Category: Beauty

April 29, 2020 at 06:30AM If we had to pick out what we believe to be the biggest beauty movement of the last couple of years, there’s no doubt that we’d settle on clean beauty. More so than ever, we all want to know exactly what it is we’re slathering on our faces. From preservatives like parabens to drying foaming agents like sulphates, as consumers we are increasingly starting to question the purpose (and side effects) of certain ingredients in our skincare and makeup. It’s therefore no surprise that the clean beauty movement has really started to take off. People are starting to switch on to the fact that actually, some of the ingredients in our products might not be necessary. And, while over here in the UK we adhere to strict EU safety laws (at least for now), elsewhere in the world, the levels of potentially skin-damaging ingredients aren’t so heavily regulated. It makes sense then that, while clean beauty is a movement that continues to trickle into the mainstream on UK shores, across the pond it’s a much bigger deal. In fact, the A-list are such strong believers in keeping their beauty products ‘clean’, that their routines are almost exclusively feature natural and organic brands.  Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a big fan of clean beauty brands. While the verdict is still most definitely out on some of the claims surrounding clean beauty, there’s no doubt that many brands that identify as clean offer some truly impressive products. So, before you write the idea

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April 29, 2020 at 06:00AM There was a brief, blissful time during the early ’00s when a handful of Sephora stores popped up around the UK. Although I didn’t have any awareness of what a big deal this was at the time, I have vivid memories of my 13-year-old self and my best friends taking a monthly pilgrimage to Brent Cross (the journey involved two buses from our homes in the London suburbs and a dash on foot across the North Circular) to spend hours swatching lipsticks and spritzing perfumes there. To us, Sephora was the height of cool, and although we couldn’t afford a thing, there was something about that shop that made beauty products seem like the most exciting things in the world. Boots, on the other hand, did not. With one on pretty much every high street and in every shopping centre in the UK, it’s fair to say that Boots just doesn’t have the same level of sex appeal as Sephora. Maybe it’s because it’s the shop that your mum dragged you to as a child to buy anti–car sickness tablets for your school trip (just me?) or where your grandma finds the best deals on her toothpaste. Perhaps it’s because a fridge full of limp-looking sandwiches doesn’t help the displays of new lipsticks and nail polishes look their most glamorous. Or maybe it’s because it’s the place you visit every month to stock up on tampons, deodorant and shower gel and then wonder how you’ve spent £50

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April 28, 2020 at 12:27PM As a beauty editor, I am often asked about the areas in which we should save (and splurge) when it comes to our beauty routines. Personally, I think spending a little more on a great moisturiser or serum with efficacious active ingredients, if your finances allow for it of course, is a wise beauty choice. However, when it comes to makeup, the areas in which you can save a few pennies and still get high-end results are much greater. The most obvious? Mascara. If you ask me, some of the greatest mascara formulas out there are from affordable brands. When it comes to mascara, not only do you not need to spend big to get results, but so many of the expensive formulas leave you questioning what you’re paying for. In fact, I have tried many £30+ mascaras that do little for my lashes at all and leave me with panda eyes at the end of the day. My absolute go-to that guarantees long-lasting, lengthened, voluminous lashes every single time? L’Oréal Paris Paradise Volumising Mascara (£12). When I first heard about the wonders of this mascara a few years ago, it wasn’t available in the UK. Over in the US, however, it had firmly established itself as a cult bestseller. With celebrity makeup artists like Sir John (he’s Beyoncé’s go-to) and Kristofer Buckle (the man behind Blake Lively’s flawless makeup) being big fans of the formula, Paradise Mascara has been cited as one of Hollywood’s favourite makeup products for

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April 28, 2020 at 06:00AM Every month, Londoner turned Parisienne Marissa Cox of Rue Rodier will bring you her pearls of Parisian fashion wisdom and beauty tips straight from the French capital. A writer, photographer and influencer, we turn to the oh-so-chic Marissa on a regular basis for a truly unique take on her adopted country’s signature style. Whether we’re looking to her décor decisions, handbag purchases or chic hotel choices, we can all agree that looking un petit peu plus Français could never be a bad thing… One thing I’ve been more exposed to more since moving to Paris seven years ago, besides good wine, baguettes and French men, is great skincare and overall more respect for it. I’ve always looked after my skin, but that’s because my mother instilled in me the importance of a good beauty routine from a young age and my knowledge came from her. But I’ve generally found that growing up and then entering the workforce in the UK, unless one works in an industry that has more emphasis on appearance, or has a mother that had you cleansing, toning and moisturizing early on (I even had the three step Clinique products as a young teen), this hasn’t been the norm compared with others side of the channel. It’s usually been me advising my British friends on what to use and buy, or looking at their face and telling them that they should probably be wearing an eye cream. In France, I discovered that

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