When it comes to skincare here at Glass, we’re a bit obsessed with cleansing. A hard-working moisturiser and serum are all well and good, but if the skin’s not properly clean, the best anti-ageing products in the world cannot work properly and the complexion can become drab, dry and blemished. So we were pleased as punch to hear that one of our favourite skincare brands: Estelle & Thild has two new products to ensure our skin remains polished and peachy clean.
Not only do the products from this organic, Swedish range smell wonderful but they also do the skin a great deal of good - we’re big fans of the Neroli Face Cream with hydrating almond oil. Founder Pernilla Ronnberg developed the range originally as an organic baby care line (Estelle and Thild are her two daughters) but soon branched out into caring for adult skin too.
The latest offerings are a Detox Mask Lily (£35) and Micro Scrub Lily (£26) which can be used in conjuction together to give skin a thorough clean. The scrub contains gentle micro-crystals to buff away pore-clogging dead skin cells; it also has elderflower to de-congest the skin. After the scrub, then it’s on with the mask for three to five minutes, which contains white clay to unclog pores and boost skin cell renewal, together with calming aloe vera – plus it smells great too! Use this duo once or twice a week and your skin will certainly thank you for it.
Estelle & Thild Detox Mask Lily and Micro Scrub Lily will be available from Urban Retreat (Harrods 5th Floor) and online at urbanretreat.co.uk/beautique from February 2013.
post a commentBright green lip gloss? It can only mean one thing – a new collection from makeup mavericks Illamasqua.
Titled I’mperfection (not a typo!) the collection celebrates those little imperfections which make us beautiful and unique, be it a birth mark, freckles or a gap in the tooth (which the models fronting the campaign clearly demonstrate.) “I love this quote from Groucho Marx: 'blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light.’” noted Creative Director Alex Box, when explaining why they wanted to celebrate people's imperfections. “I could cover up my rosacea, but instead I leave gaps in my foundation where my cheekbones are and it looks like I've got blusher on!”
Director of New Product Development David Horne added, “At Illamasqua we’re proud of the fact that we say ‘we are colour you are beauty’ as opposed to many other makeup brands who say ‘we are beauty you must do this…’” Horne went on to explain how his 3-year-old niece is crucial to his job. “Her unprejudiced, inexperienced eye is invaluable. She chooses the colours that stand out to her the most, and they then make the cut!”
As well as the emerald green gloss, other gems from the collection include an innovative new blusher brush entitled Blush Up Brush, £28.50, oval in shape with tightly packed bristles. “It’s a contouring brush and blusher brush in one!” explained Horne. “People might be tempted to apply it in circular motions to their face, but what you should do is position the brush under the centre of your natural cheekbone; softly sweep it upwards in a gentle motion.” The result is dramatically defined cheekbone reminiscent of an early 80s Jerry Hall...
The colour palette of the make-up shades themselves is gorgeous too, from the emerald green of the Intense Lip Gloss, £14 (which we’re clearly quite obsessed with!) to the wonderfully Barbie-esque pink of the Immodest Lipstick, £16, to the popping, pretty shades of the Lover, Hussy Powder Blusher Duo £26 – a warm baked brick coupled with another plasticky pink shade.
But the real stars of the range have to be the Speckled Nail Varnishes £14.50: five shades infused with blue ‘speckles’ to mimic the outside of an egg, again echoing the ‘imperfections as perfections’ theme. We’re big fans of the Scarce shade (a dusky pink which contrasts perfectly against the splatters of blue) and Freckle (a chic coffee shade). We had the latter applied at today’s launch and ever since we haven't stopped staring at our speckled talons - who knew nail polish could be this interesting?!
In short, we love the collection - and the message it represents, even more so….
The Illamasqua I’mperfection Collection is available on January 31st from Illamasqua.com
The Illamasqua I'mperfection Collection for Spring 2013
£19 each, available at esteelauder.co.uk
Estee Lauder Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Extreme Emerald
Joan Smalls at Derek Lam s/s13
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Illustration by Karolina Burdon
Dr Nick Lowe Cooling Menthol Facial Scrub - £7.99
Great to use once a week to slough away any dead skin cells and prevent blocked pores, it includes cooling menthol to wake up and refresh the skin.
LUSH Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioning Hair Perfume - £18
The name doesn't oversell it - the mood-lifting fragrance of this conditioning hair perfume with rose water and orange blossom is pure heaven, while the almond oil and organic jojoba oil do a great job conditioning the hair.
ARK Age Prepare Skin Purifying Masque - £25
Great for giving your skin a mini-facial once a week - ARK's masque contains kaolin clay to deal with blemishes, while wild water mint reduces pores.
Although it launched in September last year, this newly launched 100ml version is the scent we've been spritzing throughout 2012. A sensuous, spicy floral and our favourite of Ford's Private Blends thus far.
Creme de la Mer Moisturising Soft Cream - £190
With a lighter texture than the original cream, it doesn't fail to keep skin noticeably, plumped and soft all day long. A worthwhile investment.
Guerlain Abeille Royale Neck & Decollete Cream - £82
Guerlain are rather good when it comes to skincare, and this delightful treat for the neck and chest is no exception, with royal jelly to lift and firm the area.
