The mistake you probably don't realise you're making with your eye cream

Picture this...

It's 10:33pm and you can't wait to flop into bed. 

You've almost come to the end of your nightly beauty routine. You've removed your eye makeup with a micellar water and are now reaching for your cleanser (is it an oil? A lotion? A foaming wash?) to remove the remainder of your makeup. You've even remembered to apply an alcohol-free toner (gosh, aren't you good) knowing that this helps to rebalance the skin's natural PH levels that are altered when washing with water.

Your skin is now squeaky clean and most probably crying out for some moisturisation. You fumble for your pot of moisturiser-du-jour, apply a little (or a lot!), blending it quickly into the skin as you yawn (your bed is calling after all).

You then reach for your suspiciously expensive eye cream, dab a little onto the very top of your cheekbones and at the outer corners of the eye (like they showed you in the beauty hall). You stand back and enjoy the warm feeling that comes from pro-actively doing something about those crows feet (well done you).

But wait. This last bit - the eye cream bit - it's ALL WRONG! How so?

Believe it or not, the thing we think we're supposed to do - i.e. apply eye cream AFTER our moisturiser, is actually the wrong thing to do. 

Logic Rules

The skin around our eyes is 50% thinner than the rest of our body. Basically it's 'wafer thin'. Applying rich moisturisers directly under the eyes can overload the skin and cause puffiness, hence why we have eye creams. Stylist's Samantha Flowers explains here: "By applying the eye cream first you are forming a barrier against a heavier moisturiser that can cause puffiness."

Makes TOTAL sense, no?

So there you have it. Whether you have an expensive or an inexpensive eye cream, be sure to get the most out of it by applying it before your moisturiser. 

I'd love to know if you notice a difference by making this small change. Do the 5 day challenge with me? I'm starting tonight! :)

IMAGE CREDIT: bodyandsoul.com.au

The allure of the cult

Credit: 'Immaculee', Alana Zimmer photographed by Miles Aldridge; (2007)

Nope, I'm not talking here about the allure of the religious cult (a post for another time perhaps? Perhaps not!)...but that of cult beauty.

Take my recent obsession with a blusher my gorgeous sister Steph wore over Christmas.

Like me, my sister is pretty pale and this blush was the perfect shade of shimmery peach. It just looked so pretty on her every time she wore it I was intrigued to find out which brand it was!

My nephew Charlie has clearly found something interesting on the ceiling!

After delving into her makeup bag I discovered said blush was from none other than Nicola Roberts' 
makeup line, Dainty Doll (shade: 'You Are My Sunshine'). I was aware of the line but had never tried any of her stuff so was immediately curious. Also, as a makeup artist I could see instantly that 'You Are My Sunshine' was a fantastic dupe for NARS 'Orgasm' - one of the most famous blushers of all time. Score!

Dainty Doll powder blush 'You Are My Sunshine' RRP £13.50

NARS powder blush in 'Orgasm' RRP £22.50

Image courtesy Mscocglam

Cultivating desire
I've used NARS 'Orgasm' for years, going through several replacements. Given that the NARS is nearly £10 more expensive one could say, in theory, I've had the better product all along. But seeing the Dainty Doll blush on my sister simply made me want it all the more!

I recently tried to find 'You Are My Sunshine' online. Talk about a mission! It's either been discontinued or they're changing the formula because that particular shade is pretty much non-existent right now. I managed to track one down on eBay. She was selling it for £9.99 (even though on Amazon I could see they'd sold it previously for £4). The seed had well and truly been planted so I just had to have it... (hoping it will arrive any day now!)

Of course limited availability only helps further cement the longing for a product.

 "Great products aren’t anointed by product gurus. Only customers can decide if a product is great."

                        - The Cult of A Great Product, startup-marketing.com

What makes a cult product?
Cult no longer means expensive. At one point it probably did...the allure of the 'slightly beyond one's financial means'. But nowadays kudos can come from the cheapest of items.

Take the rise of statement necklaces for example. It's perfectly acceptable, and dare I say it somewhat aspirational, for a woman to wear a white silk top from Reiss and set it off with a statement necklace from Primark. In fact, she'll arguably gain more kudos for her outfit when she admits the necklace is Primarni and not some expensive designer.

Same goes with makeup. 'Tonight Matthew, I'm wearing YSL Le Teint Foundation in B26, Benefit bronzer in 'Hoola', No 7 Instant Radiance concealer pen, Rimmel Exaggerate eyeliner and Chantecaille Longest Lash Mascara'. Here, the kudos goes to the woman who combines expensive makeup products with inexpensive versions of cult classics.

My Top 3 Cult Beauty Products

1. Bioderma Sensibio H20 (formerly Crealine)
- I remember the first time I worked at London Fashion Week and all the artists were brandishing their bottles of this cult French miscellar water cleanser and makeup remover.

2. Lucas Paw-Paw
I blogged about this wonderful healing balm following a trip to Australia late last year. I much prefer it to Vaseline and it keeps my chapped lips and dry elbows in check all year round. I've also been known to dab a little on spots which are healing in the knowledge that the Paw Paw's vitamins and minerals will help nourish the skin and help it to repair.

3. Benefit 'Hoola'
I could bang on about this matte bronzer forEVER! Have been using it for 10+ years. It always gives my skin the most subtle warmth and is buildable for a slightly stronger tan. Love love love. Was also voted UK's No. 1 Best Selling Bronzer for 5 Years. Not that I'm at all surprised.

Do you have a particular cult favourite?
Where did you first hear about it?