Menage A Trois

Menage a trois..

Good things come in threes, so the old adage goes. This is certainly the case with Lait Sensoriel Aux 3 Fleurs (Sensory Lotion With 3 Flowers) from Lierac Paris. I've always been a die hard fan of French beauty brands. Darphin, Decleor, Carita, Nuxe and Yon-Ka are all regulars in my bathroom cabinet (now joined happily by Lierac).

For me, moisturising is less of a beauty habit and more of a necessity. Together with regular exfoliation, it is the key to maintaining supple, hydrated skin. Through winter, I tend to favour richer body butters and oils, which I like to massage into my skin after a shower or bath to seal in essential moisture. But through spring and summer, as the weather gets warmer, I tend to swap my richer body and face products for lighter formulations.

I've been using the Lierac Sensory Lotion with 3 Flowers for a few weeks now, and I have to say, its light, easily absorbed and non-greasy texture (together with its heavenly scent), make it an absolute joy to use. London can be terribly humid in the warmer weather, and there's nothing worse than the clingy feeling of one's shirt sticking to one's back after slathering one's self in too rich a body cream. Thankfully, this wonder doesn't leave a greasy film or residue on the skin, it just does what it promises, ie provide lasting hydration.

This is definitely a product I'd recommend, and would be ideal for holidays. The hypnotic exotic floral aroma leaves skin sensually scented, delighting the olfactory senses. On the design front, the product's tube is an aesthetic dream, chic and pleasingly minimalist in design, sporting a floral motif that Gabrielle Chanel no doubt would have approved of. A welcome addition to any bathroom / handbag / suitcase.

The Active Ingredients

Moroccan Argan Oil, rich in Essential Fatty Acids, anti-oxidant Vitamin E, polyphenols and carotenes, conditions the skin and protects against environmental aggressors.

Grapeseed Oil is a potent anti-oxidant, protecting against environmental aggressors. Rich in Essential Fatty Acids, it has a conditioning and restorative effect on the skin. Its lightweight texture makes it a popular carrier oil in aromatherapy massage formulations, as it penetrates easily into the skin.

Sweet Almond Oil is especially rich in Essential Fatty Acids. Another favourite for aromatherapy and facial oil blends, it has a softening and hydrating effect on the skin, while anti-oxidant Vitamin A and Vitamin E protect from environmental damage.

Hazelnut Oil is packed with a host of skin-friendly vitamins, including anti-oxidant Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Highly nutritive, there's nothing like it for soothing and softening the skin.

Gardenias were a favourite with Jazz icon Billie Holliday, she adorned her hair with them, and they became as iconic as her voice. A key note in many a classic perfume, gardenias hale from the tropical forests of southern Japan and are noted for their subtle fragrance and toning and relaxing properties.

The camellia was Gabrielle Chanel's signature flower, and remain as much a Chanel icon as their tweed boucle jackets, quilted leather 2.55 bag, gilt chains and pearls. Originating from China, its Essential Fatty Acid rich oil makes it superbly nourishing, soothing, softening and protecting for the skin. Dual-purpose, it also restores shine, softness and vitality to the hair.

Another staple fragrance note, Jasmine is native to the Indies and Egypt. Rich in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonols, Jasmine Absolute is a key ingredient in many anti-ageing skin preparations. Delightfully fragrant, it has a relaxing and harmonising effect on the mind and body, while also strengthening and beautifying the hair.

Lierac Sensory Lotion With 3 Flowers - £19.00

www.lookfantastic.com

www.selfridges.com

020 7620 1771

Who Wants To Live Forever

Who Wants To Live Forever..

Mankind's quest for eternal youth is nothing new. From the tales of Cleopatra bathing in asses' milk to preserve the beauty and youth of her skin, to Queen Elizabeth of Hungary commissioning her own cure-all and elixir of youth, the "Queen of Hungary's Water", a botanical astringent that, according to legend, had men half her age at their knees in adoration. The first alcohol-based perfume to be recorded in Europe, it preceded Eau de Cologne, and is said to date back to the late 14th Century.

Today, in the age of Photoshop, botox and fillers, you'd be forgiven for thinking that ageing is some sort of crime, punishable by house arrest and social exclusion. If only people were secure enough in their own skin to grow old gracefully. Hollywood icons such as the late Paul Newman and Lauren Bacall (thankfully still with us), are proof that advancing in years doesn't necessarily herald the coming of Armageddon.

