Latest news with #IndyBest
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
10 best thriller books to read in 2025, from classics to new releases
If you're in a reading slump and want something to capture your attention, we've found the best thriller books that will have you hooked from the get-go. With everything from red herrings and unreliable narrators to disappearances, blackmail, toxic relationships and plenty of twists, the thriller genre consistently dominates the charts. Plus, with subgenres including spy, crime, suspense and mystery, there truly is something for everyone. Many thriller books have become classics, adapted for the big and small screens (Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo have become blockbuster movies). But there are plenty of releases that are lesser-known or a bit out of the ordinary but just as riveting (Wrong Place, Wrong Time, for example). As someone who reads several thrillers a month and always keeps an eye out for the latest and greatest releases, I've compiled a list of the best of the best, highlighting authors who should definitely be on your radar. How I tested Taking into consideration a number of popular reads and emerging subgenres, I've curated this list based on the books that feature great storytelling, characters, twists and shocking moments, to find the ones that kept me gripped the whole way through. I assessed how the story flowed as a whole, along with the accessibility of the writing. Drawing up my final list of top titles meant whittling down the stories to those that have stuck with me for months (and on some occasions years). Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Ellis Cochrane is an avid reader who has thumbed her way through hundreds of thrillers over the years, so, she knows how to spot great storylines and compelling characters. She's reviewed a wide range of literature for IndyBest, from the best romance novels to epic fantasy books, and will only recommend titles she believes are worth a spot on your bookcase. The best thriller books for 2025 are:
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
10 best face massage tools for sculpted, toned and soothed skin
The best face massage tools come in various shapes and sizes, but all aim to lift and tone skin to create extra elasticity and reduce puffiness. When it comes to choosing the best tool for you, it all comes down to preferred techniques and skin concerns. But how do face massage tools actually work? Well, it's all to do with lymphatic drainage, which helps reduce any toxin build-up. This, in turn, promotes healthier-looking and -feeling skin. Popular picks include the flat stone gua sha, which is a Chinese massage tool designed to stimulate soft tissue circulation and increase blood flow. Other tools take the form of rollers, wands and even vibrating facial massagers. They're made from various materials, including amethyst, jade and zinc, for additional wellbeing benefits. But what makes each option unique? I'm here to help you find out, as I've been busy testing a range of options. So, whether you're looking to firm up fine lines or indulge in some deep face-massage relaxation, keep reading to find the best facial massage tool for you. How we tested I sampled several facial massage tools over a month's testing and explored different techniques with each. I trialled massagers with simple instructions and video demonstrations to target tension, reduce puffiness and tone skin. From rollerball massagers to gua sha stones and electronic devices, read on for our list of the best facial massage tools to buy across all price points. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Helen Wilson-Beevers is a trusted reviewer with years of experience in beauty. She's written The Independent 's guides to the best eye creams, the best tinted moisturisers, and the best moisturisers for dry skin. Drawing on her expertise within the beauty realm, Helen knows what to look for when it comes to finding products that actually work. The best face massage tools for 2025 are:
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
I'm in my 50s, and Jones Road's tinted moisturizer is perfect for mature skin
Founded by cosmetics guru Bobbi Brown, Jones Road was engineered to simplify our makeup choices. Since its debut in 2020, many of its products have been created for busy women and to work well on mature skin — I think it's fair to say that over the last five years, the brand's luminous tints, balms, and foundation product launches have proved to glide over the skin with youth-imbuing properties. Now, a tinted moisturizer joins the anti-aging stable with aplomb. Designed to provide natural-looking coverage, the formula is touted for concealing redness and balancing skin tone for the days when you want to wear minimal makeup yet feel put together. The latest product was launched to fanfare and has been praised for excelling at smoothing fine lines and providing a blurring filter. To see if it lives up to its hype, I put it to the test, using it every day for two weeks. How I tested I tested the product for two weeks, replacing my usual foundation with the shade 'golden dore' every morning. I applied it after moisturizer and sunscreen, paying close attention to the consistency of the formula with its glide-on effect and the expert satin-looking finish. After putting pea-sized amounts into my hands, I then rubbed them together to warm up the formula before applying it all over my face and neck. I also assessed the formula's staying power and how it oxidized. Why you can trust IndyBest reviews Jane Druker is a beauty journalist who has recommended the best eye creams, serums, and night creams for our readers. Her particular area of expertise is how products perform on more mature skin, and she has factored this into her verdict of the Jones Road just enough tinted moisturizer while applying and wearing the formula to see how it fared day to day.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
These are the best TV deals to expect in the Amazon Prime Day sale
