Over the decade we will have been together come January, my boyfriend has learnt to accommodate the fact that I live for a beauty bargain.
On our recent jaunt to Italy, he was forced to stand outside Kiko Milano in Bologna, Mantua then Verona, not once, but daily. (He’s not allowed in: his beady eye removes the joy.)
For years, Kiko Milano was one of the things I looked forward to about travel, as I did French pharmacies and American drugstores. These days, the brand has 25 stores dotted across the UK and this Thursday the Covent Garden boutique will relaunch to include a swanky VIP basement.
My Kiko crushes are legion. I have to have a Precision Eyebrow Pencil (£10.49, kikocosmetics.com) and a Pearly Eye Base (£8.49) with me or I can’t function (there’s also a neutral lid primer).
And, as I wrote last week, I use the brand’s High Pigment Eyeshadow in 38, Metallic Light Silver (£7.49, kikocosmetics.com) as lid colour and highlighter. Your equivalent might be Metallic Metallic Light Taupe, Metallic Gold or Metallic Copper.
Hannah Betts is a huge fan of Superdrug’s make-up selection, which includes brands such as NYX, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Morphe 2, 3INA, I Heart Revolution, Missguided, Lime Crime , Milani, Urban Decay and Avon
The eye and lip ranges are fantastically extensive, both in terms of colour and texture.
Kiko is what I think of as a less affluent woman’s MAC — a great place to compare tones and undertones, and dip a toe with trends (the current blue eye-colour and blackberry lips obsessions, for example).
The other venue I love to shop for a bargain is Superdrug, typically the Victoria or Sheffield station branches. Although, I’m told that Oxford Street’s vast Marble Arch emporium is the fan favourite.
I admire the brand’s engagement with the cost-of-living crisis, such as its decision to cut the price of its own-brand oral care and sun protection by 20 per cent, as these products are deemed a cosmetic and still carry VAT.
As for slap, I adore wandering about the aisles, losing myself in NYX, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Morphe 2, 3INA, I Heart Revolution, Missguided, Lime Crime, Milani, Urban Decay and Avon.
And I was one of the many women who were absolutely thrilled when Superdrug brought Bourjois back to our shores in 2022.
If some of these brands sound frighteningly young and fashionable, that’s the point. Young and fashionable is where cosmetic innovation lies — and it’s dazzling.
Take Superdrug’s in-house offering, Studio London, which has exceeded all expectations since its launch in November 2022 to become the company’s fastest growing range.
Hannah (pictured) was delighted when Superdrug brought Bourjois back to the UK in 2022
The majority of products are £5 and under and brilliant stuff. I particularly cherish Studio London Flaunt Flawless Blusher (£6, superdrug.com). The pretty, plumpness it imparts is outstanding.
The Power Pout 12H Precision Lip Liners (£3.50) are an utter must-have.
A Studio London U-Dew-U Setting Mist (£6) sells every 60 seconds, while its award-winning Bronzing Drops (£6) are the tanned types’ obsession.
As for the Playtime Palette Curated by Ateh Jewel (£5 for nine shades), this is absolutely the gem with which to be thinking pink for spring.
RACE YOU TO IT!
The new Hydra Pure shampoo, conditioner and serum are receiving rave reviews from greasy-scalped girls with dry lengths. But the hit of the trio is L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hydra Pure Exfoliating Pre-Shampoo Scalp Serum for Oily Scalp & Roots (£12.99, Boots), which purifies roots even without the other two.
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MY ICON OF THE WEEK
Greta Lee
Greta Lee, 41, (pictured), who starred in the film Past Lives, is a devotee of skincare brand Glossier
The Past Lives star, Greta Lee, 41, describes her routine as ‘casual glam’.
A Glossier devotee, she dusts matte bronzer on her lids, before adding Glossier’s Lash Slick (£20, uk.glossier.com), then the brand’s Brow Flick (£18) and Boy Brow (£20) to define her arches.
She finishes with Glossier Generation G in Zip lipstick (£20), a matte poppy red.
SPRING BODY BLITZERS
(£8 for 200g, sainsburys.co.uk)
Bribe yourself into action with an award-winner that warms as it scours.
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(£8.99, superdrug.com)
Eco-friendly beechwood and natural bristles for a soft wet or dry brush.
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(£7.95, superdrug.com)
A non-messy, 100 per cent natural, sugar scrub bar with cocoa butter, avocado and olive oil.
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(£25 for 200g, thisworks.com)
A buttery, totally natural exfoliating balm infused with essential oils.
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(£5, marksandspencer.com)
The best body lotion is the one that smells so good you actually use it.
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COSMETIC CRAVING
My passion for Aromatherapy Associates Nourishing Cleansing Balm (£28.80 at lookfantastic.com) crept up on me.
At first, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about regarding this skin hit. Now, I get it — and can’t bear to be without it. It’s just sort of perfect.
For a start, it’s extremely effective at removing (even eye) make-up without dragging or stinging. Ideal when one can’t be bothered with elaborate steps.
Skin looks and feels velvetily plush in its wake (thanks to its upcycled raspberry seed oil). The resinous floral scent is serenely therapeutic in itself. A beautiful, non-naff Mother’s Day gift if you forgot and need to atone.
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