Beauty preferences are subjective, but some of the best product recommendations I've ever received have come from friends, acquaintances, or strangers on the internet. There's also a lot out there, so it's helpful to hear from those in the know divulge what they really, really love (voyeuristic? Me?).

This list is just that: an edit of the best in beauty for 2023, according to team RUSSH. From fresh CHANEL blush to iconic fragrance to vegan collagen, it's all here. Keep scrolling to read. And if you want more 'best of' content, we've got you covered here.

Emily Algar

Beauty Editor

I tried my fair share of products this year (in fact, I am going to include a few favourites because it only seems fair). I think an indication of something great is that I finish it entirely, bonus points if I repurchase. These all fit the bill.

I've used the Rationale skincare range for years and years. Not always exclusively, but at least three of the formulas feature in my routine at any given time. In May the brand re-launched its Beautiful Skin Superfluid, a sheer, ultra-luminous tint that evens out tone and imparts a healthy-looking sheen to the skin. I layer it on top of my sunscreen and the end result is perfect, like you've just had a facial. I've emptied two bottles and just got another. A very good sign.

Next is the CHANEL Les Beiges Water Fresh Blush. This took a while to launch in the Australian market but I feel it was worth the wait. If you've tried the water skin tint you'll have an idea of the texture, but the best way I can describe it is tiny pigment droplets suspended in a solution that burst when you sweep them across the skin. The finish is fresh and really natural, but the colour payoff is good. It feels weightless on the skin, and most importantly looks like a 'real' flush.

I thought I'd cap it off with fragrance, specifically Editions de Parfums By Frédéric Malle Heaven Can Wait and Lancôme La Vie Est Belle L'eau De Parfum. The former is warm, woody and discreet. Normally I gravitative towards punchy smoky perfume but there's something subdued and sexy about this. Plus it's Frédéric Malle...

Lancôme on the other hand is feminine and undeniably beautiful. It stops people in the streets (I think it's the magic blend of patchouli, iris and vanilla) and that means something to me. I love the new refillable vessel made using 13% less glass, too.

Editions de Parfums By Frédéric Malle Heaven Can Wait

Lancôme La Vie Est Belle L'eau De Parfum

Elyssa Kostopoulos

Content Director

For the most part of my 2023 beauty routine, I stuck to what I already knew – it took my a while to get the regimen down pat, after all. However, after a couple of months of back-to-back work travel in the middle of the year, I found myself on the hunt for a skin pick-me-up. That’s when I found the Sulwhasoo Clarifying Peel-Off Face Mask. It is the ultimate solution for getting rid of dullness, dead skin cells and debris, and my skin always looks visibly more radiant after I peel it off. The key ingredient is Solomon’s Seal – which helps to improve rough skin affected by dead cells and impurities to clear and create a more radiant complexion. A staple in my kit forever more.

Sulwhasoo Clarifying Peel-Off Face Mask

Jasmine Pirovic

Arts & Culture Editor

My contribution to this list seems small but I don’t know any self-respecting person who gets around without lip balm. I carry the LESSE Soothing Lip Balm everywhere, and I really enjoy how emollient it is – just one swipe will suffice. The fact that the packaging deteriorates at the same rate as you use the product is very satisfying. Not all things should last forever; it’s clever design.

LESSE Soothing Lip Balm

Cassandra Dimitroff

Production Editor

This year I tried out the Vitamin C Body Oil and Firming Butter from the award-winning New Zealand bodycare label TRONQUE. Not only were both a total salve for parched skin, but they were perhaps some of the most luxurious – in scent, packaging and texture – products I’ve been lucky enough to have on my bathroom shelf this year.

TRONQUE Vitamin C Body Oil 

TRONQUE Firming Butter

Olivia Repaci

Creative Studio and Campaigns Manager

While always loving Aesop handwashes and balms, I forayed into the world of Aesop skincare and fell into a deep infatuation with the Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream. It feels so luxurious on the face while also extremely light and great for my oily skin. I paired it with the Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum and Amazing Face Cleanser and safe to say my world was changed. A one stop shop for my skin, thank you Aesop!

AESOP Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream

AESOP Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum

AESOP Amazing Face Cleanser

Hannah Cooper 

Executive Fashion Director

I am a beauty from within kinda girl and truly believe that the key to health is in the gut. This year I started using The Beauty Chef Collagen Inner Beauty Boost and love it. It's so yummy and mixes perfectly with water and the best part is that it’s 100% vegan. I also take The Beauty Chef Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost for added immune support and skin nourishing ingredients. 

The Beauty Chef Collagen Inner Beauty Boost

The Beauty Chef Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost

Samantha Corry

Assistant to Editor in Chief

I totally agree with Hannah that beauty comes from within, and that it is quite multifaceted. Something changed my hormonal acne spots around my chin area was spearmint tea, getting into the rhythm of drinking that a few times a week changed my life! I too have started taking Collagen, Nutraorganics the unflavoured one in my coffee in the morning, and can definitely notice a difference in gut and hair health. For my skin I have gone onto Kiehl's products particularly their avocado eye cream and moisturiser, I swear by them! 

Nutraorganics Collagen Beauty

T2 Detox Herbal Tea

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado