Skin's little miracle worker

I’m not too sure how I landed this sample, maybe as a cover mount on the front of a magazine or in a goodie bag, but however it came into my being,  I love it. So much so, I’m going to gift myself a full sized one. Up until now I haven’t really found a Flash Balm that rivals Clarins, but Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm from Elemis certainly gives it a run for its beauty money.

Classed as a ‘hybrid moisturiser’ its wizardry is in its vitamin complex that helps protect against moisture loss. Upon application it  somehow gives the skin a dash of youthfulness. It’s come to my rescue a couple of times when I’ve used it the morning after a (very) late night before. And by golly, it does switch on an inner light without leaving the skin looking overly dewy – read a shiny finish. If you want super fresh looking skin that belies its feeling tired, then make this your new staple.

Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, £32.

www.timetospa.co.uk

The chic cleanse

High performing skin starts with a high performing cleanser. All too often we skimp on this skin essential and spend our hard earned beauty dollars on a bling-bling cream hoping to slay wrinkles and fast forward to youth. But any facialist will tell you the cornerstone to great skincare is a killer cleanser. And skin sense tells us that a well cleansed skin will look brighter, softer and therefore more youthful.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is one such killer cleanser. Two years in the making it doesn’t disappoint, and almost feels and smells like a treatment. Upon unscrewing the lid, the aromatic smell of their signature oils amongst them geranium, lavender and orange delightfully wafts under your nose. A feel good olfactory start and finish to the day most definitely. As for performance, I always go by the feel of a cleanser on the skin as to whether it gets my vote – some just don’t seem to cut the mustard in terms of formula, leaving pores feeling poorly cleansed and neglected. Well, no such half baked feeling with this one.  This incredibly soft balm literally melts onto the skin, and once wiped away with a damp muslin cloth, leaves skin supremely cleansed, comfortable and plumped. I would even go as far to say, skin feels chic, just like you've slipped into a very expensive dress! I’ve just experimented with the test pot (above) but can’t wait to super size!

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm suits all skin types and costs £39.50.

www.timetospa.co.uk

    

Elemis box clever for Christmas

HO.HO.HO! LOOK WHAT SANTA HAS BROUGHT!

As a general beauty rule, I’ve never been a great lover of coffrets or beauty sets. They always seemed a little bit tasteless in their presenting – everything moulded into plastic, and had a whiff of, dare I say it, can’t-be-botheredness. After all, it’s easy to pick up a box that’s been put together by somebody else, plus the product size was usually so small as to be of no great use.  But that was a few years ago, and coffrets have, in X Factor language, raised their game! No longer are they crammed with mini samples or products that haven’t really sold well during the past year. Today, they’re serious gift givers.

SUPREME GLOW FOR A YEAR ROUND RADIANT COMPLEXION

EXOTIC BODYCARE FOR SHOULDER-TO-TOE GORGEOUSNESS

The Elemis Royal Collection of beauty box sets has no plastic or naffness in sight. They are literally box clever in terms of classy and indulgent looking packaging, carefully selected products and above all the price tag really works in your favour.  For instance, my two favourites include Duchess of Spa Exotic Bodycare with four full size products. Bought separately, it rings in at £88, bought as a box set, £49.50. Or there’s the Supreme Glow Skincare Essentials with three full size products and a 100ml bath elixir which should rightly be £80. To you madam? £46.50.  So whether you’re on the beauty hunt for mum, sister, aunt, friend or mum-in-law there’s no need to give them the receipt, as this is one present that will be for keeps!

Elemis is available from www.timetospa.co.uk and selected John Lewis, Debenhams and Harvey Nichols.

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