How to travel with make-up (...without resorting to tipping the entire contents of your make-up drawer into your suitcase)

Who needs clothes anyway

Boys have it easy, right? When traveling they can pretty much get away with a toothbrush, toothpaste, razor and shaving gel (maybe some aftershave if they're feeling lucky). Take the metrosexual male - that breed of late nineties/early noughties man who has dabbled in male moisturiser and succumbed to its powers of hydration - even he would be hard pushed to produce a bigger bath bag than us when going on holiday.

So how do we do it? Is there a secret to taking 50 beauty products on holiday without looking like we could set up shop there?

I flew to Australia last month for my sister's wedding and knowing I'd be doing her make-up and that of 4 others on the day, I knew I'd have to be strategic about my packing. Here are my top tips:

1. Write a list. Then halve it.

It's important to pack the essentials first, then decide on the nice-to-haves:

- toothbrush & toothpaste

- lip balm (Vaseline mini pots are fantastic, as is Lucas' Papaw)

- sunscreen (Khiel's Ultra Light Daily Moisturiser boasts SPF50)

I would also add a decent hair conditioner to this list, as well as body moisturiser (there's nothing more stress-inducing on holiday than not being able to detangle your locks after a shower, or the feeling of tight, scaly skin).

The perfect base under any make-up

2. Invest in travel containers
Both Boots and Muji do fantastic, refillable plastic containers for around £2. My favourite find was Boots' Mini Travel Set - a bargainous £3 for 2x 26ml bottles and 2x 10gm cream pots (tip: be careful not to screw on the lids too zealously as they can crack)

You'll wonder how you previously traveled without them

3. Buy some sticky labels 
I know, this screams 'organised freak' but it is deeply satisfying (try it). The white round labels from Rymans cost just £1.19 for 90.

4. Protect expensive compacts from annoying breakages
Like it or not, your case is likely to be treated in the same way a WWF contender welcomes his opponent into the ring. With gusto. To ensure your favourite Chanel/Dior eyeshadow quad or powder compact survives the journey, place a sheet of kitchen towel between make-up and lid, then seal the entire compact with cling film (it also helps to place compacts in-between layers of clothes for added protection).

Worth protecting

5. Brushes
Brushes might be the last thing you think about taking with you on holiday but they're the unsung heros of the beauty counter and are as light as a feather. Not only do they generally make make-up application look infinitely more polished, they can also help to make your holiday make-up go further. Tips: transform any eyeshadow into an eyeliner using an ultra fine liner brush and a little water. Or, to save packing multiple lipsticks, bring along a retractable lip brush together with a couple of brightly coloured lip pencils (use the lip brush to blend in some clear gloss or lip balm over the lip pencil et voila).

Laura Mercier's Fine Point Eye Liner Brush (£20.50) is all you need

What are your beauty-packing secrets?

HD ready? I'll just be in make-up...

The lovely Kate Silverton

Last Saturday (18 June 2011) The Daily Telegraph reported that the BBC is currently 'seeking help with its image problem' in the form of a new team of dedicated make-up artists to help cope with the switch to HD.

The corporation has always had make-up artists but the pressures of high-definition television, 'with its tendency to highlight every imperfection', have pushed the brand to reassess its makeup resources in order to ensure presenters look consistently flawless.

High-def television is also putting pressure on make-up brands to develop products more suited to the technology. The U.S. brand Make-up Forever was one of the first off the mark when it launched its High Definition Complexions range back in 2008.

In June 2011, Makeup Forever are waving the HD-ready flag with a new campaign fronted by Leo's new girl - and soon-to-be SATC's new Carrie - actress Blake Lively.

The premise behind the campaign, which has already appeared in magazines in the UK, is that with Makeup Forever's HD range, there is no need for retouching. A bold claim. But with low brand awareness in the UK its unlikely Makeup Forever will storm the UK market. As with all beauty innovations I'm sure it won't be long before more established brands launch their own versions.

Products aside, ultimately its going to come down to the artists themselves and their ability to create a flawless but natural look (no mean feat, particularly at 4am).

Miracle cream or social media phenomenon?

As if we needed another reason to  ♥  Waitrose...

A story caught my attention in the press.

The events actually happened a couple of years ago but I keep stumbling across references to it every now and then. It's worth mentioning because it serves to highlight three things:

1. the power of testimonial
2. social media has the ability to drive sales much faster than traditional forms of media
3. sometimes the most basic products can be transformed into beauty must-haves

It's a story about how, literally overnight, a white-label supermarket product sparked one of the biggest beauty discoveries since YSL's Touche Eclat (fortunately, not of the same pricey ilk).

The story goes like this...

