Lift Me Up

Lift Me Up..

Have you ever wondered how celebrities achieve that essential red carpet glow? The kind of beaming, luminescent loveliness that speaks of luxury, not to mention those elusive eight hours of beauty sleep we rarely seem to be able to clock up with our increasingly frantic lifestyles. Of course, a fabulous make-up artist and great genes are both major contributors (as are a celebrity photographer and photoshop), but in truth, beauty on the outside starts on the inside. Our skin is not only our largest organ, it is the best accessory we have. While pore-less, taught skin and a blemish-free complexion can knock years off your aesthetic age, skin that is poorly looked after, can have the converse effect.

I've always been a devotee of holistic beauty. Frankly, injectables make me shudder, so the prospect of botox and fillers is quite frightening, given some of the bizarre, puffy and often distorted faces we see (Kylie Minogue, Joan Rivers, Melanie Griffith, Sharon Osbourne, Katie Price and Jocelyn Wildenstein to name just a few).

Injectables are simply quick fixes, necessitating regular top ups to maintain the faux-youthful aesthetic effects. Why be a dermatologist's pin cushion when you could save yourself the pain and cost by putting in a little leg work. A healthy diet, moderate exercise, plenty of water and heaps of beauty sleep remain the best course of action for the long term maintenance of beautiful, youthful skin. In addition, not smoking and ensuring you wear an SPF of at least 15 on a daily basis, will ensure your skin remains free from free radical and photo damage.

How you choose to look after your skin is up to you, but my advice would be to adopt a gentler approach to maintaining your natural beauty for the long term. I've had many professional facials over the years, at the hands of some of the world's leading experts, and with the sole exception of one phenomenal microdermabrasion treatment at The Refinery, my favourite facials have always been the ones of the aromatherapy, acupressure and lymphatic drainage variety. The Bliss Triple Oxygen Facial, John Tsagaris' He Mu Facial (mind-blowing acupuncture), Karen Herzog Peel & Plump Facial and Yon Ka Men's Facial (insanely relaxing and glow enhancing) have all rated very highly with me.

With this in mind, I was thrilled when I heard that from 15th May, Antonia Burrell, the hot new facialist in town, will be launching the exclusive Antonia Burrell Natural Corrective Lift Facial at Urban Retreat in Harrods. Timed to coincide with the launch of her eponymous Antonia Burrell Skincare collection, it is the perfect opportunity to book yourself in for a little one-on-one TLC. With over 18 years of industry experience, you couldn't be in more capable hands.

Acknowledged by many as the ultimate in urban spa destinations, Urban Retreat spans in excess of 22,000ft (including 32 treatment rooms), making it one of the largest purpose-built salons in the world (well it is in Harrods after all, we'd expect nothing less).

The facial is bespoke and luxurious, catering to the skin concerns of each individual client. A stress-busting, holistic affair, it promises to iron away wrinkles, lift the facial muscles and leave you with a pore-less porcelain complexion (yes please). All I can say is, if Antonia's skin is anything to go by, then I'm converted. It is always advisable to check out the expert who is treating you. Just as I'd be wary of visiting a hair stylist with awful hair, or a make-up artist with poorly applied make-up, when seeking the ultimate facialist, I'd recommend looking at their skin. As you can see from the photo at the top, Antonia doesn't have any lines to speak of, nor does she have blemishes. Her skin is as taut as a baby's, and she has an ethereal glow. This is all indicative that the lady with the healing hands practices what she preaches. A woman of integrity, who has clearly mastered her craft.

The treatment includes a whopping forty-eight unique muscle movements, designed to visibly lift and tone, while lymphatic drainage techniques are incorporated to minimise puffiness, sculpt the cheekbones, detoxify the skin and boost skin clarity. So advanced is this treatment, that is has been formally accredited by one of the industry's top awarding bodies, and is now taught on the post-graduate short course curriculum at The London College of Fashion (not just a pretty face).

