Cult Beauty Buying Guide 2026: The 6 Best Beauty Buys

Medik8’s Crystal Retinal range is the shop’s best-known skincare line, and Retinal 3 is the middle step most people start from. The product page describes a cream-like night serum with 0.03% encapsulated retinaldehyde plus hyaluronic acid and vitamin E; the claims about softening lines and working faster than retinol are Medik8’s, repeated by the shop. The page’s own instructions are to build up from twice a week, wear sunscreen the next morning, and consult a doctor if pregnant or breastfeeding.

It had more than 4,200 reviews and a high average when we checked. The one-star reviews are mostly about the packaging: tubes that looked half empty, and pumps that broke within weeks. Others report irritation or spots, and one found the scent strong enough to give her headaches.

BYOMA is the budget brand Cult Beauty champions, and the Barrier+ Treatment is its richest everyday cream. The page calls it buttery and lists shea butter, squalane and avocado oil high in the ingredients, with ceramide NP further down; the soothing and barrier claims are the brand’s. The instructions are simple: a pea-sized amount on clean skin, as needed.

Of 187 reviews when we checked, none was one-star and only one was two-star, which is unusual. The complaints that do exist are about weight and value. Several three-star reviewers found it heavy, oily under makeup or likely to block pores, one said it worsened her perioral dermatitis and acne, and two thought 50ml did not go far. Another simply called the bottle infuriating.

Cult Beauty was early to Westman Atelier, and the Baby Cheeks stick is the brand’s signature: a 6g creamy colour the page describes as multipurpose for cheeks, lips and lids, in eight shades at £44 each (one, Coquette, was out of stock when we checked). It had nearly 2,500 reviews and a high average.

The trouble is almost entirely shade. The one-star reviews read like the same review written ten times: a shade that looked cool pink or mauve on screen arrived orange, peachy or brown. A smaller group found it dry, patchy or hard to blend, and one said she would have returned it if she could. That matters here, because the shop only accepts unopened returns. If you can, see the shade in person before you order.

No.3 is the product that made Olaplex famous, and the Plus version is what is sold now: a three-minute treatment applied to wet hair before shampoo, at £32 for 100ml or £64 for 250ml. The product page states that it is clinically proven to make hair three times stronger and softer after one use; that is Olaplex’s claim, repeated by the shop, and not something we can assess.

Its reviews were strong overall, but the low ones share a theme. Several long-time users say the reformulated Plus left their hair dry, rough, tangled or frizzy where the original did not, and people with curls report looser, unruly results. Another disliked the stiff bottle and a cap that is hard to open with long nails.

Augustinus Bader is the name that defines the top of Cult Beauty’s skincare list, and The Rich Cream is its version for dry skin, with argan, avocado and evening primrose oils and the brand’s patented TFC8 complex. The claims about fine lines and dullness are the brand’s. The page also warns that the oils and peptides can separate, and advises shaking before first use and flipping the bottle in storage.

It had 159 reviews, mostly five-star, but the low ratings are worth reading before you spend this much. Several reviewers describe redness, burning or a rash within minutes of first use, and others call it an average cream at an indefensible price. The 15ml size, or a sample in a goody bag, is the sensible way to try it first.

The shop’s own calendar is the best-known in British beauty, and this year’s has 33 products, 19 full size, listed in full on the page: Medik8 peptide cream, Paula’s Choice retinaldehyde, Sunday Riley serum and Saie blush among the full sizes, and a 15ml Augustinus Bader Rich Cream among the travel sizes. Three calendars hide Golden Tickets worth £1,000 of credit. When we checked, it came with a free goody bag, shipped separately.

The “worth over £1,100” in the title is the shop’s sum. The low reviews are mostly about the box, not the contents: several arrived dented or damaged, one packed only in a plastic bag inside a box, and one buyer thought it mostly minis for £245.