English Version | Test Drive: Love Issue

During this time of love and sharing, Vogue’s redaction team got together to bring you the best gift of all: the holy grail on our beauty shelves, our most-loved products.  

Sara Andrade: New Projects Director

I’ve never used that much makeup, so I’ve always centered all my efforts on finding a good concealer, which is the base for my routine to improve my looks. The Le Multi concealer, from Absolution, is not an old love, but it’s a love for life. It was the only one I found to be capable of fulfilling not only my demands when it comes to the ideal shade, but also in terms of texture – like the story of the three bears, not too fluid, not too clumpy, it got the consistency just right -, and within the organic makeup I prefer to use. Easy to apply, this is one makeup product I never run out of – I’ll always restock before I squeeze the last drop. Corretor de olheiras Le Multi Correcteur, € 28, Absolution, em organii.com.

João Oliveira: Art Director

Beauty product? Is shampoo a beauty product? When white hairs started to gain territory over dark ones, it’s only natural to start being advised on how to look after them. “Seriously? They’re different from the others?” Quite skeptically I bought the purple shampoo everyone talked so much about. When I used it for the first time, its color was so dense I thought my hair would turn purple! The result was better than what I expected, not a single hair turned purple, but it left me with more luminous and softer hair overall. I’ve been in this relationship for more than five years and can’t see it changing anytime soon. Champô Serie Expert Silver, € 10,45, L’Oréal Professionnel, em notino.pt.

Rui Matos: Journalist

New skin? Who has never wished for that? And there’s no point in denying since everyone – at some given time – has dreamed of having new skin. There are no miracles, but there are, in fact, some products that somewhat feel like a miracle. And when they’re this easy to apply, it’s love at first sight, and for life. Les Grains de Vanille is a powerful exfoliant that unleashes the power of vanilla beans and jojoba spheres to eliminate, gently, dead cells and impurities. The skin can breathe and finds its luminosity again. In other words: it gives us new skin. The effects? Silky, comfortable, and radiant skin – and yes, these results actually exist. The touch of the skin after using this best friend forever is very comparable to the feel of a cashmere sweater. Máscara Sublimage Les Grains de Vanille, € 125, Chanel, em chanel.com.

Helena Almeida: Fashion Intern 

Men’s perfume, Loewe 7, because fragrances are genderless, and because this one's tones of wood and spices transport us to a cozy, warm place. Choosing this perfume was a product of the association of certain scents to people, since I find it interesting how some people walk by and leave more than their image, they also leave the scent of their perfume. Perfume 7, 50 ml, € 78,50, Loewe, em douglas.pt.

Ana Saldanha: Journalist 

This heart, when it comes to skincare, is free. Whether because of old habits or due to a never-ending curiosity, it’s not often that I use a product uninterruptedly, since whenever something new comes in, my will power commands that I try it out. The more knowledgeable people warn us against constant changes in our skincare routine. I hear you. I swear I hear you. But I can’t always resist the urge. And the consequences are pimple crisis, sensitive and reactive skin – because it is mad at me, basically. In these cases, I always come back to the same moisturizer: The Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. It’s composed of amino acids, oils present on the skin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, ingredients that repair and help to calm the skin. My heart aches whenever I try to buy it and it’s sold out. Creme hidratante Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, € 7,70, The Ordinary.

Marta Castro: Advertisement and Events Manager

Makeup is my guilty pleasure. Nothing brings me more joy than “wasting time” doing my makeup, whether while running around in the morning, taking my time before dinner or, what feels like a lifetime ago, right before going out for a night out dancing. The common factor in all these situations is the Maybelline concealer, with a price/quality ration that checks all the boxes, I always keep a spare one just in case. I use it as a color corrector, it can also be the first layer of foundation on those days your skin needs to be uniformized before powder, concealing those inconvenient pimples that might pop up… It’s my all-around product. Corretor Age Rewind, € 10,45, Maybelline, em lookfantastic.pt.

Matilde Misciagna: Journalist

This lipstick is my go-to, my nude. I always put it on when I need to get rid of that “dead look” as I like to call it. Unfortunately, I haven’t been blessed with rosy-pink lips, and when I don’t put on lipstick, it seems as if my face is all the same color, yellowish (lips included), which doesn’t make for a good look. This one is light and incredibly comfortable, despite its matte finish. It’s not sticky, doesn’t transfer, and glides on effortlessly. The applicator is thin, therefore allowing for a precise, care-free outline. It’s a lifesaver, you can take my word for it. Batom líquido Rouge Signature Matte, no tom I explore, € 11,45, L'Oréal Paris, em lookfantastic.pt.

Ana Murcho: Features Editor

The last count, conducted a few days prior to closing this issue, totaled 23 bottles – scattered around in my living-room cabinets, closet, and any other corner where it doesn’t seem too obscure to keep empty bottles that still carry the name of a scent that once, they incapsulated: Eau Demoiselle, from Givenchy, the perfume that for ten years has blended into my skin. The fragrance was designed by perfume-maker François Demachy, who gave it a fruity and floral aroma that is nearly perfect: Italian lemon as an opening note, rose and ylang-ylang as body notes, abelmosk and musk for the heart notes. Was this the combination that converted me to Eau Demoiselle? I couldn’t tell you. I’m not enlightened enough on the subject. And, as in any coup de foudre, I never could explain what hooked me in this eau de toilette. In the world of Fashion, it is often said that a piece of clothing should never “wear” a woman, it should never overpower her because she’s the one that should use it. That was precisely what I felt, from the first moment, with this perfume – that ended up becoming my trademark. Not even the fact that it has been discontinued for a long time in Portugal has prevented me from buying it. Or from collecting its wonderful art déco bottles. Perfume Eau Demoiselle, 100 ml, Givenchy, € 72,90, em notino.pt.

Translated from the original article from Vogue Portugal's Love issue, published in December 2020.