One day, a mum uploads a comment on Mumsnet:

"I can't even remember what made me put it on my face one day but OMG - it is fab. I have been using it constantly for 2 weeks now and my skin now has the smoothest texture, which I don't think it's had since prepubescence. And it makes my foundation look super dewy and youthful too. It is SO much better than all the expensive face creams I have tried - including Creme de la Mer."


Wow. You can imagine the response. It's the kind of testimonial brands can only fantasise about. 


Shortly afterwards, other mums started to upload their own joyous anecdotes about the miracle butter, and unsurprisingly, Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter sold out within weeks. In fact, the demand for the miracle cream became so great that Waitrose was able to shift the equivalent of a 14 year supply in the
space of just 12 months (you do the maths).


Some of the press headlines included:
Supermarket stampede as women slap £2.49 baby 'bottom butter' on their faces (Daily Mail)


Let's face it, Baby Bottom Butter is better on your cheeks (The Guardian)


Perhaps the astonishing rise in sales of Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter can be attributed to the fact a consumer happened to compare it to one of the most premium face creams on the planet; Creme de la Mer. Dropping a brand name like that is surely going to cause a few eyes to widen. 


Whatever the reason, even after the dermatological effects of the butter were investigated and experts were openly skeptical about the supposed benefits, sales continued to rise. Perhaps because at £2.50, you can't really go wrong.

DIY Wedding Makeup?

Kate* Middleton. You’ve got to hand it to her. 

According to the National Press over the weekend – more specifically, Sali Hughes, Beauty Director for The Guardian – Kate did her own makeup on her wedding day.

Let’s just pause and think about this for a second.

Most brides will tell you it’s a good idea to hire a Professional Makeup Artist to take care of your makeup on your wedding day. This is often because brides worry that their nerves will get the better of them, preventing them from being able to do their makeup to the best of their ability (or worse, leaving them with no option but to ask one of the bridesmaids to do it at the last minute).

Having a Makeup Artist (MUA) there on the day can certainly take the pressure off (providing you hire the right one!). But it also means you’re pretty much guaranteed to look your best as you walk up the aisle to meet your betrothed.

Back to Kate. Not only did she decide to do her own makeup on her wedding day (this in itself is most impressive), but, she did it on the day she married an English Prince, on the telly, and in front of an estimated 2 billion people worldwide.

Brave? Sheer madness, surely.

I mean, it’s not as if she didn’t have the budget for an MUA?! (For those of you new to bridal makeup, prices vary depending on who you get but it can range from anywhere between £100 to £400/£500).

Perhaps it was a strategic decision of Kate’s/her advisors for Kate to do her own makeup, one designed to add a personal touch to an overall look which had been so highly considered.

Let’s look at what Kate did…

My first thought upon seeing her makeup was ‘Blimey, that’s a strong eye!’ (Kate had used rather a lot of dark eyeliner – I’d say definitely too much for a wedding – around the eyes).

My second thought – conscious of my eight years experience in bridal makeup – was more of a nervous doubting of my own knowledge. Had I missed the memo? Are heavily kholed eyes now ‘in’ for weddings? (Note: unless you’re an Indian bride or of Greek/Italian descent, dark khol is a no-no). 

Perhaps Kate was worried her eye-makeup wouldn’t show up on the telly? Who knows. Sally agrees, saying the ‘excessive khol eyeliner..[would]…date an otherwise timeless look’.

Other than the heavy khol, I thought her makeup was really rather beautiful. I didn’t mind the ‘orangey blusher’ (which looked far more peachy/pinky from where I was sitting) and her lips maintained a lovely softness throughout the service, avoiding any kind of heavy gloss (equally disastrous for wedding makeup, not least because it sticks to the veil!). Kate has lovely brows but I would definitely have softened them.

According to other online sources, including Vogue.co.uk, Kate had lessons with a Makeup Artist before the day (names vary but Vogue suggests it was Arabella Preston). Still doesn't change the fact she did something most brides would really rather not have to worry about on their wedding day. Good on you Kate.

Sally goes onto say in the Guardian feature, ‘Kate just looked like herself’. Which is how it should be. I’m just disappointed there wasn’t a Makeup Artist Reveal(!) story following the wedding for me to dissect and admire…

What did you think of Kate’s makeup?

* Please note: I have chosen to use the Duchess of Cambridge's name, 'Kate', as she is more affectionately known, throughout this article, rather than Katherine, to highlight her normality as a former general member of the public. It is not my intention to offend or to be disrespectful to Her Royal Highness. 

5 beauty products I would find VERY hard to live without

There are times in our lives when we stumble across a beauty product or a shade of eye shadow where we cannot imagine there being a better version of it. Anywhere.

