Nothing but eye-catching

If you’re eyeshadow shy then Clinique has the answer for you in its new limited edition All About Shadow Neutral Terrority 2 eight shade palette. Popping colours isn't the only way to make an impact as this cleverly orchestrated palette shows that neutral also doesn’t add up to naked. An everyday palette of ultra soft-to-so-sexy shadows gives the eye definition when worn alone or layered and blended together. Like all Clinique shadows, each shade gives intense colour payoff with its delivery of high density pigment. The lighter shades can be used for highlighting while the darker colours effortlessly shade and line socket and lash line. The results are nothing but eye-catching.

Clinique All About Shadow Neutral Terrority 2, £32.

Nationwide from the 7^th February.

www.clinique.co.uk

Scents of time

The reintroduction of this fragrance from Clinique originally launched in 1986 really took me back. Not so much olfactory, more lifestyle. I had landed my first magazine job thinking I was all get-go and stylish, along with believing the world was for my taking. In many ways it was, although hopefully I’ve shaken off some youthful and headstrong ways! But Calyx summed up that era for me with its bottled confidence. The bottle is direct and modern in its approach – no flowery stopper or faceted glass here, and the only fruit in the scent is grapefruit that makes it incredibly fresh, zestful and clean. Clearly ahead of it’s time sandwiched in-between the indulgent and cloying power scents the shoulder-padded generation represented, it deserves a successful comeback in this century. You could say it’s a fragrance that’s grown into itself.

Calyx retails at £36 for 50ml.

Exclusive in Selfridges now and available nationwide from the 28^th February.

Let's talk Tory

Natural. Polished. Super Chic. Tory Burch is all of these things as a quick glance at her Instagram account confirms. An American fashion designer and socialite, Tory is known for her easy-breezy way with fashion making it look effortless, luxurious and modern all at once. She’s now applied the same lifestyle ethos to her first fragrance and beauty collection.

First up the fragrance. Leaning heavily on Tory’s family heritage, the striking bottle is a nod to her mother’s bedroom vanity and the classic perfume bottles and atomizers that adorned it. The intricate fretwork top has fast become a signature of her brand and also found on her cosmetic line as well as the brass details in her Madison Avenue flagship store. As for the juice, it has a masculine note of Vetiver inspired by the smell of her father sensitively mingled with feminine touches of grapefruit, mandarin and tuberose. Like the smartest of women, it’s a scent that’s grounded but gracefully ambitious!

The Tory Burch Beauty Capsule Collection loves the every woman. A doddle to use, these key products instantly beautifies a range of skin tones. The Lip Colour in Pas du Tout swipes lips with a grown-up pinky nude, Lip & Cheek Tint in Cat’s Meow is one of my lust-haves. The ultimate youthful shade, it’s designed to add a hint of rosy pinched cheekiness and is lightly scented with notes from the fragrance. The Bronzer & Blush in Divine is well, just divine. Snapping open to reveal three skin brightening shades in pink, gold and ivory a single brushstroke brings any complexion a much envied sunkissed glow. As for the packaging, burnt orange and gilt brings an aura of joy. Tory nice!

Eau de Parfum from £42

Lip Colour, £22

Lip & Cheek Tint, £27.50

Bronzer & Blush, £35

The Tory Burch collection is available exclusively to Harrods and Harrods.com from January 20^th.

Nude but not naked

This time of year the face calls for a splash of January cheer but crucially with shades that are none too garish. Too bright against a pallid complexion and you run the risk of looking like Bozo the clown. Bobbi Brown the queen of understated gorgeousness has got the make-up mix just right (again) this season with her Nude Glow Collection.

Likened to pieces of sparkly jewellery – preferably pink diamonds! That you wear to bring a lightness of being to your look, so does the everyday Nude Glows bring a veil of ultra prettiness and natural shine to your face. My favourites are the limited edition eye palettes. Colour quartets of nude, crystal or bronze pop open sleepy New Year eyes something beautiful with a mix of mattes, soft shimmers and just-enough sparkle. Colour swipe solo or wear layered for a come-hither sexier look. To complement the collection the limited edition Sheer Lip Colors are lightweight and easy breezy to wear for a barely brightened lip, whereas the nail polish in Ballet Pink Glitter adds grown-up cuteness to nails. To bask a fatigued complexion in flattering cosmetic light, the three Brightening Finishing Powders in picks of  Procaine Pearl, Brightening Nudes and Bronze Glow are formulated to give skin a healthy detoxed glow. Wrapped up, this collection is nude but leaves your skin far from looking completely naked.

The Nude Glow Collection is now on counter.

