by Marks & Spencer is one of the best places to shop for clothes and food, but I’ve always loved the retailer for its underrated beauty range. Not only does M&S now stock some of the UK’s biggest beauty brands, including Clinique, Murad, and Ren, but it also has a very impressive range of proprietary brands.
In recent years, M&S’ fragrance range, Apothecary, which offers budget-friendly candles, diffusers and perfumes, has gained a legion of loyal fans for its expensive scents at affordable prices. M&S also has its own popular skincare line called Formula and a bodycare range called Burst, both of which I think are underrated – and as a beauty journalist I’ve tried hundreds of skincare products in my time.
Shop M&S Formula skincare range Shop M&S’s Burst bodycare range Shop M&S Apothecary fragrance range
Over the past six weeks I’ve been testing a wide range of Formula and Burst products, from the best-selling Sleeping Cream moisturizer to lesser-known items such as their Hot Soothing Laundry Detergent.
Collectively, there are over 50 products in the Formula and Burst family, but I’ve narrowed it down to the top five that deserve a place in your bathroom cabinet.
🛍️ Products reviewed: M&S Formula skin care and body care range burst
⏰ Test for: Six weeks
⭐ Rating: 5/5
💸 Reasons to buy: Affordable, efficient and luxurious without the price tag
✋ Reasons to avoid: Nothing at all – every product is worth the money.
💰 The best deal we found: M&S offers a handful of gift sets that include mini skirts and money-saving bundles so you can try multiple products before committing to full sizes
The best tried and tested skincare products to shop at M&S
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This creamy, smoothing, buttery soft moisturizer has quickly become my favorite, and I’ve tested hundreds of products over the years as a beauty journalist. It’s the perfect balance of creamy and nourishing but not too heavy, rich or greasy for my combination skin. It takes seconds to massage in, leaves no unwanted shine and left my skin hydrated. If you try anything from the Formula range, do this, there’s a reason it’s a bestseller.
Although I’ve tried the newer Light Sleeping Cream, if you have a drier skin type, the original (Sleep and Replenish Sleeping Cream, £22.50) is probably best for you.
- Perfect for combination skin
- Smoothes texture
£23 at Marks & Spencer
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If you are struggling with dry skin then you must try this face oil. Not only does it smell great, it only takes days to see results from daily use. I usually get patches of dryness around my nose and cheeks and a few drops of this every evening made them go away. It is great for improving texture and adding suppleness.
I also love how well the pipette bottle picks up the product, without it leaking or dripping down the side.
- Light, fluid texture
- Nourishes dry patches
- It has a lovely fresh scent
- Best suited for non-oily skin types
£20 at Marks & Spencer
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While I’m the first to say that eye cream isn’t necessary, I really enjoyed using this pot from the Formula line. It soothed both my tired eyes first thing in the morning, but also a beautiful, hydrating base to apply make-up on top of, especially concealer. It’s a very light, creamy texture that doesn’t weigh your skin down, no matter how much I put on. Thanks to a formula rich in shea butter and marula oil, it would be perfect if you have dry under-eyes, too.
- Fast-absorption and lightweight
- Perfect for priming skin before make up
- It is not essential to your skin care routine
£18 at Marks & Spencer
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This is a cream-based cleanser that can be used first thing in the morning on bare skin, or to remove make-up before bed. I liked how both were equally effective, leaving skin soft and smooth after each use.
The formula is rich in squalane, marula oil and retinol complex, which work together to alleviate dryness and ageing. Although I can’t speak to the latter after only a few weeks of use, I did see an immediate improvement in the texture around my nose and cheeks. At £15, this definitely feels a lot more luxurious – I’ve used cleansers from pricier brands that weren’t as good at cleansing skin and removing make-up in one go.
- Make-up is easily removed
- Suitable for sensitive skin
- It feels luxurious at a reasonable price
- Using it to take off mascara takes a little longer
£15 at Marks & Spencer
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I love body scrubs. It adds a lot to your shower routine because it keeps ingrown hairs on your legs at bay, it’s the fastest way to smoother skin and get off dead skin cells. However, I’m a firm believer that body scrubs shouldn’t come at a cost.
This cherry scented scrub ticks all the boxes. It is less than a tenner, a reasonable size tub that fits on the side of my bath without falling out, a delicious smell and leaves the skin silky soft. At £8, you can’t go wrong.
- Instantly leaves skin smooth
- Great scent but not overpowering
- Perfumes may not be suitable for very sensitive skin
£8 at Marks & Spencer
If you’re thinking of taking a big M&S beauty trip, don’t miss the M&S Summer Beauty Bag which is back for another year and filled with a whopping £170 worth of products for just £30. We’d go so far as to say that this is one of the best M&S beauty bags we’ve ever seen in terms of great value, high-end brands included and variety of products. One shopper said “I’ve already found a few new favorites in this collection that I’ll be rocking when they’re done.”
To bag the £170 bag for just £30, you need to spend £35 on full-price clothing, home or beauty in store or online. But let’s be honest, it won’t take long to hit that spending cap. To get the discount, just add the bag to your basket along with the other extras and the money will come out at checkout.
Marks & Spencer
Packed with a range of popular brands such as Clinique, REN, L’Occitane and many more, this elegant beauty bag, complete with a reusable cosmetic bag, can be yours for £30 when you spend £35 on clothes, at home or on beauty – in store or online.
£30 at Marks & Spencer
