Fragrance with spirit

New fragrance notes are beginning to take flight as the countdown to Christmas begins. Unsurprisingly, the build-up to the ding-dong-merrily-on-high season is when scent buying is at its peak. Perfume houses literally go all out to seduce with the juice, the bottle and the imagery.

Not one to follow the crowd, Thierry Mugler’s limited edition Les Liqueurs De Parfums  is quite different and quite intoxicating. Each iconic Thierry Mugler fragrance is laced with a spirit. No, not a Charles Dickens spirit of the past, an alcoholic one! You can always expect the unexpected from Mugler. Using the inspiration from vintage spirits, each fragrance – Angel with cognac, Alien with rum, Womanily with vodka and A*Men with whiskey is ‘aged’ in wooden casks of toasted wood for six weeks. This laying to rest so to speak, enhances his original creations with smooth and sweet notes. The process also ensures a hot toddy warmth is added to each scent too.

 All fragrances retail for £40 except A*Men which retails for £45.

Available from October. For stockists call: 020 7307 6700

Peel and reveal

Having just discovered what an absolute skin saver Aromatherapy Associates Rose Face Mask is, I’m thrilled to add to my AA repertoire. Their newly launched Polishing Essential Enzyme Peel is a superlative exfoliator which left my skin with not a flush of redness or a tingle of irritation. I’m a big fan of enzyme peels for revealing a forgotten glow, they especially benefit the complexion in the seasonal shift from summer to autumn.

The glow factor lays in fruits acids of pineapple, passionflower and grape which party together to break down dead skin cells. Post holiday tan, my complexion was looking a little ‘murky’ and one 10 minute application brought about a new lightness of being. Skin looks more uniformed in tone, whereby serum and moisturiser readily sinks in after a treatment. Use once or twice a week depending on your skin. A great skin buy!

Aromatherapy Associates Polishing Essential Enzyme Peel, £39

www.aromatherapyassociates.com

How to do super skin

Anything that has the word super in, I’m there! The newest ‘super’ beauty hero is Clinique’s Superprimer Face Primers that lift skin to the next level. Sometimes foundation just isn’t enough to give dynamic looking skin – you need a foundation for the foundation!

The main role for these all-action customised primers is to prep skin so foundation doesn’t under achieve. Available in five colour correcting shades all will appear translucent upon application. This is comforting when squeezing out of a yellow, brown,  lilac or a baby doll pink tube! From correcting redness ,dullness, discolourations through to sallowness, there’s one for every complexion grumble.  And if you haven’t got a complexion grumble – lucky, lucky you! Then the Universal Face primer will instantly smooth your (already perfect) skin to create the ultimate canvas for foundation. Utilising the theory of colour science, each pigmented shade is created to neutralise the contrasting complexion grumble to give an almost photo shopped appearance. Ready for your close up?

Clinique superprimer Face Primers cost £20 and are available nationwide this month.

www.clinique.co.uk

A thoroughly Modern Muse

A fabulous new coat, an edgy pair of boots, the chicest of sweaters…the beginning of autumn feels less harsh after a summer of pretty, flippy dresses and sand tickling sandals with a handful of new wardrobe pleasers. The same goes for fragrance. Autumn calls for something a little more grown-up, a little more sophisticated and if not serious, then certainly confident and strong.

Modern Muse, the new fragrance by Estee Lauder makes for a fabulous addition to your AW13 scent wardrobe. Just like the layering of a cashmere sweater over the finest of cotton tees, this is a juice that also reveals layers of softness and strength. Karyn Khoury, Senior Vice President, Corporate Fragrance Development Worldwide explains that Modern Muse was ‘built’ by carefully selecting every ingredient to reflect the personality, style and distinctive femininity of today’s woman.