Just like clockwork and hosepipe bans, Prime Day is rolling around again this summer. While Amazon is keeping the exact dates a secret for now, this year's sale has been officially confirmed for July, meaning we'll soon see discounts on everything from TVs and laptops to mattresses and air fryers. As always, our expert team of IndyBest shoppers are primed (sorry) and ready to serve you up the very best Amazon Prime Day TV deals in 2025. Whether you're upgrading to an 85in, 4K OLED cinema screen or you just want a cheap telly for the bedroom, our dedicated shopping guides will weed out the fake discounts to bring you the genuine Prime Day deals on TVs we think you'll love. Prime Day is still a few weeks away, but it's possible to find a bargain at Amazon at any time of the year. If you don't want to hang around for Prime Day to start, this guide will be rounding up the best early TV discounts in the run up to the sale. When do Prime Day TV deals start? Prime Day 2025 will take place in July. While exact dates are still under wraps, we expect the two-day sale to start on a Tuesday and finish on a Wednesday, usually in the middle of the month. Unlike other major sales like Black Friday, Prime Day is exclusive to Prime members and often includes lightning deals, which are short-lived discounts that hang around as long as stock lasts. Our expert shopping guides will help you spot the best deals before they're gone, giving you the best possible chance of grabbing a bargain. Best early Prime Day TV deals The best value OLED television you can buy is already heavily discounted at Amazon, with savings to be found on everything from the 42in model up to the wall-spanning 83in model. Offering exceptional picturing quality and advanced features for gaming, the 4K set is cheaper than it's ever been right now. The Q80D sits near the top of Samsung 's QLED range, offering the rich detail and clarity of OLED tech at a bargain price. We've highlighted the 55in model here, but drop down to a 50in set (£470, and you can save even more. LG's entry-level OLED TV has dropped to just £649 and offers unbeatable OLED picture quality at an affordable price. It's also ideal for gaming thanks to an abundance of HDMI ports (four to be exact) and support for 120Hz refresh rates at 4K.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Best beauty deals to expect for Amazon Prime Day 2025
Around two months from now, Amazon Prime Day will be rolling around once again for 2025. That means it's time to start bookmarking all your favourite haircare and make-up must haves ahead of the retailer's mass markdown. As usual, Amazon will be putting on a spread of pretty competitive discounts across moisturisers, mascaras and more, with brands both affordable and luxe set to take part. In previous years we've spotted reductions on the much-loved Dyson airwrap, the cult Elemis cleansing balm and Maybelline's ever-popular sky high lash sensational mascara. The sale traditionally spans two days and, while 2025's dates aren't yet set in stone, I can confirm that it'll be kicking off in July. As IndyBest's beauty writer, I'll be on hand throughout the Prime Day bonanza (and build-up) to keep on top of the best deals and save you scrolling through the time-wasters – aka, those stingy 5 and 10 per cent discounts. There'll be none of that here and, in fact, myself and the wider team at The Independent will be limiting our deals coverage to reductions of 20 per cent or more. So, whether you've a teen taking their first skincare steps or you're stocking up on SPFs for a summer holiday, scroll on for all the key info to know. I've even scouted out a few items on sale ahead of July event to whet your appetite. Happy shopping! When will the Prime Day beauty deals begin? The official dates for Amazon's summer Prime event haven't been confirmed, though the online retailer has revealed it will take place in July – perfect for a timely sweat-proof make-up top up. In Prime Days past, the event has landed mid-month on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Nothing's absolute, of course, but I'll be lightly marking the 9 and 16 July into my calendar nonetheless. In terms of a start time, Amazon's beauty deals tend to launch on-site around the same time as its appliance, mattress and tech deals (to name a few). Typically, the excitement gets going at 00:01 on the Tuesday, carrying on until 00:00 on the Wedneday but, again, the brand is keeping us in the dark for now. What is Amazon Prime Day? The Amazon Prime Day beauty deals are a rare chance to snap up your favourite brands – think: Color Wow, Olaplex and CeraVe – for less. These reductions are solely for Prime members (though it's not too late to sign up) and span 48 hours. Amazon does put on a handful of other exclusive sales through the year, including the Spring Deal Days and Big Deal Days, but the summer date is arguably its biggest hitter. Look out for 'lightning' deals, too; they're a great way to snap up an even better saving on popular products across skincare, grooming and more. What beauty deals can you expect for Amazon Prime Day 2025? There are a handful of brands you can count on to put on a pukka Prime Day spread and, namely, ghd, Elizabeth Arden and Medik8. Alongside this trio, I'll be expecting Shark to give us a healthy discount on its best-selling flexstyle wand and, from a bodycare POV, Philips and Braun should treat us to some reduced IPL and epilator devices. In 2024, the flexstyle was actually 30 per cent off for Prime Day, while the Philips lumea prestige boasted a £90 saving. Last year's event was Amazon's biggest yet, so I'm gearing up for something extraordinary in 2025. Best early Amazon Prime Day beauty deals Revlon's one-step hot brush went viral in 2020 and has stayed that way since. When reviewed by beauty expert Louise Whitbread in her round-up of the best hot brushes, she praised how the tool 'gives your locks a speedy volume boost' and, notably, doesn't get tangled. Now reduced by a generous 30 per cent ahead of the Prime Day event, now seems as good a time as ever to treat yourself to an at-home bouncy blow-dry, every day. After awarding the ghd helios the title of 'best for straight hair' in IndyBest's guide to the best hair dryers, I can't get enough of this device's speed of blow-drying and minimising flyaways. The concentrator nozzle ensures your strands are bone dry and silky soft from root to tip, while the option of three heat settings (including a cool shot) prevents damage. With more than £50 off on Amazon, take this as your sign to give your locks a luxe upgrade. If you've a head of thick, dark hair then chances are you've quite dense body hair, too. While that's all well and good, not everyone fancies the warmth of hairy legs come summer – and that's where Philips' IPL devices come in. Reviewing the lumea 8000 in her guide to the best IPL machines, body care aficionado Amira Arasteh praised the 'impressive results' she saw after using it, remarking that it resulted in 'hair becoming sparser after just four treatments.' Sign me up. If you've not yet tried CeraVe's hydrating cleanser then this 20 per cent reduction will be your skin's saving grace. With ceramides and hyaluronic acid, this milky face wash cleanses without sensitivity thanks to its fragrance-free formula. Testing it in her guide to the best CeraVe products, beauty editor Lucy Partington wowed at how it 'works to remove makeup and cleanses quickly and easily.' In fact, she loved it so much that she chose it as our best buy.
