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Summer Beauty Essentials you can’t live without

Summer Beauty Essentials including dr Dennis gross dark spot sun defines, ultra violet skin screen and cool refreshing mist with spf 15
Summer Beauty Essentials you can’t live without

With a change of season, comes a change in beauty routine. Long gone are the cold nights, cloudy days and lack of sunlight, which brought dry and dull skin. New obstacles have arisen with hotter weather, plenty of sun rays, and a ton of humidity. Thankfully this year we are fully prepared.

From innovative sunscreen to easy solutions, I’ve introduced quite a few new brands to my beauty routine recently, which I’m really excited to share with you. I’ll be spending this Summer focusing on the basics; SPF, moisture and glow. I’ve taken a bit of a break from makeup recently, so clear skin is a must. This means taking care of my skin before and after going out in the sun and making sure I top up my sunscreen on the go.

Without further ado, here are my Summer beauty essentials.

Summer Beauty Essentials for 2021

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I’ve always been an advocate for taking care of your skin first, and I think that’s pretty apparent with this list. I can’t stress enough how important it is to transition to wearing a higher SPF during Summer, even if you’re not going outside. It may not be groundbreaking, but it is practical, and it goes a long way to taking care of your skin… now and in the future!

Don’t forget to check out more of my beauty recommendations and let me know in the comments which products you’ll be coveting this Summer.

Summer Beauty Essentials including caudalie tan prolonging after sun lotion, supergroup unseen sunscreen and Maison margiela replica perfume samples
Summer Beauty Essentials including Dermalogica smart response serum and moisture masque
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Spring Beauty Essentials | Recommendations

Spring Beauty Essentials for 2020
Spring Beauty Essentials | Recommendations

With a change of season, comes a change in my beauty routine. Long gone are the cold winter nights, cloudy days and lack of sunlight (well, this week anyway) which brought dry and dull skin. But new obstacles have arisen this year – with hotter weather arriving pretty quickly, and the lockdown leaving us all stuck inside for extended periods of time. Thankfully I am fully prepared this year, as always. My trip to Japan in 2019 introduced me to a variety of new favourites, which I have brought through to this year. That said, I’ve continued to keep my beauty routine pretty consistent in terms of origins & brands – with items coming from the UK, Japan, Korea and France.

I’ll be spending this spring focusing on the basics; healthy skin and giving myself a bit of a break from makeup. Not like I have anywhere to wear it to right now anyway… So without further ado, here are my spring beauty essentials.

Spring Beauty Essentials

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I’ve always been an advocate for taking care of your skin first, and I think that’s pretty apparent with this list. I think the most obvious change from my winter beauty products, is the addition of lighter creams and stronger SPFs. It may not be groundbreaking, but it is practical, and it works.

Don’t forget to check out more of my beauty recommendations and let me know in the comments which products you’ll be coveting this spring.

Spring Beauty Essentials for 2020
Spring Beauty Essentials for 2020
Spring Beauty Essentials for 2020
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The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide

Christmas BeautyThe Christmas Beauty Gift Guide

If you’re anything like me you’ve probably spent the last few weeks window shopping – both physical and online – for potential Christmas gifts. I don’t like to make it easy for myself though. I enjoy visiting as many shops as possible, so I can make sure I get a good idea of what’s on offer this year. But that’s time consuming and if I can help anyone save time, or recommend something they haven’t thought of, then my blog’s work has been done. So without further ado, here is 2018’s ‘The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide’. And I’ve made sure to pack it full of my favourite products from the year. Enjoy!

The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide

As you can see I’ve focused on brands and products from a range of price points. I’ve included some of my trusted go-tos (Dermalogica & The Ordinary), as well as some new favourites (NIOD & Nails Inc). I’ve also added in a couple of gift sets for good measure. Why? Well I happen to think that they’re perfect for this time of year. Gift sets often feature a variety of complimentary products – sometimes limited edition – that are generally priced lower then they would be when bought separately (e.g. the Gatineau set is worth £276). If we’re being honest, we all know how much we enjoy spoiling our loved ones at Christmas. And if anything can make the gift giving season easier, and cheaper, you may as well make the most of it, right?

If you enjoyed The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide, check out the rest of my Christmas Gift Guide series.

