Beauty Boost: Seven Products Worth Trying this Month

I’ve been experimenting with a number of beauty products over the last few weeks, from new skincare brands through to the latest makeup shades. Here’s a closer look at the products which left the biggest impression on me…

Beauty Jo Malone Saffron

1. Jo Malone London are constantly launching new fragrances and I’m struggling to keep up. The latest, however, is an absolute gem and has quickly become my favourite scent. Saffron Cologne Intense is dark, heavy and has a spicy kick. I was lucky enough to be gifted a press sample, but I’ll happily splash out on another bottle once I run out, as it’s absolute perfection! Make sure you have a sniff next time you pass a Jo Malone counter!

2. I’ve had my eye on these Bop Basics hair ties (available at Shopbop) for a while now. It seemed a little excessive to have them shipped over from the USA, however, so I eventually bought a set of lookalike hair bands at H&M for under £3. They look just as good worn as bracelets as they do in my hair…

3. If you’re heading somewhere sunny this summer you may want to pack Goldfaden MD’s Sun Visor Spf30 spray. The sunscreen is fairly pricey, but the ultra-light oil-free formula sprays on as a fine mist and can be applied over makeup, which is incredibly practical. It’s a great product to have in your handbag if you’re going on a summer city break. And you can now find the newly-launched Goldfaden MD skincare collection at Space NK. It’s the first ever dermatologist developed natural skincare brand.

4. Stila is one of my favourite makeup brands (nerdy fact: the founder, Jeanine Lobell, is married to Anthony Edwards, aka Mark Greene from ER). So naturally I’m excited to try out Countless Colour Pigments, their new long-wearing eye shadows. The collection features five colour palettes, and it’s the shimmering neutrals that have caught my attention!

5. I very rarely use hairspray, but I was recently introduced to Oribe Superfine Hairspray and I now see what all the fuss is about. The slim, glossy aerosol can looks seriously glamorous on my dresser, and the spray gives a fabulous, flexible hold. Perfect for taming flyaway hairs and setting slick styles. Plus, it smells gorgeous!

6. Ever since Aerin Lauder launched her namesake makeup range, last summer, I’ve been a big fan. The latest additions to the AERIN collection are the Pretty Bronze Portable Illuminating Powders. The pretty bronzers come in two shades: a golden highlighter “to accentuate features” and a matte bronze “to add depth to the contours of your face.”

7. Urban Decay do the best eye liner pencils, and I’m currently trying to decide which of their fabulous 24/7 Glide-On colours to add to my collection. I use their black kohl liner in ‘Oil Slick’ almost everyday, but I’m tempted to try a vibrant purple or metallic blue. Currently ‘Electric’ [above] and ‘Deep End’ are my favourites. Which shades would you suggest?

Posted by Filed Under: AERIN, Beauty, Hair, Jo Malone

Beauty Boost: Three Must-Have Makeup Sets for Summer 2013

Pretty packaging sells makeup, especially online, and this season a handful of beauty brands are taking inspiration from fashion’s kooky book clutches, disguising their makeup sets as pretty paperbacks. Unsurprisingly, Benefit were one of the first to jump on this trend, releasing their World Famous Neutrals kits and Flawless Complexion multi-packs. You can also dress up your bookcase with Lipstick Queen’s beauty “novels”, and, if nail art is more your thing, Ciaté’s chalkboard manicure set is packaged in a fun book design…

Makeup Sets Benefit Primping With The Stars, £26.50 | Lipstick Queen Look Of Love, £38 | Ciaté Chalkboard Manicure, £25

Benefit’s Primping With The Stars kit is my top buy, as it features six bestselling products (including They’re Real mascarra and the fabulous Girl Meets Pearl highlighter) and is only £26. It would make a fabulous birthday gift, but I’m more tempted to buy the value-pack for myself. Selfish, I know!

Which beauty books have taken your fancy? And let me know if there are any other makeup brands favouring this packaging style – I’m sure I must have missed a few.

