous research and thoughtful consideration Lesse offers up a discerning edit of five products it deems essential, with mindful packaging and quality ingredients.

Hero Product: Regeneration Mist

A soothing mist that combines chamomile, aloe vera, jojoba and mushrooms. It’s hydrating, offering relief for flustered skin and has become a grounding ritual in our self-care routine.

4. Sodashi

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A Sanskrit word, Sodashi means wholeness, purity and radiance. Cruelty free and formulated with total transparency, each product is hand-formulated with cold-pressed botanicals.

Hero Product: Brightening Marine Mineral Mask

Spotlighting the power of spirulina and rosewood, this mask manages to deep cleanse and hydrate. Load it on on a Sunday night when you want to glow for the week ahead or as a hack when you’re feeling rundown or tired.

Best Korean beauty lines

1. Amore Pacific

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Korean skincare is some of the most advanced in the world, and Amore Pacific is an exemplary line of well-researched, innovative and high-performance products.

Hero Product: Treatment Cleansing Oil

Products are produced using purpose-grown ingredients harvested from their Dolsongi Tea Garden on the idyllic Jeju Island. In particular, the brand have deeply researched and employed the benefits of green tea in skincare. While they might come at a premium price, Amore Pacific’s skincare are powerhouse products that will elevate your routine and deliver timely results.

2. Laneige

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Not for nothing, this cult favourite brand has most of beauty TikTok in a chokehold. It’s Lip Sleeping Mask is one of the highest selling on the market for a reason. But it doesn’t stop there, Laneige serums, laden with goodies like niacinamide, are a genuine skin saver and the K-beauty brand has built a reputation as hydration experts.

Hero Product: Lip Sleeping Mask

Considering that Laneige specialises in in water science, it makes sense that the cult favourite Lip Sleeping mask, boasting more than 11,000 reviews on Sephora, sweeps the top spot as a hero product. Arriving in five saccharine flavours – Vanilla, Berry, Gummy bear, Mango and Sweet Candy – as well as limited edition options, it plumps lips, and you’ll honestly end up just using it as a lip gloss. You’ve been warned.

3. Sulwhasoo

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Pronounced “Suhl-ha-soo,” this skincare brand was founded on the philosophy of balance. Utilising Korea’s finest natural ingredients, Sulwhasoo is one of the best selling Korean brands on the market. In keeping with the brands holistic approach, you won’t find any nasties or overpowering scents.

Hero Product: First Care Activating Serum

A bottle of this baby is sold every 10 seconds. The data speaks for itself. Penned as an “indispensable, anti-aging essence” this serum contains a potent cocktail of five Korean herbs that hydrate, nourish and visibly firm, as well as prepping the skin so that it can better absorb the products that follow. A teamplayer if you will.

4. Glow Recipe

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After working together for L’Oreal, Christine Chang and Sarah Lee founded the fruit-infused brand in 2017. What started as a Korean skincare market place has evolved into what is now referred to as Glow Recipe. Highlighting a singular fruit as the star of each product, your skin is in for juicy, nutritious pampering, all from the cutest packaging.

Hero Product: Watermelon Glow Mask

Korean beauty brands are the reason trends like glass skin hit the mainstream. So, if you’re seeking out hydrated skin and a lit-from-within glow then try this bad boy. It’s an overnight mask infused with hyaluronic acid and AHA to soften your face while you sleep, squeezing the most out of those idle hours.

5. Innisfree

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What can we say? Any brand inspired by a Yeats poem can only be poetry in motion for us. Innisfree is a holistic skincare brand, using the natural ingredients found on the island of Jeju to enhance skin in the cleanest way possible. With an array of moisturisers, clay masks and serums, they truly have everything covered.

Hero Product: Green Tea Seed Serum

Spotlighting the powerful antioxidant properties of green tea, innisfree has surfaced with this serum. It has a pleasant scent and is an affordable option for those like myself with thirsty skin.

The post 39 of the best skincare brands of all time – and the products we buy on repeat appeared first on RUSSH.

Emma Lewisham is someone who knows first-hand what it’s like to be enamoured by a big idea. Her’s is a life lived in the shadow of her intuition – whether that intuition points her in a conventional direction, or towards the unorthodox.

Just a few short years ago, when the New Zealand native went looking for a safer alternative to a commonly used beauty product in her repertoire, and was confronted by an apparent lack of options, a seed was planted that would eventually flower into her eponymous skincare label that now stretches multiple countries.

“If I can see that something can be done better – that there’s a right way or a superior way of doing it – I will chase that. I love that. It’s what really lights me up,” Lewisham tells RUSSH.

In near-blind faith, Lewisham began to research and make plans, spurred on by a vision she couldn’t seem to shake – one of a circular and sustainable skincare line formulated in pursuit of natural, scientifically proven efficacy. And all the while, she held onto her 9-5 job in the tech field, evenings, weekends and holidays soaked up by her passion project.

“I put everything into it,” she says, “So yeah, it was an intuitive thing. I really believed in what we were doing, and I just followed that.”

At first glance, the decision to move from the tech to the beauty industry might seem like a substantial leap across industries. However, Lewisham attests that it was a jump that felt instinctive for her, and that her background in a different industry not only helped to inform her in this new arena, but gave her a unique edge: a fresh perspective.

