The 2024 Cosmopolitan Winter Beauty Awards

Imagine bathing in a tub of creamy-textured milk to reveal a hydrated, bronzed bod. Now picture that as a reality, sans-bath and applied via a mitt, ofc. Streak-free tan made easy (and enjoyable!).

From c-section scars to bacne hyperpigmentation, this treatment helps as a targeted serum to reduce the appearance of any bodily scars you want to address. The texture is oil-based but it’s not sticky or heavy and stinks into skin toot sweet.

Glycolic acid appears in many facial skincare routines, so it makes sense that its powers also extend to the body. Without physical abrasion, this hydrating formula resurfaces skin to achieve even texture. Chicken skin, where?

Our love for this scrub isn’t far from an obsession. Buff away dead skin in the most joyful way with this hard-working scrub that smells as glorious as it feels luxurious. We’re already on a refill.

Loaded with a concoction of oils, organic cocoa and the richest of veggie butter, illipe, this lotion is moisturising AF. But its selling point? The gourmand, indulgent scent. You'll be turning heads all day long.

Those thick, gloopy barrier repair creams do not like to see this one coming. If you’re not a fan of a rich body cream but need to protect your skin from harsh winter weather then you need to add this nourishing cream to your stash asap.

Phlur’s most viral scent is now available in body oil form – and we couldn’t be happier. It’s time to brighten, protect and soothe skin with the alluring, comforting smell of your Missing Person… wink, nudge.

A ‘natural deodorant serum’ may have you questioning its ability to thwart the smelliness of perspiration but He Fe’s innovative formula certainly can. Delivering exceptional anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-irritation skincare in just a few spritzes.

Upgrading on a total classic, Dove’s new body washes all have one thing in common; they all leave the skin feeling clean but still uber-moisturised.

If heaven were a bathtub, it would be filled with these stunning salts. They smell divine packed with eight essential oils, including lavender, geranium, clary sage, and hiba wood.

Confession: I would rather my hands cracked and chapped than greasy and clammy (I know). But with Sanctuary Spa’s gorgeously scented hand creams, I’m left with neither. Moisturised, sans-a mucky phone screen!

This skin-softening shower cream does exactly what it says on the bottle, it cocoons skin with nourishment. Plus, it smells better than any spa we’ve been too.

UV, discolouration and dark spots have nothing on this 5% vitamin C moisturiser. With a supercharged (and weightless!) blend, your skin will be left protected, brightened and hydrated in one multi-active step.

Merit has done it again - their new moisturiser has gone straight to the top of our can’t live without list thanks to its delectable buttery texture, it’s rich and soothing on dry skin, without feeling heavy or greasy.

You are definitely au fait with the iconic ANR serum and now it has a little friend to complete your skin’s perfect beauty sleep regimen. This silky-smooth crème cocoons your skin as it plumps and hydrates but doesn’t leave that slick feeling on your pillow.

Stubborn redness? Dryness? Sensitivity? Luckily Allies of Skin have answered all our prayers with this genius soothing serum. Calms irritations and inflammation to bring skin back to a happy medium, plus it helps reverse multiple signs of ageing. Ah-mazing!

A big splurge but way less spenny than injectables. This firming and glow-enhancing serum will have you putting off your aesthetic appointment a little longer. The patented formula helps with a multitude of skin concerns from redness to hydration.

Road-tested after a drunken night out (profesh, I know), NIVEA’s new micellar water removes even the most stubborn remnants of makeup in a few easy swipes. No effort (read: harsh rubbing) is needed, folks.

With a blend of oat extract and natural oils, this top-performing cleanser removes stubborn makeup while simultaneously nourishing dry, sensitive skin. If a micellar water and milky cleansing balm had a baby… et voilà!

An SPF so easy to apply you have no excuse to not wear it every single day. Its lightweight texture makes it easy to reapply if you’re going on a summer break but also perfect for applying under makeup too.

Hate super drying mud masks? This cutesy little tub from glowhub contains a formula that yes detoxifies like a regular mud mask but also maintains hydration and relaxes you thanks to the mushroom mix and ashwagandha in it.

