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Managing acne, particularly the cystic variety caused by hormones, can be quite an insufferable ordeal. Couple that with various other allergies and sensitivities, and you’ve got skin that’s a real pain to deal with. I’ve been there – in fact, I am still there, so you have my utmost sympathy. Curating an effective skincare routine is akin to conducting a science experiment, but after nearly a decade of playing chemist, I feel like I’ve assembled quite the reliable team of products to help my skin out.
In addition to using lightweight, fragrance-free formulas and salicylic acid treatments, facial oils have also made a remarkable difference in my turbulent complexion. Now, we tend to think of oils as the archenemy of clear skin, but what I’ve seen from my trials prove otherwise. Not all facial oils are created equal, though. A key factor that makes some oils work particularly well on breakout-prone skin is the ratio of linoleic acid to oleic acid in its chemical composition.
What the hell are linoleic acid and oleic acid?
Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid that’s also known as omega-9 fatty acid. Linoleic acid, on the other hand, is an unsaturated fatty acid often referred to as an omega-6 fatty acid. Stay with me. According to a medical study, patients who suffered from acne were found to have low levels of linoleic acid in the surface of their skin lipids.
What happens when skin is deficient in linoleic acid?
When our skin lacks linoleic acid, the sebum produced sort of coagulates and becomes tacky, and that sticky substance clogs up pores, transforming the area into an ideal breeding ground for breakouts. This is why we need to supplement our skin with oils that are rich in linoleic acid.
Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all remedy when it comes to something as subjective as skin, so even if a facial oil blend is high in linoleic acid, doesn’t mean it’s going to perform miracles. Keep in mind that stress, diet, genetics (oh I KNOW it’s frustrating), and hormonal imbalance are a few major factors of acne too. Until you’ve narrowed down to the root cause of your breakouts, here are 5 facial oils that seek to soothe, strengthen, and restore balance to your complexion.

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Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil
Grapeseed oil comes highly recommended for regulating your natural oil production, and Fresh’s Seaberry Face Oil has it. It’s mixed with several other lightweight oils such as sea buckthorn, cranberry seed, camellia seed, and sweet almond – all loaded with nourishing omegas and antioxidants to give your skin a quick surge of moisture (yes, oily skin can be dehydrated too). It absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave an uncomfortable, tacky residue behind.
$84, available from Sephora

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Herbivore Botanicals Lapis Oil-Balancing Azulene-Infused Facial Oil
This blend features a good amount of coconut oil, which is incredibly surprising since this ingredient is notorious for clogging up pores (it contains way more oleic acid than linoleic). The glowing reviews, however, beg to differ. Perhaps balancing it out with kukui nut oil and jojoba oil creates the perfect formula to suit our troublesome skin needs. It’s also tinted deep blue thanks to the Blue Tansy oil that carries Azulene, a potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial component that helps reduce redness and clear up congested complexions.
$41 for 8ml, $112 for 50ml; available from Sephora

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Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil
Ah, rosehip oil, my love… It’s certainly not the first time I’ve raved about this, and it definitely won’t be the last. Rosehip oil is a light, almost “dry” oil that’s able to balance out acne-prone complexions due to its higher linoleic to oleic acid ratio, and it’s also a NYLON team favourite (okay, so there’s really only two of us). Rich in both vitamin C and retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A, it doesn’t just repair your skin’s epidermal layer – it lightens unsightly acne scars too. An all-round winner in my book. If you’re looking for an affordable option that truly works, pick this one up, stat.
$42, available at Watsons and zalora.sg (pssst, it’s on offer now).