“Coming into the industry with a fresh pair of eyes was, I think, really beneficial – although I did have a background in science, so I had some understanding. But our products are formulated in a fundamentally different way, where we flip it on its head,” she says.

“We don’t start with ingredients – we start with the skin. We understand it, we’ve researched it, we’ve worked out where we need to speak to it, and we align all of those ingredients.”

Being a passionate environmentalist, Lewisham was also excited by the spectre of creating a line that was entirely circular – from its packaging to its ingredients – something that is still far from the norm in the industry.

“The beauty industry has operated for the last hundred years in a linear way, which is no longer right, given what we know now about the planet. And so we can no longer continue to operate like that, and we’re passionate about changing behaviour and getting people to think about what happens to the items post-use,” she says.

“Circularity is truly at the heart of helping to save the planet. And to bring down carbon emissions, we need to move to a circular model to bring down the enormous amount of waste in beauty. To us, it’s an absolute no-brainer.”

But while it may have been a linear decision for Lewisham and her trusted team, their real challenge was in transmuting the expectations and standards of those around them – investors, retailers, suppliers and, most crucially, their customers – and warming them to the brand’s offbeat ethos.

“You have to take people on and get them to see things differently and do things differently. There is no blueprint. We’re having to educate and inspire the partners around us, which I think we’ve done a really great job of,” she says.

“We’re having to change peoples’ behaviours. Your whole lifetime – and our grandparents’ whole lifetime – we’ve only known that you buy something and you can throw it away when you’re done, or put it in a recycling bin. There’s never been this requirement to return it somewhere, or take an extra step in your day.”

The harsh reality is, according to Lewisham, that even items recycled with the best of intentions are often not being reused the way that we might imagine. Closing the loop to create a cyclic system – one where items are used, returned, sterilised and reused – is the only way to make substantial strides towards lowering emissions, and the only way she feels comfortable being able to tell customers, straight-faced, that the brand is making that difference.

“We don’t want people to recycle our packaging – we want to reuse it. They’re refillable, so you can keep the outer jar, and we have pods that people can buy and clip them in and out and then return those pods to us, which we sterilise and reuse.”

Lewisham’s tenacity in business and in her pursuit of sustainable practices is a trait that stems from a strong moral compass, one that has always felt innate to her character. She tells RUSSH that she has always apotheosised the notion of authenticity – and not just in her work.

“What you see is what you get,” she says. “When you’re putting your name on something, you want to ensure it feels authentic. I also just don’t think there’s any other way for me to run a business without not enjoying it and not feeling in alignment. I think that’s why we’ve connected with so many customers. They feel that authenticity.”

Rooted in this sense of authenticity, and buoyed by the community she’s built upon the strength of her big idea, Lewisham is gracious about how far she’s come, sanguine about the present, and ready to follow the bright idea into the next.

The post Emma Lewisham on circularity, following an idea, and finding authenticity appeared first on RUSSH.

On Thursday, July 20 an assortment of the city’s most fashionable faces made their way to Caxton Street for a three-course meal prepared by The River Cafe and overseen by the inimitable Ruth Rogers herself. Call it a natural pairing, we certainly will. Lewisham and Rogers are both big believers in the abundance of nature, and have championed this philosophy throughout their life’s work. This level of care could be witnessed from the menu to the candlelit floral arrangements, the latter the work of Fjura, a London-based florist helmed by Australian-born Simone Gooch.

As guests arrived, spreading themselves across the entire studio designers like Rejina Pyo and Molly Goddard sipped bespoke negronis while models such as Lili Sumner and Sarah Ellen conversed, Veuve Clicquot in hand on the balmy late summer evening.

The menu was quintessential River Cafe. Guests sat down to plates of Prosciutto di San Daniele, focaccia, wild sea bass with zucchini flowers and tender wood roasted eggplant. For dessert, a zingy lemon tart to tip everyone over the edge. Elsewhere, Jessica Gomes could be seen nodding her approval.

Between courses, once all were suitably sedated, Lewisham addressed those present and announced plans to launch her carbon-positive skincare brand in Space NK in September 2023 – the first New Zealand brand the beauty retailer has welcomed among its ranks.

Recounting the evening to RUSSH, Lewisham shared images from the night, which you can peruse in the gallery below.

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In March 2023, Emma Lewisham hosted an evening at the National Art School, as a love letter to Australia that included a performance by Florence + The Machine. See the images from that night, here.

The post Inside Emma Lewisham’s intimate London dinner appeared first on RUSSH.

It sounds too good to be true, right? That you can simply go to sleep and you’ll wake up with plump, hydrated, deeply nourished skin? It is called beauty sleep for a reason though. And whilst our bodies do incredible things when it comes to recovering overnight, we know it can always do with a little help – especially as we get older. Uniquely formulated with innovative Gardenia Jasminoide extracts, Emma Lewisham has created the perfect product to help you wake up looking better than ever.

The Emma Lewisham Supernatural Sleeping Mask:

A powerful, ultra-conditioning overnight treatment, the Supernatural Sleeping Mask harnesses 22 high performing natural ingredients to leave your skin looking better than ever.

We all know that natural is better, but how do we know it works? Well, it’s all in the science.

When we go to sleep our skin goes from a “protection mode” during the day to “repair mode” overnight. As we age, our body’s sleep hormone (melatonin) diminishes, ultimately decreasing the ability of the skin to perform regenerative overnight processes. Combine this with the fact that the inner structural matrix of our skin also begins to function less efficiently as we age and the result is wrinkles and a loss of elasticity in the skin.

