Fashion

Bobbi Brown’s Surf & Sand collection is so good it deserves a blog post of it’s own. You may have seen it on counter or in magazines with the delectable Kate Upton fronting this collection campaign.

The bulk of this five product strong collection is made up of shimmering shades; washes of sheer colour from sandy golds and browns to sea blues and sunset pinks.

For cheeks there is the Brightening Blush, £34, available in two shades – bronze and pink. Use on the apple of cheeks to give radiant colour.

For lips, there is the limited edition Sheer Lip Colour, £19.50, available in four shades – sunlit pink, summer nude, peach sorbet and pink taffy. These sheer shades are just enough colour for summer.

And there’s the eyes. First up there’s the Long-Wear Eye Pencil, £18, available in two shades – black chocolate and bronze. With its 12-hour wear promose and the fact it’s waterproof, this is the ideal holiday makeup companion. Pair these with Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, £20 in 24 Karat. I absolutely adore Bobbi Brown’s shadow sticks and this shade is glorious; perfect for using to highlight the inner corner of the eyes.

But I’ve saved the best for last because in my opinion the piece de resistance of this collection is the Surf & Sand Eye Palette, £48. The Surf version is made up eight pastel shades ranging from shimmering pinks to sparkling blues. The Sand version is the one I have and I love its combination of sparkling golds, bronzes and browns.

The Surf & Sand collection is on counter now and available via bobbibrown.co.uk

Holiday time is here so I’m talking about all things sun-related in my latest beauty column for the Edinburgh Evening News:

If you are heading off to sunnier shores this summer, ensure your skin is in tip top condition before you depart. Summer wardrobes mean more skin exposure so prep by using an exfoliator. This will get rid of dead skin, leaving it ready for some sunshine. And banish any dry or scaly looking skin by moisturising skin daily.

Dry skin and cracked heels are never a good look so give your feet some TLC. Butter London’s Stiletto Stick, £25, contains castor seed oil to soften and smooth skin and can also be used on dry elbows, knees or knuckles.

Keeping skin hair-free requires some prior preparation. However, if you find your departure date pending without a waxing session, there are some beauty cheats. Fuzz Off by Bliss, £20, is a new hair removal cream for the bikini area with an angled precision applicator.

If your skin is sun damaged, then treat yourself to Summer Sprunch at the One Spa. The luxurious package starts with the ESPA Age Defyer Facial; an hour and 20 minute treatment created to combat the signs of ageing and, if applicable, sun damaged skin using specific techniques and products. Sprunch also includes access to Escape at One and is followed up by two-course brunch in the hotel’s One Square. This package costs, £135 per person and is available until 31 August 2014. Call 0131 221 7777 to book.

For those worried about cellulite, try the new Guinot Aromatic Body Contouring Treatment, £65, Available at the Chamomile Sanctuary, it includes a specialised anti-cellulite massage with essential oils to target areas prone to the dreaded orange peel effect. Call 0131 220 1000 to book.

Don’t head off on holiday without sunscreen. For face, Clinique’s Sun Protection Face Cream, £17 gives SPF40 coverage. A great space saver is the multi-functional Sunscreen Care Oil Spray SPF 30 by Clarins, £19. It can be used on body and hair to protect from the sun whilst nourishing at the same time.
One of my holiday essentials is Aveda’s Sun Care Protective Hair Veil, £20.50. Spray onto hair before and during any sun exposure to help protect it from the harmful rays, replenishing moisture and protecting colour.

Sunscreens and sweat can also make hair more greasy than usual. However, I’ve found Wella’s Keratin Protect Luxe Shampoo the perfect antidote for this. This high performing shampoo gently cleanses hair and scalp without stripping any additional moisture from the cuticles. It is also a useful tool for those who find flaky scalp an issue.

And if you are fighting frizz, try Ojon’s Super Sleek’s Smoothing Shampoo, £21 and Conditioner, £23. Containing no sulphates, this seals in moisture and limits the impact of hair-raising humidity; leaving hair smoother and straighter and these are safe to use on chemically straightened hair. Alternatively, add some beachy waves to hair with Surf Spray by Bumble & Bumble, £21.50 to create sexy windswept styles.

Summer is the ideal time for lighter makeup. MAC’s Face and Body Foundation is lightweight and water-based. Fancy going even lighter? Then try tinted moisturisers or BB creams. New on the market is Lancôme’s Soleil Bronzer Smoothing Protective BB Cream, £24, which incorporates SPF50. Multi-tasking mosituriser, VitaZing, by Origins, £28, is another of my summer skincare favourites as it combines SPF with hydration and gives skin a subtle glow.

