Beauty secrets of the world’s most polished women

From a rare Amazonian hair oil to an Icelandic seaweed mask, they’re all now available on the High Street

ONCE upon a time, France was the beauty capital of the world. But over the past few years the global beauty map has changed.

Whether it’s sheet masks from South Korea, vegan make-up from Los Angeles or skin oils from Iceland, the products filling our shelves come from every corner of the earth. Here are the ones to pick . . .

GREECE IS THE WORD

GREECE is fast reinventing itself as a beauty destination, with cutting edge products as well as traditional ones packed with ingredients such as honey, olives, thyme, sage and yoghurt.

‘Greece is one to watch right now,’ says Millie Kendall, founder of Beauty Mart. ‘youth Lab is creating great skincare. Kallos shampoo and conditioners are beautifully packaged, and only £6.’ (Kallos, £6, thisisbeautymart.com).

Then there’s the award-winning Greek skincare line, Korres, now available in M&S. The Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturiser (£20), pictured, was created 21 years ago and is still a bestseller in Greece today.

Finally, if it’s anti-ageing skincare you’re after, Apivita’s Bee Radiant Age Defense Illuminating Serum (£42.50, apivita.com) is packed with natural antioxidants.

GERMAN GEMS

WHAT Germany might lack in glamour, it makes up for with organic, plant-packed products. Everyone from Adele to Rihanna swears by the Weleda range, in particular the Skin Food moisturiser (£7.46, Waitrose), pictured.

Meanwhile, Dr Hauschka is a favourite with fans of natural beauty, available at M&S from £10.

For something a bit more glossy, check out the Zoeva collection. The company started with a few make-up brushes on eBay, but is now a worldwide name. The sleek and affordable eye-shadow palettes get people excited, especially the Caramel Melange Eyeshadow Palette (£18,

which has ten shades.

LA DOLCE VITA

FOR years British make-up artists would stock up on Kiko Milano products at Milan airport, but they are now available in the UK. A bestseller is the Full Coverage Concealer, which comes in seven shades and costs £ 5.50 ( kikocosmetics.

com). Further favourites are their highly pigmented eye shadows and pencils, from £3.50.

Another popular haircare brand is Davines, created by the Bollati family in Palma. Try its hair oil: Oi Absolute Beautifying Potion (£32.50; libertylondon.com).

Finally, there’s Zelens. Founded by Dr Marko Lens, it combines cutting- edge science with plant ingredients. The Triple Action Advanced Eye Cream, pictured, is a bestseller (£75; cultbeauty.com).

SCANDI SECRETS

SCANDINAVIA and the Nordic countries have the same approach to beauty as fashion and interiors — no frills, scents or complicated packaging. Skyn’s Arctic Face Oil (£30, M&S), pictured, is packed full of omega oils from fish found in the clean waters surrounding Iceland. And the Nordic country’s intensive moisturising seaweed face mask by Hannes Dottir (£79, cultbeauty.

com) contains a gloopy mix of sea kelp and spearmint to leave your skin plump and squeaky clean.

LA Bruket is Swedish skincare packed with the country’s own seaweed and plants — try the Marigold, Orange and Geranium Salt Bath (£20, Liberty). Finally, Swedish perfumiers Byredo have created the impossibly cool scent Bal D’Afrique (£95, Selfridges).

Best of all, Scandinavian and Nordic women treat ageing as a normal part of life, to be managed with a healthy attitude.

CALIFORNIA CURLS

ONLy in LA will you find a bath oil called Higher Self or a Violet Water that will cleanse your aura ( thisisbeautymart.com). May Lindstrom is another darling of the West Coast beauty world whose Good Stuff Radiance Oil is a whopping £117 ( cultbeauty.com), pictured. Another high- end but natural brand is Odacite, which sells its Pomegranate and Rose Geranium Serum at a more affordable £39 ( cult

beauty.com). For hair, try Ouai’s Wave Spray (£10,

cultbeauty.com) will give you effortless beach waves to take to . . . the office.

AUSSIE BEAUTIES

EVER practical, the must-have Aussie product costs just over £5 and can be used on everything from hair to insect bites.

Lucas Papaw ointment is the equivalent to Vaseline. The 100year- old formula uses papaya fruit to soothe dry, irritated skin and even help tame flyaway hair (£5.95 amazon.co.uk). But the Aussies have a lot of high- end, sleekly packaged beauty products, too. A great piece of packaging is the Aesop range of botanical skincare. They are famous for their liquid soaps, seen in fancy hotel bathrooms, and their Parsley AntiOxidant Hydrator (£43, cultbeauty.com) is a favourite.

For make-up, Becca, pictured, is arguably the best. Gorgeous, luminous natural finishes in sophisticated packaging.

CRAZY FOR KOREA

WHERE to start with the country that has brought us knitted face masks, snail cream and egg mousse soap? South Korea is now the beauty centre of the world, coming out with so many new — and weird — things it’s hard to keep up.

If the quirky style is up your street, look out for Etude House, the Face Shop, It’s Skin and Tony Moly. It’s Skin’s Macaron Lip Balm is lovely (£6.50, thisisbeautymart.

com) while the It’s Skin Avocado sheet mask, pictured, is lusciously moisturising. I am also curious about Blackhead Silk Finger Balls, which you apply to areas of congestion — once popular with geishas. (£ 8, cultbeauty.co.uk).

GO JAPANESE

DID you know that Biore porecleaning strips, which draw out unsightly blackheads like a magnet, hail from Japan? ( Biore Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips, £9.49, Boots).

A bottle of DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil (£24, dhcuk.co.uk), pictured, is sold every ten seconds globally — and their face wash called Face Wash Powder (£10.50, dhc.co.uk) is fast becoming another big seller.

AMAZONIAN OIL

PEOPLE who use this product swear that it has transformed their hair, some even say it has promoted hair growth — and you’d want it to because Rahua Hair Elixir costs £140 ( cultbeauty.com), pictured, and that is just for a tiny bottle. But the Rahua nut, the main ingredient, is found in the rainforest. It’s no surprise that Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan.

FRENCH GENIUS

WHETHER it’s fine perfume or pharmacy basics, France has always been a beauty hot spot. Brands La Roche Posay, Vichy and Avene are affordable, effective and brilliant. Take a look at Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Body Oil (£29, M&S), pictured, and Bioderma Cleansing Water — (£10.80, Boots). And when it comes to perfumes, the French are still the best. Marilyn Monroe might have gone to bed in nothing but a dab of Chanel No 5, but try Serge Lutens ( serge - lutens. com) and Maison Francis Kurkdjian ( net-a-porter.com) for modern scents.