Stila’s ALL NEW ‘Festival Of Colour’  is everything you need to have a fabulous festival. Drawing inspiration specifically from music festivals, raves and light shows around the world, this collection is anything but dull. With vibrant color rich lip crayons that glow under backlights, eye shadows so custom that each pot is a work of art, and a BB cream that does more err.. work.. than any groupie I’ve ever met  -this is truly a full sensory experience.

10-in-1 Stay All Day BB Cream

Admittedly skeptical about BB creams at first, I have to say, I was truly impressed. Different from a tinted moisturizer, or a primer, it just went on, and evened everything out, without making it look like I was wearing any makeup.  The 10-in-one title is no joke, this little bottle is packed with all sorts of multi-tasking magic. Packed with peptides, pea shoots, and bamboo extracts it has been shown to reduce skin inflammation,  improve texture and stimulate collagen production. I absolutely noticed reduction in redness and splotchiness of my skin – and it just added an overall evenness to my whole face, even in the spotty areas. Its oil free and paraben free, so sensitive skin need not worry.  The  Stay-All-Day Illuminating Beauty Balm uses tiny light reflectors to give your skin a slightly shimmery radiance while the Stay-All-Day Bronzing Beauty Balm leaves  you with a sexy, yet sutbtle sun kissed glow.

The Afterglow Lip color  is available in 5 shades, all of which I want, if not only for the names (Electric Pink, Vivid Violet, Tangerine Dream, Festive Fuchsia, Rave Red, and Party Pink,).

Bright as the sun.  These color rich pigments are 3x brighter than average lip color, and contain sunflower and algae extracts that work hard to keep you smooched smooth during the day

Light up the night. Black light sensitive pigments in the color, make them glow in the dark. So why not let your lips lead the way to the front of the stage.

The appropriately named Countless Colour Pigments are the product of first-to-market (pressing/baking) technology that allow you to blend colors within the palette without permanently mixing the pigments. So you can truly customize your color with every application, without having to worry about the colors bleeding or mixing (permanently) together.

Jill Tomandi, (Stila’s Creative Chief Operator)  showed us some  of the blenadable color possibilities of ‘light show’ Then demonstrates how with a simple swipe of her powder brush, the palette is once again pristine, and colors are clearly separated.The best part is, that Stila’s ‘Festival of Colour’ collection truly will play with you all day, and stay on you all night. Have a Happy Festival!

Shop the entire Stila Collection >>

Dear Cult Beauty Experts,

I am 45 years old. My skin type is fair with freckles (see image). My overall skin condition is good and I am fortunate to have few wrinkles. My skin can be a little dry from time to time. I look younger than my age but would like my skin to look better still. I do not like wearing heavy foundation but do want something that offers good coverage and provides a luminous glow.

Can you please recommend a suitable foundation or tinted moisturiser please. I currently use products by Laura Mercier and Chantecaille.

Thanks, Deborah

Hello Deborah,

We have the perfect product for you. It’s by an ingenious make up brand called Jouer Cosmetics and this is their hero product. It won Allure Magazine’s best foundation category last year; Jouer isn’t an advertiser which makes this more meaningful.

The Luminizing Moisture Tint – which also has a matte sister product – is water resistant with an SPF of 20. It adds a luminosity to the skin, a subtle glow of health rather than a glittery, or even worse sweaty-looking finish, which some luminizers create.

The thing I love most about it is that once applied it really doesn’t move. This is not a product to disguise extremely uneven skin tones, you will still see some of your freckles through it, but that is really the best result, a compromise between natural and the ‘perfection’ we are driven to try and obtain nowadays.

This is oil-free so if your skin is feeling particularly dry, I would add just a little more moisturiser beneath it. But that element is what makes this product so versatile across all skin types. I would recommend the pearl colour, but if you tan a little in the summer golden will look really lovely.

Should I be using a primer as well? I am also looking for a good moisturiser as well – something with an SPF as I often don’t wear anything else on my skin.

Not with the Jouer ones.

If your skin has dry tendencies then your cleanser and moisturiser should be your main focus. I find balms – such as ones by Oskia, Omorovicza, REN, or an oil – steamed with a muslin cloth, are the most satisfying and efficient way of cleansing dry skin.

