autumn beauty essentials

It has suddenly turned very cold here in London, which means that not only have the coats and scarves suddenly surfaced, but I have also had to dig out the skincare big guns. And it’s not all about fancy, expensive potions to protect against these unpredictable elements. Two days ago we had sheets of rain, wind and then blazing sunshine in one day. Yikes.

So, first of all and perhaps most importantly, I have amped up my cleanser to Eve Lom’s Morning Time Cleanser. If you are put off by strong, herby smelling products – this is not for you. If you also don’t like a buttery, balmy cleanser – this is also not for you. But my god, I love this. The smell reminds me a little of Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Cream and consistency of Organic Pharmacy’s Carrot Butter Cleanser. It is a real wake-me-up for the skin and feels more than a little moisturising and toning for a cleanser thanks to a combination of Chamomile, Carrot Oil and Clove Oil. Purely indulgent.

Next: moisturiser. I think I have discovered my moisturiser soul mate. I am in love with Dr Organic’s Snail Gel Cream. Your first thought may be, erm WTF – snail gel???!! Yes, go with it. The power of snail’s slime has been proven to be a healer and is naturally high in collagen. The bottom line is: it feels ultra moisturising whilst not greasy. It tones. It is a grafter. A hard worker.

Finally, I love bareMinerals Primers, which act as a brilliant base for makeup. Even if it’s a little concealer over the top. And as a cherry on top, I am not usually one for fake tan as such, but this Faux Tan from bareMinerals adds a very subtle glow when mixed with moisturiser. I always get compliments when I wear this and my complexion looks more ‘healthy’. I wore it on my wedding day and how worn it looks is a testament to how much I love it. 

Autumn, I am ready. 

Eve Lom Morning Time Cleanser, £40
Dr Organic Snail Gel Cream, £19.99 from Holland and Barrett stores 
bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer, £23

bareMinerals Faux Tan Face Gradual Glow Sunless Tanner, £18

best of the best teas

I am a bit of a tea lover. Especially anything herbal. As geeky as it sounds, it’s something I bonded with my now husband about on our first date. Our love of herbal tea and how big our stash was in our respective cupboards.

I have honed in on some of my favourites over the years, each for different occasions. Here is the shortlist:

•          I LOVE Dragonfly teas anyway. Their Moroccan Mint is absolutely divine and so deliciously minty – but not synthetically so. This particular one, Vanilla Rooibos is my current ‘all-rounder’. It is quite strong, so you don’t need to leave the tea bag in for long – but as rooibos is already quite a sweet tea leaf, the vanilla makes the tea taste almost honey-laced. Lovely in the morning or before bed – it’s caffeine free. From £2.00
• Darjeeling tea is known as the champagne of teas. This Pure Darjeeling from Dammann is light, aromatic and best served without milk. I do like it with lemon though. This is one for mid-morning or early afternoon. €15.00
• Greenfield tea is a bit of a renegade as I only ever get it in Russia. It’s a really popular variety there and this Ceylon tea is bold, brash and flavoursome. This is great with lemon, (milk if you like it) and some honey. Perfect afternoon tea.  
• As a family, we are partial to Pukka teas. They do some great mixtures – and this Revitalise variety with cinnamon, cardamom and ginger is lovely for autumn and winter. It is super warming and smells like pudding in a cup. Lovely for both first thing in the morning and post-dinner. From £2.00
• I have recently discovered Rituals tea selection – what don’t they do well. This one is called Emperor’s Dream – its hero ingredients are Staranise and Licorice, however, it is also really minty and has a decent dose of fennel. This is perfect during a cleanse/detox. I find it calming post dinner or as a mid-morning hunger-pang treat. £4.50 per box

The tea cupboard needs an extra shelf I think…

wonder woman

It seems as if the summer might never end, but with the thunder storms over the last couple of days the winds of change may be upon us (pardon the pun). My street is covered in conkers, much to the delight of my daughter. But this hot/humid/windy/foggy couple of weeks is wreaking havoc with my beauty routine. It still feels summery in the afternoons with bright, blazing sunshine. But it feels cold, almost frosty in the early mornings. But there is one product that I became obsessed with in the lead up to my wedding that is my go-to at the moment, rain or shine. 

