AR Obsessions: Beauty & Grooming Favourites For May 2021

Welcome to AR Obsessions, a new series where we run through the lustworthy products we’re obsessing over in the Albert Review office this month. Here at AR HQ, we’re inundated with new offerings in the skincare and beauty realms each month. While it’s far from a tough burden to bear, you can be sure our opinions are discerning, with only the best of the best earning our seal of approval. 

So, let’s get into it. These are the beauty, skincare, and grooming products we’re obsessing over in May 2021.  

1. Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF 50+

ar obsessions may 2021

Sunscreen that doesn’t feel like sunscreen, the Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF 50+ has been on constant rotation since it made its way into the office. Ultra-hydrating yet non-greasy, it glides on smoothly without a white cast and makes the perfect base for makeup. Plus, it boasts a delicate (and definitively non-sunscreeny) smell and doesn’t sting sensitive eyes. 

2. Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Oil

A budget product with a luxurious feel, the Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Oil is the perfect antidote to sticky lip glosses. Hydrating and nourishing lips while providing a subtle sheen of colour, it works well by itself or over lip stain or lipstick for a little extra shine. 

3. Paula’s Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment

ar obsessions may 2021

The ideal multitasker, niacinamide is well tolerated by almost every skin type. At 20% Paula’s Choice iteration contains an ultra-high level of niacinamide, which is complemented with licorice extract and vitamin C. A lightweight, watery formula, the Paula’s Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment is the ideal booster for any skincare routine, working to even out skin texture and minimise the appearance of pores.

4. Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

Rosewater injects an element of luxury into any skincare routine, perfect for spraying in between serum application or to refresh your skin during the day. The Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist is housed in a beautiful pink glass bottle that you’ll want to keep front and centre of your beauty cabinet. For sprtizing on the go, we recommend the Jurlique Hydrating Mist Mini Trio, which comes in just the right size to fit into any handbag.  

5. Clarins Calm-Essentiel Soothing Emulsion

ar obsessions may 2021

We were first introduced to this a couple of months ago at a Clarins collection preview and have been using it since. Officially launched to public earlier this month, the Clarins Calm-Essentiel Soothing Emulsion was worth the wait. A lightweight lotion formula, it quickly soothes dryness and tightness, calming irritated, inflamed, and over-exfoliated skin. 

6. Naked Sundays SPF 50+ Hydrating Glow Mist

The only facial spray-on sunscreen in Australia, this has been a handbag staple since its launch earlier this year. Perfect for topping up your SPF application every couple of hours, it sprays on easily over makeup, adding a light glow. We’d recommend keeping your tightly closed during application and for ten seconds after spraying (to let it dry down a little), as the chemical formulas means it can sting.

7. Flower Beauty Warrior Princess Mascara

We’re big fans of the Flower Beauty here at AR; the brainchild of actress and entrepreneur Drew Barrymore, the line is budget-friendly without compromising on performance. A good everyday mascara, the Flower Beauty Warrior Princess Mascara adds length and volume to lashes without causing that dreaded clumpy spider-lash effect. 

8. Aesop Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Mist

ar obsessions may 2021

Since last March hand sanitizers have been an essential part of our daily routine, and we’ve tried pretty much all of them. This Aesop Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Mist has remained a firm favourite, with the spray-on formulation making for a non-sticky application and the combination of mandarin, rosemary, and cedar providing a delightful scent. 

9. Grown Alchemist Anti-Bacterial Hand Cream

The ideal complement to a beautiful hand sanitizer is an equally luxurious hand cream, and Grown Alchemist never fails to deliver. Their latest release is formulated with antibacterial tea tree as well as hydrating cedarwood and ylang ylang, with its herbal scent and nourishing effects making it our new post-hand wash (or hand sanitiser) hand cream. 

10. Comme des Garçons Amazingreen EDP

The kind of fragrance that prompts people stop you in the street to ask what you’re wearing. A layered, intoxicating scent, with verdant notes of vetiver, green pepper, ivy, and coriander intermingling with gunpowder and musk, the Comme des Garçons Amazingreen EDP is a must-have. 

11. Trinny Eye2Eye

ar obsessions may 2021

The stackable Trinny Eye2Eye shades come in highly pigmented colours, with their cream-based formulas making for easy on-the-go application using your fingers. 

12. Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint

A hydrating formula for those no-makeup makeup days, the Milk Makeup Skin Tint applies like an oil (using a roll-on applicator), providing light coverage and SPF 30 protection (though we’d always recommend applying a sunscreen underneath to ensure adequate coverage).


Words by AR Staff