Sarah loves... July/August
Top to toe skin-cherishing products, an eye de-puffer/dark circle-banisher plus a scent that wafts you into summer - come rain, come shine...
No sun, no summer? No problem… In fact, we ARE having a rather lovely summer - mostly - but it's always good to have this to hand, because there’s nothing quite like this classic dry oil – shimmering with gold and mother-of-pearl particles - to summer-ify your skin from top to toe. You can even put a drop or two on your fingertips and smooth it on your hair to give it a subtly iridescent aura. With no preservatives, it contains six super-softening oils – borage, St John’s Wort, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut and macadamia.
• Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or/£34 for 100 ml at www.uk.nuxe.com - buy here
Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Dark Circle Radiance Concentrate
This is one in a range of new nature-based products from Florida dermatologist Dr. Gary Goldfaden, a long term advocate of natural ingredients, some organic (although there are a few synthetic chemicals in there too). It did make an immediate difference: the faint dark circles diminished, but more importantly for me, it made my eyes less puffy and the eye area just looked, well, brighter. Not cheap, but you only use a drop twice a day for this very common problem.
• Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes Dark Circle Radiance Concentrate/£48 for 15 ml at www.uk.spacenk.com - buy here
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Bianca Eau de Toilette
One of the summer events to look forward to is the annual introduction of a new Aqua Allegoria in the portmanteau of Guerlain’s eaux fraiches. With this year’s late spring, we all need a spritz of Nerolia Bianca to lift our spirits. I love the sparkling blend of citrus - grapefruit-y pamplelune and mandarine basilica – with herba fresca – just like a freshly cut lawn or hay field – and warm, sun-filled lys soleia – white lily with golden ylang- ylang. Just writing the words makes me feel as if I am in soft Mediterranean sun.
• Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Bianca Eau de Toilette at www.johnlewis.com/£39 for 75 ml - buy here
Emma Hardie Amazing Face Hand and Nail Treatment Cream
When Jo and I were at the recent launch of Emma’s new products, we both had a bit of a love-our-hands moment, immediately stroking this really fab product on our paws. Talking of paws…. Short pause to apply it now this moment…. There! It sinks in in a trice so I can type seconds later without sticking to the keyboard, and my hands are velvety soft. Irresistible!
• Emma Hardie Amazing Face Hand and Nail Treatment Cream/£24 for 100 ml at www.qvcuk.com - buy here
ThisWorks In Transit Camera Close-Up
Oh clever, clever Kathy Phillips, our long-time friend, yoga teacher and founder of ThisWorks. As a frequent long-distance traveller (she looks after Vogue beauty pages in the Pacific rim countries), she knows just what cosmetics you need. Hence her new In Transit range, which includes this clever, botanical-stuffed mask, moisturiser and primer all in one neat pump dispenser. Which makes it pretty good value too. So this portable pick-my-face-up is going in my travel bag immediately. (Alongside the No Traces Pads to remove make-up and grime, £17 for 60 pads.)
• ThisWorks In Transit Camera Close-Up/£30 for 40 ml at www.victoriahealth.com - buy here • This Works No Traces Pads/£17 for 60 pads - buy here