LIXIRSKIN
WOW. WOW. WOW!!!!
This past week has been quite the week for wows, what with our Beauty Bible Awards – but we confidently expect that quite a few of the products in the new LIXIRSKIN range will be up there receiving gongs next year, when we hand out the 2018/2019 Awards.
Lixir is the 'baby' of an incredibly gifted cosmetic scientist called Colette Haydon, who we've known for forever. Quietly, cleverly, behind the scenes she has created ranges for all sorts of brands – many of which have gone on to become global bestsellers, including REN, Aromatherapy Associates, HealGel and more.
About flipping time, then, that Colette came out of her lab and took some well-deserved glory – and she's done it with Lixir, kinda named after the laboratory she set up 20 years ago (Elixir de Beauté). In gorgeous, simple packaging – with the 'vintage knicker pink' colour somehow making it feel super-feminine and desirable – there are just six products. And we're in love, love, love with at least three of them.
First up: Electrogel Cleanser. Use this as a cleanser – it has bumped A Very Well-Known Cleanser off Jo's bathroom shelf. Alternatively, use it as a mask. This is an absolute grime magnet, trust us – thanks to the fact that there are negatively-charged particles in the creamy, rich formula (which attract dirt in sort of the same way as an e-cloth). It's £25 for 100 ml here.
Second: Vitamin C Paste. Famously skin-brightening, this quick-fix ingredient comes in the form of L-Ascorbic Acid (more effective than any other type of vitamin C, Colette maintains). Apply to skin for one minute, massage in and rinse – et (as she'd say), voilà! Brighter skin. £32 for 50 m here.
Last but absolutely by no means least, Universal Emulsion, which does triple duty as a day cream night cream and serum, in one. (No need for layering of lots of products.) She suggests it can be used not just on face and décolletage but also lips, arms and hands. There's a very light SPF in there – SPF10, enough for winter, anyway. There's also a Night Switch collection – pretty potent stuff, with AHAs and/or retinol. Personally, we prefer less high-tech solutions, so haven't put these through their paces. From £29 for 50 ml here.
Our friend at Victoria Health, Gill Sinclair, cleverly bagsied the exclusive on this – and you can read her in-depth interview with Colette, here.
Meanwhile, we look forward to seeing you on our Beauty Bible Awards podium next year, Dr. Haydon!
LIXIRSKIN/£20-45 at victoriahealth.com