Welcome to #TheShelfies, the only beauty awards that celebrates the products worth a spot on your bathroom shelf!
This year, we made it our mission to find the best beauty buys as rated by women like you. Top bloggers, our beauty director and you, the Great British public, tested and voted for 10 products from well-known brands, including luxury items all the way through to budget buys, to see which beauty products are really worth a spot on our bathroom shelves. And you might be surprised by their results!
They found moisturisers that work, lipsticks they’d recommend to a friend and, most importantly, 10 beauty staples they’d add to their beauty shelves in a heartbeat.
Read on to find out the winners of #TheShelfies, and to find out how you could be in with the chance of nabbing all of our winning products with your own shelfie…
The best moisturiser
Winner: Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream – £74
Tested by: Lucy Parley (fussybird.co.uk)
Lucy says: My first reaction was to fight against the words ‘slackening’ and ‘age spots’ used on the packaging, but my Clarins-loving instincts took over. At 37, I haven’t seen any age spots, but I’m definitely requiring more from my skincare as I get older, especially as my complexion is starting to show the signs of having two small children (think interrupted sleep, a rushed, barely-existing skincare regime, lots of leftover chicken nuggets, plenty of biscuits and cups of tea).
I like being able to give my skin a nourishing treat at the end of the day by slathering on something that feels luxurious and protecting, and you can’t get more luxe than Clarins. Taking the time to massage it in feels like a well-deserved dose of me-time. And hey, if it helps fend off the ‘slackening’ process, who am I to argue?
The best mascara
Winner: Lancome Hypnose Mascara – £23.50
Tested by: Rebecca Meldrum (mrsmeldrum.com)
Rebecca says: This mascara was very easy to use and gave my eyelashes the exact look I want, and I needed less coats of mascara than you sometimes do with other brands too. Perfect for giving you long, fluttery (not to mention clump-free) eyelashes, Lancome’s mascara was really buildable to go from a natural day look to a more dramatic evening look. I’d definitely buy it again!
The best electrical product
Winner: Foreo Luna Facial Cleansing Brush – £145
Tested by: Erica Davies (the-edited.com)
Erica says: Although this product is something I would never have considered buying, I love how it’s made my skin feel. My skin felt cleaner instantly – and I loved the fact you can give yourself a bit of an anti-ageing facial massage by turning it around as well. Seriously ladies, for smoother, cleaner skin, this little pink machine is perfect. Charge up for a proper cleanse, turn it around and it will give you the ultimate anti-ageing massage.
The best lipstick
Winner: Elizabeth Arden beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipstick – £21
Tested by: Anna Whitehouse (motherpukka.co.uk)
Anna says: This lipstick slicks on like a dream and stays put from morning coffee to evening g&t. Even my husband, who doesn’t ‘get’ lipstick and stuff, noticed. He said it was very Hollywood screen siren – I’ll take that! It’s the sort of lipstick you’d wear on your morning commute right the way through to evening happy hour. Moisturising, highly pigmented and with a sexy, sassy gold packaging, this is as good as a pout gets. It’s the sort of lipstick (the shade neoclassical coral) that will go beyond the latest catwalk trend. In short: it’s a pout to shout about.
The best hair styling product
Winner: Batiste Dry Shampoo – £4.99
Tested by: Mikhila McDaid (mikhila.com)
Mikhila says: This product is almost as basic a staple for me as regular shampoo. SUCH a time saver and the only dry shampoo that really works for my hair. Although it’s powdery, which isn’t going to be for everyone as there IS residue, I just can’t get along with those that claim to be lighter weight and leave no trace behind… the residue is what absorbs the oil. We’re the dry shampoo generation thanks to this product and I can’t imagine ever finding another I like more.
The best foundation
Winner: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Make-up – £30
Tested by: Sarah Clark (sarahwoo.co.uk)
Sarah says: As soon as I put it on I knew it was going to be special. For me, I love great coverage yet I don’t want it to be overpowering – it can be a hard balance to strike. I have normal/dry skin, so I like something that’s feels nourishing too. This foundation offers both those things. A matte finish with a radiant glow, it gave great coverage yet still felt lightweight. Its oil-free and moisturising ingredients made my skin feel nourished too! The colour compliments my skin tone beautifully. Plus a little goes a long way so it’s worth every penny! The bottle looks so pretty on your shelf and the goods inside make you feel like a million dollars.
The best body product
Winner: Garnier Ultimate Blends Body Lotion – £4.49
Tested by: Claire Witt (thewittfamily.co.uk)
Claire says: I really love using this moisturiser! I’ve seen results of nourished skin from the first use, I love the scent as it’s not overpowering, just really natural. The moisturiser sinks in well and the pump is really handy. Really affordable, it’s a product I’d use daily – I love the results it gives. My only criticism would be that the bottle needs to be bigger!
The best fake tan/gradual tan
Winner: Xen Tan Moroccan Tan Ultra – £49.99
Tested by: Susie Verrill (mymiloandme.com)
Susie says: I’m a prolific tanner and have been switching from one product to the next since I hit the age of 16 (I’m naturally very pale and uninteresting). With the Xen Tan you can tell it’s a high end tanning product. Lovely smell (a bit like Playdoh in fact!) and a natural result.
I was slightly worried after slathering it on as it looked almost grey when first applied, but it’s the most convincing colour I’ve ended up with. And I’ve used a LOT of tanning products in my time! You can see where you’re applying while you’re doing it so no missing areas out or patches, plus it goes on easily and dries quickly. It’s a bit more expensive, but I’d be happy paying the full price for this knowing how much I liked the result
This is the tanning gel for people who don’t mind paying a little bit more for beauty products and who appreciate paying for a cheaper fake tan often means you get the dreaded orange pallor.
Product of the Year
Winner: No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum – £24.95
Tested by: Beauty Director Charley Williams-Howitt (the_blonde_editor)
Charley says: This serum is like the little black dress of the beauty world – it’s my reliable go-to for when I need results fast. After using it for only two weeks, I swear my wrinkles looked a lot less noticeable and my skin had that coveted glowy finish without applying any make-up!
Cult Product of the Year
Winner: Vaseline Original lip tin – £1.95 We asked you to vote for your absolutely-can’t-live-without beauty product, and the Vaseline lip tin was the standout winner with 15.6% of the vote! And we’re not surprised. Lauren, from Leeds, said: ‘I usually spend between £11-£30 a month on beauty products, but picking up my must-have tin of Vaseline is one staple I can’t live without. It’s always in my handbag because I use it every day – and it’s got so many uses, too!’
WIN all of our #TheShelfies beauty awards winners – worth £381.37!
Fancy nabbing all of our winning products? Of course you do!
Entering couldn’t be easier, all you need to do is share your very own shelfie showing you and your must-have products on your bathroom shelf, just like our bloggers here.
Send us the snap either on our Facebook page, Twitter or on Instagram using the hashtag #TheShelfies, and you’ll automatically be entered into our exciting giveaway!
Good luck!
Terms and conditions
Competition details form part of these terms and conditions.
In the event of a discrepancy between these standard terms and conditions and the details in the promotional material, the details of the promotional material shall prevail.
