| home | brands | make up | skin products | bath & body | hair & nails | tools & tricks | gifts | wellbeing | meet our experts | blog |
I discovered this last night during a YouTube swap sesh. This is the music video for Parov Stelar’s Catgrove tune (electro-swing is the next music craze to be sweeping the nation BTW, worth checking that genre out!), the dancer in it absolutely rocks, he’s amazing. A beautiful mix of edgy cool and almost balletic elegance. He could do with acquainting himself with the modern wonders of shampoo though…. alexia inge
If you are suffering from Rosacea, Eczema or Acne, have sensitive skin or are fed up with products that don’t work, read on…
Rosie Huntington-Whitley, Maggie Gyllenhaal, myself and a whole host of make up artists are fans of this beautiful range. The products are mostly made up of organic oils, the masks are jam packed with minerals, both are so natural you could literally eat them. These skin care products work by delivering the ingredients our skin and body cells need in order to function at maximum efficiency, with smooth communication pathways. Much like how a Nicorette patch works by having a molecular structure small enough to pass into the bloodstream, the active ingredients in these products have the same effect.
We were recently granted an audience with the founder of MV Organics Sharon Mcglinchey (image below), a true master of her trade. Here is what she had to say…
Sharon is a no-frills Geordie with an Aussie lilt, whose obsession with beauty products led to her becoming a beauty therapist. Her journey with MV Organics is told with an inspiring passion. I could have listened to her till the cows came home.
MV Organics started when a close friend of Sharon’s developed a nasty reaction to petrochemicals. A mind boggling amount of consumer products from detergents to cosmetics, contain synthetic ingredients derived from petrochemicals, so avoiding them can be tricky. Sharon had just finished a course in making beauty products in one’s own kitchen. She gave a pot of her petrochemical free moisturiser to her friend who’s skin transformed overnight from red and blistered into calm and manageable. Something the dermatologist had failed to accomplish. The dermatologist treating her friend so impressed he ordered a batch.
The secret to Sharon’s success is quality and simplicity. The skin does not need to be bombarded with a gazillion different products. If you have sensitive skin, then even more so. What it needs is nourishment and ingredients that work in harmony with the body’s systems. Here are a few of my favourite things:
Gentle Cream Cleanser; A topical cleanser that won’t strip your face’s natural oils. Two pumps are all you need to rid your skin of make up and everyday dirt. Massage the cream (it’s balancing enough for oily skinned peeps too) gently into your face and neck, then hold a steaming muslin cloth over it until the heat cools. The heat from the water helps release the oils, which in turn, loosens the corneum (2nd layer) of the epidermis so you can wipe them away, revealing the luminous new skin underneath. 
Calming & Softening Mask; Mix 2 teaspoons with the Rose Mist or bottled/filtered spring water till you have a smooth consistency. Apply using a fan brush – fan brushes are useful tools for applying masks, they give excellent precise coverage and make little mess. The mask acts in 3 phases. 1) Damp Phase – this is when the minerals from the mask are being absorbed. 2) Cooling Phase – the capillaries slowly contract. 3) Drawing Phase – impurities are drawn into the mask to be washed down the drain. Wash the mask off BEFORE it gets dry. This is an excellent mask to help oily or acne prone skin become de-sensitised and calm. Once skin has been softened and strengthened, the mask can then clear up oils from a hyperactive sebum gland.
Rose Soothing & Protecting Moisturiser; Half a pump is all you need when mixed with one drop from either of the 3 Booster Oils. This product is incredibly soothing to your skin. After shoots that have included many make up changes, I treat myself to a mask followed by this moisturiser and a drop of the Rose Booster. Immediately I can feel my skin calming down. The 
erratic tingling ceases to annoy plus come the morning, my skin is glowing so much it looks like someone turned up the sun. This product also evens out skin tone to rid you of redness. In the mortal words of Bethan Cole “the more I use this, the less foundation I need“.
Rose Skin Plus Booster; This booster is designed with delicate, fragile skin in mind, its even safe for babies and those on HRT. The steam distilled (otto) Rose oil is used as the main component alongside Rose Geranium. Not only does this product smell as fresh as my Grandmother’s old rose garden, but it also contains properties that help the skin to stay calm and properly moisturised, fighting off any dryness and dehydration. It is a soothing, non-toxic, non-irritant ingrediant that harbors cicatrisant properties. Marry that with its antiseptic, antiviral and bactericidal properties and you have a pot of goodness that helps heal skin after trauma and stress.