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MV Organic Skincare Rose Plus Booster
Under the influence of Emma Watson’s beauty routine, I forked out an exorbitant amount for this luxurious facial oil. If you have sensitive, acne-prone skin like myself, this is undoubtedly one of the best options out there. There’s rosehip oil and jojoba oil to soothe and strengthen the skin’s barrier, as well as an aromatic combination of rose and geranium essential oils. When I used this for the first time, the redness on my cheeks, around my nose, and from the mild breakout I had was visibly reduced, so imagine what happened with just a couple more uses.
£72.00, available on cultbeauty.co.uk

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John Masters Organics Pomegranate Facial Nourishing Oil
Pomegranate seed oil doesn’t just contain a higher amount of linoleic acid, there’s also an omega 5 fatty acid present, known as punicic acid. This powerful antioxidant reduces skin inflammation, aids in skin repair, hydrates and prevents moisture loss. Even better, it’s combined with evening primrose oil – another linoleic acid-rich ingredient that helps balance out sebum production, thereby reducing breakouts. If you’re allergic to lavender oil though, make sure you steer clear of this one.
$49, available from budcosmetics.com
 
Main image: @glossier

At the beginning of this year,  Instagram posts from backstage of New York Fashion Week brought to us a very intriguing product indeed: an upcoming liquid eyeliner that was made to resemble a pizza cutter.
 

New eye liner alert! #AW17 #NYFW @MACCosmetics sneak peek! ❤❤❤ A roller liquid liner for razor sharp definition. Pizza cutter sharpness 🍕#MACCosmetics #MACBackstage #MACFWArtist #MakeupByMichael

A post shared by Michael Patterson (@makeupbymichael) on Feb 7, 2017 at 9:47pm PST

#AW17 #NYFW @MACCosmetics Sneak Peek! Check out the spinning wheel applicator in action! #Smooth #Precise #Sharp 🍕 #MACCosmetics #MACBackstage #MACFWArtist #MakeupByMichael

A post shared by Michael Patterson (@makeupbymichael) on Feb 8, 2017 at 2:59pm PST

A pizza cutter?!! 🍕 Okay, the M.A.C Rollerwheel isn’t going to slice through your eyelids, obviously, but what it is is a liquid eyeliner with a revolutionary applicator: a thin round wheel that you use by rolling the edge over the eyes. This means that the eyeliner goes on ultra-thin, and yes, you’re essentially applying it with a hard plastic edge.

The M.A.C Rollerwheel finally landed on our desks last week, and of course, all of the eyeliner-wearing people in the NYLON team jumped at the chance to give it a try. It comes in 4 shades: matte black, shiny black, brown, and electric blue.
 

 
A quick try of the roller wheel applicator showed that indeed, it was able to draw extremely thin lines. But obviously, how it feels on the back of the hand can’t be compared to how it performs on the eyes. So, will roller wheels be the next big thing in eyeliner, or should they just be kept for cutting pizza? Here are our reviews.

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Adele Chan, Editor-in-Chief
WHAT IS THIS?
I think this is going to be one of the most polarising beauty products of the year. M.A.C’s new Rollerwheel liquid eyeliner is exactly what its name implies — it’s a liquid eyeliner with a roller wheel for a tip. To line eyes, you roll the wheel along your eyelid, and it will supposedly paint on a smooth, intense, liquid line. It’s meant to be fast and easy to use, and there’s already a lot of hype about it online.
I TRIED IT AND…
I injured myself. I rolled the wheel too close to my eyeball and yup…I scratched the surface of it. It was sharp, and it was painful. The accident made me tear for the next five minutes, and I eventually had to wipe off and redo my entire eye makeup for the day. I know I should have been more careful, but the roller wheel was hard to control; it had a mind of its own and rolled a path straight into my eyeball. There’s no way in hell I’m going to try this product again. When I returned to my brush pen eyeliner, the smooth, soft tip felt like heaven. HEAVEN!
ON YOUTUBE VIDEOS:
See here: This vlogger keeps saying how fast and easy it is to use this roller eyeliner, but watch how she applies the product, and look carefully at the lines she has drawn… they don’t look smooth at all, and I can actually see her struggling to control the tip to draw a straight line. She ends her review by saying that if you’re not really good at applying liquid liner, this is a good way to get started. WRONG! This is a terrible way to get started. A brush pen with a tip that is not too soft and not too hard is the best way to get started. I currently think this one from Chanel is the best in the market right now.
RATING: 1 out of 5 wheels.
 
