Confused about skincare? This new range under £15 by beauty pro Sali Hughes might just be your answer

As one of the UK’s most trusted beauty journalists and beauty influencer followed by thousands, it’s safe to say Sali Hughes knows a thing or two about skincare. After all, she has tested, reviewed and recommended hundreds of products and written books about her findings, with her trademark no-nonsense attitude and refreshing honesty. Here, she gives GLAMOUR the low-down on what we can expect from her new skincare venture in partnership with Revolution Beauty – a simple, easy to understand, results-driven range that takes the guess work out of skincare with each product coming in under £15. A range of good basics she says that would fit into her own mix and match, high low skincare philosophy.

Beauty is my passion, and I’ve been writing adoringly and fanatically about skincare for 23 years, but in the last five, I’ve become concerned. As fast as women have become skincare obsessed, they’ve got more and more confused. Dozens of times a week, they message me to ask what ingredients can be used safely with others. “Can this be layered?”, “Will X stop the Y from working?”, “Do I have to use this with this to get a result?” and so on. 

Meanwhile, those less cautious get in touch to say their skin is suffering – going red, flaring up, becoming too dry and sore or too oily. My friends straddle both camps, too. It’s madness to me that so many already overstretched women are being expected to combine skincare ingredients like some biochemist! 

Even for someone as committed to skincare as me, anything that takes more than 4-5 steps is an absolute no for my lifestyle. But the biggest myth of modern skincare is that it needs to be complicated and hard for it to work. Honestly and truly, the opposite is true. Skincare works best when it is simple, easy, kind to skin and containing compatible ingredients that are proven to do the job.

I’ve been asked on a number of occasions if I’d like to launch my own skincare brand, but my list of non-negotiable proved hard to satisfy. I wanted my products to be affordable and friendly. Right now, people too often have to choose between single ingredient skincare at a good price, or beautiful and intelligently combined formula at a high one. I wanted them to get great, sophisticated formula at a fair price. It was also vital that my products were vegan and cruelty free, without silicone (to ensure a smooth ride under makeup), fast and easy to use, manufactured in Britain and containing only the proven ingredients I use on my own face daily. I wanted things to be simple, to never add in heaps of pointless steps to make an extra buck. Unbelievably, almost two years ago, Revolution said yes, and it’s been non-stop ever since.

Testing my products was challenging. My formulator, Laura, lives over 200 miles away and most of my product development was done with during lockdown and other restrictions. The very first samples contained all the ingredients I’d asked for, but were so completely not what I imagined that I literally cried in frustration. I have a video of me excitedly opening the box, slathering everything on, then shouting “Aaaargh, this is sh*t!”. But now I know that the first versions aren’t meant to be right – they’re just a jumping off point that, with your formulator, you tune and fine tune for months and months until they become perfect. When you learn that, the whole process becomes a joy. Each little glass sample pot (I’ve well over 600 of them in the house) marked a step closer to my vision, and I’ve learned a huge amount with every one. The most important lesson was undoubtedly to trust my gut. When you’re asking for people to part with hard earned cash, you should demand the best on their behalf.

You should also give them bang for their buck. At every step, I pushed the envelope on price. I could never find an affordable liquid exfoliant containing all my favourite glow-giving acids, so I was hellbent on making one, and I did – it’s called Placid. Silicone-free moisturisers are usually expensive, but for me, an affordable one was a non-negotiable, so we made Gel Quench (for oily/combination) and Cream Drench (for balanced/dry). We really struggled to get all the cleansing balm ingredients I wanted in on budget, but I was adamant that it shouldn’t cost more than £15, so I just kept rejecting it until the money women said yes, and we ended up with Butterclean.

If people have extra money to spend, then great – they can use my products with their favourite luxury skincare. I’m a high/low beauty fan myself. I’ve often layered an Estée Lauder moisturiser over a Superdrug serum, and think that’s half the fun. You certainly don’t have to be monogamous to Sali Hughes products. If you want to embellish your routine with luxury favourites or cult finds, go for it. I can’t stand brands claiming you must use only their stuff for it all to work properly. It’s simply a sign of rubbish products that can’t stand on their own two feet. As long as before you start playing, you nail down the basics – they’re the building blocks to your beauty routine. Just like in their wardrobes, everyone needs a great white T shirt and a pair of blue jeans, every skin routine needs vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid. That’s why all three are in my Must-C daily serum.

Your money should be able to buy you a complete formula – something you can apply quickly twice a day and know you’re getting what you need, minus the guesswork. Otherwise it feels to me like ordering a meal in a great restaurant and having the waiter dump a load of fruit, veg and fish in your lap and telling you to cook it. With my range, I wanted to cook it for you. So you can know your skin is happy, then get on with your life.

Keep scrolling to discover Sali Hughes x Revolution Skincare, all available from 28th April from Revolution Beauty, before rolling out into Superdrug stores across the UK.

Clean Sheet Morning Cleanser

“There’s no need for heavy balms in the morning (I trust you haven’t slept in your makeup!), so I wanted this to be light, refreshing and quick to use. Apply to dry skin, add some water, then wipe away. Or if you’re time poor, just take it into the shower. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin will leave your skin hydrated, pineapple enzymes will perk up any signs of tiredness, while oat amino acids and probiotics will keep your skin soothed and cheerful throughout.”

Placid 5-Acid Daily Liquid Exfoliant

“Affordable exfoliants tend to focus on one acid only. I wanted five: Lactic, malic, tranexamic, salicylic and glycolic, to give maximum smoothness and glow, plus non-exfoliating hyaluronic acid for hydration. This should cost the earth, but it’s £14! Soak a cotton pad and sweep over cleansed face 3-4 times a week.”

Must-C Anytime Vitamin C Serum

“I live and die for vitamin C – my skin cannot live without its glow-giving, antioxidant properties, but here, I wanted much more. I’ve added to a hefty 15% concentration of vitamin C derivative the universally beneficial niacinamide, hydrating staple hyaluronic acid and antioxidant ferric acid. All ingredients work perfectly together, taking out any guesswork over layering. Use night, day or both.”

Cream Drench Anytime Moisturiser

“I have always struggled to find an affordable day and night cream that feels luxurious without any makeup-bobbling silicone, and that feels moist enough for dry skin without feeling like something greasy you’d find in the pharmaceutic aisle. So I made one. This is my dream moisturiser – I’m obsessed with it.”

Butterclean Cleansing Balm

“I love a cleansing balm, so I went to town on this one. Safflower seed, Jojoba, Shea Butter, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Squalane and Vitamin E all melt together to lift makeup, sunscreen and dirt. Apply dry, then add a little warm water to turn the balm into milk, then sweep off effortlessly with a flannel. No gunky film, just clean, soft skin. Oh, and it smells just like a luxury spa.”

Keep scrolling to discover the other skincare products Sali can’t live without…