Many beauty brands, advertising agencies and marketeers are to blame for consumers' mass insecurity. How on earth are we supposed to feel good about ourselves when the majority of celebrities and models in beauty campaigns are either barely older than a foetus, or Photoshopped within an inch of their lives. It makes me yearn for the golden era of Hollywood. In those days, there was no computer wizardry, just artful make-up, masterful lighting and genius photography. The stars of yesteryear knew how to rock what they had. Whether is was Marlene Dietrich and her sphinx-like cheekbones, Bette Davis with those hypnotic eyes, or Marilyn Monroe with her killer curves, it was their prerogative to maximise their innate charisma, and goodness did they do it well.

If there was one major impact I could make in my lifetime, and one momentous legacy I could leave behind, it would be to impart the wealth of knowledge I've acquired in the eleven years of working in the fashion and beauty industry, to empower people to not only make the best of themselves, but to also embrace the unique and special traits that make us all beautiful. God knows I'm not perfect, who is? But with a little savoir faire, we can all learn how to not only take care of what we've been blessed with, but to also fake what we weren't.

Frankly, the quest for eternal youth is futile. The honest truth is that you are going to age. You will get wrinkles and your skin will sag, it's inevitable and it will happen to us all. But it's not all doom and gloom, it's quite likely that as your age increases, so too will your wisdom. I will be 30 this year, and if there was one message I could have given to my 18 year old self, it would be "don't spend so much time worrying about what other people think". Confidence isn't a tangible quality, but it's one of the greatest aphrodisiacs I know, and tends to make an individual innately attractive. In the Western world, it's almost like we want to age backwards. When I think of the iconic films I watched, growing up as a child, there are some poignant perspectives regarding the lengths people will go to in the quest to stop the hands of time.

One case in point is the devilishly dark comedy "Death Becomes Her" starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini and Bruce Willis. Set in Hollywood (how fitting), the plot focuses on love rivals Streep and Hawn, who are tempted by Rossellini to part with vast amounts of money in exchange for an elixir that promises eternal youth. Both Hawn and Streep think that by rewinding the years, they will succeed in winning the object of their mutual affection, Willis. Of course, neither gets what they want. Willis dies, leaving them both as macabre warring caricatures , who by the end of the film, are literally falling apart at the seams.

Joi de vivre coupled with a litte je ne sais quoi, are the keys to being happy. Good health is also paramount. I'm a firm believer in the old adage that "beauty on the outside starts on the inside". Don't waste your time chasing something that doesn't exist. Take moderate exercise, eat healthily, sleep well and for god's sake have fun. I've reached an age where people in my life are starting to drop like flies. I lost both my paternal grandparents when I was 13, and in the years since, I've lost more relatives, most recently an uncle who died earlier this week. It makes me think of this wise poem:

Dance as if no one were watching,

Sing as if no one were listening,

Love as if you've never been hurt,

Live every day as if it were your last.

My musings on life aside, I'm also a firm believer in a solid skincare regime. As with all things in life, fastidiousness is the key to success. Moisturising once in a blue moon is not going to bestow you with youthful looking skin. By the same token, there's no point thinking that going to the gym once a month will give you the body of a Greek god.

Last week, I was invited to attend a breakfast, courtesy of L'Occitane, the quintessentially French brand hailing from my favourite region of France, Provence. The table was bedecked with romarin (or rosemary as we call it here). It's funny how our olfactory senses can take us back in time, like a portal to specific times and places in our lives. In this instance, I was transported to a particularly special family holiday in Provence (vacances en famille en Provence), goodness, even my GCSE French is coming back, zut alors! My father has always been obsessed with French culture, and like father like son, there's no doubt that I've inherited his ardour. On this holiday, he introduced me to Peter Mayle's 1989 best-selling autobiographical novel, "A Year In Provence".

We had hired a large rustic villa with a swimming pool, surrounded by rambling terraced orchards, framed by rolling green hills that went on as far as the eyes could see. I recall the heady scent of lemon blossoms carried on the mistral (a strong, cold regional wind, usually accompanied by clear and fresh weather). If heaven on earth truly exists, I think this was possibly the closest I've come to experiencing it. During our stay there were two special moments that I attribute to sparking my passion for rustic beauty products and aromatherapy. The first was a memorable pilgrimage to Grasse, to view the true home of perfume and essential oil distilleries. On this occasion, I have a vivid memory of being amazed by the lavender fields, spreading out over the rugged terrain like a giant floral blanket.

