Archive for the ‘Liz Earle’ Category
As the seasons change, so should your choice of fragrance and Liz Earle’s new scent is certainly one to be sniffed at. The follow-up to the floral fragrant No1, No15 is beautifully sensual, spicy and perfect to lift the autumn and winter blues.
It’s made up of a blend of 15 precious botanicals (hence the name) and is packaged in a gorgeous cream box that cleverly folds out to reveal illustrations of the perfume’s 15 ingredients. It is one perfume box I would not discard easily – far too pretty. The feel and look of the bottle itself is elegant too and is distinctively different from Liz Earle’s first fragrance.
The 15 notes are Bergamot, Cedar wood, Patchouli, Guiacwood, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Cypriol, Siam Benzoin, Damask Rose, Elemi, Cinnamon Leaf, Clove Bud, Pink Pepper, Bourbon Vanilla and Vetiver, with 90% directly derived from natural ingredients. It sure makes for spectacular list but one that harmonises so well.
While No1 was floral and chic, No15 sits at the other end of the scale as the more feisty sister. At first it reminded me of DKNY’s Delicious Night (a favourite of mine), but while the deeply sexy Delicious Night lingers strongly on the skin, No15 purrs softly as a warm, cosy scent whether it is worn during the day or in the evening and with Christmas just around the corner, would make for a perfect present.
No15 is available from Liz Earle online and John Lewis stores priced at £45 for 50ml.
*PR sample*
You may or may not know that Liz Earle has brought out a special edition Cleanse & Polish in rose and lavender in collaboration with the Prince’s Trust.
If you are a fan of the iconic hot cloth cleanser, then I’m sure you will be interested in getting your mitts on this.
I’ve used Liz Earle’s classic Cleanse & Polish many times and in comparison, I found the rose and lavender feels better to use. The lavender scent is very soothing and the cleanser is lusciously more creamy. I don’t use a muslin cloth any more but a hot flannel, which worked perfectly well with this cleanser.
Yesterday Helen and I were taken on a personal tour of John Lewis’s multi-million pound new beauty hall at their flagship store on Oxford Street and what an experience it turned out to be.
Photo: John Lewis
Costing over £7 million to revamp and a whopping 18,000 square feet of retail space, if heaven is all bright white lights and pretty things then this must be it. I defy you not to be marvelled by what welcomes you the moment you enter the double glass doors of the store’s entrance.
Designer gpstudio has carefully planned the concept of this breath-taking haven with precision and style and created an ambiance that soothes and relaxes customers. It’s a complete turn-around from other beauty halls, which are usually very daunting and sometimes claustrophobic. John Lewis’s epic beauty hall was completed in seven phases, with the final unveiling only yesterday.
Photo: John Lewis
Based on the idea of a Town Square, the premium cosmetic brands are positioned like ‘houses’ around a central area focused on fragrance and niche assortments such as haircare, skincare and nails. It is a pleasure to stroll through and take in the sights, sounds and scents. I think this was the first time I could stop and look around in without other shoppers pushing past or shoving me out of the way.
Photo: John Lewis
Major international names are neighbours with niche brands and some highly prestigious names. It’s wall-to-wall beauty with something for everyone.
You can make a bee-line straight for Creed, Tom Ford or Diptyque or drool over favourites Chanel, Nars, YSL and Dior. Both Lancome and Guerlain have treatment rooms but there is also room for firm favourites L’Oreal, Carmex, Neal’s Yard, Ojon, Origins, Elemis, Liz Earle, Clarins and Clinique (to name but a few).
John Lewis has also secured concessions with Burberry (the first one outside of Harvey Nichols), Top Shop (the only place other than Top Shop itself to stock their make-up range) and the jewel in the crown (in my humble opinion), a Jo Malone concession that blasts other JM concessions out of the water.
Photo: John Lewis
Photo: John Lewis
Photo: John Lewis
You also can’t miss the incredible OPI glass cabinet housing hundreds of OPIs (can we have one commissioned for Helen, please?) surrounded by Nails Inc, Jessica and Leighton Denny delights.
Even gadgets have been incorporated (such as electric toothbrushes, haircare electrical goods, hair removal and magnifying mirrors) so all your beauty needs are covered.
It’s the ultimate beauty experience and the ultimate beauty hall. Mind you, I couldn’t leave without actually experiencing it properly, now could I? So I picked up YSL lip stain and then had the pleasure of spending an hour or so in the company of Stephanie at Jo Malone. The purse is a bit lighter (as is my head) but John Lewis’s new beauty hall is amazing. There. I’ve made my point. Now go and see it for yourself.
As the temperatures drop, it means paying extra attention to areas in need of therapy. One of them are your hands and I don’t know about you, but mine feel particularly dry during the cold months and so I depend on hand creams to keep my mitts soft and moisturised.
I’ve been trialling a few hand creams over the past six months, and hope that by sharing my experience of using these products, you might have suggestions of your own as well.
First up is Liz Earle’s Hand Repair. On the back of the Cleanse & Polish routine, I was expecting big things when I was sent this product to try. It comes in a 150ml bottle (but a smaller tube size is available). The pump action on the large bottle allows you to dispense the desired amount.
Containing echinacea, toning hops, antioxidants beta-carotene and natural source vitamin E, the hand cream is non-greasy and very thick in consistency. It absorbs into the skin quickly but the effect is temporary and my hands don’t feel completely moisturised. Also the scent of lavender is quite powerful so for those who aren’t keen on this shrub (and I know a few), avoid at all costs.
Liz Earle’s Hand Repair is available in three sizes: 150ml (£20.25), 100 ml (15.25), 50ml tube (£9.25). For more information, visit http://uk.lizearle.com/hands-and-feet/hand-repair.html.
*PR sample*
Crabtree & Evelyn is a name I’m familiar with but never tried, mostly because it strikes me as something for the blue rinse brigade. So when I was given their Citron, Honey & Coriander hand cream as a present by a friend who swore it’s the reason why he has such soft hands, I decided to be open minded and allow Crabtree & Evelyn into my life. (By the way, my friend has enviably soft hands…for a man!)
This one is a shea butter-rich moisturiser with Ceramides 3 and 6 II which claims to reduce moisture loss for softness and hydration. Ingredients are myrrh extract to condition nails, and Hyaluronic Acid to hold moisture close to the skin. Crabtree & Evelyn’s hand cream is also free of parabens, lauryl sulfates, mineral oil and propylene glycol.
The thought of coriander makes a lot of people retch so combined with honey sounds horrendous except it’s not. Although the scent is described as “vibrant lemon and fresh coriander with a touch of sweet honey” I can’t pick up any hint of coriander or honey. It is a very pleasant scent, however and keeps the hands divinely moisturised and supple. The tube size is also perfect to slip into the handbag or pocket.
100ml tube costs £14.00. For more information, visit http://www.crabtree-evelyn.co.uk/eng/products/hands-feet/hand-care/hand-care-offers/hand_cream?79481.
Next up is L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream, voted ‘best hand cream’ by She and Harpers Bazaar magazine. Designed for dry skin, it smells beautiful and feels luxurious when you use it, but best of all, the results are lasting.
With shea butter, honey, almond extracts and coconut oil blended the cream absorbs into the skin effortlessly, leaving my hands soft and smooth and there is no greasy residue left over. Out of the products I’ve used, this is by far the best one but it’s also the priciest.
A 150 ml tube costs £17.50. For more information, visit http://uk.loccitane.com/FO/shea-butter-hand-cream.htm.
*PR sample*
I’m curious to know what other hand cream products you’ve tried and would recommend. Do let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.
