2024 IN BEAUTY | AS VOTED FOR BY YOU

 

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Today we're revealing the results of my recent poll on 2024 in beauty and, of course, announcing the winner of the giveaway all participants were entered into. Without further ado, these are your faves and fails of 2024...

First things first - the winner of the giveaway (I will also send them an email) is Kinshott18 - congratulations and thank you to everyone who took the time out to get involved in this!

Images via: glamourmagazine.co.uk and thegroomingclinic.com

YOU SAID: A DRAW BETWEEN BYOMA AND THE ORDINARY

The Ordinary has been a consistent feature in this category and has been involved in the top spot (either solo or as a draw) every single year that I've run this poll, which says so much. But equally, so does the fact that Byoma is nipping at their heels... In the past couple of years, the Ordinary has done a really good job of adapting to changing consumer demands, which has meant moving away from single ingredient actives and towards concern-focused multi-active formulas and transitioning from very strong formulas towards more well-rounded and skin-friendly ones. They've been around a very long time and I'm sure they'll be around for many more years to come. However, Byoma is a really fun, newer Gen Z-coded brand that's focused on skin barrier support, which is something that more and more of us are prioritising. So, as they've established themselves with new launches and strengthened their fan base and presence in Boots stores, it's not that surprising to see them creep up the leaderboard.

I SAY...

Personally, I've not been that brand loyal when it comes to low-cost skincare products in 2024; it's been a real mix for me. But, if I had to choose; I'd probably say the Ordinary win out for me. I love the new direction they're taking, I'm excited when they launch something new (which isn't as often as it used to be, which makes it feel more special) and I feel like they know what we're looking for (such as bringing out an affordable retinal serum and a K-beauty inspired essence). Around 5 years ago I'd gone off them a little, to be truthful, but I've done a 180 more recently...

Check out my Byoma reviews here

Check out my Ordinary reviews here

Image via healthline.com

YOU SAID: DIY SUNSCREEN

I can definitely see why this irked people! After years of education on sun safety, it feels like a huge step back. I really like Nara Smith's food content and it doesn't really bother me that it's not 'realistic' or whatever; it's a bit of escapism. And I relate a lot to the desire to be self-sufficient and learn to make things yourself. But, there are just some things that are best left to professionals and sunscreen formulation is one such thing! It takes years for beauty brands to develop sunscreen formulas, they go through rigorous testing, they're not just a single ingredient but a complex matrix of interacting components and even the packaging is carefully chosen and tested to ensure stability of the overall formula. I understand that people are sceptical when every year it seems there's a new category of stuff we've all been eating or using for most of our lives that might not be as safe as we were led to believe. But, honestly; even if you're in that camp, we know that excessive sun exposure causes cancer (there is a direct link and the more you burn in your lifetime, the higher your chances get) and a basic cost / benefit analysis says that vague 'potential future harm' is not a reason to expose yourself to an known high risk of cancer. Make bread, brew beer, learn to knit, churn your own butter... but DIY sunscreen is a bad, bad idea!

I SAY...

Another option that got a lot of votes and (gets mine personally) is the market oversaturation. The days of an insane number of new launches seems to be over and celebrities are thinking twice before randomly creating their own beauty brands, but it still feels like every week there's a breathless TikTok about the latest new thing we must buy. And, I honestly just don't have the energy to summon up much excitement about these new things. They're kind of just like the old things we already have in new packaging... But brands seem more focused on getting their version of something out rather than delivering something new and exciting to the market. 

Image via: pureseoul.co.uk

YOU SAID: BEAUTY OF JOSEON

Beauty of Joseon has historically been a little underrated and overlooked but their products only get more accessible with each year that goes by and I even saw their products in my local Boots recently! Their sunscreens are under £20 and are just wonderful and more cosmetically-elegant than most products on the market in this price banding. They also have a wide range of gentle, hydrating formulas with classic K-beauty ingredients like rice extract, green tea, propolis, mugwort and snail mucin. Their products are affordable and not overly fussy or complicated, and work for many people with sensitive skin. 

