I will readily admit that I’ve gone a bit gah-gah for the idea of summer; I can’t wait to sit in my garden (if I ever get back to my house to sit in my garden!) and feel the warm sun on me as I quietly work my way through the pile of novels I have waiting. (Obviously this will happen when new baby is sleeping, I’m not planning on abandoning all responsibility! I’m picturing a slumbering Baby AMR, snoozing away in the shade in his/her perambulator, lulled to sleep by the slow droning of the bees and the distant hum of a lawnmower.)
I digress: look at the sexy summer beauty products I’ve pulled together! Those bronzey, golden tones… Let’s see what’s taking my fancy. There’s a “first part” to this post with blue and pink products (got a thing about packaging colours at the moment) and so if you want to read that first, click here.
Kicking off with a brilliant, brilliant face serum that I started testing pre-pregnancy and can’t wait to get back to. (It’s somewhere in my huge shipping container!) The Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules each contain a dose of serum that’s packed full of ingredients that help to retexturise the skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and improve the skin’s barrier function. It has a non-irritating form of Vitamin A that didn’t make my skin red or flaky and smoothing results were almost instant. Not cheap, at around a pound a capsule, but you can save a little by buying the refill version rather than the pot shown above. I’ll be back with a proper review later on in the summer, but in the meantime you can find the capsules online here, the refill version costs £46.
I’m really looking forward to testing out Institut Esthederm’s new l’Huile Solaire. My skin gets on incredibly well with Institut Esthederm suncare; it has seen me through times when many other protectants have failed. I even did a direct test, once, in Greece in the height of summer – IE Adaptasun on one shoulder and arm, a well-known high street version on the other – and the Adaptasun side was a sunkissed pale bronze at the end of the day whereas the other arm had reddened slightly. Only slightly – I’m not silly enough to risk my skin for a homemade, rudimentary SPF test and I had been reapplying as per guidelines – but it was interesting to note. You can find the new l’Huile Solaire online here – I’ll let you know how I get on with it when I’ve given it a good try.
Moving over: Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster. I did a full post here, but it’s safe to say that this is one of my ultimate summer essentials. Add a few drops to body lotion and you have your own, customised gradual tanner. Just genius. Find it online here – it’s a couple of quid cheaper than getting it in-store.
Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess perfume: an absolute classic. I know that “holiday in a bottle” is now something of a cliché, but in this case it’s absolutely true. Lauder should really have the trademark on that phrase, because never has a scent been so aptly described. Coconutty, tropical, heady, the smell of suntan lotion and warm sand. You can find it online here – it’s £47 for a whopping 100ml.
A beautiful nude nail polish from Michael Kors – “Blush” is a bit paler than your average nude, but looks great against sunkissed skin. It needs a couple of coats to get a good, “patent Louboutin courts” kind of finish, and I had to go in with one of those neatening-up pens because I coloured over the lines, but the final result is very chic. £15.50 online here.
Peeking out behind the polish: Vichy Ideal Soleil Mattifying Face Fluid SPF50. I like Vichy suncare – this one is a “dry touch” cream that has no greasy, white residue and sits well beneath makeup. Good, comprehensive skincare and a big tube will only set you back £14. (Escentual.com price.) Find it online here.
That sexy little compact is from the forthcoming Charlotte Tilbury x Norman Parkinson collection and it’s the Dreamy Glow Highlighter. You can see me talk through and demonstrate the collection in my video for The Telegraph here, but here’s a quick look inside the compact:
It’s a creamy powder with quite good pay-off, a nice warm tone that doesn’t look too “snail trail” on the cheekbones. Coming soon at CharlotteTilbury.com… Ooh, and I almost missed off Laura Mercier’s brilliantly fiery and hot Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour in Sunblaze. A vibrant, burnished red with a hint of terracotta orange and a slight metallic sheen, the Paint Wash formula is incredibly light to wear but has a long-lasting, intense finish. Find it online here – it’s £22.
That’s me all summered-out now, beauty-wise – I’m off to look at large sunhats and sandals and to lust over the colour-block dress on Hush!
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