Le Métier de Beauté

You know your makeup must look good if more than one person comments on it (including your boyfriend).

This week I had the pleasure of meeting Mikey Castillo, Director of Makeup and one half of beauty-brand magnifique, Le Métier de Beauté to launch their new counter at Selfridges. I have never walked away from such a lesson brimming with more tips than I could remember. My beauty brain was working overtime. I have also never been so impressed at the thought and care that had been put in to each product, I mean, who consults one of the engineers of Montblanc when making a new eyeliner. Le Métier de Beauté, that's who.

I found three tips that will be make up the first of my beauty commandments from now on:

ONE: If you want the appearance of full, thick black lashes, there is one vital step that you simply cannot miss: line the top of the inside of your eye. "The bald patch of your eye," as Mikey called it. It works to give the appearance of thicker lashes immediately.

TWO: You should apply your blush to the top of the apples of your cheeks and not sweep across. Children blush much higher on their cheeks than adults, so it will appear much more youthful to apply the blush about an inch away from your eye on the cheek. And whaddya know, it works.

THREE: When applying eyeshadow, always balance cool and warm tones. Applying just brown on its own will make the eye look flat and uninteresting. Applying brown with a blue on top will give it a three-dimensional feel and make your eyes pop. Mikey applied four different shades on my eyes, including a fluorescent orange, but whaddya know, it works. 

Each tip will bring your makeup to life and you will be guaranteed more than one compliment. 

Le Métier de Beauté is available at Liberty and Selfridges. 

New Winter (Beauty) Wardrobe

This autumn, if you want to make a fast and dramatic change to the appearance of your skin, a new beauty regime is the answer.


Decleor's AROMESSENCE™ ROSE D’ORIENT Soothing Serum is a wonderful all-rounder. It will help calm any breakouts and restore softness back to sensitive skin. While Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream with its velvety-mixture of botanicals and extracts of Cucumber and Arnica will soothe and hydrate.

A good cleanser is a sure-fire way to a brighter skin and ultimately this season's most persistent trend: a perfect complexion. Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is a classic for a reason. Containing Rosemary and Eucalyptus for purifying and brightening, it is gentle enough to use every day. For an extra moisture-kick and an all-together super-deep cleanse, I have written about Omorovicza's Thermal Cleansing Balm before and it works wonders. Its high mineral contents from the Hungarian Moor Mud act as a magnet for impurities leaving the skin with almost an iridescent quality.

For bright eyes, I just can't get enough of Shiffa's Rejuvinating Eye Remedy. It is a one-stop-shop for puffy bags and dehydrated delicate under-eye skin.
 
Lisa Hoffman's collection of pulse point oils called Variations is divine. Each set comes with four roller-ball oils, of which the French Clary Sage Evening scent is the most sensuous and feminine.
Update your beauty wardrobe as you update your fashion wardrobe to keep your skin in check.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, from £7.50
Decleor AROMESSENCE™ ROSE D’ORIENT, £42.00
Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, £45.00
Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream, £28.00
Shiffa Rejuvinating Eye Remedy, $88.00
Lisa Hoffman Variations French Clary Sage, $95.00

Doctor Doctor...

They say don't judge a book by its cover. But, sometimes, you discover something so beautiful that you can't help but fall in love. Before you open that cover. 
I had a moment just like this when I clapped eyes on Dr Bragi's Age Management Gel.
So beautiful and yet so clever. The unique formula is unscented and it's not like me to fall in love without so much as a tiny whiff of fragrance, but this is worth it. You only use a tiny amount, so a little goes a long way. Trust Dr Bragi, who has dedicated his life to the study and research of marine enzymes, the core ingredient in this product.
I think they call it love at first sight. 

Dr Bragi, Age Management Gel, £120

Mellow Marshmallow

Who knew that marshmallows could actually be good for you? My friend gave me a little lesson over dinner. It sounded too good to be true.
Although, following my initial excitement, this does not include the soft and yummy sweets, I am talking about the root of the Marshmallow plant that has been traditionally used in medicine since Ancient Egyptian times.

Marshmallow root is a very soothing herb that calms irritations and boasts extraordinary anti-inflammatory qualities. In shampoos it will calm your tresses and tame your flyaways for sleek and shiny hair. Plus, in herbal teas it will help and ease digestion.

Look out for the magic jack-of-all-trades ingredient

Scented Memories

I am very inspired by scent. I get very excited in fragrance halls and no where more so than in Liberty in London. I find their Fragrance Hall an absolute treasure chest of undiscovered brands, beautiful bottles and delicious perfumes from all over the world. I find myself smelling dozens of different scents (much to the disdain of the sales associates who probably think I am a nutcase) and guessing their ingredients.

On one of my recent visits, I found myself drawn to Frederic Malle's collection of fragrances, in particular En Passant, which was created by Olivia Giacobetti. It reminded me of my childhood in Russia and that particular moment when spring was turning in to summer and there was so much blossom on the trees that I would shake the tree branches and pretend I was getting married. It was spring in a bottle. And it's mine by the time spring rolls around.

Frederic Malle, En Passant, from €95

Feeling Rusty

These colours are beautiful! I absolutely love pumpkins. Bring on Halloween!

