A Russian Winter

Beauty Mole will be travelling to Russia for Christmas and New Year! I am however trialling some amazing new products and will report back in January. The conditions are perfect. Sun, snow and wind chill factor.

An English Garden

Second only to roses is my love of lavender. It's an obsession, which to be honest is a little bit out of control (and one that is well-documented). It's the first essential oil that I ever bought and for that it will always have a special place in my heart. Plus, the sheer versatility of this plant is almost second to none.

At the moment, I am loving Omorovicza's Gentle Buffing Cleanser, which along with Pineapple and Rosemary extracts sloughs away dead skin. But the scent of this wonder is of deep and calming lavender.

The genius that is John Masters Organics actually fused together two of my favourite things in the world: sea salt spray for hair with a scent of lavender. Hair is left with a lingering perfume of lavender and a natural beach-babe wave.

Sue Devitt's eye pencils are little miracle workers. This colour, Victoria Falls, is a gorgeous violet blue and will make any eye colour pop. I even got a compliment from my boyfriend on that one. Smudge during the day and intensify with pure pigment for evening.

Knackered Cow, with lavender, by Cowshed is my herbaceous bathroom staple. And for my morning shower, Mitchell and Peach wake me up. Made with English Lavender, Violet and Ylang-Ylang essential oils that have been matured over nine months, it is an English garden in a bottle. Heaven. 

Omorovicza Gentle Buffing Cleanser, £42.00
Mitchell and Peach Shower Wash, £20.00
Sue Devitt, Eye Intensifier Pencil, £17.50
Cowshed Room Fragrance, £22.00

Rose-Tinted Vision

There is something very nostalgic for me about the beautiful smell of roses. Half reminiscent of my grandmother's potpourri, half of the roses that my great-grandmother had growing outside the front of her house. I used to smell them excitedly whenever I came to visit.

I also believe whole-heartly in the benefits of rose extract in my beauty products. In other words, if it has rose in it, I am interested. In terms of the smell, like I said in my article about lavender, I am very particular. My current favourites include:

- Weleda Wild Rose range: not only is this range incredible value for money, but it's also incredibly effective. It is very soft, gentle and amazingly beneficial for calming sensitive skin. Great for winter. Their facial-oil capsules are literally pure bubbles of moisture.

- Aromatherapy Associates Rose Hydrating Face Mask: this is about as soothing as slathering your face with rose petals. This aloe vera-based mask is great for restoring plumpess to dry skin.

- For bathtime, one of the best rose-scented bubble baths I've tried is Brown & Harris' English Rose variety. Luscious and delicate rose smell.

At the moment, I'm looking at life through rose-tinted specs.

Weleda Wild Rose from £12.50
Aromatherapy Associates Rose Hydrating Face Mask, £28.50
Brown & Harris English Rose Bath Essence, £6.95

Party Disco Party

I am ready to party. Having come to terms that it IS actually December, the time of the year to party has now arrived.

I have always been more of an eyes person than lips. This year, after harping on about my Intergalactic Beauty trend, I will be rocking silver-sheen smokey eyes. It is a futuristic take on a classic. I think Sisley’s Phyto Star Eyes palette will do the trick. Each shade has a touch of shimmer giving the eyelids a glossy sheen.  The Silver Moon and Black Star also lend themselves very nicely to my outer-space theme.

I will also be spritzing a generous dose of Lolita Lempicka’s classic Si Lolita fragrance. I love the spiciness of this one. It’s all Pink Peppercorns and amber. Girly yet sexy. Young yet classic. You get the drift… 

Party on. 

Butter Me Up, Baby

The snow, wind and minus temperatures that we have in England right now is nothing compared to Russia. I am going home to the Russian countryside this winter and I can't wait. But the wind, snow and minus temperatures that I will be up against leave my hair, skin (and eczema) in havoc.

