The Luxe List

When it comes to tanning, faking it is always going to be the healthiest option. I’m pretty fair skinned, so I have to be careful if I’m out in the sun, so most of the time, a slick of a gradual formula is all I need to fake a golden glow. I can be a bit of a klutz though, despite my best efforts, and there’s nothing nastier than an orange tidemark, so when I saw that Bondi Sands, an Australian tanning company had released a Self Tan Eraser, I had to get my hands on it.

The Self Tan Eraser couldn’t be easier to use – a couple of pumps of the foam on dry skin, then leave it for five minutes. The more tan you’ve got on, the more effective the foam is, but it’s still great if you’ve only got a a little tidying up to do. Once I’ve left the foam on, I hop into the shower and then slough it off with a clean flannel. It leaves skin feeling soft and smooth, and tans looking natural and even.

Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser is priced at £14.99 and is available here.

At the moment, I’m really enjoying the no-makeup makeup look. I’ve been loving the unfussy feeling, especially since it’s summer. It’s also fun finding new products to use to achieve low key look. So I was overjoyed to find a new highlighter sent over as part of Kiko’s Tropic Heat collection.

The Gel Highlighter absolutely melts into skin, leaving behind a subtle golden sheen. Patted onto cheek and brow bones with a finger it looks super natural and absolutely gorgeous. I love it for days when I want to look naturally glow-y. It’s also handy to pop into my makeup bag for on-the-go touch ups!

Kiko Cosmetics Tropic Heat Limited Edition Gel Highlighter is priced at (a super affordable) £6.90 and is available here.

I kind of feel like Boots’ Botanics range is one of the British high street’s unsung heroes. I have tried a whole host of their products, and never been disappointed, so when I got my hands on their All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll On, I had high hopes.

I’ve mentioned before that I only need to look at a carb or glass of wine, and my eyes start to puff. This, coupled with the fact that I spend weeks at a time looking at a computer screen thanks to my job, can make my eyes feel hot and irritated. In an attempt to keep everything as calm as possible, I’ve stopped wearing mascara when I don’t need to; and I’ve been keeping a tube of Boots Botanics’ All Bright Refreshing Eye Roll On in the fridge. Packaged in a simple, easy to use tube, the metal rollerball cools and soothes the under eye area. Promising to de-puff and eradicate dark circles, I love it for afternoons when everything feels a little frazzled.

Boots Botanics All Bright Refreshing Roll On is priced at £8.99 and is available here

As much as I love summer weather (seriously, I live in Scotland, so sunlight feels like a luxury) it can wreak havoc on my hair. Thanks to the fact it’s naturally a bit wavy, not to mention my pretty much constant heat styling and bleach damage, my hair is prone to frizz. So, when I heard about Goldwell’s new Kerasilk products, designed for sleek and soft hair, it felt like it was meant to be!

There is an entire range filled with every product you can imagine – you can even enjoy a  salon treatment so your hair stays super smooth. The first product I’ve tried is the Kerasilk Control De-Frizz Primer, which I apply to towel dried hair. Three pumps feels like the perfect amount for me – it’s a lightweight, emollient feeling which disappears into ends. It smells fresh and clean, and even when I’ve added a couple of other products, this never feels heavy.

Once I get drying, the magic really happens. It feels like it maybe adds 5 minutes onto how long it takes to get everything done, but the results are so with it. Even before I get the straighteners out, my hair feels so soft and my regular levels of fuzz are seriously diminished, and I only need to pass over my straighteners over my ends to keep everything looking tidy.  It’s a fabulous new addition to my daily routine!

Goldwell Kerasilk Control Primer is available from selected Goldwell salons nationwide.

When I found out that brow-guru Shavata was heading up to Harvey Nichols next month (which, by the way, she is) I went hunting for something to get my brows going. Over the past year or so, they have grown to decently bushy proportions, but considering the last time Shavata had her way they looked nigh-on perfect, I had to get prepping stat.