Radical Skincare Peptide-Infused Anti-Oxidant Serum - £125
With 75% active ingredients, this heavy-duty system protects against age-accelerating pollutants as well as boosting collagen and elasticity.
Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Glosses - £13 each
Not only do these deliver great colour and some serious staying power, they also have a pleasant minty cooling effect when applied.
MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara - £14 each
Lifts, curls and separates each lash with minimal smudging or flaking.
SpaceNK Beautannia Brighton Body Cream - £42
With moringa oil and vitamins to care for the skin, this scent of grapefruit, sea moss and vetiver somehow captures Brighton's pebbly essence and keeps the skin hydrated for hours.
Their RUSH HOUR Vibrant Dry Body Oil, £19 is great for hydrating the skin in a hurry - and we've wasted no time in slathering it on! With rosehip, macadamia and baobab oil, it smells fantastic and keeps skin deliciously soft. A gym bag essential for December.
A thorough session of cleansing, toning, exfoliation, serum and moisturiser follows, using several of La Mer's classic products (Glass is already a big fan of their Eye Balm Intense). You leave with skin as soft as butter as well as some valuable skincare advice - a vital part of any facial. The cost of the treatment is £50 redeemable against products on the day, making it a really great investment in Glass's book.
La Mer have also recently launched a lighter version of their eponymous beauty cream, which is specifically aimed at younger customers who may find the original version a tad too rich. The Moisturizing Soft Cream incorporates special Moisturizing Spheres allowing the cream to be rapidly absorbed, while the combination of La Mer's trademark Miracle Broth and Lime Tea Extract deliver a hit of anti-oxidants and leave skin happily hydrated.
To book the new Crème de la Mer facial contact +44 20 3073 0646, available at John Lewis, Oxford Street.
The Moisturizing Soft Cream is £190 for 60ml available at cremedelamer.co.uk
£34 for 30ml available at Illamasqua.com
Read our interview with Illamasqua founder Julian Kynaston here.
Eyebrows are currently the beauty
equivalent of a pair of 80s shoulder pads – the bigger and bolder, the better.
We ran out of fingers totting up all the countless a/w12 shows where the
eyebrow was centre stage; at Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Maxmara brows was
boyish, strong and a little grunge whilst at Chanel, Tom Pecheux decorated them
with sequins and gems.
(L) Tom Ford a/w12; (R) Chanel a/w12 - images from style.com
If you feel that your eyebrows are in need of a make0ver, brow expert Shavata, owner of her eponymous brow studios, has recently released a “Brow Menu” offering a selection of shapes from clients to choose from.
Brow expert Shavata
“Your eyebrows should silently
compliment the rest of your face, the way a great frame does a picture,” she
notes. Her new 15 x Magnifying Mirror (£12.50) and Precision Tweezers
(£19.50) are a great way to keep your brows in shape. Below are Shavata's key
tips:
- Never fight nature - if your brows are naturally thick don't
over-pluck them and if they're naturally thin don't try to pencil in
thick brows.
- Brush the hairs of the eyebrow in a downward motion using an
eyebrow brush and trim underneath.
- Never use curved nail scissors to trim your brows, or you'll end up
with uneven hairs!
- Pluck/trim both eyebrows at the same time (i.e. not one and then
the other) this will make them more even
- Remember eyebrows should be sisters and not twins: similar but
not identical.
- Never pencil in eyebrows from the start of the eyebrow, always
start a few milimetres in so that the brow looks natural.
- The biggest mistake people make is to pluck too much in the centre; brows should always start before your eyes, not after them.
- Only pluck your brows from underneath - never pluck on top as this
flattens the arch
- If you are blonde/fair you should dye your brows a few shades darker than your head hair
A good brow kit can help brows
look full and defined – one we couldn’t live without is Hi Brow by La La Lashes
(£29.95) which contains brow powder, highlighter and brow stencils.
More information on Shavata and her brow studios and products can be found at www.shavata.co.uk
After a few surprisingly warm patches of summer weather recently, our skin most likely could do with a little therapy in preparation for the current autumnal chill. Face oils can be very efficient at solving this skincare dilemma and the new Chamomile Treatment Oil from Malin + Goetz works extremely well to provide deep-down moisture, whilst protecting from further environmental issues. Full of wonder-ingredients, such as vitamins E and C (along with the highly soothing chamomile), the oil has an impressive lightweight texture which will be ideal for those who might feel less confident at trying such a product due to fear of pore-clogging and - heaven forbid!- the possibility of causing spots.
Created in 2004 and based in New York's chic Chelsea neighbourhood, Malin + Goetz is a family-owned brand which makes apothecary-style, natural-based formulations, and has obtained a cult following by those who enjoy highly effective treatments that not only look fantastic but are formed using only superlative botanical ingredients. Bestsellers from the skincare range include the extremely hydrating Replenishing Face Serum (good for stressed skin) and the Jojoba Face Scrub, which is surprisingly gentle yet provides brand-new, glowing skin.
The Chamomile Treatment Oil proves to be perhaps the most versatile item created by Malin + Goetz thus far, designed for face and body, as well as hair, so it's a great all-round product that will help to maintain all aspects of your beauty regime.
£52 for 118ml available at BrummelsofLondon.com
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