Shower gels for summer

Much as I adore the Aesop Geranium shower gel, I do concede it ain't cheap. Not that I do cheap as a general rule but I was casting about for some new shower gels to try.

First up from my shop of the moment:

Other Stories is knocking it out of the park at the moment.  This is a fiver and it's very nice, quite heavily scented but fortunately I like the scent. Nice packaging. All round bargain.

If you want to feel like you're in a spa then this Trilogy gel is very nice.

It smells clean and expensive. It is quite expensive at £16.50 but it's half the price of Aesop! Beauty maths makes that a bargain.

Ortiga is a gorgeous brand. You see it in Italian shops which means it must be good.

I bought the lime shower gel and it's really nice, almost bitter and not cloying. Again, I can't claim this is cheap at £22 but it's a treat worth having. If summer ever comes, it will feel most refreshing after a sweaty day commuting into the city.

If I had to pick one of these to buy, I'd recommend the Trilogy gel. It is truly lovely.

Best beauty halls in London

How have I not covered this before? I love shopping and I love beauty products. Nothing makes me happier than prowling round a beauty hall nosing into everything, sniffing perfume, drawing eyeliners on the back of my hand and chatting to the staff about what's new.

I know many people are intimidated by beauty counters and I can see why. The assistants can be a little pouncey in their quest to sell but the best advice I can offer is to talk to them a little. If that seems too much effort, tell them you just wanted to have a look. If they still mither on at you then go to another counter.

Beauty halls have upped their game in the last few years. It's no longer enough to have Clarins, Clinique, Mac and Bobbi Brown. Now you have to stock all the quirky brands, have great lighting, feel luxurious and somehow feel different to the competing beauty hall next door.

I have been to all the central London department store beauty halls. None of them are bad. Some of them are heavenly. One of my favourites is Fenwick.

This was revamped last year to include a massive Charlotte Tilbury concession. If you want to avoid crowds, this is the shop to visit. The tourists haven't clocked on to Fenwick in the same way they crowd into Selfridges. It feels like the department store for the London insider. I've always loved the whole shop. The top floor has the best denim choice in London. The bathrooms up there are worth a visit in themselves. The beauty hall has all the usual suspects but it's delightfully laid out, feels spacious and like I say, isn't madly busy.

Selfridges is always a must. It's very big and busy but that's all part of the fun. It feels like a party. It has all the counters you expect (including Jo Malone and Origins) and also round the corner is the best bit. All the independent, harder to find brands. Aesop for example. Candles galore. Hidden hair products you never thought you needed. The Tom Ford counter is also a must-visit. It takes a heart of stone and iron resolve to come out of Selfridges without a yellow bag.

If I had to pick a favourite though, it would be Liberty. I was in there last week and it's better than ever. All the seats have been decked in Liberty fabric. It has bathtubs filled up with one product (Pixi Glow Tonic on Friday), it has a whole Diptyque section, it is simply divine. The staff are very friendly and helpful. And the perfumery. Oh, the perfumery. I could spend hours there alone.

Liberty is a beautiful shop and walking into it always makes me happy. It does get busy but it's worth it.

I know people rave about Harrods. I've not been for a very long time. I believe it probably is fabulous but I can't really be doing with Harrods, it's so touristy. However, please report back if you feel I should get over my London snobbery and check it out again.

Green People cleanser

Yet more evidence that I work with lovely people. A colleague and friend came in last week with a present for me. It was a bottle of this. A new cleanser which she said she loved (same friend who likes yesterday's This Works leg stuff) and that she orders through Ocado. She popped a bottle in for me on her last order. How delightful is that?

I scuttled home with it and tried it immediately. It is a balm and it smells like heaven on a plate. It really is gorgeous. It works very well although the instructions say you can rinse off with warm water. Yes, you can and I did but it's nowhere near as effective as the trusty hot flannel. It's a great cleanser that I think would suit any skin and if you shop with Ocado, it's easy to buy! You can read more about it here.

This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle

Summer? What summer? Let's not discuss this weather.

The word 'miracle' is bandied about in beauty and frankly, very little is really miraculous. However, this stuff lives up to its name. A friend recommended it and her legs always look good so I splashed out (it's £37 so it is not cheap) and I haven't looked back. I have got bored of applying fake tan that develops, it's just too high maintenance and the smell. Even when they say they don't smell, they do.

With this, you rub it in and go. It's a gorgeous texture and is a cinch to apply. It's scarily dark when it comes out but blends into a soft very light tan that somehow makes your legs look 100% better. I recommend this for everything, if you're wearing a skirt, if you're about to hit the beach, if you want to feel better about life. It doesn't come off until you wash it off so no worries about staining your clothes or it rinsing off in the monsoon.

I can honestly say, it's made my life better. And that's what beauty products are ALL about. Recommended.

Nail polish of the summer

I just returned from Lisbon and that meant going through duty-free and that meant buying a new nail polish. Of course. I've had my eye on this one for a while. Bleu Majorelle. It's the same blue that you see at the Marjorelle gardens in Marrakech.

Ever since I went there, I've been obsessed with the blue.