This Polly Pocket-sized mist is a new handbag essential. If you think you don’t need a face mist in winter think again - this refreshes makeup and helps calm that dry tight feeling you get from going from cold climes to heated buildings.

Scrubs can be harsh on the skin, but not this one! Origins has perfectly formulated this gentle yet effective mask-to-scrub exfoliant, leaving pores reduced, blackheads banished and skin feeling refreshed. Acne, where?!

Maybe one of the cutest ways to shrink a spot ever? If the festive period is causing you to breakout more than ever before, these stickers will spot you picking and help shrink them faster thanks to the hydrocolloid they’re made of and the salicylic acid they’re laced with.

This lash serum has more peptides in it than any other on the market, very swish. Peptides are key for strengthening lashes, which in turn makes them grow longer before they fall out. If you have sensitive eyes this also won’t have you dabbing them with a tissue for hours either.

If you’re a Laneige lip mask stan (raises hand) you need to get hold of this. It’s an overnight dry lip reviver thanks to the combo of ceramide capsules, hyaluronic acid and peptides. We are also obsessed with the little spatula too. SO cute.

This clever serum is sensitive skin-friendly, but oh-so effective, it treats pigmentation with Marine Algae whilst brightening up and evening out the complexion with vitamin C. Oh, and did we mention it’s also vegan and cruelty-free?

We’re getting boujee with a tailored face tanning experience thanks to Bondi Sands. Take the ‘technocolor-shade-finder’ quiz online to reveal your best-matched undertone and a natural-looking glow. It’s a Barbados vacay in a bottle!

If you swore off vitamin A because of a case of retinol uglies, allow us to introduce you to one that will change your mind and skin. This serum combines a 0.1% retinal, ceramides and niacinamide for effective cell turnover with an abundance of barrier support.

Designed to perk up under eyes from all angles, these patches help to reduce puffiness, brighten dark circles, hydrate the skin, smooth the appearance of lines and create the perfect base for makeup.

Oily skin is no fret for this foundation! With a full-coverage and self-setting, matte finish, this base is your party szn BFF. Its prime place in my makeup bag speaks volumes… fool-proof glam all-day e’ryday.

Expect to be showered with compliments while wearing this, the glowy, serum-like foundation blends in seamlessly (thanks to the hydrating formula), yet manages to perfect everything from redness to blemishes.

As hydrating as it is glowy, this stunning foundation stick will brighten up even the dullest skin days (yup, even your post-Christmas party complexion). Plus, with hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E it’ll nourish and soothe skin throughout the day.

The blendable formula melts into skin so easily, leaving a flawless, natural-looking sunkiss. Wear alone or over makeup, either way it gives a perfect, makeup artist-worthy finish. We’d expect no less from Mario Dedivanovic.

Available in three shades, champagne, gold and copper, this highlighter gives a soft glow, there’s no glitter (so you don’t have to worry about looking like a disco ball). Dot onto the highpoints of the face to enhance angles, or mix in with your base for an all-over glow.

Tubing mascaras are all the rage RN and MILK’s formula proves why. Each lash is coated in tiny tubes to create XXL volume and definition without smudging, flaking or transferring. She’s a one-hit one-lick wonder.

If you find doing anything to your eyes a fiddly mess, you’ll love these easy-to-use sticks. You can apply straight to your eyelids and blend with your fingertips for a simple shadow look or draw along your lash line for something more smoked out.

What’s worse than a drying matte lipstick? NOTHING! And that’s why we love Laura Mercier’s Caviar range; as its namesake suggests, it’s smoothing, velvety and matte but hydrating and super comfortable, too.

We love a juicy glow on the lip but hate it when it means gloopiness galore. Well, somehow our friends at Lancôme have created a formula that gives us that shine without the stick.

Skincare giants, Starface have nailed their foray into lip balms with four good-enough-to-eat scented hydrators. ‘Magic Mint’ is a fresh favourite of ours, not to mention how adorbs the packaging and smiley embossing is.

Giving your fave lip oil a run for its money, Iconic’s reformulated Lip Lustre provides a drench of glassy shine in just one dip. Plus, it’s a fraction of the price of its shelfmates… Smooch-worthy!

