Are The British Best At Beauty?

Yesterday, after attending a meeting at Soho House, I stopped by the club’s Cowshed spa to check out its holiday beauty offerings.

Unsurprisingly, I bought a hand soap and lotion in the Cowshed line’s original scent–a punchy mix of grapefruit and coriander–and have been washing and polishing my digits more frequently than usual today. Cowshed is a range of natural products manufactured in England, first sold at Babington House (also part of the Soho House group). There are now seven Cowshed spas (six in the U.K.) and hundreds of stockists who sell the products, including The Conran Shop in New York and Supple in Berkley, California.

My new obsession with Cowshed got me thinking about other products I find lovable and often addictive. While I stick with the classics when it comes to everyday face makeup–Nars blush, Clinique foundation, Bobbi Brown lipstick and C.O. Bigelow lip balm are favorites–most of the niche beauty brands I admire, including Ormonde Jayne, Space NK and Jo Malone, were started in the the United Kingdom.

Why is that? Well, Space NK founder Nicky Kinnaird (who is from Belfast and lives in London) explained it best when I interviewed her recently: Europeans–and the British in particular–do a lot more grooming at home. Americans tend to lean towards visiting a spa for manicures and facials. That means Brits are much more inclined to seek out unique potions. However, thanks to specialty beauty boutiques such as Space NK and the Washington, D.C.-headquartered Blue Mercury, more U.S. consumers are getting the chance to experience these wonderful products.

Here, I’ve rounded up five of my favorite beauty items from across the pond, tacking on a bit of company history for good measure. Enjoy!

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne
$100 for 100ml, www.jomalone.com
Jo Malone is now owned by big-time beauty corporation Estée Lauder, but before that, it was a British-based company run by its founder of the same name. Malone opened her first store in London in 1994, and one of her first top sellers was this orange blossom scent. I must say, I’m truly obsessed. This simple fragrance is a blend of clementine leaves and water lily, so it’s both lightly floral and just a tad fruity–not overpowering in any way.

Space NK Apothecary Wrapped in Spice Candle
$20, www.spacenk.com
Although Space NK sells favorites like Diptyque and Belle Fleur, I really love its private line of candles, including this season-appropriate addition. Its cranberry/amber scent is authentic, but not overpowering.

REN Multi-Tasking After Shave Balm
$45, www.bluemercury.com
While I know that more men than ever are willing to partake in skincare routines, the guys I’m closest with–aka my boyfriend and his friends–could care less. I’ve tried to get my boyfriend to use moisturizer, but it just hasn’t stuck. However, this aftershave balm from the sensitive skin experts REN is something he’s willing to try, especially since most aftershaves are uncomfortable. What he doesn’t know is that it also moisturizes and conditions the skin. REN, another London-based company, launched in 2001.

Eve Lom TLC Radiance Cream
$85, www.spacenk.com
This Czech-born facialist lives in Paris and London. Like many aestheticians, her experience treating millions of clients means that her understanding of skin stems from long-term observation, not just scientific fact. Maybe that’s why her eponymous skincare line, started in 1997, quickly developed a cult following. I like this Radiance Cream, launched a couple of months ago, because it moisturizes my skin without making it oily. It also smells nice–like Bulgarian rose.

Ormonde Jayne Tiare Eau De Perfume
About $113 for 50ml, www.ormondejayne.com
Intensely floral and a bit musky, this gardenia scent is pretty much the antithesis of Jo Malone’s orange blossom. Yet I think it’s quite exquisite. And it should be. Ormond Jayne, a bespoke London perfumery launched by Linda K. Pilkington in 2002, manufactures all of its products in its own laboratory. (Full disclosure: Ormond Jayne sent me a sample of this perfume.)