Sarah Creal Beauty, the ridiculously chic skincare and make-up line targeting women over 40, has had the beauty cognoscenti in something of a chokehold since it launched in the US in 2024. Finally, it has landed in the UK at Space NK. The excitement – the sell-outs! – around its arrival has been quite extraordinary. But is it worth the hype? Absolutely.
I first wrote about the brand for British ahead of its US launch. Creal and I had met years earlier, when she was at Estée Lauder and helped bring Victoria Beckham’s first foray into beauty – her collaboration with Lauder – to life. She may have been relatively new to me then, but within the industry she was already one of its most esteemed product developers, creating for the likes of Lauder and Tom Ford. And for those who remember the brilliant Prada lip balms? Yep, that was also Creal. She later became Beckham’s right-hand woman, helping co-found the hugely successful Victoria Beckham Beauty, and later became CEO of the brand. When she left in 2022 and launched her eponymous brand two years later, I got a sneak preview – the products were fantastic. My only complaint? No one could buy them in the UK. Until now.
So what makes Sarah Creal Beauty particularly impressive? It’s not simply about the products. The formulations are specifically created to target women who, in so many ways, have long been marginalised by the beauty industry. For decades, the beauty industry has been perfectly happy to take the money of women over 40 while being considerably less enthusiastic about actually formulating specifically for them. Or even featuring them. You know the drill: create a cream supposedly addressing the skincare concerns of a 50-year-old; advertise it with the face of a 25-year-old. Creal decided, essentially, stuff that.
Hence, she created luxury skincare and make-up specifically with women over 40 in mind – and, crucially, without the joyless, unimaginative baggage that so often accompanies anything aimed at this demographic. This is not beauty that bangs on about the issues of “mature skin” in a way that makes it sound dire and hopeless. Instead, it is cool, celebratory, playful, beautifully formulated and ridiculously desirable. The packaging alone is enough to cause palpitations – in a good way. Creal doesn’t see women over 40 as some problematic demographic requiring correction. She sees them as discerning, interesting women who deserve and enjoy fabulous things. Revolutionary? It really shouldn’t be. But here we are. And how exciting. Because now, we can all finally get our hands on the brand I’ve been obsessing over for the past two years. So what to buy? Well, these are the five Sarah Creal Beauty products I can’t do without.
Back Of The Cab Volumizing Longwear Tubing Mascara
Why it’s -approved: You know the lashes you imagine you could have if only you possessed superior make-up skills, a strip of faux lashes and approximately 20 spare minutes every morning? This gives you those. Quickly. It creates brilliant, properly impressive lashes without requiring any particular expertise. Music to my ears. The brush is not thin; I really can’t stand a skinny mascara brush. It’s also incredibly easy to manoeuvre, the formula doesn’t smudge and, importantly, it stays where you put it. For 12 hours. And yes, you can use it in the back of a cab. My kind of mascara.
Moisture Source Bi-Phase Brightening Essence
Why it’s -approved: I am with this product. Obsessed. Moisture Source is technically a liquid moisturiser/essence, but really it is one of those products that makes you wonder, ‘why aren’t all moisturisers like this?’. It is glass skin in a bottle. Beautifully light, it somehow leaves skin feeling deeply moisturised. The finish is plump, juicy, luminous skin without greasiness or stickiness. And if you dip your make-up brush in it before applying your base… just try it. Truly, the result is . I mean, if I could drink it, I would. (Please don’t drink it).
Why it’s -approved: Recently, I realised that I have become emotionally attached to a make-up brush. But that is because it is the Sarah Creal complexion brush, and it is easily the best all-rounder I have used in a very long time. The shape is genius: it gets into all the awkward bits around the eyes and nose, but is substantial enough to make quick work of the rest of your face. More importantly, it blends everything so beautifully that your base looks seamless rather than “done”. It has changed my make-up game. Which is why I am embarrassingly hyperbolic about its greatness. But when you start using it, you’ll understand why.
Face Flex Concealer & Complexion Enhancer
Why it’s -approved: Despite the name, I use this very much as I would a foundation. It gives exactly the sort of coverage I want: enough to make everything look considerably better, but not so much that I look like I’m wearing a beauty filter. Enhancer is the operative word. It is light, luminous, ridiculously easy to blend and leaves skin looking like very good skin rather than very good foundation. I am actually quite amazed at how well it blends into the skin – no, it doesn’t fall into cracks. It’s a bit like brilliant skincare, which I guess makes sense when you consider the formulation includes hyaluronic acid, caffeine, aloe leaf extract and green tea to help hydrate, plump, brighten and soothe. And unlike most base products, it is compact enough to throw into your bag and take everywhere, which I do. Not that I need to – it lasts for 12 hours.
Why it’s -approved: Firstly, can we just talk about the packaging? It looks like an exceptionally chic lighter. Because its purpose is to lighten and brighten. Genius. Thankfully, what is inside is equally impressive. Firm Offer manages to make the under-eye area look brighter, smoother, plumper, firmer and altogether more alive – because, never mind if you feel dead inside – who doesn’t want to look more alive? And it does all the things we desperately want an eye cream to do while looking fabulous on the bathroom shelf. Which, frankly, is the sort of multitasking I will happily get behind.