We’ll have what they’re having

For treats and tweakments that truly work, word of mouth can be the best way to go (and glow!)

Of course as a beauty director I recommend products and treatments here every week, but I also know that many people love to snaffle up buys suggested by friends. So here’s a roundup of must-haves that the YOU team discovered through good old word of mouth – no sign of a public relations expert in sight. I’ll kick off withafewofmyown…

It was the friend of a friend who first told me about Navy Professional, a British-made brand of manicure tools all coated in titanium for extra hygiene qualities. Its Rose Curve Scissors

(right, £34, navyprofessional.com) are the only ones I use to trim my nails, and it has branched into brow and body care, too – all top-notch, by the way.

There’s a name on the lips of the in-the-know tweakment brigade that has passed quietly from one to another for some months now:

Dr Wassim Taktouk

(drwassimtaktouk.com). Since he opened his own clinic in London’s Knightsbridge in 2021 a dedicated posse has been crossing its threshold because of the way he fills those very lips

– or their accompanying foreheads, cheeks and chins – with filler and/or Botox. Taktouk’s very light touch means that his patients never look overly ‘done’.

I’d heard the buzz from the US about Ziip Beauty Nanocurrent Skincare Device (below, £425, currentbody.com): a bit of handheld at-home beauty tech that uses micro electrical currents to tackle pigmentation as well as lift and sculpt. So I was all over it when it finally came to the UK and now never go anywhere without it.

Jojo Glow’s reusable Luxury Microfibre Cleansing Pads (£18 for three, jojoglow.co.uk) had passed me by until I saw influencer Alex Steinherr with them – and then they were all I could think about. Reusable up to 200 times, they have a pretty coloured trim and are super-soft to the touch, too.

Reusable up to 200 times, the pads are super soft, too

AVEENO Skin relief MOISTURISING LOTION £6.80, boots.com

I’ve been a fan ever since a friend who has the softest skin told me she uses this to moisturise her body. Affordable, it soaks in super-fast, nourishes and calms. My skin still feels hydrated by the end of the day. Alice Robertson, beauty assistant

UKLASH EYELASH SERUM £37.99, uklash.com Although I’d heard good things, I tried this product not expecting to see a difference. However, after a few weeks my eyelashes had rocketed in length so much that they started brushing my glasses when I blinked. I also had about 30 people – from colleagues to shop assistants – ask me what mascara I use because my eyelashes look so long. AR

K18 LEAVE-IN MOLECULAR repair Hair MASK from £25, k18hair.co.uk

I’d been told this was great but when I tried it my hair felt just as scraggly as usual. Turns out I was using it all wrong.

Now, after shampooing, I skip conditioner when using the mask. The result? My fine hair feels thick and looks healthy. And it not only improves appearance – it repairs hair at a molecular level: win-win. AR

BRUSHD copper TONGUE Scraper £3.99, brushd.co.uk

Not the sexiest of items, but a real game-changer. We all (hopefully) know we should brush our tongues to help minimise bacteria and bad breath, but this tool does the job far more efficiently and, to make the experience feel luxe, it comes in shiny copper. AR

ionicell for WOMEN CAPSULES £20, victoriahealth.com

How do your nails grow? Badly? Same. Left to their own devices, they look like my mother’s always did – ridged, split, thin. Except when I can be bothered to take two capsules of Ionicell every day. It’s a commitment but the combination of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium, to name just fourofits25 ingredients, is like Baby Bio for your fingers. Time to buy spring’s hit nail colour – silver. Jackie Annesley, editor

ORTOREX facial MASSAGER DOUBLE chin face SHAPER £59.16, ortorex.com

When my friend bought this jowl contraption (her words) from an online ad, I rolled my eyes. Then, two weeks later, she told me: ‘It works – I can totally see a difference in my jawline!’ To get results you attach it under your chin for 20 minutes a day so its microcurrents can tighten the muscles and lift the skin. While its results won’t be as dramatic as a facelift, it’s far less painful and costly – though you may well look ridiculous while wearing it. Lindsay Frankel, deputy editor

nivea CELLULAR LUMINOUS Anti DARK-SPOT RANGE from £26.99, boots.com

My mum had really dark patches on her face (sun damage, the menopause) and tried everything to reduce them. Then she heard about Nivea’s Cellular Luminous anti dark-spot range and, just a few months after she bought it, the treatment has transformed her. Kanika Banwait, social media editor

purito B5 PANTHENOL re-barrier CREAM £6.90, lookfantastic.com

I recently came across skincare influencer Natalie O’neill’s Tiktok account (@natalie_oneillll). Her skin, like mine, is prone to clogging, so when she suggested this as a night moisturiser, I had to try it. I love Korean brands for the ingredients, and this cream is no exception, with panthenol to lock in moisture, plus niacinamide and squalane. It’s free from fragrances and essential oils, which irritate my skin. I also love its eco-friendly tube.

Charlotte

Vossen, features writer