Bottling creativity, its innovative ‘dual-impression’ structure invites you to connect with the scent through two contrasting aspects: sparkling jasmine accord – this facet of the fragrance holds the energy and magnetic femininity of a modern muse with notes of honeysuckle nectar and dewy petals, whereas the sleek woods accord taps into her sleek style and sensuality through patchouli essence and the creaminess of amber wood and soft musk. Spritz, adore and become your own Modern Muse!

Modern Muse Eau de Parfum Spray retails from £44 for 30ml.

Available from Estee Lauder counters nationwide from the 18^th September.

    

Vichy's life saver

It’s a factoid that everything enjoyable in life – eating, drinking, sunbathing partying…eventually leads to skin damage! So, unless you want to live a very, very dull life, you have to look for an antidote.

The skin boffins at Vichy have pinned the acceleration of ageing on lack of sleep, tobacco, too much sun without protection, pollution, stress, hormones and an unbalanced diet. Heck, I’m sure every one of us can tick that check list off bar one or two. Indeed, Vichy highlight that seven out of 10 women will do at least one little excess a day. But before you give up on life beyond the health food store, help is in a bottle with their Idealia Life Serum.

ID-ing four parameters of behavioural ageing: overexposed skin, overstressed skin, polluted skin and skin affected by an unbalanced diet, they have created the first ‘lifeproof’ skin idealizer. What a clever play on words! With a light and opalescent texture – it really does lock in an inner glow on application, its USP is harbouring powerful skin quality correcting molecules. Their role? They act in repairing the visible impact of your life on your skin. Now, that’s not to say a lifestyle lived to the equivalent of Iggy Pop or Ronnie Wood would wipe away deep  wrinkles and sun damage, but for a girl that likes to have a little fun this could be the perfect way of getting your skin to play by the rules – even if you’re not!

Vichy Idealia Life Serum costs £29.50 and is available nationwide from today.

Elizabeth Arden's classic new fragrance

THE INVITE

THE VENUE

There’s always a bit of a do when a renowned cosmetic house launches a fragrance. At the unveiling of Elizabeth Arden’s new signature fragrance Untold, the beauty press were invited to mingle at The Gherkin. As well as enjoying the amazing panoramic views, flutes of champagne and dancing disco girls, the fragrance got everybody talking with their ‘untold stories’ that define and inspire.

THE JUICE

The Gherkin was a smart booking,. The faceted glass bottle isn’t too dissimilar in design to the London landmark, making the juice  look chic and thoroughly modern. As for the scent, it’s a sensual floral that manages to be both feminine and grown-up – think sweetly womanly, rather than saccharine girly. Notes include sparkling pink pepper, pear, blackcurrant bud, Egyptian jasmine and patchouli heart. Mmm, sounds sumptuous  as well as smelling delicious. By-the-way, what’s your untold story?

Untold Eau De Parfum costs from £35 for 30ml and is available from 1^st September

Holiday have-musts!

Although not exactly my desert island essentials – I went to mainland Turkey! These two newly discovered beauty goodies are already on my list for my next getaway in September.

In the past, when travelling I was a slave to my styling brush and hairdryer. No more. Oh yes, Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray has transformed my holiday hair. It’s so liberating just to wash, condition, spray and ruffle dry with fingers. It’s like skinny dipping! My humidity besieged hair would normally frizz if not groomed and glossed, but with this it took on a whole new beach vibe. All Kate Moss textured waves and mermaid ripples and body. Totally a hair rescue!

My second saviour was Suti’s Peppermint Water Organic Facial Toner. With a couple of quick sprays, it gave my fatigued and hot skin a sparkling wake-up moment. The peppermint was a tonic to weary senses and skin wasn’t left feeling wet then Sahara desert dry like it can with water sprays. The only downside is it’s in a glass bottle so you have to be careful when slinging it around in your beach bag.  So, summing up, if I was stranded on a desert island these would guarantee I would have sexy beach-strewn hair and fresh looking skin when my SOS flare was finally spotted!

Toni&Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray, £7.99 available from Boots

Suti Peppermint Water, £18.50 available from www.suti.co.uk