Aēsop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm
I knew this was going to be a favourite the minute I opened the cap and breathed in the fragrant blend of mandarin rind, rosemary and cedarwood. The super moisturising and skin-softening formula absorbs into my skin without any greasiness and it’s ideal for regular use – in fact, I sometimes slather it on up to five times a day. My favourite hand cream by a country mile, this stuff saves my hands from dryness, flaking and callouses while filling my nose with herbaceous heaven. Highly, highly recommended.
Aēsop body care products are available at The Loading Bay in Cape Town.
Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub
It’s not a secret that I’m totally obsessed with Soap & Glory, so I was overjoyed to find out that rubybox was carrying a range of their bath and body products. I promptly placed an order for this oat, shea butter and sugar body exfoliator, enriched with almond and honey extracts and tore off the packaging like a crazed beauty blogger (oh, wait…) when it arrived. I had recently run out of my favourite ever body scrub, Soap & Glory Sugar Crush, so I needed a new one and I loved the idea of the maple-oat version. It smells simply heavenly and has the perfect amount of grit to give my shin and upper arms a good polish without rubbing myself raw. It’s not greasy but it leaves my skin smooth and soft. LOVE.
Smashbox Photo Finish Blemish Control More Than Primer
I’ve been using Bare Minerals Prime Time as my main face primer for ages, so I was in the mood to try something new. Smashbox is the final word in primers as far as I’m concerned, so I was thrilled to get a tube of their new Blemish Control “More Than Primer” in my goodie bag at a recent event. The oil-free formula is lighter than Prime Time so easier to wear as the weather gets warmer, and contains 2% salicylic acid to help treat and prevent breakouts. I don’t suffer from many blemishes so I can’t speak to the truth in their claim that it clears up your skin within two weeks, but it certainly does its job in terms of fighting shine and improving the wear time of my foundation. The salicylic acid content definitely doesn’t hurt and is a great idea (skincare + primer makes so much sense to me!), especially for those of us with oily skin that tends to develop enlarged pores and a spot-prone T-zone.
Estée Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation
I wore this foundation on my wedding day after it was recommended by Camilla for its staying power. I used hers on the day and only got my own tube very recently but I am absolutely hooked! It gives perfect medium coverage with a velvet finish, feels lightweight on the skin and is invisible once applied. I think it’s a great, foolproof day-to-day foundation that gets the job done but also doubles as an incredible special occasion base because it’s so buildable and weightless. The formula contains SPF 10 which didn’t create any flashback issues in my wedding photos and it didn’t leave my skin a shiny mess after a few hours in the sun. Winner.
Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush
If you’re an avid reader of other beauty blogs like we are, then you will probably have heard of Sigma make-up brushes. Their wide range of excellent quality products at (relatively) affordable prices are extremely well respected in the “biz” and the F80 is the jewel in their crown. I was apoplectic with joy when one of our Twitter followers informed us that they were now available to buy in SA through Turquoise Studio and within hours I had placed an order. The package arrived promptly and with a free Sigma eyeliner brush (very nice touch!), and I couldn’t wait to put my make-up on the following day. The F80 has replaced my Real Techniques Buffing Brush for applying foundation lately and it does a fantastic job of working the product seamlessly into your skin. The bristles are much more dense than the RTBB so it’s a little harder to work with, but it gives a truly flawless finish to my base. Next on my hit list is the E25 blending brush (a cheaper dupe of the MAC 217) and the P88 flat angled kabuki for applying concealer. Who am I kidding – I want them ALL!