The Makeup Mole

Here’s a post that I wrote for Vogue.com.au recently, on how to get Brigitte Bardot’s timeless sex appeal.

Since my legs when left to their own devices look like Satan’s tracksuit pants, I am in regular need of liberal applications of body moisturiser. I have recently tried some new good ones that have displaced my usual rota of Nivea, Nivea and more Nivea, so I thought in the interests of full disclosure it was time to divulge.

My new summer time body goodie is by my favourite Aussie brand, Aesop – it’s their Petigrain Hydrating Body Gel, and it’s perfect for hot weather as it’s lighter than a regular moisturiser and absorbs quickly. When it’s hot as a sauna outside, the last thing you want to have is feeling like you’ve had a brisk bath in butter. It also comes in a plastic bottle with a handy pump, so it’s lighter and not as fragile as Aesop’s glass packaging.

Enhanced with Witch Hazel, Grapefruit and Lemon Peel oils it smells delicious (which you expect with Aesop products), and I’m thrilled to have a proper body moisturiser I can throw into my kit for summer shoots, as most of the moisturisers I’ve been using (Palmers Body Gloss, I’m talking to you!) are just too slick and greasy.

Whilst it’s hard to imagine needing some serious body hydration when your limbs are bronzed and it’s hot outside, that time is coming for my Northern hemisphere friends, and oh baby have I found your solution! By now you should all know of my love for Liz Earle’s genius Superskin moisturiser, and she has now released – Superskin Body Cream. I know, right? So all those poor dry, dessicated souls with skin (like mine) that is so parched that it feels like lizard skin, this is for you. It’s amazing, full of Shea Butter and organic Rosehip Oil, Neroli Oil and Cranberry Seed Oil, so it slides on like you’ve been touched by an angel. It smells gorgeous and, quite frankly, sticks everything back where you want it to be (you dry skinned ladies know what I’m talking about).

www.aesop.com
www.lizearle.com

London Nail Queen, Sophy Robson, has been a busy gal of late – not only has she opened a new uber cool nail salon on the King’s Road in Chelsea, but she has also collaborated with OPI and Sephora to create exclusive nail art looks. Each nail art look comes with it’s own tutorial, and if you want to see a true nail artist in action, check this out!

As well as her Sephora collaboration Sophy has recently shot the new Marc Jacobs campaign with Juergen Teller (Helena Bonham Carter at her madcap best), worked with Terry Richardson and done Kate Moss’ nails for her wedding. How she fits it all in I don’t know!

You can follow all of Sophy’s high-fashion nail-jinks on her awesome blog at www.sophyrobson.com

Lancôme Juicy Kusama Tubes

How cute are these new Juicy Tubes from Lancôme? They’re called Juicy Kusama, and they’re not your typical gloss. They feel amazing on, losing the stickiness of glosses of yore as they are specially designed with vitamins to make you feel good. They contain Bisabolol and Sweet Almond Oil, plus a blend of Vitamin C, B5, E and shea butter (the best natural skin softener there is), to protect, heal and nurture dry lips. Plus the colours are cute as well, ranging from sheer strawberry through to pink and peach. AND they have cute designs on the packaging which always makes me smile when I use it.

It’s a limited edition range, so be quick! Available on-counter in Australia from the 10^th of July.

I’ve been doing a little beauty digging and I have found out that NOT ONLY will Mr Tom Ford be releasing a full makeup line in September, he has also co-opted the talents of major British makeup artist, Charlotte Tilbury, to assist with the development of the line. Charlotte works constantly with top photographers Mert and Marcus, does runway all over the world and countless British Vogue covers – so the long and the short of it is I can’t wait for September to see what this new line has to offer.

Here’s some of Ms Tilbury’s work:

www.tomford.com

Amazing news – a little birdy told me that the incredible Bobbi Brown Universal palette of concealers and foundations (yes, THAT one, that I take with me on every single job, and that if I didn’t have with me would cause me to completely hyperventilate. It’s like a small square palette sized security blanket, only made of plastic so it’s very handy but not that cuddly) is in stock in Australia!

I honestly couldn’t be without this palette as it ensures I am covered for every makeup eventuality, from tawny skinned beauties with shocking under eye circles, and through to Snow White types with pigmentation problems. It’s amazing, and it’s now available on-counter in Australia. It’s not cheap (at $350), but it has every single one of Bobbi’s award-winning concealers, foundations and under-eye correctors in it, and for makeup artists it’s a necessity. Get it while you can.

It will also be available on-line from July, at www.bobbibrown.com.au

I have pretty sensitive skin, so I tend not to mix up my skin routine too much, and keep it simple. I cleanse, and then I rotate my moisturiser depending on the weather. At the moment my skin feels like an old dessicated sea sponge, so I’ve been getting into Liz Earle’s Superskin moisturiser, as it’s very rich and emollient. It has lots of calming Shea Butter and Avocado, and my skin just drinks it in. The Liz Earle range isn’t strictly organic (as it has parabens to preserve the ingredients), but it’s organic enough for me!

However sometimes when one gets to a “certain age” *cough cough puts on Miss Havisham creaky voice, starts calling people “dear”* – your skin needs a little extra kick to get it glowing. And lately I’ve discovered a little Aussie wonder company, called Alpha H.

I first heard about it through Twitter via lovely London makeup artist, Kenneth Soh, as he swears by Alpha H. So when my skin started to look more troglodyte and less Giselle, I decided to call in the Glycolic Big Guns.

I’ve used glycolics before, but not like this. They were usually too much and after two days used I looked like someone had flayed me with a paint stripper. But Alpha – H should be called Amazing H as that’s exactly what it is.

I used their Liquid Gold, the Clear Skin Wash and the Hydrator Gel and I didn’t react badly to anything – no breakouts or weird skin responses. On the contrary my nasty dry sea sponge skin started to look younger and behave better – I got my glow back!

Their Liquid Gold product really is as miraculous as everyone says – I just use it at night when I need it, and it takes off all the dead skin cells, and leaves it feeling soft and plump. I also use the Clear Skin wash, which even though I don’t have acne prone skin I really like from time to time as it has tea tree oil and eucalyptus in it which is a great disinfectant and really boosts my skin. I’ve been alternating that with my Aesop cleanser, depending how my skin feels that day.

The Hydrator Gel would be fabulous for those with combination or oily skin – my skin is very dry, so I can use it for a day or so before I need to dive back into a vat of Liz Earle Superskin. I think it would be a great moisturiser for the hotter months as well as it is very soothing and provides moisture without extra grease (good when you’re already feeling like a greasy bear, first thing in the morning). I plan on bringing this back into my routine in summer.

For me I found using the products for a month and then having a break for a couple of weeks is the best way to use them. That way I can have fresh Giselle skin, and not get too dry. Alpha H is a bit like a spa in a jar. No need for a holiday!

www.alpha-h.com