Instant Revival; This is the Ferrari of the boosters. If your skin is sun-damaged, tired, mature or post surgery, this is the booster for you. It’s a cordon bleu recipe for your skin, rich and satisfying. A few of the essential oils included are…
Lavender; cell growth stimulator, scar preventor, encourages balance in sebum production and reduces inflammation.
Geranium; circulation and lymphatic system booster, helps improve skin elasticity.
Rosewood; superior cell stimulant and tissue generator.
Neroli; helps with the treatment of broken capillaries and veins under the skin’s surface, stimulates cell activity and growth.
Some tips from Sharon:
“Have a make-up free day, so the skin has a chance to breath.”
“Pure Jojoba oil is 1 molecular bar short of being identical to our skin’s sebum. You can use as much as you like, it won’t clog your skin. It makes for an excellent make-up remover (see Alexia’s blog on jojoba).”
“Don’t take your cleanser off in the shower, take it off before the shower with hot water and a cloth, apply some jojoba oil, then get in the shower. The water will just wash off your face. If you shower with your make up on, the heat from the water penetrates the make up deeper into your skin.“
“Teenagers…buy a natural soap. You can tell if its natural by how squishy it goes when mixed with water.” Squishy = Good.
“Muslin cloths are better than cotton flannels because they do not harbor bacteria as they dry quickly. They are great for travelling.”
“Add the boosters to your moisturiser if your moisturiser is natural“. I love that Sharon understands we can’t all afford her products.
Here’s hoping Sharon’s words and products help to make your life a little easier and your skin that much happier. olivia inge
One of our Cult Beauty Team, Monika, has just added a kitten to her family over the weekend and seeing as Mondays on this blog are all about celebrating The Cute (Oriol Robert you know who you are)…we couldn’t help ourselves. Allow us to introduce little Phoebe…
Her beauty tips include, using your paw to wash behind your ears, avoid slobbery dogs and Tara Smith’s Top Coat Glosser gives the purrrfect finish to your coat before you head out for a night on the tiles!
As a little girl Smurfette was a complete icon to me, beautiful, stylish, girly and adored by hundreds of male Smurfs. Looking back with adult eyes it is slightly strange that there was only one female in the clan. If you read further the undertones become vaguely misogynistic. Smurfette was created out of clay by the Smurf’s arch enemy Gargamel, in order to spread discord and jealously in their Village. Themes of Adam, Eve, rib bones and apple trees jump to mind…
But if you dissect any cartoon it’s possible to find something to offend our delicate modern-day sensibilities, especially ones created in the 60′s.
Hollywood has revamped the franchise, releasing a 3D movie later this month with another girly girl, Katy Perry, as her voice. It’ll be interesting to see how today’s need for airtight political correctness renders these origins in the new script.
I’m excited to see that blue is back for another generation and think we’ll being seeing a lot more of this iconic image. alexia inge
In celebration of all things Daddy-licious we thought we’d pay hommage to some gorgeous fathers. As a public service in the interests of world beauty I urge them all to keep breeding, especially Gabriel Aubry who appears to be the only man to unite the diverse tastes of the Cult Beauty offices (Alan Rickman anyone?!!) alexia inge
Tattoos are tricky to get right and avoid being marked forever with a ‘tramp-stamp’, but the world of tattooing has really moved on from the sailor/hooligan/tribal/naked lady horrors or ore. The below images have inspired me to think seriously about getting some body art done.
Mind you…no matter how fantastically arty, enhancing and chic they have become, technology still hasn’t got to the place where it doesn’t feel like you’re having a fag stubbed out on your skin for hours. What do you think? alexia inge
I found these images on the brilliantly addictive Tattoologist site
We all know that no matter how bad things feel a smile instantly brightens our day, but there’s more to this human behaviour than that. The below is a talk from TED.com reveals many more benefits than just a momentary uplift of the spirits, from looking more attractive to being more successful. Definitely worth a watch. alexia inge
There has been a rash of new, skin-toned eye pencils on the market recently, which all purport to do the same thing – open and brighten the eye, disguise red-eye from tiredness and make the whole area look younger. But we couldn’t help noticing these rather pricey pretenders aren’t half a patch on the original and best for only £12 – 3 Custom Colour Clarifying Pencil.
This clever little product makes you look bright-eyed and younger even on your most tired, hungover jet-lagged, red-eyed days and the wax texture keeps it put all day long. Don’t believe us? Well Angelina Jolie’s a fan, as is Desperate Housewife Marcia Cross and R’n'B diva Mary J. Blige. And verrry satisfied customers say things like “This is my back up for morning-itis, especially if I haven’t had any sleep or have been partying on a school night. A quick line of this along my lower lid and I look vaguely normal again…”
Apply the pencil to the inside bottom rim of the eye to widen and brighten – the flesh colour means it’s foolproof to apply and works with all skin tones because you put it on the inside of the eye. Plus it’s only £12!
