Sally Foran: Here are the best beauty products of 2025

After taking over the reins of Beauty editor at Weekend in June, Sally Foran has tried hundreds of products to recommend the best to our readers. Here's her cream of the crop

Mon, 27 Oct, 2025 - 01:00

The foundation

Sculpted By Aimee Cream Cushion, €32

Inspired by K-Beauty, this foundation was love at first swipe. Its bouncy formula delivers a real skin finish that you can effortlessly customise from light to medium, thanks to the innovative mesh technology. A skincare-first formula with SPF 30, ingredients include vitamin E, niacinamide and glycerin, while smart polymers provide a silky, long wearing finish. I’ve worn it everyday since I first tried it – unheard of.

The hair hero

Alfaparf Keratin Therapy Lisse Design Liquid Glass Lamellar Water, €24

I’ve never had such silky, soft or frizz free hair! My fellow blondes, or anyone with dry, damaged, brittle or frizzy hair – you need to try this. This €24 hero product provides softness, extreme shine, and easy detangling without weighing hair down. Its water-like texture delivers immediate results with no processing time and it’s 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.

The face mask

Genosys Skin Reboot PDRN masks, €70.50 (pack of 30)

I love the instant hydrating effects of a sheet mask and I’ve tried and tested loads this year, but none have come anywhere close to this. This is not your average sheet mask. It’s a next next-generation treatment powered by PDRN, a salmon-derived DNA compound that shares an impressive 95% similarity with human DNA.

This powerful ingredient actively works with your skin’s natural repair mechanisms to boost collagen, dramatically soothe inflammation, promote deep regeneration and restored vitality and elasticity. The formula is further enriched with panthenol for deep hydration and barrier-strengthening ceramides and phytosphingosine to lock down moisture. Expect a serious glow which lasts ALL day.

The eyeliner

Hildun Beauty Silk To Set Kajal Eyeliner All Day Nude, €18

I’ve lost count of how many Hildun Beauty Silk to Set Kajal Liners in chocolate I’ve gone through, but as a nude eyeliner wearer since my teens, I was particularly excited about the launch of All Day Nude this year. It’s a light beige shade, one I’d been begging founder Suzi to launch for years!

Not only have I found it excellent for brightening my water line, but it’s also brilliant as a shadow base, for covering any red marks or veins, outlining my lips to make them look bigger and for highlighting my brows. I adore a multitasking beauty product and in my opinion, a nude eyeliner should be a staple in everyone’s makeup bag. This one glides on smoothly, blends effortlessly, and stays put all day.

The serum

The Ordinary Volufiline Serum, €23.60

This targeted plumping serum has gone viral across social media with users claiming it provides a non-injectable alternative to filler. After using it for almost a month, I can certainly say the hollows under my eyes appear less noticeable (though they aren’t gone!) If, like me, you’re reluctant to go down the injectables route, this is definitely worth a try. Beyond the eyes, this serum can also restore lost volume in areas such as the lips, cheeks and temples.

The tint

Poco Beauty Universal Solar Glow Skin Enhancer SPF 30, €55

While I love the gorgeous bronzy glow of face tan, I don’t like how most can be drying on my skin, so this multitasking tinted serum for face and body that bronzes, blurs, hydrates, and protects with broad spectrum SPF 30 has been my saviour for when I look like a sick Victorian child!

Inspired by the award-winning Universal Glow Tint, it delivers a radiant, sun-kissed finish. Like all Poco Beauty products, it has a skin-first formula with niacinamide and vitamin E. It has light reflecting technology for a natural, luminous glow, and it just instantly makes me more alive. It can be used alone, mixed with foundation or applied over tan.

The brow hero

BrowAid Illumilift Eye & Brow Hydrogel Mask, €9

7. BrowAid Illumilift Eye & Brow Hydrogel Mask

I love eye gels and often use them above my eyes too, but thanks to this innovative mask from brow expert Kim O’Sullivan and dermatologist Catriona Ryan, I don’t need to anymore. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, vitamin E, caffeine, ceramides, retinyl palmitate, and trending anti-inflammatory ectoin, it hydrates, depuffs, brightens, calms, and strengthens skin while also supporting brow density and regeneration. A must have for dull, puffy, or tired eyes and perfect for party prep.

The palette

SoSu Cosmetics All-in-One Complexion Palette, €39.95

8. sosu cosmetics complete canvas in light

Another product that has become a handbag and travel staple, this 2025 release features 12 ultra-blendable cream formulas covering base, concealer, corrector, contour, bronze, blush, and highlight. It makes me look so fresh and dewy. I always get compliments when I wear the blush.

Although cream, these products dry down to a soft matte, so this palette suits everyone. With lightweight, radiant HD coverage that’s also buildable, it’s available in three tone families: light, medium and dark and can be applied with a brush, sponge, or your fingertips, and also can be custom mixed for your perfect match. Such a genius palette that gives pricier versions a serious run for their money!