Gift ideas

This is not a paid post. Products are press samples.

Finding the perfect gift for a friend or loved one can be hard. As we look more and more at the ingredients within our products, we tend to favour companies such that use good quality, traceable, natural ingredients. 

While a brand may claim its lines are made with natural ingredients, this does not mean you will not have an allergic reaction to a product so always do a patch test first, especially if you have sensitive skin. My tip is to look for products that contain as few ingredients as possible.

If you are not sure what somebody likes, avoid beauty products and give something for the home.

L'Occitane is one of my favourite brands (you may have your own) for personal use and for gifting. 

Here are three ideas.

L'Occitane Uplifting Candle, £20
A lovely scent which makes you feel good.

L'Occitane Revitalising Home Diffuser Set, £37
This melange of mint, pine, rosemary, sweet orange and litsea cubeba is ideal for the busy festive season.

L'Occitane Harmony Scented Soap, £10
With soap back in fashion, this makes the perfect stocking filler. Gentle and creamy and containing ylang-ylang essential oil, it smells lovely too.

By Daralyn Danns

                                                                                                                 

Make-up essentials for the party season

This is not a paid post. Products are press samples.

Trends may come and go but style is always in fashion. When you know what colours suit you stick with them. Look contemporary by playing with textures.

We all have staples that we like to keep in our make-up collection. Here are some suggestions for the party season.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch, £26.50

Concealer, after a few hours, can settle into fine lines. Caked make-up is not a good look. Illuminating concealers, especially on mature skins, can draw attention to the area. My favourite product is Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch. Magically, this colourless potion seems to make fine lines almost disappear. As it is a primer you can put foundation over it but I tend to wear it on its own as I do not have to worry about it flaking half way through the night.

Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Saddle, £19.50
This dark grey brown is ideal for creating smoky eyes or adding definition in the corners. It is a lovely silky texture and can be built up if you want a stronger colour. It wears well.

Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Bone, £19.50
A great highlighter with a slightly yellow undertone which helps combat any redness in the skin. A good trick, if you have deep-set eyes, is to sweep it over the lids so it emphasises them giving you a polished yet natural look.

Clarins Gold Mascara Top Coat, £22

For a subtle shimmer wear this over your usual black mascara. This is pretty when it catches the light. The brush is great for separating and defining the lashes so no clogs.

Mac Creme De La Femme, £17.50
Pink laced with gold is how Mac describe this pretty shade. More a purple-pink, this is a good balance of warm and cool tones so should suit those who find it difficult to get the right shade of pink. Do not be put off because it is a frost. It actually gives a flattering sheen to the lips. If you tend to have dry lips, I suggest wearing lip balm underneath.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in Red Berry Glam, £19
An easy way to wear red. This gloss not only nourishes the lips but as it is laced with gold shimmer the lips appear fuller.

Clarins Joli Rouge Brillant in Nude Brick, £22
A moisturising lipstick which gives just a hint of colour to add a soft, warm glow to your complexion. Just what you need on a cold day. If you prefer your nudes on the browner side, this is the one to go for. It also comes in a matte finish which is perfect for the evening.

L'Occitane Natural Shea Ultra Rich Lip Balm, £8
An all-time favourite. Keep this in your bag for when your lips need a hydration boost. Can also be worn under lipstick. Contains shea butter.

Taking your skin from summer to autumn

This is not a paid post. Products are press samples.

Autumn has arrived and our skin soon starts to lose the glow that we have had all summer. The make-up we have been wearing suddenly seems wrong.

Here are some great products to help make the transition and keep your complexion looking great.

Decléor Hydra Floral Fresh Skin Hydrating Light Cream, £43, John Lewis.
This lovely light cream is a powerhouse of natural ingredients that protect the skin from the effects of pollution which can lead to dehydration and the appearance of premature ageing.

Laced with Neroli essential oil to give your skin a much needed drink and baicalin from lakes in China, said to shield the skin from pollution and oxidation, your complexion immediately feels smoother and looks plumper as well as more radiant. Another plus is that it smells divine so it is a pleasure to apply. Is suitable for sensitive skins.

Decléor Hydra Floral Hydrating WideOpen Eye Gel, £35,
This great eye gel is soothing and melts quickly into the skin to take care of the delicate eye area. Reduces puffiness and makes dark circles and those annoying fine lines look less obvious so you look bright and fresh.

L'Occitane Immortelle Overnight Reset Oil-in-Serum, £49
A boost for skin so you look healthier and fresher in the morning. This light-water gel is laced with potent ingredients including Immortelle Oil Extract, a powerful antioxidant, and acmella oleacera, said to be a natural alternative to Botox. Skin feels more hydrated and those wrinkles seem less obvious. The scent is lovely and you will see results quickly.

Erborian Korean Skin Therapy Pink Perfect Crème, £36
This primer, from the skincare brand that melds the best of South Korean beauty with French luxury, will diminish the appearance of any imperfections and make you look radiant. Wear it on its own or underneath foundation.

Erborian Korean Skin Therapy CC Red Correct, £38
Colour correction is a technique that Korean women have nailed. So, if you are one of the women who suffer from redness, this is a great product. Ideal for sensitive skin, it helps calm and soothe the complexion. Apply to areas where needed. 

Clinique Even Better Glow Light Reflecting Makeup SPF 15 in Beige, £28.50
Your skin only better. This lovely, light foundation illuminates the skin giving you a gorgeous glow.  Not only is it moisturising, it is also lasts for hours. Impressive. Comes in a variety of shades.

Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm, Fuller Fig, £18.50
As the light changes you can look washed out without any colour on your lips. This is a browny-berry shade which gives the “my lips only better” look. It is moisturising so it plumps up the lips making them look fuller – the point of a nude lip colour – giving you a pretty tint which warms up the face. As I have highly-pigmented lips this works. If you have less colour in your lips you may want to take a look at Graped-up, which is lighter. Whatever colour you pick of this range, if you like a sheer tint, you will not be disappointed.

By Daralyn Danns