14 Classic Beauty Buys That Have Stood The Test Of Time

Orgasm Blush, £22.87 (was £30.50) | NARS

While lots of products claim universal appeal, only a few actually live up to it. Top of that list has to be NARS Orgasm Blush, a product so practically perfect on all skin tones that it spawned an entire facial franchise that continues to grow. Launched in 1999, the peachy-pink powder blush breathes life into all complexions, imbuing skin with a healthy flush that always looks natural and fresh (one is sold every 20 seconds globally, so that many women can’t be wrong). The formula itself is weightless and entirely buildable so you can really customise your glow, while the subtle golden flecks help make skin sing. If you love the original blush, you’ll adore the new next-generation Orgasm collection, featuring the creamy multi-use stick The Multiple and the Orgasm Rising Eyeshadow Palette.

Available at NARSCosmetics.co.uk

Hydrabio H20 Micellar Water, £16 | Bioderma

Bioderma’s cult micellar water used to be an industry secret. Often smuggled back from Paris Fashion Week, it finally made its way over to the UK a few years back, effectively introducing non-French consumers to the cleansing power of ‘micelles’. These tiny round balls of cleansing molecules are suspended within the micellar water, so that when you sweep the formula over your skin, they cling to dirt and make-up, removing it quickly and gently. Now, one bottle sells every three seconds around the world, and it’s widely considered is the best micellar water of all time.

Available at LOOKFANSTASTIC.com

Le Vernis Nail Colour In ‘155 Rouge Noir’, £23.20 | Chanel

‘Rouge Noir’ was famously developed after Karl Lagerfeld requested a nail colour that would look good when shot in black and white. But the campaign it was shot for wasn’t what caused its popularity – instead, it was all down to Pulp Fiction’s Mia Wallace, played by Uma Thurman, who wore it throughout the film. The minute the movie came out, the polish sold out. To this day it still has a devoted following and remains a bestselling colour for Chanel. Glossy, expensive-looking and flattering on just about every skin tone, it ticks all the boxes.

Available at JohnLewis.com

Elnett Hairspray For Normal Hold & Shine, £6 (was £7.50) | L'Oreal 

There are hairsprays and then there’s L’Oréal Paris Elnett. If you haven’t tried it yourself, you’ve no doubt heard the name on every hairstylist’s lips, seen it in every professional kit out there or smelt it on everyone from your nan to your next-door neighbour. The reason for this decades-long dedication? It’s really good at what it does. Which, incidentally, is everything from delivering lasting hold and taming flyaways to structuring updos and creating definition. The ultrafine mist is shiny but not sticky and can be brushed out easily thanks to ultra-fine polymers. It’s invisible on your strands but offers strength and support in a few swift spritzes. It’s affordable, reliable and now comes in an array of iterations including ones with UV protection for coloured hair and argan oil for extra shine. What more could you want?

Available at Boots.com

Secret Camouflage Concealer, £25.20 | Laura Mercier

It’s almost unheard of in the fast-paced world of beauty that formulas stay unchanged for decades, but Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage Concealer is an industry stalwart for good reason. The brilliance of the dual-pan compact lies not just in how easy it is to cover blemishes, dark circles and age spots, but in how seamlessly and subtly it does so. The two shades allow you to create a bespoke shade that matches not just your skin tone but your undertone too. Its coverage is heavy enough to not require endless touch-ups throughout the day, but creamy enough so it never looks cakey. Better still, each compact comes with a generous mirror for ultimate precision and enough pigment to see you and your skin through bountiful breakouts. 

Available at JohnLewis.com

Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, £21.75 (was £29) | Elizabeth Arden

This silky balm was invented in the 1930s by Miss Arden herself. Originally used to soothe cuts, burns, windburn, dry skin and everything in between, it’s now used more for aesthetic purposes – think glossing up the skin, brushing up brows and soothing lips. The best part is, it always feels really nourishing – wherever you apply it. We love using a little on dry cuticles, too.

Available at Boots.com

Lash Idôle Mascara, £18.75 (was £25) | Lancôme

Every so often a product comes along that has future classic written all over it. Despite only launching two years ago, Lancôme’s Lash Idôle mascara is destined to leave a lasting lash legacy thanks to its ability to do everything you could possibly want in a mascara – and more. As well as long-lasting lift, serious length and densifying volume, the creamy formula coats lashes with a soft, flexible hold, which means the hairs never look crispy or feel brittle. It also never clumps, no matter how many coats you apply, and manages to grab every little hair for a fully fanned-out look.

Available at Boots.com

Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, £14 (was £20) | Liz Earle

The OG of ‘hot cloth’ cleansers, Liz Earle’s iconic Cleanse & Polish is a bestseller and multiple award winner. The naturally fragrant cream cleanser works for all skin types and never causes any irritation. The texture is impressive, too – milky and fluid, yet thick enough to remove every trace of make-up, without the need for a double cleanse. The muslin it comes with works well with the cleanser to exfoliate and lift away dead skin cells, so that post-cleanse, your complexion looks brighter, smoother and softer. Part of the reason it remains so popular – and so copied – is down to its universally pleasing formula. We’re yet to find someone who’s skin type disagrees with it. It’s simplistic, but effective, killing two birds – exfoliation and cleansing – with one stone.

Available at LizEarle.com

Retro Matte Lipstick, £16.50 (was £22) | M·A·C

When you ask the experts to choose a favourite red lipstick, this is still the one that crops up the most. The bold, pillar-box red shade launched in 1999 and remains one of the most iconic colours for the brand. It’s famous for its blue undertones, which help teeth look whiter and brighter. But if the original matte is too intense for you, the brand has now launched a liquid and glass formula, offering better shine and smoothness with none of the colour fade.

Available at MACCosmetics.co.uk