It's perfect. I am pleased to report the nail polish is exactly the same shade and I cannot stop admiring my hands.

This is the perfect summer nail colour and I'm sorry to say that you need it in your life. It's the usual YSL dream consistency, the most cack handed can apply it flawlessly. I think I now need the yellow polish too. It never ends.

Becca Backlight Primer

I am obsessed with primers. Anything to make the make up stick on my skin for longer is a bonus and must be invested in. My newest discovery is this baby from Becca. It's very lovely, the texture is light, it has a subtle sheen and it works a treat. It's really good, I wore it with a touch of concealer and it was enough of a base.

What concealer you ask? Why this one.

Amazing concealer it's called, and it is! It's highly pigmented so you hardly need any. I am a big fan. The Cult Beauty site is my weakness. I really must stop perusing it.

Nail colour of the week

Today I discovered &OtherStories beauty department. More of which in due course. I bought one nail varnish to check quality etc before going mad.

The colour is called Vintage Denim. I can never resist blue. This one is a perfect dusty blue for Spring. I like it a lot. Quality-wise, of course you know you're not using YSL grade polish but it's ok once the second coat goes on. The brush is easy to work with. They don't appear to be on their site anywhere which is odd so I think you're out of luck unless you are in London as I don't think they have shops anywhere else in the UK.

Aesop Parsley Seed Cleanser

It turns out my shoulder injury was a broken shoulder. I walked around with a broken shoulder and I didn't even know it so I couldn't milk it. Words fail me.  I had to endure a MRI scan (urgh, yuk), another scan and a cortisone injection. It was not my favourite 90 minutes and so as I lay in the MRI coffin trying not to panic I planned what I would buy in Selfridges when I emerged from this ordeal.

I went for some more Aesop handwash since I am now spoiled and nothing else is as nice. I also got the parsley seed face wash. I dithered over the oil version but I have other cleansing oils and sometimes you want a foamer. I love this. Aesop stuff just smells like total heaven. It cleanses very nicely, rinses off easily and leaves your skin all soft and glowy.

I also bought another YSL nail varnish because the brush makes it so easy to do a  good manicure. And with my loot I swept off to work to bore everyone about my broken shoulder.

L'Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-Balancing Shampoo

I love my Living Proof shampoo and conditioner and I've been using nothing else since discovering it. However, I read such good reviews about this that I simply had to give it a go. It's also a fraction of the price of Living Proof.

I've used it this week and can report that it makes one's hair extremely bouncy. This is the perfect shampoo and conditioner for that elusive bouncy shine that doesn't weigh your hair down by day two. I am very impressed with it. I still use my Perfect Hair Day because you have to prise that out of my cold dead hands.

This does contain SLS which doesn't thrill me but crucially there are no silicones. I am very impressed with it. I won't stop using my Living Proof, it's not quite as good as that but for a change it's great value.

Liquid exfoliators

Liquid exfoliators contain various acids to slough away old skin cells and reveal the glowing you underneath. They can be used twice a day and one must always use a SPF in the day because they can leave your skin more likely to burn.

Scary sounding right? Acid is going to burn my skin! I was determined to find out more when I read Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes and she talked about them at length and said how good they were.

I started with a Clinique one. Note, it has no number on it. The ones with numbers on them are very harsh. Almost everyone I know went through the Clinique three-step system in their early 20s and have horror stories. This one is gentle.

I have used Liquid Gold which gets ALL the love on the internet.

I am currently using Pixi Glow Tonic.

The last two I got in free gift boxes when I bought other things so they were not full size. However, they were very generously sized and lasted me for weeks of daily use.

Clinique is fine but nothing especially earth shattering happens. I was impressed with Liquid Gold which made my skin smoother and more even. I am less impressed with the Glow Tonic which might be better for younger skin. I can't see much difference.

Then I read more about acid pads and I was drawn in. A friend at work waxed lyrical about them. Yesterday I decided it was time to invest having researched the field thoroughly. They are simply pre-soaked pads with liquid exfoliator as far as I can tell but they get a lot of love.

There are a lot of acid pads out there and they come at various price points. I opted for the Zelens ones.

I used one last night and wow. I can already tell these are a game-changer. They work like magic. I was peering at my skin in amazement, smooth, silky and instantly better. 50 for £65. OUCH. They say use twice a day but I don't plan to as that's a little indulgent. 

If you are not using a liquid exfoliator, I recommend trying them. The Pixi one is £18. Clinique is £16.  Liquid Gold is £33.50.  All would last you for ages. None are as transformative as the Zelens pads though. Sorry.

CND Sticky Anchoring base coat

The lady who comes to the office every Monday to do manicures had a baby and seems to think that warrants taking some time off. I know. I'm outraged too. I am left doing my own nails and it's working out quite nicely thanks to this little investment.

I read about this somewhere on the internet as being miraculous. I am not sure I'd go that far but it's the best base coat I've ever used. It gives the varnish a base to cling to and it definitely makes for longer lasting manicures. I am delighted to say it's only £8 and you can buy it from amazon.

I can't stop wearing my new Chanel colour. Here it is on my nails:

It's just gorgeous.

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