March beauty launches: We've reviewed the products that are actually worth buying

Famed for its signature “Brazillian bum bum cream”, Sol de Janeiro has moved into the world of haircare with its highly anticipated shampoo and conditioner launch. Much like the body cream, the brand’s focus here is nourishing Brazillian ingredients – including that intoxicating sweet nutty scent featured in the rest of its line – and hydration. We weren’t blown away by the shampoo, but the conditioner is an absolute must-have.

Infused with brazil nut, coconut oil, cupuacu butter and buriti fruit oil, we were expecting the formula to be heavy, but it somehow retains its creamy, thick lather while being notably lightweight with no greasy residue. We’ve been suffering with dry, frizzy locks that are hard to tame and condition, but after using this our hair immediately felt soft, looked glossy and hydrated and was far easier to style. The formula is enriched with keratin, working to nourish each strand of hair and tackling breakage, which we felt worked, leaving our ends feeling far healthier. We can’t rave about this enough, after just one use our hair looked salon-washed. A pricey conditioner, but worth it.

We really love the formula of this new lip liner from Kevyn Aucoin, and the concept of the shade range. Based on make-up artist Aucoin’s lip liner theory of matching your liner to the shade of your lips, not your lipstick, this range features skin-coloured shades that work to sculpt and define your pout. The formula is creamy and pigmented, making it easy to accentuate your lips and blend with your lipstick, and it genuinely stays put all day, even after eating a meal. We love using this to over-draw our lips slightly, giving the appearance of a fuller pout, and the neutral shades mean this still looks natural. This comes with a small sharpener and the double ended pencil has a brush on one side to blend the liner into the lips, which means you could even wear this on its own. Our only issue is that we found ourselves sharpening after every use, meaning it could run out quickly.

This new launch from Nars promises everything we’d ever want from a lip product: the nourishing properties of a lip balm with the pigment of a lipstick and the shine of a gloss, while ditching the dreaded stickiness. We were skeptical, but this genuinely works, feeling hydrating and nourishing on application, with a high shine, almost like an oil, that doesn’t undermine the intense colour pay-off. Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid are at play here, smoothing and hydrating your lips, leaving them feeling plump and supple, while the limited edition nude shades give the impact of a normal lipstick, gliding on nicely and feeling comfortable to wear. Usually a lip gloss would fade quickly, but this stayed put for a good few hours, helped with a lip liner. A perfect hybrid between a gloss and a lipstick in gorgeous nude colours. Our favourite was “foxy”, a deep terracotta nude.

Brands have been really stepping up their mascara launches so far this year, with Fenty’s long awaited launch in January, and Maybelline’s latest formula promising better results than a lash lift. We were intrigued to see how Anastasia Beverly Hills’ mascara would fare against them, and we have to say it’s a cut above the rest. It delivers on all its promises: voluminous, fanned out lashes that are lengthened and curled, but at a speed other formulas don’t manage, as the hourglass wand coats hairs instantly from root to tip, giving instant volume and fluttery, defined lashes with just one coat. Infused with nourishing waxes, the jet-black formula doesn’t smudge or flake off throughout the day and lashes stay curled and voluminous. It’s a splurge at £26, and there are definitely cheaper options that offer similar results, but we were impressed with how quickly we achieved dramatic lashes with this, and we like that it has weighty, quality metal packaging to match, too.

Bobbi Brown’s vitamin E enriched face base has been a cult-favourite moisturiser for years, but this latest water-based cream might become your new go-to if you suffer from dry skin. Many gel-like formulas tend to feel very lightweight, without the nourishing feel of a heavier cream, but this oil-free moisturiser combines both, with a buttery consistency that absorbs well, leaving a healthy glow and plump, supple skin. Heavier creams are usually a go-to for drier skin types, but the pre and probiotics in this formula help retain moisture throughout the day, and protect against environmental aggressors, leaving your skin balanced and nourished long-term. We love using this under make-up as it’s lightweight enough to sit well under foundation, and we didn’t notice any extra shine throughout the day. A protective, nourishing cream without the weight of heavier products.

A champion of natural ingredients, Neal’s Yard’s whole line is certified organic by the Soil Association, and its latest offering feels as luxury as any other high-end cleanser. Tapping into the aromatherapy skincare trend, this cleanser has a frankincense scent that helps you unwind as you wash the day away, but without being too overpowering. The formula has a thick, gel-like consistency that you work into the skin, it melts away make-up with ease, breaking down even the toughest of products. We didn’t feel the need to double cleanse and our skin looked visibly smoother and supple after use. The sunflower, sweet almond and coconut oils leave your skin feeling intensely hydrated without the heavy-feeling residue we find with many other oil-based formulas. This is a lovely treat after a stressful day with hardworking ingredients that leave your skin feeling thoroughly cleansed and nourished.

As avid fake tanners, we’ve been looking forward to this sustainable tanning brand launching in the UK. Originally founded Down Under, Australian Glow started using recycled ocean plastic for its bottles this year, and also created the world’s first recyclable tanning mousse refill packs, cutting down its plastic usage by 83 per cent. The tan formula itself is vegan and cruelty free, with nourishing, natural ingredients such as aloe vera, green tea and shea butter to hydrate and protect the skin as you tan.

The formula glides on smoothly and without any streaks and doesn’t cling on to dry areas, and the colour-pay off is intense while still looking natural, without any orange tones. It’s one of the darkest tans we’ve tried, but still looks authentic, thanks to the purple undertone of the formula. It’s scent free, which is a real plus for those who hate that biscuity fake tan smell, but it does take a good 20 minutes to dry fully. Once you’ve finished a bottle, you can buy the recyclable refill pouches separately, which will help towards reducing plastic waste. Each bottle is recyclable too.