Beauty Products

Your Guide To a Daily Mood-Boosting Beauty Routine

Words by Emily Kerr, Nasreen Osman, Maya Prever


2025 is the year to upgrade your beauty routine to work harder by doing more than just make you look good, but make you feel good too. From a moisturiser that calms nerves, yes really, to a lipstick that inspires confidence, choosing the right beauty product can alter your mood – in the best way possible.


Need proof? A study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science found that certain fragrances can significantly reduce stress levels and improve mood. A similar study highlighted the mood-boosting effects of colour cosmetics. With Harrods leading the charge on neuro-cosmetics and functional fragrance via their curated selection of exclusive fragrances and beauty offerings that do more than just smell good, there’s never been a better time to explore the world of mood-boosting beauty. From the moment you wake up until your bedtime routine, here’s how to use your beauty routine to shift your mood to where you want it to be.

Rise and Shine

Whether your morning rituals begin with just a shower or include as many steps as your wish list (guilty!), taking time for self-care—from applying a face mask to revelling in your post-facial glow—can positively boost your mood.


For the ultimate soothing skincare ritual, take three deep inhalations of the Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm —a cleanser for the soul (and face) with nine essential oils, including calming chamomile, which is proven to promote relaxation. Continue the calming skincare theme with Clarins. The brand’s collaboration with Takasago, a Japanese perfume house with expertise in neuroscience, has reformulated the Multi-Active Day Cream with relaxing scent molecules that are clinically proven to reduce stress by 20%. Impressive stuff. Remember, a thorough face massage can help to release feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. We don’t need telling twice. Choose the right massage tool to further enhance the feel-good effect. Rose quartz, known for its calming energy, is even said to be effective in relieving anxiety. Try the MZ Skin Sculpting Rose Quartz Gua Sha for the ultimate skin and mood-boosting benefits.


Power up shower time by indulging in a little pre-soak self-massage. Aromatherapy Associates Revive Shower Oil infused with juniper berry, the science says that this humble fruit can actually stimulate the brain's limbic system, which plays a crucial role in regulating emotions, and improve mental clarity. Time to swap that morning espresso for a super shower.

Cosmetics for Confidence


A study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science found that bold makeup can elevate self-esteem, but you don’t need to be a make-up artist for your make-up to bestow mood-boosting benefits upon you. In fact, the pros suggest starting small. Enter the “power lip.” Bold lipstick, particularly red, is linked to making you feel happier, perkier, more confident and even more passionate. National Make-up Artist for Givenchy, Claire Mulleady, champions a rouge lip. “Make-up has the power to change how you feel and hold yourself. The right red lipstick can instantly brighten your complexion, and I immediately feel more put together”. For an instant pick-me-up, try Givenchy’s Le Rouge Deep Velvet Lipstick — it's long-lasting and has a powerful pigment.



Bottled Benefits


Fragrance is intrinsically linked to memory, but how does that impact our emotions? Time for a science lesson. When we smell something, signals travel to parts of the brain that handle emotions and memories instantly transporting us back to specific moments or feelings. That’s why scientists believe that scent is especially effective for lifting moods and reducing stress.


Want in? When selecting your scent look for ingredients that are proven to provide the desired effect or mood you are after. For example, citrus oils are shown to elevate dopamine levels, enhancing feelings of motivation and energy. Neom’s Grapefruit, Mandarin & Eucalyptus Essential Oil Blend plus Neom’s Wellbeing Mini Pod Diffuser is the work desk essential you didn’t know you needed for a zesty-smelling boost.


If you struggle to unwind, consider adding ylang-ylang to your fragrance wardrobe. A study in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2015) documented the anxiety-reducing effects found in ylang-ylang. We love Edeniste’s Relaxation Lifeboost as much for its patented destress accord that is thought to help slow down overactive brain signals with the fresh, warm scent.

Charlotte Tilbury, no less, has also joined the functional fragrance movement with six emotion-boosting fragrances, each backed by impressive statistics. Look to Love Frequency, a rose and pink-pepper aroma that 84% of users agree leaves them feeling more loveable, for when the need for self-love takes hold.

Set the Mood

If you’re scrolling TikTok in bed or rushing through your skincare routine at midnight, you’re not alone. But these habits disrupt your body’s ability to enter a restorative state, inhibiting the evening magic of skin repair and regeneration.


To optimise your downtime, start by setting the mood. Light an incense stick or a scented candle – Diptyque’s Baies is a favourite – to signal your mind and body to slow down. If you’ve got the time, take a long, extra-indulgent shower or draw a bath to feel time slip away.


Next, turn your skincare into a ritual. Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil, a plant-powered blend, is brilliant for restoring radiance and bringing a sense of calm through essential oils.


Extend the same care to your scalp with Kama Ayurveda’s Kansa Scalp Brush, which helps to ease tension and boost circulation. Read: swishier locks.


If late scrolling is unavoidable, try to stop 1-2 hours before bed. Why? Blue light from devices suppresses melatonin and disrupts sleep, as confirmed by a 2023 Journal of Applied Physiology study. Instead, pick up a book and pop on an LED mask to rejuvenate skin and address concerns like hyperpigmentation and redness.

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