So, I dug out my tube of Nouveau Lashes’ Brow and Lash Serum. If I’m completely honest, I’ve had this for a few months and never really had the time to try it out. But joke’s on me, because this stuff works. I’ve been religiously applying this to brows morning and night, and swiping through lashes day and night and I’m already noticing a difference. The serum itself is super lightweight with no scent, and it disappears once applied. My lashes feel longer, and, weirdly, darker, and my brows are filling in at a rate of knots. My only regret is that I didn’t start using the serum sooner!

Nouveau Lashes Lash & Brow Conditioning Serum is priced at £19.99 and is available here.

If you’re in the mood for some serious beauty spending. Stop. This. Second. You’re going to want to wait until July 25th when Harvey Nichols launch this incredible gift with purchase. To get your hands on over £400 of products, you just need to treat yourself to £250 worth of beauty products (and you have to buy three or more products).

I don’t know about you, but it’s frighteningly easy to do! I’m planning on splurging on this moisturiser, this lip balm, and this perfume. And the reward for indulging in a bit of luxury is:

• Aromatherapy Associates Revive Gel
• Aveda Colour Conserve Conditioner
• Bare Minerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolor in Swag
• Benefit Dew the Hoola Liquid Bronzer
• Blink Brow Definer in Indian Chocolate
• Charlotte Tilbury Supermodel Body Shimmer
• Clarins Paris Bath & Shower Concentrate
• Clinique Take The Day Off Mini Cleanser
• CoverFX CUStom Blending Brush
• Delilah Eye Line Long Wear Retractable Pencil
• Dermalogica Superfoliant
• Elemis Superfood Facial Oil Hourglass Girl Lip Stylo in Peacemaker
• Santa Eulalia Obscuro Eau De Parfum
• Lancome Bi-Facil Non Oily Instant Cleanser
• Laura Mercier Travel Mercier Stick in Sand Glow
• MAC Liptensity Lipstick split across shades Hellebore, Claretcast, Ambrosial, Eros and Lobster
• Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturiser
• NARS Lipgloss in Priscilla Orveda Deluxe Triple Set
• Rodial Stem Cell Magic Gel
• Sisley Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream
• Trish McEvoy Mascara

You can find Harvey Nichols beauty department online here

If there is something I do not need it’s lipgloss. I have a literal box of the stuff, but when I was perusing the aisles of Space NK this week (a very dangerous thing to do, especially when you’re killing time and feeling like a little treat) I couldn’t resist a tube of Kevyn Aucoin’s The Lipgloss in Tulapina.

A cool, blue-toned milky pink, this felt like summer in a tube, and I couldn’t resist. I know that matte lips are popular at the moment, but for everyday, I’m much more of a balm kind of a girl. That’s where the Kevyn Aucoin lipgloss comes in.

This is as far from sticky and gooey as you can imagine. Smoothed on the with doe foot applicator, The Lipgloss feels rich and balmy to apply. It has a subtle, slightly fruity scent, and it feels incredible on the lips. It’s incredible comfortable to wear, and I love how sheer and glossy it is – it really is just perfect for summer!

Kevyn Aucoin The Lipgloss is priced at £24 and is available here (UK) and here (US)

When I met with Dr. Barbara Sturm a couple of months ago, the first thing I noticed was how truly glowing she was. Not a scrap of makeup on, her skin was insane. And honestly, after speaking with her, and learning about her regimes and her products, how incredible skin was was no longer such a mystery. Over the past few months, I have fallen hard for Dr. Barbara Sturm skincare. Gentle, nourishing and calming, every product I’ve tried feels as if it was made for me, and happily, my Facial Scrub is no different.

I can have a bit of a love/hate relationship with scrubs. I adore the way they make my skin feel – and I like the feeling of washing away all the ick and dead skin too. But, considering my skin is sensitive as well as prone to redness and dryness, I have to be super careful. Sturm’s scrub is seriously gentle as well as effective – with a rich feel and rounded particles, it doesn’t scratch or irritate skin. It just lifts away dead skin and impurities, leaving you feeling soft and smooth. I follow up with a hydrating oil and I’m good to go. I’ve been loving the results, and use the scrub at least twice per week.