SPF Moisturiser-wise, the cheapest great option is by Alpha H. I wouldn’t recommend it for oily skins and you only need to use a small amount, but it’s really good quality for the price. The dreamy deluxe one is by Sunday Riley – the Cashmere SPF30 Advanced Sun Defence and pH Advantage do a lovely mid-range one.

Ever since the moment of triumph aged 14 when my parents FINALLY agreed to allow me to go to what we locals call the Pilton Pop Festival – and everyone else calls Glastonbury – I have been addicted to parties in the wilderness. I have experienced everything from deluges in Herefordshire to desert in Nevada and there are some products that have kept me (mostly) presentable and always comfortable in places where mirrors and showers are as hard to find as a teetotal trainspotter:

Egyptian Magic £25.50 – A balm is essential and this one kicks ass! Stumbles, bumbles, burns and scrapes can all be kissed better with this. It’s a brilliant lip balm and you can even use it as a cleanser.

Belmacz Blitz & Silver Swan £28 – Sold as eye shadow, and they are lovely in this guise, but I rarely stop there. They are made with 24ct Gold or pure silver leaf & make your skin look delectable. A tiny bit goes a very long way and here’s what it looks like.

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint, £29 – It just makes my skin look great even with no sleep, it also doesn’t appear like you are wearing anything – sweat proof & SPF 20, also in 5ml mini sets.

It’s going to be a blinding summer this year (you heard it here first)! When you’re exposed to the elements all day you need an all day sunscreen. This one was tested during a week of 40 degree heat on my skin, which can only be described best as melarexic. Ultrasun sun cream is basically job done!

Philip B Russian Amber Dry Shampoo, £25 – Not only does this soak up the grease, volumise from the roots and make your hair smell beautiful, it cares for your locks at the same time. Spray away the night before.

Faust’s Potions Hangover Cure (For Discerning Night Owls) £5.99 or x5 for £24 – What goes up must come down, UNLESS you pack a few of these. Before you go to bed, drink the vial labelled “Asleep” and in the morning take an “Awake” and the evidence of last night’s impression of a sailor on leave will disappear before you can say, ‘Ancient Mariner’. Tested on party animals!

There’s usually a point in the festival experience where it all gets a bit much, maybe you’ve lost all your friends, had a raving argument, or just need a little moment to yourself. It calms your spirit and fortifies your emotional strength to deal with the 60th person in a row to trampoline off your foot. It’s the spritz equivalent of a hug from your Mum – Therapie Restore Aura Spray, £22.

NEW FOR THIS FESTIVAL SEASON

NCLA Nail Wraps £12.50

Put them on before you head out to the festival, they last for a week and make your nails looks as cool as a cucumber cocktail!

Yes Nurse Hand Cream, £5.50 – Developed by a paediatric nurse to help her unhappy, constantly washed and sanitised hands. It sinks in a creates and protective layer, protecting your hands from the great outdoors.

Stila’s After Glow Lip Colour £12

It’s high density pigment, in a travel-handy, pencil format AND when the sun goes down and the party lights go up IT GLOWS IN THE DARK. I’ll give you a tip, this isn’t just for the pout, get creative!

Don’t just survive, thrive! And send us your pictures, we’d love to see them and showcase them on the blog editorial@cultbeauty.co.uk

From subtle to shocking…From red carpet to runway….Hypercolor hair is all the rage

Commitment phobe? Have no fear… This amazing Hypercolor Hair Powder by Anastasia Beverly HIlls takes less time to wash out than it does to apply – 5 minutes.

Get the look:

Make sure you wear some protective clothing, or put down a towel (color will wash out should it get on your clothes, but obviously if you can, avoid getting it on your clothes). Next on dry hair (works better when hair is properly conditioned) rub hyper color powder into desired hair pieces either between your fingers, or by running your hair directly against the pot of powder. Next, seal in color with hair spray.

If you need a little boost in the vibrancy of the color, rub a small amount of leave in conditioner into your hair before applying the powder.

Many shades at once, or one shade at a time….. Have fun with it. Life is better in hyper color!!

Also try ALL NEW Hypercolor Lash and Brow tints …..

I feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when I get to the end of one of my million lotions or potions. It’s a novelty akin to ploughing my way through a plate of Nana’s specialty boiled mince and onions – a job well done but resented.

