FACE OF THE FUTURE

Still using your old make-up bag faves? Time for an upgrade

We’ve seen the future and it’s looking pretty good for making you look, well, pretty good. These are the groundbreaking formulas and powerhouse ingredients that deliver real, proven results and the experts’ take on how you’ll be using them

You can’t beat a classic beauty buy, right? But what if your faithful companion isn’t quite living up to its reputation these days? Chances are, it’s not the product – it’s you. ‘It’s easy to become complacent when it comes to beauty, but pay attention to the condition of your skin, hair and nails,’ says Dr Maryam Zamani, cosmetic doctor and founder of MZ Skin. ‘Just as your muscles get used to certain exercises, your skin can develop resistance to ingredients, formulas and application methods.’ The same goes for getting stuck in a cosmetics rut that no longer works. Considering that the beauty industry spends billions on innovation each year, it’s in your interests to keep up with the new ingredients, upgraded formulations and rebooted trends on the radar of beauty experts for the year ahead.

SUPP UP YOUR SKIN

Topical lotions and potions are all well and good, but 2018 is set to be the year of skincare from the inside out – which could mean popping pills. ‘You’re used to taking probiotics for digestive health (with skin improvements as a happy by-product for some), but new research has finally confirmed that bacteria such as lactobacillus, a lactic acid that converts sugar to acid, and bifidobacterium, a major genus of bacteria that makes up the colon flora, are directly beneficial to skin,’ says Dr Zamani. US converts love Be Well Probiotic Powder, which you can mix with water or add to drinks or juices, but the brand doesn’t yet ship internationally – so to pick up the probiotic benefits closer to home, try Healthspan Super50 Pro (£14.48, healthspan.co.uk). And the skin supplements don’t stop there. ‘UV damage is the most important aspect of skin health and, while topical protection is key, you can now swallow some skin-surance, too,’ says dermatologist Dr Anne Wetter. While no substitute for your good old-fashioned SPF, edible Uv-filters can boost your sun defenses from within, with studies suggesting they can increase the time you can spend in the sun before burning. Keep your eye out for chemical-free UV inhibitors, like astaxanthin – a red pigment found in trout, microalgae, yeast and shrimp – and present in

CURTAIN CALL

You nicked David Beckham’s 90s sarong vibes, and now’s the time to steal his haircut from that era, too – because the curtain fringe is back. While you may have spent 2017 partaking in a cool blunt-cut bob or a pony with face-framing tendrils, the Brigitte Bardot-esque soft curtain fringe – a staple for the likes of Alexa Chung and Suki Waterhouse – has made a resurgence, with its centreparted fringe that tapers from the brow to skim the cheekbones. It works for pretty much every hair type and face shape (score) – but it has to blend seamlessly with the rest of your hair, so avoid going DIY and instead have your stylist incorporate it into your existing style and length.

HAIRCARE, BUT BETTER

Hair colour and tress-thickening products have never seen eye to eye – the ingredients that plump the hair shaft leave cuticles open, which sees pigment (for which you’ve likely paid the big bucks) seep out. Happily, Nioxin has nixed the trade-off with a post-colour treatment that not only seals in colour, but also removes environmental residues from your scalp and hair to boost volume by up to 200%. Nioxin 3-Part System Kits (£22.95, nioxin.com)

TESTING THE WATERS

The words on the lips of top make-up artists for 2018? ‘Water weight’. That is, a base formula that offers coverage while being as fresh and weightless as water. A tall order, for sure. Happily, what beauty fans want, beauty fans get. The Ordinary Colours adds to its collection this December with the launch of Matte Watercolours Foundations (theordinary.com), which are designed to give full, siliconeand oil-free, pore-minimising coverage that’s technically thinner than water. In other words: you can see it, but you can’t feel it. There’s already a 70,000-name-strong waiting list, so be sure to add yours now. Estée Lauder has joined the flood of water-based bases, too, extending its best-selling Double Wear franchise – nine bottles of the original foundation are sold every minute – to include Double Wear Light Foundation (£32.50, esteelauder.co.uk), which delivers 15 hours of coverage in a can’t-really-feel-it formula. And last but not least, Rimmel London’s Lasting Finish Breathable Foundation (£8.99, Boots) looks set to change the face of longwear make-up forever. ‘It’s lightweight enough to look natural in daylight, but stays put for up to 25 hours – something that was impossible before now,’ says Rimmel London global make-up ambassador James Molloy.

A NICE-TONAILS MANI

Love the hardiness and low maintenance of a gel manicure but hate the idea that it could be damaging your natural nails? Without wanting to sound like the voiceover from a sofa advert, head to SNS. The salon brand uses chemical-free powders in its treatments to achieve a super-shiny gel manicure that won’t wreck your nails. Plus, its formulas are packed with nutrients to help your natural nail grow stronger. SNS Gel Nails at salons nationwide (£25, treatwell.com)

LET’S GET PERSONAL

Bespoke is best when it comes to Dna-led diet and fitness, and your complexion is set to follow. ‘The age of personalised skincare is now,’ says Elisabet Hagert, co-founder of Allél,a brand that uses DNA analysis to identify how your genetic markers are ageing you. The feedback will suggest what you can do about it with topical products and science-backed supplements. Then there’s Virtue Labs, which uses human keratin to create a customised haircare collection based on the current condition and texture of your tresses and whatever your hair goals are.