TED.com is a recent discovery in the Cult Beauty office. A brilliant nonprofit organisation dedicated to the sharing and spreading of ideas. Whether through conferences around the globe, or for those of us who aren’t Al Gore… their website, TED offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers. A community of curious and creative souls that share their thoughts on how to improve the way we do things, as individuals on a small scale as well as starting international movements.
I highly recommend watching the presentation below by fly-posting, French, photographer JR, who just won this years TED Prize… alexia inge
TED is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you’re an important part of it. Have an idea yourself or want to recommend a speaker for one of their conferences click here.
Laguna or Super Orgasm super fans get excited…NARS are launching some brand new colours to their Illuminators (£21.50) range for Spring 2011! These luscious creamy products can be used for a variety of exciting things, on your face, neck, shoulders and décolletage to highlight bare skin or over makeup to add a healthy glow. They comes in 3 shades – Super Orgasm (infused with gold and peachy hues), Copacabana (pearlescent) and Laguna (a golden/bronze shimmer like the bronzer). If you like Benefit’s High Beam…you’ll fall head over heels for Copacabana.
Being an obsessive lip make-up junkie, my makeup bag is always full of far too many lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balms, lip liners… And NARS have answered my prayers. They have launched the Velvet Lip Gloss Pencil (£17.50), which acts as a dualism between a lipstick and a lip gloss and even better it hydrates your lips with Vitamin E and a blend of special emollients. It comes in a Jumbo ‘crayon’ pencil in 6 shades including Baroque (raspberry pink), Happy Days (coral pink), New Lover (Strawberry pink with gold), Frivolous (seashell pink), Hopi (Honey beige) and Club Mix (sheer grape). As it’s beginning to brighten up, and Spring is finally arriving, try some of the subtle, fresh shades like Happy Days or Frivolous to delicately brighten your complexion. Cult Beauty especially loves the Copacabana illuminator and Frivolous Velvet lip gloss pencil…we’re in love! nadine bourne
The new Illuminator shades will launch online and in stores on the 1st March 2011 and the Velvet Lip Gloss Pencil are available online now.
Celebrated make-up artist and Cult Beauty expert Emma Day tells us about her foolproof way to kickstart the new year…
“New Years resolutions always amuse me as invariably they are things that we all burst with enthusiasm about doing for the first three weeks of January and then real life kicks in and we all go back to our naughty habits of old. Over the Christmas period, I take a break from the gym and like most people, eat and drink a little bit more than I should. I then come out of this self-imposed indulgence to transform myself from something rather grey and slug-like into a gorgeous (I wish) rejuvenated butterfly at the end of it. The first thing I wanted to address was the texture of the skin on my body. Don’t get me wrong – I am pretty good at slathering on luxurious body creams and body scrubs (I love the Elemis lime and ginger salt scrub and brush) but something more than a bit of home DIY was required by this point.
I booked in for a Body Sculpting Cellulite and Colon therapy treatment and headed off to the Elemis day spa in Mayfair which is a delicious gem of a treatment centre – tucked away behind the main drag of Mayfair. Fairly decadent and self -indulgent for first thing on a Monday morning – but hey, thats the kind of girl I am and thats what got me into this trouble in the first place. I was ushered downstairs by the lovely Lola into an uber luxurious Moroccan-inspired treatment room. This is designed to be a mixture of quite intense massage to stimulate the circulation all over the body and then more localised massage just under the rib-cage to get the colon behaving itself again and I have to say, I did laugh out loud when I was being pummelled on the backs of my thighs as I wasn’t quite expecting the strength of it, but it was not unpleasant and its also a sign that there are unhappy little toxins under there waiting to come out. Throughout this I was instructed to breathe deeply, in and out. I was then buffed with my favourite Lime and ginger body scrub and covered in the detoxifying fennel and birch peel-off body masque and then wrapped up in cling-film that heats up so the masque could get to work and draw out the nasties. Once this had done its magic, it was literally peeled off my body and I was smoothed over with the Body sculpting lipo-refining serum and firming cream. The final treatment was a really delicious scalp and head massage. If I could have one of these every day for the rest of my life, I would happily sign up.