By harnessing the power of up to 25 meticulously chosen natural ingredients, the team at Emma Lewisham have harnessed both bio-identical ingredients found within the skin, and specialised, scientifically proven natural plant extracts designed to work harmoniously with the skin and trigger powerful cellular responses. The result? A product that works with the skin to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, plump, brighten, and ultimately renew skin. This is truly beauty sleep in a bottle.

A post shared by Emma Lewisham (@emmalewisham)

How do I sign up?

To get your free Emma Lewisham 50ml Supernatural Sleeping Mask worth $130 simply subscribe, renew or extend your domestic Australian RUSSH magazine subscription for $50.* But get in quick because we’ve only got 80 to give away and they won’t last long.

By subscribing you’ll also receive four issues of RUSSH delivered straight to your door. Plus access to various unique offers and invites exclusive to RUSSH subscribers.

Get yours now here. Remember, these offers are for a limited time only. Once, they’re gone, they’re gone.

Want more competitions and giveaways? Head to our Win page to see everything we’re offering at the moment, or follow us on socials to stay up to date on all things RUSSH.

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The intimate evening, with the eponymous Emma Lewisham herself in attendance, was held at the National Art School in Darlinghurst last Wednesday, where brick and mortar were lit up in the brand’s signature royal purple – and trademark pink flower – for the occasion.

A considered list of the brand’s nearest and dearest Australian friends and family donned their best cocktail attire and congregated under the stars for a very special performance from none other than Florence Welch, who treated the room to a stripped-back, acoustic Florence + The Machine set. Backing up the evening’s soundtrack was a special DJ set from Rachel Rutt and Ryan Grieve of HEART PEOPLE, who had guests in attendance swaying into the evening, glasses of sparkling – and cocktails adorned with marigolds – in hand.

Emma Lewisham has garnered a cult following in Australia due to their pioneering vision of beauty – one that not only ensures results-driven formulation, but that also places focus on sustainable practice, and creative a positive impact for both people and planet. The brand is proudly a member of the global B Corp community.

Below, are some of our favourite shots from inside the intimate evening with Emma Lewisham and Florence + The Machine, featuring a stunning cast of guests like Charlee Fraser, Gabriella Brooks, Keiynan Londsdale, Nakkiah Lui, Rhys Kosakowski, Cameron Stephens and Victoria Lee.

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ORRO Amalfi Glow Drops

This is quite literally summer glow in a bottle. Packed out with all the moisturising buzzwords parched skin craves, like hyaluronic acid and jojoba, vitamin E, vitamin C, and rosehip oil, the Amalfi Glow Drops include 100% natural DHA to lightly tan skin while leaving it plump and hydrated. The best thing is it was created with sensitive skin in mind, so you won’t find any fragrance or synthetic colours here. Thank god.

AESOP Sublime Replenishing Night Masque

Seeing as travel has started back up once again, this is a handy pot to have in your carry on. Slather on a layer while up in the air and arrive at your destination juicy and hydrated. Oh, and we’re suckers for an Aesop scent. This one is woody and resinous.

TARTE Tartelette Tubing Mascara

Not a single lash is safe with this one. Tarte has created a mascara that actually covers every lash, coating it in product for a lengthened and defined wink. Unlike others, this doesn’t weigh the hair down in pigment, rather it combs and conditions with the clinical studies to prove it.

NATASHA DENONA Mini Bronze Eyeshadow Palette

Carve out those lids with these warming shades. Natasha Denona delivers its popular Bronze Eyeshadow palette in mini form, perfect for nights out and bathroom touch-ups, or summers abroad where light-packing is the brief.

SULWHASOO Essential Comfort Firming Cream

Not for nothing, there’s a reason Sulwhasoo has become a fixture on our bathroom vanities. If you’re just beginning your journey with the Korean Beauty sensation, then start here. It’s Essential Comfort Firming Cream is here to stave off drooping, by strengthening skin’s elasticity. Basically, it does what it says on the box in the best way possible.

GUCCI The Alchemist’s Garden Tears From the Moon EDP

Always concept driven, Gucci Creative Director, Alessandro Michele has produced a floral scent to end them all. Dreamt up with the help of Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, Tears from the Moon calls on the free and joyful spirit of the dragonfly dipping in amongst the flowers. White peony forms a dewy base for scents like Lily of the Valley and Stephanotis to dance.

ENDOTA Australian Lemon Myrtle Heat Pillow and Australian Lavender Eye Pillow

Anything hot and weighted will always form a cosy core of my self care routine. Endota calls upon Australian Lemon Myrtle to uplift the spirit while lavender aids relaxation and kindles a sense of calm. Heat and use before bed, to relax sore muscles or as part of winding down in a yoga class.

OBVIOUS Une Figue

Fig can sometimes smell one-note, Obvious injects the scent with a note of surprise, pairing it with Mexican yellow mandarin, Italian Bergamot, French rosemary, eucalyptus, and vetiver. The result is a milky and warm fragrance that smells of summer abroad with your head in the fruit trees and your feet in the ocean.

