I’ve Long Retired My Teenage Make-Up Bag – But These Products Have Stood The Test Of Time

Nostalgia is always trending. I’ve seen plenty of 90s revivals in my time despite being a 90s baby myself, while Y2K fashion is the depop-meets-TikTok obsession that even found its way onto the global runways. However, one element of my youth that I keenly note has failed to make a comeback is botched beauty. When I look at teenagers today, I can't help but feel like they're missing out on that whirlwind of experimentation, learning curves and eureka moments I enjoyed at their age. Granted, almost all of them are far more skilled with a make-up brush than I ever was back then and, with the volume of tutorials available at their fingertips, their ability to buff, blend, and contour far exceeds my own now. But where is the distinctive sugary mist of So…? and Charlie, or the glitter explosion of Barry M Dazzle Dust? Have you even lived if your hair hasn’t been glued to your face by a Lancome Juicy Tube?

For this sentimental beauty flashback, we have Cult Beauty to thank. A brand who you can always rely on to have their finger on the pulse of which products are actually worth forking out for, the beauty gurus are celebrating their 15th birthday. Whether it’s a problem-solving treatment or a yet unheard-of oil, Cult Beauty has long been a trusted resource whenever I’m shopping around for the next big thing in beauty. They’d have been pretty useful right around 2003, but they’ve more than made up for it – in fact, they’re responsible for suggesting several of the products that have come to elevate my make-up bag over the years. And in the spirit of celebration, I’m using their teen birthday to not only hark back to those products I obsessed over when I was that age, but also the replacement products that I now swear by instead.

Gone from my beauty bag, but never forgotten

I’ll be the first to admit that there are some beauty products that should remain firmly in the past – I’m looking at you St Ives Apricot Scrub - and I’m thankful that through education and breakthrough I’ve found updates which are far easier on the eye and our skin barrier. But in amongst the nostalgia, there are also some cult buys that have stuck by my side well into adulthood and continued to shine despite any dazzling new beauty launches that attempt to lure me away.

And while you're at it, you can celebrate Cult's 15th Birthday with 20% off selected beauty favourites until 31st May using code AFFBDAY.

Face wipes were once a trusty go-to. But in addition to stripping skin senseless and leaving make-up residue in place, we've also worked out how dreadful they are for the environment so I try my best to steer clear unless its an emergency. As a grown up alternative, this unctuous cleansing balm from Farmacy makes light work of dissolving dirt, make up, sunscreen and excess oil – eliminating grime to leave skin ‘squeakily’ clean but never stripped. And yes, it even gets rid of mascara.

Turns out, vigorously scrubbing the top layer of your skin off with sharp fragments of apricot stone does little good in the long run. Now, when I'm looking to gently exfoliate, I turn to clever liquid acids - my favourite of which is Salicylic, ideal for my congested combination skin. This cult buy smooths and evens skin tone without the need to get aggressive.

First launched in 1995, Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir is inspired by the centuries old 'elixir of youth' used by Queen Isabelle of Hungary, so is it any wonder that the concept has stuck its ground? I stole this facial spray off my mum as a teen and I've always come back to it- it acts like an instant vitamin shot for the skin, bringing a burst of radiance with extracts of grape, rosemary, bitter orange, rose, myrrh and peppermint. It's great for adding a dewy glow to clean skin and brilliant at rejuvenating a face of tired make-up later in the day.

Women of any age love a bit of glitter. Back then, it was a roll on that I slathered across every inch of exposed skin before I headed to the school disco. Now, I prefer my glitter in shimmer form and expertly applied to my cheekbones - and no-one nails it like Charlotte Tilbury. Her Light Wand highlighter has reached cult status thanks to its brightening fluid formula, packed with light-reflecting pearls to give a luminous, soft-focus finish with no giveaway glitter.

I first turned to dermatologist-approved French pharmacy brand La Roche-Posay when I started experiencing teenage breakouts. Unfortunately, breakouts don't always disappear just because you hit your thirties so I always have a tube on hand when I'm feeling frustrated by blemishes. This super sensitive treatment moisturiser helps to control shine and keep pores clear all while protecting you from post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Do blondes have more fun? We can’t say for sure – but that didn't stop all of us whacking a good dose of Sun In our tresses in a bid to get beachier hair. Failing that, even a squeeze of lemon would do (I know, I know). Now, when I want to lift my blonde balayage between salon visits, I enlist the help of Kevin Murphy’s Blonde Angel. This treatment conditioner not only moisturises and softens bleached, highlighted and grey hair, but it will also brighten strands that have strayed into yellow-orange territory. Works every time!

Honestly, the strength of spot treatments of this nature caused so much drying and redness it was unreal. These days, I prefer to take preventative steps in my skincare routine to keep reactive skin at bay. Sunday Riley's completely reformulated Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment is a multi-tasking, under moisturiser treatment and mask that smooths, refines, unclogs, clarifies and brightens, whilst improving your skin's thickness and elasticity... phew! Glycolic acid is the key ingredient at work here, supported by lactic acid and prickly pear extract to reduce irritation that it can sometimes cause.

Yet to find your dream dry shampoo? Let me introduce you to Living Proof's award-winning dry shampoo that actually cleans hair, eliminating oil, sweat, and odour, instead of just blasting bright white residue at your roots.

Originally created in the 1970s, this rose-tinted stain has had a cult following since before I was even born. Why? Because it’s gorgeously delicate and sheer, adding the perfect about of pinched-cheek colour that lasts for hours. The same applies when added to the lip- a soft tint that outlasts any lippie. It's going nowhere.

One of the best things my facialist ever told me was that cleansers are not a treatment, so stop expecting them to fix your skin. As a teen, I lathered up 5-in-1 face washes that scrubbed, foamed, had fancy spot-fighting ingredients, the lot. Now, I've learned that a gentle hydrating cleanser that can remove make-up is best all round. Cerave is an excellent affordable option for everyday, packed with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. TikTokers were right with this one.

And for treat days, I'm fully obsessed with Kate Somerville. I sometimes use this as a second cleanse for an extra hit of hydration in the evenings, and exclusively when I feel my complexion is stressed out from acids and retinol. The texture is also ridiculously luxurious - it's pricey, but a real favourite.

I've strayed many times, wooed by exciting luxury brand releases, but nothing quite cuts it like Nars. The shade is just perfect with exactly the right amount of low-key shimmer.

A scent that has been stocked on Cult Beauty for an eternity, the now classic scent was ground-breaking upon its launch. Based around a single note (Iso E Super) it doesn’t go in all guns blazing, taking over the entire car like a bottle of Charlie Red would. Instead it’s something of a smooth operator; melding with the wearer’s natural pheromones to enhance their allure and put a spring in their step. I love how unique this scent is to me.