Your weekly dose of all things new and brilliant from the Marie Claire beauty desk…
Before we touch on the marvelous potions (of which there are a lot – promise!) we’ve loved this week, we’d like to say a HUGE thank you to the bioactive beauty drinks brand Beauty & Go, who launch into Selfridges in March, for powering the team through our exhaustive back-to-back schedule of shows during fashion week. Without you guys, we really might have succumbed to the flu that claimed our less well kitted out compadres...
PRIX D’EXCELLENCE: Once again, this week the beauty industry offered up an awards ceremony to rival Hollywood’s efforts. Were Marie Claire’s Prix D’Excellence awards every bit as thrilling as the Oscars? Absolutely. The team even posed on the marble floor (much more stylish than a red carpet, we think you’ll agree) of Claridges in our gladrags. Get your hands on the April issue to see who took home our gongs for best products this year.
THE SPF: Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturiser Tint Every now and then the world of skincare gives birth to a product that ticks all our boxes. This week Perricone MD (of Photo Plasma greatness) has come up trumps with a finishing moisturiser that is every bit as silky as Photo Plasma, offers the same SPF30 mineral broad spectrum protection and skin-boosters like vitamin C and has the added bonus of imparting a light, bronzy glow. To say we’re addicted would be an understatement.
Out in April. £57.
THE LIP: Rajeunir Lip Serum Dry lips? Flaky bits that beg to be sloughed off? We hear you. In fact, until last week, we were you. Then our lips met this serum and we can now happily say they are baby soft once more. Unlike a lip balm, this cossets with light silicon film to protect from wind and the drying effects of the heating while treating with plant extracts. Also – it is odour/flavourless and invisible once on so we’d recommend you hide it from your other halves!
Out now. £12.
THE LASH AMPLIFYER: Estee Lauder Little Black Primer
On occasion, the beauty desk will forgo mascara in favour of a more natural aesthetic. On these days, we find ourselves reaching for this Little Black Primer to coat lashes in a little blacker than black pigment. It’s low-fi but effective, enhancing eyes just a touch without giving the game away. On the other kind of day when we require a mega-lash, we apply a lick of this under our usual mascara to turbo-charge our efforts. Basically: you need this whether you like a little or a lot of lash going on.
Out now. £20.
THE HAIR: Byredo Hair Perfume The beauty desk have long turned to Byredo for stellar scents. When they announced their hair perfume collection, we were seriously excited to try them. The three scents (Gypsy Water, Bal D’Afrique and Blanche) have not disappointed. If pushed, we’d stick to their classic Gypsy Water, but it wins by a mere hair’s breadth.
Out in March, £37.
THE WELLBEING: Ancienne Ambiance Damask Reed Diffuser Despite being fortunate enough to spend a portion of our days discussing the merits of moisturisers, we still struggle with being plonked in front of a computer for hours on end. Desks aren’t particularly comfortable places, are they? Our surroundings have been considerably improved by the addition of Ancienne Ambiance’s diffuser, which doesn’t commit any of the typical room-spray crimes of being too floral or overwhelmingly pungent. Instead, it is subtle, uplifting and moreish.
Out now. £38.
THE AFTERSUN: Clarins After-Sun Shimmer Oil Is it too early to be thinking about what to apply after a day in the sun? We like to think not; though the beauty desk have only been exposed to sub-zero temperatures of late and are currently approximately the same colour as milk, we nonetheless hear there are those who sun themselves year-round. For anyone in this lucky, lucky camp, note that Clarins are soon to release this shimmering oil that enhances a tan, smells terrific (unsurprising – delicious smells are classic Clarins) and nourishes parched skin with a combination of hazelnut oil, tonka and mandarin. Now to book that flight to the Caribbean…
Out in May. £32.
THE TREATMENT: Colour with Jack Howard at Paul Edmonds Jack Howard pioneered the hair colouring technique balayage in the UK of which the beauty desk are huge fans - the freehand application makes for a much more flattering colour and fewer regrowth issues. After a couple of hours in Jack’s care, our hair looked subtly highlighted, inviting comments along the lines of ‘you look very good - have you been on holiday?’ We felt very pleased at this and consider it to be the sign of a good colour job; hair should illuminate the face, not steal attention away from it…
Out now. £13.99.
THE SERUM: Pestle & Mortar Pure Hyaluronic Serum If you’re not yet best buddies with hyaluronic serum, now is the time to acquaint yourself. Hydrophilic and able to bind up to 1000 times its weight in water, hyaluronic acid is one of the best ways to hydrate parched skin. This lightweight and quickly-absorbed serum plumps and adds a healthy glow to skin. We’ve been diligently applying it morning and evening to add moisture that’s been stolen by wind and the central heating.
Out now. £33.
THE LIPSTICK: Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer
We were initially a bit puzzled by the name of this one, but then slicked this on our lips and realized it does indeed ‘prime’ as it is applied thanks to the balmy, nourishing texture that’s rich with shea and murumuru butters. The finish is velvety, not shiny and therefore ideal to slick on when in a hurry. We’re also a touch overexcited by the huge colour range of 16 shades; there’ll be one in there for you, trust us.
Out on the 27th of March. £16.