Susannah Taylor is one of my favourite beauty writers. She has worked on some of the biggest publications around, including a stint at Vogue. This is precisely why we have her writing for Zuneta right now!
In early January, we had a surge in sales on the site as everyone tried to shed the unhealthy feelings that linger after the festive period. I, for one, was beating down the door of my local swimming pool on Jan the 2nd (OK- not Jan the 1st, I didn't do anything on Jan 1st).
This year, however, I also had a fantastic range of products to help me kick-start my new years resolution.
Here are a few of Susannah's tips for looking lively!
"Baggy eyes, and line-ridden, pasty, spotty skin - sound familiar? An early morning glance in the bathroom mirror can be quite a shock at this time of year. Well, we’re not here to suggest you cut out wheat, dairy, chocolate or alcohol, nor are we going to suggest you take up an expensive gym membership (jeez life is hard enough right now). On the contrary, our New Year’s resolution for 2009 is to indulge ourselves more. How? With a few beauty products and a little bit of me-time of course.
Papering over bad skin cracks with make-up can make matters worse, so January is a time to invest in DIY beauty treatments before you hit the make-up counters. The one product guaranteed to make the biggest difference at this time of year is a quality exfoliator to slough away dry, dead skin cells leaving skin able to absorb products better. If you prefer a grainy scrub try Korres Almond Meal Facial Scrub £13.70, which will hoover the party season from your pores without irritating the skin. Alternatively try MD Skincare’s Alpha Beta Daily face Peel £53.83, a daily two-step micro-exfoliating regime consisting of facial pads steeped in Glycolic , Lactic, Malic and Salicylic acid – all dermatology-tested ingredients proven to rid skin of dulling debris.
If your biggest complaint is dry skin, then MD Skincare’s Intense Hydra Mask, £46.98, could well be your winter salvation. Rich in the moisture magnet Hyaluronic gel and packed with antioxidants, it immediately leaves skin with that post-facial, plump glow. But most importantly, make sure you invest in a deeply nourishing moisturiser such as Erborian’s Ginseng Infusion, £41.60 which promises to kick-start post Christmas skin by aiding microcirculation.
If skin is particularly sensitized (dry, itchy, red, sore or prone to more breakouts than usual) then one of the best all-round skin SOS products is Jurlique’s Soothing Herbal Recovery Gel, £44.04, a beauty editor’s favourite infused with chamomile, shea butter and lavender which not only replaces lost moisture levels but calms and balances hyper-sensitive skin types."
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Make Me Up Before You GaGa
Who's that roaming around London in leotards, bright bodycons and an impressive array of leather bustiers? Yes, its Lady GaGa. Yes we love her. What a way to kick off 2009, with a feisty New Yorker leading the way into a credit-crunch free zone of bountiful lashes, gold manicures and dynamic face art to go with it!
Lady GaGa’s look is based on unabashed drama. There is no debating that. However, before you go playing with colour, make sure you get the canvas right! To start you off, we recommend you use a good primer to even out your skin and create a flawless base. Why not try Model Co’s Face Base Skin Primer (£23.49)? The box is bright pink after all! We don’t like foundations that are too heavy or cakey so we just can’t get enough of BECCA Luminous Skin Colour (£32.30). But if you have a tricky skin tone to match, try the Stick Foundation (£34.26), which comes in 30 different shades. Make sure you are logged into the Clinic for help choosing the right shade. BECCA Compact Concealers (£29.36) are designed to use after your foundation, which will wipe out any stubborn blemishes or bags under your eyes (generated by last nights shameless dance floor action). Finish off with a dab of Model Co Cheeky Tints (£17.62) in Rosy Red. Apply in a circular motion on the apples of the cheeks so your colour looks natural- finish off with a coy expression and you'll have the GaGa look down!
The eyes are where this look will really come into its own...it’s all about the false lashes. We love Model Co’s Flutter Lashes (£9.79). They come with an adhesive strip, so no messing around with glue. Apply them along the lash line. Once secure, complete that smokey look with Korres Sunflower Oil Shimmering Eyeshadow (£10.76) in 54S Dark Grey. Then use BECCA Eyeliner Compact (£19.57) in Barbarella to line your lids, making sure that you cover the edge of the lashes. Seamless! Now, this look is all about drama so don’t be shy and apply lashings of Model Co’s Fatlash (£15.66). That’s right, more!