Once back in my clothes how did I feel? Well my jeans were slightly looser, I smelt like heaven, my skin was clearly in much better condition than when I came in and extremely velvety. I did go straight to the loo and was told that this would happen a bit more regularly over the next few days. However, for this treatment to really have a major impact on cellulite I would say you would have to invest in the two a week, four week program. I would recommend this if you feel like you need a bit of a body re-haul or have a holiday coming up and are going to bare all or even if you are in a new relationship and intending to bare all – after all its Valentines coming up! Would I go back and have another one ? I really like the quality of Elemis products, I love the smells and I totally trust the therapists. Absolutely!”
Per fumier Le Labo has a unique mission: To fight the growing conformity in the beauty industry. Le Labo thrives on its unique customer relationship (its laboratory is open to the public) and unlike other brands, the fragrances they produce are “made to order” (the alcohol and fragrance is not mixed until it is being purchased) which means the end product stays ‘fresh’ and retains the fullness of its fragrance for longer.
Excitingly, as a part of Le Labo’s mission to widen consumers’ perception of perfume, perfume provocateur Nicola Pozzani is hosting a series of workshops solely in London. The overall aim is to approach Le Labo’s fragrances through what they call a ‘synaesthetic approach’ which will explore the connection between fragrance and all the senses.
Le Labo’s “Synesthetic series” is a sequence of 5 workshops, which will take place once a month on Sunday afternoons at the Devonshire Street boutique in London. Working in small teams, students will learn about the brand, its fragrances and the ingredients used. Through sensory exercises an active involvement with the products will ultimately expand your knowledge and perception of scent. In addition, the workshops will allow students to explore the sensations fragrance can convey and experience perfume as “an art form, as a creative language and become aware of the creative scenarios that lay behind fragrance creation”. The synaesthetic aspect of the workshop will teach students to become more sensitive to fragrance and gain a newly discovered perception of perfume. Nadine Bourne
Want to discover more cult fragrances? Try Molecule 01.
The Le Labo Synesthetic Series takes place every last Sunday of the month from January to May 2011
Time: 4pm to 6pm
Where: 28A Devonshire Street, London W1G 6PS
Price: £45
Number of places: maximum 6 per session
RSVP : lelabolondon@lelabofragrances or +44 20 3441 1535
I just came across this <<< image of Karl Lagerfeld and have to say that for such a well documented image fash-ist, the state of his teeth is quite a surprise.
Its a wonderful example of what I call the beauty-blind-spot. Even the most groomed and preened of folks have one, it just takes longer to spot it on some than others (I still haven’t pinpointed Gisele’s damn it, and being too perfect doesn’t count!).
I actually consider his yellowing mouthful of ‘badly parked’ teeth rather a breath of fresh air. Perfection is boring and it is the tiny chinks in people’s beauty armour that ends up making them more attractive and memorable, the crooked teeth (Kate Moss), the wonky nose (Owen Wilson) and the lop-sided smile (Katie Holmes).
Vive la différence!! alexia inge
The lady every girl would like to have as an Aunt/Mum/Sister, at 56 Carine Roitfeld exudes a fierce chic that even the A-lister ingenues she features find hard to pull off. Carine recently announced her departure from the top job at French Vogue, after a decade spent bringing it out of a bourgeois 1990′s mire, she will be sorely missed. Unusually for her industry Carine has eschewed the botox/filler route in favour of a curtain of honeyed, rock-chic hair and signature smokey make up to compliment her intelligent, deeply-set eyes. Her boyish figure and killer pins make her the best clothes horse a designer could wish for. Good luck with your next move Carine, we can’t wait to see what you do. alexia inge
Our favourite eccentric fashion maven has got to be Anna Dello Russo, a woman who is so obsessed with clothes she has an entire apartment to house them. This doyenne of the front row wears catwalk outfits from head to toe, 6-inch heels as a norm and couture to take out the bin (we imagine.) So obviously when the time came for her to launch her first fragrance, we waited with baited breath to see how it would turn out. And she hasn’t disappointed us. The bottle is shaped like a golden shoe, the advert sees her twirling and whirling around a baroque apartment in fantastical costumes and the smell is, well, we don’t know what it smells like but we’re sure it’ll be amaze. We adore. Saying that, we’ll never swap our beloved Molecule 01 for any other fragrance, but we do like watching Anna strutting her stuff. Bravo AdR, bravo!
Monsieur Gruau is having a moment right now. The legendary fashion illustrator’s work is the subject of a new exhibition at the Fashion Illustration Gallery from now until December 4 as well as at the exhibitions Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty at Somerset House and Drawing Fashion at the Design Museum.
