Inspiration by NEOM
This is currently (and has been for a few weeks now) filling my bathroom with the lovely scent of violet, chamomile and cedarwood. It is the Inspiration Organic Reed Diffuser from NEOM Luxury Organics (RRP £35).
Beautifully presented (as are all NEOM’s offerings) the diffuser comprises a frosted glass bottle that contains the blend of high quality essential oils, and natural reed sticks that absorb the scent and send it out. A pretty object, it looks fab wherever you place it.
The scent is certainly interesting – floral but not ‘frilly’, fresh but not necessarily what I’d call ‘summery’. It is a gorgeous fragrance though, really uplifting, and the diffuser ensures that the whole room is filled with the scent very quickly. My diffuser seemed to be ‘less smelly’ after about half way through the bottle. Solution? I just turned the reed sticks upside down. That’s just the kind of crazy kid I am.
The combination of violet, chamomile and cedarwood is supposed to motivate and inspire you. It is ideal, apparently, for kick-starting new beginnings and possibilities. Bearing that in mind, I’ve actually just moved it to my office! Watch this space…
5 Deadly Skin Sins
For this post, top skin therapist, Louise Thomas-Minns from U and Your Skin in Norwich and London, singles out the worst 5 skin aggressors:
1. ‘The sun causes 90% of the ageing damage to our skin as UVA rays are present 365 days of the year. Protect daily using an environmental shield to guard against UVA/B and pollution.’
2. ‘Sugar is right up there as a big No No for skin health. It contributes to lines, wrinkles and yes there is science behind the fact that sugars in excess can contribute to spotty outbreaks.’ Read more about the effect of sugar on your skin.
3. ‘Now you don’t need me to tell you that smoking full stop is bad for your health but why would you want to super charge the ageing process of your skin as well as giving yourself an increased chance of ugly broken capillaries and dull, lifeless skin due to the stunting of the flow of Oxygen and nutrients?’ Read more about smoking and skin.
4. ‘There’s a fine line between moderation and excess and that’s certainly true when it comes to alcohol consumption. A little red wine, for example, is rich in age fighting anti oxidants but drinking excess will increase the youth grabbing free radicals the body produces in response as well as the sugar surge it creates.’ Read more about the effect of alcohol on your skin.
5. ‘Beware of over exfoliating your skin. Now don’t get me wrong I’m a big fan of this necessary skincare task but we have all become a little bit obsessed with scrubbing our skin to within an inch of its life. When you remove dead cells you also remove the essential fats your skin needs to remain healthy.’
Louise is a beauty and skin therapist who holds an NVQ level 3 and CIDESCO qualification. She also has a Cert Ed teaching qualification and is an NVQ assessor in beauty therapy.
Her diverse career began in 1996 and took her from being a beauty therapist, salon manager, account development manager and trainer for MD Formulations and Bare Escentuals, teaching the theory and practical aspects of NVQ and CIDESCO beauty qualifications, to developing her own unique facial treatment and now working as a skin therapist in her Norwich ‘skin lounge’ and in London at The Wyndham Centre.
Her passion has always been in skin health and stemmed from her own personal battle with Acne which she has a particular empathy for.
‘U and your skin’ the facial, was developed after 10 years of research and experience to offer a totally bespoke treatment that encompasses a 3 dimensional approach, science, nutrition and holistic therapy.
Louise Thomas-Minns at the opening of her Norwich 'Skin Lounge'.
Help Your Skin Bounce Back
March saw the introduction of new Repairwear Uplifting Firming Cream from Clinique.
Oil-free, it is designed for combination skin types in need of a little, well… lift.
Among the cocktail of lifting and firming ingredients is a powerful new component called Mitostime, a botanical extract derived from brown algae harvested off the coast of France, that provides essential energy to tired skin cells helping to support the increase in volume. The result is a boost in the skin’s plumpness, something that, sadly, diminishes with age. Mitostime also helps strengthen the skin, improving the collagen and elastin matrix.
Unlike some creams that are purely cosmetic in their potency, Repairwear Uplifting Firming Cream works across all three layers of the skin – the hypodermis, dermis and epidermis to deliver, apparently, long lasting, gravity-defying effects.
This everso-slighty iridescent, apricot tinted cream has a lovely light texture and sinks into skin easily leaving a fresh, comfortable feeling.
While I’d say its too soon to report effects of groundbreaking proportions, regular use has left my skin looking radiant and smooth, and it feels nicely hydrated without being oily. If I achieve more prominent looking cheeks, a smoother forehead and a firmer jawline over time as well, I’ll be pretty impressed.
Clinique’s Repairwear Uplifting Firming Cream is available now at Clinique counters and online. RRP £50 / 5oml.
DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
Deep Cleansing Oil from Japanese brand DHC (rapidly developing a cult following among make-up artists and their celebrity clients) is, I’m reliably informed, a ‘worldwide bestselling product’, with ‘one bottle sold every six seconds’.
I’ve heard how good cleansing oils can be – for all skin types, and thought I’d try this ‘wonder product’ for myself.
Like all DHC products, the packaging is clean and modern, and the simply-branded pump-dispensing bottle looks good beside the sink.
One to two squirts of the oil seems enough – you apply it to dry skin and massage around to dissolve make-up, sunscreen etc and other impurities, and then rinse thoroughly with warm water. The oil becomes a milky white suspension upon rinsing – you know you’re thoroughly clean when the milky residue is all gone.
After patting dry, skin looks fresh, clean and supple. My skin can get quite oily in areas but still responds really nicely to this product. I’m using it nightly to cleanse the day away at the moment.
I’d recommend this product even more highly for drier skin types – it is wonderfully hydrating (the main ingredient being Olive Oil, as with all of the DHC line) without a hint of stripping or tightness that some cleansers and facial washes can leave.
Deep Cleansing Oil is available from http://www.dhcuk.co.uk/DHC/ priced £18.50/200ml. Small and mini sizes (ideal for travel!) also available.
WE LOVE: The look and feel of this product from packaging downwards. The result after use – lovely. The price – good value as you don’t need to use much product each time.
NOT CRAZY ABOUT: Haven’t discovered anything not to like yet… A brilliant cleanser.
Bright Eyes
I had a baby just under 6 weeks ago. That fact alone should provide some insight into just how little sleep I’m currently getting and how tired my eyes might look.
Thank heavens then for the rather nifty All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage (RRP £20/15ml) from Clinique.
This liquid-gel serum in a pocket-sized tube with rollerball applicator (more about that later) helps refresh sleep-deprived peepers, reducing the appearance of telling dark circles and generally brightening. Amentoflavone and Humulus Lupulus Extract (try saying that after a few wines) soothe and calm, while caffeine reduced irritation and puffiness.
For me, the best part is the lovely always-cold stainless steel roller-ball applicator. This instantly cools the area (think advanced version of cold teaspoons or cucumber slices over eyes, which feels lovely in itself. Even better it apparently increases micro-circulation and helps reduce fluid.
I’ve been using this product for a few weeks now, every morning (you can layer an eye cream over it as well) and while I wouldn’t say the effect is miraculous, it is a nice experience every morning and one handy weapon in the battle to combat tired eyes and all their tell-tale signs. I do think it’s helping transform my worn-out visage into something slightly more lifelike each day…
I prefer it to the Anti-Dark Circles Tinted Eye Roll-On by Garnier that I had been using, even though this Clinique version is clear and doesn’t offer coverage. I found the tinted one increased congestion under the eye area, which Clinique’s doesn’t, and it is definitely more pleasant to apply.
