Life's beautiful with Lancome

As mentioned many times on this blog, it’s hard to translate a fragrance into words. Yes, you can list the top, heart and base notes to try and give an olfactory imprint, but it’s the spirit of a fragrance that comes across better on a page and in visuals.

JULIA ROBERT'S EMPOWERING SMILE

Lancôme understands the scent psychology with their new fragrance La vie est belle – or Life is beautiful. They reveal that fragrance is more than a scent, a bottle, or a dream, it represents a conviction. Their new fragrance is giving the olfactory message of empowerment, allowing women to break free of imposed standards of possessions and homogenised appearances, and in turn, encouraging us to be ourselves by filling our life with beauty on our terms. And who better to play this strong emotional role than Julia Roberts. Chosen for her mega-watt and genuine looking smile, she symbolizes the freedom to choose our own path leading to happiness. To give a cinematic impression of the fragrance have a peak at the behind-the-scenes shoot journal. It captures chandeliers, pink roses, along with a stunning, wish-making dress worn by Ms Roberts. I won’t explain the thread of the story – I’m sure you can work it out for yourselves here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIrdEvslVzU&feature=plcp

 

As for the juice itself, three masters of French perfumery combined their talents to compose a fragrance that contains almost half natural ingredients. Described as ‘shadow and light’ you really have to spritz to appreciate this multi-layered rich, sparkly and feminine fragrance.

La vie est belle is available to buy from this week and costs £56 for 50ml

Lee's electric!

LEE DOES HIS STUFF

THE DISCO DOLLY HAIR

When you’re invited to spend time with a leading hairstylist to get the heads up (excuse the pun!) on their latest range, it’s either at their salon or a fancy pants hotel for chat and canapés. Not so for hairdressing’s very own rock ‘n’ roller, Lee Stafford. It was a meet and greet at his crib in Soho. That’s what I like about Lee Stafford, his personal touch and the confidence to invite people into his inner sanctum.  What you see is what you get with Lee - friendly, cheeky and hands-on with his brand.  Upon knocking on his apartment door, he opened it himself with plenty of fashion kisses and catch-up chat. Lee then promptly sat me down alongside a small gathering of beauty journalists to tell us about his new Electricals Range over freshly cooked bacon and sausage sandwiches. Beats a canapé any day!

Having wielded blow-driers, straighteners and everything in-between  for the last 25 years, Lee knows a thing or two about serious hair management. Nobody wakes up with gorgeous looking hair – it has to be mastered and manipulated! With 20 haircare products all with a hot pink gloss finish (what else?) to tempt, Lee’s mission is to find a solution to our everyday hair styling problems, as well as introducing new techniques to give your style some serious up-swing.

 

ALL STAR PERFORMING DIGITAL IRONS

The Chopstick Styler, £29.99 is one go-get appliance that got us girls in a tizzy! Giving a Donna Summer 70’s disco vibe, it allows you to create wild corkscrew curls. Lee demonstrated on a doll’s head and it looked easy peasy. Simply take sections of hair and wind around the ceramic coated barrel. Lee reveals it would take about 45 minutes to do a full head with the effect lasting for a good few days. Another one of his hero must-tries is My Big Fat Root Boosting Brush, £34.99. Selling as a hands-free brush, it’s his secret weapon to helping you create a salon quality blow-dry at home. The large 50mm brush delivers volume and shape, whilst the boar bristles help to impart shine.  As for me, I’m always searching for the perfect straighteners and I think I’ve found them in Poker Straight Digital Irons, £79.99. Ultra light to hold, the ceramic plates leave hair looking silky instead of fried, furthermore I have control with the digital temperate control. Automatically shutting off after an hour for safety – I can be a bit scattered brain about switching these darn things off, my only grumble would be the cord could be longer for flexibility. But whether you want to crimp, curl, twirl, twist, lift or flick there’s not a thing these hot new electrical babies can’t do!

 

The Lee Stafford Electricals range is available from major high street retailers including Argos, Comet and Superdrug nationwide.

Jo Malone's Scent of Innocence

When Jo Malone introduces a new fragrance you always know your senses will do an olfactory somersault. The reason?  It’s never anything run-of-the-mill  - the juice always surprises. Creative in their combinations, their scent-spiration this September is the notion of innocence. The innocence of picking blackberries as a child. I remember those afternoons out with my parents popping blackberries into a Tupperware box along with cramming as many more in my mouth. My fingertips along with my lips took on the colour of a gothic bruised purple. Wonderful!

AN UNEXPECTED COUPLING

The marrying of Blackberry & Bay is unexpected in its twist. Blackberry doesn’t exist in perfumery, so it has to be created with a blackcurrant bud. Bay delivers a super crunchy green note which sings with cedarwood and delicate flowers. The overall effect is not sweet and sickly as one might expect, but rather tarte with a sparkly, juicy heart. Just the fragrance to open our senses to an Indian summer.

CHILDHOOD SCENT-SIPIRATION

Jo Malone also announced at their press gathering, that as so many of their fragrances take flowers and gardens as their inspiration, it’s collaborating with the UK gardening charity, Thrive. This new and exciting partnership will provide horticultural training for those with disabilities and mental ill health to maintain a garden in London. Their current project is the Old English garden in London’s Battersea Park. You can follow their progress on the Jo Malone’s facebook page. Blooming marvellous!  

Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay is available from September priced from £38 for 30ml Cologne.
www.jomalone.com

Elemis Saves Face

NO ONE IS BLIND TO THE EFFECTS OF A GREAT JAW LINE!

Oh dear. It sometimes seems there’s nothing good to be said about ageing skin. Thinning. Sagging. Slack. Just  a few of the unflattering adjectives that pop up when describing  the state of skin past the age of 35. Although I’ve superseded that number I’m forever the beauty optimist and I won’t let Deputy Dawg joules hang in my way!

A WORKOUT FOR THE FACE

My newest discovery to help push back everything in its rightful place is Pro-Intense Lift Effect from Elemis. Developed over three years it has been clinically proven (heart takes a little leap!) to reduce facial contour sagging. In clinical trials 63% of women measured a significant remodelling effect in cheek sagging. How so? Well, the key active ingredients work with the skin’s natural function at the dermal-epidermal junction level. This is the area where your dermis connects to your epidermis. The fusing between the two levels of skin is crucial due to the roles it plays in cellular communication.

Elemis’s wonder ingredients combine a high-tech bio-complex of PAPILACTYL D – a super duper natural extract from African Tiger Nut which helps reinforce skin’s structure, Lupin which has been proven to reduce the volume of jowls, Edelweiss, a natural plant stem cells that helps inhibt the enzyme Collagense and Tiger Grass, that helps reboot skin tone and elasticity. Like anything worth working for, results aren’t immediate, clinical trails were judged after 56 days, but my first impressions are good. The formula is lightweight and is readily absorbed, plus skin is left feeling pleasantly smooth. I've only been using for a week or so, but I'm hopeful of a jowly good show over the next two months!

 Elemis Pro-Intense Lift Effect costs £55 and is available from this month.

www.timetospa.co.uk

  

Hair's New Wonder Oil

Jo Hansford is known as one of the world’s best hair colourists, so when she launches a product your hair stands up on end – in a good way! As you know it’s going to be good.

I rely on oil rather than a serum to add polish to my finished style, which Jo’s new ILLUMINOIL does with ease, but I’m also happy to tell you it clocks up extra hair miles too.

Firstly, it smells delicious. And I mean delicious, and secondly it juggles four oils to give your hair a new lease of life. Argan, Jojoba, Pomegranate and Almond all work synergistically to naturally help hydrate, repair, revitalise and improve lustre to hair. As for its talents – there are many.  Use to gloss your finishing style and tame flyaways, before blow-drying apply mid-lengths downwards to experience one of your best blow-outs. For hair missing its mojo, put back by using as an intensive treatment. Apply to damp hair and leave for 10 minutes to restructure damaged and over processed hair before rinsing off.  Furthermore, for flaky, dry or irritiated scalps use as an overnight treatment. Simply wrap your hair in a silk headscarf and wake up with wonder locks!

ILLUMINOIL costs £29 and is available from www.harveynichols.com and www.johansford.com

Your Hair's Band of Gold

CHIC PONY

Ever since discovering Goody ponytail ties I haven’t been able to use anything else when scrapping my hair back. Why? Because they treat the hair well – no pulling, or snagging and they keep their elastic intact – just like a good pair of knickers! So how excited was I when they introduced DoubleWear 2in1 Ponytailers and Bracelets?

GOODY JOINS MY ARM PARTY

If you’re a serial ponytailer like myself, and find your hair going up and down, up and down like an express lift throughout the day, but don't like slipping a bland tie on your wrist – which adds nothing to the bracelet party, then you're going to love these next time your hair wants to rise. These little hair babies double up as a bracelet with their chic band of gold. As you can see from my snap, you can’t even tell they’re a hair accessory so good is their masquerade. What a genius hair brained idea!

Goody DoubleWear 2in1 Ponytailers & Bracelets costs £3.70 for three available from Boots nationwide.

Gwyneth's New Scent

GWYNETH ROCKS HER LITTLE BLACK NUMBER

When pulse hunting for a new fragrance we take many things into account even before we decide to spritz it. The packaging. The bottle. The Lifestyle. What I mean about the lifestyle is the message it portrays. Is it a scent that talks to you directly, or one you aspire to live?

THIS BOSS WOMAN DOES CONFIDENCE

Boss Nuit Pour Femme, I’m sure will ‘talk’ to many women. It’s inspired by something we always have hanging in our wardrobe. The little black dress and the confidence it literally dresses us with. Positioning itself as the perfect complement to this hallowed garment, the top notes illustrate the sense of excitement as she prepares to hit the town including white peach for a fresh and sparkling fizz, the heart of the fragrance is a heady mix of jasmine, white flowers and violet to add sensual softness. The seductive underbelly of warm woods and creamy sandalwood lend a sexy edge.  Its sleek, weighty bottle also adds gravitas to its fashion following.

SLEEK AND STYLISH

But as any fragrance house knows, it’s The Face that can persuade women to either sidestep or spray. If there’s one woman that looks good rocking a black dress, then it’s Gwyneth Paltrow who is to appear in print and TV ads for Nuit. “To me, the BOSS woman is driven, ambitious, and goes after what she wants, but she balances being strong and very feminine at the same time – characteristics that I strive towards in my own life,” says the woman herself. Now, if I can get that feeling bottled – I’m definitely buying!

Boss Nuit Pour Femme Eau de Parfum costs from £34 for 30ml