Beauty picks from ELLE Beauty Editors
For those of you who may, or may not know, for the month of July I was fortunate enough to intern at ELLE magazine. I simply had the best time interning for the Features team, and it's an experience I will forever hold close to me. On my final day, a beauty bag was organised for me as a thank you. Some of the products I received are amazing, so I thought I must compile up my favourite products from the bag and share them in a blog post. After all, if ELLE beauty editors Joely and Sophie think they are good; so should we all.
1. First up, we have HEALGEL, an Intensive and Advanced Skin Rescue Formula. Benefits: Soothe - Repair - Protect.
I had personally never heard of this brand before, and I am always cautious with skin moisturisers due to eczema. While the packaging does not specify that this product is for the face only, I have been using it around my eyes, cheeks, forehead and lips. The multi active formula which contains Arnica and Madecassoside are 'suspended with powerful peptides and biodynes to initiate a uniquely soothing and collagen boosting process.' We may just read that as scientific jargon, but seeing as this natural remedy was conjured up by aesthetic surgeons and renowned dermatological biochemists, I think we can trust the ingredients are doing wonders for our skin.
The intensity of this cream is designed to speed recovery and resolve a wide range of skin problems, so I have tested the gel on a few different areas.
While this product is never going to soothe and resolve my eczema, it is great at relieving chapped sore lips, rejuvenating tired eyes and is great for reducing the appearance of blemishes. I've been testing this for two days now, with 3 applications a day, and it's definitely working.
This skin salve is a must for summer makeup free days.
2. Next, we have an Yves Saint Laurent sun kissed glow creator - 'an effortlessly blendable and undetectable powder'. Sounds good to me.
I never ever veer away from using my Nars Laguna bronzer for an overall bronzing powder. It's not too orange, and not too pigmented, so it works the trick as an overall face powder that I often substitute for foundation. Having said that, I thought I'd give this a go. This is great for a subtle contour, and I'll definitely be taking this on holiday. As you can see from the swatch, it will give a lovely hue across the t zone of the face, but from what I can gather from personal use, it doesn't seem designed for harsh, bold pigmentation.
3. Nails. Nars: Shameless Red. Dior: Miss Satin 162. Deborah Lippmann, Gel Lab Pro: Hot Child in the City.
I seem to have an endless storage of nail varnishes that I just do not use. Most of the product I do use just gets wiped off anyway in utter aggravation at it smudging or being too clumpy. These 3, I think I can trust. I'm not usually one for red or orange toes, but these might sway me. The Dior shade contains a beautiful shimmer that would look great in the sun, whilst the other two are bolder. The one thing I can safely say by all 3 of these shades, is you really see a price difference highlighted in comparison to Rimmel or Barry M varnishes. That may feel obvious, but I've used products in the past which were still pricier and not that dissimilar from cheaper nail varnish in consistency and colouration. These are super pigmented, which avoids continual coats of polish which ends up looking gloopy and thick.
I'm tempted to pair the Deborah Lippman gel paint with a new electronic macaroon I also took home from ELLE...!
4. This leads me on to no 4 - 'Le Mini Macaron'.
These caught the eye of many editors in the ELLE office. The gel kit contains a 3 in 1 gel polish, a nail file, 10 remover pads, 1 LED macaroon lamp and a USB cord+cable for charging purposes. This funky little device makes on the go gel nails easy. Simply file and buff your nails, paint (perhaps with the Deborah Lippmann pro lab gel orange paint) and place your finger in the macaroon for 30 seconds. While this is never going to achieve the same effect as salon nails, it's surely worth a shot to see the macaroon in action!
5. Tory Burch's fragrance, Love Relentlessly.
Sometimes we think a fragrance is an easy gift to buy for another person. If you buy a nice one, the receiver knows you've spent a fair amount and it's a personal thought. However in my experience, I've received fragrances which the buyer themselves have loved, but it's not been right for me, and that's a gamble we have to take. On receiving this Tory Burch fragrance, I wasn't optimistic. But, I actually really love it. My favourite scents are always sweet, but this adds a musky tone. It's seductive and sexy - the perfect combination.
6. PIXI by Petra, Matte Last Liquid Lip - shade matte beige.
I'm one of those girls who are still desperate to try matte lip kits but just never get round to buying one. Probably because the hefty price to ship a Kylie lip kit over to the UK is quite disheartening. These little liquid lip brushes are a nifty substitute. Available in the UK in sweet little spots like Covent Garden and Carnaby Street, PIXI is one of my favourite skin care brands, and I've already shared my love for the glow tonic with you. As opposed to this matte lip coming with a pencil, the applicator is pointed, which allows you to gently line the lips and then apply a thin coating over. You really don't need much of this product to go a long way, so it's money well spent.
7. CHANEL Les Beiges, a healthy glow natural eyeshadow palette. It's fair to say I was super excited to see the interlaced C's on the front of this packaging. I've never owned a Chanel product before, and I'm slightly scared to ruin this one. The pigmentation of this palette is soft, the darker colours give more than the lighter sparkles, but it allows for a light smoky eye. While I don't know if I would repurchase this over a product like my NAKED 3 palette which has similar colours, but more of them, it's Chanel, and that's a must for your makeup bag.
Hopefully some of these products may take your fancy, it's been pay day after all!
All My LittleMauve love,
Hannah x
Disclaimer: All photos are my own and products are linked as appropriate.