Noise from the boys III: So Fresh,So Clean

Choosing to try a minty shower gel is an act akin to choosing to take up kickboxing, or eating a sandwich that you just found lying around. Chances are it will be an enjoyable experience, but there is also the chance of getting a quasi-unpleasant and confusing shock. In the past when I've opted for the menthol option at bathtime, the resulting minty tingle has offered a harsher wake-call than I'd been expecting. Whilst almost every shower gel that has ever existed seems to be marketed as either energising, invigorating or refreshing, it's the minty ones that can make these words seems like threats once you've tried them. There's no delicate way of putting the point that I'm trying to make here, in short, menthol shower gel can leave certain gentlemanly regions so refreshed as to turn a shower into an act of masochism, once said regions come into contact with cooler air. However, after all of that akward preamble I'm happy to report that Anthony Logistics for Men have found just the right balace with their Peppermint Body Cleansing Gel, £22 (mankind.co.uk). Here is a product which manages to refresh without creating uber-freshness that freaks you out. More candy-cane than XXX Strong Mints, this product sets you up for the day, or a night out with a gentle, encouraging nudge of cleansing refreshment rather than a bucket of ice-water and a cruel shove into a Baltic snowdrift. Classy packaging and natural ingredients abound to make this a shower gel you would actually be glad to recieve as a gift. Plus, a little goes a long way. The single 355ml (12 fl oz) bottle has lasted for actual ages (I was meant to write this review in early December, and yes I do shower daily, not like a tramp.) Anyway, if you want to be freshness and cleanliness without the tears, then this is a wise choice indeed .........Hey look, a sandwich..........E

Clarins Vital Light Day and Night Creams

Just launched, Clarins 'Lite' Vital Light Day Illuminating Anti-Ageing Cream, £57.19 (plus a SPF 15 variant) and Vital Light Night Revitalising Anti-Ageing Cream, £60.26, targets dull, lacklustre complexions via a new lightweight, non-greasy formula. For someone with combination skin that still in my twenties threatens to break out at any moment, this is brilliant news. I love my skin to feel plump with moisture but the pay off is usually thick, greasy textures that send me straight to spotsville.

DID YOU KNOW? Luminosity in the skin begins to fade from the age of 40. Studies found that by 50 it has declined by up to 34%!

The range uses 'pioneer plants', which basically means vegetation that thrives in desolate areas. I won't bore you with a rundown of the plants in question but their benefits include boosting collagen, fading areas of pigmentation and protecting the skin from ageing.

I've been using both the day and night creams all week and I can see results already, and even better, no spots! The texture is still surprisingly thick but somehow melts into your skin without any trace of greasiness. My olive complexion tends to look dull but after a morning dose of the day cream, it looks a lot healthier and radiant. I'm excited to see further improvements (the prospect of slathering this gorgeous moisturiser on my face twice a day is exciting enough) but as always, I'll keep you posted. Sx

Beauty Freebie...Fizzy Fingers

Cigarettes do nothing for me. Chocolate's nice every now and then. But my one vice is Coca Cola. I could drink it all day, every day. In fact, the other day E and I were discussing what we'd love to add to our house if we won the lottery. His was a built-in Nandos (props!). Mine was a coke tap.

I never need an excuse to buy the stuff but from 16th February, you can get a free twin pack of MUA nail polish. Simply buy two bottles of 500ml Coca Cola, £1.19 each (FYI this includes Diet, Cherry and Zero variations for all you crazy cats) and you'll get your two fab fashion nail shades, worth £2, totally gratis! As dedicated Best Tressers will remember, I featured the everything-for-a-£1 brand a couple of weeks ago in a 'Get the Look' for Alberta Ferretti. When it comes to these fab 'n' free twin packs, I'll be gunning for the gorgeous corally-pink shade (top right), perfect for summer toes! Sx

Bobbi Brown's New Collection

Peony Rich Color Gloss, £14.50

Peony & Python Palette, £38



Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara, £18



Lilac Rich Lip Color, £16

The new Peony & Python collection from Bobbi Brown (0870 034 2566) is pretty lovely. Inspired by Bobbi's love of peonies, the collection is a wash of pale pinks and lilacs. As the doyenne of makeup says herself,

"Peonies are lush, decadent and delicate - just like the colours in the limited palette. I've also incorporated grey, a colour that was big on the runways this season. A great neutral, it's totally versatile and a cool counterpoint to pink."