Tami Lai, Associate Editor
LIQUID EYELINER REALLY IS MY THING:
I’d like to think I’m pretty good at doing my eyeliner. After all, it’s been a daily routine for a few years now, so at this point, I can line my eyes with a variety of liner types: pen, brush, crayon, thick, thin… all without taking too long.
HOW IT FARED:
This M.A.C Rollerwheel, however, completely delayed my makeup routine. Somehow, I just was unable to get the rollerwheel to draw smooth curves along my upper lashlines – all I got were crooked, patchy lines, no matter how steady my hands were. When I tried to draw in the flicks, it became even harder to control, and I ended up drawing a much larger wing than I originally intended. After about 15 minutes of frustrating removal and reapplication, I gave up, and just grabbed my regular eyeliner to get the job done, so I could finally leave the house.
IS IT BEGINNER-SAFE?
Maybe I don’t have the skills of the vloggers and makeup artists who have been putting up videos of themselves very effortlessly using the Rollerwheel Liner, but a liquid liner should never require the skills of a pro to use properly. And if someone like me, who lines with liquid liner pretty much every day, can’t get it right, then eyeliner beginners shouldn’t even go near this product.
RATING: 2 out of 5 wheels.
 
Amelia Tan, Associate Editor
EXPECTATION:
To be honest, liquid eyeliners that we review mostly look the same, with a pen or brush tip in some slim black packaging, but the idea of the “pizza wheel-style” of the M.A.C Rollerwheel intrigued me; is this little tool boldly going where no others have gone before, is this the new future of beauty innovation? Yeah, I tend to be optimistic about these things. On paper, this sounds like a godsend — we’re supposed to get a smooth line with fuss-free and quick application. When I tried it out on the back of my hand, I was impressed at the incredibly thin line it produced, which became smudge-proof in no time. Ooh, fingers crossed!
REALITY:
Okay, so… I’ll try to be fair here, but I have to say, things did not go well. At all. I was genuinely excited while holding the product in my hand, but on my first roll, I went way past where I usually draw my line without meaning to. It was also rather difficult to navigate the curvature of my eyelid too, since the wheel favours straight lines. The good thing though is that a wing tip was slightly easier to achieve (create a triangle at the edge of your eye), and it does create a dark, intense black.
Still, I cleaned off the edges and started again, but because I took so long, the liquid had already dried on my wheel and went on patchy and flaky. Sigh, that’s another redo… I then scrambled for an instruction manual of some sort, then thought, hey, why does an eyeliner need to come with instructions? That’s a clear sign the product isn’t as intuitive as beauty bloggers have lauded it to be. I’m supposed to feel confident, not doubt my mastery of makeup!
Of course I refused to be belittled by it, so I then used it over the next three days. The verdict? While I got used to the motion (apparently, rocking it back and forth makes it more controlled), I felt constantly worried about how it will turn out, and no way should your daily eyeliner be a scary experience. Plus, I realised it coats my lashes and makes filling small in-between spaces more tedious than it should be.
SHOULD YOU GET IT?
It’s truly innovative — we’ve never heard anything quite like this before. And if you’re confident of creating defined lines, along with the graphic look, go ahead. For beginners and amateurs though, I’d say, go to a M.A.C store and try it for yourself before investing in this one.
RATING: 2 out of 5 wheels.
 
M.A.C Rollerwheel Liquid Liner, $36. Available at M.A.C stores and counters from 3 August 2017. maccosmetics.com.sg

With a slew of innovative makeup blending tools on the market, a newcomer really has to stand out to garner everyone’s attention. At this point, we’ve seen makeup sponges of every kind, but there’s also a set of tools that may feel primitive to us, but they’re pretty darn effective at blending out our foundation and concealer seamlessly. Yup, we’re talking about our fingertips.
Don’t believe us? Even makeup legends Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury and Tom Pecheux swear by their own skilled hands to create a natural, even finish on the skin. So with that in mind, Smashbox Cosmetics made a new applicator that’s shaking up the blending tool game yet again. The brand combined the hygienic, waste-less feature of a silicone makeup sponge with a grooved texture that’s similar to that of a fingerprint.