YSL Pure Shots Lines Away & Shape Serum

Two sleek serums for two different jobs. The YSL Purse Shots Lines Away Serum utilises iris and hyaluronic acid to ease wrinkles and smooth skin while the Y Shape Serum is packed with peptides and barbary fig to tighten skin.

espressoh. OHMYGLOW Skin Tint

We’re always on the hunt for a lightweight base that still manages a bit of coverage. This one from Italian beauty brand espressoh. leaves skin looking perky and fresh, just like you after you’ve had your morning coffee. Although, unlike your morning coffee, this one comes without the cake.

BDK Tabac Rose

A rich spicy scent for wintry days. Spray this in your collar and sniff throughout the day as a comfort ritual. Heavy tobacco, labdanum and patchouli are layered with cinnamon and chocolate, while pink pepper, lemon and plum are added to brighten and refresh.

THE SECRET Night Cream

A secret worth sharing. This is considered the hero product from beauty company The Secret, and it has this rep for a reason. The cellular repair night cream is formulated with quality, prescription-strength ingredients, increasing cell turnover and encouraging youthful skin to spring up in its wake.

EMMA LEWISHAM Supernatural Sleeping Mask

Caring for you skin is easy when the only step you need to take is slapping on this hard worker and allowing it to do its thing overnight. What’s its thing exactly? While you doze, 22 active ingredients go into overdrive regenerating collagen, stimulating cell turnover, removing toxins and repairing the skin barrier. In the morning you’ll appear refreshed, bright and feeling good – Emma Lewisham is B Corp certified after all.

ESTEE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Gel Creme

If your area of concern is the under-eye area, begin a love affair with this eye cream classic. Dermatologist-tested and non-comedogenic, it’ll soon become your routine restock.

TRUDON Solis Rex Candle 

I’ve always found citrus to be a particularly potent scent in winter. Energising and uplifting, Trudon have paired orange with the earthy scent of eucalyptus and cedarwood to create a best-seller and household staple. Manufactured in Normandy by master candlemakers, we’ve never met a Trudon scent we didn’t like. Here’s your next obsession.

KMS Hair Play Dry Texture Spray

There’s no more depressing feeling than a flat hair day. Thankfully with the KMS Hair Play Dry Texture Spray, we can feel relief knowing that we can put these days behind us. The spray delivers long-lasting texture and airy volume without the chalky finish that comes with other sprays. The spray itself is also created using naturally derived Silica, which helps to absorb oil at the roots, as well as VP/VA Copolymer, peppermint and grape seed oil.

AMOUAGE Attar Orris Wakan EDP

Given its price point, our approach to this scent by Amouage is as a ritual for life at its polar ends: use it to emerge from a particularly bad funk or to heighten a golden moment. Massage the hazy musk and sandalwood into your pulse points and let it serve as an amulet against the biting cold.

LA MER The Micro Peel

La Mer is an enduring name in the beauty space for a reason. The Micro Peel is a light tingling solution to the build up of parched winter skin. Apply a layer on clean skin before bed, being careful to avoid the more sensitive areas of the face, and let it sit and work its magic, only to find yourself refreshed and rest in the morning. A handy hack for late nights or when you’re feeling run down.

CHANEL Le Vernis Fall Winter 2022

A Chanel manicure stands out from the crowd and by the time August rolls around, we could all use a little bit of that French je ne sais quoi. What with the drab winter blacks and greys, we found ourselves opting for Chanel’s classic Le Vernis nail polishes in these warm tones. Silky on application with the signature brush tip, it’s all in the details and this is one we keep coming back to.

L’OCCITANE Immortelle Reset Eye Serum

If eyes are the window to the soul then take dark circles as a sign that your soul needs some loving. Enter the Immortelle Reset Eye Serum from L’Occitane, a gentle friend to your delicate eye pouches. Formulated with 96% natural ingredients, consider it a kiss from gaia.

MAISON CRIVELLI Patchouli Magnetik

Dark and brooding with a touch of something tropical, as Maison Crivelli spins it, Patchouli Magnetik is like a “motorcycle ride through patchouli fields during a tropical storm”. Don’t tell me anymore, we’ll take 10.

SUMMER FRIDAYS R+R Mask

Winter is more manageable with the thick, emollient mask from Summer Fridays. Finely ground rose powder gently buffs away dead skin while Argan, safflower, sesame, avocado and grapeseed oil leave skin feeling soft and supple. We love the fat tube too, as it takes a minute to polish off this skincare pal.

MINENSSEY O-Polish Enzyme Resurfacing Mask

Minenssey calls on dermatologist-approved ingredients like Glycolic and Salicylic Acid to gently exfoliate skin and minimise the appearance of pores, in an affordable and highly effective mask. Our kind of mid-week pick-me-up.

The post RUSSH Loves: Beauty Favourites from August 2022 appeared first on RUSSH.

Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Eye Crème

We’re yet to meet an Emma Lewisham product we don’t like. This B Corp certified business has a dedicated place on our beauty shelves and for those who found themselves stocking up on its Skin Reset serum, then meet your new obsession: Skin Reset Eye Crème. It’s a hardworking formula that delves deeper into the epidermis to deliver a powerful punch of antioxidants, stimulating collagen production and making your undereyes look hydrated and juicy.

Oribe Très Set Structure Spray

For those who are serious about hair styling, try this setting spray from Oribe on for size. It lifts all the best things about old-school setting spray, reimagining it into a more versatile product that offers structure, density and shine. What makes it unique is the formula itself, which is emitted as a light spray, gentling foaming so you can see where you’ve sprayed, then dissolving as you work in the product.

