Call us killjoys, but there’s something incredibly impractical about walking around doused in iridescent highlighter and eight shades of eyeshadow, especially now the mercury has finally risen. From unicorn makeup brushes to mermaid-inspired palettes, the beauty market is currently heaving with all things fantastical, but there is a way to indulge without having to dip yourself in girlish glitter.
The most alluring brands on our shelves offer a heady dose of mystical charm with a grown-up slant, opting for bewitching ingredients and beguiling shades over rainbow hues and glitter. Click through for our verdict on the most captivating names to know.
Rituel de Fille
Rituel de Fille was concocted by three sisters with roots in makeup artistry on the Hollywood circuit. The trio approaches each formulation with the alchemy of potion-making – every ingredient has a clear purpose, leaving no room for fillers or synthetic colour. Created in-house, each product is the result of years of experimentation using history-steeped ingredients and the deepest of pigments. Everything is 99% natural (very impressive for a colour cosmetics brand) and all raw materials are sourced from certified cruelty-free companies.
With collection names like Cultus and Feral, it’ll come as no surprise that there are no pretty pink or glitter shades to be found here – think blackened-blue lipstick, sooty loose eye pigments and ghostly highlighters.
Do we have you entranced? Stick 28th June in your diary, when the brand will drop two limited-edition shades of its cult Rare Light Luminizer highlighter – Lunaris has an opalescent blue-toned finish inspired by the glow of a full moon, while Solaris reflects the red-hot gleam of the rising sun.
Rituel de Fille, from £19, available at Cult Beauty
Reek Perfume
If the sight of a traditional fragrance ad – think supermodels wafting around in designer dresses – leaves you feeling less than empowered, cast your eyes over to Reek Perfume.
Cited as the first ‘feminist fragrance line’, this Scottish brand takes inspiration from the most unapologetic heroines throughout history to create truly fierce fragrances, and with renowned nose Sarah McCartney behind the notes, they’re bound for cult status.
The line’s debut, Damn Rebel Bitches, is named after Maggie Craig’s study of the Jacobite uprisings and the rebellion’s heroine, Lady Nithsdale, who broke her husband out of the Tower of London in 1716 by dressing him as a woman. With notes of blood orange, hazelnut, pink peppercorn and malt, it’s as heady and powerful as it sounds. Arriving later this month is sister scent Damn Rebel Witches, which is dedicated to women burnt at the stake and those still prosecuted today for witchcraft – expect a heart of tobacco for a darker twist.
Reek campaign images are shot using non-professional models with absolutely no retouching, and you can find an interview with each woman on the brand’s feminist blog, Bitches Unite.
Reek Perfume, from £25, available at Reek Perfume
La Belle Lune
La Belle Lune’s debut night serum, Organic Skin, looks like something you might unearth from an ancient potion collection, but it’s actually hand-blended in Norwich. A childhood spent reading fairy tales and gothic stories led to founder Annabelle Powell’s obsession with the moon and the night sky – making a night oil the natural choice for her beauty debut.
This lightweight, easily absorbed oil is ideal for tackling blemishes and reducing acne scars without resorting to high-strength acids or prescription products. Alongside the usual suspects – rosehip seed, sweet almond and rose otto – this magical cocktail contains a host of curious, less-familiar extracts to supercharge the nourishing effects. Milk thistle shields skin from environmental pollutants while chia works wonders on elasticity, and rosemary C02 extract acts as a natural preservative, preventing oxidisation to keep each extract as active as possible.
La Belle Lune Organic Skin, £46, available at La Belle Lune
Lovecraft Beauty
Lovecraft Beauty is the baby of renowned makeup artist Francelle Daly, who grew up watching her mother concoct homemade soaps and beauty remedies in their New Orleans home.
For her debut lip-pen collection, Daly constructed her own lab in Brooklyn in order to control every aspect of production, from conception to completion. Combining high pigmentation with deep hydration, each brush-tipped pen can be used as a stick, gloss or stain so you can heighten the impact from day to night. The five shades – from soft pink Argus to vampish currant Sazerac – are inspired by Daly’s memories of her hometown, and vibrant enough to look striking on any skin tone. Need a little inspiration? Daly’s Instagram is a goldmine of save-worthy shots.
Lovecraft Beauty, from £14, available at Lovecraft Beauty
Kypris
Flash quiz: Which of these fairytale ingredients can be found in Kypris’ Glow Philtre face mask: silver ear, sea fennel stem cells, or pomegranate pith? The answer? All three.
This little pot of magic may look like something dreamt up in a Disney film but it’s actually one of the most effective all-organic resurfacing formulas we’ve ever tried. It applies like a dense cream, smells like heaven (citrussy but not sharp), and leaves skin genuinely renewed yet never stripped. There’s absolutely no irritation and it spreads seamlessly, meaning the jar will go a long way. Apply as a 20-minute treatment to hydrate and exfoliate before makeup application, or use as a very indulgent weekly treat.
Kypris Glow Philtre, £84 available at Kypris
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