Check out my Beauty of Joseon reviews here

I SAY...

Once again, I've not been that brand loyal this year, so it's hard for me to call, but honestly; I think Beauty of Joseon's Rice and Prebiotics sunscreen is so good that I might have to agree with you all on the basis of that one product. It's light, moisturising, non-irritating and feels more like a lotion moisturiser than it does a sunscreen and it's so elegant to apply and to use underneath makeup.

Images via: lookfantastic.com

YOU SAID: NARS

I'm not surprised to see Nars on this list - as I type this post out I'm actually wearing their tinted moisturiser, which I've been repurchasing for a decade now! Nars isn't a brand that's out here releasing new products every week, which is possibly why it's #1 in this category; they do what they do really well and have done so for a long time. People swear by the same concealer by Nars they've been using for over a decade, and the quality of their formulas has meant these products stand the test of time. There's a sort of universality to products like the Orgasm blush and their products are, by and large, wearable and easy to apply. Personally, I try dozens of new base products a year as a beauty reviewer and I still hold up Nars as the yardstick, which says it all.

I SAY...

I love Nars for my base products but more broadly, I might have to say Merit Beauty based on the fact that I use at least two products from this brand every single day that I wear makeup, which says a lot for me. Their formulas are easy to apply and look natural on the skin, offering an everyday enhancement to my natural complexion. Their blushes, bronzers and highlighters come in balm sticks so they're relatively sheer, are quick to apply, difficult to overdo, can be blended out with your fingers if you prefer and work for everyday life. If you enjoy cream makeup formulas; you have to try Merit's!

Check out my Nars reviews here

Check out my Merit Beauty review here

Image via: amazon.com

YOU SAID: GARNIER MATTE / VITAMIN C SUNSCREENS

Garnier launched a couple of new sunscreens this year and they were immediately all over my Instagram feed. They cost just £13 each and there's a formula out there for the oily-skinned people who need a formula that's going to keep the shine at bay, but also for those who want that under-the-makeup glow (though unfortunately the tinted formula only comes in one shade - hopefully there will be more to come in 2025!) You can get these at your local Boots and they're honestly some of the best formulas widely available at the drugstore, so I'm not surprised they came first in this poll when we're all looking for affordable alternatives that actually hold up when compared to high-end formulas. 

I SAY...

Personally, I enjoyed a little more a niche launch the most this year: two cleansers by Sachi Skin. They released a gentle, mildly lathering gel cleanser with brightening properties and also a richer, more nourishing cleanser for dry and / or sensitive skin types. Obviously the cream cleanser was my favourite but I really enjoyed both; they're skin-friendly and balanced, meaning that regardless of your preference you're getting a gentle but effective and luxurious-feeling cleansing option. I never expected to enjoy a gel cleanser this much, but Sachi really got me on board with this product. They're a little more on the high-end side, but I love the thought that goes into every single product this brand adds to their lineup.

Check out my Garnier sunscreen review here

Check out my Sachi cleanser review here

Image via: businessoffashion.com

YOU SAID: DEINFLUENCING

Given I just mentioned that my least favourite beauty trend of 2024 was market oversaturation, I can definitely relate to 'deinfluencing' as your favourite beauty trend of the year. Most people don't have a lot of disposable income at the moment, so hearing that a product isn't worth the hype and that we actually don't need a new launch is always welcome. I feel as though the 2016-2020 beauty environment was all about 'buy, buy, buy' and FOMO, so it's good to see this trend reverse. I just hope it isn't transient and that we can see a more permanent shift in focus towards quality staples over new launches and overconsumption.

I SAY...