Chanel Les Beiges Oversize Healthy Glow Sun-Kissed Powder

Chanel has managed to condense summer skin into a XXL compact. We love to see it, more importantly we love to use it. Especially as winter has stolen all the colour from our skin. We love its texture, neither cream or powder, and have to restrain ourselves from brushing it everywhere. Seriously.

Go-To Much Plumper Skin

Nothing gets the blood pumping like news of a new product from Go-To. Dropping earlier in May, this is another to add to your millennial pink arsenal. It’s a hydrating serum that boasts four different types of hyaluronic acids – a powerful humectant that draws water to the skin. Like most, a little goes a long way and this one is sealed with peptides and provitamin B5 to plump that skin to the gods.

Goldfield & Banks Purple Suede

As longtime readers will know, the RUSSH team are selective when it comes to the scents they bring into their world. But when we stumbled across Purple Suede by Goldfield & Banks it was love. A warm, amber scent that transports us to European summers, this hypnotic fragrance is a love letter to lavender, Tasmanian lavender specifically. Paired with leather, moss, oud and patchouli from Indonesia, we feel ourselves gravitating toward this moody scent as an amulet against winter.

 Lou Lou Lips Cova Lipstick

Above all, beauty is about feeling good. The Cova Lipstick from Melbourne-based label Lou Lou Lips is here to bring about that feeling in more ways than one. Yes, it’s the perfect shade of wine-red and is universally flattering, but the brand has pledged to donate the equivalent of one menstrual cup with every lipstick sold in a bid to quash period poverty across countries throughout Africa.

Dior Eden-Roc Eau De Parfum

Our minds, hearts and noses are anchored somewhere in the mediterranean this June, it seems. And Dior is more than happy to facilitate our yearning. Its Eden-Roc fragrance is an expressive ode to the French Riviera and its coastline of luxury hotels, specifically the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Salty like the ocean and with a touch of pine, it’s deliberately simple – just the way we like it.

Christian Tortu Tuberose

We’re always here for a candle with a 45 hour burning time, especially when it smells this good. For those who are easily seduced by the scent of rose, then behold this bad boy from Christian Tortu. Ushering the natural into your home, Christian Tortu is renowned for its off-kilter scents, removing all niceties and showcasing the ingredients as they present themselves in nature.

Votary Super Glow Mask

We’ll leap on any opportunity to lean into self care, starting with this Super Glow Mask from Votary. From the outset it distinguishes itself from other masks in its serum-like packaging, a godsend for those deterred by having to smear product on your face. Instead, this mask is lightweight, packed with salicylic acid to gently exfoliate while avocado and peach oil condition. Carry this around as a post-flight ritual now that we’re travelling again.

Be Fraiche The Seed Face Oil 

You don’t need us to tell you that winter can be rough on the skin. At RUSSH we’re all navigating changing skin due to the cooler temperature and for Designer Teressia Carr this face oil has been aiding with her dry nose. It’s packed full of fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins to soothe redness and be a calming essential for those with sensitive skin.

Joico K-PAK Reconstructing Shampoo 

Another low of winter is the impact scalding hot showers and heavy-handed heat-styling can have on your locks. Enter this shampoo (and conditioner if you’re keen) from Joico. It’s a drugstore essential to have in your kit when your hair is feeling sad. Formulated with Keratin and Guajava Fruit Extract, slather this rich shampoo through your hair and find it significantly improved.

Boy De Chanel Eyebrow Pencil

The perfect eyebrow pencil is one you can carry around and preferably one with a spoolie brush attached. That and we want long-lasting pigment. Chanel’s waterproof formula is one we continue to return to. After all, we have no time for ashy types prone to smudging. Tuck it in your handbag and file it away as you drift from day to night.

Sundae Green Tea Exfoliating Body Wash 

Your daily consumption of greens shouldn’t just be reserved for your belly. Show your body some leafy-green love too with this Green Tea Exfoliating Body Wash from Sundae. It does all the essentials – clearing away dead skin and unclogging pores – but with an energising scent and a foamy consistency that makes cleaning yourself quite fun?

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum

Caudalie has been nothing but good to our skin and it’s Vinoperfect Radiance Serum is simply another entry as to why. Apply morning and evening and see it work its magic on pigmentation, dark spots and unwanted texture.

Davines OI Silkening Hair Scent

We want pretty smelling hair only. Davines delivers on this with its OI Silkening Hair Scent that somehow makes your hair smell expensive without weighing it down with unnecessary oils. It’s going on the top shelf, thank you very much.

Dr. Naomi Gently Gently & Walk of Shine Cleaners

We’ve been enamoured with Dr. Naomi’s range of cleaners this June, enjoying the fact that there’s a different option for dry and sensitive skin and those with combination and oily skin. If you sit in the former camp, we suggest Gently Gently, a thicker texture containing Cucumber Hydrosol it’s here to soothe inflamed and compromised skin and restore it to its most hydrated self. For the latter, try Walk of Shine which is built to deliver a deep yet gentle cleanse so as not to disturb the skin’s natural moisture balance.

