Every month, Vogue Scandinavia’s senior beauty editor, Josefin Forsberg tests an unholy amount of newness to find the formulas that actually earn their place on a bathroom shelf. April's lineup prepares us for a summer spent in the sun, with skin-loving SPF heroes, easy-to-use makeup essentials and a body glow serum to keep your tan going well into August
At a glance: Dior's first bronzing balm stick, available in six shades from Light Fair to Deep Dark. The buildable, semi-matte formula is infused with the brand's Tan Beautifier complex with vitamin derivatives and warm-reflecting pigments designed to adapt to and deepen the skin tone naturally.
My experience: It took me about ten years to become fond of bronzers. My first brush with a cheek-warming pigment I actually loved was a buttery melt-away balm that blurred into a wash of bronzed delight... and now I've found another, from Dior of all places. Ironically for a luxury launch, there's nothing too fancy about it. No hero ingredient to get evangelical about, no gimmick to learn. Just a powdery, semi-matte warming pigment that glides on, stays on, and does exactly what it promises without fuss. Buffing it in with a dense domed brush is the way to go, but on lazy archipelago days it's forgiving enough to be applied with your fingers.
Ideal for: The bronzer-sceptic who needs one reliable, no-faff formula to change their mind for good.
At a glance: Part of the relaunched Ritual of Ayurveda line, this super-dry body oil is formulated with sweet almond oil, Indian rose and fermented camellia oils in an ultra-light base designed to absorb immediately without residue.
My experience: There is nothing I despise more in body care than lying around like a rotisserie chicken, waiting for a lotion or oil to sink in before I can get dressed. Life is too short, and my mornings are too short. Rituals (best known for its foaming shower gels) recently relaunched the Ayurveda line, and I had the pleasure of trying it first-hand during a press trip to Amsterdam. I can report, with some relief, that the Super Dry Body Oil lives up to the name. Slathered on at 7am with my car leaving at 7:30, it was gone in seconds. Better yet, my skin stayed silky soft for the next 24 hours. The Indian rose scent, warm and faintly nutty, is a bonus I hadn't expected to like as much as I do.
Ideal for: Anyone who has written off body oils entirely because of the wait.
At a glance: A water-resistant body lotion with SPF50 from Danish brand Nilens Jord, formulated with glycerin, aloe vera and vitamin E to protect against UVA and UVB rays while maintaining the skin's moisture balance. Quick-absorbing and fragrance-free.
My experience: As with body oils, I have a complicated relationship with body sunscreen. Specifically the part where it sits on your skin for what feels like a small eternity before you can get dressed. Add to the fact that you need roughly half a shot glass of product to cover your body properly, and most sunscreens make the whole process even more arduous. Proustian, really, considering we will be In Search of Lost Time. Nilens Jord, the Danish brand quietly delivering the lighter-than-light, skin-loving formulas we expect from our Nordic neighbours, has made something that feels far more like a body lotion than a sunscreen, which is precisely why I'll actually use it daily, generously, rigorously. It absorbs quickly and leaves nothing behind.
Ideal for: Anyone who has been cutting corners on body SPF.
At a glance: A hydrating lipstick that wears like a balm, formulated with hyaluronic acid, ceramides and seaweed extract for buildable, sheer pigment with lasting moisture. Available in 12 shades.
My experience: There is something impossibly satisfying about carrying a Gucci Westman-made lip product in your bag. Especially in this pale blue casing, with its magnetic cap and its barely-there weight. Popping it open and swiping on the subtle pigment feels like a small, considered pleasure. I've been wearing English Rose, a warm rosy pink that perfects your pout without depositing too much pigment. That said, I have tested the full range and can recommend them across the board. The result is an almost-there hydrating colour which, given how little effort is actually involved, feels like a fair deal.
Ideal for: Anyone after a lip product with mega lip care credentials.
At a glance: A scalp serum formulated with 1.5 per cent Aminexil (a patented molecule that prevents collagen hardening around the hair root to reduce hair loss) alongside niacinamide and ginger extract to support hair regeneration and density.
