The Beauty Digest: Max Mara Bottles an Icon, a £12.99 Skincare Revelation and an Ode to the Classic Massage
A Beauty Director’s edit of the launches, treatments and beauty talking points worth knowing about this week.
The Beauty Digest is my Beauty Director’s edit of what’s actually worth your attention. Each week, I’ll be sharing the new launches I’m using and loving, the viral treatments I’m putting to the test (and what I really think of the results), plus my take on the industry conversations everyone’s talking about.
3 New Launches on My Radar
I've never managed to get into eyelash serums. The lack of immediate gratification, combined with the daily commitment, is just too much for me. But this I can get on board with. This hybrid formula combines the care of a nourishing lash treatment with the instant payoff of a lifting primer, with Vitamin E, glycerin and Hexapeptide-1 to condition lashes, while caramel gradually tints them over time. Think of it as a liquid lash curler with long-term benefits. I've been wearing it alone for a subtle ghost-lash effect, or underneath mascara to give my stubbornly straight lashes a much-needed lift.
My favourite styling product of all time is Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Hair Spray. The undone texture it gives hair, combined with its sophisticated scent (created by master perfumer Lyn Harris), makes it unlike anything else I've used. So, I was very happy to hear that the brand has extended the Cool Girl line with Cool Girl Body Plumping & Volumising Cream. It's a lightweight styling cream that gives hair instant body and volume, while helping to strengthen and plump strands for longer-lasting bounce. And yes, it smells equally as incredible.
While packing for my summer holiday, I scanned my skincare collection for something that wouldn't break the 100ml limit, and my eyes landed on this serum from Simple. To call it multitasking would be an understatement. There's niacinamide to support the skin barrier, hexylresorcinol to target pigmentation, retinyl propionate to support collagen production (while being gentle enough for day or night), and triglycerides to help lock in moisture. After a week of using it, my skin feels supple, soothed and noticeably more radiant. And considering all of that comes in at £12.99, I'm seriously impressed.
The Treatment Trial: A Love Letter to the Classic Massage
In true beauty journalist fashion, access to a spa is something of a holiday prerequisite for me. There's just something about booking in for a classic full-body massage on the first day that signals the start of the holiday and switches me firmly into relaxation mode. This week, while on a family holiday at Los Jardines de Abama Suites in Tenerife, I ventured to Sandára Wellness & Spa for its deep-tissue offering. It was 60 minutes of pure, unadulterated bliss, made all the better by the breathtaking views of the Atlantic from the hydrotherapy pools afterwards. Because while I love trying the latest high-tech treatment and buzz-worthy tweakment, sometimes nothing beats a really great massage.
Beauty Buzz: Max Mara Reveals First Perfume
A Max Mara 101801 coat is a permanent fixture on my winter wardrobe wish list. So classic, so elegant, and so discreetly expensive-looking, it’s one of those pieces that instantly make your entire wardrobe look more sophisticated. And now, Max Mara has bottled that exact effect with the launch of its first-ever fragrance, Le Parfum.
Unsurprisingly, the 101801 was the starting point. Designed to be worn almost like an olfactory cashmere coat, Le Parfum wraps sandalwood and cedarwood in creamy tuberose, warm vanilla and benzoin for a soft, musky scent that sits close to the skin. Even the bottle riffs on the house icon, with camel tones, gold accents and a lacquered ‘belt’ cinching its architectural glass silhouette. Consider this the significantly more attainable way to get some 101801 into your wardrobe.
