Every month, Vogue Scandinavia’s senior beauty editor, Josefin Forsberg, sifts through shelves of newness (and the occasional late-night add-to-basket) to find formulas that actually earn their keep. October's edit dial up dewy hydration with Sleeping Beauty salves and moisture-blasting barrier creams, delivers fool-proof swipe-and-go lipstick pens, and sees the arrival of a much anticipated American brand in our region. These are the October products she's tested, loved, and will most definitely be re-ordering
At a glance: Overnight gel-cream that brightens dull skin and softens fine lines by morning.
My experience: It is easy to see why this is already a sell-out product at most retailers. After all, it works hard while I am asleep revealing bright, rejuvenated winter skin overnight. Milky yet gel-like in texture, it pummelled my complexion with softening ingredients for a Sleeping Beauty experience that is hard to compete with. Who would've thought I could wake up perky and plumped after the clocks changed?
Ideal for: Drowsy minimalists who want bright, perky skin with zero faff.
At a glance: Nine tightly milled mattes and shimmers that build clean dimension from desk to dance floor.
My experience: A forever beauty inspiration, Elsa Hosk's recent panache for sparkling Y2K lids has made us crave a scattering of sparkle in our makeup bags. Luckily, I've found that Chanel's new 9-shade palettes provide some playful pigments for the upcoming Christmas party season. Powders are tightly milled, so fallout is minimal if you press rather than sweep and it blends cleanly over a standard eye base. While we love all the metallics in 'The Space Traveller' equally, I find myself strangely drawn to the duo-chrome white top right for an uncanny Christin Aguilera eye.
Ideal for: Party-season lids that go from office to dinner without a bathroom-sink redo.
At a glance: Jumbo satin-matte crayon for quick, blurred lips with comfortable all-day wear.
My experience: Lately, matte lipsticks have been creeping into the cosmetics industry, with velvety new gen formulations that somehow don't leave your lips looking like raisins left out in the sun a tad too long. The one downside with mattes? Precision application. LH cosmetics new chubby pens, however, provides a pigmented swipe-and-go solution: It glides on, diffuses with a fingertip and sets down to a comfortable, modern matte that doesn’t parch. On very textured lips, a quick balm underneath keeps it looking plush
Ideal for: Matte-curious people who refuse to babysit their lipstick.
At a glance: Ceramide-rich barrier cream that calms redness and rehabs overworked skin.
My experience: Another reliable hydration superhero rescuing my winter-ravished skin this autumn is Common Cloud's ceramide-heavy barrier cream. This is the “apology” cream after one too many peels or icy, windy commute. The texture is cloud-soft but substantial, cushioning redness on my cheeks and bringing back that flexible, comfortable feel. Makeup sits better on top. It’s not glossy or occlusive, which means I can use it morning and night without feeling smothered.
Ideal for: Skin in rehab after overdoing actives or weather.
At a glance: Single-use cryo cubes that de-puff, firm and leave skin bouncy in minutes.
My experience: Kept in the freezer, these have become my go-and-glow wake-up therapy in the morning. The icy slip de-puffs, the finish leaves a subtle bounce rather than tightness, and foundation grips a little better after it sets – it’s the closest you get to a facial de-puff at home without faff. Packaging is travel-friendly, though you’ll go through them quickly if you get hooked.
Ideal for: AM de-puffers and anyone chasing instant “slept” skin on cold mornings.
At a glance: Silky essence that boosts hydration and helps skin resist daily stress.
My experience: The texture is silky-fluid and layers without stickiness, so I can go straight into serum. After a week of daily use my skin holds moisture better through the day, and the usual redness at the centre of my face has settled. It plays nicely under sunscreen and doesn’t pill under makeup. If you’re essence-skeptical, this might just convert you.
Ideal for: Routine-builders who want their serums to work harder without adding heaviness.
At a glance: Cream-to-powder one-and-done shadow that blends fast and sets crease-free.
My experience: The must-try American beauty brand, Merit, has finally arrived on Nordic shores. And with it? A brand new set of sparkling solo shadows. The muted plum shade Sartorial gives quick dimension without sparkle fallout, reading like a burnished wash you can bump up with a second layer. Fingers work, but a flat brush gives a tidier edge; once it sets, it doesn’t migrate into fine lines. It survives a full day on my lids with only the smallest fade at the crease by late evening. Low-maintenance, high payoff.
Ideal for: One-shade eyes that you can bump up from a subtle wash at 08:00 to punchy pigment for that 19:00 dinner.
At a glance: Seamless cream bronzer that adds believable warmth with a soft-focus finish.
My experience: This is the “no bronzer” bronzer that adds subtle warmth and a soft-focus edge. It spreads evenly over bare skin or base, doesn’t lift foundation, and the finish reads satin rather than shiny. I can sculpt a little under cheekbones and across the bridge of the nose and it doesn’t go muddy by late afternoon.
Ideal for: Anyone who wants believable warmth with a filter-finish this winter.
At a glance: Fine brush pen that draws crisp, hairlike strokes and stays put.
My experience: The tip is flexible enough to flick but firm enough to stay in control, which keeps strokes crisp rather than blobby. I shake, sketch through the arch and tail, then soften with a spoolie and set with clear gel. It lasts a workday without stamping onto my forehead, and Taupe suits fair brows without leaning green. If you’re heavy-handed, a light touch is your friend.
Ideal for: Sparse-browed perfectionists and beginners who want believable hair strokes in minutes.
At a glance: Light-to-medium hydrating foundation with a skin-like glow and steady wear.
My experience: This is weekday skin: flexible, luminous and steady through eight hours indoors. It evens tone, softens redness and plays well with cream bronzer and powder down the T-zone. On dry areas, I prep with essence or light cream; on very oily areas, a touch of powder sets it without killing the glow.
Ideal for: Fans of bases that look like skin, not stage makeup, with a little insurance against afternoon dullness.: