Sarah Loves... December
Sarah Loves... a darkly romantic nail polish, three fab lip balms, fragrant wipes, a facelift in a bottle (nearly) and a bath oil to waft you peacefully into an English garden...
It’s like having a new lover! I’ve forsaken my taupe-tipped fingers for this wickedly seductive violet for the party season. The first time I wore it out, there were compliments - so how could I resist? Anyway, black plum seems outrageously right for Xmas pud time.
• Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Black Plumat www.boots.com/£14.50 - buy here
Tuck a few of these grime-busting, instantly uplifting tissues, each in its own stay moist sachet, into your bag – they fit in even the daintiest evening purse – and the zingily fresh unisex fragrance will win you friends of both sexes. Even blokey blokes are won over as you wipe their paws, mop their brows and cool their necks. Honest.
•4711 Eau de Cologne Refreshing Tissues at www.vctoriahealth.com/£3.10 for 10 – buy here (and you’ll also receive your 5% ‘insider’ discount at the checkout)
When beauty company dynamo Maleka Dattu (we all go back a l-o-n-g way) showed me her new integrative skincare line – basically meaning it combines science and nature – I knew it was probably going to be good. (Maleka doesn’t do middling…) I truly hadn’t bargained on just how great this serum is. Stroke it on daily and it makes your skin look lovely, massage it in – always working skin upwards to the hairline - on a too-little-sleep morning and it gets an Oscar for best supporting everything!
•Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum at www.merumaya.com/£34.50 for 30ml – buy here
I was actually given this as a gift by Vitabiotics, the supplements brand (very good FYI), and am so delighted with this English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine blend I had to have a little rave about it. We have known NEOM founder Nicola Elliott from the beginning when she launched positively the most lovely perfumed candles, all organic. (There’s a travel candle to go with this, at £15.) I LOVE bath oils and this ranks with the best – the faceted bottle is so elegant too. I just adore lying in the bath in Dorset at weekends (that’s where the horses are, not in the bathroom you understand, but nearby) listening to the radio with a drink of Dorset ginger. Heaven. PS It’s a perfect Christmas present if you are looking….
•NEOM Tranquillity Organic Bath & Shower Oil at www.lovelula.com/£32 for 100ml – buy here (and do add the code bb13 for a 5% discount, won't you...?)
And a bunch of moisturising lip products
I just couldn’t decide on one so here are my three lippie loves for the chilly season (you can see them all lined up at the top of the page). Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve, 100% natural origin, fabulously moisturising for lips and pop some on cuticles while you think of them. Neal's Yard Remedies Natural Lip Gloss, again as natural as the dawn –but a rather sophisticated take as it gleams gently while softening and plumping: lovely over colour for evenings. And lastly, Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss, in 01 Apricot, a pretty pretty sheer for daytime winter lips.
• Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve at www.balanceme.co.uk/£12 – buy here
• Neal's Yard Remedies Lip Gloss at www.nealsyardremedies.com/£9.50 - buy here
• Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss at www.boots.com/£13.50 – buy here