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Archive for the ‘Anti-ageing’ Category
Thursday, December 8th, 2011
You know how the likes of Mariah Carey and J-Lo only sleep on bedding with a high thread count or the finest Egyptian cotton sewn by mummies from the ancient world? (Ok, not quite, but you get my drift). Well they may have had a point, as sleeping on certain type of bedding can help or hinder your skin and hair. We’re currently obsessed with the 100% silk Sheridan pillowcases which are great for smoothing and taming frizzy hair and maintaining youthful skin – all whilst you sleep. Unlike cotton pillowcases, silk allows you hair to move without snagging or getting caught plus it helps skin retains its moisture. Chances are, they won’t transform you into J-Lo overnight but anything that might help makes me sleep tight! There’s still time to add it to your Christmas list…
Tags: anti ageing, sheridan, silk, silk pillowcases
Posted in Anti-ageing, Beauty News | View Comments
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
We had word a while ago at Latest in Beauty that Palmer’s Cocoa Butter were extending their range and I’m pleased to say I’ve finally had a chance to test out a few of the new products.
Perhaps the biggest step away for Palmer’s is the release of their skincare range for the face. They have a product for all the facial care bases, from cleansing gel to facial scrubs, but the product I decided to try was the Night Renewal Cream. It’s very affordable (£6.95 at Superdrug), the kind of cream you can throw in with your supermarket shop without the guilt factor, is loaded with beneficial ingredients: cocoa, shea butter and Evening Primrose to name just a few – and it’s nice to see such a familar and reputable brand branching out into affordable skincare.
I was quite surprised when I opened the box to see the packaging – it’s really quite old school or even retro-looking in its heavy, thick jar with a pale pink lid and wouldn’t look out of place on a vintage dressing table. I was curious to see whether it would smell as chocolatey as Palmer’s classic Cocoa Butter formula and while it was chocolatey, I was pleasantly surprised by the smell – it’s sweet and evocative, like walking past the window of a chocolate shop. The consistency is lovely – thick and cool and creamy – and it instantly smoothed into my skin before bedtime, leaving it feeling extra moisturised and leaving me feeling certain my skin is getting nourished while I sleep. I think this is a great-value product for anyone seeking a simple, luxurious-feeling and effective product. My one qualm? It makes me crave chocolate every night…
 I also tried the new Palmer’s Shea Body Butter and was really impressed. You get a huge tub, ideal for slathering over yourself after every bath or before bed-time, it’s completely non-greasy – more of a very thick cream – and smells absolutely fabulous – sweet, fruity and creamy all at the same time. If you’re suffering from dry skin or simply want to smell dreamy, I’d definitely give this fab body butter a go.
-Jessica Luper
Tags: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Night Renewal Cream, Palmer's Shea Body Butter
Posted in Anti-ageing, Beauty News | View Comments
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
Another exciting addition to our monthly beauty boxes – Skindoctors Eyetuck and Skindoctors Instant Facelift – products aimed at those of you worried about ageing or wanting to turn back the clock!
Every woman worries about under-eye bags, so I was interested in trying Eyetuck, as it makes some pretty big claims. Skindoctors say that this product has been scientifically shown to reduce the appearance of under-eye bags, with its cosmeceutical strength formula proven to reveal a smoother, tighter looking appearance.
This is a very light product, so you only need a tiny bit to go a long way. I applied a tiny squeeze to the back of my hand before patting gently onto my undereyes as recommended. I have quite sensitive eyes and wear contact lenses but this product is barely scented and very moisturising so didn’t cause me to have any reactions. It also contains a bevy of natural skin conditioners such as Apricot Oil and Shea Butter so I was pleased to see that the lotion left my skin feeling velvet-soft and took under 5 minutes to sink in completely, leaving just a light sheen. My undereye skin immediately felt softer and slightly tauter. I’d have to try it for longer to see if it left any lasting results but it’s definitely a great-feeling product for undereye care. I’d say you can probably get 4 applications out of the sachet we have on offer at Latest in Beauty, as you only need such a small amount, so this is a great way to try before you buy.
We also have sachets of Skin Doctors Instant Facelift, an amazing serum claiming to give you the results of a cosmetic facelift but without the surgery – who wouldn’t want that? The product aims to instantly improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and puffiness in an application that will last the whole day and immediately tightens and smoothes the skin within 5 minutes of application, making it great as a make- up primer.
The first thing I noticed about this product was the lovely smell – very fresh and floral. It’s a more of a lotion or creamy serum than a cream and following the instructions was pretty simple, though I had to giggle when I read that I wasn’t supposed to smile for 3 minutes after applying – oops.
