10 Best British Beauty Brands

Are you looking to spice up your skincare routine with affordable products? Or are you on the lookout to splurge and gift yourself with British luxury brands? We have listed the 10 best British beauty brands for you to try out. In this list, you will find anything from affordable skincare and makeup to luxury skincare and body care, but also you’ll be smelling amazing with the right fragrances.

10 Best British Beauty Brands

We didn’t just want to create a list of the great British beauty brands that are already famous and known by everyone. We wanted to find beauty brands that have a story or they might be a startup but ready to revolutionize today’s market. Here you can think of trying Molton Brown body wash, or a fancy cream by Elemis, or even one of the gorgeous bronzers from HNB Cosmetics. There’s something for everyone. Let’s see the best British beauty brands!

1. Molton Brown

Molton Brown – Photos from GQ Magazine

One of the British luxury brands that will transform your life and personal care. British luxury brands might not be everyone’s cup of tea, however, you should definitely try out the Molton Brown shampoo or Molton Brown hand soap. The Molton Brown body wash will make you feel like a brand-new person. So who is Molton Brown? The brand was founded in 1971 by Caroline Burstein and Michael Collis. It was mainly known for perfumes, home, bath, and body products. In 2005 the brand was acquired by Kao Corporation. All of their products are manufactured in the UK and are cruelty-free.

This definitely makes the brand one of the best British beauty brands on our list. We recommend you try out their products, why not go for the Molton Brown body wash to pamper yourself at night? Or choose from the variety of Molton Brown shampoo to nurture your hair. I also find that the Molton Brown hand soaps just look amazing in your bathroom. These are not just high-quality products, they also look luxurious in your bathroom and home. What will you pick up in your next shop from one of the great British beauty brands?

2. The Inkey List

The Inkey List – Photo from Allure

The famous Inkey List. This isn’t a really popular brand just yet, however, they are definitely upping their game in the beauty industry. Another one of the best British beauty brands, was founded in 2018 by Colette Laxton and Mark Curry. They are focusing on skincare and I have to admit, they are pretty inclusive. Whatever issues you have, you will find a product for it. Did I mention that they are affordable? Their famous Oat cleansing balm is only £9.99!

The Inkey List, the best beauty brands UK, is just ready to conquer the world. I love the fact that their packaging is so informative. On their package it will tell you when you can use that specific product, and when should you apply it. Think of it as a skincare regime timeline. You can also take a skincare test on their website and depending on the issues you have, they will recommend what products should you be using. If you ask me, I’d spend some coin on their website right away!

3. HNB Cosmetics

HBN Cosmetics – Photo from HNB Cosmetics

This brand is really special to me because of its owner, Holly Boon. I have followed her for years on Youtube before she was doing this full-time. Holly Boon is not only an amazing content creator on social media, she is also the owner of HNB Cosmetics. Again, an affordable beauty brand striving to be inclusive. The shade range for the bronzers is incredible. The brand was founded in 2018 and first came out with lip products. Their formula is creamy and moisturizing, the lipglosses don’t stick! Holly created an amazing setting powder to keep your makeup locked for the day and making you’re under eyes look photoshopped.

If I know anything about Holly by now, is that she will not launch a product unless it’s perfect. You know a lot of brands just rush through the process and want to launch their products on the market as fast as possible to earn money. Being a startup using pretty much your own savings must be tough. I think the way she does it is by caring for her customers and making HNB Cosmetics exclusive, available to all skin tones. Kudos to Holly for making one of the best British beauty brands and for thriving. Can’t wait to see what the future holds.

4. Doll Beauty

best british beauty brands
Doll Beauty – Photo from Chester Standard

Let’s see the next brand on our list of great British beauty brands which are affordable and have great products. Doll Beauty was founded in 2016 by Danielle Gregory and Samantha Allen, they created a brand at a time where quality affordable products were not really popular. We all know brands like L’oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, and so on, however, their quality is not always the best, let’s face it. Their eyeliner for example only costs £11.00, but you bet it’s going to be waterproof and pitch-black. They are definitely considered one of the best British beauty brands out there.

Danielle and Samantha were not just random people wanting to start a brand, they were already working as makeup artists and were in the beauty industry for over 10 years before creating this beauty brand UK. Every idea comes from a place where you are not happy with a product. This is exactly how Doll Beauty was created. They were simply not happy with the beauty market and wanted to have something of their own they can rely on. You definitely would want your makeup to last and also afford to buy a full face of makeup products.

5. Funky Soap Shop

best british beauty brands
Funky Soap Shop – Photo from Funky Soap Shop

I wanted to include another best beauty brand UK, which isn’t so popular, however, I was amazed by their products. Funky Soap Shop was founded in 2014 in East London, making love soaps and other skincare products. The best thing about this brand is that they use 100% natural ingredients. If anyone knows a thing or two about producing skincare and body care, they all know that some ingredients can always be found in them. Have you heard about SLS? SLS stands for sodium lauryl sulfate, the most common ingredient in EVERY shampoo, cream, lotion, and so on. This can cause skin irritation and allergic reaction. It is the worst if you already have eczema.

The good news is, their products are SLS and paraben-free, no harmful preservatives are found in them. They are also suitable for vegans and some are vegetarian. Not tested on animals. I was honestly shocked at the variety of products they offer. Affordable and also all of their postal packaging is biodegradable. How many brands do this? Not many, I’m afraid. The Funky Soap Shop, one of the best beauty brands UK is definitely a brand for you to try out on your next shopping spree.

6. Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury – Photo from US Magazine

I had to include this legend of a woman. Charlotte Tilbury. Creating one of the most beautiful British luxury brands on the market. Skincare, makeup, body products, you name it. You can find anything and everything on her website. Her products are definitely on the pricier side, but if you like luxury makeup, do splurge on this beauty brand UK. Charlotte Tilbury is probably the best makeup artist in the UK, being in the fashion and beauty industry for over 20 years before launching her brand.

The brand launched in 2013 and since then has been in the top great British beauty brands. I always loved watching her videos, the way she explains every step she’s doing while applying makeup on a gorgeous model is just relaxing. You can literally find anything on the website. Creams, foundation, powders, eyeshadows. Her products look and feel luxurious. The price is also quite luxurious if you ask me, however, you are not just paying for the products, you are also paying for 20 years of research, quality packaging and a beautiful experience while applying them. Which product is your favorite?

7. Elemis

best british beauty brands
Elemis – Photo from DaMan

In this paragraph, I’m going to talk about Elemis, well-known among the British luxury brands for their high-quality skincare. I tried to include makeup and skincare for all price ranges. Some people like to spend more money especially on products that are applied directly to the skin. The brand is definitely at the top of the rest of the great British beauty brands. It was founded by Linda Steiner in 1989. The current CEO is Sean Harrington. Linda’s dream was to create a skincare brand “as close to nature as possible”.

This is not just one of the best British beauty brands out there, Elemis is also a global British skincare brand. They have over 30 years of expertise in creating luxurious skincare. For instance, they also have body skincare products, spa treatments, and supplements. I think the reason why they are so good is due to the fact that they listen to their clients, the products are tested on millions of people, so the feedback is huge. They are not only tested virtually but they are also tested in their spas and stores. The products contain natural extracts as the main ingredients, which makes them so special and high quality. Have you tried out this beauty brand UK?

8. Bamford

Bamford – Photo from Beauty Habit

I wanted to talk about a brand that is not only a beauty brand but also in the market for home and clothing products. Bamford has made the list of best British beauty brands and here are the reasons why. It was founded by Carole Bamford who is also the founder of Daylesford Organic Farm and the retail business. Her second beauty brand UK is a natural beauty, clothing and wellness brand. When you go on the website, you just feel cozy. I would say Bamford is also on the list of British luxury brands, as their skincare products are on the more expensive side.

I really love the story behind the brand. She believes that what we put on our bodies is equally as important as what we put into our bodies. That is the reason behind creating not just a skin and body care brand, but also creating a clothing line and homeware. I encourage you to have a look at their website. Bamford will give you the experience you are looking for while also making you feel at peace with yourself.

9. Floral Street

best british beauty brands
Floral Street – Photo from Basenotes

All of the girls at The Fashion Fabrique are big on wearing the most pleasant perfumes. I think Floral Street is just one of the best British beauty brands that do fragrances. I was really surprised by the story of this brand. The creator of this brand, Michelle Feeney, was very clear of her mission: “My mission is to bring fine fragrance to the modern woman – so that she might build an entire fragrance wardrobe which can express the many facets of who she is”. I mean how wonderful is that? She was a successful woman working for huge brands like MAC, Estée Lauder, St Tropez, yet she left all of that behind and followed her dream to create fragrances.

Not only do they have incredible scents, but Floral Street is also an affordable beauty brand UK. We really love it when a brand is affordable, don’t we? A lot of these big brands like Armani, Gucci, Dior and so on can be really expensive. Sure, the scents are amazing and they last a long time, however, they are also expensive. Their website is categorized by scents which I find really handy. Instead of looking for scents for hours, you have everything organized. What are your favourite scents? Do you like fruity ones, sweets or more of that fresh, woody fragrance?

10. Espa

Espa – Photo from Katie Kirk Loves

I had to bring another skincare and body care luxury brand to our list. Although my budget is not always this high, I think we deserve to pamper ourselves every now and then and spend on quality products. Espa is one of the great British beauty brands known all around the world. Espa was founded in 1993 by Sue Harmsworth, however, sold in 2017 to The Hut Group. The reason why she started this brand was due to her passion for health since childhood. Just like many of the brands on our list, she also founded Espa at a time when the spa industry didn’t exist in the way it does today.

If you think about it, the most successful brands nowadays were all created when people didn’t have anything like them on the market. That is why they succeeded and over the years, they had the chance to craft and make their products even better for today’s market. Sue definitely revolutionized the market with her amazing skincare and spa treatments. In case you are wondering whether the products work or not, Sue is over 70 years old yet and she looks fabulous! Even though she doesn’t own the company anymore, her legacy will always live and will continue to help women feel beautiful when using Espa products.

Wrapping up the best British beauty brands

Well, there you have it. The best beauty brands UK are really upping their game in the beauty industry. I am proud to say that I am living in the UK and when the pandemic is over, maybe I will be able to attend certain events and try out more of these amazing products. Don’t forget to check out their websites and if you buy anything, please let us know in the comments. It is always helpful to share your opinion and feedback on products you have tried. It definitely helps women who might have the same skin type or taste as you.

If you would like to see Part II of the best British beauty brands in our humble opinion, then please let us know and we’ll be happy to deliver!

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