Also popular in the poll was the return of in-store beauty shopping and I have to agree with this. I think COVID accelerated a trend that was already happening and we became very online-focused, but I do personally still enjoy an in-person browse when the thought and effort has been put into the in-store experience. Personally, I was not surprised to see brands such as House of Fraser and Debenhams wither away in recent years; beauty was probably one of the few departments with decent potential, however they did themselves no favours with underground, windowless beauty halls with old-fashioned branded counters and fluorescent lighting. I have always preferred a wander around Space NK; a comfortable, spacious environment where you are left to browse in peace and (if you need anything) staff that are knowledgeable across brands without any agenda or bias. I saw Selfridges bring a similar open plan concept with some of their less traditional brands with the Beauty Studio and found myself dropping in for the browsing experience there too (it's still the only place I can easily see brands like Refy Beauty in person). And now in 2024, Boots have completely remodelled their stores to fit with this type of shopping experience and Sephora has made its way to the UK. Long live a pleasant browse of the beauty aisles on your lunch break, I say; I've missed that so much over the past few years!

Images via: glowrecipe.com and thegroomingclinic.com

YOU SAID: A DRAW BETWEEN THE ORDINARY AND GLOW RECIPE

Rather than focusing only on new stuff for the year, I wanted to find out which established brands you relied on this year too. This category saw a draw between the Ordinary and Glow Recipe. The Ordinary has a lot of loyal fans who've repurchased their products for many years, so it's not surprising to see they polled so well in this category. However, it was a draw with Glow Recipe receiving just as many votes! Glow Recipe hasn't launched much this year but clearly kept us repurchasing our established favourites that newer launches failed to supercede. Even in my own routine, I used their hyaluronic acid moisturiser pretty much every single morning during the summer months because nothing has topped it for me in the dewy skin gel-cream category. Their leave-on exfoliant is also wonderful with its hydrating, essence-like formula and I don't feel as though another brand has something similar to it in their lineup. As with the Ordinary, there are just a number of products that are still the best, despite the influx of new products to the market every year!

I SAY...

My lack of brand loyalty is once again under the microscope! Whilst I can't say there's a particular brand I've favoured in this category in 2024, it has absolutely been a year for me of preferring to enjoy and repurchase products that I've been using for years. If I'm trying something new then going back to the established favourite and wondering why I ever left, I'm not going to be that inclined to jump on every new launch.

Check out my the Ordinary reviews here

Check out my Glow Recipe reviews here

Image via: drsturm.com

YOU SAID: DR BARBARA STURM

Yikes, you people hate this brand! Once again, Dr Barbara Sturm wins out as your most overrated or overpriced brand. I've had the opportunity to try a handful of her products through gifting from stockists, and they're perfectly nice, but these days you can get just as good products for a fraction of the price... £200 for a hyaluronic acid serum and £150 for a sunscreen just doesn't make sense unless you're a celebrity who had the products used on your by a facialist, you quite liked them and you have the money to spend on whatever you like. Even if £150 is within reach but a big splurge that you'd need to see impressive results from then this isn't the brand for you. The formulas aren't transformative, they aren't standout; they're actually quite basic. 

I SAY...

I agree with you all; even if Dr Sturm's brand is just a stand-in for a type of brand, it's a type of brand I'm over. I don't even sit and wonder about whether or not these types of luxury brands are 'worth it' because I know they're not. The luxury products I discussed in this post are the only ones I personally think might be worth it, and none of them are these hyped-up, celebrity-recommended products (you've probably not even heard of these brands...)

Image via: lisaeldridge.com

YOU SAID: LISA ELDRIDGE

It feels almost like an insult to reduce Lisa Eldridge to your favourite content creator! She's a makeup artist with decades in the industry, she's served as creative director for some of the biggest beauty brands in the world and now she has her own incredibly well-received line of makeup (and skincare products). I think the quality of her products and how well they weave in with her approach to makeup has both won her new fans and reignited her popularity with those who've followed her work for years.

I SAY...

I personally love Lisa Eldridge too and - as someone who's been consuming online beauty for over a decade - it really does go to show that classic, timeless approaches to beauty will always remain popular. In the time I've been following Lisa's work we've seen everything from the full glam of 2016 makeup trends (heavy 3D brows, matte full coverage bases, liquid lipsticks etc.) to the barely-there beauty of the Glossier era and everything in between. However, what will always be popular is learning how to apply makeup in a way that's flattering and doable for everyday life. 

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your thoughts on these results!

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Read more posts from this series here!