Finish with a spritz of summer with the likes of Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent, £47 or for those with cash to splash there is Jo Malone’s new Tuberose Angelica, £100.

And if your holiday is a washout, then just fake any sunkissed skin on your return. Elemis has just launched its Total Glow Bronzing Body Lotion, £34.50 and the Total Glow Bronzing Moisturiser, £29.50 which are perfect for building an even and natural tan to the face and body. Or along with colour add some shimmer with St Stropez’s new Self Tan Luxe Dry Oil, £25.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Aerin Lauder is one classy lady. The images which accompany her eponymous product range reflect this, giving a sense of the lady behind the AERIN products.

If you aren’t famaliar with the AERIN range, it launched in the UK in 2012, before into Scotland earlier this year when I blogged about it here. Her most recent launches include a collection of five fragrances, all in classic glass bottles with different coloured gem-like stone tops. Speaking about the collection, Aerin says,

“The effect of scent is reallt interesting; It can create a mood and change a feeling immediately. I wanted to create a modern wardrobe of fragrances – fragrances that can be very personal to the woman who’s wearing them.”

The range is made up of Gardenia Rattan, Amber Musk, Ikat Jasmine, Evening Rose and Lilac Path – a blooming lovely scent. They all offer something different and like all fragrances, the smell varies with the each person wearing it. So I’d recommend heading down to your closest John Lewis and have a sniff because with Christmas coming up, these are perfect present or party items.

Each costs £85 and the AERIN Fragrance Collection is out now from selected John Lewis stores, Harrods and Selfridges London as well as online via www.esteelauder.co.uk/AERIN

The sound of waves is all around, soothing and relaxing.  The ideal way to unwind and de-stress, it’s helping me drift off in a cocoon of contentment. In addition, the music is in keeping with the essence of the brand behind this treatment, luxury skincare brand, Crème de la Mer – home to some of my favourite skin care products.

The Crème de la Mer story is the stuff of true skin care legend. It was made by Dr Max Huber, who, following an accident in his laboratory, was covered in severe burns. The way he dealt with these terrible injuries was to develop a product that would help. Some 12 years afterwards, and 6000 experiments later, he honed a skincare product which we now call, Crème de la Mer. And today, the brand has been credited with giving people like Jennifer Lopez their famous A-Lister glow.

The sea features prominently in this brand, both in its ingredients and right to the heart. All the skincare products now contain the Crème de la Mer Miracle Broth, a blend of potent ingredients including sea kelp, iron and calcium: all of which work to transform the skin.

Recently Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols welcomed a new Crème de la Mer counter in the well-stocked ground floor beauty hall. It is also the first counter in the capital to have the brand’s new express treatment: a 30-minute voyage of luxury pampering. Such is its speed this facial can slot into a lunch hour before heading back to work. And no-one need be any the wiser as eye makeup and lipstick aren’t removed for this treatment either, because the focus is on the skin.

Following a skin consultation in a green-hued private treatment room, skin is cleansed. Crème de la Mer do four different types of cleansers including my all-time favourite, The Cleansing Lotion. A few months ago, all the cleansers were repackaged and reformulated to include the Miracle Broth. Step two is toning, using another of my key skincare products, The Tonic. There’s also The Oil Absorbing Tonic and The Mist, which is suitable for dry skin.

I’m always on the search for radiance and the next stage of this Express facial, The Radiant Infusion, helps me find it. One of three infusions, this particular one helps to minimise pores and to brighten the appearance of skin. Whilst that soaks in, the Eye Concentrate is applied with the cool metal applicator, sweeping around and around the orbital bone and beyond.

As I said, I’m radiance obsessed so The Radiant Serum is the perfect penultimate stage to turbo boost that glow. And the facial finishes with moisturiser – with the Moisturising Soft Cream used in my treatment, reminding me of how good it is,

As well as giving A-Lister worthy skin, the products have an A-Lister price tag, and I get that some people might not be willing or able to spend this on skincare products. But if you do have the chance to treat yourself, then try Crème de la Mer.

The Express Treatment is 30 minutes long and will next be available in Harvey Nichols 31st October – 2nd November. There is a £50 booking fee which is redeemable against any product on the day of the treatment. To book contact Edinburgh Harvey Nichols 0131 524 8388. And the fabulous team at the Tom Ford Beauty counter are offering a touch of colour post facial to those who wish it too. Pictured is the Return to Your Youth Starter kit £240.