Lucy Smith
Lucy Smith is a senior shopping writer at The Independent, specialising in beauty and lifestyle products across make-up, skincare, haircare and fragrance. Her coverage is defined by hands-on testing and clear consumer judgments, whether she is reviewing a new Chanel perfume or assessing staple products for everyday routines. With seven years of experience in lifestyle and beauty journalism and a background in women’s magazines, she treats each review as service reporting anchored in value and performance rather than hype.
Beauty launches and honest product reviews
Smith’s coverage of beauty launches centres on direct, experience-based verdicts on individual products and seasonal ranges. Her perfume and fragrance pieces sit alongside guides to beauty advent calendars, where she compares offerings from brands such as Boots, Charlotte Tilbury and Selfridges and explains what each line-up delivers for the price.
She focuses on how new launches fit into real routines, weighing the appeal of luxury names against the practical benefits and standout items inside each collection. Across these articles, she writes in the first person about testing and daily use, making clear what lives up to its branding and what does not.
Tried and tested skincare and make-up guides
Much of Smith’s work is built around comparative guides that promise “tried and tested” recommendations in skincare and make-up. In her feature on hyaluronic acid serums, she spends months researching ingredient lists and formula concentrations to separate products that genuinely deliver long-lasting hydration from those that miss the mark.
Her bronzer round-up draws on years of reviewing make-up across established and newer brands, presenting a curated list for a sun-kissed finish rather than an exhaustive catalogue.
Foundation coverage is structured around testing across four different skin types, supported by conversations with make-up artists and dermatologists, which she uses to inform balanced, expert-led recommendations for varied complexions. She also writes about accessible skincare routines for people new to beauty, emphasising uncomplicated steps and straightforward product choices.
This sustained focus on methodical testing and clear criteria distinguishes her guides from generic shopping lists.
Haircare expertise and long-term testing
Haircare is a recurring strand of Smith’s beat, and she approaches it with the same emphasis on lived-in testing.
Her review of K18 hair products is based on a full year of use, allowing her to judge their performance, texture and value over time rather than after a single trial. In her guide to the best leave-in conditioners, she tests formulations on different hair types and builds the piece around what works for varied textures and needs.
Other hair coverage, including shampoos, conditioners, hair dryers and broader care topics, reinforces her role as a go-to voice for beauty readers seeking reliable, long-term insight into how products behave beyond the first application. Across these articles, she keeps the focus on tangible outcomes such as strength, shine and manageability, keeping technical detail in service of practical advice.
Shopping news, gadgets and deals
Alongside beauty, Smith contributes to shopping news and product coverage that extends into gadgets, tech and broader lifestyle purchases. In a shopping newsletter, she reports on items ranging from an M&S jacket compared with luxury fashion to supermarket Greek yoghurts, while also travelling to Paris for the unveiling of Dyson’s high-priced Camerajet oral care device to test whether its cost is justified. Her first look at Dyson’s £420 flossing toothbrush continues that line, framing it as a product that could overhaul oral health and scrutinising whether its features merit the investment.
She also writes commerce-focused pieces such as Sephora discount code round-ups, pairing savings information with insight drawn from testing hundreds of haircare, skincare and make-up products.
Beyond beauty, she produces reading-order guidance for popular book series, offering structured, service-led advice that reflects her broader shopping and lifestyle remit. This mix of specialist beauty coverage and wider consumer reporting positions her as a bridge between niche product expertise and mainstream shopping interests.
Career and background in lifestyle media
Smith joined The Independent’s IndyBest team in July 2024 and was promoted to senior writer in February 2026.
Before her current role, she spent several years working across women’s lifestyle, beauty and commerce content, writing for titles such as Grazia, Heat and Closer. In 2023, she was part of a Glamour UK commerce team recognised with a BSME award, underlining her experience in building high-performing, reader-focused shopping coverage.
This background informs her current work, which combines the pace and tone of lifestyle magazines with the testing standards expected of a dedicated beauty and shopping desk.
4 more fashion journalists.
Adam Cheung
Adam Cheung is a style writer at British GQ with a specialist focus on sneakers, streetwear and menswear product coverage. He treats sneakers and streetwear as culture and design objects, writing about individual models, new silhouettes and the details that make them stand out. His work spans men’s style, watches and grooming, keeping attention on how people can wear and buy into emerging trends. He produces service-led shopping edits on shoes, bags and accessories, built around clear recommendations and concise reasoning. He covers brands and market trends with an emphasis on wearable takeaways for everyday style and occasion dressing. His British GQ features are republished across international GQ editions, and he runs Typed Hype, an Instazine dedicated to sneaker culture, extending his coverage across mainstream menswear, niche releases and culture-facing commentary.
Alexandra Fullerton
Alexandra Fullerton is a freelance stylist and fashion writer for The Telegraph, known for turning professional styling methods into simple, practical rules for dressing. She covers outfit formulas, wardrobe edits, seasonal dressing, tights, festive knitwear, high-street fashion, smart shopping and investment pieces. Her advice focuses on what to keep, what to buy and how to wear it in real life, rather than fashion news or abstract trends. She draws on a long career as a fashion director and editor at Stylist and Glamour, styling shoots and working with actors, musicians and presenters. She also styles commercial campaigns and individual clients. Fullerton writes fashion books, including guides to everyday dressing and Chanel bags, and runs the My3Words shopping concept based on her three-word method.
Alexandria Dale
Alexandria Dale specialises in turning celebrity style and emerging trends into affordable high street shopping guides. She is Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, covering fashion news, trend analysis and product-led features. Her beat includes seasonal colours, fabrics, transitional dressing, polished looks on a budget, sustainable fashion and new brands. She finds high street alternatives to luxury pieces and identifies trends worth investing in, with a focus on fit, fabric, versatility and repeat wear. Her guides often centre on one trend or wardrobe staple, with specific buys under a clear price cap. Recent work includes Victoria Beckham-inspired burgundy leather midi skirts, Primark wide-leg trousers, M&S argyle jumpers and Primark home delivery. She has six years of fashion journalism experience across digital and print titles, including Glamour and Ok!, and reports with practical styling advice and product detail.
Alice Reynolds
Alice Reynolds is a writer and production journalist on The Independent’s IndyBest shopping desk who tests accessible supermarket and high-street products in real life. She focuses on fashion, beauty, food and fitness, reviewing supermarket food and drink, protein bars and creatine supplements, and high-street clothing and beauty launches. Her beat spans supermarket staples such as dark chocolate, pizzas, Easter eggs and Greek yoghurt, plus workout snacks and performance supplements, and value-led fashion like viral jackets, wrap skirts and beauty advent calendars. She runs comparative “best of” round-ups that weigh flavour, texture, thickness, quality, price and usefulness, using hands-on trials and taste tests. Her reporting is plain, practical and grounded in repeated supermarket and high-street testing, informed by interests in food, fitness and lifestyle shopping and earlier experience across travel and news formats.