Are you thrilled by the lure of the lux
beauty product? It seems that me that the love of scent and a desire to slap
some wondrous lotion on your face and body parts are often linked.
In this post I’ll be revealing some of my
favourite beauty products, all chosen because their scent is of equal
magnificence to their ability to make your skin function pleasingly. Menfolk-
you can use these too. Man stuff (unless it’s a specialist shaving unguent)
often contains the same ingredients as girl stuff but just sports a
grizzly/tecky name. For example, Clinique’s ‘Clarying Lotion’ for girls is the
same product as their ‘Scruffing Lotion’ for boys. It’s just that the second
sounds like it will make you the victor in a fight.
I’ve always been a beauty hall devotee. In
fact, it was the discontinuation, some nine or ten years ago, of an enchanting
spiced liquorice scented body mist by French aromatic skincare brand – Decleor,
that set me on a (vast) mission to find a replacement. Googling led me to
Fragrantica’s description of Caron’s exhilaratingly beautiful ‘Eau de
Reglisse’, which I rapidly purchased. And that was it, niche fragrance
obsession – the inception.
Here is a small selection of facial skincare products that delight
my nose as much as my skin. They were all purchased myself and are products
that I’ve used for a long enough time to appreciate how fabulous they are. Next
month I’ll repeat the article focusing on body products for the scent lover.
Elemis – Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm (cleansing porn)
This is my nighttime cleanser. It’s a bit of a faff for the morning,
but I’m the type that thinks that simply cleaning your teeth at 7am is a deed
worthy of a round of applause. This gloopsome oily cleansing balm is an
olfactory delight to use when you do have time in the evening for a joyous few
minute’s pamper. Despite being very strongly scented, it doesn’t make my
sensitive skin get shouty. In fact it calms it down. It basically smells like
you’ve taken all of your essential oils collection and stuck them in a pot
together. You massage it into your face (you can enjoy this for ages as it
remains oily) and then remove it with a warm damp cloth. If you are feeling
decadent you can lie in the bath and let it do it’s thing for ten minutes
before you wash it off. Your face is left exceptionally soft and without any
trace of oily residue. It helped to decrease my hormonal chin pimples and
improve general moisture levels.
Recognisable notes:
According to the website, rose and mimosa are the key botanic
ingredients. However it also contains essential oils of lavender, geranium,
chamomile and eucalyptus which I sense are more aromatically prominent.
Price:
Elemis products are pricey if bought singularly from a department
store. But by signing up to their online newsletter and those of partner
retailers (QVC in the UK), you’ll find value sets or ‘try me’ packs that offer
a significant saving. They are frequent and generous with discount codes.
Jurlique – Rosewater Balancing Mist
This toning and hydrating mist is simply an exceptionally good
quality rose hydrasol with a few added active natural ingredients such as
marshmallow and grapefruit extracts. The smell is exactly the same as my
precious bottle of Rosa Damascena Absolute. I’ve never really seen the point of
facial toners but I use this one therapeutically in the day time. I spray my
face with it when I need a moment of euphoria, generally if I’m tired or fed up
at work. It works. I feel better. It should be called rose rehabilitation.
Price:
Mid range. Again, signing up to newsletters and keeping your eye out
for value packs reduces the expense. My £18 50 ml bottle tends to last about 6
months (unless I’m having a bad day and soaking myself upon every hour).
Nuxe – Crème Fraiche de Beaute 24H Soothing And Moisturising Cream
and Masque Crème Fraiche de Beaute.
I love French pharmacies. There is seemingly one on every street in
Paris, stacked full of allsorts of bottles of promise and bargainous eau de
colognes that don’t exist in the UK. Nuxe is a classic French pharmacy brand
that first seduced me many years ago on a trip to our holy city of scent.
Crème Fraiche de Beaute is one of those rare moisturisers that
manages to be light and refreshing to use without being ‘light’. It’s deeply
moisturising. But the lightness of texture means that your make-up doesn’t turn
into a slippy fright mask over the course of the morning. Crucially for my
eager nose, it smells decadently white floral, with an overriding neroli scent
that lasts long into its wear. It’s basically an orange blossom garden for your
face.
Masque Crème Fraiche de Beaute is a cream-gel hydrating mask with
the same extraordinary scent. Again, it’s excellent for bathing decadence. As
it doesn’t dry out, you can use it right up to your eyes which (if like me, you
are discovering that you are mortal and thus beginning to get wrinkly) is
pleasing. How did that happen?
Price:
Affordable. The Nuxe website has great offers and a loyalty scheme
that actually means something. Currently, jars of the Crème Fraiche range are
being sold with a free rose scented cleansing water which is equally lovely and
great for taking your make-up off in bed after a late night when wobbling at
the bathroom sink is a Herculean effort.
Clarins – Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil
Clarins created three aroma therapeutic treatment oils that you use
as a nighttime moisturiser (all in a light hazelnut oil base), selected
according to your skin type. If you are scared of oiling up your face, please
don’t be, skin likes oil. It doesn’t mean that you will be greasy.
The blue orchid variety aims to treat dehydrated skin. My skin is
not particularly dehydrated but I do use this now and again simply for the
delight of the fragrance. According to the website, the primary botanical oils
are rosewood, patchouli and blue orchid. I have absolutely no idea what blue orchid
smells like but there is more patchouli in this bottle than lingers in the air
at a goth convention. It’s beautiful - sweet, earthy and powerfully sensual.
For those of you who like to scent-up at bedtime, this might replace your
perfume, and additionally present you with comforted supple skin in the
morning.
Those of you with a dry skin type can opt for the sandalwood
variety, which has ‘proper’ sandalwood in it, you lucky lucky people.
Price:
The £32 30 ml bottle will last a year, that’s rather good value. I’m
currently using a sample bottle (pictured) which my local Clarins rep gave me
when I bought some shower gel. In fact she gave me most of the contents of her
sample drawer. I think it’s OK to present your Clarins rep with a thank you
kiss.
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