BEST IN BEAUTY

We test hundreds of beauty products every year – these are the best of 2024

One of our favourite shampoos costs less than a tenner

Published: 11:50, 19 Dec 2024
Updated: 11:50, 19 Dec 2024

IN the Fabulous magazine office, the beauty team's desks can be spotted from a mile away.

Lipsticks and mascaras clutter the desks, stacks of gift boxes cover the floor, and a random blend of candles and diffusers scent the air.

Some of our favourite beauty products of the yearCredit: Supplied

Needless to say, we trial hundreds of beauty products every year, in order to bring you the very best.

2024 has been a bumper year for beauty, as brands continue to up their game and raise the bar, introducing clever innovations, better formulas, and improving inclusivity.

There have been so many impressive new products that we've almost lost track, so we've wracked our brains (and emptied our cosmetic bags) to compile our favourite products of 2024.

Beauty Writer Mia Lyndon's top picks

These are Mia's fave productsCredit: Supplied

The best make-up

This concealer corrects imperfections without creasingCredit: Supplied

Erborian Super BB Concealer, £28

The best tech

I live with my boyfriend, meaning he has carte blanche over all the beauty products I bring home from work.

He’s never been interested in the many moisturisers, shampoos, or serums I thrust into his hands, but this hairdryer has mysteriously disappeared since I brought it home.

Needless to say, he loves it and - when I manage to prise it from his grip - I think it’s one of the best hairdryers of recent years, too.

The best fragrance

The smells so good - think tangy rhubarb and leafy greens - that I’ve been known to spray my entire body with it.

So, considering I love the scent of a hairspray enough to douse myself in it, you can imagine my joy when Arkive launched a perfume version earlier this year.

There are a few reasons why I only wash my hair twice a week.

does such a good job at cleaning my hair that I don’t need to wash it any more often.

I use this (rather strange, black formula) shampoo once a week, relying on its charcoal-infused technology to deeply clean my hair and scalp.

Many shampoos fail to cut through oiliness at the back of my head, but this shampoo nails it every time without drying my strands or irritating my scalp.

At £31 it’s not cheap, but use it once a week like me, and it’ll last you months.

I’d love to slather my face in rich oils and fragranced creams, but I know my skin would protest.

Thanks to a recent eczema flare-up, I’ve had to completely strip back my skincare routine, swapping complex formulas for unsexy products that get the job done.

Its rich, balm-like formula envelops dry, chapped skin, enrobing it in a calming barrier - meaning it’s perfect for skin affected by chilly weather.

I apply it to my lips, around my eyes, and hands, and while its rich formula feels a little heavy, it won’t leave your skin feeling greasy or looking shiny.

Packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid and barrier-boosting ceramides, it’s a hotline to calmer skin during cooler months.

It’s not often that I rave about a product the first time I’ve used it - especially when it comes to make-up.

, I couldn’t help myself.

Never did I think I’d spend almost £50 on foundation, but it’s not just a foundation.

It renders my concealer redundant, and is the first foundation I’ve ever used that I can wear without using a setting powder on top.

Even after a rush-hour commute through the busiest train station in London and a full day in the office, followed by drinks and dinner, it doesn’t separate and slip off my face in an oily mess.

2024 has been a bumper year for at-home beauty tech, but there’s two products that are truly ahead of the game.

Combining heat-styling with AI, practically gives you a hairdresser in the palm of your hand - all you have to do is complete the quiz on your phone, switch the airwrap on and it’ll tell you exactly what to do, remotely controlling the tool for a more efficient styling session and results that last.

, combines two impressive functions with under-eye cryotherapy pads to reduce puffiness and dark circles alongside skin-repairing red LED light and blemish reducing blue LED light.

I’ve held out using an LED mask until now, and it was definitely worth the wait.

I’ve only been using it for about three weeks, which is too soon to properly assess a before-and-after, but given the lack of spots on my face and the amount of compliments I’ve been getting despite burning the candle at both ends, I’m confident it’s working miracles.

It’s expensive, but compared to many on the market, it’s a bargain for what it offers.

Perfume is my absolute favourite beauty category - so choosing one is pretty much like picking a favourite child.

I’ve been as ruthless as possible and managed to narrow it down to three - all of which claim a spot for completely different reasons.

, immediately piqued my interest because it’s an update on which has been one of my go-to scents for over five years.

The addition of earthy palo santo and warm myrrh make it heavier and longer lasting than the original, perfect for this time of year.

I’d been eagerly waiting for LA-based fragrance brand DedCool to come to the UK, so when it hit our shores in March, I dedicated a whole day to finding it in-store at Space NK.

After judiciously testing the lot, two came home with me: - a subtle, musk scent that feels like home, and adds depth to any perfume when layered - and , a more attention-grabbing salty vanilla scent that’s not at all sweet or sickly.

When it comes to thinking about my favorite products, it’s much easier to remember the products that have impressed me in the last few weeks as I’m still trying them out, compared to those that launched at the start of the year.

Yet, when I think about the best haircare launch of the last 12 months, there was one product - or range, I should say - that came to mind .

Made specifically for hair that’s dry at the ends and oily at the roots, it’s answered my biggest beauty bugbear.

The shampoo lathers easily and leaves my scalp clean but not dry, and the lengths of my hair are nourished and shiny.

My skin generally has a hard time tolerating vitamin C - it often leaves me with breakouts, which aren’t exactly the desired brightening results I’m after.

Beauty Writer Mia Lyndon's top picks

The best make-up

READ MORE IN BEAUTY

Most read in Fabulous

The best tech

The best fragrance

The best haircare

READ MORE SUN STORIES