Eye Palette £35

Sheer Lip Color £19

Nail Polish £11

Brightening Finishing Powder £40
www.bobbibrown.co.uk

The high-brow eyebrow

CARA. THE QUEEN OF THE NOW BROW

Like hemlines eyebrows aren’t adverse to fashion. We’ve had them shaved off – for the truly fashion forward, thin, bushy and penciled. High Definition brows then hit. But that was so 2013. It’s now all about 3D Faceframe Eyebrows. 

Otherwise known as the super power brow, this is a highbrow look that cannot be penciled or painted on. Faceframe 3D Eyebrows is a salon based innovation created by therapist Sheron Oakley. A good innovation has a great back story and Sheron’s is no different. When one of her clients was going through the trauma of chemotherapy she remarked, although it was easier enough to cover up the loss of hair with wigs and scarves, the loss of eyebrows had a far bigger impact. Eyebrows shape and define the face and without them features are over exposed and facial context is lost. Tattooing is one option and faux brows with pencils are another, however Sheron was on a mission of mercy to find an answer that didn’t involve needles or the chore of hand drawing the perfect brow everyday. Fast forward two years with a bundle of research and a large dose of experimentation with different materials under her beauty belt, Sheron came up with the idea of adhering individual hair of synthetic mink direction onto the skin. Voila! A realistic brow was borne using 100% skin safe products that were ideal for filling, thickening, lengthening and defining, as well as being waterproof and moisture proof too. Not only helping those going through chemotherapy, 3D brows can benefit any brow that needs filling or shaping. Sounding like eyebrow manna from heaven, here I caught up with Sheron to find out more.

Dollymixture (DM) This technique sounds like it will really rock the look of I-need-help-eyebrows everywhere. It sounds special.

Sheron Oakley (SO) Thank you! It’s a personalised treatment where we bespoke the brow to suit your face shape. We are training beauty professionals only, where we advise on not only on positioning but creating eyebrows by building up in stages which is unlike any other brow technique. It’s amazing how just a couple of hairs can later the look of the entire eyebrow.

DM: What would you expect from a treatment?

SO: We work with a very simple marking system to position the brow to the aesthetic ideal. However, we are about personalised brow design so work with what the client already has and the look they want to achieve. As we know eyebrow trends adapt and change continually and we can do that with 3D.

DM: Are you in the chair for ages?

SO: Because we are working directly onto the skin, the treatment only takes about half an hour for a full brow. Small gap fills of slight lengthening can be achieved with just a few hairs, so therefore takes minutes.

DM: What is the normal reaction of someone who has been 3D?

SO: They are always amazed by how natural they look and how they cannot feel the hair or the fixer. In some cases it can literally take years off the face. You only need to look at Cara Delevingne to appreciate the power of the brow in beauty.

The cost of treatment depends on time taken. An infill with cost from £10-£15. A full length natural brow costs from £20-£25.

A list of approved salons offering 3D Faceframe Eyebrows is available on www.faceframe3deyebrows.co.uk

Hair Heroes

MY HARD EARNED HAIR!

PRODUCTS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK

I changed my profile picture on all my social media accounts last week and got quite a few nice comments on my hair. This pleased me immensely, namely because I put a lot of effort into it. It’s not hair that’s left to chance. If chance had its way, it would be a frizzy and crazy mess. I’ve totted up I use seven products on my hair in one styling session including shampoo and conditioner. But there are three products excluding my Tangle Teezer hairbrush which I absolutely would recommend. A big handclap for:

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer £27.50. This is not new, it’s been around for decades, but I haven’t found anything to match it. It’s the brand's hero product and must have won every beauty gong going. Hair boffins will know that hair stretches when wet and if in poor condition – which most hair will be if it’s subjected to heat and styling on a regular basis, will snap. Since I’ve been using this the condition of my hair has been transformed. Twice a week I damp my hair down just before bed and brush the Elasticizer through the mid-lengths of my hair with my Tangle Teezer. I then tie it back and go to bed - not forgetting to put a towel on my pillow. The next morning I just rinse off in the shower before shampooing.  The overnight rush of moisture to the hair’s cuticles leaves hair fit for anything. You can literally feel the strength of the hair as you run your fingers through it. Fabulous!

Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence £22. Yep, it’s PK again, and why not? Blow-drying my hair without protection would feel like going out wearing no knickers! In my mind this is a lightweight, spray-on everyday Elasticizer. Before blow-drying I spritz all over damp hair and brush through. As I pull through the styling brush on a high and fast heat I can be confident my cuticles aren’t sizzling and screaming.

Lee Stafford Argan Oil Moisture Injection Conditioner £8.99. I’ve never had so many compliments on my hair since using this. Many session stylists spray dry conditioner on dry hair before using irons, so I’ve adopted this insider trick too. Just before I run through the irons, I spray this on and it leaves the hair soft and silky looking. If this sounds like something from a hair ad, then that’s because it’s the results it gives my hair.