Many of us haven't been wearing a whole lot of makeup over the past year. While lockdown provided us with the opportunity to get our skin-care regimens sorted and indulge in sensory beauty experiences [1] as a way to manage stress and anxiety, it didn't offer a lot of opportunity — or reason, really — to meticulously apply foundation or break out the bold eyeshadow and bright lipstick (although, if you did manage to wear a full face of makeup during lockdown, we seriously applaud you). My WFH makeup look consisted of three products: concealer, mascara, and tinted lip balm, and that was on a good day. Some mornings, I barely had the willpower to wash my face.
As the United Kingdom opens back up, however, and we can finally hang out at pubs and restaurants with our friends (even if it is outside for most of the month), many of us are excitedly taking our makeup out of hibernation. Not only that, but beauty brands are gifting us with loads of new launches, so much so that it's hard to keep track — but not to worry, that's where we come in. Every month, we round up the most exciting makeup launches coming to the UK, from classic brands to indie newcomers [2] and all the liners, lipsticks, and mascaras in between.
When it comes to what's arriving in the UK in May, Glossier introduces two new hues to its Lidstar liquid eyeshadow range (you know, the ones that casually debuted on Beyoncé at the 2018 Grammy Awards), Christian Louboutin Beauty introduces its biggest launch of the year (both in terms of excitement and size), and KVD Beauty has brought out liquid-gel blushers which are sure to be the next beauty product to go viral on TikTok. Keep reading to discover all of the makeup newness arriving in the UK this month.
Glossier Lidstar Glistening Eye Glow in Branch and Bun
This month, Glossier adds two new shades to its Lidstar range, a collection of metallic liquid eyeshadows that made its prelaunch debut on Beyoncé at the 2018 Grammys then appeared on a number of celebrities at the Oscars a couple months later (you know, no big deal). The two new hues coming in June are gorgeous warm tones just in time for summer: Glossier Lidstar in Branch [3] (£15), a rich bronze with gold pearl (shown left), and Glossier Lidstar in Bun [4] (£15), which is a soft Champagne with gold shimmer (shown right).
Revlon ColorStay Brow Fiber Filler
Available in six shades — including one that's transparent and one for grey hair — the new Revlon ColorStay Brow Fiber Filler [5] (£9) is all about adding volume and definition to your arches. The tinted gel formula is not only waterproof, but it's also silky and flexible, so it won't flake halfway through the day. And thanks to tiny little fibres in the gel, it helps add length and volume to your natural brow hairs.
Max Factor Divine Lashes Mascara
The new Max Factor Divine Lashes Mascara [6] (£9) is yet another mascara to add to our list of favourite high-street options [7]. The lightweight, creamy formula combined with the hourglass-shaped wand and ultra-soft bristles (that come in various lengths to catch every single itty bitty lash) mean it combs through lashes without a clump in sight. And because the pigment is lightweight and long-lasting, it also doesn't flake down underneath your eyes throughout the day.
Nars Quad Eyeshadow in Taj Mahal
On 14 June, Nars introduces updates to some of its iconic eyeshadow palettes (Mojave, Orgasm, and Singapore) with richer, creamier powders that make both blending and layering a breeze. The brand also introduces a new palette to its collection, the Nars Quad Eyeshadow in Taj Mahal [8] (£41), which is inspired by the brand's bestselling Taj Mahal blusher, which is a tawny orange colour with gold shimmer flecks. Inside the palette is a shadow version of Taj Mahal, as well as a yellow-gold shimmer, a twinkly light peach, and a purple-red matte.
Byredo The Colour Stick in Solar Flare, Dravite, and Coleoptera
For the summer months, makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench developed three new shades of the Byredo The Colour Stick [9], all fo which are warm earthy tones. There's Solar Flare, a super shimmery champagne colour, Dravite, which is a deep brown with red glitter flecks, and Coleoptera, which is a duochromatic hue that combines burgundy with turquoise iridescence.
Sleek Makeup Ctrl Alt Create Eyeshadow Palette
Excited to start wearing bold, colourful eye shadow again? Then we suggest picking up the Sleek Makeup Ctrl Alt Create Eyeshadow Palette [10] (£13), which contains 18 shades that range from bold pastels (in both matte and shimmery finishes) and basic browns and classic metallic tones (like silver and bronze).
KVD Beauty ModCon Liquid-Gel Blush
Our newest makeup obsession is the KVD Beauty ModCon Liquid-Gel Blush [11] (£22), which comes in four vibrant shades and features an incredibly unique texture and innovative hydrating formula. The liquid-gel comes out of the tube looking like a super pigmented lip gloss, except that it's not at all sticky (in fact, it's quite slippery to the touch). Squeeze out a drop on the back of your hand, then blend it in with a finger and you end up with the most gorgeous, dewy wash of colour that can be easily layered from a sheer, nearly imperceptible tint to a vivid flush. But no matter how much you put it on, you'll still be able to see the texture of your skin underneath it, making this one of the most natural-looking blushers we've ever used.