All I can say is BUTTER ME UP! Right now, it is all about the most nourishing, gorgeously indulgent, buttery goodness of the following (feel free to follow like a recipe):

- Scoop up a dollop of Organic Pharmacy's Carrot Butter Cleanser (£31.95) and massage all over your face. Breathe in the delicious aroma of the essentials oils. Remove the day's grime with the organic cotton cloth and hot water. Et voila. That was step one.

- Squeeze out a generous helping of Klorane's Nourishing Treatment Shampoo (£5.69). Made with Mango butter, not only does it smell  tempting enough to eat, it lathers in to a rich foam just like that. Follow with the Nourishing Treatment Mask (£7.00), which will leave your hair impossibly soft. (Perfect for 70s flyaway disco hair by the way). Available at Boots.

- Treat chapped lips with Guava Lip Butter from Korres (£6.00). This is a beautiful sheer nude colour that creates an almost 60s lip. Makes a super-beautiful lipstick base too.

- Finally, add a touch of nourishment to your nails with Butter London's Nail Laquers (£12). Each one is made with no Formaldehyde, no toluene, and no DBP (Phthales). It's as nourishing as a nail varnish is going to get.

Now time to butter the crumpets. You need your strength in these climes...

Coolest Pop-Up Shop Ever

I remember going to the St Martin's Lane hotel for a New Year's Eve Party a few years ago with my dad. Needless to say it was really fun (and we felt really cool). However, since then, St Martin's Lane Hotel has raised the coolness stakes even higher. Did you know they have a vending machine in the lobby where you can actually buy a snack or a car???

AND from now until December 24 you will find a Malin+Goetz pop-up shop too. The super-chic apothecary brand from New York is still relatively low-key in the UK but that will all change soon. The best thing is that you will find both Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz manning the shop, just like they used to in their first New York boutique. Pop in for a chat, (as I did and found out about their dogs, holidays to the former Soviet Union and their dinner parties in New York) or skincare advice of course. The products are as good as they look. My favourite is the Mojito lip balm - moisturising and tinglingly delicious.

PS: Pick up one of their newsletter/catalogues, which are gorgeously designed and features details of ALL their products.

Beautiful Competition!

If there is on item that I simply cannot live without, it is a good cleanser. It just so happens that my favourite cleanser is Omorovicza's Thermal Cleansing Balm. And it also just to happens that I have two to give away in Beauty Mole's first ever competition. All that is standing between you and a gorgeous complexion is to simply email your details to beautymoleblog@googlemail.com and put Thermal Cleansing Balm in the subject line. Then say hello to refined pores, moisturised skin and a peachy glow. Ready, steady, go....

(Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm, £45)


Closing date 5pm on Friday 10 December. Winner will be picked at random and contacted by email. The prize will also include a cleansing cloth. 

A Very British Affair

I have always had a real weakness for vintage. I've collected many trinkets, crockery, clothes (obvs) and shoes from vintage shops all over the world. Therefore, I couldn't resist the invitation to Batiste's Vintage Tea Party to celebrate the launch of their new Dry Shampoo, Brit.

Celebrating all things traditionally British, the tea party was beautifully decorated down to the smallest details. Homemade cupcakes (one with Beauty Mole's name on it, literally), homemade scones and champagne poured out of teapots in to delicate china teacups. I loved every minute of it.

Batiste Brit Dry Shampoo is available exclusively at Superdrug, £2.09

Avant-Garde Beauty

I have always admired Japanese fashion. Their simple and minimal approach to tailoring. And yet on the other side of the scale the over-accessorised theatrical creations of the teenagers in the Harajuku district.

I must say that my recent visit to the Barbican's Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion exhibition was an eye-opening insight. The colours, textures, fabrics and fantastical shapes were so dazzling. I was instantly drawn to the golden aura of Koji Tatsuno’s fantastically delicate puffball dress. I couldn't help but imagine what the makeup would look like for an outfit like this. Gold glitter and fat lashes.

I also absolutely loved Mintdesign's intricate gowns. Hula-style skirts out of shredded magazines and coats made from recycled newspapers. One thing is for sure: Barbican sure know how to put on a kick-ass fashion exhibition.

Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion at The Barbican Centre