Becca’s Shimmering SkinPerfector is an actual wonder product. I know that phrase gets  thrown around all too often, but it actually does wonders. Honest. It comes in several shades – I have Opal, which is a pinky, skin coloured tone which is a universal colour. Used on tops of cheekbones, eyebrow bone, on the nose, cupid’s bow and a little on chin gives the face more definition and ‘hugs’ all the right curved and grooves. You can also mix a little with your moisutirser for a subtle all-over glow. I will do that more often when it really gets gloomy. The pigment is so fine, not chalky and looks beyond luminous. Tick, tick, tick.  

I cannot recommend this cult product enough and I can’t believe it took me so long to find it. 

Becca’s Shimmering SkinPerfector, £33 from Space NK

summer of love

Well, the sun has finally started to shine in London and when you have a baby it means you spend almost all your days in the park. Actually, even if you don't have a baby, it's just I'm in the kiddie park pushing a swing instead of sipping ice cold cider under a tree...
Either way, I have a few little essentials that I put in my bag a few weeks ago and haven't taken them out since. The first is lip balm - my lips get dry in the heat so I usually have a lip balm in every pocket, bag and buggy just in case. I'm a slave to Carex original lip balm for a cold tingle during this heatwave. 
I have also fallen back in love with Liz Earle's Botanical Essence™ No.1 - I love getting a waft of it's bergamot and lavender notes in the summer breeze. Plus, its 98% natural ingredients which as I've said before, as a mummy is a reassuring little nugget.
Finally, I've got Institut Esthederm UV inCellium Spray, which is a godsend in a bottle. it protects the skin against the environment against harmful UV rays - erm, genius. It leaves a gorgeous sheen on the skin too, so no dry or dehydrated cheeks after a day in the sun. Yes please!

Liz Earle Botanical Essence™ No.1, from £47.00

Institut Esthederm UV inCellium Spray 100ml, £31.50

 

mummy's treats

Yesterday was mother’s day. Put your hand up if you had the best intentions and yet you still managed to not get that gift out to your mummy on time? Now that I’m a mummy, I now realise how much mums forgive their children, no matter what. So it’s never too late.

One of the best gifts you can give your mummy is the gift of soft, younger looking hands. And ones that smell amazing to boot.

Nothing beats Korres for gorgeous infusions of nature, they are my utmost favourite. I love this little soap and hand cream duo – bargain price and luxury is at your fingertips. Literally. 
Buy it now, exclusively at Asos! 

Little Fable...

As a busy mum, I’m ashamed to say that sometimes I barely have time to moisturise my face after a shower. Oh dear! This where a miracle skin oil comes in to its own. This particular one, by Balance Me, was a gift by a dear friend at my baby shower and it’s definitely one of the best I’ve tried. If applied on the face straight after a hot shower or bath, any oil will be absorbed by the open pores for maximum moisture. I love the fact that this one is 100% natural origin and soothing ingredients including chamomile instantly restore my skin during winter months.

The moral of the fable is a good face oil is the LBD in your skincare wardrobe – an absolute must-have.

Balance Me Radiance Face Oil, £30.00 

Sweet Smell of Spring

There is something about the beginning of spring that make me want to update my fragrance collection. All the fresh smells of a new season and blossoming trees get me giddy with excitement about summer.

This year, like any other, I wanted to get a fragrance that was fresh, spring-like but not too-sugary-sweet. Salvatore Ferragamo’s (best shoe designer ever, anyone?) Segnorina fits this description to a tea. It’s rosey and flowery with a touch of creamy sweetness. It reminds me of a delicious lollipop from childhood and airs out in to the scent of a spring flowerbed.

Plus, it helps me with my sweet cravings. Yum. 

Salvatore Ferragamo Segnorina from £39.00

Give a Helping Hand

Who doesn’t want to use a gorgeous product and also give back a little? One of my favourite natural brands, Trilogy, is celebrating the 10-year-anniversary milestone. To celebrate, they have released a ‘Helping Hand Wash’, of which 100% profits will go to Child’s i Foundation to help end baby abandonment in Uganda. As a mother-to-be, it’s extra close to my heart. Unsurprisingly, it's already been flying off the shelves!

Give a helping hand...

Trilogy Helping Handwash, £13.50

Moisture Cacoon

Although I can be quite lazy with body moisturiser, now that I’m pregnant, of course it is more important than ever. My abdomen and belly are also ridiculously itchy and craving moisture to accommodate the expanding belly.