As the instructions say, I felt a tightening sensation in my skin – nothing scary but it definitely felt instantly tauter, which was quite a confidence boost and I can imagine would be a handy product to use before an event or date under your usual makeup. My skin instantly felt smoother and more moisturised and dare I say it, a little plumper – wrinkles or fine lines seemed to be filled out.
I really thought this was an excellent product, especially for a quick fix. I haven’t tried it in the long term but would be intrigued to know what our readers thought after longer-term use.
- Jessica Luper
Tags: eyetuck, instant facelift, Skindoctors
Posted in Anti-ageing, Tried & Tested | View Comments
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
It’s an exciting day at Latest in Beauty as we launch a wide range of luxury Murad samples for your testing pleasure!
First off, we have not one but two of Murad’s wonderful introductory kits. The first kit is the Environmental Shield trio, a highly concentrated 3-step regime for pigmentation, age spots and environmental aggressors including exposure to smoke, pollution, sun and stress. This fabulous mini-kit worth a whopping £16.50 is available for only £3! It promises to combat the effects of environmental aging with Essential-C Cleanser to wash away impurities, Active Radiance Serum to restore clarity and Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30 to improve hydration, firmness and elasticity.
We also have Murad’s Resurgence kit, a highly effective 3-step regime to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and bring back your radiant, youthful, healthy glow. This fab little kit can help you get results in as little as 10 minutes! It’s a big claim but you can try it for yourself here. The products, available for only £3 but actually valued at £12.50, promise to combat the effects of hormonal aging with Renewing Cleansing Cream to gently exfoliate, Age-Diffusing Serum to firm, tone and minimize wrinkles and Sheer Lustre Day Moisture SPF 15 with luminescent minerals give dull skin a natural, healthy-looking glow even without makeup. This kit promises skin that is retextured and renewed, restored and younger looking.
In a larger luxury size, we have Murad Hydrating Toner, a wonderfully refreshing toner that smells absolutely delicious – perfect for everyday use or, on long days, a lovely little pick-me-up for tired or sun-frazzled skin. It works well on combination or normal skin and the handy spray bottle means you don’t waste any product, whether you’re using cotton wool or spritzing directly onto the face. Available for £2 for a 15ml spray bottle.
We also have Murad’s award-winning Oil Control Mattifier. Not only does it contain an SPF of 15 – we all know nothing makes oily skin oilier than the damaging rays of the sun – but it promises to reduce oil for 8 hours – the average working day for most of us – by up to 78%. It’s a much thicker lotion than your usual skincare products and has a minty, practical-smelling scent. However, despite the thickness of the lotion, it sank into my skin in seconds, leaving absolutely no trace behind – meaning I could put on my makeup instantly – always a time-saver in the mornings. Not only that, but it proved to be a rather nifty primer, leaving my face smooth, and any blemishes instantly felt less swollen and smoothed over. Available for £3 in a 10ml tube.
Finally, for those of you lucky enough to be going on holiday or for sensible beauty lovers who know how important it is to protect your skin from the sun on a daily basis, we have Murad Waterproof Sunblock SP30. This is a really generously-sized luxury sample available for £3 (worth £6.50) and proves perfect for those days out when the weather has changed and suddenly becomes sizzlingly hot, or for everyday facial use. It’s a nifty product to keep in your handbag for emergencies, whether for you or for the whole family, smells lovely and is an effective, high-quality sun protector.
To try any of these products for yourself, go to www.latestinbeauty.com/lxs. Let us know what you think!
- Jessica Luper
Tags: murad, Murad Oil Control Mattifier SPF15, Murad travel kits, oily skin, problem skin
Posted in Anti-ageing, Tried & Tested | View Comments
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
Latest in Beauty joined 20 other specially chosen beauty bloggers last night at the L’Occitane store in London’s Covent Garden for a chat and book signing with revered beauty journalist and author of the world’s best-selling beauty book, Jo Fairley.
It was a lovely evening put together to celebrate L’Occitane’s fabulous Immortelle Divine Cream scoring the highest mark ever awarded to a ‘miracle cream’ in Jo’s annual book, The Anti Ageing Beauty Bible. The bible, put together through a painstaking testing process, awarded the cream 8.98 out 10. “We found the performance of this product was absolurely astounding,” Jo said. “This is the highest score we have ever had in 15years of testing for miracle products.”
Lovely Jo also said that she thoroughly approved of Latest in Beauty’s strategy of allowing women to sample products before they commit to buying, telling me that one of the reasons she spends so much time and effort on the Beauty Bible is to stop women wasting heir hard-earned cash on ineffective products and instead picking ones that really work for them.
