GOOP’s G.TOX HIMALAYAN SCALP SCRUB (SHAMPOO)
This thick, pink whipped mousse was made for slathering all over a wet scalp and gently working it in to let the mineral-rich Himalayan salts, moringa and rosehip oil do their stuff. The scent blends orange, geranium, rosemary and peppermint (mint being the most subtle) so you get an aromatherapy hit too. This would probably be a divine product for someone else to use on you – and having read lots of reviews, it does a satisfying job sloughing away the grime that lurks beneath the shine (or not shine!)
Perfect post-beach and it sounds like a cooler month urban dweller saviour and great excuse for a longer warm shower on chilly nights.
ECOOKING FRAGRANCE FREE MULTIBALM
Tina Sogaard (where’s that special Danish “o” with a diagonal line through it?) launched her eco brand Ecooking in her kitchen. Now it’s a Cult Beauty favourite. According to reports, this thick, hardcore multi-tasking balm steps in where other balms don’t quite hit the mark when it comes to problem solving (e.g. cracked lips, eczema or insect bites).
Tina’s squeezable eco first aid beauty SOS contains shea butter, thistle oil, Vitamin E, sweet almond and olive oil as well as more exotic inclusions like Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract (aka Antarcticine) which delivers an exopolymer of glycoproteins to help retain water and it also stimulates keratinocyte growth which means faster healing of wounds and tissue regeneration.
Ecooking also does try-me sets, always good to know.
Treat yourself to Ecooking’s Multibalm at CULT BEAUTY
SAMAYA AYURVEDA
Bespoke/tailor-made beauty has never been more “now” and neither has Ayurveda-based beauty.
And newcomer Samaya Ayurveda, WINNER OF BEST NEW LAUNCH – BRAND in the Beauty Shortlist Awards does both perfectly.
Whatever your dosha – Kapha, Pitta or Vata – or a combination (mine’s Kapha-Vata) founder Abida Halstenberg (another brilliant woman behind a brilliant brand) has given ancient herbs and plant-powered ingredients a modern twist with the launch of her almost zen-style branded capsule collection of treatment oils, creams, cleansers, exfoliants and also supplements, all formulated with Ayurvedic gems like Turmeric, Ashwaganda, Neem, Jasmine and Shatavari.
I’ll never forget this brand. When my box of samples arrived two winters ago I was stunned at how well they worked, how beautifully clean the textures were, and how appealing they were to use, especially the cleanser and moisturing cream in particular – but that was just me. When the other judges’ results arrived, it was a done deal.
Best New Launch – Brand 2017 Beauty Shortlist Awards (and a subsequent 2018 winner, too, for individual products).
3 products from Samaya Ayurveda’s Pitta range
Discover your dosha and why these products work at www.samayaayurveda.com
JANE SCRIVNER NOURISHING CLEANSER
British facialist and spa expert Jane Scrivner is a tour de force when it comes to understanding skin at the deepest levels. I’ve written about her buttery, addictive, divine-to-use multi-tasking golden balm before, so I’ll keep it short and just say if you love cleansing balms, don’t let autumn pass without trying this one (if you need additional persuading 😉 Google Caroline Hirons’ review).
From Jane’s site:
Once again, NOURISHING CLEANSER is a 2018 AWARD WINNER. The BEAUTY SHORTLIST Awards 2018 have announced it as their ‘Best Cleansing Balm’ for the 4th year running. We couldn’t be happier! It just goes to show, the NOURISHING CLEANSER Luxury Cleansing Balm, truly is, ‘beautiful skin in a jar’
Suitable for all skin types, this cleanser is a combination of balancing, elastin and collagen promoting Organic Jojoba Oil, with beeswax and 9 ‘skin loving’ essential oils.
The balm is non stripping and nourishing, leaving your skin beautifully clean, soft and luminescent.
(I’d add plumper-looking and younger to that, even though my philosophy is more “you…but better” rather than you…but younger). Anyway, younger, better, softer, more luminescent, happier skin…who isn’t in?!
Works as an overnight mask, too.
100ml, addictive, lasts for ages. Find it here at www.janescrivner.com
ONE SEED PERFUMES MULTIPURPOSE ELIXIR – YUZU & VANILLA
So we discovered Australian brand One Seed Perfumes makes beautiful scents (another award winner!) but what we didn’t realise was, there are three multipurpose elixirs in the collection, too – Botanical Musk, Unscented (which very fairly is actually less expensive) and the delectable Yuzu & Vanilla (award winner). You can also TRY A SAMPLE here.
The brilliant thing about this elixir is not just its face/body/hair application, it also doubles as a luxurious bath oil or a fixative base for your One Seed perfume. The scent notes are juicy Japanese Yuzu (a citrus,) sweet orange, rose, cobaiba balsam and delicate vanilla and the fragrance “blooms” on your skin over 30-60 minutes.
The nature-science bit: Plant oils – avocado, pomegranate, omega-rich sea buckthorn berries, and this year’s “IT” ingredient, cannabis sativa oil (hemp seed oil).
This brand is such a delight to discover (have you tried it yet?)
Coming to the UK soon…
PINKS BOUTIQUE ANTI-AGEING SERUM
First the bad news…this has sold out!!
But the good news is, another stand-out from this lovely British artisan brand (and another Beauty Shortlist winner which has won a few times if I remember rightly?) the Hand Balm is still in stock.
What’s in it? 89% organic ingredients: shea butter, sweet orange, neroli and Vitamin E, apricot kernel and jojoba oil and zea mays seed flour (cornsilk/corn kernel extract which adds a silky texture but a 2016 Korean study among others has reported anti-inflammatory benefits, too).
BLOOMTOWN – VEGAN TINTED LIP BALM: RED & BERRIED (ha!)
A model example of a British artisan brand that gets formulas, free-from, simplicity, packaging and price right, Bloomtown donates 10% of their profits to environmental and social causes.
Their cruelty-free natural berry extract tinted lip balm (£4.80) will wash your lips with a subtle coat of berry and soothe them on cooler mornings.
Handcrafted in Cornwall, this lip treat is made from sweet almond and castor seed oil, cocoa seed butter, candelilla wax, Vitamin E, natural colours and flavours.
Take a quick trip to Bloomtown at Bloomtown.co.uk
ARK SKINCARE SPF30 PRIMER
It’s a sunscreen, daily moisturiser, primer, smoother, perfect makeup base and a glow-booster…
I can’t say enough good things about Ark’s multipurpose SPF Primer so if this has not crossed your path yet head over and read the glowing reviews HERE
INTRODUCING…THE BEAUTY SHORTLIST WELLBEING AWARDS
Up soon: A first behind-the-scenes look at the inaugural Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards, look out for the official announcements in September!
Entries are now open for our NEW 2019 Wellbeing Awards with 40 categories covering health, nutrition and natural remedies including gut, brain, immune, sleep, stress, skin and women’s health. Vegan, gluten-free, hemp and CBD oil among this year’s categories, too.
The first ever Beauty Shortlist Wellbeing Awards are open to international brands.
We have 3 main judging panels in the UK, USA and Australia, in
- London
- New York/San Francisco
- Sydney/Byron Bay
The lead judges (in two separate teams for beauty and health) will be announced in early September in the press releases.
Both awards are global and will be held on Friday 1 March 2019.
Early bird rate entries close in 7 days.
To send us samples, click HERE