These 2 make such a great couple! Introducing the Photo Filter #GelCushion Applicator, with fingertip-like grooves that grab and blend #StudioSkin Foundation. It has a flexible texture and a diamond shape that reaches every angle of your face. Available now on smashbox.com!

A post shared by Smashbox Cosmetics (@smashboxcosmetics) on Jul 21, 2017 at 7:31pm PDT

 
Dubbed “The Photo Filter: Gel Cushion Applicator”, this gel-like cushion sponge is reportedly equipped with a flexible nature and a diamond shape that contours to reach every plateau of your face. From our first look at the applicator, it seems like a pretty arbitrary way of accomplishing what you could do with the hands you were born with or with any other makeup sponge, so this might be yet another feeble attempt to reinvent the wheel.
Similar to every silicone makeup applicator out there, it’ll probably give you a fairly decent finish without wasting a drop of foundation – and it sure beats using your dirty fingers, too. If you’d like to try it out yourself, you can purchase one from the brand’s website.
 
Smashbox The Photo Filter: Gel Cushion Applicator, US$20. Available from smashbox.com. 
Main image: @smashboxcosmetics

How far brow makeup has come in the past couple of years. Filling in your arches is now no longer the straightforward process of just putting a pencil to them; the insane amount of variety we now enjoy when it comes to makeup means that there’s also the option of using powders, liquids and waxes to get your brows looking, as they like to say, “on fleek”.
 

via GIPHY

 
Yet, with options, brows don’t seem to have gotten any easier to master. In fact, with more ways to draw them in, there’s actually more room for mistakes, especially with all the fancy new formulas that are difficult for a relative amateur to master. Those waxes all your favourite beauty YouTubers like to use? In an untrained hand, they could go very, very wrong indeed.
So, let us make the case for the humblest of brow tools: the brow pencil. Sure, it may not be as exciting as a fancy brow palette, but it has the one trait that might be the most important one of all: it’s easy to use.
Whether you’re an absolute brow newbie or someone who has her brow routine down pat, Revlon’s ColorStay Brow Pencil is a solid option, to perform the straightforward task of filling, defining and sculpting your arches.

In 4 shades: Blonde, Auburn, Soft Brown and Soft Black.
 
As you can see, it has two very important traits we need in our brow pencils: one, an angled tip that can draw in the precise lines and doesn’t require sharpening, and two, a spoolie brush on the other end to tame brow hairs, and spread the colour evenly.
 

With Revlon’s ColorStay Brow Pencil, your brow routine is kept straightforward and mistake-proof – as it should be.
 
The beauty of a brow pencil really is in how the formula will never go onto your skin too strongly, and leave you in a Crayon Shin-chan kind of situation. And with the spoolie, blending out the colour properly is just a matter of a few quick strokes.
And more importantly, this formula won’t melt off. It’s waterproof and longwearing, promising to stay on for 24 hours – because to quote a member of the NYLON team: Heaven forbid one be left browless.
 
Revlon ColorStay Brow Pencil, $19.90. Available at selected Watsons, Guardian, Sasa and major department stores, and lazada.sg. facebook.com/revlonsingaporeofficial

The warm eyeshadow trend had been bubbling for some time now, but it’s clear that it was this month’s launch of the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette that single-handedly brought this look to the forefront; suddenly, warm tones are all everyone wants to wear on their eyes.
As we’ve established, it’s a tricky look to nail (hence our handy guide here), but this doesn’t mean our rediscovered love for warm eyeshadow palettes is in any way diminished. Thanks to the Naked Heat, all the new eye colours we’ve been picking up recently all belong to the warmer side of the spectrum. Do we need so many? Maybe not, but since when was buying makeup a logical process? Ahead, more palette options to fan the flames. 🔥🔥🔥

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NYX Professional Makeup Perfect Filter Shadow Palette in Rustic Antique
$32, available at NYX Professional Makeup stores and Sephora.

