Review: 10 Best Beauty Products in South Africa You Need to Know About

beauty reviews

The life of a beauty addict is never dull thanks to dozens of brand-new makeup, skincare and haircare products launching every single month. Of course, new beauty launches always bring with them a lot of hype so it can be hard to tell what’s worth the splurge and what’s better left as a distant memory from your Instagram feed. Fortunately for you, I’m always willing to put my skin and hair on the line to test out the newest beauty products on the market, so you don’t have to. So, what’s good this month? Here are 10 of my best beauty products available in South Africa to get you through the month… Because I support your decision to treat yourself to yet another perfume you probably don’t need but deserve.

1. Batiste Show Stopping Heavenly Volume Dry Shampoo

Batiste Show Stopping Heavenly Volume Dry Shampoo

A volumising spray and dry shampoo in one? Yes please! We all know Batiste as one of the best dry shampoos on the market, but they really knocked it out of the park with this one. If you’re tired of limp roots, pump up the volume with Batiste Show-Stopping Heavenly Volume. The product is part of the Batiste Dry Shampoo Plus range, offering dry shampoo with added benefits to suit your hairs needs. The spay refreshes your locks and gives hair that gorgeous, touchable bounce so many of us crave. It smells divine too and doesn’t leave your hair feeling sticky or stiff. The product removes oil while helping to add body and texture to the hair. This is the perfect product for anyone who loves a boost of volume and wants to save time using fewer products. For best results, tip your hair upside down and spray into the roots – you’ll have volume like you won’t believe.

Grab Batiste Show-Stopping Heavenly Volume at Clicks stores or online for R99.

2. Optiphi Protect the Canvas Broad Spectrum Sun Protection Cream

Optiphi Protect the Canvas Broad Spectrum Sun Protection Cream

Looking for a great facial sunscreen to protect your skin this winter? Give Optiphi’s Protect the Canvas Broad Spectrum Sun Protection Cream SPF30 a try. This light-weight, non-oily, anti-oxidant packed sunscreen offers broad spectrum protection from harmful rays while also helping to fight the onset of premature ageing. This sunscreen feels luxurious on the skin and I love the moisturising effect it has. It’s especially great to use in winter when the skin needs an added boost of moisture.

The product contains Sunflower Sprout Extract and Caesalpinia Spinos Fruit Extract, which provide protection against Infrared Radiation (IR) and High Energy Visible (HEV) ‘Blue’ Light. Chromanol and Tripeptide-33 in the product help to fight free radicals and protect against UV related oxidative stress. The non-whitening, chemical and physical filters assist in protecting the skin from UVA and UVB radiation while the addition of Lactic Acid adds moisture and a rejuvenating benefit to this sun protection cream.

Grab Optiphi’s Broad Spectrum Sun Protection Cream online for R390.

3. Bioderma Atoderm Ultra Repair Hand & Nail Cream

Atoderm Ultra Repair hand and nail cream

This nourishing hand cream has proved to be a real winner for the winter season. I go through hand cream like crazy and this is now one of my new favourites. I’ve tried a lot of hand creams and this one really works to protect my hands from the drying effects of handwashing and the increased use of hand santiser. It works to calm and protect very dry, winter-damaged hands and nails for hours. It’s been such a treat to use during the Covid-19 lockdown too as it provides a long-lasting ‘glove effect’ to help prevent skin drying out with frequent hand washing. What’s more, it also strengthens nails with frequent use!

Grab the Bioderma Atoderm Ultra Repair Hand & Nail Cream at Dis-Chem stores or online for R98.95.

4. Homeoplasmine Skin Irritations Ointment

Homeoplasmine Skin Irritations Ointment

This French beauty wonder was first designed as an ointment for skin irritations but today it is a cult favourite multitasking product loved by makeup artists across Europe. Makeup artists adore it for its conditioning abilities, using it as a primer prior to makeup application as well as a saviour lip balm. It’s hailed as a perennial backstage beauty must-have and is known as the insider’s alternative to Vaseline.

Homeoplasmine’s ingredients include Calendula officinalis, Phytolacca Officinalis, Bryonia, Benzoin, Boric acid, and Vaselinum album, all great ingredients for soothing dry, chapped skin. The rich texture of the product means it is fast-acting and it quickly works to alleviate irritation and restore calm into the skin. A little goes a long way and the ointment keeps the skin feeling moist for an extended period of time. It might not look like much but this inexpensive product is a great dupe for Elizabeth Arden’s 8-hour cream and can be used in much the same way to treat irritated skin, set eyebrows, treat cuticles, soothe lips, and so much more!

Grab Homeoplasmine Skin Irritations Ointment at Dis-Chem stores or online for R142.95.

5. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale

This beauty from Nuxe is one of my all-time favourite iconic beauty products. I love a good multitasker and this one can be used on the face, body, and hair. This new version of the classic Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse dry oil arrived in South Africa late last year and is a new personal favourite. The formula of this luxurious oil is still the same but it has a stunning new fragrance. The fragrance is fresh and wonderfully feminine with notes of magnolia, white musks and citrus top notes of grapefruit, lemon, orange and Calabrian Bergamot. It also has orange blossom note that is a signature of the original but the addition of petitgrain gives it an enhanced freshness that is oh-so-intoxicating.

As for the oil itself, it’s a must-try for anyone looking for a killer overall hydrator. It’s made up of a combination of seven precious botanical oils: Tsubaki (moisturising), Argan (repairing), Macadamia (nourishing), Borage (smoothing), Camellia (moisturising), hazelnut (protecting) and Sweet Almond (softening). The oil leaves your skin feeling silky soft without leaving an oily residue on the skin and it can be used in a number of ways. Use it on stretch marks to help reduce the colour by 30%, mix a few drops into your facial moisturiser or body lotion for added nourishing benefits, apply a few drops to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair to tame frizz and add shine, or mix a drop or two with your foundation for a natural dewy glow. This 100ml bottle lasts ages so it’s well worth the investment and is a game-changer for dry, thirsty skin.