The gotta-have-it piece must be the Peony & Python Palette. The case has been designed by fashion label, Tibi, and contains six soft but edgy eyeshadows. For the cooler, rock chicks among you, these colours would make a great, fresh take on the traditional charcoal smoky eye, but also the soft shine pink gloss and shimmering lilac shadows are seriously flattering for older complexions too. The limited edition collection arrives on counter on the 1st March. Sx

Marina's got the Max Factor!

I'm super excited that Marina and the Diamonds is the new face of Max Factor Max Colour Effect. Her love of daring shades will sit perfectly with the brand's recent forray into fashion brights. The singer will be fronting Max Factor's 'Big Night Out' campaign, which will encourage girls to experiment with colour before, you guessed it, a big night out. Unlike some brand faces, Marina is the type of girl whose makeup you'd actually want to mimic. I can't relate to some pristine model who has had her lashes digitally enhanced! For this New Years, I actually went for a makeup look inspired by Marina's 'Hollywood' video - black-lined eyes and classic red lips! I think this collaboration will do wonders for both parties (and on a totally selfish note, I can't wait to see which new Marina makeup looks I can copy!).

1. How do you feel about being Max Factor’s Max Colour Effect ‘Big Night Out’ ambassador?
I’m really excited about being an ambassador for Max Factor’s vibrant Max Colour Effect collection as it is fun and celebrates individuality - two things close to my heart. The campaign, Max Colour Effect ‘Big Night Out’, is encouraging girls to be braver with colour, after all, colour is what life should be about; it allows us to play around with our looks and embrace identity.

2. Tell us a little bit more about your involvement in the Max Colour Effect ‘Big Night Out’ campaign?
‘Big Night Out’ kicked off with me having my own amazing new make-up look created by Caroline Barnes, Max Factor’s make-up artist, for an exclusive Max Colour Effect gig – which I absolutely loved plus I picked up some fab tips. Over the next few months you’ll be seeing more cool looks created for me by Caroline, so keep your eyes peeled! We’re on a mission to inspire girls to embrace make-up colour when getting ready for fun nights out – or if like me, anytime, a la my pink neon lips! Life would be incredibly boring if we didn’t have a collection like Max Colour Effect – all girls should try hot red lips and aqua eyes one night to bronze lips and golden eyes the next, in the spirit of celebrating individual style.

3. Tell us more about Max Factor’s exclusive gig?
I performed an exclusive gig for Max Colour Factor which saw me reveal a stunning new Max Colour Effect make-up look created by its award-winning make-up artist, Caroline Barnes. We filmed the Caroline doing the look, so we’ll be able to share make-up tips and inspire girls to be creative. The video will be available on Max Factor’s Facebook page very soon.

4. What is your favourite Max Colour Effect Eye Shadow?
I love Max Factor’s Max Colour Effect Dip-In Eye Shadow in Vibrant Turquoise, it delivers a real statement look and it’s so easy to build strong colour as it has a really precise sponge applicator. Max Factor’s make-up artist, Caroline Barnes, showed me just how easy it is to apply as one bold colour across the entire lid for a bit of show-stopping but cool glamour.

5. What is your favourite Max Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish?
Every girl should accessorise her outfit with a polish and there’s such a great range of polishes in the collection you can match-up most items in your wardrobe. My top picks are Max Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish in Diva Violet and Diva Coral – wear four nails in one of the colours and the ring finger in the contrasting shade for a cheeky but cute twist on colour.

Get Marina's look with...