Like the Naked Heat, this NYX Professional Makeup palette holds shades in shimmer, metallic and matte finishes. Other than that, the warm shades are more orangey, with a metallic yellow and brown to mix things up a bit.
 
Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Clay Palette
$72, available at Sephora.


If you find it hard to stray too far from the familiar neutrals, this Tarte palette is a good middle ground. Most of it is made up of the “safer” shades like taupe, nudes and bronzes, with a few warmer hues like a peach, chestnut brown and aubergine (Sweetheart, Rebel and Leader) to slowly introduce into your eyeshadow routine.
 
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette
US$42, available at anastasiabeverlyhills.com.

This ABH palette has often been compared to the Naked Heat. We’ve tried both, and UD’s is more rooted in the orange/terracotta family, while ABH’s is more about a greater variety across orangey/berry tones; also, 11 out of the 14 shades are matte. There are some very close shades in both palettes though, such as UD’s Low Blow for ABH’s Burnt Orange, and UD’s Cayenne and ABH’s Realgar.
 
Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Scandalust
$69, available at Sephora from August.

It’s essential a palette of warm neutrals, with a single pop of red. While there are only seven shades, the variety is in the types of finishes: matte, metallic lamé, satin and silk. Marc Jacobs’ palettes tend to veer more towards glamorous, so the bold metallic finishes and inclusion of darker hues come as no surprise.
 
M.A.C Eyeshadow x 15 in Warm Neutral
$145, available at M.A.C stores and counters.

Once again, mostly a neutrals palette filled with hues like champagne, peach, and golds. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a gorgeous palette though, because it is, and it’s one of our favourites. Just dip your brush into the darker shades like Gingersnap, a deep rosy pink, Dark Brew, a deep chocolate with pink pearl, and Amber Lights, a peachy brown with shimmer, to warm up the look.
 
Zoeva Caramel Melange Palette
$39, available at Sephora.


This one is such an underrated find. Zoeva eyeshadows have great colour payoff, flattering shades, and all at a very reasonable price indeed. So far, our favourite is this Caramel Melange palette, which take inspiration from desserts like butterscotch, crème brulée and toffee. Shades you definitely have to try: Alchemy, Start Soft and just a touch of Aftertaste.
 
Smashbox Cover Shot Eye Palette in Ablaze
$52, available at Sephora ION.

“Hot, desert-inspired shades” translate into super saturated tones in this compact palette, which starts from a light peach base shade, and goes all the way into a deep brown with warm undertones. The shades also cover shimmery to matte finishes, so all in all, a very versatile palette.
 
ColourPop Heavy Hitter Pressed Powder Shadow Palette
US$12, available on colourpop.com.

If you don’t like having too many options, this 4-pan ColourPop palette keeps it as simple as can be. A matte warm ivory as base, a metallic warm champagne for highlight, and for warmth, accents of two types of matte terracotta, one with gold flecks, and the other in a deeper brown hue.
 
Morphe 35O – 35 Colour Nature Glow Eyeshadow Palette
US$22.99, available at morphebrushes.com.

And on the other end of the spectrum, if you like having as many options as possible – this Morphe palette has a whopping 35 colours to choose from. They’re not all warm ones though; there are quite a few cooler ones like grey-toned browns and taupes, but also plenty of sunset-inspired ones to nail that sunset eye.
 
Kylie Cosmetics The Burgundy Palette
US$42, available on kyliecosmetics.com.


But of course, we had to include the Kyshadows in this list, since Kylie has been so on the ball with jumping on just about every recent eyeshadow trend with her products. This selection of 9 shades really is quite gorgeous, especially with the essentials like a matte reddish-orange, metallic warm bronze, and a matte dirty brick.

