beauty Archives - Style&Minimalism

Probiotics For Your Skin

**Aurelia Probiotic Skincare** Eye Revitalising Duo* | **Aurelia Probiotic Skincare** Refine & Polish Miracle Balm* | **Aurelia Probiotic Skincare** Calming Botanical Essence*

I love being recommended new skincare products; in an industry that is constantly moving forward there are always exciting developments, lots of them utilising natural ingredients and fewer chemicals. At the end of last year, I was introduced to Aurelia Probiotic Skincare by Marine from Merci Maman (a lovely French jewellery brand you should also check out). Intrigued by the name, I did some research to find out what makes a product ‘probiotic’, and why it’s good for you.

The term ‘probiotic’ comes from the Latin ‘pro’ meaning for and ‘biotic’ meaning life. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system and can be found in lots of foods.

We are constantly being told how good they are for our insides but Aurelia Probiotic Skincare have discovered that they are also good for the microbiome of our skin.

We are regularly exposed to situations that cause our skin to become stressed and inflamed, such as pollution, a lack of sleep, our hormones, stress, harsh weather and UV light. A little inflammation is natural for the skin but to be constantly inflamed isn’t and causes premature skin ageing. Aurelia’s probiotic technology helps to control inflammation and create balance in the skin.

All Aurelia Probiotic Skincare’s products are manufactured here in England, are cruelty free and free from synthetic fragrances, colorants, parabens, mineral oils, silicones, sulphates, propylene glycol, phthalates, GMO, PEGs, TEA, DEA, MI, formaldehyde, urea, mercury, lead and bee venom.

I’ve been trying their Eye Revitalising Duo, Refine & Polish Miracle Balm and (their latest product) Calming Botanical Essence.

I’ve been struggling to find an eye cream that does everything I want it to. I often wake up with puffy upper eyelids after using some creams. All I want to do is nourish the delicate skin, but I often have an allergic reaction that leaves the skin sore and flakey. It’s only been a week since I started using the Eye Revitalising Duo, which is made up of Revitalise & Brighten Eye Dew and Illuminate & Smooth Puff Reduction Eye Cream. The Revitalise & Brighten Eye Dew has a cooling metal roller applicator which promotes blood circulation around the eye area. I felt a slight tingle the first couple of times I used it that went away within a few seconds. The Illuminate & Smooth Puff Reduction Eye Cream is on the thicker side but quickly melts into the skin. Both have a subtle fragrance. I’ve not experienced any puffiness or sore flakey skin since I started using them.

Refine & Polish Miracle Balm is a gentle exfoliant that can also be used as a 5 minute mask. It removes dead skin cells, smoothing the appearance of the skin without leaving it feeling tight or stripped. It feels like a balm cleanser with small beads of rice bran that gently exfoliate. And the smell is lovely, like walking into an aromatherapists. I’ve been pausing just before washing it off to cup my face with my hands and breath in the scent.

The other product I’ve been using is their Calming Botanical Essence, a spray that’s designed to help you de-stress throughout the day and help you relax at the end of the day when you’re trying to get to sleep. It has the soothing scent of linden blossom, chamomile, camellia and lavender. The 10ml bottle is the perfect size for carrying in your handbag, great for dealing with the stresses of rush hour or for keeping on your desk for testing days.

Christmas Gifts For Mums with Caudalie

This post was created in collaboration with Caudalie.

**Caudalie** Jason Wu Limited Edition Beauty Elixir

Caudalie is a great French beauty brand that use natural and environmentally-friendly ingredients. They source their vine and grape extracts (key ingredients in a lot of their products) from the vineyards of Bordeaux, Champagne and Burgundy.

The research that has gone into developing each product and sourcing ingredients is astounding. Grape-seed Polyphenols are reputed to be the most powerful anti-oxidant in the plant world and Vine Resveratrol, from grapevine stalks, intensifies the firmness and youthfulness of the skin. All their products are free from parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oils, paraffin, sodium laureth sulfate, phthalates and animal-derived raw materials.

I first came across Caudalie about three years ago. I was looking for Christmas gifts for my mum and she always like to be given beauty products. I’d already found her a few bits and pieces but felt I needed just one more gift. I spotted a handbag-sized bottle of Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir on the shelf of Space NK and bought two (one for her and one for me). It’s a fine mist that you spritz on your face throughout the day, it wakes up the skin and gives it a quick hit of moisture. It’s perfect for your desk or make-up bag. I’ve heard it’s used by lots of make-up artists for setting make-up.

This year my mum will be receiving some lovely Christmas gifts from Caudalie. The Vine Body Gift Set (which combines Vine Body Butter, Hand & Nail Cream, and a Lip Conditioner) should keep her feeling nourished all over. She’ll also be receiving an exclusive new limited edition bottle of their Beauty Elixir that’s been designed by Jason Wu. They have a few more gift sets that would all make lovely presents so if you’re stuck for an idea, you’ll easily find some nice gifts for friends and family on their website.

Sprekenhus Essentials

I don’t tend to judge beauty products by their packaging but it certainly makes them more appealing when you come across the sort of products you want to have on show in your bathroom. It was the minimal design of Sprekenhus’ products that initially caught my eye but when I delved deeper it turned out that the packaging was just the icing on the cake.

Sprekenhus is a Norwegian natural hair care, organic skin care, perfume and body care brand, founded by Alexander Sprekenhus. Like a lot of the best products, his came about after encountering a problem, he wanted to “gain control over my curly, frizzy hair”. With no background in the beauty industry Sprekenhus has learned a lot along the way and has developed some pretty affective products. The three I’ve been using do exactly what they promise to do, rare in an oversaturated industry where the packaging is so often the best thing about a product.