Nars Summer Unrated Eyeshadow Palette

All of Nars greatest hits have been compiled into this cocktail of matte, glitter and shimmery eyeshadows. There’s favourites like Orgasm, Laguna and Taj Mahal, alongside various other neutral, bronze and pink shades. Dubbed Nars’ largest eyeshadow palette yet, this one is limited edition so run don’t walk.

Sisley Phyto-Lèvres Perfect No.1 Nude

Lined lips aren’t new, but boy have I been leaning into the look recently. This satin liner from Sisley is the perfect nude and plays well with a simple lip gloss to elicit a my-lips-but-better result. Plus, we love that it’s dual ended – the mini brush comes in handy more often than you’d think.

Chanel Sublimage L’essence Renewing Eye Serum

As someone with eyes that appear perpetually tired, this eye serum from Chanel brings me back to the land of the living better than any coffee could. Designed to complement its buttery eye cream, Sublimage La Crème Yeux, both products work in tandem to minimise lines, diminish the appearance of dark circles and puffiness resulting in brighter, more alert eyes.

Smashbox x Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector

Many tears were shed when it was announced Becca would be closing shop. Not least because where would we go to source our Champagne Pop highlighters and that inimitable brightening corrector? Well, the answer none of us expected is Smashbox. We’ll go to Smashbox. The original Becca formula has found a new home at the American beauty company to the collective cheer of makeup fanatics the world over. See, miracles do happen!

Innisfree Jeju Root Energy Mask

An affordable mask offering five different hyaluronic complexes that naturally occur in root vegetables sourced from South Korea’s famous Jeju Island. It uplifts your skin and initiates glow. Plus, for those wary of sheet masks and their environmental impact, this one is crafted with eucalyptus and bamboo cellulose.

The post RUSSH Loves: Beauty Favourites from June 2022 appeared first on RUSSH.

What are clean beauty brands?

Broadly speaking, clean beauty products are made without ingredients proven or suspected to harm the skin and/or environment they are produced in. While it is a largely unregulated term, which is what makes it different to organic beauty, natural ingredients are the dominant form used in the formulation of the products, with this often extended to the packaging of the product – some may be refillable, or even coming without casing and rather being a solid bar form.

Emma Lewisham

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New Zealand brand Emma Lewisham is renowned for its conscious attitude towards beauty and packaging, offering refillable products and intimately concocted formulations.

No. 1 de Chanel

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The latest innovation from Chanel Beauty, No. 1 de Chanel taps into the clean beauty market through its considered product formulation, range and refillable beauty options.

Milk Makeup

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For those on the hunt for a clean beauty brand that doesn’t compromise on quality, look no further than Milk Makeup.

Kosas

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Using clean-treatment ingredients, Kosas are a favourite of those seeking clean, vegan beauty product options in the ever-growing market.

RMS Beauty

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A favourite to the likes of Alexa Chung and Sofia Coppola, RMS Beauty is a certified cruelty-free brand focusing on consciously crafted products.

Olaplex

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Let’s not forget about those working in the hair product space, with Olaplex leading the way in clean beauty brands for your hair.

Conserving Beauty

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Having recently launched, this Australian brand is best known for its dissolvable exfoliating makeup wipes, minimising waste, alongside a slew of considered clean beauty products we’re eagerly adding to our carts.

Kjaer Weis

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Kjaer Weis is a Danish brand employing natural, organic ingredients without compromising on quality.

Bite Beauty

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Celebrating its 10th anniversary since launching in 2012, Canada’s Bite Beauty employs vegan ingredients in its cruelty and gluten-free product range.

Biossance

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Clean skincare is embodied by the Biossance brand, lovingly crafted with the planet front of mind throughout all aspects of production and formulation.

Youth to The People

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A cult favourite clean beauty brand, Youth to the People is a pro-grade vegan skincare brand utilising superfood ingredients in the makeup of products.

Ethique

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New Zealand brand Ethique are perhaps best known for the shampoo bars, minimising waste and produced using eco-friendly ingredients that are beneficial for the planet and your skin.

LYS Beauty

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Committed to sustainability and plant-based ingredients, LYS beauty cater to all skin types, textures and tones in their thoroughly considered product range.

Image: Instagram

The post 13 clean beauty brands to know from local labels to Canada’s best appeared first on RUSSH.

If you haven’t heard the term ‘carbon positive’ before, I’m not surprised. It’s a rare instance where a brand offsets more carbon than it produces – and Emma Lewisham has officially become the world’s first beauty brand to achieve this milestone. Through over 1000 hours of work, the Emma Lewisham team has ensured every product is designed for 100 percent circularity and is also labelled with a carbon footprint number.

This marks a huge step forward in the journey to a sustainable future, as Emma Lewisham has made the decision to share the intellectual property and research behind the groundbreaking announcement with her competitors – free of charge. For the company and for Emma herself, this is more than a business decision, it’s a heart-felt one.

“To make the change and to have the impact that we need as an industry, we need scale, and we’re only one brand. The more brands that do it, the more chance we have to have a positive impact and change the world,” she explains.

We caught up with Emma ahead of the announcement – via Zoom of course – she’s currently living life in lockdown, tucked away in Auckland. Even through a virtual meet, it’s hard not to feel revitalised by her effervescent optimism and hope for the future amidst a world that ordinarily only has distressing climate news to share. She told us all about how she got her business to this place – “it was very hard!” – what more consumers need to know, and what her own beauty routine looks like.