Colour Effect Dip-In Eyeshadow in Vibrant Turquiose



Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish in Diva Coral



Creme de la Creme of Concealers

I've long admired Crème de la Mer products...from afar. At Grazia, the triple-figure moisturizing cream often graced the beauty cupboard shelves, but during my time at Fabulous I never even heard from the PR. Figures. So when a sample of their new Radiant Concealer SPF 25 (Stockist 0870 034 2566) arrived on my doorstep last week, I was overjoyed to say the least.

First let's begin with a negative...at £46, it's pricey. I'm afraid to say that I don't think any of my friends or family would EVER pay that much for a concealer, however amazing.

And it is amazing. Aesthetically alone, the white and mirrored (handy!) concealer case looks tres chic and comes with its very own pearlescent white pouch. This does look pretty and screams 'I'M EXPENSIVE!' but I'm not sure how useful it is when transporting the concealer in a handbag - a quick touch up turns into more of an exercise in precision opening and trying not to drop the case. The concealer comes with a mini brush - this is lovely. The bristles are super soft and the brush makes it that much easier to cover blemishes flawlessly, as opposed to clumsily camouflaging with your finger.

The cream-to-powder concealer is formulated with gemstones that work by diffusing the light to mask blemishes and smooth the skin. The SPF25 is a great addition, especially when covering dark circles - you know that delicate eye area is protected! As with all Creme de la Mer products, marine and plant extracts help to promote healthy skin, and in this product in particular are designed to minimise dark circles, puffiness and pore size. The concealer also contains a mushroom extract (Viapure Poria, if you're interested) that helps to calm red, inflamed skin so it's great for spot-prone complexions.

As many of you know, I'm a little obsessed with Mad Men. It turns out that the Deparment Head of Makeup on the show, Lana Horochowski, is already a fan of the concealer.

“I love the La Mer’s Radiant Concealer! It is so light and has just enough coverage without being cakey! I use it with a small brush and blend really well, I love that it doesn't crease or roll! In fact it is so sheer I don't even set it with powder, it brightens and sets all on its own!”

Luckily for my own testing (not so lucky for leaving the house) I had a serious breakout last week and woke up to some ghost-like dark circles (which I never suffer from). All in all, I looked pretty butters. This concealer had its work cut out, for sure. I dotted the concealer on to blemishes and around the eye area then blended with the brush. Unlike pretty much every other concealer I've tried, which seems to cake around my spots, this smoothed over imperfections, like velvet. These rare dark circles were barely visible and even the reddest of spots blended into my skin. The powder finish also meant that coverage lasts for hours. At school I used to use the Rimmel Hide the Blemish Concealer, which had to be repeatedly retouched on breaks, frees and lunch. It's worth noting that in that week I had a lot to conceal but the creamy formula goes a long way and I've barely made a dent.

So while at first the pricetag did seem outrageous to me, having spent my teens suffering with spots, not wanting to leave the house on occasion, I wish I'd had a concealer like this. You can't put a price on the confidence that flawless skin gives you, even at 24! Sx

WWRD?

What would Rihanna do? Well judging by the lyrics and video to new single, 'S+M,' quite a lot! This is pretty much a gratuitous opportunity to witness the fitness of Rihanna. However, maintaining a professional eye, aside from the Sideshow Bob hair, this video is crammed full of Spring/Summer 11 trends...

1. Red hair
2. Nail art (zebra print to be exact)
3. Pastel eyes
4. Candyfloss lips
5. Hairline blusher
6. 70s curls
7. Yellow eyeshadow

Besides, anyone who can pull off a pink rubber suit deserves some recognition. Sx

Alexa goes dark

The Chung appears to have shunned that harsh brassy blonde on the lengths and ends of her hair in favour of a rich, chocolate shade. Check out her colour here...http://www.handbag.com/fashion/celebrity/style/celebrity-fashion-pictures-1-february-2011-alexa-chung#fbIndex9

She's worn the root stretch look for a long time now so a return to simple, chic colour is refreshing. I do, however, remember reading in a Grazia article a couple of years back that one of her worst hair faux-pas was dyeing her hair near-black. While this is no raven shade, I'm surprised she's ventured to the dark side again. Surprised but glad. Sx