Talking Topshop with Paris Hilton & Love for Body Serums...

This Week the Beauty Desk Have Been...

A week in beauty is always full of surprises, particularly when you throw a famous face into the mix. This week dished up Paris Hilton, who was on a tour to celebrate her ten years in the fragrance industry with the launch of her Limited Edition Anniversary Fragrance. After a quick chat about festivals (‘I’d love to go to Glastonbuby - is that what it’s called?!’), her love of Topshop (‘I went last night and bought everything. It’s amazing.’) and her work ethic (‘I’m energised by working hard - I just couldn’t sit around all day.’), the beauty desk had warmed to Paris. After seeing her speak with gathered journalists, waiters and PRs with unfailing politeness and good humour, we are firm fans. Now, onto the recommendations...

THE HAIR: We’ve been seduced by bronde (that’s the blonde/brown hybrid that J Lo, Jessica Alba and SJP, to name but a few, have been sporting recently), and put ourselves in the eminently capable hands of Despina at Neville Hair and Beauty to execute the combination of highlights and tint to get the perfect buttery shade. While not thrifty (Despina charges around £350 for the colour), it’s well worth digging deep for her expertise if you’re going for bronde: if the hue is too warm it’ll look brassy, while if it's too cold it will fail to light up features.

THE BODY SERUM: The body serum market is, rather unsurprisingly, growing exponentially - the power of face serum in delivering actives to where they’re really needed is well documented so it seems obvious that the body should benefit from them, too. Bioeffect Body Intensive, £80, targets uneven tone and dryness by speeding cellular turnover to reveal softer, more luminous skin. Start using now on areas you plan to show off in the coming months.

... AND THE HAND SERUM: Why stop at the body? Your hardworking hands surely deserve a bit of love, too? Look no further than Queen of the pedicure Margaret Dabbs, who has turned her attention north of the ankle and come up with a whole range designed to pamper tired, weather-beaten hands. The Intensive Anti-Age Hand Serum, £30, is our current favourite thanks to its lightweight, skin-smoothing powers.

THE COLOUR CODED RANGE: Wondering what all the coloured hullabaloo on the Space NK website is about? New holistic range Prismologie has dropped and suddenly colour therapy doesn’t seem silly at all - the makers have harnessed the properties of colour and translated them into different ranges. Make like us and use the Green Epoch Bath Oil, £40, which contains jade and vetiver, to calm a ruffled demeanour or the cedarwood-rich Red Hour Foaming Body Scrub, £35, when you need to feel invigorated.

THE PRIMER: This one’s not out for a while, but we’re too excited to hold off - it’s the answer to anyone with oily skin’s foundation problems. An addition to Eve Lom’s brilliant primer range, the Perfect Matte Primer, £42 (due out in September), contains rice powder to absorb excess oil, evergreen shrub to refine pores, and swiss alpine flower to reduce inflammation; a thin layer before applying foundation will leave skin mattified but still radiant.

THE BLUSH: Part of Stila’s Sun, Sea & Splash Summer 2015 Collection, we’re having a moment with the watercolour blushes, £20 - they’re the quickest way to infuse pallid cheeks with life. Dab the red Water Poppy on the apples of cheeks and pat, pat and pat some more to light up your face.