“I try beauty products for a living – here are 15 brilliant beauty buys under £25”

I always keep pimple patches somewhere in my skincare stash for those spots that appear out of nowhere. Restored’s hydrocolloid patches help protect spots – particularly useful if you’re a picker – and absorb fluid from blemishes that have come to a head. And, rather than pretending the spot underneath doesn’t exist, these come in smily faces. Cute? Yes. Gimmicky? Maybe. But they also do the job, which is ultimately why I keep them around.

Available at Restored, £9

I genuinely don’t understand why more people don’t talk about this lip balm. I’ve used it for years and it’s one of those products I inevitably rediscover at the bottom of a handbag and wonder why I ever stopped using it. It’s properly nourishing without feeling sticky or gloopy, and leaves behind the subtlest hint of natural-looking colour. If you’re someone who wants your lip balm to make your lips look a little better while it’s doing the practical job of keeping them comfortable, this is excellent.

Available at Clarins, £22

I’ve been using this as my everyday mascara for around a year, which is high praise considering how many land on my desk. The tubing formula coats individual lashes rather than leaving me with the smudging I can get from traditional mascara, and it gives me exactly what I want: length, separation and lift without loads of clumpy volume. Then comes the best bit. At the end of the day, warm water helps the little tubes slide away from your lashes rather than leaving you scrubbing at your eyes. 10/10, no notes.

Available at Sephora, £16

This is my answer whenever my hair is looking a little too clean, flat or generally a bit meh. A few sprays through the roots and lengths add texture, volume and that oomph that makes it look as though I’ve just had a hair appointment with the man himself. I use it after styling to break things up and give freshly washed hair some grip, or the following day when everything needs reviving.

Available at Larry King, £25

There are a lot of cream blushers competing for space in the Stylist beauty team’s make-up bags, but Sculpted By Aimee’s is one of the standouts. The texture is creamy and easy to blend, giving cheeks that plump, juicy-looking sheen alongside a wash of colour that looks fresh rather than obvious make-up. 

Available at Cult Beauty, £18

Possibly the least glamorous product on this list, but one of the most useful. Fellow freelance beauty editor Lucy Partington first introduced me to Polytar – she swears by it for managing her scalp psoriasis – and I’ve kept a bottle in my bathroom ever since. It’s a medicated shampoo containing coal tar and is intended for scalp conditions including dandruff, seborrhoeic dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema. I find it particularly useful when seasonal changes leave my scalp feeling flaky. 

Available at Polytar, £11.99

It wouldn’t be a list of my favourite beauty products without fake tan appearing somewhere. Bare By Vogue’s Face Tanning Mist is my forever go-to: quick to apply, easy to work into my routine and, most importantly, the colour develops into a natural-looking warmth rather than anything obviously orange.

Despite the name, there’s nothing stopping you from misting it over your body too. There’s no guide colour, which might require a little more confidence if you’re new to fake tan, but it also means no marks on your bedsheets. 

Available at Bare By Vogue, £18

Sure, this might not be the most exciting of beauty products – but once I started using Marvis, I never looked back. I originally switched when I developed perioral dermatitis and was systematically changing products around my mouth to see whether anything might be contributing to it. I’m not claiming this cured my dermatitis – there are multiple potential triggers for the condition and my routine changed considerably at the time – but my skin has been much happier since. More importantly for a toothpaste recommendation, it leaves my mouth feeling brilliantly zingy and fresh. So I’ve never gone back.

Available at Boots, £7.50

An oldie, yes, but still a very good one. There have been approximately 4,000 brow gels launched since Boy Brow first arrived, yet somehow this remains the one I always return to. The tiny brush catches and coats the hairs without depositing too much product, adding a little colour and fullness while keeping everything in place. Plus, my brows still look and feel like brows afterwards rather than being laminated to my forehead. Some beauty products just don’t need reinventing.

Available at Space NK, £22

This was one of my favourite high-street discoveries of the year. The texture feels super lightweight on the skin – more like skincare than a traditional foundation – but still gives enough coverage to even things out while leaving your actual skin visible underneath. You could easily swap this for a considerably more expensive skin tint and I genuinely don’t think anyone would know the difference.

Available at Boots, £18.99

I bought this earlier this year, and it has since become one of my favourite products for those evenings when the skin on my body feels particularly dry. The formula combines 5% urea with panthenol and feels properly nourishing without requiring 10 minutes of standing around waiting for it to sink in. I tend to slather it on before bed and wake up with noticeably softer, smoother-feeling skin. It also has an orangey, slightly floral scent that I personally love. Proof that very good bodycare really doesn’t need to cost a fortune.

Available at Boots, £5.99

I don’t know who decided deodorant needed to be the boring bit of your bathroom shelf but Salt & Stone has set out to change the game. Its deodorant looks and smells more like something you’d find in an expensive hotel bathroom, with fragrance combinations including Santal & Vetiver and Bergamot & Hinoki. It’s aluminium-free and, importantly, it actually works. The price is undeniably steep for a deodorant, but as a small everyday luxury that makes getting ready feel approximately 10% nicer, I’m sold.

Available at Salt & Stone, £20

I’ve used Refy’s Brow Pencil for years and, despite testing countless alternatives in that time, it’s one I always come back to. The nib is super skinny, which means you can draw in individual strokes rather than ending up with obviously pencilled-in brows, while the shades manage to look incredibly natural. I tend to concentrate it anywhere my brows are slightly sparse, then brush everything through with the spoolie on the opposite end. Simple, precise and difficult to overdo.

Available at Refy, £16

Dr Sam’s is one of the skincare brands I regularly recommend to friends when their skin is playing up, largely because the products are refreshingly straightforward. And while my job means I’m constantly swapping new things in and out of my routine, Flawless Cleanser is a permanent fixture beside my sink. It’s a fragrance-free jelly cleanser that removes everyday make-up, SPF and grime without leaving my skin feeling stripped afterwards. No elaborate actives, no complicated instructions – just a really good cleanser that does precisely what I need it to.

Available at Space NK, £20

Prequel only made its way into my routine this year, but this moisturiser has quickly become one of those wonderfully dependable skincare products that I can reach for without having to think too much about it. It’s rich and nourishing enough to leave my skin feeling properly moisturised, but doesn’t feel excessively heavy or greasy. As someone whose skin has become much more temperamental in recent years, I particularly appreciate skincare that doesn’t try to do 17 things at once. This simply makes my skin feel comfortable and hydrated – exactly what I want from a moisturiser.

Available at Space NK, £20