I’ve been using the Hair Styling Elixir after I wash my hair when it’s damp but not wet, before blow drying it, and then also as a finishing product. The Argan oil based elixir is quite viscous, a couple of drops is enough for my hair. It’s now much smoother and shinier, and honestly looks so much healthier.

In addition to the elixir, I’ve been using Sprekenhus’ Hydrating Mask, a once-a-week hair treatment. It’s really thick but a small amount spreads easily to coat all the hair strands. Leaving it on my hair for 5 minutes leaves it silky and tangle-free (although my hair is rarely knotty).

My hair has been in much better shape since using these two products and I wholeheartedly recommend them to you, especially if you have fine, dry, highlighted hair like mine.

As you are probably aware by now oils are my favourite type of hair and beauty products, and I feel like I’m becoming quite the connoiseur, well from a user perspective at least. When it comes to body oils I look for a product that is moisturising, quickly absorbed and has a nice scent. The Sprekenhus Body Oil is all of these, although for some the scent might be a little bit rich. I’ve only used it as a body moisturiser so far but it can also be used for massage and in the bath.

You can find out more about Sprekenhus here.

Sprekenhus Hair Styling Elixir Light* | Sprekenhus Hydrating Mask* | Sprekenhus Body Oil*

Golden Summer Legs

This post was created in collaboration with Urban Outfitters and Philips.

**Fig + Yarrow** Sea Scrub* | **Fig + Yarrow**Yarrow Buttercream* | **Philips** Lumea Comfort* | **Madame La La** Self Tan Mousse in Light* | **Samsøe & Samsøe** Moffa White Shirt

I find that getting my legs out during the first days of a holiday can be a bit daunting if they’ve not seen much sunshine. Ahead of my trip to the South of France I tested out a few products given to me by Urban Outfitters, to help give the illusion of golden summer legs so I felt more comfortable and confident in my summer dresses; I swear a tan can make you look a little bit slimmer.

I started by preparing my skin, giving it a really good scrub with Fig + Yarrow’s Sea Scrub every 2-3 days for a couple of weeks before we left. I kept it in the shower so it was easy to add to my morning routine. This particular scrub is a mix of salt and oils so is both exfoliating and moisturising, it left my legs super soft. It doesn’t smell like the sea as you might think from the name, it just harnesses the sea’s wonderful minerals. Even though the scrub did a great job of moisturising I still followed it with a rich body butter, also by Fig + Yarrow. Their Yarrow Buttercream is absorbed quickly and left my skin feeling nourished. The yarrow scent reminds me of walks in the Dorset countryside.

I usually epilate my legs every 1-2 weeks but when I read about Philips‘ Lumea products I was intrigued. It uses flashes of light to put the hair follicles to sleep and over time thins and slows hair growth. You start by using it just after you shave but as I don’t shave I epilated and then gave it a go to see if that would work too. Initially you’re told to wait two weeks until your second use, so when fine hairs started to appear one week in I went back to my epilator to keep my legs fluff free. I was actually really surprised to find that there were far fewer hairs already and they were much finer. If you want to know how I’m getting on in a few weeks feel free to tweet me.

The pièce de la résistance to getting my legs honey brown without the sunshine was Madame La La’s Self Tan Mousse. Latex gloves are essential when applying the mousse, it dries quickly and deepens in colour with each layer, so you have to blend it quickly. The coconut water gives it a pleasant scent initially but within a few hours it does have that coco butter smell often associated with self-tans. After waiting 5 minutes you can get dressed but you’re advised not to shower for 10 hours. I’m so pleased with the results, my fiancé even commented on my legs, noticing how much browner they were.

Aesop Daily Essentials

I test out a lot of amazing skincare products, these two are my Aesop daily essentials and have remained a constant in my skincare arsenal for about six months, taking me seamlessly from winter into summer.

My skin is normal to dry and both these products are perfect for it. The Fabulous Face Cleanser is a gentle foaming cleanser that cleans the skin without stripping away every natural oil it produces; it also removes my eye make-up. The Camellia Nut Hydrating Facial Cream is quite rich but not heavy and is quickly absorbed by my skin; when it’s feeling a bit dehydrated I top it up with another layer 10-15 minutes later.

The little black glass candle was a gift from the lovely people at Sandro. Even when it’s not lit it gives off a wonderful scent. I’ll get a waft every now and then, look round to see who’s walked in the room that smells so good, and then realise that there’s no one there.

Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser | Aesop Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream | Sandro Candle

Sunday Morning Rituals

What Sunday’s are all about, some light reading and a very good face mask. Face masks are amazing and I often forget what wonders they work on my skin. I know I should be using them once a week but the reality is more like once a month.

Urban Outfitters have recently added beauty to their offering and I’ve been impressed with the products I’ve tried so far. This mask by New Zealand brand Antipodes is pretty spectacular as moisturising masks go. Following the instructions, I smoothed a thick layer over my face and left it for 15 minutes; the results were incredible, I couldn’t stop touching my face, smooth as could be and intensely hydrated.

The science bit, all their products are made with carefully selected bioactive plant ingredients and are certified organic and approved for vegetarians.

If you haven’t picked up, read or even seen a copy of How To Be Parisian where have you been? It’s a wonderful book full of Parisienne idiosyncrasies, not a book to be taken too seriously but if you’ve ever wondered how those Parisiennes create that unique mystique they all seem to have, this book divulges all.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask* | How To Be Parisian by Anne Berest, Caroline De Maigret, Audrey Diwan & Sophie Mas