Celebrity beauty brands that are actually worth buying

Having crunched the numbers, the Upbeat Agency, a specialist in digital marketing, has revealed the most searched-for British celebrity-owned beauty brands. Top comes Florence by Mills, created by the star of Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown, a favourite with Gen Z. But it’s the two coming in second and third, both with midlifers at the helm, that interest me most: Trinny London, founded by the original makeover expert, Trinny Woodall, and Victoria Beckham Beauty. 

Similarities abound. Trinny (she’s a mononymous celeb) launched her line in 2017, and Beckham (aka VB) debuted hers in 2019, both rapidly scooping millions of sales and legions of fans. Likewise, they’ve each just celebrated milestone birthdays – Trinny was 60 in February, Beckham 50 in April. 

Both are passionate and driven, conceiving of, trialling and wearing every product. Beckham has distilled her camera-ready know-how into a range that does what she says on her tin, meeting the ‘Victoria Standard’. ‘If you say an eyeliner lasts all day then that has to be the reality,’ she says. 

Trinny has her antenna tuned to her community – the ‘Trinny Tribe’ – and doesn’t follow trends. ‘We always start with a problem we would like to solve,’ she explains. The upshot is that both women are credible advocates of their brands.

Communications-wise, though, they’re chalk and cheese. On social media, Beckham appears perma-poised yet can be surprisingly funny, while Trinny is a whirlwind of unbridled energy, traits reflected in the packaging. VB’s is minimally chic and understated, while Trinny’s is all bright shades and silver – think kerpow meets practicality. 

So having tested various products, which stand out for me? Firstly, Trinny offers great bases (VB doesn’t do foundations, although she has a priming moisturiser). The BFF Cream Skin Perfector SPF 30 (£39) perks up tired-looking skin, and BFF All Day (also £39) is a demi-matt foundation that covers without cakiness. You can also target (then buff) specific problems with Just A Touch (£28), a foundation-concealer combination. If I look s--t, Trinny helps me not look s--t. I think she’d approve of that summation. 

Future Lash Mascara £32, Victoria Beckham Beauty; San Ysidro Drive, from £170 for 50ml, Victoria Beckham Beauty; Plump Up ,£69, Trinny London; BFF All Day, £39, Trinny London; Flush Blush, £22, Trinny London

As for eye make-up, Beckham’s is pure class. I’m obsessed with her Satin Kajal Liner (£30). I’m not alone – one sells every 30 seconds. It is buttery soft yet magically controllable, requiring little effort and skill to apply (opt in for the complimentary sharpener). Then there’s the EyeWear Longwear Eyeshadow Stick (£32). Ye gods, this is good too. Swipe or swirl to shape and shade. Finish with Future Lash Mascara (£32) for a lush lift and smoky eyes that look like a pro job. 

For cheeks, Trinny’s Flush Blush (£22) is buildable and blendable, so it looks natural, and the older I get, the less powdery I like to look. Ditto, the older I get, the less lipsticky I want to appear, and Beckham’s Posh Gloss (£30) offers colour and care that’s not overly glassy.

As for skincare, VB has teamed up with high-end experts, including Augustinus Bader, for an elegant capsule collection that’s facial-grade, if pricey. I tend to be a Trinny girl, partly because I’m fascinated by her fervent interest in research and development and could listen to her talk skincare all day (actually, I couldn’t, she’d wear me out). I rate Plump Up (£69), with peptides that act as building blocks for collagen and elastin, and the protective, line-smoothing SPF 50+ See The Light (£45). 

Trinny hasn’t done perfume, but I’ll exit this roundup with a spritz of VB’s San Ysidro Drive (from £170 for 50ml), an evocative woody-floral that represents a venture into the realm of fine fragrance. It’s one of a trio – a scented wardrobe that has plenty of posh style and signature polish.