Product rave: the Suqqu Moisture Rich Mask. I just can’t get over how a) weird and b) effective it is. Applying it is kind of like spreading glue; it’s a tiny bit sticky and forms a tight film across your face. But blimey does this stuff work! It almost worked too well – I applied it at…
I’m clearing out my beauty room before house renovations begin (don’t even ask why I’m going ahead with building work when I’m having a baby in four-months-and-one-week’s time!) and I keep discovering very interesting little boxes filled with skincare for various budgets. The one that most grabbed my attention was the “affordable skin care” box; bits and pieces…
For those of you who were keen to find out about the Cult Beauty goody bag: here are the contents. My eye was particularly drawn to the 50ml bottle of Alpha-H Liquid Gold and the 10ml Start Over eye cream from Sunday Riley, worth around £17 and £22 respectively. There’s also a beautiful, beautiful little candle from NEOM (see…
This skincare routine worked so well for my skin when I was away in Greece. A little something pre-SPF (the Decleor Tan Activator Serum, in the little glass bottle) and then something balmy and soothing for afterwards, when all of the sunscreen and sand and salty sea-water had been cleansed away. That would be the Decleor High Repair After…
Some thirst-quenching skincare bits to see us through the last of the warm weather. I’m actually off on my hols soon (I have never been so glad to have some time away!) and will definitely be slathering these on to keep my skin hydrated and comfortable. We have, from left to right: 1) The Hyaluronic Concentrate from Hand Chemistry. This…
Monthly favourites are here again – the weeks are just hurtling by, aren’t they? Before we know it, it’ll be the C-word! (Christmas.) It’s quite a sharp and to-the-point beauty edit, this month, partly because for half of it I was testing out the Genifique serum and therefore slightly restricted, skincare-wise; but mostly because I’ve been incredibly…
Smashbox’s Photo Finish Blemish Control Primer has been very swiftly promoted to my “hall of fame” level – or “holy grail” status, as I think the proper term might be these days. It’s outstanding, this primer, in that it addresses a concern that deeply affects many women but it does this without going in for any…
I mentioned Diptyque’s luscious Multi-Use Exfoliating Clay for the Face earlier on this year, but I feel that it most definitely requires a second visit. Because somehow, out of the dozens of beauty products that are crammed into my bathroom, this understated little tub of creamy clay has managed to become one of my favourite bathtime rituals….
I’m not a great believer in face wipes, but these are face swipes, not face wipes, and that makes them a-ok. I jest of course; but there’s far more to this little packet of beauty tissues than just a jazzed-up name. For a start, they’re nothing like your run-of-the-mill wipe; some of the versions out there are just hideous. Quite…
I have just finished a month-long testing session using Lancôme’s best-selling serum, Advanced Génifique*. Actually, it was slightly more than a month; I managed to tip out the very last drops of serum on day 34, which I thought was pretty good going considering that I’d been applying it twice-daily to face, neck and decolletage! The whole testing idea…
Thank to to the lovely readers and viewers who directed me to the Vogue Australia website yesterday; there I was, in full technicolor, massaging my face with a balmy cleanser! Very honoured to be pulled out as the creator of one of the “best skincare tutorials” – I must give this video another watch. I’ve…
A much-requested video; half the world now seems to be obsessed with the mysterious delights that are kept locked up in the legendary French Pharmacie. I don’t tend to go pharmacy shopping as much as I used to, and that is mainly because the things that I used to stock up on are now widely available….
Here we are once more; monthly favourites. I have Caroline Hirons with me again so you’ll need to prepare yourself for a fair amount of chatting. In Caroline’s skincare video, at any rate – I edited the makeup video down from thirty-two minutes to about nine, but Caroline has gone for the director’s cut and published…
Excellent news for people looking for well-formulated skincare at reasonable prices: Geraldine Howard, founder of luxe brand Aromatherapy Associates, has created a special range for Sainsbury’s. This isn’t breaking news, I’m afraid – I think that the range might have launched about a year ago – but it is, as I said, good news. Aromatherapy Associates is…
Pai Skincare have launched some brilliant beauty kits, the Anywhere Essentials Collections. I have always loved Pai for their gentle, soothing formulas; their Echium Eye Cream is my number one post-shoot eye treatment because it’s so great at calming down any soreness and their Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil is one of the best rejuvenating face oils out there. Potent, 99.8% organic and…
Some holiday (or pre-holiday) skincare essentials. The VO5 Hot Oil is a bit of an anomaly because it’s for your hair and not for your face, but it was orange and summery and looked good in my photographs! Hot Oil is one of those beauty products that seems very old fashioned, now, because it’s been around for such a long…
Some lovely, summery skincare bits and pieces that I’ve been trying. I’ve probably harped on about the MD Formulations Moisture Defense (right of photo) quite enough by now, but just to recap: weightless skin hydration with a load of antioxidants packed in. Perfect for popping on beneath your sunscreen – it has been formulated for oily skin,…
Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster does all of the right things when it comes to facial tanning: it’s subtle, it’s streak-free and it gives the most gorgeous, believable glow. Perhaps its biggest selling point, though, is the fact that it fits seamlessly into any existing skincare routine; you just add a few drops of the concentrate to your…