How much of a statement do I want to make? This is the question you have to ask yourself when choosing your lipstick. We usually see GaGa in a fairly nude shade, in which case try the new range of BECCA Sheer Lip Tints (£21.00)- in Vendela perhaps. Or you can go the whole hog and make a serious impact with Fusion Beauty’s Plump & Re-plump Liquid Lipstick (£25.45) in Runway.
Finally, it’s the nails. Make like a magpie and reach straight for the gold. Go for Butter London’s Full Monty (£9.79). Always classy, never brassy- that’s what it says on the tin.
Now arm yourself with attitude, get on that dancefloor and Just Dance.
Lady GaGa’s look is based on unabashed drama. There is no debating that. However, before you go playing with colour, make sure you get the canvas right! To start you off, we recommend you use a good primer to even out your skin and create a flawless base. Why not try Model Co’s Face Base Skin Primer (£23.49)? The box is bright pink after all! We don’t like foundations that are too heavy or cakey so we just can’t get enough of BECCA Luminous Skin Colour (£32.30). But if you have a tricky skin tone to match, try the Stick Foundation (£34.26), which comes in 30 different shades. Make sure you are logged into the Clinic for help choosing the right shade. BECCA Compact Concealers (£29.36) are designed to use after your foundation, which will wipe out any stubborn blemishes or bags under your eyes (generated by last nights shameless dance floor action). Finish off with a dab of Model Co Cheeky Tints (£17.62) in Rosy Red. Apply in a circular motion on the apples of the cheeks so your colour looks natural- finish off with a coy expression and you'll have the GaGa look down!
The eyes are where this look will really come into its own...it’s all about the false lashes. We love Model Co’s Flutter Lashes (£9.79). They come with an adhesive strip, so no messing around with glue. Apply them along the lash line. Once secure, complete that smokey look with Korres Sunflower Oil Shimmering Eyeshadow (£10.76) in 54S Dark Grey. Then use BECCA Eyeliner Compact (£19.57) in Barbarella to line your lids, making sure that you cover the edge of the lashes. Seamless! Now, this look is all about drama so don’t be shy and apply lashings of Model Co’s Fatlash (£15.66). That’s right, more!
How much of a statement do I want to make? This is the question you have to ask yourself when choosing your lipstick. We usually see GaGa in a fairly nude shade, in which case try the new range of BECCA Sheer Lip Tints (£21.00)- in Vendela perhaps. Or you can go the whole hog and make a serious impact with Fusion Beauty’s Plump & Re-plump Liquid Lipstick (£25.45) in Runway.
Finally, it’s the nails. Make like a magpie and reach straight for the gold. Go for Butter London’s Full Monty (£9.79). Always classy, never brassy- that’s what it says on the tin.
Now arm yourself with attitude, get on that dancefloor and Just Dance.
Friday, 16 January 2009
I read a very interesting article in the FT the other day, about the surge in ‘waiting lists’ for new products. The article is by Caroline Brien:
“A strange thing happened in the beauty world last September: Harrods was deluged by phone calls from eager customers desperate to get hold of Givenchy's Phenomen'eyes mascara, a coveted product that hadn't even hit the shelves. A whirlwind of online hype had kickstarted a trend: the beauty waiting list was born.
When Rodial launched their 10-minute facelift Glamtox Peel in October, their online waiting list topped 927. "Waiting lists definitely create buzz about a product, both online and by word of mouth," says Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of the brand. "They reinforce the desirability so much that customers are willing to pay in advance and wait up to six weeks for delivery."
The thing is, there are some pretty exciting products being launched these days. Gone are the days were innovation was focused solely on colour collections or ingredients.
The new era of beauty launches is based on new ways of thinking. Learning’s are taken from surgery, from cellular research, from different industries.
Look at Glamtox Peel, the imagery itself invites you to relate it to a face lift. And the tightening effect you get from using this product may well be akin to the initial sensations post surgery.
Look at brands like Noesa. The science behind this brand is extremely detailed. Infact, the research Noesa is based on is Nobel prize winning.
And remember the excitement around the launch of TurboLash by Estee Lauder? This is simple, toothbrush technology applied to the application of mascara. Simple, but very effective.