The best thing about these liners is that they are the creamiest to apply (no tugging here) but once they’re set, they do stick around. Also, there’s a MLBB shade for every skin tone. Perfection.

One of our most-loved lip glosses just got a shimmery upgrade in time for Christmas. The Glossybounce shimmers come in three shades and aren’t full of chunky glitter it’s the kind of shimmer that just makes your lips look uber juicy.

Not only are all Manucurist products vegan, cruelty-free and composed of 84% natural ingredients, but their 2024 Active Glow range is the first 2-in-1 treatment polish, making for gorgeous manis and regenerated nail health.

Got teeny-tiny nail beds and constantly having to cut down false nails to fit them? Elegant Touch has created a range that’ll match your nails perfectly in a super neat squoval.

This silicone-free primer gives that even texture needed for perfect application, without the artificial slip of some mattifying primers. The jelly texture melts into the skin and gives you a satin-y smooth finish.

As Dappy once said: When I look in the mirror, I don’t even recognise myself. And that’s due to this pore-blurring, filter-like powder! Base = flawless. Shine = non-existent.

On a 10-hour day of wearing makeup, come 8pm, little to nothing would be left on my face. But set in place with Invisiveil, a full beat remains – despite three hours on TFL! Impressive, much?

This micro mini brush is the perfect shape for grabbing each hair and setting it TF in place. Plus, the formula gives a groomed feather-y finish with no crispiness in sight.

This ultra-skinny gel pencil makes quick work of filling and defining brows, yet still allows for precision. Expect natural-looking fullness in just a few quick strokes… Now, if only our liquid liner was so easy to perfect.

With a firm, precise tip, liquid eyeliner application has never been so easy; in one simple flick, you can achieve intense, long-lasting and smudge-proof makeup bc we (read: eyeliner) will never go out of style.

The glassy finish means that you don’t have to worry about pigments leaving chalkiness no matter how melanated your skin is. The 8 shades pack a colour punch but can be blended out or built-up depending on your level of blush blindness.

For a long time, finding a concealer that offers both lightweight coverage or can be layered up to a full finish (without any cakiness) has been borderline impossible, until now. The serum-y texture blends like a dream, brightens and corrects.

In half an hour after applying these bad boys, I received three different compliments on how great my lashes looked. Lengthening, voluminous and super E Z to apply! She’s a winner bby.

Like a mini shower on the go, Straand’s wet-to-dry shampoo mist treats roots to a refreshed look. Blowdry after spritzing for oil-busting innovation at its finest.

Camille Razat of Emily In Paris loves this spay and it’s easy to see why. It’s paraben and silicone-free (your hair won’t feel weighty with build-up) and provides heat protection and shine like no other.

Call this your does-it-all cream – because that’s exactly what it is. Smooths flyaways and frizz, hydrates, offers styling hold, boosts shine, defends against humidity and protects against heat damage. Told you, it does e-v-e-r-y-thing.

Presenting: A top-rated leave-in conditioner to date. Bold statement, we know but hear us out. NUXE’s leave-in cream repairs, protects and nourishes hair in one clever, silky formula. Not to mention the luxurious, scent *drools*.

We love how popular African derived ingredients are becoming in beauty and the addition of okra seed in this (long with the rosemary, coconut and peppermint) makes it really nourishing for curls and coils alike.

While the whole Fenty Hair range is a vibe, this heat protector has won a place in our hearts forevs. It protects hair up to 232 degrees Celsius and works for any heat styling option from silk pressing to curl diffusing.

Ends looking a little frazzled? If a year of colouring and over-styling your hair has taken its toll, give your locks an early Christmas pressie with this decadent, nourishing, shine-boosting mask. It’ll bring damaged hair back from the brink, trust us.

Not only does this wash duo smell like stepping into a fancy spa, but it’s loaded up with hydrating goodness too. The silicone-free, nourishing formula is super gentle, thoroughly cleansing hair without leaving it stripped or straw-like.

My limp hair knew no bounds until it met this match. Skip the fuss of volumising mousses, texturising sprays and products alike (which can leave your hair feeling heavy with build-up) with this do-it-in-one shampoo.

