Vogue Shopping: How We Select & Test Products

Keir Laird

Why you should trust Vogue Shopping

British Vogue has long been a purveyor of taste. Since the first issue in 1916, the magazine’s pages have spotlighted everything from new-season runway looks to interiors, beauty must-haves to travel destinations. Crucially, as an authority on fashion, issues have centred around recommendations on what to wear and how to wear it. A source of inspiration in times of sartorial need, Vogue – and most importantly, its editors – can be trusted to deliver.

Beyond mood board-worthy outfit combinations, Vogue Shopping hosts a variety of product edits, curated by the Vogue editors, grounded by knowledge, expertise and years of experience. After all, who better to suggest what to buy than those that find passion in style – and to whom shopping is a favourite pastime? Consider Vogue Shopping a glimpse into the baskets of what the team has got their eye on at any given moment, and the brands or innovative new beauty formulas they’re championing. Keen to shop like a Vogue editor? You’re in the right place. Here’s a lowdown on how we select, test and review.

At Vogue Shopping, taste supersedes everything. The team is very much within the orbit of all new releases and happenings, often securing exclusive previews on fresh launches. With an extensive network of brands and PRs, we’re in the know before anyone else. We will only get behind products that we truly love and believe in, with quality and function in mind.

All beauty products featured online or in the pages of British Vogue are evaluated by our expert editors and contributors, all of whom have extensive experience lending a critical eye to skincare, make-up, haircare, wellness, and fragrance. Our team brings hands-on, real-world familiarity developed through years of editorial work and product testing.

No matter the formula, we will have spritzed, slathered or sampled for weeks at minimum before we would ever include it in one of our articles. The reviewing process is led by Ellie Davis, British Vogue’s senior beauty shopping writer, who has a decade of experience in reviewing beauty products. There are also regular contributions from Vogue staffers, beauty and wellness editor Morgan Fargo and associate beauty and wellness writer Ranyechi Udemezue, among other freelancers.

To ensure depth and accuracy, and to be able to contextualise and verify our findings in science, we also consult a vetted, licensed network of industry professionals – be it dermatologists, estheticians, dietitians, or medical experts in their field. In relevant stories, we will call on professional hairstylists and make-up artists for their personal behind-the-chair or face-to-face experience to tell us how these products work in fast-paced settings like in salons, ahead of red carpets or backstage at Fashion Week or during editorial shoots.

Each expert is selected based on their specific qualifications and years of service, immersing themselves in the world of beauty. We always take care to match expertise to subject matter – for example, dermatologists for skincare or medical-grade treatments, and make-up artists for cosmetics, ensuring informed, credible perspectives.

In every article, you will notice a “meet the experts” section where we disclose relevant credentials and professional experience, so the basis of our recommendations is clearly stated.

Every single product that you see featured on Vogue is chosen through a rigorous editorial process designed to prioritise quality, results, relevance and inclusivity. We consider a wide range of factors, including skin types, hair textures, age, price and preferences. Before inclusion, we evaluate:

• Ingredient lists and formulation integrity – does it include any nasties?
• Brand claims and supporting evidence – are there clinical trials to back up the claims?
• Shade ranges and accessibility – is there an inclusive selection?
• Safety considerations and potential risks – who should use and who should avoid?

When appropriate – particularly when it comes to skincare and ingestible products like supplements – we review available regulatory guidance, clinical data, and peer-reviewed research to better understand efficacy and safety. Products with known risks or limitations are clearly identified.

Our coverage reflects global innovation and cultural diversity, drawing from beauty markets beyond London, where British Vogue is headquartered, to our colleagues across the pond in cities such as New York, Paris, and Seoul, alongside established and emerging territories.

The testing process changes depending on the product in question, but we would like to make clear that the methodology is designed to reflect real-life use rather than controlled lab conditions. Products are tested in everyday environments – at home, at work, on set, and while travelling – to evaluate how they perform in realistic scenarios.

We source products directly from brands or at retailers, which are stored in the always-overflowing Vogue beauty cupboard and maintain a centralised testing inventory for ongoing comparisons and long-term use.

