A comprehensive guide to the A-to-J of new beauty

We all love guides, and there is nothing like an easy, comprehensive one that can become your go-to for all things skincare. With this one we cover the A-to-J of all the new, renewed, and forever there must-knows of skincare.

Azelaic Acid 
A dermatologist’s best-kept secret for acne, rosacea, and post-breakout pigmentation: now this brilliant ingredient is making its way into more over-the-counter solutions. Paula's Choice Boost 10% Azelaic Acid Booster Cream Gel Serum, Cosrx Collection Ultimate Spot Cream, and Dr Sheth's Probiotics & Azelaic Acid Serum reduce redness as well as gently exfoliating dull and uneven skin, leaving it looking not just fresher, but beautifully clear and calm, too.
 

Banana Powder 
Is colour correcting the key to disguising darkness around the eyes? Knowing that yellow cancels blue, Makeup Revolution leaning on banana powder (finely milled powder with a primrose-yellow hue) in their latest eye-brighteners to give shadows an immediate lift, while vitamin C lightens over time. 

Coquette 
Huge on Pinterest, the ‘coquette aesthetic’ is Gen Z shorthand for everything pretty, girlie, and feminine. We’ll take the soft cream blush, the glossy lips and the feathery lashes—but in these sleek formulations made for grownups. 

Double Moisture 
First there was double cleansing, now double moisturising is the two-step process maximising our skincare routines. It goes hand in hand with the rising popularity of essences: watery lotions (thicker than toner but thinner than serum) that originated in South Korea and have been adopted in the West as an extra hit of hydration. "For moisture and for maintaining skin’s overall health, essences help tenfold," says Jin Kwon, founder of K-beauty retailer Tonic15. Our favourites have soothing properties, too; try patting one on just before your favourite serum or moisturiser.

Empties 
Smart refillables are helping us to put less in the bin. Glossier’s new deodorants have gorgeous notes of fig, orange blossom or sandalwood, while Zara has formulated a skincare line (one of the first refillable ranges to land on our desks) with the addition of an elasticity-boosting bakuchiol complex.
 

Forest Bathing 
If you don’t go down to the woods today… William Morris At Home has bottled the therapeutic compounds found in cypress, pine and juniper oils to mimic the wellbeing benefits of Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese art of forest bathing. Then find earthy notes of moss and cedar in Commodity’s gentle spring scent Moss Expressive; and oak, sandalwood and carrot seed oil in a magical eau de parfum from luxury Parisian perfumer Memo. 

Global Colour 
It’s salon speak for hair that’s one tone from root to tip, and one of this year’s biggest trends. Colourists Zoë Irwin and Nicola Clarke at John Frieda Salons are excited about a sunny ‘uptown blonde’, achieved with a head of highlights and a golden-yellow tint. "It’s perfect for blondes who are feeling lacklustre," says Zoë, who references a 1990s Gwyneth Paltrow and 1960s screen icon Catherine Deneuve, though regular upkeep is needed to keep colour bright and roots at bay. Stylist Adam Reed works with your natural base to create polished ‘supernatural’ hues, inspired by the supermodels of the 1990s. "It’s about enhancing what you have by doing as little as possible, maybe tinting the roots and refreshing ends with a gloss," he says. "You can have a solid finish, but in a respectful way that’s more cost-effective and better for your hair."

Hydrabody
A face-freshening sequence of exfoliation, extraction, and deep hydration has now made it to most beauty spas across the country. Bumpy upper arms, sun-damaged hands and even a rough derriere can be spruced up in stand-alone sessions or when added to a facial. 

Innovation 
Clever tech is set to revolutionise the way we apply makeup…and the future is closer than you think. This year will see the launch of L’Oréal Brow Magic, a device that helps create perfect eyebrows on your mobile phone then ‘prints’ the makeup directly on to your skin. Also coming soon, Lancôme Hapta is a handheld tool that gives those with mobility difficulties improved range of movement and greater precision when applying lipstick. More please.

Just add sunshine 
Spring’s most useful bronzers do more than add warmth. Charolette Tilbury has a sheer, velvety finish that makes short work of shine. Gush Beauty's Illuminating Moisturiser hydrates as it add glow, and Glow Beauty's Dew Drops uses niacinamide to reduce redness and soften dry skin.
 

This article originally appeared in Good Housekeeping UK