I call this AW19 Stella McCartney look, “wellness face”. It says: “I mainline liquid collagen, live at Soul Cycle and my middle name is Clean. Recognise yourself? Well all power to you as you gloat, sorry I mean glow, from your pedestal. For the rest of humanity, make it up. A cleansing device refines texture and boosts circulation. Clever dewy foundations mimic perfect skin. Liquid lipstick dotted and blended on cheeks gives a lasting but natural flush of colour. Finish with a neutral lip. Voila!
1. Beauty Bakerie Matte Lip Whip in Bubblegum Crisis £19, cultbeauty.co.uk
2. Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum £77, netaporter.com
3. Shiseido Colorgel Balm in Lotus £25, johnlewis.com
4. Foreo Luna 3 device £169, lookfantastic.com
5. Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation £29.50, boots.com
I can’t do without: a flat bottle of sexy scent that fits in your palm
Clever niche fragrance brands understand they can’t appeal to everyone. Many bigger and more commercial brands, on the other hand, assume everyone will love their ‘blockbuster’ scent. Nowhere is this more palpable than at the numerous fragrance launches I attend. As I sniff the scent blotter, a beaming brand representative will excitedly utter the line: ‘What do you think? It’s amazing, right?’ I’ve had situations where, if I was being brutally honest, my response would be, ‘Well actually, it is nauseatingly revolting and you are all suffering from emperor’s new clothes syndrome.’ Thankfully there are launches – like Lancôme’s Idôle – that take me by surprise and I become so pathetically adoring that I have stern words with myself to avoid veering into sycophancy. The scent - bergamot, rose, jasmine with a base of cedar and patchouli – is feminine, sexy, grown-up and smells more expensive than it is. Then there’s the architecture of the bottle. At just 15mm, it is possibly the slimmest in the world. Thinner than your iPhone. Teeny gripe: it doesn’t stand up, so you have to lie it flat. Still, considering its merits – oh, and did I mention it’s refillable and its sustainable ingredients? – I’ll overlook that. So all in all, glorious. Which is more than I can say for many fragrance launches. Lancôme Idôle, from £48 lancome.co.uk
On my radar: Fine fragrances, a quick peel and new foundations
Just a minute Chock full of skin-refining acids such as salicylic and glycolic, this exfoliating peeling mask has been proven to renew skin texture and brighten complexions in 60 seconds. Yes, really. Dior Dreamskin 1-Minute Mask, £54, johnlewis.com
Tiny scents Mini scent sets - like Le Labo’s offering of its five cult favourites – provide a brilliant short cut for expanding your fragrance repertoire. Le Labo Fragrance Discovery Set, £58, libertylondon.com
Dewy shades Loved the ground-breaking impact of Fenty’s foundation launch but couldn’t get with the matte formulation? Well say hello to its hydrating counterpart – in 50 shades. Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation, £27, boots.com
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