I’m fickle and too easily impressed by the latest fads to persevere with most things, however much I think I like them. There are however, one or two products amongst the lilac lip glosses (apparently, lilac lips was a trend I bought into), black lipsticks and blue nail polishes (corpse chic anyone?) that I whiz my way to the bottom of, only to wish I hadn’t been so eager.

Pommade Divine, especially in the handbag friendly 10ml tube, looks adorable and is amazing. There’s something satisfyingly primary school about it’s yellow and blue wrappings that appeals to my wannabe Hipster (nothing says Hipster quite like looking marginally academic) and gives me cause for a smug ‘I-know-something-you-don’t-know’ half-smile whenever I retrieve it from the bottom of my (canvas) bag.

The scent is reassuringly earth-mother (clove-esque and edible) and the non-sticky texture is perfect for the long-of-hair, who can’t BEAR having strands glued to their gloopy (probably lilac) lips.

My second recent ‘finishee’ has been Yes! Nurse’s Hand Cream, which has quite literally nursed my over-washed hands (it’s a thing I do) back to something resembling human. Not having ready access to a nail brush is a genuine cause for concern (I blame a childhood ‘germs’ video) and as a result, my hands take a serious hammering. The non-greasy, quickly absorbed texture of this hand healer is perfect for me – I cannot abide stickiness – and means I can scrub my hands to my hearts content without worrying about them falling off.

Plus, it smells a little bit like Christmas. And Christmas is always a very good thing in my eyes (or nose).

WORE >> These new tasselled sandals courtesy of Zara. Tassels aren’t quite pompoms (my decoration of choice) but they’re certainly the next best thing. Nails were Chanel’s ‘Malice’ (fingers) and Essie’s ‘Camera’ (toes) while my wrist was wrapped in my Swatch – the epitome of watch sophistication.

BOUGHT >> Super Sad True Love Story and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald – the first, a dystopian tale of disintegrating literacy and the second, a biography of the famously loved but desperately troubled Zelda (wife of F. Scott).

SMELLED >> NEOM’s Tranquility Treatment Candle – a spring-appropriate blend of English Lavender, Sweet Basil and Jasmine.

LOVED >> Ouidad’s Mongongo Oil (coming soon to Cult Beauty) – a deeply nourishing treatment oil to smooth and separate my stressed tresses. Aesop’s Geranium Leaf Hydrating Body Treatment - to help nurse my limbs from reptilian to summer-ready and Sunday Riley’s Good Genes – quite literally a skin miracle.

WATCHED >> Paris is Burning – an INCREDIBLE documentary about the vogue scene in New York in the 80s. I defy any viewer to sit still ’til the end.

DEVOURED >> Fish and Chips from Kerbisher & Malt. So naughty but so delicious… a perfect Bank Holiday treat.

Woney: “Yes, why is it there are so many unmarried women in their thirties these days Bridget?”

Bridget: “Oh, I don’t know… I suppose it doesn’t help that underneath our clothes, our entire bodies are covered in scales.”

That said, Bridge may have a point (about scales, not marriage). We definitely witness her body-brushing her bottom like her life depends on it pre ‘Kafka’s Motorbike’ book launch, and it’s true that post-winter skin can oft be disturbingly reptilian… (including, but certainly not exclusive to, women in their thirties).

After months at the mercy of biting winds, dehydrating central heating and a cold-induced tendency to bury ourselves beneath layers of knitwear (and penguin pyjamas), come spring, our skin appears dry, flaky and not entirely unlike we’re ready to slither straight out of it.

So lose your cocoon and buff skin back to its’ beautiful best with these tips, tricks and accomplices.

BELIEVE THE HYPE >> and invest in Elemis’ Body Brush. Dry body brushing not only loosens dead cells but encourages circulation near the skin’s surface, which in turn boosts its processes of repair and renewal. It also stimulates lymphatic drainage to eliminate toxins and gradually help the appearance of cellulite.