I am packing in a double whammy of moisture: Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Massage Oil as soon as I’ve stepped out of the shower followed by Thea Baby Naturals Tummy Butter. The mixture of AA’s rosey scent and Thea’s rich cocoa butter is a heady one.

I think the belly approves. 

AromatherapyAssociates Renew Rose Massage Oil, £36

Thea Baby Naturals Tummy Butter, £22.95

Be My BB-FF

Although the new BB cream phenomenon has been gathering pace over the last couple of years, I haven’t been compelled enough to try…until now.  

Clinique’s new BB cream sounded too compelling to pass up. With a SPF protection of 30 (fantastic) this ‘beauty balm’ does instantly perfect the skin.

The original ‘BB craze’ started in Asia and soon became a cult favourite. Asian women wanted a one-stop-shop-beauty-balm that would moisturise, cover imperfections, and also prime the skin to create a fantastic base for all makeup. And it does all of the above.

Why would you ever wear tinted moisturiser again now that BB is available on your doorstep? For a yummy mummy in the making this is a godsend as well as for anyone who doesn't have time to fuss on makeup. 

Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30, £25.00

A Little Help...

I have been a fan of Shiffa for a while. Theirs are products whose ingredients literally sound good enough to eat. One of my biggest enemies at the moment is the potential of stretch marks rearing their ugly head, but Shiffa's founder Dr Lamees Hamdan actually developed her own concoction of pregnancy oil during her own pregnancy. It features, amongst others, macadamia, apricot, avocado, evening primrose and Mandarin oils that come together in one sweet, delicious smelling fits-all pregnancy oil. It's reassuringly rich, heady and totally soothing. Finally, waking up to a red and blotchy face is about as far from the pregnancy glow I was expecting. Shiffa's Tamanu moisturising cream is very healing and calming for angry red skin. Calendula will help to protect too. 

Anything to help me get my glow on.

Shiffa Pregnancy Body Oil £52

Shiffa Tamanu Moisturising Cream £74

Obedient Hair

Although I have never been best friends with a conditioner before, the tides might be shifting. Lately, since my pregnancy, my hair has been so poufy and fluffy (they say it gets thicker if you’re having a boy!!) - a bit unruly you might say.

I have been trying Phyto’s Express Conditioner recently and not only does it smell of sweets and cocoa butter, but it also leaves hair silky, but not weighed down. I was super impressed. My hair is usually fine and if I used a heavy conditioner in the past, it ends up looking like I’d dipped my head in oil. Not sleek chic. More freak chic.

Then I also tried Phyto’s Daily Hydrating Botanical Cream Leave In conditioner – something that I would normally not touch with a bargepole. It is brimming with botanical extracts and is brilliant for giving hair a slick of gloss without full-on ‘conditioning’ and is especially great before you blow dry your hair. And my fine hair doesn't look gready either. Soo, flyaways be gone.

Obedient hair is the way forward.

http://www.phyto.com/en/

Ask Me Why I'm Glowing

So the New Year has arrived. The Chinese year of the dragon. And with it, it brings change to Beauty Mole. The announcement here is that I am pregnant! An exciting start to the year and a definite change in my beauty routine. The little baby is due on July 7^th (subject to change) and has brought a whole host of interesting side effects with it already.

The first is that I have to moisturise my body more than ever. I must admit that I can be quite lazy with body moisturisers, even though I love it when I do. Of course the skin feels so much softer and if you have the right one it also smells amazing. Now, however, I am using oil. Bio Oil is a cult favourite and I am using it to keep stretch marks at bay from my expanding belly. However, I discovered that it’s also amazing for any skin ailment, especially dehydrated skin. Slather on to your face the night before you want to wash your hair and you will wake up to calmer skin in the morning guaranteed.

Then I am using Trilogy’s Aromatic Body Oil for everywhere else – with rosehips, rose and vanilla, the skin simply drinks it up after a shower.

Finally, as my ‘glow’ has not quote arrived, I am cheating with Sisley’s Radiant Glow Express Mask. This helps to bring out the rosiness in any complexion and the red clay will draw out any impurities.

So, now you can ask me why I’m glowing….
Bio Oil from all pharmacies - cheap as chips!! 
Trilogy Aromatic Body Oil, £16.50
Sisley Radiant Glow Express mask, £64.50