Review: No Foundation Foundation

I’ve been wanting to try Dr Perricone’s No Foundation Foundation ever since it launched at the end of 2009, purely because I liked the name. Or the idea of the concept behind the name.

So first things first, I love the old school apothecary, Kiehls-like packaging, but the bottle itself is small – only 30 ml – so I’m wondering how long it’ll last…

Rather disappointingly, it comes out like any normal foundation – liquid and tinted. I was hoping it would wow me with its revolutionary texture, and a colour-less formula that would magically adapt to my skin tone before my very eyes! Perhaps my expectations were a little high.

So on to the next slightly upsetting aspect – the smell. It smells like a health food shop. That kind of herbal, almost medicinal smell that assaults your nostrils when you walk past Holland & Barratt. It definitely has a Marmite effect – my boyfriend loves it, I hate it. But thankfully it disappears very quickly.

So far, so bad. But that all changes the second I actually apply it. Although the formula feels quite thick and viscous on my fingers, it blends beautifully, and gives my skin a really gorgeous dewy glow. It gives quite a light coverage so don’t dump your concealer just yet, but it’s perfect for anyone with fairly clear skin who just wants a really good radiance boost. It also lasts all day, and feels nourishing and moisturising (although this could be the smell tricking my brain into thinking it MUST be good for my skin??!)

Anyway, my reaction was - PHEW! I wanted to love it, and in the end, I did. There may be aspects that aren’t ideal, but once you see the results, I’m pretty sure you’ll love it too.

Dr Perricone No Foundation Foundation, £41, available now from www.perriconemd.co.uk

A little summer lift

I’m trying to organise a holiday to Ibiza with four girlfriends. We’ve been talking about it for the past three years, and I thought 2010 would be the year all those imagined nights of drunken fun and fabulous outfits would finally come to fruition. I brought it up at our Christmas drinks party and it was all: ‘Oooooh how exciting!’, ‘Let’s book it tomorrow!!’. But predictably, when push comes to shove and flights need to be booked, all the classic excuses start rolling out: ‘I can’t get the time off work!’, ‘I can’t afford it!’

Girls – you know who you are – sort it out!!

So thank God for Givenchy. My pre-holiday blues immediately lifted when I clapped eyes on the summer collection. It’s totally beautiful. Inspired by the tropical sights and smells of Mauritius, it’s like a bit of summer has come to me. The real stand out piece is the Fleur de Frangipanier Compact Powder in Natural Tan, £32.50 (pictured). So gorgeous, I could hardly bring myself to ruin it with my blusher brush. But I did, and I didn’t regret it – this powder is the perfect mix of bronzer and blush with just a hint of gold shimmer. A real summer stunner!

Givenchy Le Makeup Collection Summer 2010, from £12.50, available nationwide from 1^st May 2010.

Revlon S/S collection

Since the highly talented and very lovely make up artist Gucci Westman took over as Global Creative Director at Revlon in 2008, she’s introduced forward thinking, on trend products, breathing new life into the once struggling brand.

I LOVED last year’s matte collection, and the S/S 2010 collection is just as exciting. The lilac and mint green nail polishes are sure to fly off the shelves, but I think the real stars are the lip glosses (pictured). They’re the most gorgeous, highly pigmented bright shades, and will compliment a tan beautifully.

Revlon S/S Collection, from £6.29, 0800 085 2716

THE beauty guide (I’m not biased, honest)

Now the March issue of InStyle has hit the shops, I can finally start extolling the virtues of the beauty awards to end all beauty awards, the InStyle Best Beauty Buys. It comes as a supplement to the March issue and is the must-have guide for any girl serious about beauty.

How do I know how good it is? Because I’ve been working on it for the last 6 months! And I promise you I’m not biased. I can honestly say these awards are 100% impartial and totally uninfluenced by advertisers - very rare for a monthly glossy magazine.

This year 181 top industry experts (make up artists, hair stylists, nail technicians and skin experts) all contributed by voting for the products they turn to again and again to achieve results – and they should know. All that info was then processed by yours truly, and quite simply, the products that totted up the most votes in each category, won.

I have to say every single product truly deserves to be there, and they’re not all as ridiculously expensive as you might expect. Some bargain winners include: Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara (Best Inexpensive Mascara) and Barry M (Best Inexpensive Nail Polish Range).

Oh, and I wrote the Hands, Nails & Feet section, so look out for my name! :)

March issue of InStyle, £3.60, out now

Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara, £8.99, available nationwide
Barry M Nail Polishes, £2.95, available nationwide

Products to retox...

Hello everyone, I’m sorry I’ve not posted anything for a while, I was involved in a car accident just over a week ago so have been busy doing nothing but relaxing and recuperating ever since. I’m just starting to get to that point where you feel bored rather than grateful to be sitting on your bum at home all day, so thought I’d get back into the beauty swing of things by posting up the products that have been helping me along the road to recovery:

1. Bio Oil - I had to have stitches on my face and hand following the accident, and had them out yesterday. I’ve never used Bio Oil before but have been slathering it on the resulting scars as various friends and colleagues have recommended it as the product to beat scarring. My friend Anna, who recently gave birth to her beautiful daughter (and my Goddaughter no. 2!), used it throughout her pregnancy and hasn’t a stretch mark to be seen.

£14.99, available now from www.boots.com

2. Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath - This has been around for years, and is still one of my favourite bath time treats. I always turn to it at times of stress, and like a comfort blanket for my skin it soothes and melts stress away. It smells clean and milky and doesn’t dry out my skin.

£39 for 400ml, available from www.timetospa.co.uk

3. The Body Shop Divine Calm Relaxing Massage Oil - This last week my poor boyfriend has been suffering too, as I’ve been bombarding him with daily requests for massages! Foot, back, leg, you name it, I’ve pestered him for it! But he’s been most obliging, which means I’ve been testing out all the lovely body oils I have at home. This one is my favourite so far as it smells gorgeous, and the intense lavender scent lulls me into a deep sleep before the massage has even finished.

£8, available now from www.thebodyshop.co.uk

4. Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Balm (pictured) - This ticks all the boxes – it smells amazingly delicious (cocoa butter-y), its rich formula feels luxurious and intensely moisturising, and its Vitamin E content is helping to nurse my bruised skin back to health.

£50, available now from www.jomalone.com