My mornings before work are a bit hectic. I: wash and smear unguents on myself, stretch, walk Monty, cook breakfast, apply make-up, talk on the phone to my friend Abi who calls me every morning at 8:15 for a chit chat as she walks to her job in the City, hop around trying to dress while disseminating mine/Abi’s latest dilemma, realise I’m running five minutes late, and – finally – leave the house. The days of delicious time to play with products belong to the pre-Monty/beauty editorship era. Now, I don’t have time for the fallible – which is precisely why these four will be on my face this week… //
Vanderohe No. 1 Nourishing Face Serum / The founder of this serum oil has produced only this product thus far because she wanted to nail it. And nail it she has: rather than sit on skin, this quality blend of oils sinks in, like water on parched soil, bolstering and making skin look bouncy. Last week I spied this on make-up artist Lisa Valencia’s make-up table. She had it there because “it’s incredible under make-up; it makes skin look glowy.” I use it neat on skin, mixed into moisturiser and sometimes pop a dash into my foundation if my skin’s feeling dry.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30 / It’s that time of year again when SPFs start to come on the scene. This is not a good thing: it implies SPF is just a product you need to get out at summer, when it should really be a year-round staple. In any case, new products are being launched, and this is one of the best of the new crop. Basically, it’s the original pro collagen (all slippy and luscious) with added SPF aka the ideal SPF scenario because it multitasks.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Miracle Hydrating Mist / I bloody love me a mist. So refreshing. Such a good way to top up moisture levels and breathe life into make-up. This newbie has grabbed the best bits of 8 hour cream (the emollient and humectant goodness) and put them into mist format. It’s a joy. If you want to see more on this, including a picture of me getting my mist on, click here for the article I wrote for InStyle.
Estee Lauder Victoria Beckham Kajal Eye Pencil Black Saffron / Not new, but experiencing a resurgence in my affections. I mostly use the black end (hence it being so worn down in the above picture) and drag it along my lash line, then smudge it with my finger for smoky, smudgy eyes. I always do this on the tube, which is perhaps testament to how very easy black kohl is to apply. And if you’re wondering why this one is my top pick, it’s because the creaminess and incredibly highly-pigmented formula set it apart from its peers.