Wild Nails

Following on the Autumn theme, my nails are really becoming a kaleidoscope of colour. Today, I have gone rusty with NARS's King Kong polish. Part of the new Vintage Nails collection, I love the connotation with the old-fangled beast from the 1930s. The juicy colour has just the right amount of sparkle. In other words it lives up to the glamour it eludes to.

NARS, King Kong Nail Polish, £13.00

PS: How amazing would this look with O.P.I's Bring on the Bling on top??

Time To Recover

Night-time treatments are my new pash. By 'pash' I mean passion. And by night-time treatments, I mean regenerating super-balms that can transform my skin in to a mass of cushiony softness.

Like most beauty junkies, I try new things all the time and not that often finish any product to the very very end. However, as soon as I smelt, tried and saw the results of RMK's Recovery Gel I was hooked. I was loyal to it until the very last drop and now, I am back again.

Its luxurious scent is of the freshest grapefruit with extracts of eucalyptus and seaweed to boost collagen production. Plus, its tiny massaging capsules boost blood circulation - which feel delicious as they pop and melt in to the skin. Ironically, its freshness is a mini-wakeup call for a night-time treatment, but its super soothing at the same time.

The gel is so light, so less is more here. Much more. Wake up to new skin. 


RMK Intensive Night Treatment Recovery Gel, £38 from Lookfantastic.com 

Blonde Nails

Inspired by the palette of the burnt-orange, golden yellow and red leaves now appearing on the ground, I have started to bring some of these colours in to my everyday beauty routine. Something that caught my eye recently is a fabulous mustard-colour Nail Varnish by Butter London called Bumster. Love the name. Love the colour.

Actually, not as yellow as it appears in the bottle, it settled more nude on the nails and I liked this understatement. I liked that you could almost be mistaken for not wearing colour at all, however, perhaps ironically, the colour is bound to catch your eye. I am calling it blonde nails and we all know blondes have more fun. 

Butter London, Bumster, £12

As a bonus, Butter London vrnishes are free of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP. So even nail varnishes can be a little more natural!

Autumn Watch Beauty

I actually found myself tuning in to Autumn Watch yesterday evening. Fact. I found it both hilariously entertaining and shocking at how seriously the presenters take themselves. But, I did however enjoy the wildcats and otters who were, of course, the stars of the show. To help me get to sleep after such excitement (!) I found myself reaching for Badger's Sleep Balm, which has a heady scent of organic lavender that you can rub on your pulse points and enjoy the wonderful scent of its mixture of essential oils.

Plus, as the colder weather does set it, I do tend to suffer from dry cuticles. This statement did inspire my friend to proclaim me a geek recently, but it's true. Badger's Cuticle Balm (which is also organic) works wonders and I have not been able to open the tin without someone commenting on its rich scent of lemongrass, which is intoxicating. Geeky or not, my cuticles are in a-plus condition. Naturally.

Badger Beauty Products
Buy Badger on HQ Hair

Honey I Shrunk My Pores

Now that I am seeing more and more red leaves on the trees, I am starting to truly embrace Autumn. I am drinking endless cups of lemon, ginger and honey with hot water, in my mind the most warming drink when it's cold outside.

Something that is just as sweet and comforting I've found, is Liz Earle's Deep Cleansing Mask with Manuka Honey and Green Clay. It's so gentle and the scent of the honey is overwhelmingly fresh. It actually smells like proper honey that I used to buy in Russia out of barrels when I was little.

This mask absorbs excess oils and can even be dabbed on to spots for an overnight treatment. But best of all, once you wash it off with the natural sponge, which naturally exfoliates, you're left with a flushed complexion as if you've just been for a brisk walk. A miracle worker, and I say amen to that. 

Liz Earle, Deep Cleansing Mask, £12.50 (translation: bargain!)

This is My Mantra

I have long been a fan of Giorgio Armani eyeshadows. They are velvety and beautifully blendable. I bought this particular duo, Mantra Ray, following a visit to the counter to 'just look'. I defy you to walk away from one of their counters empty-handed.


I loved the pop of the turquoise and the muted navy for lining. I couldn't believe my eyes, literally, when I looked in the mirror. 


Giorgio Armani Eyeshadows

Barmy for Balmy

There is something very reassuring about the word ‘balmy’. I used this word all summer in my desperation for ‘balmy nights’ that I always had in Russian summers. Unfortunately, I think some of my friends started to think me ‘barmy’, which is not the reputation I wanted for myself.

There is something equally reassuring about a balmy texture on the skin that is thick and gooey, oily almost, but leaves the skin feeling super nourished and supple. I am embracing my favourite ‘balmy’ products, including Aromatherapy Associates Enrich Body Scrub. It is as rich as you’d want a body scrub to be with pure coffee, frankincense and grapefruit the wake up tired skin. You almost don’t need a lotion afterwards because the essential oils are so moisturising. Omorovicza’s Thermal Cleansing Balm is the facial equivalent. It feels beautifully extravagant. The Hungarian Moor mud cleanses the impurities while the sweet almond oil nourishes the skin.

Finally, for a deep clean, Nude’s Deep Cleansing Mask is first-class for dry skin. Although its base is kaolin clay, its non-drying formula with propolis and organic buriti means you’ll never have that tight mummy-face feeling after you’ve washed it off.

My evenings are now balmy for a different reason altogether. 

Aromatherapy Associates Enrich Body Scrub, £30.75

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, £45

Nude Deep Cleansing Mask, £28