Bright-Eyed = Bushy-Tailed

Following a recent beauty event at Selfridges, my friend said one of the most poignant and apt statements for any beauty lover. “I wish I had two faces, so I can be trying double the product all the time.”

I definitely wish that too. Especially now. I have discovered the equivalent of a sexy older brother to the aforementioned Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser. Enter M Lab’s anti-Ageing Brightening Cleanser. From the beautiful jet-black bottle to its heady scent, this is like Clarke Gable swooping in to steal the crown from Woody Allen, and boy does M Lab mean business. The enzymatic exfoliants and cleansing micro-beads give a perfectly thorough cleanse and left my skin feeling soft and supple. Ideal for an evening cleanse as it doesn’t leave a smidgen of eye makeup behind.

Aesop however, gentle and kind is great for a morning cleanse when you don’t want to overload your skin with any heavy product.

M Lab Anti-Ageing Brightening Cleanser, £50
Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser, £27

Fabulous Skincare...

If only all beauty boutiques were like Aesop. The gorgeous little shops are like mini apothecaries, lined with brown bottles all waiting for you to take them home. How can anyone resist?
Last weekend, I visited one. And I didn't resist.
It's the little touches that impress. The Victorian sink where you can try any of the cleansers and scrubs. The beautiful displays of all the products. And the helpful service where the consultants are never too greedy to give away their samples! One Fabulous Face Cleanser later, I was skipping home with a beautiful little linen bag filled with sumptuous samples and the said cleanser. The cleanser in question is of he gel variety, smells devine thanks to Bergamot rind, Chamomile Bud and Rosemary Leaf which make up its core ingredients. It is specially formulated for sensitive skin and it has made mine feel super soft and hydrated. Though, it's so gentle, bless it, I need something tougher to remove makeup. Needless to say, I can hardly wait until my next visit... Fabulous Face Cleanser, £27 for 200ml

Pick Me Up

Summer summer summer time, oh summer time. The weather is hot and every public building and transport vehicle feels like stepping in to a mini sauna. But not one that is actually good for you. Or your skin. I have been thinking a lot lately about what I put on my skin and have been inspired by flowers, plants and my weekly visits for Colombia Road flower market. I decided to go au naturel. I am also a sucker for beautiful scents and the way they can uplift your mood. My Cowshed room sprays genuinely make me happy/relaxed/relaxed and happy, depending on the time of day I spray them. So it's no surprise that I go for the same pick me up qualities in my skincare.
My first investment is a eco, hard-duty face wash. I always double-rinse my face of all make up every evening and need a face wash that will get rid of all traces of my day's wear. I decided to try Evolve, an eco-smart skin care range. The Daily Detox Facial Wash was both gentle and effective. It features African superfood moringa seeds, which purify skin and reveal a brighter complexion. Nice wake up call for skin in the mornings and super-thorough cleansing in the evenings.

For an additional perk-up, I am loving Nude's Deep Cleansing Mask, which is made from kaolin clay to draw out any impurities, but is non-drying. Hallelujah. Plus, as a bonus, the little beads in the mask act like a gentle scrub when you wash off the mask. Double-duty, double-beauty, double-results.

Finally, to rid my body of any harmful toxins and start from the inside, I am taking a course of Nude's Detox capsules, which contain Liquorice and ginger that support the digestive system and aim to reduce water retention and increase energy.In other words, I am not carrying around a food baby after a big meal.