October’s best new beauty launches, from a revolutionary foundation to iconic lipsticks

From K-beauty-inspired foundation innovations to a genius lip exfoliator, there's lots to get excited by in this season's latest drops

Thu, 02 Oct, 2025 - 01:00

Sally Foran

1. Sculpted by Aimee Cream Cushion Foundation

The innovation of K-Beauty inspires this revolutionary base. Its buildable, bouncy formula delivers a real skin finish that you can effortlessly customise from light to medium. Simply press the included applicator or your preferred brush directly into the fine mesh, and it dispenses the perfect amount of product evenly, ensuring a seamless application every time. You can start with one light layer for a fresh, sheer look or build it up to your desired coverage.

Available in 30 shades, with SPF 30, and skin-loving ingredients like vitamin E, niacinamide, and glycerin to hydrate, nourish and improve your complexion with every wear. Complete with a mirror for easy, on-the-go touch-ups, and a refillable design, this was love at first swipe.

€32, Sculpted by Aimee

2. Kash Beauty Endless Lash Affair

This formula creates panoramic drama with definition, length, volume and curl in one swipe. It’s also extremely lightweight, giving lashes lift, separation, and that fanned out effect that holds all day with no transfer. Its drier texture works fast, making lashes stand tall and locking them in place.

Inside the formula, powerhouse ingredients keep your lashes strong and healthy such as Plankton Extract, a secret weapon for density and thickness, Panthenol, which attracts and locks in moisture, and helps keep lashes flexible and resistant to breakage and finally Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, a peptide, works at the follicle to help support lash growth, strength and anchorage, helping every lash last longer. The dual tapered brush slips into the inner corners, glides across lower lashes, and teases out volume and length with every sweep effortlessly. Available in black and brown.

€22, Kash Beauty

3. Skingredients Enzyme Exfoliating Powder Polish

This water-activated powder is designed to gently exfoliate and polish skin, without using harsh acids or scrubs, making it ideal for sensitive skin types. This innovative 3-in-1 product can be used for exfoliating, cleansing, and masking, and its formula is powered by key ingredients that work together to deliver a radiant, “post-facial” finish.

Some highlights: Papaya enzyme, a powerful enzyme that dissolves dead skin cells, helping to smooth and refine skin texture, PHA, to clear pores without irritation and calamine, known for its soothing properties (if you’re a Gen X’er like me you’ll remember it being applied to chickenpox and sunburn), calms and rebalances red, irritated skin. This multi-action powder is the perfect prep for your skin, leaving it feeling soft, plump, and ready to absorb your subsequent skincare products better. It can also be used on the body for a gentle polish.

€35, The Skin Nerd

4. Alfaparf Keratin Therapy Lisse Design Liquid Glass Lamellar Water

Alfaparf Professional has revitalised its renowned system by adding this new at-home product. If a summer of sun, salt, and styling has left your hair feeling dry, brittle, or frizzy, it might be time for some keratin therapy.

It works like an instant laminating treatment, providing softness, shine, and easy detangling without weighing hair down. Its water-like texture delivers immediate results with no processing time and a visible reduction in frizz. The formula is enriched with vitamin F and Babassu oil for a repaired, hydrated, and silky smooth feel, while Semi di Lino extract adds immediate gloss and shine.

€24, Millies

5. The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum

Lip scrubs are key at this time of year when lots of us are experiencing dry, chapped lips. It’ll be interesting to see whether this gentle, chemical-based lip exfoliator will be a hit with consumers.

Unlike physical scrubs, the chemical-powered PHA serum exfoliates without friction, working within the surface to gently renew and hydrate lips over time, for a smoother feel. The skin on our lips is thinner and has no oil glands so it deserves gentle and tailored care, and this product takes just this approach — no abrasion, just nourishing hydration and renewal.

€9.80, Arnotts

6. L.A Girl 4 Play Eyeshadow Palette

I’m so over huge eyeshadow palettes as I only ever use a couple of shades anyway. So, these new L.A. Girl 4 Play palettes are more my vibe and even better, they’re super affordable without compromising on quality.

I used this brand many years ago and was highly impressed with the quality, so I’m excited to have it back in my makeup collection.

There are six curated quads in the collection and each one is packed with buttery textures and high-impact pigment that blend seamlessly from desk to dancefloor. My favourite is Cowgirl — warm, bronzy neutrals that serve easy everyday looks or soft glam western vibes.

€12.95, Chemist Warehouse

7. Azure Tan Self-Tan Mousse

Azure Tan Self Tan Mousse – Extreme Dark – Extreme To Maximum €24.95

Australia’s number one professional salon tanning brand has launched in Ireland. These are luxurious self-tanning products infused with active, results-driven ingredients including hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid and niacinamide designed to repair, rejuvenate, hydrate, protect, and nourish the skin at a cellular level. They’ve a huge range of tanning products, everything from body mousses to face spritzes and tan drying powders.

They also feature colour correcting technology; a green base, suited for those with pink or red undertones, that delivers a natural olive tone, and a violet base, ideal for individuals with yellow or golden undertones. Both ensure a natural-looking tan that enhances your complexion, while eliminating unwanted orange tones.

€24.95, skinboosters.ie

8. Laura Mercier Caviar Hydra-Crème Lipsticks

The newest member of the iconic Caviar franchise. These lipsticks promote softer, healthier lips over time, thanks to grape seed oil which nourishes and protects skin, while murumuru seed, shea butter and hyaluronic acid moisturise, plump and repair the lips.

They’ve a gorgeous creamy satin finish which is perfect for mature lips, and promise to last up to eight hours. Just one stroke delivers high impact, full coverage colour that makes lips look fuller and more plumped. As the lips have no oil glands, they exhibit the signs of ageing quicker, so makeup/skincare hybrid products like these are much welcomed.

Available in 12 shades with some beautiful reds.

€47, Look Fantastic