GRACE NOTES : JUNE 2017
Working as a beauty writer practically requires me to turn up at work wearing as little product as possible – a blank canvas if you will – to be smothered and swatched in potions and pigments from 8 ‘till 5. As it's my job to swatch and sniff my way through the latest and greatest beauty launches, each month I debrief on the ones worth writing home about. Say hi.
Aveda Pramasana Purifying Scalp Cleanser
Shampoo is for hair, not scalp, and yet our scalps are the root (pardon the pun) of all dirty hair issues - be that grease, dandruff, or an accumulation of dry shampoo/mousse/gel/hairpspray, the result is layer of buildup that doesn’t always come off when you shampoo your hair. I’ve used clarifying shampoos before, which are great, but because they work by drying up oil, they also end up drying your hair too. Which is where Aveda’s new scalp cleanser comes into play; a thin lotion designed to be massaged into your scalp about 30 mins before shampooing - it contains exfoliating acids, which literally eat away the buildup. I don’t suffer from noticeable buildup at all, but this has made such a difference to my hair that I’ve been using it once a week. It takes the weight out of my roots and gives them so much more movement, meaning my hair near permanently has that weightless post-wash bounce.
Murad City Skin Overnight Detox Moisturiser
I’m super picky when it comes to moisturiser texture - I need something that spreads smoothly, covers everywhere with just a small amount of product, and absorbs without effort. I truly can’t stand moisturisers that just sit on the surface of skin until I roll over in bed and they transfer onto my pillowcase. This is none of that so it ticks all of my boxes - which also include being water-based, alcohol-free, and designed for more than just aged skin (which weirdly seems to be the case for a lot of moisturisers on the market).
About as close as I’ll ever come to having a custom-made moisturiser, this is designed for those who live in cities and spend all day sat in front of screens. Check, check. It cleverly detoxes skin of the pollutants that have accumulated during the day before they can cause lasting damage, whilst boosting hydration to improve skin texture. For the first time in my life I feel like my night cream is doing more than just providing basic hydration. Definitely worth going to bed for.
& Other Stories Nail Polish in Liquid Sky
I spent too much money on unnecessary purchases last month - iced coffees, fancy candles, donuts, magazines, and this nail polish. My excuse? Nothing in my current stash (think: 50 shades of red/black/nude) looks even remotely like this. It’s like a trippy cool-toned oil-slick, with an opaque, mother-of-pearl sheen that lends an attention-grabbing reflectedness to make the final effect totally gel-like and not at all like a regular £5 nail polish. I rarely have the time for complex nail art, nor can I afford regular gel manis, but this is about as close I’ve come to faking both. Easy peasy, super pretty - should I buy a back-up?
MAC Technakohl Liner in Skyscape
It’s a well known fact that eyeliner doesn’t have to be expensive to be good, but finding the right shade in the drugstore just never is as easy. Nine times out of ten, when I’ve dreamed up a very specific coloured product, I find it at MAC. Whether you’re looking for lipstick, eveshadow, eyeliner, or blush, it’s almost inevitable - the brand is renowned for its vast and eclectic shade range. I don’t remember where I found the inspo for the eye look I’ve been sporting for a lot of this month, but suffice to say, orange eyeshadow with black winged liquid liner, and a lower lash line tightened in electric blue has become my signature look on days which require more than just a quick smudge of brown eyeshadow, but don’t warrant a full-on smokey eye. Skyscape is the perfect electric blue, and the creamy texture is easy to apply and deposits a lot of colour.
Korres Santorini Vine Shower Gel
Some might think that all shower gels are created equal, but the truth is, they’re really not, so sometimes it is nice to use something a bit more luxe. I’m obsessed with Korres’ shower gel offerings - I was using Fig all winter, and before that I was using Basil and Lemon. The best thing about Korres shower gels is that their scents are super concentrated and potent (they basically double-up as home fragrance for my bathroom), and you also only need the tiniest amount of product - a coin sized amount easily lathers into a thick cream that covers my entire body. Santorini is a scent I always return to at this time of year - it has a classic summer scent that instantly transports me to warmer, sunnier climes - a Mediterranean medley of warm, fruity notes that is welcomingly uplifting at 5.30AM.
