skin rescue

It's been quiet on the Dolly Mixture front of late, namely because I've been busy with the day job, and secondly I've been away. In the sun. Lucky me! This blog post addresses post holiday skin. A healthy dose of rays leaves your complexion looking sunkissed, but it can also leave it looking and feeling dry especially if a long haul flight is in the mix.

These two tubes over just a week have undoubtedly rebooted my skin after a 2 week road trip in Southern California - beautiful, but sizzling, constant air con and an 11 hour flight. Yes, my skin demands a staycation, but my mind and body demand something else! My skin was a little blemished touching down from my trip, so I looked to the deep cleansing qualities of Emma Hardie's new Amazing Face Instant Radiance Mask. It's a mask that doubles up as a great prep before going out, or a night treatment if you're staying in. Once removed skin looks tighter in pore size and hydrated and blemishes seem to clear up quickly. I've used it three times this week, as it's so rich and indulgent and feels like pay-back for neglecting my skin. Darphin's Vitalskin  Replumping Energic Emulsion is the perfect everyday moisturiser. Its light application belies its hydrating benefits. My skin's barrier looks strengthened and plumpness has been restored. Together they've rebooted my skin, and I need to thank them for that.

Emma Hardie Instant Radiance Mask, £36 www.emmahardie.com
Darphin Replumping Energic Emulsion, £39 www.darphin.co.uk

Pencil power

A short, sharp but sweet post. These cute pencils from Bourjois are called Contour Clubbing Pencils, but even if you don't bust moves on the dance floor, they're great for giving high voltage to a classic smoky eye. Apply to upper and lower lash lines to make your look rock and pop. They're waterproof so have poolside written all over them.

Bourjois Contour Clubbing Pencils, £4.99

Serum smart

As some flip over a new lipstick or mascara, I do the same when a new serum comes into my eye line. I adore serums. Their lightweight, drink it all in attitude suits skin something wonderful and I believe are the saviour of many a pooped out complexion. If I dropped one from my skin regime it would feel like going out without any underwear.

You may have heard about Clinique's Smart Custom-Repair Serum as it was launched back in June, but I've only just gotten around to trying it. It's an SOS kind of serum that uses repair technology to help patch up the damage you see and even the damage you don't on your skin. In R&D for 5 years it boasts the power of 37 patents to deliver custom repair. I could rattle through them, but all anyone wants to know is, does it make the skin look better? Well, I've only been trying it for a couple of days and as nice as it is to use, I can't say whether it does or doesn't yet, but what I can tell you is, that after a 12 week study, results showed visible improvement in treating uneven skin tone, dark spots, dullness, lines, wrinkles and firming. Now, that sounds seriously smart.

Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum, from £48.00.
www.clinique.co.uk
 

#SCENTWITHLOVE

One of the factors that keeps a brand fresh is newness. But the balance can be tricky. Too much newism can feel overwhelming and not enough makes the brand look stale. DKNY hits the right note with fragrances being introduced just when you fancy a spritz of a different kind of NYC spirit.

The newest edition from brand is DKNY MYNY - the tag message being, be part of New York. And really who wouldn't want to be? A non-stop city buzzing with life, personality and a can-do attitude, the juice sums this up with their newly chosen fragrance face Rita Ora. As for the scent - it's playful and sexy. Raspberries, Egyptian Jasmine, Freesia with a dry down of Vanilla Absolute and Musk makes it modern and urban. Although it has to be said, it's more chic than street! As for the bottle, I personally find it a tad clunky, but you can't ignore the homage to one of the most exciting skylines in the world. Spritz and enjoy.

DKNY MYNY retails from £37 and is available exclusively at Debenhams.co.uk from the 5th August and nationwide from 20th August. 

Insta-fabulous skin

Who doesn't want better looking skin in a instant? It's available on Instagram with the right filters - heck, does anyone leave their skin untouched when uploaded? But what about in real life. You know, when you meet people face-to-face? Alpha-H Instant Facial comes pretty close to giving your skin a clean sweep and a bright hello. Based on the benefits of a salon inspired peel - minus the redness, since I've been using this I've had quite a few compliments about how good my skin looks. It's a breeze to use too. Simply spritz on a cotton pad and wipe over your face. I only use in the evenings, as I don't want to over-do it and risk dry skin by using twice a day as recommended, then follow up with my usual serum or moisturiser. It's just the tonic for refining pore size, reducing dead cell build-up and mattifying the T-zone. In your face Instagram filter!

Alpha-H Instant Facial, £35.50.
www.alpha-h.com

Tinting talent

When it comes to summer hair, we all want to channel that cool beach-surf girl look. Free 'n' easy, salt-sprayed and don't-care wavy style - it's the only time you can officially ditch your dryer and straightening irons. And the colour should be just as free falling. But the combo of bleach and sun can leave dread(ed) locks - all fried and barmaid brassy. At my favourite salon, FOUR, their talented tinting team have worked on creating a new Duo Tint technique which adds up to masterminding an on-trend high lift platinum blonde. Minus the bleach. Genius. This technique doesn't hold the hair to ransom and there's absolutely no Bet Lynch tones to be seen. As for those who want to hair surf brunette style, their new Brown on Brown Lights give just the right amount of lift without a sunset red tone in sight, giving brunettes a hint of sun beach (not bleached) colour. And for those who want to off piste, check out their Bubblegum Pastels Collection. Shades are created using a mix of Crazy Colour in sundae shades of soft lemons, mint greens and soft peaches.Pretty girl hair is literally just a tinting brush away.

Although I wouldn't go all out for DIY colour, there is a trend to home dabble to keep root growth at bay and stretch out those salon sessions a little longer. The FOUR London Smudge Kit is an insider secret with beauty editors. The reason? A personal formula is made up to complement your hair shade and designed to maintain hair-line and parting once the roots start to creep back in. Perfect for those who travel a lot or just want to tap into their inner colourist.


FOUR London, 62 Conduit Street, London W1S 2GB
www.fourlondon.com  

Surf eyes are up

There are palettes and then there are Bobbi Brown palettes. The Limited Edition Surf & Sand Eye Palette is a summer wonder and has poolside chic written all over it. Perfect if you fancy experimenting with pastel tones that aren't too out there, these metallic, sea washed and beach bound pretty hues can be worn alone or layered on the lid. My personal favourites are the new Bikini Bronze, Surf Sparkle and Sea Foam Sparkle eye shadows. With 8 go-to colours, they're a breeze to apply and easy peasy to pack in the magnetic closing, sand linen wrapped fabric palette. No other eye shadows are required. It's as beach babe as make-up gets.

Bobbi Brown Surf & Sand Palette, £48. On counter July.