The other occasion, on one of our many exploratory car journeys, I cried out in excitement when I spied wild rosemary growing abundantly by the sides of a country road. I insisted on my father stopping the car so I could get out and pick some. I could smell the characteristic invigorating "green" scent of the herb long before I'd even approached the bushes, it was unlike the English rosemary we had in the herb garden at home, in fact it was unlike any rosemary I'd ever smelled before. Needless to say, I picked enough of it to cook with several meals during our stay (and enough to take back home). We even managed to scent our olive oil with it, and my most resounding memory was that even on our return to England, though the rosemary had dried, its scent was no less potent.

With this in mind, it's no wonder that I was immediately taken with L'Occitane's Precious Cream. With its rustic, inky majorelle blue glass jar, delightfully rich and creamy texture, and host of natural ingredients that remind me of that fateful holiday, a love affair was born.

The Ingredients

Grape seed oil is high in antioxidants, offering superior protection from free radical damage and environmental aggressors. It is also lightweight, delivering supreme hydration without greasiness.

Immortelle, a plant characterised by its magnificent clusters of golden, sun like flowers, blooms every June. In 2004, L'Occitane planted the first large-scale organic immortelle plantation in Corsica, harvesting the blooms by hand in the traditional way. Mediterranean medicine has long extolled the virtues of this wondrous plant, with its innate anti-bruising, anti-inflammatory and healing properties (it is 100 times more powerful than arnica). The flowers never wilt, even after they have been picked (hence the name). The essential oil derived from the flowers, is the signature ingredient around which the formula for this range has been built. It stimulates microcirculation and enhances cell renewal.

Once touted as "the King's cure-all", evening primrose oil has been praised for centuries for its healing powers. They key to its miraculous properties lies in the seed, which contains the essential fatty acid GLA (gamma linolenic acid). Often prescribed to women who suffer from particularly bad premenstrual syndrome, research indicates that it not only alleviates the symptoms of PMS, but also restore the youthfulness of skin and hair, together with boosting overall well-being.

Reputed as the ultimate skin hydrator, starflower oil is derived from the seed of the borage plant. The richest known source of GLA, the oil restores moisture and smoothness to dry and ageing skin, and many believe it to be the key to retaining youthful, radiant skin later in life.

Sunflower oil and sunflower seed extract are rich in antioxidant Vitamin E, providing protection from the ageing effects of free radical damage. A superior emollient, it not only retains moisture levels in the skin, it also helps to reinforce the skin's natural protective barrier.

Herbalox-O is an antioxidant derived from rosemary leaf extract, which is traditionally used in folk medicine, rather than the more widely used rosemary essential oil. It also acts a superb natural preservative in oil blends, so not only will the rosemary leaf extract prevent the ageing effects of free radical damage, it will also prolong the longevity of the other active oils in the cream itself.

Precious Cream - £38

www.loccitane.co.uk

Champagne Supernova

Champagne Supernova..

I have to say, I'm rather partial to scrubs. I'm not referring to the unsavoury layabouts that the 90's pop trio TLC sang about. No, in this instance, I'm talking about scrubs of the spa variety. Once you've got into the habit of exfoliating regularly, be it your body, or your face, there's really no going back. There's nothing quite like it for sloughing off dead skin, boosting cell turnover and leaving skin soft as silk and glowing with health. Even the actual process of massaging a scrub into the skin boosts circulation, aiding in the elimination of toxins from the body.

So, when a few weeks ago, I received an e-mail about a new champagne and pomegranate scrub, I have to admit, my interest was piqued. The Natural Spa Factory is a British brand, specialising in the production and supply of spa products to select spas and hotels in the UK. There's a strong emphasis on creating products that are "as natural as can be". The PR blurb rather tenuously ties in this product with the forthcoming royal wedding of Kate Middleton (or Catherine, as she has been ceremoniously re-branded by the palace courtiers)

Granted, the product is called "Royal Scrub". Yes, it contains champagne, and it was indeed conceived to commemorate this grand occasion in modern British history, but what else the impending nuptials of the future king of England has to do with this product, genuinely escapes me. I suppose I do have something of a bee in my bonnet about this particular subject, as every fashion and beauty PR in the land seems to be using it as an opportunity to market something. I'd rather not debase this blog by emulating the tactics adopted by tabloids to boost their circulation figures, so we'll stick to the product, its active ingredients, and most importantly, its efficacy.

The sample I received in the post, was in fact a sachet the approximate size of a pop tart. When I opened it, I managed to squeeze out the scrub contained within, which in reality was no more than two tablespoons worth (and that's a generous estimate). How a serious journalist is supposed to review a scrub when sent a portion of such diminutive size, I'm note sure, but I did give it my best shot. Measuring in at 5ft 9", I'm hardly a hobbit in stature, so it's safe to say that there was enough product to scrub one limb (I settled on one of my legs). I did like the texture of the product, the salt crystals worked their magic, and post exfoliation, the dry patches of skin on my knees and calves were a little smoother.