Whether you book in for the facial in May and want to use her product line at home to maintain the age-defying results, or can't make it to the spa and want to buy into Antonia's expertise, the products (pictured above) are available to purchase from Urban Retreat and the Beautique website. I tested the Natural Glow Cleansing Oil yesterday, after a bout of late-night blogging, and have to say, I woke up for a Press event this morning with the glowing skin I had in my early 20's (I'm 29).

Packed full of pure plant extracts such as line-erasing sesame oil, uplifting citrus oils, calming lavender and antibacterial tea tree oil, the first thing that hits you about this product is the divine aroma, it smells delicious and not at all synthetic. Devoid of skin nasties such as parabens and SLS, you can use this daily without fear of any adverse effect on your health or the environment. The sleek black glass packaging has a luxurious feel, not only protecting the precious oils from sun exposure (potentially degrading the oils), but also enhancing the appearance of your bathroom. To get the best from your cleansing routine, it's best to follow Antonia's expert tips:

1. Using your ring and middle fingers, start from the centre of the chin and working outwards and upwards onto the cheeks massage using small, circular movements.
2. Working inwards against the lines and wrinkles, massage around the eyes, focusing on the socket. Do this 12 times.
3. Massage the forehead using your middle fingers with small circular motions. Work up towards the hairline.
4. To finish, use light, tapping movements all over the face with your middle finger and ring finger. Feel the tension melt away. Spend a minute on each step, then wipe away cleanser with a washcloth or muslin.

Complete your skincare ritual by spritzing the Forest Dew Skin Tonic on some cotton pads, and wipe gently over the face to balance refresh and hydrate. To enhance the soothing effects of lavender flower water and cucumber extracts, try keeping this product in the fridge.

Natural Corrective Face Lift Facial - £120 for 90mins

Natural Glow Cleansing Oil - £43.40

Forest Dew Skin Tonic - £38.85

www.beautique.com

www.urbanretreat.co.uk

www.harrods.com

www.antoniaburrell.com

The Quest For Enlightenment

The Quest For Enlightenment..

I've always had a fascination for nature and holistic beauty. In my youth, I would often pick herbs and flowers from my garden in rural Northumberland and make my own face masks. To some this may seem like an unorthodox practice for a young boy, but with the nurturing influence of my maternal and paternal grandmothers, I was encouraged to learn about holistic principles. Whether it was learning about how to recognise a dock leaf in the instance of nettle stings, or how to harness the healing and soothing powers of lavender blossoms and rose petals, I had no idea at the time that I'd end up becoming a professional within the beauty industry. In hindsight, the knowledge I received from the wise women of my family were the cornerstones of what some would call an encyclopaedic knowledge of alternative therapies.

It's a constant source of amusement to me that these therapies are referred to within the Western world as "alternative". For the UK has a rich history of druidic beliefs. Modern Christianity has borrowed heavily from Britain's native pagan practices. Anyone who read Asterix comics in their youth will be familiar with the concept of druids gathering sacred herbs with a sickle for use in rituals and rites. From people dancing around May poles (a practice originally intended to boost fertility), to the commercialisation of Yule, our druidic heritage is ever present in the modern world, though sadly, as we have evolved and our culture has changed, our understanding of this aspect of our heritage has been lost. I doubt many children (or adults for that matter) would be aware of the fact that what we call Christmas, is in fact based on the pagan festival of Yule. Even simple things such as Christmas trees and festive wreaths are based on the ancient Yule log. As the ancients prepared for the on-set of deepest winter, they would place an evergreen Yule log in their homes to remind them that life would come again, crops would grow and the days would eventually become lighter.

My birthday is the 21st of December. When people find this out, their initial thought is "that must have been awful, did people always give you a combined birthday and Christmas present when you were a child"?. But of course, the 21st of December is a great deal more than the fourth day before Christmas. It is also the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, and a celebration of the horned god. A pivotal moment in the Pagan calendar, because once this moment has passed, we can all look forward to increasingly brighter days. When you think about it, there's really nothing sinister about this. After all, what is there to fear about the prospect of the end of winter and the prospect of spring in the months to come? For people who lived by the land, this was of huge importance, as the process of sewing the seeds for their crops would soon commence. Those seeds would of course become crops and those crops would be harvested to provide food to eat.