If guru Jo says it, it must be true – so go ahead and try the miracle cream for yourself at Latest in Beauty! For just £1 we will send you 5 sachets of the product along with discount vouchers for L’Occitane AND a voucher offering you and a friend a skincare consultation and special mini goody bag in stores while stocks last. Get it here http://www.latestinbeauty.com/exclusiveoffer.php
- Jessica Luper
Tags: Jo Fairley, L'Occitane
Posted in Anti-ageing | View Comments
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
 I’m completely in love with the scent of Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Dynamic Defence day cream. So much so that I can’t stop rubbing it on my hand so I can sniff the mix of Rose, Hyacinth and Jasmine for a bit longer! This product could be utter rubbish and I don’t think it’d stop me using it to get my fragrance fix!
Luckily, it’s not rubbish.
It’s a beautifully rich day cream stuffed full of shea and mango butter, essential oils, vitamins, antioxidants and SPF 15 broad spectrum sun protection. It’s technically an anti-ageing cream, but I love the richness of it even on my younger skin. A little goes a long way, and it sinks in beautifully, leaving skin feeling very soft and pampered.
If you have skin that’s a bit older or prone to dryness, this is the perfect product for you. I also think it would be brilliant if you’re travelling and need an extra shot of moisture for parched airplane skin. I will definitely be popping this in my hand luggage when I go on holiday!
Skinesis Dynamic Defense Anti-ageing Day Cream SPF15 from £16 at Sarah Chapman
Tags: anti ageing, day cream, moisturisers, sarah chapman, skinesis
Posted in Anti-ageing | View Comments
Friday, April 1st, 2011
Aldi’s skincare range, Lacura, is a bit of a beauty industry secret, offering bargain bin products that look great and often do the same job as things that costs four, five or ten times the price. Their anti-ageing range is particularly highly regarded, and for Mother’s Day they comissioned a survey to find out how women (and men) really feel about ageing.
Apparently, 55% of British women want to look like their mums as they grow older, though 70% of men would prefer it if they didn’t! I have to say my mother has aged incredibly well (ah, the joys of oily skin!) and I’d love to look as youthful as her when I hit her age – this is good news, as I’m looking increasingly like her double the older I get.
But the other interesting stat is that 42% of women polled admitted the recession has affected their beauty spending, with most not willing to spend more than £25 a month. This is good news for Lacura, of course, with their Wrinkle Stop product coming in at only £5.99.
Now I have to admit that though I can’t really test out the wrinkle-fighting powers of this baby on my twentysomething skin, I had to show it off just because of how space-agey cool it looks! I love the syringe-style application – I’m a sucker for a gimmick – and the product itself is lovely to use, quite light and easily absorbed, and it smells great.
Stats say the product can reduce forehead wrinkes by up to 52%, crow’s feet by up to 24% and restrict wrinkle muscle activity by up to 82% – pretty big claims, but for £6 I think it’s worth a punt! Especially as the new Wrinklestop website allows you to see what you’ll look like in the years to come if you don’t protect your skin. Obviously I had to have a go. And basically, I look like a HAG.
Time to moisturise (and also invest in some eye drops – Good lord!)
Find Lacura Wrinkle Stop for £5.99 in Aldi stores nationwide.
Tags: age yourself, aldi, anti ageing, lacura, skin care, wrinklestop
Posted in Anti-ageing | View Comments
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
There are loads of anti-ageing moisturisers for the face, but what about the rest of the body? The skin may not be quite so visible all the time, but that doesn’t mean it’s not ageing at a similar rate. And who wants wrinkly bingo wings?!
 E45 have recognised this issue and launched a body moisturiser aimed at dry, older skin that’s lacking in moisture and elasticity. Endless Moisture Derma Restore is an anti-ageing body moisturisers for daily use, and it comes in at a very reasonable £4.59 per 200ml.
Now for the science bit!
The key ingredients in this new cream are glycerine (a humectant that’ll attract and lock moisture into the skin), Nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3 that boosts collagen production) and Poly Hydroxy Acid, which is a newer alternative to skincare staple AHAs, with less of the irritant effect – important given E45′s reputation for being gentle but effective.
It’s the PHA that’s got people talking – this is a new ingredients to the skincare world, and finding it in something so affordable is rare. It seems to work, too. E45 have had the product clinically tested, and the results were pretty impressive. 100% of testers experienced long-lasting hydration, while 80% agreed that the product left their skin ‘velvety soft, smooth and supple’. 77% experienced softer skin just 3 weeks – sounds good to me.
Endless Moisture Derma Restore £4.59 at Boots
Tags: anti ageing, body lotion, derma restore, dry skin, E45, older skin
Posted in Anti-ageing | View Comments
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