Tag Archives: make-up

Hot on the Highstreet Week 148

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Les Beiges is the light and luminous Spring range from Chanel. Super sheer bronzer powders to tint your skin with a subtle sun kissed glow without feeling heavy and cumbersome.

I was pleased to see no shimmer at all, a trait of bronzers I’m not very keen on. A bit of sparkle is okay in summer, but feels too glitzy for March. The Beiges hues are all very matte and natural looking, but can be applied with different brushes to create varying strengths of colour. Used with a big bushy brush the colour is faint and light; with the denser retractable Kabuki brush (also from the new Chanel collection) the colour is deeper, for a more obvious tan effect.

Les Beiges powder is the creation of Chanel’s in-house make-up guru Peter Phillips, who’s broken with the classic black packaging tradition just for this product – encasing the powder in an appropriately beige compact (another of Chanel’s signature colours). It is a striking and bold statement and looks slick and stunning.

Whilst adding a touch of colour and tan to the skin, Les Beiges also has useful sun protection (the powder equates to an SPF15).  It’s available in seven shades – from fair to darkish – I suggest choosing the one that’s just a tad deeper than your current skintone.

For the full beautiful beige look apply the sophisticated Beige Chanel nail varnish to your nails too.

Buy Les Beiges online here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 126

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As autumn fades and winter approaches, the cold weather becomes more damaging to our hair and skin. It is essential to invest in effective products to keep healthy and glowing in the chillier months. I have picked out a few of the best new products from my favourite beauty brands which can hopefully act as everyday staples.

MOISTURISER –

Perricone MD Deep Moisture Therapy: Keeping your skin moisturised is the most important part of your daily beauty routine and Dr Perricone is a brilliant Cosmeceuticals brand that I can’t fault. The Deep Moisture Therapy is a new antioxidant based cream designed to hydrate, smooth and repair dry and damaged skin. Thanks to the palm, borage and coconut oil ingredients, the cream is light and soft on the skin and comforts and moisturises without the heaviness often found in winter moisturisers. With anti-aging properties, it is a good option long term working over time to protect skin and ensure a healthy glowing complexion. When using it I found it was a brilliant base underneath make-up as well. £69.50

SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER –

Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin Shampoo and Lait Vital Conditioner: The Kerastase ranges are exemplary for hair care which is why you see them used by so many top salons and hairdressers. This range is for normal to dry hair so is perfect for use during colder weather. I find this shampoo and conditioner nourishes from the roots to tips, eliminating signs of split ends and leaving hair silky smooth and shiny. It is always best to use a very small amount of shampoo twice to ensure the hair is fully cleansed and hydrated. £29.95

L’Oreal Force Vector shampoo and conditioner: I am a new user of L’Oreal’s hair products and have been pleasantly surprised by the results. Force Vector is a great range for winter, in particular the conditioner replenishes hair and acts as a masque, preventing breakages and split ends and thoroughly moisturising. These products are formulated with Glycocell (Incell and Royal Jelly extract) to leave hair fibre fortified and protected. £24

WINTER TAN –

He-Shi Luminous Shimmer: If you are partial to the winter blues this product could be the one for you. The He-Shi bronzer has extra sparkle and has an easy-to-use tanning mitt for perfect tan application. Best of all it is designed for him and her. Slightly scented with a sweet subtle smell, this wash off bronzer leaves you looking naturally tanned with an extra glittering finish. The cream can be applied to the whole body or used selectively to enhance legs or shoulders on a night out. £10.50 plus £4.50 for mitt

MAKE-UP –

Benefit Peek-a-Bright-Eyes: this eye illuminating kit is perfect to brighten up tired winter eyes. The cute little kit includes an instant eye brightener, buff base shadow, warm chocolate contour shadow, pearly pink highlight shadow, contour / liner brush, concealer brush plus tips and tricks to help you achieve the best from these Benefit essentials. I particular liked blending the two contrasting eye shadows together to create a subtle warm smoky look. Everything you need to make your eyes stand out from the crowd this winter. £24.50

HAIR CARE –

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil: I love this product. Presented in a small neon orange bottle I found it instantly appealing. The oil smells delicious and is so featherlight and soft, it dissolves instantly into the hair leaving a lovely shine. It is perfect for either towel dried hair or for adding finish to already dry hair. Now I’ve tried this product and fallen in love, I want to try the whole B & B collection! £30

Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode: The only hairspray to use this winter is the Bumble and Bumble fashion edition bottle. With extra strong but flexible hold and an astounding memory for shape, it is perfect for day and night-time use. £21.50

Mashooq 100 % Natural deep penetrating oil treatment: The Mashooq oil is an exclusive blend of pure natural oils which rejuvenates and nourishes the hair and is particularly beneficial to dry, damaged or brittle hair. The treatment has no chemicals or additives and has a medicinal smell, you feel you are doing your hair real good when applying it. This is a product without hype, but with the evidence of amazing results. £7.99

All products available online.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 119

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Paris’ Les Salons du Palais Royal is worth visiting just to enjoy a stroll around the lavish green garden. Venture further into the echoey cloisters and you will discover luxurious little shops filled with treats and trinkets. I purposivey took a trip to this square to see the Serge Lutens Perfumeries, despite worrying that it would be shut in muggy August.

Serge Lutens made Christian Dior cosmetics famous before boosting Shiseido as a legendary label, through his powerful creations they have made an indelible visual impact. After having revolutionised and beautified the makeup world for over thirty years, he is now breathing new life into the world of scents, composing for the Japanese institution a new designer perfume collection with bewitching aromas. Serge Luten’s special fragrance creations are available exclusively in the unique boutique in Paris. Some perfumes from the range are available at selected department stores nationwide with the key retailers being Liberty (0207 734 1234) and Harrods (0207 730 1234).

Moody and mysterious, the Serge Lutens emporium is a magical chamber of potions. A spiral staircase leads up to unknown territory, downstairs the room is dimly lit and arranged in a minimalist fashion. Subtly hued liquids fill medicinal style glass vessels.

Experts are on hand to assist you, thank god as I felt completely lost and overwhelmed by the choice of scents. Each has an entirely distinct and indosyncratic smell. The Eau de Parfums are delicate but have character, and a plethora of individual ingredients. They leave a lasting impression on the skin, seasoning that stays for a whole day.

All the scents are unisex though some seem to be more of an acquired taste, suited to a more feminine or masculine wearer. I was attracted to a variety of different perfumes:

Fleurs d’oranger – a sweet fruity scent, light and playful, sensual and fun

Douce amere (Bitter sweet) – a more grown up and mysterious perfume, a hint of absinthe gives a spicy sophisticated feel

Un bois sepia (After the rain in the forest) – a magical and unusual scent, thoughtful and provocative, fresh and powerful

The aromas take fifteen minutes to develop on the skin, so after extensive testing I had shortlisted three, marked on different areas of my wrists and arms. I wandered to the nearby fountain to wait – even in those few minutes the scents changed and deepened adapting to my skin. Eventually we both agreed on Un bois sepia, by far the most distinctive and exquisite of the three, and delicious to have around you.

Extraordinarily exciting and enticing, you emerge smelling of subtle sophistication, a desirable rarity. Enter the world of Serge Lutens and you will never want to spritz Chanel No.5 again.

Visit the website here.

http://www.sergelutens.com/