Summer scent-sationals

by Sarah-Jane

I love this time of year. The sun is starting to poke through the clouds, the evenings are getting lighter and scarf and gloves are no longer essential accessories. However, I have another reason for loving this time of the year, for this is when perfume houses launch their new fragrances for Spring Summer, and my goodness there are some good ones that are hitting the shelves over the next few months.


Starting with Sarah Jessica Parker's latest offerings to the perfume world, Dawn, Endless and Twilight which form The Lovely Collection, £23 each for 30ml (available from 11th March from Boots and leading department stores). The idea behind the three scents are that they reflect each section of the day, from dawn until twilight. My personal favourite is Twilight, it's quite heavy and sultry whereas Dawn is much lighter and fresher. They each come in a gorgeous vintage-looking bottle and the 30ml size bottle is perfect to slip into your handbag.

For over 10 years, Issey Miyake have launched a summer version of their iconic L'Eau d'Issey scent and this year's offering, Issey Miyake L'Eau d'issey Summer EDT, £34.50 for 100ml (available from department stores) is totally gorgeous. The scent retains some of it's originality with a hint of extra fruity and floral tones.


Finally Cool Water have launched their Summer scent, Cool Summer EDT, £29 for 100ml (available nationwide from 8th April). Nothing conjurs up images of crystal blue waters, golden sands and hot sunshine like a Cool Water fragrance, so if your Summer holiday seems like a long way off, just buy a bottle of this instead!

Small pleasures

by Sarah-Jane

My life has become rather dull at the moment. Gone are my glamourous Saturday nights out fuelled by one too many Cosmopolitans and my Louboutins are gathering dust in my wardrobe. What am I doing, I hear you wondering. Well, I seem to have lost my senses and I am training for the London marathon. One good thing that has come from all the early nights and early morning runs is that I have been able to dedicate even more time to my beauty regime.


Starting with my feet, which are starting to resemble hobbit's feet! There are blisters galore, not to mention the phenomenal amount of hard skin that has formed in a vain attempt to protect my feet as I pound the streets of London. So I have been scrubbing away with The Body Shop's peppermint smoothing foot scrub, £7 (www.thebodyshop.com), it provides a much-needed cooling and soothing effect to my tired old feet as well as gently scrubbing away all the dead skin.


Next, my hair. With all the sweating, rain and snow it's been enduring over the last few weeks, conditioning treatments have become my new best friend. As you normally need a good ten minutes to let them work their magic, they have become my favourite thing to do on a Saturday night when I'm stuck on my sofa loading up on carbs for my Sunday run. Redken's real control intense renewal mask, £19.65 (0800 085 4956) is slowly restoring my hair to its former glory.


Finally, my body. It's exhausted, tired and aching so my normal invigorating showers have been replaced with long relaxing baths and the only thing that I'm putting in there is Elemis skin nourishing milk bath. It smells divine and contains lots of Vitamin E which helps protect the skin. Just what I need right now. And the best thing is you can now get 15% off and free delivery on all Elemis products (click www.timetospa.co.uk - use code AFF029 at checkout, offer ends 28/02/09)

Until next week, stay beautiful.

Kissable Lips

by Jess

Valentine's Day may be over, but kissable lips are a necessity all year round!

Enter the new range of lipbalms from Apples & Pears (www.apples-and-pears.com), made of natural beeswax, honey and organic plant oils. The Wild Rose version (RRP £9.25), for daily protection, smells as sweet as it tastes, and leaves lips soft with a subtle rose sheen and warm, tingling feeling. If you like to watch what you eat, you can rest assured; the product range is certified organic, and packed with natural essential oils. Happy kissing!

Keep the romance

by Jess

If you want to keep that romantic feeling of Valentine's burning just a bit longer, you can stock up on Aphrodisiac Therapy Candles, available from Gift Republic. Hand-made and poured in England, the gorgeous scent of reviving cardamon, fiery pepper and sensual patchouli, is sure to keep you in the mood for love! The candles, which are environmentally sound thanks to sustainable vegetable wax and real essential oils, also come in a variety of scents and come with a cute romance leaflet, and are a classy gift for the one you love, even after the 14th of February!

Skinfood - A naturally-inspired unisex range from New Zealand

by Jess

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for beauty products. Despite its unusually simple, plain packaging, Skinfood, a New Zealand beauty brand which is making its way over to the UK, is unique for all the right reasons. Though women may initially be put off by the unisex branding of the range, the quality of the actual products is really impressive. Taking a truly simple but effective route to good quality, consistent skincare, you'll see the same reassuring ingredients printed over again throughout the range - spring water, manuka honey, aloe vera gel, orange oil, lavender oil - , with a notable absense of any parabens and the usual chemical-sounding nasties prevalent in so many skincare products.

The Cleans All cleanser is a fantastic all-round product for all skin types and leaves the skin soft and velvety without any tightness, even removing heavy mascara, while the SPF 15 moisturiser is light enough to sink in quickly for morning makeup application, but creamy enough to really get rid of flaky, dry winter skin. The exfoliator isn't abrasive but leaves skin smooth and glowing, while the mud masque is great for a weekly deep cleanse and leaves your face feeling truly clean and revitalised. There are a few different moisturisers to choose from, as well as a foaming shaving gel for men. Each product also has a handy sign to tell you whether it's best used in the morning or in the evening.

A truly unique approach to skincare inspired by nature and designed to protect skin from the elements, Skinfood offers great value, is an excellent choice for those looking to use more natural, environmentally-friendly products and, with its unisex approach, even offers the potential for more cupboard space. A definite winner.

Budget Beauty buys

by Sarah-Jane

We're all counting the pennies at the moment, but at the same time us girls need a nice little beauty treat to help make these credit crunch days pass a little quicker. So I have scoured high and low for the best new budget beauty buys that are hitting the shops in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.


Lets start with No7's petal lip tint in coral, £8.50 (available from 28th January). Not only is it inexpensive but it looks gorgeous in your handbag too. It's a gorgeous colour and it's packed with moisturisers which will keep your lips soft all day and night.

Make your showers a little more fruity with Dove's latest offering to its already extensive body wash range, nectarine and white ginger (launching this month). At £2.99 it's a bargain but it will soon become a beauty must-have.


Finally head to your nearest Asda store where they have just launched a new range called Weather Protect, it's perfect for hair that gets frizzy and out of control in the rain or cold weather. I particularly like the flexible hold hairspray which is a credit-crunching price of £1 until 13th February.

Credit Crunch Pampering

by Jess

With the sub-zero temperatures of recent weeks and the recession biting harder than ever, it's tempting to let your beauty regime go. However, it's important to keep yourself looking and feeling your cheerful best, and how better to do that than pamper yourself - and at supermarket prices!

Tesco have three new exclusive ranges, including Skin Boost, Sugar Me and Normandie, which are not only cheap and cheerful, but luxurious-feeling and effective too. Frost-bitten, dry winter hands can be salvaged by Normandie Hold My Hand handcream, which smells as good as it feels, while those with a sweet tooth can buff up dry winter bods with the Sugar Me Coconut Cake body scrub, a sweet-smelling treatment which will satisfy all your cravings.

Also tempting are Skin Boost's fruity concoctions, including the creamy Acai and Pomegranate Body Lotion, will give your skin and senses a much-needed vitamin boost.

With most of the products in the extensive ranges retailing at under five pounds, why not pop a few treats into your basket next time you hit Tesco?