In your words, what is carbon positive and how it’s different to being carbon neutral?

We proudly announced that we’re the first carbon positive beauty range, and the first to now label every product with carbon footprint numbers. We also now have a 100% circular-design beauty model. 

To achieve the carbon positive certification we worked for over 12 months with world-leading carbon certification agency to measure the carbon emissions of every decision we make across each stage of our product lifecycle. That includes our growing; our shipping, and our packaging and end-of-life. What the process allowed was for us to understand for all of our products the amount of carbon emitted to create them. It offered insight and empowered us with the information to reduce the carbon emitted. You can’t change what you don’t know of course. 

What it means is that we’re now taking more carbon emissions out of the atmosphere that we’re putting in. Carbon negative and carbon positive are the same thing: carbon neutral is that you’re just offsetting carbon emissions that you’ve created. We’ve done more. 

How did you manage to do this? How is it possible and what was the process?

I don’t think it’s impossible at all to measure the carbon across your whole lifestage of your product. It’s hard work, absolutely, but it’s not impossible, and it comes down to how hard you want to work. 

It took us over 1000 hours to do so, because you’re understanding essentially every product that we’ve ever produced and where they’ve been transported to, as well as the amount of distance that they were shipped or air freighted. We understood and had to understand – and it was very hard – 150 ingredients that we use and where they come from. In order to find that out, it’s a lot of hard work for 150 individual suppliers, or going to the wholesalers who may hold 30 of them. Getting that information from the beauty industry has come with the veil of secrecy for a long time. There was a lot of pushing for that information. 

It’s not impossible, it’s very very hard. Why I think our achievement for us is so rewarding is because it’s not an easy feat to do. There’s not many brands globally, not even in beauty, that have measured at a product-level their carbon emissions and can associate a carbon number. But if we don’t do so, how do we understand what we need to fix and change as a business? You don’t, right? You’re stumbling the dark. We now know where we’re emitting a lot of carbon and what work we have to do to reduce it.

For example, in the transportation of our supply chain, we could see that Australia is our largest market and we air freight from New Zealand because our warehouse is here, so as soon as we could see the amount of carbon that was emitting, we recognised we needed to understand that we had to set up a warehouse in Sydney, where our largest market is, and we ship our products over there and then transport them within Australia.

Seeing this information empowers businesses to improve the way they work. Essentially every business right now has a role to bring down carbon emission, and that has to be the North Star for every responsible business. If you don’t have the information, how do you know how to improve the way you do things?

It’s a lot of hard work, but we have the responsibility as a business to do that hard work.

Did you ever get stuck and think it can’t happen?

No. I didn’t. 

There were times when it was feeling really hard and we couldn’t get certain information, or that it was really complex to calculate, but we’ve got really talented people in our business and in our team, and the organisations we worked with on the certification process. We were a team that came together to problem solve this. We wanted to do something really great and set a benchmark for this industry and show this was possible. 

We have shown it is possible, and we’re also willing to offer all beauty brands this insight into how we did this by offering our IP to this industry.

Why share it for free?

To be honest, I think it comes from me being a generous person. It’s a heartfelt decision. We don’t feel threatened in doing so. We feel that if anything, it would help raise more awareness of the importance of refillable products and circularity. To make the change and to have the impact that we need as an industry, we need scale, and we’re only one brand. The more brands that do it, the more chance we have to have a positive impact and change the world.

What are some of the hidden environmental costs in the beauty industry? The ones people don’t think about.

I think that the packaging aspect – people not realising that beauty packaging is not being recycled curbside, and that the economics are not there to do it so it’s rubbish going to landfill or being burned – if we’re going to solve the carbon issue in beauty, we have to solve the packaging issue.

At the moment, there’s 120 billion units of packaging created annually in the beauty industry and it’s going to waste essentially, it’s not being recycled and it’s the largest carbon emitter. I don’t think that people realise that. Why we’re championing and why it has to be a circular model in the future where all brands and all products are refillable – not just one, all – and brands take ownership of that at end-of-life and prioritise reusing [packaging], and redistributing it. And if they can’t, recycling it. 

We’ve got material that comes back to us. Of that material, if it’s not damaged or broken, 78 percent of it we can sterilise and reuse. Only 12% of that at the moment goes to recycling which we pay for to make sure it is recycled.

I feel that if you look at what other big stores are doing, I don’t want those recycling programs to let brands off the hook for not prioritising refill and reuse. Recycling has to be the last resort. Reduce, reuse and then recycle. 

It’s all science-led as well. We’re not making this up! That’s the only concern we have with [retail recycling programs]. I think they’re important, and I’m not talking them down, but it can’t be the priority.

How does packaging return work?

In the case of Australia, there are two ways. Firstly, all of our products you can buy refillable. You can buy the skin reset serum, and then ongoing, you buy a refillable pod which has 74% less carbon emissions. It has a carbon number lower than the original.

Once you finish with that material, we give you within your order a return shipping label for free which comes up on our website as an option, and explains why and what the program is about. You then add that to your order, you get your new products, pop your old in there and drop it off. You don’t have to do anything else, we make it easy for you to return that material. It then comes to our Sydney warehouse and we filter it, and anything that is damaged that has to be recycled and done so via Terracycle. Then it’s put on a ship back to New Zealand where there is capacity – only if there’s space because it’s not urgent so we don’t create any excess shipments – we bring it back to our lab, sterilise it and clean it, and then put it back in our supply chain for reuse.