The organic movement has become increasingly trendy in modern culture, which is essentially a back-to-basics approach to lifestyle, owing much to our agricultural and druidic heritage. Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna have championed macrobiotic diets, the practice of eating pricier, local, organic seasonal produce, in favour of eating cheaper, non-seasonal imported food flown in from afar (contributing to carbon emissions and essentially destroying our farmers' livelihoods). But while wealthy mothers across the land scrutinise food labels while doing the weekly shop, they often overlook the products they use on their skin, and indeed the skin of their precious offspring. I read recently that the "green" Hollywood actors Woody Harrelson and Alicia Silverstone had been spending a lot of time together. Harrelson is a vocal champion of the organic lifestyle, while Silverstone has worked the chat show circuit exhaustively in her effort to educate people about the vegan lifestyle. It was reported that on one occasion, when Silverstone was spending time with Harrelson's kids, he couldn't believe that she was so against animal cruelty, yet had no idea about the chemicals she used daily on her skin.

I've been a fan of "green" skin care for some time. REN, one of my favourite brands, literally means "clean" in Swedish. This brand has been around for some time now, and their signature Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil can be found in the bathrooms of the world's leading beauty editors (and indeed my own). REN is not only an organic range devoid of the plethora of "skin nasties" so often found in everyday consumer beauty products, the herbs and flowers they use in their formulations are grown using biometric farming techniques. This process involves the sewing and harvesting of crops in line with specific moon phases. Most people aren't aware that a plant or flower's essential oil content is at its most potent on a full moon.

So, given my fascination for "green beauty", I was thrilled to receive an e-mail about a new skin care brand called Bodhi. Anyone familiar with eastern philosophy will know that the Buddhist belief system is based on the story of Siddartha, an Indian prince who dedicated his life to a quest for enlightenment. In summary, it was only once Prince Siddartha sat under the Bodhi tree (the sacred fig), that he became Buddha (aka the enlightened one). This brand is literally Bodhi by name and Bodhi by nature. Like REN its predecessor, the key principles of "green living" are at the heart of the brand. The products contain high grade essential oils and absolutes, sourced from across the globe, while manufacturing takes place on UK soil to further enhance the brand's green credentials. In my opinion, the key points of difference between Bodhi and REN is that Bodhi being new to the market, has a product portfolio comprising solely of bath and shower gels, while REN is a fully evolved lifestyle brand that encompasses bath and shower products, hand products and facial skin care.

However, the most fascinating difference is the manner in which Bodhi build each unique product's scent. The structure of the products' fragrances owes a great deal to the art of fine perfume. In favour of single note structures, Bodhi's scented products are as complex as a scent one might purchase from Creed or Penhaligon's. In layman's terms, this means that notes with a heavier molecular weight such as precious woods form the base notes of the scents, while citrus, herbal and floral notes, with their lighter molecular weight, form the top and middle notes. Combined, the effect is a multi-layered fragrance "journey". The top and middle notes one smells when first bathing / showering, evolves on the skin, developing over time to reveal the heavier base notes. This is about as far away from "the Lynx effect" as one could get (and thank goodness for that). Some chaps might prefer the cheap aroma of gym locker rooms but I'd like to think my personal taste for fragrance reaches beyond the confines of a deodorant can. Some might call that snobbery but in reality my career has been built on my prowess as an arbiter of taste. Can you imagine a major retailer commissioning Mary Portas to advise them on their business practices if they didn't believe in her taste level? I think not!

So what of the three Bodhi shower gels I was sent to test? The Ylang-Ylang Incensa Sensual Bath & Shower Therapy (pictured at the top) is one of my favourites. A perfect Valentine's gift option, Ylang-Ylang is renowned as a potent aphrodisiac. This product definitely screams out for a sensual bath or shower for two. Simply lather up and luxuriate in a fragrant and sublimely intimate moment.