TIP: Always brush towards the heart (wrist to shoulder/toe to bottom) to get the blood pumping and make you feel energised. It’s a brilliant way to start the day – just a few minutes every other morning pre-shower (focussing on any problem areas) will soon have your skin feeling baby soft and smooth. Use firm strokes but remember, this isn’t a punishment…

TAKE THE PLUNGE >> …have a milk bath. Cleopatra was onto a good thing when she (supposedly) took to luxuriating in the white stuff. Brimming with lactic acid (a member of the AHA family), milk gently dissolves the bonds that trap dulling dead cells to skin’s surface, whilst the natural fats help to soothe dry patches and any areas of irritation.

While few of us have access to a herd of cattle, you can buy powdered soaks to add to your bath water (such as Fig+Yarrow’s Floral Milk Bath) which are significantly more alluring (and fragrant) than wading into a tub full of cream.

GET PHYSICAL >> get a body scrub. With tiny grains or exfoliating beads suspended in a nutritive base, a good scrub will reinvigorate sluggish skin to leave it velvety soft and looking luminous. Simultaneously smoothing and conditioning, choose your weapon by your skin type (and your body clock).

If you need help to clear the night’s cobwebs, Fig+Yarrow’s Cardamom+Coffee Body Scrub is the skin-tingling equivalent of a double espresso – or – if you struggle to unwind, envelope yourself in the soothing scent of REN’s Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish, to banish post-work blues and carry you cloud-like into the land of nod.

DO IT AT YOUR DESK >> choose a moisturiser with exfoliating properties such a Sunday Riley’s Disrobe, which contains Lactic Acid to smooth and soften skin, whilst Shea Butter, Glycerin and Squalene combine to hydrate, repair and strengthen. The same principle can be applied to your face – use a night cream with an Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (such as Glycolic) to gently resurface your skin as your slumber. Try Alpha-H’s Liquid Gold Rejuvenating Cream.

BUT REMEMBER! AHAs gradually strip your skin of its oldest, uppermost layer, so ALWAYS wear an SPF on any areas that may be exposed to the sun – even when it’s cloudy, the sun is still up there.

For Lily’s 100th video on What I Heart Today she got to the bottom of what’s weighing down the handbags of bloggers Amelia Liana Beauty, Gemma from Gem Fatal, Anna from Vivianna Does Make up and me! My first appearance on a Vlog… If you’d like to know more about the products I mentioned here are the links:

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint, Beautyblender, Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel and Covet Waterproof Eyeliner, Prestige Liquid Eyeliner, Sunday Riley Prismasilk Eye Shadow & Modern Lip Colour, DuWop Reverse Lipliner, Belmacz Blitz, 3 Custom Color Lip & Cheek Stain, Stila Prime Pot, d.j.v. Beautenizer Volume Lash.

People were asking on Twitter what I had on my nails, it was NCLA Nail Wraps called Aly En Vogue.

A glimpse of things I wore, read, thought and did this weekend…

WORE >> Navy Blue Flats (£69 & Other Stories), Super Duper Strength Sunglasses (~ £190 Karen Walker), Lip Tar in NSFW (£15 by OCC), Orly’s Ridgefiller (£10.90) and Brilliant White Nail Colour (part of Clear Thinking Trio, £15 by DOSE), Eve Lom’s Kiss Mix (£16), Sunday Riley’s Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer (£38), Eylure’s Lash Extend Kit (£5.95) – all available at Cult Beauty

The sun was shining and the weather was sweet (yeah), which meant my sunglasses had their inaugural outing of two-thousand-and-thirteen – sported with breton (mais oui!) and a bold red lip – a fitting ensemble for sipping white wine and chomping on charcuterie at Colombia Road’s Printers & Stationers.

SMELLED >> of CB I Hate Perfume’s Burning Leaves – it’s my latest, and longest, olfactory obsession and I adore the unexpectedness of autumn scents in spring.

READ >> Sam Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners; a bittersweet story of what London life was like for West Indian immigrants in the 1950′s. Written in dialect, Selvon successfully marries hilarity with a poignancy that perfectly captures the black identity of his band of ‘outsiders’.

WATCHED >> L’amour Fou; a tear-jerking documentary charting the relationship between Pierre Berge and couturier Yves Saint-Laurent. It’s beautifully heart-breaking *sob* and the fashion is to die for…

DID >> Caught up on correspondence. I love letters and spent Sunday evening writing postcards to my nearest and dearest. This box of Penguin book cover cards contains something for everyone.

’til next weekend…