Our Favourite Beauty Launches of 2021 (So far!)

While it felt like 2020 would never end, 2021 is proving to be the opposite. Somehow we are halfway through the year already, and it has been a BIG year for beauty brands. This year we’ve seen the growth of inclusive, multi-use products, sustainable packaging and skin loving ingredients all designed to give you a natural and dewy glow. We've put together a list of our favourite launches so far in 2021.

Lisa Eldridge Enlivening Blush

With over two million Youtube subscribers, numerous Vogue covers and campaigns for the likes of Prada and Lancome, Lisa Eldridge is one of the world's most respected makeup artists.

After launching her eponymous brand in 2018, her first line of lipsticks sold out in hours 

[Pt(NH3)Br3]2-and Temptalia readers named it the best Niche Beauty Brand of 2020. Although lipsticks were where her brand began, this year she has expanded into complexion products – and we could not be happier.

A true master of colour and texture, her Enlivening Blush has a beautiful selection of colours suitable for all skin tones. It gives off a natural skin-like finish with a hydrating, vegan formula. It definitely lives up to, if not exceeds, her previous launches.

Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint

Fenty exploded onto the scene back in 2017, with arguably the most inclusive debut range of all time – the Pro Filt’r range. This full coverage, matte, 50 shade range forced other brands to step up and expand their shade offering. With this many shades, we know you will be able to find your foundation shade match in this range!

Fenty didn’t rest on their laurels and has continued to expand their product offering while paying close attention to what their customers are after. Recognising the market's desire for more lightweight formulas, in 2021 they released the Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, designed to be “a light coverage, easy-to-apply, flexibly skin tint that … evens out your complexion and give[s] a flattering blurred effect.”

We adore this lightweight skin tint for its range of shades, its cruelty free formula and its dewy finish.

Morphe Glowstunner Tinted Moisturizer

This beloved and wildly popular brand has released something you don’t often see in tinted moisturizers – an actual range of shades. Gone are the days where tinted moisturisers came in three shades of beige – Morphe’s new Glowstunner Tinted Moisturizer comes with an impressive fifteen shades with a variety of undertones.

It is also packed full of skin loving ingredients like Lactic Acid, Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid. Free of parabens, fragrance and oil but with SPF30 protection, this is a great option for those of us with sensitive skin.

Merit The Minimalist

Merit Beauty is one of the most exciting brands to have come out of 2021. Instantly popular with both celebrities and the general public, Merit is a quietly confident brand that has potential to revolutionise the beauty industry.

Although the concept of The Minimalist, a multi-use foundation and concealer is not new, their goal for you to receive “compliments on your skin, not your makeup,” certainly is. 2021 has seen a major shift towards products that look natural and barely there, and Merit has led the charge.

With help from aesthetician Biba de Sousa, Merit intentionally excluded 72 acne-triggering ingredients from their range, making it a great buildable product for people with sensitive skin. Not only is it good for your skin, but it is also good for mother nature. The product itself is completely vegan, and in a truly revolutionary move the actual hardware is made with 43% recycled plastic!

Coloured Raine Bronzer

Coloured Raine has officially busted the myth that contour and bronzer is one-size-fits-all, and it could not have come sooner. Everyone deserves a sun kissed look, everyone deserves to chisel their cheekbones and thanks to brands like Coloured Raine, they can!

Budget friendly, vegan and paraben free these bronzers can double as complexion powders or contour. Thanks to their matte finish they are great for those of us who want a natural sun kissed glow, without the shimmer that is often found in bronzers.           

Honourable mention

We can not list our favourite launches of 2021 without mentioning the Viseart’s Grand Pro 1X eyeshadow palette. While technically a relaunch, this limited edition palette is the holy grail of eyeshadow. Featuring every shade from their original Grand Pro palette, they have added over ten new shades. This palette bridges the gap between a professional and consumer product, making it a great kit essential for the pros and a versatile palette for the rest of us!

Matte eyeshadows are notoriously difficult to blend, however Viseart’s formulas are incredibly buttery and blendable. If you buy one eyeshadow palette this year, this should be it.

We hope that brands around the world continue to take note of the impact these products have had on their industry – from sustainable packaging to inclusive shades and vegan formulas. What have been your favourite beauty launches of 2021? Hit us up on our socials to let us know!