If 2019 is the year you want to glow up, you're in luck. Hourglass Cosmetics, a beauty brand famed for its luminescent powders and skin-enhancing primers, has landed in the UAE, marking yet another label we can now get our hands on in the Emirates.
The make-up and skincare label, which was founded in 2004, focuses on luxury, cruelty-free products, such as diffused blushers, illuminating highlighters, skin-blurring foundations and nourishing lipsticks. Vegan make-up brushes, a mineral primer, lip crayons and a foundation stick are also among the brand's best-selling products.
“I wasn’t born with naturally flawless skin,” founder Carisa Janes told Moneyish last year. “I said, ‘If I’m going to wear foundation, I want it to be helping my skin. ‘I want something that’s great skincare with preventive ingredients. It was really something I wanted on a personal note."
Hourglass, which is now available at Sephora stores and online in the UAE, has been worn by the likes of Jessica Alba, Emily Blunt and Margot Robbie, and lauded by many a beauty editor.
As we rejoice the arrival of Hourglass on behalf of our make-up bags, below, we round up some of the other cult beauty brands you might not have realised you can shop right here in the UAE.
Barbara Sturm
She treats stars such as Kim Kardashian West and Bella Hadid at her clinics, but this eponymous skincare line means you can get a touch of German dermatologist Dr Barbara Sturm's expertise at home. The doctor, who also counts Cher, Hailey Bieber and Gwyneth Paltrow among her clients, channelled her skincare wisdom into this brand, which has a focus on anti-inflammation, hydration, nutrition and anti-ageing. You can find the Barbara Sturm line at Harvey Nichols Dubai, with star products including Anti-Pollution Drops, Brightening Serum and Skin Food supplements.
Aesop
This Australian brand's offerings look just as good on your bathroom shelf as they feel on your skin, thanks to the use of apothecary-style brown glass bottle. Offering skincare, haircare and body products, the label uses plenty of botanical ingredients and scents that'll leave your bathroom smelling super-fresh. With a stand-alone boutique in The Dubai Mall and a counter at Bloomingdale's Dubai, products to look out for include the exfoliating Reverence hand wash, nourishing Fabulous Face Oil and Parsley Seed Anti Oxidant Serum.
Christophe Robin
Founded by hair colourist Christophe Robin — who has tended to the locks of Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer — in 1999, this namesake haircare brand is perfect for those with fine, damaged or sensitised strands. Crafted with natural ingredients, from prickly pair to rassoul clay, the sulphate-free formulas offer gentle cleansing that won't strip your hair of moisture or colour. The brand, which is available at Sephora stores, is particularly known for its innovative cleansing pastes and purifying scalp scrubs, both of which clean hair without leaving it limp and lifeless.
SkinCeuticals
This American skincare brand, which first launched in 1994, specialises in science-backed formulas, packed with antioxidants and active ingredients. SkinCeuticals, which can be found at Boots stores across the UAE, promotes healthy skin and has plenty of options to treat signs of damage, such as its Discolouration Defense, a dark spot corrector that also tackles acne scarring. Other hero products are the C E Ferulic Combination Antioxidant Treatment, which aims to target sun damage and uneven skin tone, and Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50, a sheer, almost watertight yet potent sunscreen.
Le Labo
Its artisanal scents have garnered a cult following even since it was launched in New York City in 2006, with the brand growing to incorporate bath and body products in recent years. Le Labo has won over fans such as Alexa Chung with its minimal, Scandi-inspired packaging and intriguing fragrances, such as bestselling, sandalwood-led Santal 33. Rose 31 and Bergamote 22 are also worth a sniff at stores in The Dubai Mall and Abu Dhabi's Yas Mall.