Over here at NYLON, news of any upcoming beauty drops and releases is sufficient to excite the inner beauty geeks in us. But if there’s one thing that will never fail to always intrigue and fascinate us, it will have to be mermaid-themed collections. No matter how many times we’ve seen brands come up with mermaid-esque products, we just can’t seem to get enough of them. So when not one, but two different beauty brands decided to launch mermaid-inspired beauty collections at the same time, you bet we were freaking out all right!
First up, Bitter Lace Beauty’s latest mermaid creation – the Mermaid Dreams collection. This collection right here, mer-friends, is every mermaid-wannabe’s dream come true. In this range, the palettes and shades are sold separately so you can have full control of what goes into your palette.

The magnetic Mermaid Dreams Palette is a treasure trove that can store up to 10 different highlighting gems of your choice. It is covered in a holographic scale-like material and features a mirror inside that is in the shape of a mermaid’s silhouette. But if you’re looking for something 10 times smaller, you can also opt for their Shellfish Compact which has room for only one pan, so you’d better choose your treasure wisely for this one. The Shellfish Compact only costs US$8, but we think the Mermaid Dreams Palette, which sells for US$35, will be so much more worth the money.

As for what goes into your palette, you can customise it personally by choosing from 33 different highlighting shades, with 11 sea-inspired hues such as “Shell Me About It”, “Mermaid Tears”, “Buried Treasure”, and “Coral Cove”. Single shades and marbled ones are priced at US$18 and US$20 respectively, while some special designs will cost you US$22.

But of course you can go all out and get their Mermaid Dreams Bundle – that is if you’re willing to spend US$214. The set includes 11 of the mer-mazing multi-purpose shades, the Shellfish Compact, and the Mermaid Dreams Palette to house all your new-found treasures.
Up next, we have SauceBox Cosmetics’ Mermaid Brushes. The brand behind The Mermaid Life Palette and the Mermaid Tail Contour Brushes is back once again with another underwater-themed makeup brush set. Details of the collection are still scarce but one thing’s for sure – these brushes look downright gorgeous. As compared to their bulky Mermaid Tail Brushes, these are more streamlined, coming in with a black handle and reflective copper-gold seashell back. We’re pretty sure these brushes are Ariel-approved and are floating around somewhere on her vanity table, but for now, all we can do is to constantly check back on SauceBox’s Instagram account for further updates.

Who is ready for some Mermaid brush realness? #comingsoon #sauceboxcosmetics

A post shared by SauceBox cosmetics (@sauceboxcosmetics) on Jul 17, 2017 at 6:55pm PDT

The Bitter Lace Beauty Mermaid Dreams Collection is available for pre-order at bitterlacebeauty.com, with prices ranging from US$18 to US$214.
Header image: Bitter Lace Beauty

Is it just us, or is the weather punishing Singapore by kicking its temperatures up a few notches? If a languid 2-minute stroll is enough to work up a sweat, one can only imagine what would happen when we’re left under the sun’s relentless glare for more than a few minutes.

An accurate representation, won’t you agree? Yup, we could all use an ice-cold beauty treat to put out that fire right about now. Thanks to a new wave of products that chill us out upon application, it’s easier to hit that proverbial refresh button now more than ever. Here, we’ve culled 10 of the, well, coolest cooling products to keep us from melting into a pool of sweat.

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Vichy Minéral 89 Skin Fortifying Daily Booster

It may not contain peppermint or menthol to give us that tingling sensation, but Vichy’s Minéral 89 serves as a lightweight, fast-absorbing facial moisturiser that feels equally refreshing on the skin and is particularly recommended for those with sensitive complexions. Loaded with hyaluronic acid to boost hydration levels, it absorbs into the skin quickly without leaving any trace of residue.

$62, available from Watsons and Guardian stores. 

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Boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil
At the end of an uncomfortable, sweltering day, you’ll definitely look forward to removing your makeup with this cleansing oil. Boscia’s MakeUp-BreakUp features a blend of natural oils such a rosehip, avocado, and olive fruit to detoxify and shrink the appearance of visible pores, lifting away daily grime as well as waterproof makeup. It’s also formulated with a touch of menthol that feels oh-so good as you massage it into the skin.
$47, available from Sephora.