Vieve Modern Bronzer
Launching on 17 June, is makeup artist Jamie Genevieve's Vieve Modern Bronzer [12] (£31), a powder bronzing duo available in four shades — light, medium, tan, and dark. "Creating this next generation Modern Bronzer has been a real challenge," Jamie said via press release. "Interestingly, bronzer has been my MOST requested product since I started the brand. My aim was to create a versatile, blendable, and buildable formula with a soft-satin texture that would allow for instant gentle warmth, precise expert sculpting and offer a diverse range of tones to suit every skin type."
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream in Deep Bronze
Chanel's cream bronzer [13] is an iconic makeup product that, disappointingly, has only been available in one tawny shade suitable for light to medium skin tones. That changes in June with the launch of Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream in Deep Bronze [14] (£43), a darker, richer hue that works best for light-deep to deep skin tones, according to makeup artist and Chanel beauty ambassador Kay Montano. Read all about the new hue, here [15].
Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing & Illuminating Powder in Light Bloom
The limited edition Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing & Illuminating Powder in Light Bloom [16] (£34) is meant to evoke the soft, pink light of a summer dawn. The brand achieved that by infusing shade 3 of its classic Terracotta bronzer formula with finely-milled gold shimmer and adding a soft rose-pink powder in the centre of the pan. Swirled all together, it deliver a subtle bronzy flush to your complexion.
Tata Harper Vitamin-Infused Cream Blush
Tata Harper doesn't often launch cosmetics, but when she does, there's no doubt that the formula will be full of good-for-your-skin ingredients. The Tata Harper Vitamin-Infused Cream Blush [17] (£30 each) is both hydrating and easy to blend thanks to a slew of oils including cacay, plum, camellia, rosehip, sacha inchi, and green tea, as well as jojoba esters. The gorgeous formula comes in seven shades: Flashy (a warm gold highlighter), Lovely (a shimmery dusty pink shade), Spicy (a terracotta-pink hue), Lucky (a shimmery bronze orange colour), Naughty (a rub red hue), Peachy (a peach tone with gold flecks), and Flirty (a purple-y berry, shown here).
Christian Louboutin Beauty La Palette
Christian Louboutin Beauty waited until June to introduce its biggest launch of the year: La Palette, which is a refillable makeup palette that allows you to choose from two spike-studded leather cases (red or black) and six different makeup offerings — three eyeshadow palettes (all of which feature six shades) and three blush and highlighter palettes (containing two blushes and one highlighter each). Available at Selfridges, the Christian Louboutin Beauty Spiked Clutch Case [18] (£58) and the Christian Louboutin Beauty Refill Palette [19] (£58) are sold separately.
Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow Highlighter
Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow Highlighter [20] (£27) is the makeup artist's newest launch that is currently available for pre-order on her site (shipping on 14 June). Available in four shades — Crystal Nebula, Cosmic Rose, Solar Light, and Celestial Fire (shown here) — the liquid highlighter is a makeup/skin care hybrid as it also contains glycerin, tamarind indica seed, oat kernel extract, and a biopolymer complex that has an instantaneous lifting and smoothing effect on the skin. Tap onto the high points of the face like a highlighter, or add a few drops before makeup as a very luminising primer — the more you layer on, the more shimmery the pearlescent pigments become.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Tint in Amour
The newest shade of Victoria Beckham [21]'s Bitten Lip Tint might just be our favourite one yet. The Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Tint in Amour [22] (£32) is a sheer taupey-peach shade that adds richness and depth to your natural lip colour without adding any more pink or red tones. It's a truly modern version of the '90s brown lipstick, with a weightless, transfer-proof formula.
Westman Atelier Lip Suede in Les Nudes
The Westman Atelier Lip Suede in Les Nudes [23] (£78) is a lip palette that contains four sheer tinted hues — all various neutral tones that can be applied with a brush and worn alone or mixed together. "These sheer tinted nudes meld with your unique natural lip tone. They're juicy, perfect, sexy – that modern Bardot tint," creative director and founder Gucci Westman said via press release, adding that she loves "to wear the deeper shades in this palette as a lip tone enhancer. The cool pink and beigey shades soften [the] natural lip tone instead."
Westman's original Lip Suede palette that contained all red tones quickly became one of the brand's best-selling products, so if you're keen to try this new version, we suggest you act fast.
By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Balm
Available in six pretty neutral tones, the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Balm [24] (£29) is a buildable, high-shine formula that makes lips look smoother and fuller. But it doesn't just make lips look great; because it's with two different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, it helps provide both instant and long-term moisture to your mouth.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Lip Balm
Available in three flavours — coconut, mango, and strawberry (shown here) — the Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Lip Balm [25] (£13) gives us major nostalgia for the lip balms we used to stash in our school bags, except these sheer balms have some serious hydrating powers.
Peacci Nu Nudes
Peacci's Nu Nudes nail polish range might just be the most comprehensive collection of neutral-toned polish we've ever seen. There are three shades for each skin tone category — light, fair, medium, and dark — with Peacci Nail Polish in Vanilla [26] (£10), an off-white cream shade, being the lightest, and Peacci Nail Polish in Mocha [27] (£10), a black-brown espresso tone, being the darkest. There's truly a nude tone for everyone in the range, regardless of skin tone and nude preference (since a nude polish can mean different things to different people).