IN the dark days before Spring finally arrived in London, we set a beauty challenge. We wanted to find quick, effective, effort-free, beauty fixes that would shake us from our winter torpor, leaving us looking better and feeling uplifted. Each treatment had to be fast: requiring less than an hour’s commitment from start to finish. Effort-free: the disruption to any regular health and beauty routine should be minimal. And how to define effective? Other people had to notice a change – not just the tester.
So, from head to toe: these four fixes hit all the benchmarks and are our recommendations for the fastest and most fool-proof beauty boosts around.
The Elixir Clinic Vita Drip Infusion VIP Elixir VitaDrip
How do you ready yourself for spring when all you want to do is hibernate? We were looking for an energy boost: something that could re-set the internal clock. Drip therapy is a growing trend – with on-site treatments at Coachella festival proving hugely popular. We weren’t looking for something to help us party though; we needed a fix that would help us to work. The Elixir Clinic in Wimpole Street offers a wide menu of vitamin infusions, and following a consultation, we settled on the VIP Elixir VitaDrip.
A course of six treatments is recommended, but we wanted to assess the impact – if any – of a one-off treatment. The VitaDrip experience itself is a painless experience, and we found it pleasurable to simply relax and daydream as the infusion took place. That night – according to our sleep tracker – we enjoyed the deepest night’s sleep in weeks. The VitaDrip is billed as a mix of Antioxidant and Anti-Ageing; in part down to amino acids, particularly Glutathione, which has a detox effect and gives radiance to the skin. The Magnesium and B vitamins present in the mix are a combination that fights stress, gives energy, relaxes the muscles and aids sleep.
In the weeks that followed the infusion, skin and eyes looked clearer and brighter; we fell into a pattern of going to bed earlier and woke in the morning feeling refreshed
The most noticeable benefit (and one we hadn’t expected) – from making no use of our gym membership through the winter months, we’re now regularly undertaking five classes a week.
The VIP Elixir VitaDrip is priced at £407 and available at The Elixir Clinic, Wimpole Street, W1. More information is available here
Iles Formula Haircare
Iles Formula is the creation of internationally renowned hair stylist Wendy Iles, whose red carpet and fashion catwalk client list is extensive and impressive. Years in the making, Iles claims her three-step system of shampoo, conditioner and serum works on every hair type. The trick is in varying the amount and frequency of application. We tested it on one young woman with thick, waist length hair of enviable strength. Our other tester had weak, thin hair, that is prone to breakage. Both testers enjoyed using Iles Formula; appreciating the thoughtful bottle design, and enjoying the texture and light floral scent of the products.
Our tester with thick hair was impressed by the shininess and softness of her hair, and how receptive it was to styling. Our tester with more problematic hair was astonished by the results, reporting that after using the three products as recommended, her hair was soft, shiny and full – it had root lift, felt great to the touch, and looked strong. Our second tester – whose hair usually needs to be washed every two days – was delighted to find that the first application didn’t need repeating for a whole week. Iles Formula Haircare is a great choice for those whose hair is their crowning glory, but proved to be a life-changing product for our tester with problematic hair.
Prices range from £32.50 – £42.50 for Iles Formula 200ml, available at John Bell & Croyden, Wigmore Street, W1
The Iles Formula Gift Box retails at £98 and is available at Urban Retreat, Harrods
James Read Gradual Tan H20 Tan Mist Rose Water Infusion
We love the deceptively healthy glow that a little more melanin gives, but the time commitment required to create an even fake tan can be problematic. When we have a yearning for colour, it’s usually because we’re desk-bound, working too hard to spare the time either to visit a salon or apply an at home self-tanner. For this test, we wanted to create a “toffee-apple tan” – the brown face you get when you’ve been skiing, or spending time outside in bright but chilly weather. James Read Gradual Tan H20 Tan Mist Rose Water Infusion promised easy application and a quick, natural result. It really couldn’t take less effort -you simply spritz the rose water mist on your face and leave it to settle, and it works over make-up too.
We had assumed that regular spritzing for days would be required to build noticeable colour: this is not the case, so, if your complexion is pale, don’t be heavy-handed with this product. Just one application gave a noticeable but natural tan. No-one guessed the colour was faked, and everyone asked where our tester had been to look so good, not which product had been used … there is no more perfect recommendation.
The newly launched H2O Illuminating Tan Mist adds particles of gold to the original to create a sparkling disco tan that’s glamour all the way. But to convince all you know that your glowing skin is down to nature, not to the genius of James Read, stick to the original H20 Tan Mist Rose Water Infusion.
James Read Gradual Tan H20 Tan Mist Rose Water Infusion is priced at £20 and available in store and online at BeautyMart
Instant Whites 7 Day Teeth Whitening System
Teeth whitening is big business, now that there are safe and affordable ways to go about it in the UK. We chose to try the Instant Whites 7 Day Teeth Whitening System because it’s fast-acting and requires no visit to the dentist, or fiddly or painful processes. The box contains seven cotton tipped swabs that are rubbed over the teeth each night for a week. You spend between 10-20 seconds on each tooth surface and the process is done in under five minutes.
The claim is that you can go up to nine shades whiter in a week, but there is no comparison chart to measure this against, so take photos if you want to track progress. Our tester has natural gaps in her teeth, and was concerned that this might lead to patchy results, but the effects were perfectly even. Following the trial, our tester now felt confident in using the pinks and orange-reds in her lipstick collection that she had until then abandoned in favour of pure reds and blue-toned purples, and photos showed a difference.
Serious teeth-whitening with highly noticeable results should only be carried out by your dentist, but we feel that this is a great product to use for a quick confidence boost.
Instant Whites 7 Day Teeth Whitening System is priced at £30 and available here
Rachel McCormack
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