Adrenaline junkies will love Bodhi's Mint The Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy. A virtual gym "cool down" in a bottle, this fresh and invigorating formula is an essential for every stylish man or woman's gym bag. If you have sensitive skin that flares up in hot weather, this will be your go-to scent for some instant soothing.

Black pepper is one of my all time favourite scents. It's the key note in my favourite discontinued Gucci scent designed by Tom Ford and can also be found in Molton Brown's synthetic best-seller, the men's Black Pepper Shower Gel. Go green and opt for Bodhi's Pep Noir Energising Bath & Shower Therapy. Unlike Molton Brown it's devoid of harsh chemicals and will do a lot more for the preservation of our ecosystem.

My only gripe about this range is that it's so good that the loved ones in your life are likely to squirrel it away. I've used each of them once, yet they have been mysteriously depleted. The next delivery may have to go under lock and key! I suggest saving yourself the hassle of product disputes and purchasing some of these joyous bathing products for your nearest and dearest (as well as for yourself), after all, sharing is caring.

Bodhi Ylang-Ylang Incensa - £23

Bodhi Mint The - £23

Bodhi Pep Noir - £23

www.bodhi.uk.com

A Close Shave

A Close Shave..

I've been sent many a shaving product over the years to test for reviews. Being mixed race, my hair is naturally curly, leaving me prone to painful ingrown hairs. Having sensitive skin, with fast-growing hair and coarse stubble, I often find the shaving process uncomfortable (I have to shave daily to avoid looking like Joaquin Phoenix, pictured below during his rapper phase). With this in mind, I'm especially picky when it comes to my shaving products.

When I was contacted by Oliveology, an American shaving brand, to ask if I'd consider reviewing their natural Shave Gel, I thought sure, send it over and I'll see how it compares to the premium natural products I already use. Olive Oil is the core ingredient in this product. In Greek mythology, when Athena, goddess of wisdom, was challenged by Poseidon, god of the sea, to create a divine gift for the Greeks, she created the olive tree. Athena's gift turned out to be a little more useful to modern man. While horses are generally kept for sport and agriculture in the Western world (with the notable exception of France where they like to consume them on occasion), the olive (and olive oil) is a staple of Mediterranean and increasingly Western diets. It's no wonder then that Mediterraneans are famed for their longevity, supple skin, healthy hair and nails.

Olive oil is known not only for its culinary cholesterol-reducing properties but also for its efficacy as a skin cleanser and moisturiser. A rich source of Vitamin E gives the olive antioxidant properties, valuable protection against cellular damage from free radicals and environmental aggressors. In short, Vitamin E gives olive oil anti-ageing properties, making it particularly effective in skincare.

I can guarantee that the majority of modern working men and women would rather have one excellent shaving product, than have to rely on a host of products to achieve the same super-smooth result. I certainly don't have time to massage a pre-shave oil into my skin, followed by a shave gel/foam and post-shave balm - it's just too fiddly and time-consuming. This is why I already use multi-purpose natural shaving products and why Oliveology Shave Gel has earned a place in my bathroom.

If I had to single out the most outstanding point of difference between this products and its rivals, it would be the slippy texture of the gel. I'm yet to find another product that lubricates my razor blade as effectively, without the build up of stubble on the blade. All you have to do is look at the water in your basin as you shave, you'll see hairs everywhere and it's all because there's none on the razor. It's also worth mentioning that a little bit of product gives a lot of great shave.

The odourless formulation will be appreciated by those with sensitive skin (and others like myself who prefer their face not to smell like a cheap generic men's deodorant). Additional natural ingredients such as skin-soothing aloe and sangre de grado extract (a tree resin also known as dragon's blood), known for its skin-healing properties, ensure this product ticks all the boxes from efficacy to added benefits. The travel-size bottle is especially handy for those on-the-go (in my experience, airport security have a fondness for seizing your essential toiletries at the least convenient times - so it's safer to downsize).

Oliveology House Bottle, 8oz - $12.00

Oliveology Travel Bottle, 2oz - $5.00

www.oliveology.com