Smitten.
Most of the time, a new beauty launch takes quite a while to make it’s way into my daily routine, if it manages to get to that stage at all! Many launches come and go, they’re tried, and then forgotten. I find beauty launches kind of like hit songs, or great films. Sometimes I go months and months uninspired, continuing with my tried and tested daily routine, and then suddenly ten great ones come along all at once.
Well, just when I thought I had ‘settled’ into a comfortable regime of products, a whole batch of beautiful newness arrived on the scene, and everything changed. I’m aware how over dramatic I’m sounding, but something about these products just feels right. It truly feels like they’re not even new at all, they just belong in my daily routine.
Let me introduce you to them.
Following an LED facial at Sarah Chapman in Chelsea recently, I was re-alerted to my skin’s levels of hydration (or lack thereof). It made me conscious of adding more moisturising ingredients into my skincare routine, and the Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster sounded like the perfect solution. I’m more than happy with my current skincare routine, so I was relieved to hear that I could just slot the booster in, instead of having to trade something out. As well as hydrating, it works on stressed skin, comforting any unbalanced complexions, and helping the skin fight against bacteria, irritants and harsh environments, so perfect for a city skincare routine. I have been applying daily, and treating my skin to comfort and care thanks to the Hyaluronic Acid and Rose Water ingredients. This, combined with a conscious effort to drink more water will hopefully be the solution i’ve been in need of to help my dehydrated skin.
Another no brainer was Benefit’s Roller Lash mascara in Brown. I loved the original black formula from the first time I tried it. It curls, separates, works wonders on even the shortest of lashes, all without the need of eyelash curlers. Nothing quite compares. As I prefer a softer look on the eyes, brown mascara has always been favourable over black, so upon hearing the news that my favourite mascara was now available in brown, I’m pretty sure I gave an audible cry of happiness. Needless to say, it has made it’s way firmly into my daily makeup routine.
An Ode to Guerlain
Ah, Guerlain. Can you do no wrong? I’m still totally besotted with your Terracotta Joli Teint foundation (I first tried it in January and haven’t looked back since, I’m about to finish my second tube) and I love everything from your bronzers and lip balms, to your perfumes and pretty palettes. Their Autumn launches therefore were unsurprisingly eagerly anticipated.
The challenge came when I had to choose which of the Ombre eyeshadow palettes would be mine. Every single one of their Autumnal eyeshadow palettes are so wearable, even for a neutral eye lover like myself. I opted for number 5 with it’s day time soft nudes, perfect for a ‘your eyelids but better’ type of finish, that can be contoured and built up to a soft smokey with deeper browns and a pop of shimmer to finish. The texture is heavenly, the lasting power is 8/10 (10/10 with shadow primer) and the packaging is absolute makeup bag goals.
Also within the collection is a new lipstick. KissKiss it’s called, and the nude pink scared me a little at first, but now I’m converted. I hate nude lips, just putting it out there. I feel like they make me look young and cheap even. But not this one. It’s soft and balmy, comfortable to wear (I’m yet to try a Guerlain lipstick that isn’t supremely comfortable) and doesn’t make me look like a high school makeup meltdown. It’s actually quite flattering. The cool tone contrasts my warm bronzer and even makes my teeth look whiter. Will I convert to wearing nudes? No probably not as I still love my browny pinks, but I am happy knowing that I now own a nude lipstick and I actually rather like it.
The ones that smell nice.
There’s something incredibly luxurious about knowing you smell amazing. You feel kind of smug, don’t you, when you ooze a heavenly scent. Coco Chanel once said that if you’re perfume scent lingers in the room after you’ve left, then you’re wearing too much, but if you smell as good as my new discoveries, then I’m pretty sure no one would mind you filling the whole house with your fragrance.
The first one isn’t actually a new discovery at all, in fact it’s a rediscovery. Flowerbomb will always be ‘my scent’. I wore it for years, it was my everyday perfume, my evening perfume, everything. I adored it. I still do. It’s warm, comforting, feminine and elegant – there are other fragrances that I love, but nothing will ever come close to Flowerbomb. What is new however is their Precious Oil. It’s a beautiful crystal ornament containing precious drops of Flowerbomb fragranced oil, strong scented luxurious liquid which you apply to your pulse points to ensure long lasting, subtle yet noticeable scent. I love it for travelling – it looks chic in my makeup bag and on the dressing table, and it’s under 100ml.
Also floral, and actually working rather well when combined with Flowerbomb, are two moisturising beauties from Aerin. Aerin is the brand that I wish I owned. I wish I had designed these products, I want my house to be full of Aerin and be designed by Aerin. They are stunning. The rose hand and body cream sits on my desk, mostly unused for fear of it being used up – but on those days when I treat myself to a ration of cream, I savour every moment. I inhale the delicate rose scent deeply before moisturising it into my hands and up my arms. I create a ritual from it.
Imagine, therefore, how much I enjoy applying the face version. That scent, on my face. I look forward to bedtime anyway, but I also partially blame the Rose Night Table Cream to my recent routine of getting into bed at 8.30. I just can’t wait to take the day off, apply serum and eye cream, and then indulge in the most feminine and truly fabulous face cream that ever touched my skin.
So there’s a small selection of products that I’m head over heels smitten with. The cat who got the cream if you will.
Let me know what your beauty obsessions are this month, have you tried any of these?
xoxo
