smells divine

This fragrance from Caudalie I just can't get enough of. Like its name, Parfum Divin, it just smells well, divine. I only wish this blog was scratch and sniff so you could share it with me. Right now. And we could all go mmmmm together! It invites to give yourself up to abandonment, and I have.

A heady mix of two types of rose - Bulgarian and Moroccan mingled with vanilla, musk, grapefruit and spicy pink peppercorn, the overall effect is incredibly sensual and very feminine. The bottle is just as beautiful, wrapped in gold along with an ash wood stopper - sustainable of course. Make it your summer scent.

Caudalie Divin costs £39.
www.uk.caudalie.com

How to get a job...or least an interview.

Not my usual type of post, but nevertheless I thought it may be useful as I know many graduates and those wanting to get into the beauty industry follow my blog. Recently I advertised for a PR Assistant and was flooded with CVs. The job market is tough and ever more competitive in creative industries, so your application needs to find itself being read. To the end. Many times I never got past the first line of an applicant's email before I took an irritated sigh and pressed delete. It's funny, you can have all the qualifications and degrees that a university can throw at you, but good basic skills such as spelling and having a dose of self awareness can go far. And your covering letter says far more about you as a wannabe employee than your CV. So, with this in mind and the next batch of hungry and ambitious students being released this summer, I thought I would highlight a few crucial do-not-ever bullet points I personally experienced on CVs for those of you navigating the bear pit of a job market. Read the book above in the picture too. It has helped me in my career and it will help you.

• Do not talk about yourself in the third person. I couldn’t quite believe it when the first paragraph started, ‘Rachel is a hard working, capable person….’ I thought it was a statement from a former employer. But no, Rachel (not her real name) was inflating herself up as her alter ego.
• There’s no need to kick-start your CV off with your National Insurance number.  You’re not being paid by the salaries department yet.
• If given a name to send your CV to, use it. Do not put on your covering letter To Whom It May Concern. If it’s a woman’s name – for example Jacqui, do not put Dear Mr Jacqui.
• Misspelling is not cool for skool. It looks sloppy and illiterate. You have spell-check. Use it.
• Remember to attach your CV to your email. I lost count how many didn’t. With inboxes flooded with CVs for just one position, you won’t be emailed back to ask for it.
• Make your covering letter a letter, not a dissertation. There is such a thing as too much information.
• Grammar and punctuation counts.
• Spell the brand correctly. In fact, spelling EVERYTHING correctly. I cannot emphasise this enough.
• Do not cut and paste from blogs talking about the brand’s product and not even bother to change the font to fit into your own application. Seriously!
• Do not start your covering letter with ‘hey’.
• If including interests on your CV there's no need to detail your whole gym workout. Yes, somebody did. 
• Detail what you can offer the company, not the other way around. I had one CV telling me this would be the perfect position for her until she discovered what she really wanted to do. Obviously her application was deleted!
• Put the right company name in your covering letter. Yes, you are applying for lots of positions and maybe using the same covering letter, but at least try and personalise it with the correct brand.
• There is no need to scan in a picture of yourself at your graduation day wearing your mortar board. Yes, you have a degree. I get it.

A dose of skin radiance

Whenever there’s a new skincare launch from Clarins, I’m all ears. Although a floating voter with skincare – too many products, too little time, if my skin finds itself confused in the myriad of lotions, I always find myself going back to this French brand that delivers high performing results. Something you want, but don't always get from all skincare.

Their newest star is their Hydraquench Tinted Moisturizer SPF15 and their manifesto promises to deliver a lightweight coverage that restores a plump, fresh look to give the radiance factor. For most skins, except the very oily, the more moisture it has the happier it becomes, and this one benefits from double the molecular weight of hyaluronic acid – the wonder ingredient for putting moisture in lock-down. There’s also katafray bark extract – nope, I hadn’t heard of it either, but it boosts the skin’s own hydrating mechanisms by stimulating the production of filaggrain. Before you ask, it’s a protein of cells in the epidermis which helps to reinforce the skin’s barrier function.  So there you have the science lesson. But all you really to know is,  it gives skin a gorgeous insta-finish. It gets my vote.

Clarins Hydraquench Tinted Moisturizer comes in 7 shades and will be available from June priced at £28.

www.clarins.com

SOS for split personality hair

If your hair has a split personality then SOS is on lather with Lee Stafford's new Oily Roots Dry Ends Shampoo and Conditioner at £8.99 each. Used together, this SOS duo work to detox and mop up excess sebum on the roots whilst soothing flayed out ends. Moringa Seed extract is the shampoo's secret weapon - an ingredient native to India known for its ability in haircare to mop up oils, whilst the conditioner relies on shea butter extracts to give dry ends plenty of TLC. The perfect coupling.