skin

Aroma Active seems to hit the nail on the head in that respect. The products are environmentally friendly and natural and, in many ways, seem to care. Between the balms and rubs, the products appear to encourage users to take time out to massage the skin, unwind, and chill. Aroma Active’s Soothe range incorporates calming ingredients such as lavender and patchouli to help relax and heal dry skin. For gym buffs smashing their home workouts, the Muscle range features cooling ingredients to help invigorate the body and mind. For those feeling rundown, the SOS products are a mix of natural remedies to help uplift your spirits, and Sleep has all the sleepy heroes such as lavender and valerian. It’s certainly worth checking out if you’re in need of tender loving care. Here are some of the top pr...

I’m putting it out there: I’m a candle hoarder. I have drawers full of them. From fresh, airy scents to woody, spicy aromas, I’ve got a plethora of options in my collection—one for every mood. And as a candle obsessive, we’re finally entering my favourite time of the year. With Christmas approaching, I’m gearing up to unwrap all of the most festive scents in my collection and turn my home into a Christmassy grotto. The only problem is that when it comes to Christmas scents, I’m seriously fussy. The idea of filling my room with the sorts of traditional heady, sickly scents associated with Christmas makes me want to run for the hills. I like my festive candles to smell fresh and crisp but with a warming (but not headache-inducing) base that makes me want to snuggle up under a blanket. A...

Apparently, Egyptian Magic Cream is “based on a formula that was created thousands of years ago in the land of the Pharaohs.” It certainly feels classic and reminds me of the home-spun products my mum and grandparents swear by—passed-down potions made from natural ingredients which exist solely to heal and soothe. It’s made with all natural ingredients including olive oil, beeswax, bee pollen and royal jelly, and it works. My skin (normal/combination) drinks this thick balm up. After three months of using it, my skin texture is visibly smoother, brighter and makeup applies like a dream. Please be wary that this is a heavy duty cream and a little goes a hell of a long way. For this reason I use it at night as the last step in my winter skincare routine. I would be a little more tentative if...

With lots of the launches originally scheduled for the first half of the year having been pushed back, it’s understandable if you felt have overwhelmed by the amount of new products dropping over the last six months. With what felt like hundreds of new launches all coming out at once, all promising to do the same thing, there’s no doubt that 2020 has been a particularly tough year to navigate the ever-confusing world of beauty. However, in a bid to cut through the noise, I have tried, tested and reviewed just about every new launch that came out this year in order to compile a list of the very best beauty products of 2020. So, whether you’re looking for the ultimate cleanser or a budget new mascara, keep scrolling for the new products that were so good, I’d buy them again. Y...

Comprising of just six products, the brand has taken a simple but efficacious approach. All too aware that the market is saturated and confusing enough, PSA keeps things clear, concise and foolproof. Not only are the products labelled up with numbered steps so you know exactly what order to apply them in, they also clearly outline on the packaging the key active ingredients, what results they promise and simple to follow instructions. It’s great skincare made easy. Much like Drunk Elephant, PSA products are formulated without a bunch of skin-damaging ingredients commonly found in mass-market formulas. With no silicones, sulfates, drying alcohol, mineral oil, chemical screens, essential oils or synthetic dyes and fragrances, PSA is basically a dream for those with sensitive skin. But t...

Before we couldn’t fly anywhere, I took my in-flight beauty routine very seriously. So, in the month before my trips I would test all manner of products to see which ones would make the final cut. These are the ones that I deem to be worthy of decanting into the dozen tiny pots that fit into my clear bag. On one of these lab-worthy skincare trials, I came across Patchology. I rarely make time for products like eye gel masks but on an 8 hour flight, there’s really nothing else to do. So in my bag they went. Not only was it a joy to use but the eye gels were surprisingly effective and I embarked from the plane looking pretty fresh looking. Patchology have the kind of products that you don’t think you need and may not go looking for, but they’re seriously good if you w...

As a beauty editor, I spend a lot of time telling you about the stuff you need. You know, the game-changing lotions and potions that will smooth your skin, give you shiny hair, make your hands hella soft, and a whole host of other beauty wish list items. But today, I’m coming at you with a cold, hard fact you might not be ready to hear. Here’s the truth: Mediocrity abounds in the beauty industry. That’s right. So much of the stuff out there marketed as miracle workers actually don’t do much at all.  As you can imagine, I get an up close, firsthand look at the ploys and truth-stretching that takes place, but as a consumer, I’m sure you’ve also had your suspicions. If I’m being totally honest, there are too many products that fall short of ...

When it comes to caring for my skin in summer, I get pretty lazy. I can strip back my routine to the bare bones of cleansing and moisturising, and my complexion doesn’t seem to be the slightest bit effected. Winter, however, is a whole other story. As soon as the temperatures start to plummet, so does my skin’s appearance. My lips chap, my eyes water, my skin becomes irritated, and almost every morning I wake up to find a new spot has taken up residence on my face. Sure, it used to knock my confidence, but as I’ve come to expect this annual skin meltdown, I know how to better combat it. I start reintroducing acids to my regimen, and have various masks on rotation. However, as my skin is suffering more this year than most – I put it down to fabric mask-weari...

If you walk into any bookshop and head to the fashion and lifestyle section, you’ll find the shelves lined with various books filling you in on the style of French women. Beauty is right up there too, as long before we had French pharmacy brands in the UK, trips on the Eurostar always ended with bags of creams and potions that only reside on the other side of the channel.  There’s an effortlessness that so many French women exude and mastering simple yet extremely effective skincare routines is just one of the ways they do it. While it can be incredibly thrilling hunting out the latest buzzy ingredients, there’s something very satisfying about being a spy on the wall in someone else’s beauty routine.  So, we decided to ask the questions we know you...

It’s a controversial thing to say but, in theory, Black Friday is so not my thing. I spend my working life advising people to consider their beauty purchases very carefully, and that message simply doesn’t align with the concept of Black Friday. Trust me, I totally understand the temptation of a bargain, especially when it comes to pretty beauty products. However, doing your research and working out which products are right for you is just as important on Black Friday as it is any other time. With that being said, there’s no doubt that now is the time to stock up on age-old favourites and dream products that have always been slightly out of budget. If you’re anything like me, your inbox will be flooded with flash sales, discounts and offers from every beauty brand and retailer out there, a...

Yep, we all know that one person who looks as if they’ve stopped time. They might be in their 30s to 40s but easily look like they’re a 20-something. Maybe they even ID’d. Call it what you want, but I’d venture to guess that there’s someone in your life who’s managed to negate the natural effects of aging in one way or another, and we’d be lying if we said it didn’t absolutely intrigue us. No matter what age you are—or whether you’re even concerned with “ageing”—it’s near impossible not to be curious about how these people have managed to Benajmin Button right in front of our eyes.  One such example is Caroline Labouchere, a grey ambassador and model whose glowy, flawless complexion has stopped me in my scrolling track...

Whenever I tell someone that I didn’t have a shower in my house until I was in my late teens, they’re always incredibly shocked. What can I say? Both my mum and I loved baths, so we never really felt the need to reconfigure our entire (relatively small) bathroom to fit an unsightly cubical. As far as I was concerned, showers were an oddity. That was until I started working and the shower my mum had finally permitted my stepdad to install came in especially handy when I was running late (which, admittedly, was just about every day).  Now that I have a bathroom all my own—with a shower and everything—I still prefer to soak than stand. I have a bath almost every night, particularly in the winter months. A bath is a perfect way to unwind after a stressful or busy day or to warm you...