Shopping news just in: the ten most bought beauty products during lockdown have been revealed (thanks to shopping data from Clearpay) and they prove what we’ve long suspected – as a nation we truly have great taste in make-up, skincare and har products.
From some cult classic staples to the niche brand breaking through to the big time (cough: The Ordinary), there are some bona fide heroes in there that prove we haven’t chucked our beauty routines out the door during lockdown, but rather maintained (and even amped up) our beauty swag during this whole fiasco.
Although a haircare product nabs the top spot of number one best-seller (we’ll give you a clue, it starts with O and ends in X), the next four favourites all fall into skincare, with one brand in particular sweeping up spots two, three, five and seven.
From this, we can conclude we’re putting our money where our pores are, and upping the ante to notably smart skincare regimes.
So, there you go, skincare is in, hair products are ALL about nourishment and restoring condition and shine, and make-up has taken things back to basics.
Without further ado, meet your lockdown beauty saviours.
The top 10 most popular beauty products purchased during the lockdown months were:
While we may receive commission for purchases made through our links, we never allow this to influence product selections
Most popular beauty products in lockdown
1 of 101. Olaplex No 3 Hair Perfector, £26
The cult classic for broken strands the world over, Olaplex revives bleached / over styled / overheated lengths with a patented formula. Apply as a pre shampoo treatment, and revel in notably softer hair post-wash.
2 of 102. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydration Support Formula, £5.90
We all know the drill: Hyaluronic Acid molecules can hold up to 1000 times their own weight in water. This means: hydration stations. A total snip at just over a fiver, this lightweight formula sinks in at speed and instantly refreshes and hydrates thirsty skin.
3 of 103. The Ordinary High Adherence Silicone Primer, £3.90
A pore blurring primer that leaves skin feeling soft to the touch, this savvy buy makes any make-up you apply on top of it last MUCH longer. Mattifying without drying the skin out, you can also wear this solo sans foundation if you want just a little lift.
4 of 104. Pixi Glow Tonic, £18
A cult classic exfoliating face toner with 5% glycolic acid (an AHA, or alpha-hydroxy acid) gently does away with lingering dry skin cells to reveal more radiant skin beneath. Use morning or night, post-cleansing.
5 of 105. The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA, £4.90
A cover-all-bases moisturiser for under a fiver - it's no wonder this thrifty hero is in our nation's top 10. Featuring hyaluronic acid, amino acids and fatty acids, reviewers love its no-fuss, no-fluff, does what it says on the tin nature.
6 of 106. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder – Translucent, £32
The boss of the loose powder posse, this nifty number is SO fine it dusts across skin, setting make-up in place, while remaining imperceptible.
7 of 107. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG, £5.80
Sleepy eyes meet your match. The hero ingredient of this super lightweight serum is caffeine, which has been proven to take down puffiness, while EGCG (a polyphenol found in antioxidant-rich green tea) helps reduce dark circles.
8 of 108. Olaplex Shampoo and Conditioner Bundle, £52
To maintain the good work you made with beauty buy number one, this mighty duo offer an all-round hit of hydration, nourishment and shine. Particularly brilliant for bleached, damaged, dry or fragile hair.
9 of 109. Real Techniques Everyday Essentials Set, £19.99
Unless you favour finger application, great make-up starts with great tools and this is an all-bases-covered set to get you started. Featuring a fluffy powder brush, soft foam sponge, eyeshadow brush, precise powder brush (think highlighters / setting powders) and a foundation brush.
10 of 1010. Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, £44.50
With a higher price point than the rest of the skincare in the top 10, it's proof this is well worth the investment. With a comprehensive vitamin line up (featuring B, C and E) and a buttery-soft formula, it sinks into skin like a dream and works wonders under make-up.
Now read on heatworld...
The slept-on skincare ingredient that needs to be added to your routine, asap
The most expensive beauty products purchased during lockdown
And while we’re at it – let’s take a moment to delve into the most expensive beauty products purchased during lockdown (from April – June 2020), when DIY and at-home beauty became our go-to (cough: only) option.
When we were looking for at-home ways to tackle hair removal, these two high-tech devices took the shared top spot. IPL stands for intense pulsed light, a wavelength that’s transmitted into the skin looking for pigment at the root of the hair follicle. Not as intense as the in-salon treatments, these can be used frequently. Philips claims up to 92% hair reduction after just three treatments.
Now that’s a lot of dollar to spend on a facial device, BUT, this nifty buy has some seriously great reviews to back it up. Using micro-current technology, the handheld device helps boost collagen and elastin production (the building blocks that keep your skin plump). When used long term (we’re talking years), it works out cost-per-use as bang for your buck.