Britain has offered the world some fantastic beauty brands, so let’s take a moment to appreciate them. Now that I’m living in England for six months, I figure it’s the perfect time for me to embrace the best British beauty brands. And, what’s more, so can you, as these brands are widely available in Australia!

Rimmel

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This British brand allows even those on a budget access to great cosmetics. Emulate Rimmel’s show stopping beauty looks of stars like Kate Moss, the face of the brand. The cosmetics house aims to embed the look and feel of London into their products, all of which are designed to be versatile, affordable and easy to use.

So, why not try and re-create the London look all the way from Australia with the help of Rimmel? Some of their newest products include ‘ScandalEyes Rockin’ Curves Mascara’ that promises to add va-va-voom volume to your lashes with its heart shaped brush. And to complement your eyes, have a look at the new Apocalips hybrid lipsticks/glosses, available in 13 intense shades.

Available at Priceline and selected pharmacies.

Eve Lom

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A brand that has been successfully running for 25 years and rapidly expanding worldwide should tick your boxes to experiment with their products! Eve Lom is a beauty professional who opened her first salon in London and is now selling her skincare line on a global scale. Her core philosophy is that ‘perfectly cleansed, exfoliated skin is the key to a glowing complexion.’ She also advocates the belief that when it comes to skincare, ‘less is more’.

The product that started it all is The Eve Lom Cleanser which perfectly sums up the brand’s skincare philosophy. Vogue calls it “Probably the best cleanser in the world”, which might just see you pause reading to hunt it down!

The brand has also released the new ‘complexion range’ that offers primers, tinted moisturisers, foundations and bronzing powders. Ultimately the line is designed to help skin look ‘fresh, lifted and lit from within’.

Available at Mecca Cosmetica

This Works

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With an eye-catching name, ‘This Works’, aims to deliver cosmetics that do precisely that! Founded by journalist and ‘beauty expert’, Kathy Phillips, the beauty brand started in the UK in 2003, with the philosophy that “natural skincare is best”. All natural products are available for every skin type and promise that even though they don’t contain artificial ingredients, they work!

The brand provides both acne treatments as well as anti-ageing products that also have aromatherapy benefits. Popular products that have received special mention in the beauty industry include Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, No wrinkles tired eyes and In-transit camera close up.

Available at Mecca Maxima

The Body Shop

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Originating in England 1976, The Body Shop is well known and well loved by Australians. Their motto is ‘beauty from the heart’. They aim to source the finest ingredients from all around the world and trade ethically and fairly.

Best selling products include Coconut body butter, Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter and Vitamin E Moisture Cream.

Illamasqua

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Illamasqua is a relatively new and very exciting cosmetics brand that was launched in 2008 in London. The brand encourages people to express their individuality through their highly pigmented and long lasting cosmetics. Influenced by both the dark 1920s Berlin clubbing scene as well as makeup for film and theatre, Illamasqua provides ‘professional makeup’ to the public.

If you’re looking for some notable products to test, try Pure Pigment in Furore (a champagne peach shimmer to highlight eyes, cheeks and brows), Powder Blusher in Hussy (a bright candy pink blush) and Skin Base foundation which won a Company Magazine beauty award.

Available at selected Myer stores.

Eyeko

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This brand is all about the eyes! Launched in 1999, Eyeko solely produces cosmetics for the eyes, including mascara, eyeliner and brow gel. Alexa Chung recently collaborated to create an exclusive collection with Eyeko, so you can recreate her looks from home! She’s not the only ‘star’ to love Eyeko though, with celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Salma Hayek and Gemma Arterton, big fans too!

Try out these award winning products to get a taste of Eyeko. ‘Skinny Brush Mascara’ won the 2012 Nylon Magazine beauty awards, ‘Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner’ won the Elle Beauty Awards and ‘Eyeko Brow Gel’ was the winner of the 2013 Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards.

Available at Mecca Maxima and Kit Cosmetics

The good news is you can get a feel for England without the hefty price of a plane ticket by embracing their cosmetics widely available in Australia!

Images courtesy of  Cult Beauty UK, Boots, Ocean terminal, Allure Beauty, Rimmel and Eyeko

About The Author

A Melbourne city girl through and through, Olivia is a Communications student at RMIT. After dreaming of crossing international waters her entire life, she has spent the last six months studying in Leeds, England. As cliched as it is, she believes travel really is the only thing that makes you richer and intends to spend the rest of her life exploring and discovering the world. A lover of the arts, good food and quality wine she realises the importance of being an enthusiast in life. Because honestly, lukewarm is no good for anything. Twitter: @oliviawindsor Blog: http://exchangeonaplatter.wordpress.com

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