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#CultBeautyTrendWatch: precious stones that aren’t just for your jewellery box

The properties of precious stones and crystals have been exalted (and put to amazing effect) for centuries in Chinese medicine, but it is only relatively recently that these, typically ‘decorative’ gems have become part of Western skin care and cosmetics. The next gem-eration of beauty (see, SEE, what I did there?), jewels are both infusing and inspiring a swathe of potions, salts and new make up must-haves – so whether you want rubies in your day cream, garnet-coloured eyeshadow or peridots (yep, PERIDOTS) in perfume, we’ve got a range of precious products sure to please your inner magpie…

Ruby, ruby, ruby, ruuuuuby! Perfectly spherical, Dr. Goldfaden’s best-loved {Doctor’s Scrub} stars tiny ruby crystals to eliminate dead cells and polish your complexion to perfection (your face will feel like silk).

Warning: for those (like us!) who cannot glimpse a flash of green without a double-take, these emerald-esque confections may induce mild palpitations. For traffic-stopping eyes, don’t look beyond these verdant, jewel-toned hues to elevate your gaze: BUXOM’s Shadow Single in the stunning ‘Twilight Tryst’, Sara Hill’s pure Pigment in the colour ‘Emerald City’ and Surratt’s suedette {Artistique Eyeshadow} in ‘Envier’ are sure to get your noticed…

Like things a little less, lurid? If you favour paler shades then look no further than THIS weird (but wonderful) {Gua Sha}. Made from pure jade – a cornerstone of ancient Chinese medicine beloved for its impressive calming, clarifying and detoxifying properties – this facial massage tool is shaped to hug the contours of your face and stimulate lymphatic drainage to diminish puffiness and redefine your jawline, chisel cheekbones… it even sends bags packing! Keep it in your fridge for added skin-firming effect.

More of an amethyst fan? SkinOwl’s trio of shimmering oils are inspired by powdered gemstones and we LOVE the cool, lilac-toned {Amethyst} option for lacing face, limbs and body. Or opt for BECCA’s mesmerising {Skin Perfector Pressed} in shade ‘Prismatic Amethyst’ – a subtle, palest-purple highlighter to lend your cheeks an otherworldly radiance. And if you want the real deal, sprinkle Therapie’s bestselling {Himalayan Detox Salts} into your bathwater – the powdered amethyst helps counteract electromagnetism (the waves we absorb from exposure to screens/wi-fi… life), so you can stop ‘buzzing’ and drift towards uninterrupted slumber.

On the subject of sleep, Therapie’s chic {Slumber Pillow Spray} features tincture of lapis lazuli and acts just like a liquid lullaby – neutralising ‘bad vibes’ and creating a clear, tranquil space in which to rest your (stressed-out!) head. The best way to dispel the daily gripes that keep you worrying all night, this ‘bedtime story’ in a bottle uses lapis (a beautiful, cobalt blue stone finely-threaded with gold) to protect and help sweet dreams to manifest.

For pearly queens (and kings), Benefit’s newest recruit on the quest for porefection is packed with pearl pigments to lend an ethereal, rosy-toned gleam to your skin – blurring blackheads and ‘diffusing’ the light for a ‘soft focus’, filtered effect. {The Porefessional: Pearl Primer} has all the opalescent lustre of its South Pacific namesake… it’s a beautiful ‘hair of the dog’ for hungover complexions…

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...