Dr. Barbara Sturm Facial Scrub is price at £45 and is available here (UK) and here (US)

I’m not sure about you, but as the weather gets warmer, my makeup gets way, way paired back. Anything thick, heavy or sticky feeling is pretty much thrown to the back of my makeup boxes until the leaves start to change. So, as you can imagine, I’ve been on the lookout for a lip product which feels nourishing and leaves a soft glow.

That’s were Lanolips’ Tinted Balms come in. Boasting all the moisturising properties of lanolin, with the added bonuses of sheer colour and SPF 30, these have to be designed for summer use. Available in a selection of subtle shades, the balms are perfect for your off-duty look. Rhubarb is the deepest of the three – a rich pink with blue undertones, this is probably the shade I choose most often when I want to look ‘done’. A real your-lips-but-better shade, this is a nice way to wear a little colour.

Rose is a stunning red-toned pink which again, is a fabulous amplified nude. Like all the Tinted Balms, Rose feels like an absolute dream to use; super smooth and hydrating, they have none of the typical stickiness of glosses. Instead, these feel almost silky on.

My most-used of the lineup is ‘Perfect Nude’ and really, it is. A slightly pinky-beige colour, this is as pretty worn to the gym or to the office. It’s the one I like to keep in my everyday makeup bag, because I reach for it that much. All three balms have a subtle, slightly vanilla tinged scent, but it’s pretty innocuous,  The wear time for all three balms is great – I easy get 2-3 hours per application, and the colours are subtle enough to be easily touched-up on the go.

You can buy the Tinted Balms as a trio for £23 here

It’s not exactly groundbreaking that summer heralds a return to serious body care. You can’t cover up dry heels and rough elbows with boots and sweaters when it’s hot and stick outside. So I’ve been on the lookout for the best products to make life a bit easier, and a real favourite of mine has been Odylique’s Honey & Oat Cleansing Bar.

I’ve loved products from the brand before, so I was excited to try out this hunk of soap. Studded with natural oats to aid exfoliation, I love how chunky it feels in the hand, and it smells softly sweet thanks to the honey in the formula. I tend to use mine every evening, it’s perfect for before shaving, and despite leaving skin super soft, it is incredible gentle.

Indeed, it’s so gentle you can even use it on your face! I’ve been keeping mine on my arms and legs though, and have really seen the benefit. My skin stays soft and smooth, and it never feels as dried out as it usually does in the heat. Once I’ve jumped out the shower, I then smooth on a little coconut oil. It’s the perfect combination for summer skin!

Odylique Honey & Oat Cleansing Bar is priced at £6.50 and is available here.

One of the first skincare products I ever got really excited about was Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I remember reading the reviews online, with beauty editor after blogger proclaiming the magic worked by a couple of drops applied in the evening. Obviously I had to have it. And honestly, I’ve not been without a bottle since. Then, a few years ago, I bought a tube of the Midnight Recovery Eye Cream, and again I was pretty much blown away by it.

So, when Kiehl’s released their new Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil, there was no way I couldn’t try it. Packaged in the line’s signature midnight blue bottles, the oil comes with a pump dispenser, which means everything stays clean, tidy, and most importantly, hygienic.

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As the name might suggest, the Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil is perfect for your pm routine. Since it’s an oil, it’s great at removing makeup – even mascara and eye liners melt away with a couple of drops of the stuff. after dampening my face with warm water, I use two pumps of the oil to fully cleanse my face. It smells divine thanks to the “Midnight Recovery” blend of ingredients: Squalane, Evening Primrose Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil work to both hydrate the skin as well as cleanse it. After washing off with a damp flannel, my skin feels so soft and smooth. It’s ready for a couple of drops of the Midnight Recovery Concentrate and swipe of the eye cream, and I’m off to bed!

Kiehl’s Midnihgt Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil is priced at £32  and is available here (UK) and here (US)