Grace Notes: June 2020
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.
Dermalogica Active Clay Cleanser
I’ve used many clay-based cleansers in the past and have come to know exactly what to expect of them. This one took all my pre-conceptions and turned them on their heads. It’s light, soft, creamy, and leaves skin feeling soft and nourished instead of stripped. In short, it’s everything that the heavy, drying clay cleansers of the past are not - right down to the refrshing citrus scent. The secret ingredient is, of course, 2020’s skincare darling, prebiotics, which protect and balance the skin’s moisture barrier. Oily and combination skins will love this.
Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Nourishing Body Polish
I am obsessed with Beauty Pie’s bodycare products! This body scrub has just the right amount of slip, just the right amount of scrub, and makes light work of buffing rough patches. I use it every other day, from shoulders to toes. One of my favourite things about it (which some may hate) is that it leaves skin coated in a barely-there oily film so you can get away without moisturising if you’re in rush.
Tan-Luxe Super Glow
One of a new breed of hybrid products that sees hydration and tanning combined. My breakout prone skin can’t usually tolerate face tan and I’m also not big into the idea of putting anything on my face that isn’t going to benefit it. This is the best of both worlds. Gives a natural and not-at-all-orange glow and doesn’t break me out. I use it twice a week to avoid the Casper aesthetic.
Heinrich Barth Skin Softening Body Cleanser
In summer, I love using body washes that evoke the scents of the season – vibrant citruses, woody figs, warm florals – anything that transports me to a warmer, sunnier climate than that I’m currently experiencing on lockdown in grey, windy Manchester. This is just that kind of scent – one sniff of the heady fig, sage, and basil blend and I’m sun-soaking on an Aegean island. Scent aside, it’s also a beautiful body wash –silky but rich, with just the right amount of lather.
FaceGym Training Stick Spirulina
I recently had a FaceGym Personal Training session over Zoom, learning all the at-home facelift techniques 1:1 from a pro, including the best stretching, massaging, and rolling moves to incorporate at different points of your routine. £45 for 45 minutes and cheekbones 10x higher and tighter. The tension release was unreal - my face (and its 43 muscles!) ached for days. The brand also makes these training sticks, essentially masks designed to be worn while you work out. The “motion activated” formulas are triggered by heat and moisture to slowly release the ingredients into your skin while you’re exercising. The harder you work, the harder the mask works. Pretty cool, huh?
