Sali meets best-selling author Marian Keyes to talk beauty, life experiences and her loves of home, family and Chanel nail polish.
Beauty products mentioned in this video:
Henri Bendel in NYC
Latisse lash treatment
Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil, £136
Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask, £95.50
Re-Nutriv serum out 2015
Nip and Fab Glycolic skin pads, £12.99
ESPA Lip Balm, £10
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, £39.50
Babyliss Big Hair, £44.99
Cold sore machine – UK version, £35.99
Clarisonic, from £125
Marian’s book, The Woman Who Stole My Life
Sali’s book, Pretty Honest
Bonus recommendation: Dairy Milk Ritz
The post In the Bathroom with Marian Keyes pt 1 appeared first on Sali Hughes Beauty.
If something is pushing “radiance” as its key message, then I always want to take it for a spin. And if it’s a cleanser, then all the better. I’ve been using this on and off for a few months now and I love it, with some reservations. Firstly, it is absolutely 100% a morning cleanser. Do not attempt to take off your makeup with it, because it just won’t deliver and your towels will get filthy. It’s really more of a rinse off mask (hence the high price), though I find it’s enough to cleanse and refresh my skin first thing. Where it’s more useful is in perking up dull skin pre-makeup, perhaps twice a week. It acts very similarly to the also clay-based Liz Earle Brightening Treatment (the unsung hero of her brand as far as I’m concerned), reviving the complexion is minimal time. The Sarah Chapman pump bottle says one minute before rinsing. If you’re neither sensitive nor rosacea-prone, I’d push it to two. And I would certainly advocate the use of a flannel to remove, followed by a splash or two. My skin feels extremely soft afterwards and the glow is visible.
There’s been a huge, if largely unreported, trend this year for not-quite-matte lipsticks with bold, saturated colour and a very comfy feel. It kicked off with Lauder’s Pure Color Envy at the tail end of 2014, then came Nars Audacious, and now we have Bourjois’ seriously good version at a more affordable price. The velvety finish seems to work particularly well in red tones, which is why I’ve mainly been wearing Hot Pepper and Grand Cru (I’m into nudes with a glossier texture currently. I know – I barely recognise myself). These apply very easily on the move – I do so love a wand – and last a seriously long time without fading or smudging. Well done, everyone.
OK, so there is so much hype around this, partly because it introduces a whole new category and partly because well, you know, it’s the first Lauder campaign to star Kendall Jenner aka Kim Kardashian’s sister (do I personally think she’s right for such an iconic, quality brand? No. Was I proved wrong when the whole world suddenly started talking about Estee Lauder again? Yes). But to get down to the bare facts, here’s what it does: It acts as a very natural looking lash tint (think Clinique’s Naturally Glossy) for casual days. It does this very nicely indeed. It also claims to act as a primer to bulk up and lengthen lashes before applying normal mascara. It does this less well, in that I can’t really see a difference. Finally, it promises to lock down your mascara when LBP is applied as a water resistant topcoat. It does this SO well that I’d buy it purely on that basis. It has changed the game, allowing me to wear my favourite dramascaras (I just made that up. It needs work) like Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill and Guerlain Maxi Lash without even the slightest smudge to show for it. This week alone, it’s withstood tears (I watched the film Milk AND dropped off my kids at Gatwick), sleeping in makeup (I went out with girlfriends and ordered espresso martinis. Forgive me) and foul seaside weather. It absolutely works. Another use for it – as yet unnoticed by Estee Lauder – is that is makes a perfect bottom lash mascara, coating lashes subtly and durably in a notorious smudge hotspot. Trust me, this is for you if your moisturiser, hormones or lifestyle causes frequent panda eyes.
