Scent with love

To be honest, I don’t go big on Valentine’s Day. I dislike being told when I can be romantic and the drive towards vast commercialism is a little off-putting. But rather than ignore it completely as a marketers dream, my spin is to treat yourself to a little something nice on the day. Call it a slice of self love!

The shops are brimming with scratchy red underwear, fluffy teddy bears and such like to tempt your partner in the hope of wooing you, but one of my nicest and intimate finds is Lyn Harris’s La Rose fragrance from M&S. For those of you who don’t know, Lyn Harris is the founder of Miller Harris, a fancy pants bespoke perfumers in London. She’s the ‘it’ girl of fragrance and has flourished into one of Britain’s foremost classically trained independent perfumers. Both modern in her approach and respectful of tradition in her techniques she’s the ultimate in personal expression. Excitingly, she collaborated with M&S last year on six fragrances for men and women which makes her fragrances far more affordable.

La Rose delivers the sentiment behind Valentine’s Day without being loud and splashy. Simple in its approach I adore the raspberry coloured box and the classic lines of the bottle. As for the juice it’s far from slushy. Rose petals with sparkling green notes, red berry and patchouli give it a thoroughly modern twist. I’m officially loved up.

Lynn Harris La Rose, £25 from Marks & Spencer

And the winner is...Lancome

To celebrate their glamorous and starry pairing with BAFTA, Lancôme  is launching their best selling, long-lasting suits-all-cheeks blusher in Rose Sable as a Limited Edition. Flushing cheeks with prettiness - think the glow of happiness, I just love the lid designed as a presentation envelope. Every time you open it you feel like you've arrived!

Available from the 1^st February priced at £27 (BAFTAS hit our screens on the 7th) exclusively in Selfridges

Dior's new beautifier

In an ideal beauty world, skin would look fresh as a daisy, pretty as a pink gerbera and radiant as a rose. In otherwords the Kew Garden of complexions! Diorskin Nude BB Crème comes pretty close to all three blooms.

Described as a dream match between skincare and make-up, I’ve been using this BB Crème for the best part of two weeks now, and for me it’s a notch above other BB contenders. There’s a couple of reasons for this. Number one, the texture is incredibly light, leaving skin feeling comfortably plump and cushioned, and number two, its go-to rosy glow tint with sheer, soft focus pigments. Once applied, its gives the effect of an inner dimmer switch being turned up. Skin literally looks like it’s basked in soft light thanks to the perfect ratio between transparency and glow. Both lightly concealing and revealing – which is a pretty hard juggling act, it’s a BB with beauty brains, living up to the hype as the new generation beautifier. Go try!

Diorskin Nude BB Crème available in light, fair and medium. Retails at £30.00

Destination Givenchy

THE HOTEL PRIVE COLLECTION. GIVENCHY'S LUXE DAY COLOURS

Generally, clothes are divided up into daywear and evening wear, and I think that’s true for make-up collections too. The newest SS13 collection from Givenchy called Hotel Prive falls into the daywear wardrobe. But if drawing comparisons with clothing would be more a silk  shirt than a well worn t-shirt, whilst in the world of work, more Symthson’s than Rymans!  Yes, we’re talking low-key luxury rather than functional and plain.

THE LIMITED EDITION LINE-UP

Nicolas Degennes, International Artistic Director for the up-swish beauty brand describes this collection as colours that express pleasure and cosy intimacy. Ones that give a subtle and natural elegance. Shades are not in-the-buff, but under-played, which somehow adds to their allure.  Their star player is the paletted matt and sequined quartet of shadows in taupe, grey and natural beige. All three cleverly attract the light and open up the eye. The fourth is a ballerina pretty, pearlescent rose milk pink which works as an iridescent highlighter. Sweep across the upper lid to accentuate its curve during the day. My other favourites from the collection are Rouge Interdit satin lipstick in Private Peach. A pinkish beige shade, it super vamps a nude lip, making it look naturally full and Vernis Please! Nail lacquer in Private Taupe. A step up from a 'polite' muted shade, it gives fingertips a modern and sleek edge. Hotel Prive is most definitely a destination for the cool and the chic. 

Limited Edition Eye Palette, £46

Limited Edition Rouge Interdit lipstick, £21

Limited Edition Vernis Please! Nail lacquer, £13

Collection available from the 21st January.

Stockists: 01932 233 824

Benefit's make-up hat-trick

THE COVER GIRL PERFECT BRIGHTENING STICK

Benefit adds some bling to their collection – in terms of packaging at least, and scores a make-up hat-trick with their newest isn’t-that-clever lip and cheek trio called Fine One One.  The thing with Benefit is you know you’re buying into something quirky, but always something that adds to your beauty arsenal too. This fashion forward, sheer brightening stick was used at the Matthew Williamson SS13 show, and has the habit of putting a little bit of pretty on every girl's face.

THREE COLOURS GORGEOUS

So, how to use? Simply twirl up and you’ll spy three complementing shades: soft coral, sheer watermelon and pink champagne. Swipe from the apples of your cheek up towards your temples and Viola! Instant cheekbones with highlight (pink champagne, the lighter shade) and a sweet flush all in one hit.  Because of the slight variation of colours, that slightly sculptured look is achieved that Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham pull off so well. For lips, I would say application is slightly awkward as the bullet isn’t ergonomically lip shaped, but nevertheless it gives lips a just-bitten cute pop. Benefit sure makes it another fine day for making us feel beautiful.

Benefit Fine One One, £23.50 available February

home scented home

SCENTED SMALLS!

Feel free to have a rummage through my knicker drawer! And with good reason. Just had to show you Jo Malone’s Scent Surround Sachet Set infused with English Pear & Freesia. And boy, do they make your smalls smell divine. In fact, I have renamed it my fancy pants drawer!

 

The black and cream edged pillow like sachets can be slipped in between undies, jumpers and t-shirts. Not only caressing your clothes with fragrance, they also fill the bedroom with a whift of lovely-ness whenever you open the drawers. JM’s Home Collection also features a hanger set, drawer liner set, candle, diffuser and room spray. What a sweet and gorgeous homecoming!

Jo Malone Scent Surround Sachet set of 2, £40.

www.jomalone.co.uk

Eye spy Chubby Stick Shadows

Eye candy all wrapped up

We’ve had Clinique Chubby Sticks for lips,  we now have the sequel: Chubby Stick Shadow Tint For Eyes. But unlike some sequels which are never as good as the original, you can be sure these will be a make-up blockbuster. Like the lips, their crayon like appeal makes them easy peasy to use in terms of fuss free application. Simply glide and swipe your way to loveliness!

Pencil Power!

Their freshness not only lies in their formula – Jenna Menard, Clinique’s Global Colour Arist reveals you can use the stick to apply shadow directly on the lid in just one sweep, but their layer-ability too. With 12 hyper-wearable, creamy dreamy shades from nudes to pink to violets and blues, the key is to scribble and play with complementing shades. For a wide eyed look, Jenna suggests applying Lavish Lilac as an all over wash on top and along the bottom lash line, and then use Fuller Fudge as a wide eyeliner close to the top lash line. The possibilities are endless. “The key is to blend the edges of the colours with a shadow brush before the make-up sets,” says Jenna. Keep your eye out for them when they hit stores from the 15^th February.

Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint For Eyes, £16

www.clinique.co.uk