American beauty: my pick of products you can find only in US stores

‘Which beauty products should I buy in America?” is something I’m asked almost weekly, and my response has become ever more muted. Whereas a trolley dash around a US drugstore once represented the highlight of an American trip, it now offers less than ever in the way of exclusivity.

The frenzied acquisition of niche beauty brands by global multinationals, the return of Sephora to the UK, plus the availability of practically anything on Amazon marketplace (albeit at an import premium), means that securing great quality products not already available in the UK has become challenging.

But there are still a few treasures to be found more widely or less expensively in the States. I’m in New York this month, and first on shopping list is Sarah Creal. Formerly of Estée Lauder, Creal went on to co-create Victoria Beckham Beauty before launching her eponymous line at the start of this summer.

Since I’ve never known her put a foot wrong, I’ll be scooping up most of her capsule range of skincare and hybrid products, all aimed at women over 40 (imagine that!) at Sephora. The Face Flex concealer, Back of the Cab mascara and pea green cosmetics pouch are all earmarked for acquisition.

I’ll also be looking at the full range of LYS Beauty, as well as Danessa Myricks makeup bases, which are theoretically available online here but invariably out of stock in my shades.

To my regular drugstore haul of melatonin, Big Red gum, Tide stain removal pens and Aquaphor balm sticks, I may add Covergirl Clean Invisible Foundation because I’ve heard great things about its smooth finish and foolproof fingertip application, and some goodies by John Legend’s Loved01 natural skincare brand.

I’ll reacquaint myself with Drew Barrymore’s sadly discontinued in the UK Flower Beauty, and browse the full selection of Physicians Formula makeup – both are excellent and affordable.

As ever, I’ll be testing my luggage allowance with bumper bottles of CeraVe SA body lotion, a skin softening, de-flaking body cream that here exists in a different, lower concentration salicylic acid formula that doesn’t pack quite the same punch on bumpy thighs and upper arms.

Finally, I’d suggest anyone crossing the Atlantic should pick up some of Neutrogena’s excellent range of suncare. Anyone not travelling to the States any time soon can at least wet their beak at Boots, where Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Hydrating Fluid SPF50, a fragrance-free, lightweight sunscreen, is now available for £16.50, with ”nothing to declare”.