But the reality is that you could achieve the same results (if not better) by purchasing exfoliating mitts and adopting them once or twice a week in your bath or shower ritual. If you are super serious, why not use the scrub with an exfoliating mitt, you'll reap double the rewards. Dry body brushing is another superb option, I suggest doing it in the morning prior to showering, starting at the soles of the feet, brushing in firm strokes towards the heart. Avoid sensitive areas (unless of course you are partial to a little S&M - hey, I don't judge). When working on the chest area, scrub down towards the heart, and when working on the arms, start at the fingertips, brushing upwards towards the shoulders. This will not only do a fabulous job of eliminating any dead skin, it will also boost your circulation, lymphatic drainage, and the elimination of toxins from the body. If you have cellulite, this is a brilliant way of tackling the dreaded orange peel effect, it really does work wonders. After showering / bathing, I suggest massaging a body oil into skin while its still wet (this locks in essential moisture). Pat dry and you'll be raring to go.

In its defence, the product's unusual ingredients do have documented health and beauty benefits (which, when you cut to the chase, is the genuine USP). Having worked as a fashion and beauty journalist for over five years, I've reviewed countless body scrubs from the world's leading brands (E'Spa, REN and The Sanctuary to name just a few), usually formulated with salt or sugar crystals, but this is the only one I've tried that has been formulated with champagne, pomegranate and fennel. In a market that's saturated with copycat products, it is so easy to become jaded, so I was rather pleased to be surprised.

The Ingredients

Salt, not only the title of a recent action film starring Angelina (adopt-a-child) Jolie, is well known for its positive health benefits. Perhaps not when ingested in large quantities, but certainly when applied topically as a scrub, or used as a soak, be it in bath salts or mineral rich Dead Sea mud. Highly efficacious as an exfoliant, salt crystals are abrasive enough to have a superbly smoothing effect when massaged into skin, in the bath or shower. Personally, I'd suggest opting for a good soak, as salt water not only aids in drawing toxins from the body, it is also superb for treating minor skin ailments such as psoriasis and eczema, not to mention aching limbs and muscles.

While we're on the subject of Dead Sea mud, I can't even write those words without chuckling. I blame this episode of Absolutely Fabulous (Series 2, Episode 2), in which Edina (Jennifer Saunders) has a Dead Sea mud wrap in an effort to shed the pounds, only to find, post treatment, that her body has absorbed the mud, resulting in an unwanted weight increase, to which she exclaims in horror; "I've put on twelve inches all over my body! I mean my body absorbs mud! Every pore is now an over-eater!"

You may think champagne an odd choice for a body treatment (even if Kate Moss and Johnny Depp were alleged to have bathed in it at the Portobello Hotel in the 90's). In fact, champagne contains grapeseed extract and grape resveratrol (a bioflavenoid), which is a formidable antioxidant, more potent than Vitamin C or E, clinically proven to protect skin cells from environmental aggressors and premature ageing (champagne, the fountain of youth, who'd have thought it). It has even been proven to prevent the mutation of healthy cells into cancerous cells, also inhibiting the growth and spread of tumours. It's no wonder then, that Caudalie, the luxurious French skincare brand, has built a formidably successful product line around the humble grape.

I consider myself to be pretty savvy when it comes to the arena of holistic health and beauty, but the only time I'd encountered fennel prior to this, was in herbal tea and certain culinary dishes (specifically Indian cuisine, in which fennel seeds are used to minimise flatulence). Formerly an official drug in the United States, fennel, like peppermint, is known for combating indigestion. When applied topically, it is nothing short of miraculous, with documented benefits including antioxidant and detoxifying properties. It prevents water retention, minimising puffiness, whilst soothing, cleansing and toning the skin (who'd have thought it).

Pomegranate, on the other hand, has been on my radar for years. For one, the luxury beauty and lifestyle brand Rodial has based its entire product portfolio on the antioxidant benefits of pomegranate elegiac, proven to slow down the breakdown of collagen in the skin, in turn, helping the skin to look younger, for longer. When ingested, pomegranate is proven to reduce cholesterol.

In summary, this product excels on the antioxidant and detoxification fronts, so if you are concerned with maintaining youthful looking skin and eliminating toxins, it's definitely worth a try.

Royal Scrub - £18

www.naturalspafactory.co.uk