And, I can definitely promise you, brands will be fighting even harder to keep their customers in 2009, so we are all in for some exciting new treats!
“A strange thing happened in the beauty world last September: Harrods was deluged by phone calls from eager customers desperate to get hold of Givenchy's Phenomen'eyes mascara, a coveted product that hadn't even hit the shelves. A whirlwind of online hype had kickstarted a trend: the beauty waiting list was born.
When Rodial launched their 10-minute facelift Glamtox Peel in October, their online waiting list topped 927. "Waiting lists definitely create buzz about a product, both online and by word of mouth," says Maria Hatzistefanis, founder of the brand. "They reinforce the desirability so much that customers are willing to pay in advance and wait up to six weeks for delivery."
The thing is, there are some pretty exciting products being launched these days. Gone are the days were innovation was focused solely on colour collections or ingredients.
The new era of beauty launches is based on new ways of thinking. Learning’s are taken from surgery, from cellular research, from different industries.
Look at Glamtox Peel, the imagery itself invites you to relate it to a face lift. And the tightening effect you get from using this product may well be akin to the initial sensations post surgery.
Look at brands like Noesa. The science behind this brand is extremely detailed. Infact, the research Noesa is based on is Nobel prize winning.
And remember the excitement around the launch of TurboLash by Estee Lauder? This is simple, toothbrush technology applied to the application of mascara. Simple, but very effective.
And, I can definitely promise you, brands will be fighting even harder to keep their customers in 2009, so we are all in for some exciting new treats!
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
The Gold Standard
I was up late last night finishing off our stock take, now that the crazy festive period is over. Christmas and New Years is always a good time for anything sparkly. You’ll notice that all the colour collections that are launched for December always contains some form of glitter, or ‘paillettes’ as they are known as in labs across the country (and France).
So it was no surprise to find out that the brand that really began to fly out the door come Christmas was Belmacz!
This cute little ensemble of products is brought to us by the simply fabulous Julia Muggenburg who is best known as an acclaimed jeweller.
When I met with Julia in the autumn of last year, I was super impressed by her passion for her subject. And her passion is wholeheartedly poured into the fabulously indulgent products she has developed, using 24-carat gold leaf as the star ingredient!
First, the gold leaf lip gloss. This comes in 5 shades (the most popular one being Cornelian, which is a punchy, coral shade). When I first tried this product I was a little unsure as it has no scent and I am a big fan of all things fruity and juicy. The packaging is also a little bit plain for such a decadent concept. However, as soon as I had applied it (brazenly, at the dinner table), one of my friends immediately asked for some. ‘But its purple” I stated, surprised as she usually leans toward any shade as long as it’s nude. “But its gorgeous” she replied. And when I looked in the mirror I saw that she was right and now I am an addict.
The second product in the line that I am a huge fan of is Halo. It is a beautiful balm made with rosehip oil and cocoa butter, with tiny flakes of gold leaf creating a very impressive shimmer. The texture is silky and the formula melts onto your skin very easily. Big tick!
So it was no surprise to find out that the brand that really began to fly out the door come Christmas was Belmacz!
This cute little ensemble of products is brought to us by the simply fabulous Julia Muggenburg who is best known as an acclaimed jeweller.
When I met with Julia in the autumn of last year, I was super impressed by her passion for her subject. And her passion is wholeheartedly poured into the fabulously indulgent products she has developed, using 24-carat gold leaf as the star ingredient!
First, the gold leaf lip gloss. This comes in 5 shades (the most popular one being Cornelian, which is a punchy, coral shade). When I first tried this product I was a little unsure as it has no scent and I am a big fan of all things fruity and juicy. The packaging is also a little bit plain for such a decadent concept. However, as soon as I had applied it (brazenly, at the dinner table), one of my friends immediately asked for some. ‘But its purple” I stated, surprised as she usually leans toward any shade as long as it’s nude. “But its gorgeous” she replied. And when I looked in the mirror I saw that she was right and now I am an addict.
The second product in the line that I am a huge fan of is Halo. It is a beautiful balm made with rosehip oil and cocoa butter, with tiny flakes of gold leaf creating a very impressive shimmer. The texture is silky and the formula melts onto your skin very easily. Big tick!