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Urban Decay Chill Cooling and Hydrating Makeup Setting Spray
Had another makeup meltdown in the blazing heat? Reach for this cooling and hydrating setting spray to shield your makeup and prevent mess-ups. Urban Decay’s offering uses an advanced technology that acts as a cooling barrier for your makeup to keep it dewy-looking for up to 12 hours.
$48, available from Urban Decay stores and Sephora.

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Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure Castile Soap
Made with saponified vegetable oils, the Peppermint version of this do-all is a bathroom staple for both designers in the NYLON team and it’s also the most popular fragrance in the lineup. The invigorating peppermint essential oil leaves a tingly sensation to kickstart your dreary morning and soothe your senses at the end of a tiring day. Just ignore the cult-ish ramblings printed around the bottle.
$11.90 for 237ml, $30.80 for 946ml; available from Bud Cosmetics stores and budcosmetics.com.

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Caolion Premium Original Pore Pack
If your complexion’s a little congested, it needs a clay-based mask like Caolion’s to draw out impurities, sop up excess oils and tighten gaping pores. It’s made with glacial clay to tackle that onslaught of greasy buildup, and there’s added menthol to provide a cooling effect too. You’ll be tempted to leave this on forever, but please remember to rinse it off after 10 minutes to prevent epidermal dehydration.
$30, available from Sephora.

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The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Cleansing Hair Scrub
Now, we’ve already given you a lowdown on the upsides of using a hair scrub. The Body Shop’s new Fuji Green Tea Hair Scrub is one that doubles up as a shampoo, using salt crystals, mint, and menthol to get your blood flow going and whisk away daily grime with its rich lather. It works perfectly on scalps that have accumulated a buildup of waxy residue from various styling products, so swap out your shampoo for this hair scrub every once in while.
$29, available at The Body Shop stores. 

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Herbivore Botanicals After Sun Skin Soothing Aloe Mist
If you turn as red as a lobster each time your SPF loses a battle to the sun (actually, you may wanna trade it in for a more effective lightweight sunscreen), drench yourself in a soothing blend of aloe vera, cooling mint, and anti-inflammatory lavender. This skin saviour by Herbivore Botanicals will calm that sunburn right away, reducing redness and keeping your senses chill with its herbaceous, floral aroma.
$19 for 60ml, $32 for 240ml; available from Sephora.

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Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint
One of Tarte’s bestsellers, the LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint combines the pigmented finish of a lipstick with the creamy texture of a balm. It nourishes and smooths the lips with carnauba wax and coconut extract, while it deposits a natural-looking shade with a soft matte finish. Basically, it’s how I hoped Glossier’s Generation G would turn out. Anywho, this automatic crayon-like lip product is also infused with peppermint oil that leaves a nice tingle on your lips while it freshens your breath (it does!).
$36, available from Sephora.

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The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Cooling Foot Rescue
Our feet often bear the brunt of a long day (as well as our increasing body weight), so a peppermint-infused foot cream is just what they need to feel soothed and refreshed. This one by The Body Shop contains community trade peppermint essence from Norfolk, England to revive our tired, aching feet, while restoring some much-needed moisture to our hard heels and dry patches. Just… maybe don’t whip this jar out in the middle of work and start massaging your feet in front of your colleagues.
$24.90, available from The Body Shop stores. 

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Tsubaki Cool Head Spa Set
We once equated the cooling effect of this haircare duo to the feeling of dunking our heads in an ice-cold basin of water, except that breezy sensation will last for hours on end, long after you’ve rinsed your hair. The pair will help clear the scalp of sebum and dirt while it softens and repairs the hair. Not to mention, it even contains an ingredient that blocks out damaging UV rays too, acting as a sunscreen for your tresses. Pretty impressive for a drugstore purchase.
$29.90 for a set, available exclusively at Guardian.