There are times in our lives when we stumble across a beauty product or a shade of eye shadow where we cannot imagine there being a better version of it. Anywhere.
It'd be a slight exaggeration (not to mention, a bit shallow) to suggest such products can change our lives for the better. But when we do find them, they certainly challenge the status quo, whilst secretly making us very happy indeed.
Here are my TOP FIVE Best Beauty Buys:
Here are my TOP FIVE Best Beauty Buys:
Anyone who’s ever had bad skin will tell you, it’s a conundrum. We thank the heavens for cover-up but when we actually put it on we’re not quite sure it doesn’t make our skin look ten times worse?
Step up Laura Mercier. Hers is the only concealer that doesn’t cake. In fact, miraculously, it seems to blend into your skin, removing blemishes and redness from your very eyes. And its best feature? It doesn’t aggravate spots like so many concealers. It's my absolute desert island must-have! (although if I were actually living on a desert island my skin should be wonderfully tanned and spot free, right? Scrap that, I’ll take mascara instead).
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| Holding the top spot. Literally. |
2. Seche Vite Top Coat
If I ever overhear anyone discussing the best nail varnish colours, I tend to sneak over, eyes wide, and announce that I know of a nail product so good, they will never need pay for a professional manicure ever again.
To say Seche Vite Top Coat is 'excellent' would be an insult. It is nothing short of miraculous.
It has two things going for it: it dries in seconds (literally) and is nigh impossible to chip, at least not before the week's out. Not only that, but it also has the ability to transform any cheapo nail varnish into an OPI delight.
The proof was definitely in the pudding one afternoon, when, applying Seche Vite to my newly polished tomato-red nails, I suddenly realised I’d left some handwashing in the sink! I was in a mad rush so had no choice but to rinse out the clothes. Half-expecting my nails to be completely destroyed (I’d only finished applying the top coat just ten minutes beforehand) I was amazed to discover they were still perfect.
I like to think, in a world where The Makeup Oscars exist, this product would steal Best Performance.
3. Jo Malone Body Crème & Cologne.
If I ever overhear anyone discussing the best nail varnish colours, I tend to sneak over, eyes wide, and announce that I know of a nail product so good, they will never need pay for a professional manicure ever again.
To say Seche Vite Top Coat is 'excellent' would be an insult. It is nothing short of miraculous.
It has two things going for it: it dries in seconds (literally) and is nigh impossible to chip, at least not before the week's out. Not only that, but it also has the ability to transform any cheapo nail varnish into an OPI delight.
The proof was definitely in the pudding one afternoon, when, applying Seche Vite to my newly polished tomato-red nails, I suddenly realised I’d left some handwashing in the sink! I was in a mad rush so had no choice but to rinse out the clothes. Half-expecting my nails to be completely destroyed (I’d only finished applying the top coat just ten minutes beforehand) I was amazed to discover they were still perfect.
I like to think, in a world where The Makeup Oscars exist, this product would steal Best Performance.
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OK, so this is two products, not one, but hear me out.
There is something undeniably heavenly about Jo Malone. Of course the iconic premium packaging adds to the allure (as does the price) but for me the scents are quite beautiful and a far cry from the multitude of sickly-sweet high-street perfumes. And it lingers...
I remember my first spritz. I was on holiday in New York, staying with a girlfriend in Brooklyn. I spotted a bottle of Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint cologne in her bathroom and decided to try a little on my skin. Later that day, as I meandered though the streets of Brooklyn, gentle wafts of the cologne kept rising from my shirt collar. The subtleness of the scent made me feel sexy, feminine and optimistic. And from that moment on I was sold.
My combination du jour is White Jasmine and Mint body cream followed by a little spritz of Vanilla and Anise. Applying the cream just before you spray helps the scent cling to the skin.
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| No.3: A daily touch of luxury |
If Vogue sees fit to crown this unassuming exfoliator one of the best exfoliators money can buy, and it costs less than a fiver, what’s not to love?
Everyone knows that two of the key secrets to good skin are drinking plenty of water and exfoliating once a week.
Yet, when it comes to exfoliating, there's a fine balance. You want the product to feel as if it's working, scouring away dead skin to reveal squeaky-clean, youthful skin underneath. But in my experience, certain exfoliators just don't feel like they're doing very much. As if their hearts are not in it. But not St. Ives! It is the Headmistress of Exfoliators, designed to whip your skin into shape.
Costing just over £4 from Boots, you've got nothing to lose in giving this one a go. Just don't use it everyday.
5. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer*
Everyone knows that two of the key secrets to good skin are drinking plenty of water and exfoliating once a week.
Yet, when it comes to exfoliating, there's a fine balance. You want the product to feel as if it's working, scouring away dead skin to reveal squeaky-clean, youthful skin underneath. But in my experience, certain exfoliators just don't feel like they're doing very much. As if their hearts are not in it. But not St. Ives! It is the Headmistress of Exfoliators, designed to whip your skin into shape.
Costing just over £4 from Boots, you've got nothing to lose in giving this one a go. Just don't use it everyday.
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| No. 4: Your weekly facial. Sorted. |
5. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer*
(*I’m allowing the ‘z’ here because it’s an American product. Innit.)
I can honestly say I’d find it hard to live without this product. Whenever my skin is feeling dry or tight, I massage in some Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer and within minutes it looks and feels hydrated and new.
Having spent hundreds of pounds over the years on an array of different brands (Estée Lauder, Chanel, Dermalogica, Biotherm…) it was a relief to finally discover my ultimate moisturiser in Kiehl’s.
It doesn’t come in a particularly beautiful bottle, it looks uninspiringly medicinal, and it isn’t cheap, but, it works. I love the fact it sinks into my skin without leaving any oily residue or worse, the flakiness that you sometimes get with other moisturisers.
You can buy Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer with or without SPF (15).
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| No. 5: Ultra? I'll say. |
So that was my Top 5. What's yours?
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