Testing timelines and criteria vary by category:

• Skincare: Assessed over weeks to months, paying close attention to ingredient lists, claims, texture, absorption, performance, compatibility, and potential irritation. We also consider the application itself: is it sensorial? Does it bring joy?
• Haircare: To coincide with the length of the hair cycle – three months – we ensure that hair products are evaluated across many, many washes and styling routines, considering hair type, condition, and treatment history. We want to know how these products operate on chemically-treated, virgin and on extensions.
• Make-up: The testing process for make-up can be shorter than the aforementioned categories, but we always want to make sure it has lasting power, so it is worn for extended periods to assess finish, longevity, comfort, and performance under different lighting and environmental conditions.
• Tools and devices: Like haircare, it takes time to really see the results of gadgets in the skincare arena, whereas hair tools can be immediately assessed. No matter the tool, we consider usability, durability, safety and visible results over time.
• Supplements and ingestibles: The supplement market is regulated differently from medicine – despite that many make claims akin to it. It is considered food, but at Vogue, we take great caution when it comes to supplements, focusing on ingredient transparency, dosage clarity, third-party certifications and expert input.

We are continuously monitoring product performance and industry developments after publication – which means that our recommendations, especially our ‘best of’ guides, are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect new launches or product reformulations. This is to ensure that no matter when you are clicking on one of our articles, you will find the information to be accurate, up to date and trustworthy. We strive to ensure that there is always a suggestion for every concern, preference, price and skin or hair type.

Vogue Shopping’s in-house team of editors – each of whom have garnered years of industry expertise, as well as their own personal shopping preferences – handpick every fashion item featured in our curations. As much as we would like to, not every piece can be tried in real life. Stock changes fast, trends can be fleeting and there’s only so much space in our fashion closet! But editors utilise their knowledge of fabrications brand nuances to decipher an average product from a great one – and where possible, we visit showrooms, call in samples and host desk sides (when brands visit the Vogue offices to discuss their latest drops). The team is also out in full force at global Fashion Weeks, to see how clothes move on the runways – and to get a close-up view of covetable It-bags and shoes.

Fit, design and quality are all key aspects that inform our choices, as well as price points and availability – because there’s nothing worse than discovering an incredible product only for it to be sold out the moment you click. In addition to our extensive edits, which feature high-street selections alongside designer investments, we occasionally dedicate an entire article to a product, with editor-shot pictures of how we love to style it. Look out for these! We’ve been known to make certain items go viral.

For “best of” product round-ups, we enlist a member of the team to undergo field research and scout out if products live up to expectation. A whole day can be spent pouring over the weight of denim or the silhouette of a T-shirt, and we’ll shoot mirror selfies to show what something looks like on – and, where possible, in multiple sizes. When it comes to activewear, we’ll judge on quality, performance, wearability and, where relevant, how well it washes. Typically, we’ll call in samples to wear, test, shoot and return, or if it’s something we already own, we can speak with first-hand experience.

Vogue editors, writers and contributors who are well-versed in travel build out our authoritative, in-depth travel content. From new hotels to niche Airbnbs in far-flung locations, the team lend their expertise to finding the best in class stays and experiences all over the world, often peppered with insider knowledge from relevant tastemakers.

Vogue regularly has the inside scoop on the new openings, meaning our contributors are some of the first to review the best of the best before they’re being talked about. With each guide, our aim is to include a range of hospitality options, from boutique and buzzy, to luxury and home-feel stays. Elevated design is a top priority – so, too, the comfort, service and value for money provided at each location. We take pride in the fact that we hit every touch point, taking into account all key elements you might consider before committing to a place.

Every product featured is independently selected and vetted by our editors – we’d never recommend something we wouldn’t add to our own shopping baskets. However, we may earn commission when you shop with us.

Our content is created by a team of shopping-obsessed editors, writers, and contributors who bring expertise across fashion, beauty, wellness, travel, and home. Get to know and shop with us.

Shopping director, Europe: Naomi Smart
Shopping editor: Joy Montgomery 
Senior shopping writer: Alice Cary 
Senior beauty shopping writer: Ellie Davis
Shopping producer: Mia Portet