Finally, we have the Oyster Pearl Powder. Of the 3, this is my least favourite as I love the bling of the above, however it gives you a very pleasant matte finish and I would definitely recommend it for the girl that likes to indulge without showing it off to the world!
What a fantastic way to be extravagant during this evil credit crunch- without breaking the bank (or walking into a jeweller’s)!
What a fantastic way to be extravagant during this evil credit crunch- without breaking the bank (or walking into a jeweller’s)!
Monday, 5 January 2009
Yu'll-Be soft & supple in no time!
Seeing as it is absolutely freezing outside, I just wanted to bring your attention to a very important secret weapon that you should all have in your handbags (or manbags) to protect your delicate skin from the cold.
Have you heard of Yu-Be? If not, what are you waiting for? Arm yourself with this magic ‘heal all ailments’ vitamin and camphor enriched emollient in a tube- at once!
It is not just me that loves this product, it is the whole of the Japanese nation as it is actually the #1 selling medicated, vitamin-enriched skin care cream over there.
Let me just throw a few scenarios out there:
¬ If you are taking your new years resolutions very seriously and starting to cycle to work (i.e risking frostbite on your hands on a daily basis)- you’ll need it
¬ If you are horrified by what the party season and too many evenings squished into uncomfortably high heels has done to your feet- you’ll need it
¬ If you are planning to go anywhere near a ski resort in the not too distant future- you’ll need it
- If you or any member of your family is being plagued with any kind of irritation (of the skin that is—any other irritation and I can’t help you…)- you’ll need it
I could go on, but I won’t.
Instead I’ll just share with you my 3 top Yu-Be tips:
¬ Smother Yu-Be all over your feet before putting a loose, but warm pair of socks on. Leave them on overnight. Marvel at your soft and delicate skin the next morning.
¬ If you are like my brother, you will carry a tube with you wherever you go. If your skin is a little on the sensitive side like his, regular hand washing can lead to dry skin and even irritation. Unless you sporadically apply the non-greasy loveliness that is Yu-Be, that is!
¬ If you are a bit of a manicure obsessive, like myself, you can use a little dab of Yu-Be to cure any cracked cuticles.
Yu-be is also great for eczema suffers, extreme sport enthusiasts (gets rid of wetsuit rash with lightening speed) and for people with hard to treat dermatological issues. Yu-Be differs from other emollients as it is glycerine based, so is not at all sticky or greasy.
Yu-Be is suitable for man, woman and child.
And these are just a few of the reasons why we chose to recommend Yu-Be on Zuneta.
Have you heard of Yu-Be? If not, what are you waiting for? Arm yourself with this magic ‘heal all ailments’ vitamin and camphor enriched emollient in a tube- at once!
It is not just me that loves this product, it is the whole of the Japanese nation as it is actually the #1 selling medicated, vitamin-enriched skin care cream over there.
Let me just throw a few scenarios out there:
¬ If you are taking your new years resolutions very seriously and starting to cycle to work (i.e risking frostbite on your hands on a daily basis)- you’ll need it
¬ If you are horrified by what the party season and too many evenings squished into uncomfortably high heels has done to your feet- you’ll need it
¬ If you are planning to go anywhere near a ski resort in the not too distant future- you’ll need it
- If you or any member of your family is being plagued with any kind of irritation (of the skin that is—any other irritation and I can’t help you…)- you’ll need it
I could go on, but I won’t.
Instead I’ll just share with you my 3 top Yu-Be tips:
¬ Smother Yu-Be all over your feet before putting a loose, but warm pair of socks on. Leave them on overnight. Marvel at your soft and delicate skin the next morning.
¬ If you are like my brother, you will carry a tube with you wherever you go. If your skin is a little on the sensitive side like his, regular hand washing can lead to dry skin and even irritation. Unless you sporadically apply the non-greasy loveliness that is Yu-Be, that is!
¬ If you are a bit of a manicure obsessive, like myself, you can use a little dab of Yu-Be to cure any cracked cuticles.
Yu-be is also great for eczema suffers, extreme sport enthusiasts (gets rid of wetsuit rash with lightening speed) and for people with hard to treat dermatological issues. Yu-Be differs from other emollients as it is glycerine based, so is not at all sticky or greasy.
Yu-Be is suitable for man, woman and child.
And these are just a few of the reasons why we chose to recommend Yu-Be on Zuneta.
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