This sulphate- and silicone-free duo will be your new wash day combo thanks to how moisturising it feels while it lifts away build-up. The best thing? Your hairs’ better protected against frizz so you can extend that next hair was a little longer.

Central heating and harsh winter winds are not conducive to juicy curls but this tropical-scented spritz is loaded with avocado and castor oil to nourish and glycerin to condition in between wash days – frizz where?

Whether you’re doing a twist out on type four hair or finger coiling type 3 this gel will be your new go-to. It gives non-sticky, non-flaky hold for up to 72 hours and can be easily refreshed too to extend your next wash day just a little longer.

The British winter means we’re far from a quick dip in the ocean, so, we’re replicating summer’s beachy hair with Zara’s lightly textured sea salt spray. Think: an au naturale [looking] va va voom.

There’s something magical going on with this smoothing, glossy hair treatment, the lightweight formula instantly detangles and hydrates parched lengths, leaving a mirror-like shine behind.

Packed to the brim with hair-loving ingredients not only does this mousse give locks a health boost, but it also adds beachy definition, defines curls, adds volume and hold to any hairstyle.

This light daily treatment is what your scalp needs to balance out the confusing winter atmosphere our hair hates (hot radiators + freezing temps). It absorbs quickly and the formula balances and nourishes your scalp to promote super healthy growth.

It’s the secret to taming the untamable: Briogeo’s Sleek Stick glides through strands with ease, making for a frizz-free snatched look (without leaving hair looking oily or greasy the next day!).

The latest addition to the Olaplex line-up contains an impressive concoction of light oils alongside the brand’s patented ingredient to rebuild bonds as it hydrates, nourishes and protects.

This’ll have you wafting your hair all over the place to catch a whiff of this warm but delicate scent which includes white musks, Blonde woods and mimosa. Plus, you didn’t hear it here, but you can totally spritz this from head to toe.

If you’re looking to revamp your brush collection or building from scratch, this 10-piece kit deserves a place on your vanity. It covers the full spectrum of makeup needs and the quality is so good (and so soft) you just know they’ll last.

A wet-to-dry-styler that doesn’t irreversibly damage your hair and gives the finish of a professional blow dry. Add to basket. If you’re cackhanded with a round brush and hairdryer, trust us, you need this.

Make some noise for the BaByliss Air Power Pro - even if its silence is revolutionising… Quiet and lightweight yet very much powerful, this sleek hairdryer is the next best thing in product performance.

This super eco-friendly brush is made of wheat straw but is as strong as nails with its ability to work its way through the thickest of curly hair. You can use it on wet or dry hair to style without tugging or snapping strands.

Cleansing and anti-ageing in one? Yes pls! Silicone bristles deliver a deep cleansing experience while on the flip side (quite literally), 19 powerful red LED lights work to smooth, lift, and firm the skin.

Advanced beauty tech but make it cute. This dinky device helps to erase a post-breakout blemish in the most targeted way. 10 minutes of fuss-free wear per day allows the LED to do its magic.

Cringe no more at the thought of cutting your bikini line *war flashbacks* because Panasonic’s five in one kit simplifies your routine for a supple, clean and gentle shave.

A re-upped version of their OG ‘Be Delicious’ apple, DKNY’s 27/4 fragrance is timeless with notes that linger all day and night. Pink pepper and rhubarb make for a stand-out first sniff.

As the bottle suggests, Daisy Wild is a feminine, floral classic but with a mature twist. Notes of jasmine and banana blossoms lead me to imagine Lily Bloom’s It Ends With Us wildflower bouquets (IYKYK).

Spritz this, close your eyes and inhale, it’s like being shrouded in gold dust. This scent is warm, cosy and ultra sultry with amber and sandalwood at the base but the fig and peach lift it up with a grown-up fruity twist.

Warm and spicy, just like we want our winter cocktails this fragrance is the perfect mix of sweet, without being cloying, and has sexy depth thanks to its cashemeran notes without too much musk.

With fruity top notes you’d think this has an overwhelming sweetness BUT thanks to the mix of earth cedarwood at the base and floral bursting at the hear this is one of the freshest scents we’ve worn all year.