These beauty products have stood the test of time

Your skincare may need to change with the season, but beauty go-to's are all year long, and then there are some, like the ones below, that go down in history as favourites of a lifetime.

Chanel N°5 Eau De Parfum

Like everything credited to the genius of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, her first fragrance rewrote the olfactive blueprint. In 1921, ‘soliflore’ fragrances—those that smelled of a single flower—were all the rage. But Coco Chanel wanted to push creative boundaries with a scent that could not be attributed to any one thing in nature. Of all the samples created by perfumer Ernest Beaux, it was the fifth that captured her imagination, with over 80 ingredients, made up of notes such as sandalwood, vetiver, May rose, jasmine, and aldehydes to add a champagne-like fizz—a first at the time. She called it, simply, N°5, the epitome of low-key elegance and an ode to her lucky number. The fact that it sidesteps smelling of any known flower, but is still instantly recognisable, only adds to its universal appeal. Now celebrating its centennial, Chanel N°5 redefines the word ‘iconic’.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

This tool is the holy grail for anyone who desires sweeping, lifted lashes. The best-selling, award-winning curler offers precise control to create the perfect, long-lasting curl. And its curved angle with a mushroom-shaped silicone padding suits all eye shapes and allows you to get super-close to the roots to help create the illusion of longer lashes.

Loréal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray

Before the launch of Elnett, hairsprays were comparable to ‘sprayable glue’ that left the hair feeling hard and sticky. But when this revolutionary formula—featuring super-fine polymers—hit shelves in 1960, it offered both hold and flexibility, and the possibility of infinite do-overs. The lightweight mist promises to leave the hair bouncy and shiny in just a few spritzes. The product became such a rage that when it was banned in the U.S. for over two decades (due to its use of fluorocarbons as propellants) the golden can was often smuggled into the country by hairstylists. 60 years later, it remains a cult-favourite among backstage pros and celebrities, and the only thing that has changed is that Elnett is now free of fluorocarbons, making it more eco-friendly.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

This foundation is probably the reason the term ‘no makeup makeup’ was coined. Launched in 2000, the Luminous Silk Foundation has become a gold standard for the way it covers up as much or as little as you like, leaving you with a dewy, lit-from-within complexion. In two decades, it has cemented a permanent spot in many a famed makeup artist’s kit, while celebrity fans of the formula include Kim Kardashian West, Cate Blanchett, and Meghan Markle. 

M·A·C Retro matte lipstick in Ruby Woo

Name a red lipstick more iconic than Ruby Woo. We couldn’t either. And yet M·A·C’s clever chemists never actually set out to create it back in 1999; instead, they were simply trying to tweak the formula of the brand’s other well-known scarlet shade, Russian Red. In doing so, they birthed a new version, which was tonally brighter with violet undertones and miraculously flattered all skin tones. It was an immediate hit and now three tubes of Ruby Woo sell around the world every minute. Woo indeed. 

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

In 1869, Robert Chesebrough, a dispensing chemist, discovered a 100 percent natural product rich in minerals from deep within the earth, which was branded as Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. Armed with remarkable healing properties when applied to cuts, burns, and abrasions of the skin, this wonder jelly has been a staple in millions of homes across the globe for over 150 years. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette

The birth of the Naked Palette in 2010 changed the way neutral eyeshadows were perceived. The shades that remained untouched in most palettes became all the rage, thanks to Urban Decay’s iconic palette featuring buttery-matte and pigmented, shimmery finishes in nude tones. Dubbed as the ‘iPhone of makeup’ by Forbes magazine, Urban Decay reportedly sells a palette every six seconds. However, in 2019, the OG palette was discontinued and relaunched as Naked Reloaded. Urban Decay has since expanded their Naked range with 10 equally exciting palette options.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

Once in a while, a beauty product comes along that is so good, you wonder how you ever got by without it. One such shining beacon launched in 1982 and came in the form of a serum you applied when your imminent destination was bed. Although it has undergone a few transformations since its original formula, and today’s version (called `Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex’) now features high-tech peptides, the Estée Lauder serum has stayed true to its powerhouse ingredients. These include bifida ferment lysate, a type of probiotic that strengthens skin’s defences. This was also the first serum to use hyaluronic acid, which has such impressive hydration capabilities, it is now a skincare staple.

Nars Blush in Orgasm

First launched in 1999, one NARS Orgasm Blush is sold every 20 seconds globally—and for a good reason. Despite being matte, this pinky-coral blush is shot with a barely-there golden shimmer that is the make-up equivalent of fairy dust for tired, sallow skin. Not only that, it’s the perfect shade for every skin tone and, like its cheeky moniker suggests, it adds that certain flush for a lit-from-within effect. Use as a highlighter or as a pop of colour on each cheek and wait for the compliments to pour in. In 2017, NARS launched a liquid version of this famed product, which is equally appealing.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara 

The tube has changed, but the iconic pink-green colour combo still pays homage to the first version of the Great Lash Mascara, launched in 1971—which is all the more impressive given the never-ending lash options out there. As mascaras go, it remains a hero product for three key reasons: its medium-sized brush creates fanned-out lashes; the tube has a wiper so there’s no chance of clumping, and it feels far more luxurious than the price tag would suggest. But you already know that, as you probably have a tube in your make-up bag.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

Rifle through any makeup artist’s kit, and chances are you’ll find this medicinal-smelling apricot balm stashed among the lotions and potions. Created in 1930, it has stood the test of time as a multipurpose salve to treat pretty much any skin concern: chapped lips, dry hands, rough heels, and even irritated skin. The story goes that Arden first developed it to soothe her horses’ legs, but remarked on how well it improved the skin on her hands, too. When a loyal customer at her Red Door salon claimed that the Vitamin E and petrolatum-based cream helped her heal her son’s scraped knee in just eight hours, Arden had a name for her product and a bestseller on her hands.

Beautyblender The Original

This bright little thing changed the make-up game forever when it launched 13 years ago. Founder and CEO Rea Ann Silva, who worked as a makeup artist for a TV show, used to hand-cut makeup sponges for better coverage. But Rea knew she had created a hit product when the egg-shaped sponges started disappearing from the sets. Being one of the first makeup artists to work on a high-definition TV show, Rea couldn’t rely on the time-consuming airbrushing technique and was in dire need of a portable tool that was up for the challenge. The lightweight sponges served as the perfect solution and the rest is history—Beautyblender has sold over 6.5 million units of the edgeless, resuable sponge since its launch, and this mini tool has also been credited for contributing to the rise of contouring.

YSL Beauté Touche Éclat

Legend has it that in 1992 YSL’s then creative director Terry de Gunzburg changed concealer history when a click pen was accidentally sent to her in a delivery. Inspiration struck and she set about creating the first hybrid of a concealer and highlighter (hence éclat’, the French term for ‘brilliance’), dispensed with a click-click of the now-famous golden pen. Together, the brush applicator and luminous formula wage war on dark circles, diffuse redness around the nose, and carve out cheekbones. To this day, Touche éclat remains one of the world’s most in-demand beauty products.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Makeup Removing Micellar Cleansing Solution

If breaking the internet was a thing 30 years ago, this product would have made the perfect candidate. Laboratoire Bioderma originally worked with dermatologists; but in 1991, the French company engineered a product that was more suited to the natural biology of the skin, and could tackle issues faced by sensitive skin types. A breakthrough product, Sensibio H2O quickly established itself as the new ‘cleaning action’ inspired by skin lipids, making skincare routines shorter and more efficient. Three decades on, it continues to be an important part of women’s skincare rituals worldwide.

 

With inputs from Fiona Embleton