That’s how you do it.

Also, excitingly, David Jones from the end of October will be having dedicated Emma Lewisham Beauty Cycle box. That means you can return your Emma Lewisham material to David Jones. They’re really championing the work we’re doing and are fully behind it. Despite them having a Terracycle box, next to it they have Emma Lewisham Beauty Cycle. Ours is about reuse, the others are about recycle. We’re really educating retailers on these moves. We want to make it so accessible for our consumers to understand and be part of. We put a lot of time into the processes of our businesses to do so.

What is your position on plastics?

I don’t think plastic is the problem, it’s how we use it. If we reuse the plastic we’ve brought into the world and it’s not ending up in our oceans or waste, there’s a lot of benefits to plastic.

It’s very durable, very usable, doesn’t break easily and it’s very light so there are a lot of benefits to the material. It’s not the material that’s evil, it’s how humans use it, and how brands don’t see it as precious and use it as a take, make, waste approach. We’re going to collect it back from our customers and value it and reuse it. 

For us, our goal is to use no virgin material, and within the skin reset serums or the day creams, the inner pod is made of a minimum of 30% recycled plastic, and that can go up to 100%. That’s to do with what’s viable at this point. Where we’re pushing our manufacturers is that all of that packaging is made from recycled materials for that story of circularity and what we’ve already created.

A lot of packaging is made via fossil fuel, so as an industry, let’s reuse what we’ve created and push these manufacturers with our collective voices to start reusing material and to make recyclable products. That’s now where we’re heading: to increase the recycled material in our products.

Where we manufacture our products and our boxes, they’re manufactured with 100% renewable energy, so in that area we’re doing a really great job. We’re looking at what we can do now and going forward.

We also have a carbon number on our products which is an admission that we’re adding carbon. We have to take ownership for that and there’s still work we have to do. We’re not saying we’re perfect, but we’re saying we need to tackle this problem and do the hard work that’s required.

What’s next for the brand?

We’re really doubling down on our focus in Australia. We set up our warehouse in Australia and we’ll expand there. We’ll also launch in Net-a-Porter in a week’s time, and we’ll be the only New Zealand brand and the youngest brand ever on the site, which is cool! We’re increasing our distribution and launching in the United States, and we have new products coming out which are also refillable. 

When it comes to new products, we are mindful of that triangle of reduce: we only bring out a product if we feel it’s different and can be category defining, and offers something that isn’t already on the market. 

We have a big range as you know, but we have a few products that we’re bringing out really in response to customers who say they love our brand and our ethos and our circular model, and then ask for an eye cream which we don’t have. We’re filling gaps in our range and working hard to our goals of sustainability. We want to reduce the amount of virgin and fossil packaging we use and embracing our sustainability practices. We’re loving doing it, and we’re running our own race as a business.

If brands are really serious about climate change – and that is to say carbon emissions – they need to have circularity and measuring their carbon numbers and carbon footprints on their agenda.

What does you skincare and wellness routine look like?

Skincare-wise, I cleanse with our Illuminating Cleanser in the morning and then use our Skin Reset Serum and our take on the day cream which is SPF30 and 100% natural and meets Australia and New Zealand testing standards. It’s super important that we test in our markets. Big advocate of wearing daily sun protection. I exercise nearly every day, 6 days a week I run and I love it. It’s the one thing that helps me to decompress and I love listening to podcasts like Brené Brown and Oprah Soul Sessions. I get a lot of “me time” from that.

Then in the evenings, up until 7pm I’m really busy with my daughter getting her fed and bathed, and reading books and doing things together. Then I spend time with my husband and I’m normally in bed by 9pm reading. I love to read on all sorts of subjects like business, sustainability, women’s wellness. I live a really simple life and have a plant-based diet. I don’t drink a lot of coffee, and probably have like one alcoholic drink per month. I drink a lot of water and that really sums me up. Nothing complicated; really core basics in terms of my health and wellbeing. Lots of sleep and mediation. 

What are your favourite products from the range?

The Skin Reset Serum was our original product and was in the top three selling products at David Jones. It’s one of our favourites. When I was looking for a product to combat hyperpigmentation, and I couldn’t find a product that solved that that didn’t come at a compromise. A lot of those products are really toxic, particularly hydroquinone which I had been using.

The Skin Reset Serum is proven independently in biomedical tests and outperforms competitors by being 100 percent natural. It changes the picture of the skin, and I think it has made the biggest difference on my skin. I had terrible hyperpigmentation and it has given me a lot of confidence.

All of our products take a least two years to produce and we think about what we want to solve and how to create the very best products we can.

What can more consumers understand about the beauty industry?

I think they need to understand that when it comes to products efficacy, one thing we really believe in is backing up independently – ensuring that a product does what we say it does. We do independent testing to make sure it’s efficacious. I feel that there’s more that’s needed from other brands in the industry so consumers can look for that. That can be an area of the industry that’s a little bit loose. 

Consumers should also be able to ask and understand what happens to products at end-of-life, and if brands have take-back programs and ask what happens to the material that they’re finished with and where it’s going to go. Start to question brands a bit more and question everything. Ask who’s responsible so they can take a little bit of ownership and take a more critical eye.

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