Christmas Beauty Christmas Beauty

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Bonjour Gatineau, Welcome to my Skincare Regime

gatineauBonjour Gatineau,
Welcome to my Skincare Regime

My love affair with French skincare started around five years ago. At the time I was travelling to-and-from France on a regular basis, and I was enthralled by the products that lined pharmacy shelves. They promised quality over quantity,  unlike a lot of British & American beauty brands that churn out product after product. Not only that but most of the brands had reassuringly been around for years. One of these brands was Gatineau, founded back in 1932 by beauty therapist, Madame Jeanne Gatineau.

C’est Gatineau

Over the years Jeanne Gatineau’s pioneering research and development has resulted in cosmetic breakthroughs that have been stepping stones for the entire beauty industry. Par exemple, Gatineau were the first beauty house in the world to develop an exfoliator and alcohol-free cleansers and toners – I bet you didn’t know that.

Back to 2018, and Gatineau very kindly offered to send me a selection of their products to try, which I was happy to accept. After all I had been longingly staring at them for several years now, and I was dying to try out more than the travel size companions (body lotion, and hand cream) I had in my beauty cabinet.

I’m currently using the Perfection Ultime Beauty Cream, and I’m completely in love with the texture and scent of the product. I recently had a bad breakout and this has helped bring back some luminosity to my skin. Alongside this I tried the Collagene Experte Eye Pads in my bi-weekly routine., which have been freshening up my tired eyes. I’ve yet to try the other items I received, but if this experience is anything to go by then I can’t wait. Gatineau’s products look, feel and ooze quality – exactly what I’d expect from a luxury skincare brand.

Check out more of my beauty must-haves now!gatineau gatineau

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A Rather Bazaar Beauty Box | Review

Bazaar Beauty BoxBazaar Beauty Box by Latest In Beauty

Remember when beauty boxes were a thing? It’s been a while since it was popular for companies to charge us an arm and a leg for travel size samples; you were one of the lucky few if you found a rare full size product in your box. After the hype died down, I personally took to researching products and buying the full size versions. And I was happy. But then VA went and sent me a link to the latest ‘Latest in Beauty’ box. It included a collaboration with none other than Harper’s Bazaar – a brand that had won me over previously with their Birchbox collaboration. I couldn’t resist finding out more.

So what’s inside?

The limited-edition Spring/Summer beauty edit features high-end favourites from the likes of Laura Mercier, Elemis, Dermalogica, and many more.

  • Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (full size)
  • Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder (full size)
  • MAC Prep + Prime Fix + (full size)
  • Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair  (full size)
  • Benefit They’re Real Mascara (full size)
  • Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Day Cream (15ml travel size)
  • Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Essence (50ml travel size)
  • Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask (15ml travel size)
  • Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (30ml travel size)
  • Alpha H Liquid Gold (50ml travel size)
  • Shavata Complimentary Brow-Shape (gift card)

Bazaar Beauty Box – final thoughts

This box is worth an incredible £224! But is it worth £50 (that’s the RRP) of your hard earned cash? Well quite frankly, yes it is. This box includes some amazing – and expensive – products. I already had plans to repurchase the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, and the MAC Prep + Prime Fix +. So straight off I’d saved myself £18, and that was without counting all the extra products that came in the box.

The amount of full size products is way more than most beauty boxes. And these are popular products, they’re not just cast offs from some company you’ve never heard of. I’ve already started using a few of the items, and I’m excited to try out all of the others (yes, all of them). £50 is a lot of money, but I am so glad I splurged on this.

You can purchase the Bazaar Beauty Box at Latest in Beauty.
Check out more of my beauty must-haves now!

Bazaar Beauty Box Bazaar Beauty Box Bazaar Beauty Box

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Japanese Skincare at The Dove Pop-up, Paris

Japanese SkincareJapanese Skincare at The Dove Pop-up, Paris

For as long as I can remember, Dove has been a staple in my family home. My mum swears by it, so I’ve always held the brand in quite high esteem. In recent years Dove has transformed itself into a brand that fights against beauty bias, and promotes real bodies, and real people. Something ‘older me’ can get behind.

Enter the Dove pop-up store in Paris, and their ‘My Beauty is Unique’ theme. Add some some personalised products and Japanese skincare into the mix, and you’ve got my attention.

Personalised Skincare at The Dove Pop-up, Paris

For the first time, Dove has created a physical space to illustrate Real Beauty from Real Care. It is designed to provide guests with the ultimate in personalisation, offering elements that are as unique as the people experiencing it. With classics such as the Dove Beauty Bar, the store offers guests with a one-of-a-kind, hands on experience. It also offers the exclusive opportunity to customise Dove products through the one-of-a-kind mixology process. With multiple base formulas, extracts, exfoliators and fragrances to choose from, every product is personalised. The perfect limited edition gift, maybe?

Japanese Skincare with Dove

Japan is world-renowned for its skincare. Facial cleansing is also one of Japan’s most sophisticated beauty rituals, and for many Japanese women, this is one of the most important steps in their skin care regime. So Dove decided to host their Paris pop-up store, and invite anyone and everyone to discover some of Dove’s newest innovations from Japan.

Luckily for me I was given one of their top products, the Beauty Moisture Facial Wash (ビューティーモイスチャー). The foaming wash creates creamy bubbles that help moisturises the skin as it removes dirt. I’ve recently come round to cleansing facial washes, and as a longtime fan of Japanese skincare, I have a lot of faith in this product already. I really can’t wait to try it out, alongside my own personalised body cream with apricot extract and rose gold shimmer. The products are only available in the Paris pop-up right now, so I feel very lucky to have been gifted these, and given the chance to try them.

The Dove Paris pop-up is open until Monday, and is located at Rue Saint-Lazare (map).

Photos of the Dove pop-up are courtesy of Edelman PR.

dovepopup2Japanese Skincare dovepopup3Japanese SkincareJapanese Skincare

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Winter Skincare Saviour Routine | Beauty

winter skincareMy Winter Skincare Saviour Routine

Ok, so it may officially be autumn, but I’m already thinking about my winter skincare routine. Winter can be tough on all of us. The combination of lack of sunlight, harsh wind and rain, and cold weather is not ideal. It’s fair to say that we all suffer a little at this time of year. As someone with sensitive skin, I’m always cautious about taking extra care. So I’ve put together my My Winter Skincare Saviour Routine.

Winter Skincare for… Eyes

  • FaceD – Instant Effect Depuffing Eye Mask | Buy
    • One of my favourite eye masks for reviving tired, puffy eyes.
  • Trilogy – Age-Proof CoQ10 Eye Recovery Concentrate* | Buy
    • This caffeine eye roll brightens, lifts and refreshes. It also keeps me going during the day when my eyes need a pick-me-up. A saviour for someone who works in front of a screen full-time.
  • Ren – Instant Brightening Beauty Shot Eye Lift* | Buy
    • I love eye creams, and I’m always after the next wonder product. This gel-serum not only lifts, but dramatically brightens the delicate eye area too.

winter skincare

Winter Skincare for… Face

  • Sephora – Precision Pore Cleansing Pad | Buy
    • I use this in my daily routine. It works to invigorate the skin and clean pores, helping to exfoliate and soften the skin.
  • Caudalie – Grape Water | Buy
    • I use this as a toner, to set my make-up, and to sooth my skin. Wonder product!
  • Omorovicza – Oxygen Booster* | Buy
    • This oxygen-rich serum works to revitalise, replenish and hydrate lack-lustre skin. This is one high quality product.
  • Elemis – Biotec Skin Energising Cleanser | Buy
    • A gentle, deep-cleansing wash, for refreshed looking skin. This smells amazing, and treats my skin good.

Winter Skincare for… Body

  • Balance Me – Rose Otto Body Cream* | Buy
    • My skin tends to get dry around Winter, and sometimes I suffer from eczema. So this ultra soothing cream for dry skin is perfect.
  • Pai – Rosehip Bioregenrate Oil* | Buy
    • This is the ultimate multi-tacker. Perfect for the body, or face. Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil can be used to improve: dry patches, flaky patches, blemishes, dull skin tone, fine lines, scars, and sun damage.

winter skincare

Winter Skincare for… Hair

  • Aesop – Nurturing Shampoo  | Buy
    • Great for dry or damaged hair. I haven’t been let down by an Aesop product yet!
  • Aesop – Colour Protection Conditoner | Buy
    • This conditioner contains UV-protective Sunflower Seed to prolong colour retention and Hydrolyzed Oats to hydrate and soften chemically treated or damaged hair.
  • Grow Gorgeous – Cleansing Conditioner* | Buy
    • Forget shampoo. Forget conditioner. This does it all in one…make that 11-in-1. It combines foamless cleansing and deep conditioning in one step to rebalance the scalp and restore hair. I like to use it once a week.

winter skincare

Leave your winter skincare recommendations in the comments.
Don’t forget to check out more of my Beauty posts.