Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream
The eponymous line from everybody’s favourite copper-haired make-up artist is the best thing to hit beauty counters in a long time; glow-giving foundations that apply like a dream, the most wearable of lipsticks that last every bit as long as they should, and beautiful, blendable eyeshadows that make donning a smoky eye a doddle. At the heart of the range is Charlotte’s Magic Cream; containing some serious skincare heavy-hitters such as Sodium Hyaluronate, rosehip oil and the somewhat improbably-named BioNymph Peptide Complex, really the only thing you need to know about it is that, used overnight, it will give you the skin of a well-rested teetotaller – even if the truth is somewhat less virtuous.
£70 (www.charlottetilbury.com)
AERIN Weekend Palette
Palettes are such hit and miss affairs; how many of us have been seduced by the hero shade, only to find the rest of them remain troublingly unused? Or worse (and this is the real kick-yourself moment), lured in with the siren call of the beautiful packaging just to be dashed on the rocks of despair as the contents turn out to be seriously sub-par. Luckily, Fabric is nobly happy to make such beauty mistakes so you don’t have to, and we’re happy to report that this treasure from AERIN conforms to neither of those compact-based clichés; housed within a sleek, luxe exterior, you’ll find flattering shades for eyes, lips and cheeks, including two impossibly pretty rose balm lipsticks, that you’ll turn to time and again for beauty on-the-go. You’re welcome.
£48 (www.esteelauder.co.uk)
BY TERRY Éclat Opulent Foundation
There is every chance that before we even get started here, you already think we’re stark, staring mad; so first off, let us state, emphatically, that we know that £100 is a lot of money for a foundation. It’s crazy money. Except… hear us out, because this is so, so much more than a foundation. Yet another make-up artist line, it’s no exaggeration to bestow Terry de Gunzburg with ‘legend’ status; ‘twas she, after all, who gave us YSL’s Touche Éclat, for which anyone with a hint of bag must be eternally grateful. Her BY TERRY brand combines this light-reflecting savvy with the finest of ingredients across the board; and this particular foundation, with its universal peachy-pink shade, contains an exclusive complex of 14 anti-ageing ingredients, will fill in lines and wrinkles, and is lovingly known as ‘Photoshop in a jar’. It’s not cheap, but it does work, and you will look utterly radiant.
£100 (www.spacenk.co.uk)
Kevyn Aucoin Shimmer Shadow
Speaking of make-up artists, Kevyn Aucoin was one of the giants of the world of beauty: Hollywood’s ‘make-up maestro’, Aucoin was creative, innovative and the inspiration for a whole generation who followed in his wake (including Ms Tilbury, above). The subject of a recent retrospective at Space NK’s Discovery Space in SW1, the signature colour of his deliciously decadent namesake range is Bloodrose, a bold and sophisticated dark red. Those nervous about so dark a lip can balance the look with a subtle, elegant eye, and this eyeshadow in Sandstone is the perfect rose gold shade – it looks refined and polished, makes all eye shades sparkle, and needs nothing more than a kick of liquid liner and mascara to finish.
£23 (www.spacenk.co.uk)
Blanche Immortelle, Atelier Cologne
Allow us to make a bold claim: Atelier Cologne is the best fragrance house you’ve never heard of. They are the pioneers of ‘cologne absolue’, the ingenious combination of traditionally light and citrusy cologne ingredients with the most opulent and precious of raw perfumery materials, which means remarkable, unique fragrances that never fail to surprise and delight those of an olfactive-obsessed bent. Each fragrance comes with a story; Blanche Immortelle tells us of a mysterious femme whose “limitless generosity defines her”… perfect for a warm, sensual scent comprised of jasmine sambae, heart of patchouli, rose absolue and the irresistible-sounding immortelle flower from Corsica. And did we mention that the bottle is coated in genuine rose gold? Sigh.
£165 for 100ml (www.ateliercologne.eu)