Posted by Filed Under: Beauty, Benefit

The Fashion and Beauty Calendar: June 2013

The fashion calendar usually gets quiet over the summer as everyone decamps to the beach. But that’s not the case this year! June is bursting with exciting launches and events, so add these dates to your diary now…

June 2013 Fashion and Beauty

Now... Make sure you’re ready for the summer by stocking up on some key buys. Bright eye-makeup is the hot look, this season, and NARS’ Mad World eyeshadow duo offers two beautiful, bold shades. Apply as a liner or sweep a dramatic block of colour across lids… If you’re heading to festivals swap your slick Michael Kors Chronograph watch for a Baby-G in baby blue or candy pink. It’s the latest 1990′s trend to make a comeback… And, if the sun ever comes out, befriend a pair of studded sandals. I like the bright yellow ASOS sandals, pictured above.

3rd… This month Selfridges open their 26,000 square foot Denim Studio, which houses an impressive number of jeans (11,000 to be exact). They’ll offer every cut, colour, wash, print and fit imaginable, and shoppers can enjoy a mix of high street and designer labels. Alteration and customisation services will also be offered. I can’t wait!

5th… Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs return in Lauren Weisberger’s latest novel, Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns. Ten years on from the first book, Andy and former-frenemy, Emily, are launching their own bridal magazine and Miranda is… well, still Miranda! The novel is released on June 5th in the USA and on June 20th in the UK. Exciting!

14th… Sofia Coppola’s latest movie, The Bling Ring, hits cinemas in the USA on June 14th (those of us in the UK will have to wait until July 5th, unfortuntately). The film follows a group of LA teens who start robbing the homes of their favourite celebrities, and stars Emma Watson. Shockingly it’s a true story, based on Vanity Fair’s brilliant investigative feature, “The Suspects Wore Louboutins”. Watch the trailer HERE if you haven’t seen it already.

15th… One of the years’ most exciting beauty collections launches this month: Alber Elbaz for Lancôme. The Lanvin designer and beauty-giant have joined forces for this one-off, super-exclusive, collection which focuses solely on the eyes. There are four eyeshadow palettes, four mascaras and one set of false lashes – all decorated with Alber’s fabulous fashion illustrations, of course. Get to a Lancôme counter at the crack of dawn if want a piece of this collaboration. It’s sure to sell out fast…

18th… It seems as if Kim Kardashian has been pregnant forever, but if rumours are to believed Baby Kimye is possibly due on June 18th. A few weeks ago Kanye West tweeted “June Eighteen” and then quickly removed the post. Turns out his new album Yeezus will be released on that date, but could it be a double celebration for the rapper? Only time will tell. And in the meantime the sex of the baby will be revealed in Sunday’s episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

In My Makeup Bag: The Beauty Products I’m Loving Right Now

I don’t usually do “what’s in my makeup bag” style posts, but recently I’ve started using a couple of products on a near-daily basis, so thought it was only fair to share these gems with you. Take a look at my new beauty favourites below…

Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll

Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette: I’ve been using Urban Decay eyeshadows since my early teens, but only recently added the famed Naked palette to my collection. There’s not really much to say here, as the Naked Basics collection has already been written about a million, billion times. It’s just a really solid collection of eyeshadow colours that you’ll want to wear again and again. Invest it a good set of brushes and you’ll easily be able to create beautiful looks with this palette. Find Urban Decay Naked Basics at Debenhams, £20.

Clinique City Block Sheer SPF: There hasn’t been much need for sun block in the UK, so far this spring, but for the occasional burst of sunshine Clinique’s City Block Sheer SPF comes in handy. In the past I’ve struggled to find a sun cream that works well with makeup (usually SPF and foundation melt together in the heat, creating a greasy mess), but this formula doesn’t cause any problems. Apparently City Block is also great for sensitive skin, as it’s free of chemical sunscreens, so it’s worth a try if sun protection usually causes irritation. Find Clinique City Block SPF at Boots, £16.

Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Mascarra: I’m not usually one to get excited about the latest mascara release, but I can’t stop raving about YSL’s new Baby Doll line. The volume effect mascara is very, very good. It creates bold, thick, long lashes and is easily one of the best mascaras I’ve ever used. As expected it comes with a high price tag, but I’d say it’s worth the investment if just you want one really brilliant mascara in your makeup bag. Find Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Mascara at Selfridges, £24.50.

Rimmel Undercover Shadow Primer: Sometimes you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a product to get great results. And that’s the case with this Rimmel eyeshadow primer. I’ve been using the lightweight formula for months and it definitely makes shadows and liner last longer. Perfect if you hate touching up your makeup throughout the day! Find Rimmel Undercover Shadow Primer at ASOS, £4.99.

Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball Lipstick in ‘Float’: I’ve just discovered this Lipstick Queen shade and it has instantly become my favourite lip colour for day (and sometimes evening too). The Butterfly Ball moisturizing lipstick collection features five sheer, shimmering colours which are glossy without being sticky. ‘Float’ is a very subtle nude tone and I imagine it would be flattering on most complexions. Find the Butterfly Ball lipsticks at Space NK, £20.

M.A.C Sheertone Shimmer Blush in ‘Sunbasque’: There’s not much of a story here. This is a just a great colour which I’ve been using daily for a few weeks. I only apply a light dusting of this M.A.C blush, as the colour is quite vivid and I have very fair skin. But it gives a nice, healthy glow and is less dramatic than a shimmery bronzer. Find M.A.C Powder Blushes at M.A.C Cosmetics, £17.50.

Temporary Tattoos are the Latest Nineties Trend to Make a Comeback

The nineties are back in a big way. You only need to look at a candid snap of Rihanna, Cara Delevingne or Rita Ora to understand that much. Over the last 12 months we’ve welcomed back crop tops, Boy London, dungarees, slip dresses, tie dye, scrunchies (ick!), New Balance sneakers and high-waisted ‘mom jeans’. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, our favourite ’90s pin-up, is having a revival! So it was really only a matter of time before temporary tattoos returned as well…

Temporary Tattoos

Both Topshop and ASOS are stocking a variety of temporary tattoo designs, this season, and they all have a distinctly ’90s feel about them. Sadly no one has created a dolphin design yet (remember when dolphins were the hot tattoo?!) but I’m sure they’ll be available soon. In the meantime you can experiment with these bizarrely tropical temporary tattoos…

 

Would you wear a temporary tattoo this summer? I wouldn’t mind wearing the pineapple, swallow, flamingo and star designs, but I draw the line at the parrot! Let me know your thoughts on this look…

Posted by Filed Under: ASOS, Beauty, Shopping, Topshop

The Spirit of the Ballet Inspires the New Penhaligon’s London Fragrance

Ballet Shoes

Last week I was introduced to the new Penhaligon’s London fragrance, Iris Prima. The scent encapsulates the spirit of the ballet, and is so beautiful I couldn’t wait to feature it, despite the fact it won’t be released until September. The British fragrance house partnered with the English National Ballet, giving perfumer Alberto Morillas exclusive access to rehearsals and performances, so that the true essence of the ballet could be bottled.

Iris Prima is a fresh, feminine fragrance which elegantly blends Bergamot and Green Amber together with powdery Iris Absolute. At the base of the scent Sandlwood, Vanilla and Leather represent the prima ballerina’s pointe shoes and the musky theatres and rehearsal studios. It’s a truly charismatic fragrance, perfect for special occasions…

Penhaligon's Iris Prima

Try Iris Prima for yourself from September 9th. The Eau de Parfum will be available in the UK at Penhaligon’s boutiques and in selected department stores, £85 for 50ml.

Instagram image Coco’s Tea Party, pointe shoe image by Gemma Betts
Posted by Filed Under: Beauty