Bobbi has heaps of key launches happening this year, but this new Long-Wear collection (also featuring the superb Cream Shadow Sticks) is my favourite. Seriously, this brow crayon (it’s not a pencil – I disagree with the choice of name here) is a gamechanger. If you love the slanted nib, brow spooli brush and twist up packaging of the Tom Ford Brow Sculptor, as I do, but find it’s sometimes not sharp enough for a really defined shape, then look no further. Bobbi’s has the same packaging concept but the crayon itself is thinner, sharper and doesn’t blunt over time when used properly. It goes on like a dream and absolutely won’t leave until you send it packing. I’ve even tested this range in the bath and shower and I’m pretty wowed by its staying power. This is a new staple for me – nothing fancy, no frills, no fuss, works better than anything I’ve ever used in this category. Oh, and if it weren’t perfect enough, the colour range is spot on. I wear Espresso but every one is a winner (even Rich Brown, which sounds too warm, but I promise it isn’t). My only niggle is that they’re more expensive than I’d expect a Bobbi crayon to be.
I do so love a blush stick. There’s something so satisfying about a fat, stubby stick of colour, to be stamped onto cheeks bingo-marker style. I almost always go for a creme finish (like Nars The Matte Multiple or Revlon Baby Stick) because in my experience, gels are very rarely a pleasure to work with. They’re either too sheer (I want to see my blusher, thanks) or too staining, giving me about half a second to blend and balance before they leave a vivid watermark on my dry cheeks. These are the exception to the rule. They’re moist, satiny solid-gel sticks of juicy, summery colour, that go on beautifully to leave the prettiest, gleaming, flush. You barely need to blend, in all honesty – just press on to the apples (Illamasqua’s Alex Box suggests using your palms but I’m personally into dabbing straight from the stick), and very lightly soften the outline with you middle finger (I dab what’s left on my mouth to get rid). So easy for summer. There are only two cheek shades, but there’s a third coffee-tinted colour (called Gel Sculpt) for contouring, if that’s your poison.
This is such a lovely cream, but is so pared down and simple that there’s almost not enough to write about. And I mean that in a good way. It’s for skin that is inflamed, red, sore, allergic, stressed and shattered. It contains honey and shea butter (oilies should probably avoid for this reason) but still feels light and ungreasy – it’s far less rich and buttery than something like my beloved Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv, for example. It’s hypoallergenic, preservative free (not that I have any issues with parabens, but some skins are sensitive to them), is pasteurised and packed into an air locked pump to discourage bacteria growth and any other potential allergens. Despite this somewhat paranoid approach, Apicosma also boasts the most beautiful, natural, creamy scent, a bit like a just-bathed baby. It gives an unexpectedly smooth, matte base for makeup and can also be used as a night cream. It’s a good one for sensitive non oily skins, of any age, and I can imagine it being popular with razor-burned men. I just like it worn over Vichy Aqualia Thermal serum as a little R&R after too much product testing. Despite all this love, I’m going to lay it on the line here and say that three or four years after discovering Melvita, I’m still very much trying to talk myself into their bucolic packaging vibe.
Facial washes aside where they belong, oils are generally my least favourite cleansing method. It’s entirely personal. I find them a bit messy and dribbly and given that a balm removes makeup and dirt just as effectively, I opt for the convenience of a solid product in the evening (for mornings, I’ll use a milk or cream). That said, this new cleansing oil has stolen my heart, and I’ve used nothing else for my nighttime cleanse for the past several weeks. It’s the latest addition to Clinique’s renowned Take The Day Off category, a range that prides itself on quickly removing even the heaviest makeup, including waterproof. This doesn’t let the side down. Seriously, it shifts EVERYTHING in one, two-pump, application. There’s no rubbing or coaxing mascara from lashes, no having to give your base another once-over when the flannel keeps coming back orange. Skin is sparkling clean but crucially, without the squeak. Deep cleansers can often make my skin feel as though it’s been cleaned with Cif and a Vileda Supermop, but this leaves it perfectly soft minus even the thinnest film of serum-blocking grease (because though oil-like in consistency, it doesn’t actually contain any oils. Go figure). It smells of absolutely nothing, so aromatherapy lovers may find that disappointing, but it performs so brilliantly in every area that I’m prepared to forgive. The one application efficiency means I’ve been using for about three weeks now and I’m only about an eighth of the way through the bottle. It’s suitable for everyone, including the sensitive and the oily, and I can rub it all over my eyes without any reaction. It’s just bloody fantastic and so I had to share.