Even if you’re unfamiliar with the name Gruau, you might recognise his distinctive style as it’s always popping up on birthday cards, in magazines and books and on posters. The bold, confident lines, the vibrant colours, the elegant woman in wonderful frocks – a fantasy of couture, elegance and glamour.
The exhibition at FIG shows works by Gruau on paper for the front covers of International Textiles – the first global fash mag. Gruau’s work adorned the cover from 1946 to 1984 and it’s fascinating to see how his style evolved over the decades, from the stylised, aristocratic women he depicted in the ‘40s and 50s, to the playful, kittenish creatures of the ‘60s.
His skill lay in the seemingly effortless way he could capture an elegant stance with just a few confident strokes of his brush and you can see this most effectively up close at the exhibition. The pieces are all for sale, with prices starting at £10,000 – if we were allowed just one thing on our fantasy Christmas list this year, a Rene Gruau work would be it.
Rene Gruau ( 1909 – 2004 ) Cover Art/International Textiles Magazine runs until December 4 at the Mayor Gallery, 22a, Cork Street, London W1S 3NA. www.fashionillustrationgallery.com
We all have long stressful days, weeks, months…
So what to do to alleviate the woes? Nothing can be better than a visit to Ushvani Spa,which is regarded by Quintessentially Pure as one of the Best Spas in the World.
Situated in the heart of Chelsea, this is the brainchild of Usha Arumugam who visualised a Malaysian Day Spa that offers the best of everything. It does not disappoint. Truly, if I was being churlish and looking for faults – I could not find one. From the moment I walked through the beautiful doors (yes they are), I entered a tranquil, exquisite world, where attention to detail is sublime.
Everything runs like clockwork, nothing goes wrong. Every inch of the spa is spotless, and the decor is breathtaking. The Hibiscus flower, which is the signature ingredient in the Ushvani products, features subtly in the hand crafted wood panels throughout.
There are treatment rooms for men, yoga studios, a couple’s suite ideal for any two people wanting a joint pampering treat, and ladies’ treatment rooms. On the ladies’ floor there is also a hydrotherapy pool, steam room, a brilliant experience shower that has a variety of water pressures, heat, colours (you still have to dry yourself unfortunately).
The staff are amazing – friendly, professional, beautifully groomed and most importantly brilliant at what they do. My massage was the best I have had, and Lauren the therapist was just wonderful. The extensive training paid off hugely. I had a Malay Massage, which is more detox, de -tress rather than stimulating. There are no words…
Anybody who thinks they deserve the best, you must treat yourself. stacia prince
Ushvani, 1 Cadogan Gardens, London, SW3 2RJ www.ushvani.com | 0207 730 2888 | reservations@ushvani.com
The French sculptor Mathilde Roussel Giraudy has exhibited these lovely living sculptures all over the world, the title of the exhibition is Ca Pousse (it’s growing). She wants to make us think about the food we choose to put into our bodies and its provenance.
“In these sculptures I strive to show that food, it’s origin, it’s transport, has an impact on us beyond it’s taste. The power inside it affects every organ of our body. Observing nature and being aware of what and how we eat makes us more sensitive to food cycles in the world – of abundance, of famine – and allows us to be physically, intellectually and spiritually connected to a global reality.” Mathilde
View more of her work here
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the concept of globalisation. There is something totally wonderful about stocking up on fabulous beauty finds when on holiday in foreign climes. Watching the beady-eyed jealousy of friends as you pull out the beautifully alien packaging is hugely gratifying, but the sadness as you scrape the last bead of pigment from the edge of the hinge is almost too much to bear!
Shiseido insists on goading me in this fashion, especially with their exquisite MAQuillAGE range, which is only available in Asia. It is now 5 years old and to celebrate this they’ve come out with the most beautiful limited edition, loose powder pigment set. Deny thy limited distribution rights and defuse thy name, we want you in the UK too. alexia inge
If you’re on a spending diet like me, you might want to look away now… Linda Pilkington, creator of Ormonde Jayne, has the midas touch when it comes to creating beautifully packaged, British-made perfumes. I don’t think there is a girl alive who wouldn’t want this on their dressing table.
Gold Dust is a scented powder infused with 24 carat gold flecks and their Ta’if Rose perfume – a beautifully romantic scent in its own right – and contained in a black and gold lacquered box with a hand-sewn, satin and marabou puff. Instead of a quick spritz before going out, Gold Dust provides the same subtle enveloping in scent, with a glorious shimmer and the added value of feeling like a 1950′s film star. alexia inge
Gold Dust costs £400 for 15ml from Ormonde Jane