5 things our beauty editor is tired of pretending to like

Pretending can be an utterly exhausting thing to do. No wonder actors are always tired! But unlike in the cases of Hollywood’s brightest thespians, my own acting roles are barely even acknowledged! Not once have I nabbed an Oscar nomination, been given a jazzy trailer to get into ‘character’ or had someone pen pages of riveting lines for me to rattle off.

Instead, I’ve been running around improvising to a Saturday Night Live standard, pretending to be absolutely enamoured by things in the beauty game that I quite simply just don’t love. I ad-lib with major conviction too! “Why yes, everyone looks better with bleached eyebrows” has to be one of my best. Complete farce!

But because I’ve outgrown my role as a beauty editor who thinks everything is just fabulous regardless of how ridiculous it is, I’ve decided to come clean, revealing the few things that I just can’t muster the strength to fake-like anymore. Buckle up, it may be a bumpy ride.

#1 Celebrity beauty lines

When Rihanna did it it was game-changing and when Selena joined the club I was still on board, but the celebrity beauty line thing has now gone way too far. It’s not like a good dry shampoo; not everybody needs one! Here’s my general rule: if beauty is your big thing and something that we fans naturally think of when we think of you, then fine, but still, stick to your niche! Unless you’re Rihanna, of course; in that case, give us everything.

Hailey Bieber launching a small, curated collection of products specifically designed to give fans her signature glazed donut skin, and Harry Styles breaking into beauty with a nail polish line, are two stellar examples of it being done right. Sticking to your ‘signature’ gives your brand an actual purpose and makes it seem far less ‘cash grab-y’. And hey, if you don’t have a clear niche, then a beauty line probably isn’t a must for you. Perhaps just a fragrance!

#2 Nose highlighting

Now say it’s because my own is on the, er, larger side (it’s fine, ‘flaws’ are our friends, guys) but nose highlighting is a punishable crime in my book. I’m all about drawing attention to the features you love, but the tip of your nose just doesn’t seem to have the same pizazz as other high points (cheekbones, cupid’s bow, etc.) when highlighted, so why detract from the ones that do look majestic with a little sparkle? Not to make a point nobody can argue with, but even Beyoncé’s makeup artist Sir John named it as a no-go. Just saying.

#3 DIY skin care

Look, if I wanted to mix up a bowl of loosely measured ingredients and hope for the best, I’d make a cake, okay? When it comes to skin care, I prefer to leave it to the professionals – yes, the products are a little pricier but you’re paying for ingredients with the power to make actual changes. There’s less mess, less effort and the packaging is far cuter – no offense to my bright pink mixing bowl, of course. My actual purchased body scrubs have never drawn ants to my tub quite like the cup of sugar I trialled as a DIY alternative a few years back, either. Lesson learnt.

#4 Micro fringes

It seems every day we’re waking up to another celeb with a micro fringe. And look, some look superb! But as a whole, the wearability of the baby bangs trend seems iffy. Keeping up with the maintenance of a regular fringe is one thing – I still have flashbacks to my high school one, and not being able to read the board mere days after a trim because of vision-impacting hair. Can you imagine the upkeep of having to specifically keep it at one very specific length? I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Even the stars tend to only sample them for red carpets, so if you’re still intrigued, may I suggest a clip-in?

#5 Retinol

Do I have sensitive skin and have thus lived in constant fear of the stuff? Yes. But that’s the thing! Retinol is not for everyone, so what are our other options? Well, luckily a pretty phenomenal one has recently surfaced. Or, resurfaced with more ‘wow’ factor, rather. If you’ve got any taste in Julie Andrews films (ahem, The Sound of Music), the word ‘edelweiss’ should sound familiar to you, but I’ll bet you’re still not giving it the respect it deserves! Something else I’ll bet you’ve heard of is The Body Shop’s long-loved Drops of Youth™ range – I know it’s always been one of my personal faves. Now, fair warning: it's going through some changes, but I promise you, they’re all for the better.

After admitting they’d ‘stuffed up’ by idolising youth with the previous name (a brand that constantly re-assesses their stuff is one of my fave things to see), The Body Shop decided to hero the range’s big ingredient in both the name and the formula. Yep, they decided it was edelweiss’ time to shine, and so the Drops of Youth™ Youth Concentrate made a comeback rivalling that of Winona Ryder in Stranger Things, as the Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate ($55 at The Body Shop). Hold for applause.

The ingredient is extremely deserving of said spotlight, too – edelweiss (a mountain flower found growing in brutal Alpine conditions), deals with extreme wind, snow and rain each day, protecting and repairing itself with its own antioxidant-rich powers. Yes indeed, edelweiss deals with an array of aggressors trying to damage it on the daily (just like our skin), so its amazing ability to bounce back (and help our faces do the same) makes it a must-try. Why call in retinol (and the intensity/ potential irritation it brings with it), when you could rely on a natural alternative which actually possesses 43% more antioxidant power than retinol^ anyway? Exactly. Edelweiss for the win!

The fresh formula has even changed to now contain double the concentrate of edelweiss per bottle, making the quest for stronger*, smoother skin a far easier one. Damn good news, too, considering I have no plans to stop smiling or feel bad about doing so, and so having a protective, repairing range on my side is a giant win. The Edelweiss Daily Serum Concentrate is the line’s MVP (try it and you’ll see why), but the best results will come to those who follow the full 4-step routine: the Cleansing Concentrate ($27 at The Body Shop), Eye Concentrate ($43 at The Body Shop), Daily Serum Concentrate ($55 at The Body Shop) and then the Intense Smoothing Day Cream ($55 at The Body Shop). I cannot explain my relief at finally having found a retinol alternative I trust, as well as an excuse for why I can’t possibly drop everything to trial the next celebrity skin line because I simply love my Edelweiss range too much to trade! Now that’s a line I can deliver naturally; no pretending necessary.

^Retinol expressed as Trans Retinyl Acetate. The radical protection factor (RPF) was measured in vitro by electron spin resonance.

*Skin that looks plump with moisture, with a smooth surface. Skin looks re-energised and refreshed.