My experience: I can't take personal credit for this one. This recommendation and experience belongs to my husband, a die-hard Dercos convert ever since the range cleared up a spot of dandruff that had been haunting him for years. That aforementioned scalp routine is, however, entirely my doing (it helps to have a beauty editor wife). The R.E.G.E.N. Booster is his favourite step, applied religiously via the precision dropper, massaged in, left to do its work. The results speak for themselves: shinier, healthier, happier curls. A non-negotiable on his section of our bathroom.
Ideal for: Anyone experiencing thinning, or living with someone who is.
At a glance: A lightweight chemical sunscreen from Korean cult brand Numbuzin, with SPF50+ PA++++ protection. Formulated with heartleaf, centella asiatica and seven forms of hyaluronic acid to soothe and hydrate while protecting. Non-comedogenic and fragrance-free.
My experience: Holy cow, I have fallen in love which, for a beauty editor with access to most of the market, is not something I say lightly. The No.1 Clear Filter Sun Essence is feather-light protection at its finest. It doesn't roll, pill or separate, but rather disappears like Casper the Ghost, leaving nothing behind but a protective layer and a faintly dewy finish. K-beauty has been winning the sunscreen category for years now, and this is exhibit A of why it won't be usurped any time soon.
Ideal for: Anyone who has been using the thick texture of Western sunscreens as an excuse not to wear SPF daily.
At a glance: A volumising mousse from Swedish haircare staple Björn Axén, enriched with provitamin B5 and wheat protein for natural-looking lift and medium hold.
My experience: This product divided our testing group, and I want to be honest about that because the mousse itself isn't the problem, the technique is. Applied to the roots on damp hair and blow-dried upside down with a bit of heat, it delivers the kind of mega lift that makes you look like you've just left a very good salon. Left to dry on its own, you are setting yourself up for failure. The scent alone (sandalwood, musk, genuinely divine) makes it worth keeping in the bathroom regardless.
Ideal for: Anyone with fine, flat hair who is willing to do thirty seconds of work in exchange for serious volume.
At a glance: A limited edition summer kit from Swedish haircare brand Björk, containing an after-sun hair ritual designed to cleanse, repair and protect sun, heat and salt-exposed hair. Enriched with Nordic birch sugar, rapeseed oil and oat oil, with UV protection derived from sunflower seed extract.
My experience: Every part of your body deserves UV protection... And I mean every part, scalp and strand included. It has taken the haircare industry an embarrassingly long time to take this seriously, which is why I have a lot of time for Björk's 'Sol' kit. The after-sun ritual cleanses, repairs and shields sun and salt-damaged hair without stripping it, leaving it soft, glossy and considerably less sorry-looking than it does after a day at the beach. It is limited edition for now, but I hope someone at Björk reads this and adds it to the permanent line-up.
Ideal for: Anyone who complains about their hair turning to straw around midsummer.
At a glance: A lightweight body serum from Swedish self-tan brand Tanrevel, formulated with Isosorbide Dicaprylate to strengthen the skin's moisture levels and prolong a golden tone, alongside niacinamide for an even complexion, peptides for firmness and beta-carotene for a subtle warm tint. Not a self-tan, and therefore contains no DHA.
My experience: I have been crooning over the glow-giving complexion products hitting my bathroom cupboard lately, and Tanrevel's Glow Booster Serum is no different. Pearlescent pigment and a nutty, warm-toned colour work together to prolong the bronze well beyond the point where your actual tan starts to fade. Even if it's a faux glow temporary tint, frankly, we don't mind. The formula is lightweight and fast-absorbing, which is a non-negotiable for product like this, and the sandalwood scent provides the perfect base for most perfumes.
Ideal for: Anyone looking to boost their holiday tan.
At a glance: A peptide-infused lip balm delivering sheer, buildable colour with a dewy finish. Formulated with sodium hyaluronate for lasting moisture and a soft, cushiony texture that sits comfortably on the lips.
My experience: This feels hydrating and ever-so-slightly tacky (crucially, never sticky) and stays on the lips considerably longer than most balms manage. The subtle colour is the detail worth noting: just enough tint to perfect the pout on its own, but also the ideal companion for a lip pencil. The peptides are a considered addition too. The more you wear it, the more it helps your skin, plumping and caring for the lips over time. That is precisely what you want from something that lives permanently in your bag. Soft Melt, indeed.
Ideal for: Anyone after a barely-there lip that multi-tasks while you wear it.