The LA Bouquet..
The SS10 catwalks at Valentino, Versace and Christopher Kane were awash with the prettiest pastel hues. At Valentino in particular, one model was reminiscent of a delicate Monet waterlilly, cocooned in diaphanous lavender silk chiffon. Where the catwalk leads, the cosmetics industry follows. Dolce&Gabbana Cosmetics and Lancome have released floral-inspired collections, with the former launching its Roses Lipstick Collection with a campaign fronted by Scarlett Johansson. Lancome meanwhile, have enlisted Elettra Rossellini to front their Spring campaign. Ellettra's mother, Isabella Rossellini, was of course the face of Lancome between 1982 and 1992.
However, over in LA, the female stars of Desperate Housewives are going potty over the Valerie Beverly Hills make-up collection. The founder, Valerie, is a make-up artist of legendary skill. Her make-up artistry is matched by her instinct for fabulous products. There's no glittery ad campaign or thundering fanfare (they don't need them), just genuinely gorgeous products that feel divine on the skin and visibly enhance your natural beauty.
To list my (many) favourite products from the collection would be like popping the champagne cork before the guests arrive. Given that love is in the air with the approach of Valentine's day, I'll let you in on a little secret about the Rose Blush. Valerie worked with the finest Italian pharmacists, micro-milling rose petals thousands of times to produce this exquisite powder. The precious pigment is moulded into the shape of a rose in full bloom, encased in a gorgeous compact.
A touch of pink blush on the apples of the cheeks is the swiftest way to add a romantic flush to a lacklustre complexion. The "apples" are the fleshy part of your cheeks. A great trick is to look in the mirror and smile. The fleshy, rounded part of your cheeks are the apples.
If you've a fair complexion, I suggest applying a touch of the Rose Blush in Movie Star (soft matte pink). It's worth snapping up Valerie's super-soft goat hair Kabuki Brush - it's a dream for applying powder, blusher and bronzer. Dab the brush gently into the compact, tap off the excess before applying on the apple of the cheeks, blending outwards in circular motions along the cheekbones, up towards the hair line. This adds dimension to the face, sculpting the cheeks for a sophisticated, contoured effect. Olive skin tones should opt for a deeper pink such as Snow White, which imbues a rosy flush worthy of a Jane Austen heroine.
Valerie Rose Blush - £35
Valerie Kabuki Brush - £35
www.victoriahealth.com