Grab the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale at Woolworths for R520.

6. 365 Skin Workout Essentials Multicleanse

S65 skin Workout Multicleanse

This 4-in-1 cleanser does it all! Another multitasking wonder, this soap-free cleanser removes makeup, deep cleanses and gently exfoliates at the same time. It’s ideal for drier, more sensitive skins and is mild enough not to strip the natural oils from your skin. It’s super gentle on the skin and the exfoliating action doesn’t feel harsh at all. It may feel a little too gentle for those with oily skin but if like me, you struggle with dry skin this is a great choice for a winter cleanser when your skin needs a little extra TLC.

Developed in Barcelona and produced in South Africa, 365-Skin Workout is a premium results-driven ‘multi-cosmeceutical’ skincare range specifically designed for South African skins. Rather than trying to win over clients with buzz words and trendy ingredients, 365 Skin Workout takes a targeted approach to skincare by helping clients reach their skin fitness goals in a measurable way starting with a skin scan using the Slim Skin Analysis System in salon. You can find out more and read a comprehensive review of the 365 Skin Workout range here.

Grab the 365 Skin Workout Multicleanse at Sorbet salons for R530.

7. BioNike Defence Body ReduXCell

BioNike Defence Body ReduXCell

A lot of anti-cellulite and body firming products talk a big game yet deliver lukewarm results. This product from BioNike talks-the-talk-and walks-the-walk, with visible results. Both a summer and winter essential, your legs, thighs, and tummy will thank you for using this product. I started seeing initial results after about two weeks of religious use of the product but after a full three months of use, the results were even more impressive. My skin feels firmer, is noticeably smoother, and the dimpling on my thighs is less visible.

This lotion absorbs into the skin relatively quickly and the handy massage roller head makes applying super easy and helps to accelerate your results through massage. For best results use the cream twice a day and massage until the product is fully absorbed. Make sure you massage in circular motions to help stimulate lymph drainage. The lotion has a cooling effect on the skin and you will feel a slight tingling feeling when you apply it but it’s not at all uncomfortable.

See Also
Batiste Benefits

Grab the BioNike Defence Body ReduXCell at Dis-Chem pharmacies for R295.

8. Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Day Cream SPF30

Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Day Cream

If you’re looking for a results-driven day cream, this is it! Using the gentle exfoliating power of Elemis’ patented Tri-Enzyme technology, a trio of enzymes is blended together with active ingredients to help encourage the skin’s natural cell renewal process, leaving skin smoother and signs of ageing reduced. Add in a micronized broad-spectrum sunscreen with a unique blend that promises zero white streaks on the face, and you’ve got one stellar day cream.

Often creams that include a high SPF factor can feel quite thick and heavy on the skin but this beauty from Elemis protects and hydrates the skin without feeling heavy. The cream feels almost buttery and is beautifully refreshing on the skin. It’s super luxurious and leaves skin feeling hydrated and nourished all day long. A little goes a long way with this cream and you barely need to use a pea-sized amount to cover your whole face and neck area. The pot lasts ages and even though it’s a premium, luxury product it is well worth the investment as you’ll get 3 months of use from one 50ml product.

Grab the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Day Cream SPF30 from Retail Box at R2,038.

9. Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Round Tool

Tamgle Teezer Blow-Styling Round Tool

Ask anyone with curly hair and they will tell you that no brush is safe when it comes to curly hair. If you’ve ever had a round brush snap or get stuck while trying to blow-dry your hair, you know what I’m talking about. But not this brush. The Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Round Tool brush has superpowers that allow it to combat even the curliest, unruliest, thickest hair with no fuss and transform it into a frizz-free masterpiece (true story). The brush comes in two sizes, small and large, with each brush size offering different benefits.

I tested the small brush which is ideal for adding volume and creating movement when blow-drying medium to long hair. Using this brush you can easily style your hair from wet to dry with no need for straighteners and no worries about the brush snapping or the bristles bending and getting tangled in your hair. The uniquely designed bristles, pick up hair at the root for a great natural lift, waves and volume. The innovative teeth of the brush overlap to ensure that hair flows easily through the bottle-shaped fixed base ‘bristles’ while also taking excess water away more easily, allowing for a faster blow-dry. I’ve used this brush on a number of occasions since receiving it and my hair is left beautifully smooth and shiny after every use.

Grab the Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Round Tool online from the Haircare website at R370.

10. Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules

Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules

These capsules are a great gateway drug for anyone interested in introducing the anti-ageing powerhouse ingredient, retinol into their skincare routine. For this highly effective serum, Elizabeth Arden combines retinol with Ceramide to bring you all the anti-ageing and re-texturising benefits of retinol without the dryness that many people experience using the ingredient. Ceramide has incredible hydrating properties and also delivers more immediate barrier repairing functions, making it perfect to protect the skin from any irritation and dryness that may be caused by retinol.

Packaged in little individual capsules, the serum delivers a retinol formula that Elizabeth Arden says is 76% more potent than any equivalent non-encapsulated formula. Using this method of delivery, the ingredients are safe from any air and light that may cause instability and you really see results. I saw initial results the very next day after using this product for the first time. My skin was noticeably brighter and felt plumper. Now, 3 months later I can notice a real change in my skin from using this product every night. It’s massively reduced the fine dehydration lines on my cheeks, the blackheads on my nose are all but gone, and the larger pores surrounding my nose are massively reduced.

Grab the Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules online at R640 for 30 capsules.

Want more health and beauty finds and reviews? Check out our Beauty section for more exciting reading!

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