April 29, 2020 at 11:46AM Sharing a stay-at-home Mother’s Day gift guide with lots of ideas for the women and caretakers we love so much. Hi friends! How’s the day treating you so far? I hope you’re having a good morning. The weather has been warming up a ton here in Tucson, so the girls have been staying cool by playing with the hose, the unicorn sprinkler, and I ordered them a little inflatable pool that should be here today. If this continues, we’ll be hopping the wall at my parents’ houses to use their pools. I was brainstorming Mother’s Day ideas since it’s just around the corner. It’s going to be a different kind of Mother’s Day this year and some of the things I’d usually request (a great restaurant brunch, nap, get-together with our whole family, and a spa service gift card!) are pretty much off the table for now. I thought I’d share some of the ideas I’ve thought of if you’re trying to plan something special, or if you want to send it along to the hubby as a “wink-wink, here are some ideas” kinda thing. There are lots of lower-cost and free options included in this gift guide, too. I’d love any ideas you have for Mother’s Day (especially for our moms and grandmothers!) during this weirdo time. Stay-At-Home Mother’s Day Gift Ideas The daily uniform! Fashion is a liiiiittle different (at least for me!) these days. I’m living in loungewear and athletic clothes. Here
Tag: Facials
These Are the Clean Beauty Brands That Celebs Swear By for Glowing Skin
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
I’m a Beauty Editor and I Love Boots—This Is What I Always Buy There
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
This £12 Mascara Is One of the Best I’ve Tried, and Celebs Love It Too
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
4 Lessons I’ve Learned About Skincare Since Moving to Paris
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
I Tried Every Product From The Ordinary—These Are the Ones I’d Recommend
April 28, 2020 at 06:00AM It was only a few weeks ago, when I was singing the praises of a certain £6 product that had converted me to eye creams, that I took the time to actually take a proper look at my bathroom beauty stash and realised just how many other products from the same brand had a permanent home in my skincare rotation. As I’ve mentioned previously, The Ordinary is an affordable beauty brand offering up high-performance formulations with ingredients at their core. Ask any beauty junkie or skincare fanatic about them and chances are they’ll have a couple of products in their bathroom cabinets. Admittedly, if you aren’t already clued about the ingredients you should be putting on your face, The Ordinary can feel a little overwhelming at first. But with a little research into your skin concerns and needs, it’s a great affordable beauty brand to get on board with. For reference, my skin is combination, prone to regular hormonal breakouts, has dehydrated patches around my nose and chin, and is starting to show those early signs of ageing in the form of some very small (but definitely present) fine lines around my eyes—and The Ordinary offers up products that suit all of my very specific skin needs. Keep scrolling to shop my favourite products from The Ordinary, along with advice on what skin concerns they’ll solve and how to use them. Who should use it: People with oily skin who are prone to breakouts. If I could only
We Tried The Plastic-Free Shampoo From Hilary Duff’s Bath Routine
April 27, 2020 at 10:57AM Last week on Instagram, Hilary Duff shared her bath time routine while at home and it included a plastic-free shampoo bar. It caught our attention since the bar (made of coconut oil, cupuaçu butter, argan, and castor oil) came from Odacité Skincare, a brand we’ve always loved. The product was a brand new product called the 552M Soap Free Shampoo Bar — named in honor of the 552 million plastic shampoo bottles that end up in landfills every year. We love the idea of moving to a more sustainable, bottle-free option with a soap-free bar, but would it make our hair feel like we washed it with, well, soap? We thought we’d try it. After all, the silver lining of spending so much time at home is that we’re free to try risky beauty habits, right? We may not take the risk as far as Hilary Duff who not only tried the sustainable shampoo, but actually took her hair color full Smurf last week (as shown on Instagram) as well. We’re here for the look, but sticking with the low-risk shampoo experiment for now. Here’s the review… The Product: Odacite’s 552M Soap Free Shampoo Bar | $29 The brand: Odacite is owned by a French woman who really knows her way around clean beauty ingredients. Their serums and face mists are the gold standard in clean beauty. The new shampoo bar is said to “nourish your scalp with argan, coconut, jojoba, and orange oil”. It’s meant
These Are the 25 Prettiest Beauty Products for a Seriously Chic Dressing Table
April 27, 2020 at 06:30AM I’m not sure about you, but I get a huge amount of joy from using certain beauty products. Whether it be a super nourishing, luxurious body cream or a red lipstick that perfectly cushions the lips, certain products just have that special touch. It makes sense therefore, that in times like these, I’m turning to such products more so than ever in a bid to lift my spirits. Similarly, with spending more time at home than I’m used to, I have also been finding ways to inject some joy into my surroundings. And, after several homeware orders, I’m actually starting to run out of space. So last week, as I perused my beauty shelves, I had a eureka moment. Instead of keeping all of my most beautiful, mood-lifting beauty products behind closed doors to experience one once or twice a week, why not keep them out on display for all of the world to see (well, just me for now)? With the rise of social media platforms like Instagram, aesthetics and packaging have a bigger role to play than ever when it comes to the success of a beauty product, and I’m not complaining. As every new launch gets prettier and prettier, it seems such a waste to hide them, no? So, if you like the idea of your beauty products doubling up as chic ornaments for your dressing table, keep scrolling. When I heard that fashion label La Double J was collaborating with one of my favourite
This Week’s Need-To-Know Beauty News
April 26, 2020 at 01:00PM Honest Beauty launches in Canada View this post on Instagram 2 is better than 1 when you’re trying to combat dry skin! ? Use our ultimate dewy duo: ? Organic Beauty Facial Oil ✨ Magic Beauty Balm How do you keep your skin hydrated on dry skin days? #CleanBeautyThatWorks A post shared by Honest Beauty (@honest_beauty) on Apr 23, 2020 at 3:05pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company, a wellness brand focused on empowering people to live happy and healthy lives, is making its first foray into the Canadian beauty industry with the launch of Honest Beauty. The safe, effective and clean beauty products, including the Vitamin C Radiance Serum, Magic Beauty Balm and Gentle Gel Cleanser, are beginning to roll out in Shoppers Drug Mart (and Pharmaprix) locations across Canada now, ranging from $12 to $49. Toronto brand Vasanti Cosmetics donates hand sanitizers and skincare packages to frontline COVID-19 workers View this post on Instagram We appreciate you! Tag a healthcare worker you would like to show love to, or share a story of your own ? . . . . . . . . . #weseeyou #vasanticosmetics A post shared by Vasanti Cosmetics (@vasanticosmetics) on Apr 21, 2020 at 10:01am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Vasanti Cosmetics, a Toronto-based skincare and beauty company, is putting its resources toward fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of their manufacturing partner, who already has its Health Canada NPN and GMP certification, they
Kiehl’s no colour Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution | Harrods.com
Boost skin clarity with Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. Visibly brightening, this facial serum is formulated with activated C, white birch derivative and peony extract, correcting and evening the complexion, while visibly reducing the appearance of dark pigmentation. — Read on www.harrods.com/en-gb/shopping/kiehls-clearly-corrective-dark-spot-solution-15068294