Brand spotters prepare to dive in! Alexia from Cult Beauty shares some of her favourite things…(it’s the second part of Alexia’s Christmas post, but it’s a good one for birthdays and splurge days…)
7. Anastasia Brow Kit (£50) – Anastasia is THE cult brow brand from the US. With the beauty barometer pointing stoically towards defined, luscious eyebrows this Brow Kit contains everything you need for fashionistas to ‘Vodianova’ it up. This five-piece kit contains tweezers and stencils to delineate your arches, the Brow-Brush and Brow Powder Duos to create the shape and Clear Brow Gel to define and set. Everything you need for award-winning brow topiary, if you want to make a beauty blogger cry/marry you, give her this.
8. Lubin Black Jade (£78) – Monsieur Lubin stole this recipe from the master perfumer to whom he was apprenticed, Black Jade was Marie Anntoinette’s personal scent before she was suddenly made rather shorter and a lot more dead by the revolting peasants. Lubin named it after the jade flagon in which it was stowed ever by her side. This is a very grown up perfume dressed in beautifully chic packaging, it has depth and personality. Slightly powdery but with a strong rose, jasmine, patchouli sensuality that makes it a good pressy for for the Marlene Deitrich-alikes in your life. Fans of celeb genera-scents need not apply!!
9. Faust’s Potions, Hangover Cure (£5.99) One can’t fight physics…what goes up, must come down; neither can one fight biology. Alcohol is a poison and a hangover is essentially your body sending you a memo not to repeat its ingestion. Luckily, thanks to the magic of Faust’s Potions these laws of science can be manipulated and suspended. Born out of the desire to provide a healthy, natural solution for the pressures and ailments of modern lifestyles, Nina Faust developed a Recovery Pack containing two distinct Potion vials: Asleep, with Electrolytes, 5-HTP, Milkthistle, Selenium & Honey promote restfulness, detoxification & relaxation. Awake – with B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8. B12, C, E vitamins, Minerals, Green Tea, Ginko Biloba, Guarana & Korean Ginseng to kick-start you first thing. A great one for the Secret Santa!
10. Tammy Fender Spontaneous Recovery Creme (£120) – This is on my list for the coming months, winter+cold+constant centre heating is making my skin flake. This SOS cream optimisies the key mechanisms of your skin’s healing process to help repair wrinkles caused by the micro-tears that happen with daily wear & tear. SPC has been nick-named ‘Aspen Crème’ by US society’s A-List, for its phenomenal ability to quickly rescue stressed, chapped après-ski skin. Tammy uses the A-team of essences, that bring both nourishment AND a life energy to feed and heal your cells. It’s organic skincare 2.0.
11. Bed of Nails Acupressure Mat (£39) – For the hippies, and you can’t forget them…no-one wants an angry hippy on their hands! This harnesses a concept used by Indian mystics for centuries in the practice of healing and meditation. Just 20 minutes spent relaxing on this mat stimulates key acupressure points increasing blood flow and releasing endorphins (the body’s own ‘happiness’ drug) and oyxtocin. Regular use helps combat insomnia, ease stress, re-balance your body after Jet Lag, ease arthritic aches and reduce toxins. It takes a bit of getting used to but it works surprisingly well.
12. Rubis Manicure Tweezer Set (£66) – Rubis made their name crafting precision tools exclusively for the Swiss watch industry. Their tweezers are used to make watches by Patek Philippe, Cartier and Rolex where only the most precise tools of highest quality can be used. 25 years ago when Rubis was inherited by a Granddaughter (shock horror!) they branched out into beauty tools as well. These tweezers are made using the same factories and skilled craftsmen and as a result they can’t be matched for quality.