It'd be a slight exaggeration (not to mention, a bit shallow) to suggest such products can change our lives for the better. But when we do find them, they certainly challenge the status quo, whilst secretly making us very happy indeed.

Here are my TOP FIVE Best Beauty Buys:

1. Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage

Anyone who’s ever had bad skin will tell you, it’s a conundrum. We thank the heavens for cover-up but when we actually put it on we’re not quite sure it doesn’t make our skin look ten times worse? 

Step up Laura Mercier. Hers is the only concealer that doesn’t cake. In fact, miraculously, it seems to blend into your skin, removing blemishes and redness from your very eyes. And its best feature? It doesn’t aggravate spots like so many concealers. It's my absolute desert island must-have! (although if I were actually living on a desert island my skin should be wonderfully tanned and spot free, right? Scrap that, I’ll take mascara instead).

Holding the top spot. Literally.

2. Seche Vite Top Coat
If I ever overhear anyone discussing the best nail varnish colours, I tend to sneak over, eyes wide, and announce that I know of a nail product so good, they will never need pay for a professional manicure ever again.

To say Seche Vite Top Coat is 'excellent' would be an insult. It is nothing short of miraculous.

It has two things going for it: it dries in seconds (literally) and is nigh impossible to chip, at least not before the week's out. Not only that, but it also has the ability to transform any cheapo nail varnish into an OPI delight.

The proof was definitely in the pudding one afternoon, when, applying Seche Vite to my newly polished tomato-red nails, I suddenly realised I’d left some handwashing in the sink! I was in a mad rush so had no choice but to rinse out the clothes. Half-expecting my nails to be completely destroyed (I’d only finished applying the top coat just ten minutes beforehand) I was amazed to discover they were still perfect.

I like to think, in a world where The Makeup Oscars exist, this product would steal Best Performance.

No. 2: The Only Top Coat You Need Ever Buy

3. Jo Malone Body Crème & Cologne.

OK, so this is two products, not one, but hear me out.

There is something undeniably heavenly about Jo Malone. Of course the iconic premium packaging adds to the allure (as does the price) but for me the scents are quite beautiful and a far cry from the multitude of sickly-sweet high-street perfumes. And it lingers...

I remember my first spritz. I was on holiday in New York, staying with a girlfriend in Brooklyn. I spotted a bottle of Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint cologne in her bathroom and decided to try a little on my skin. Later that day, as I meandered though the streets of Brooklyn, gentle wafts of the cologne kept rising from my shirt collar. The subtleness of the scent made me feel sexy, feminine and optimistic. And from that moment on I was sold.

My combination du jour is White Jasmine and Mint body cream followed by a little spritz of Vanilla and Anise. Applying the cream just before you spray helps the scent cling to the skin.




No.3: A daily touch of luxury



4. St. Ives Swiss Formula Invigorating Apricot Scrub

If Vogue sees fit to crown this unassuming exfoliator one of the best exfoliators money can buy, and it costs less than a fiver, what’s not to love?

Everyone knows that two of the key secrets to good skin are drinking plenty of water and exfoliating once a week.

Yet, when it comes to exfoliating, there's a fine balance. You want the product to feel as if it's working, scouring away dead skin to reveal squeaky-clean, youthful skin underneath. But in my experience, certain exfoliators just don't feel like they're doing very much. As if their hearts are not in it. But not St. Ives! It is the Headmistress of Exfoliators, designed to whip your skin into shape.

Costing just over £4 from Boots, you've got nothing to lose in giving this one a go. Just don't use it everyday.

No. 4: Your weekly facial. Sorted.

5. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer*

(*I’m allowing the ‘z’ here because it’s an American product. Innit.)

I can honestly say I’d find it hard to live without this product. Whenever my skin is feeling dry or tight, I massage in some Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer and within minutes it looks and feels hydrated and new.

Having spent hundreds of pounds over the years on an array of different brands (Estée Lauder, Chanel, Dermalogica, Biotherm…) it was a relief to finally discover my ultimate moisturiser in Kiehl’s.

It doesn’t come in a particularly beautiful bottle, it looks uninspiringly medicinal, and it isn’t cheap, but, it works. I love the fact it sinks into my skin without leaving any oily residue or worse, the flakiness that you sometimes get with other moisturisers.

You can buy Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer with or without SPF (15).

No. 5: Ultra? I'll say.

So that was my Top 5. What's yours? 

Trends: You're joking, right?

Top Shop wedges by Unique, £130

Whilst shuffling, somewhat bewildered, through the astonishing number of 6-inch wedges on display in Selfridges Shoe Gallery the other day it occurred to me that sometimes makeup trends can be just as (seemingly) impossible to wear. Not that I think this season's trend for wedge platforms isn’t fabulous; vertiginous wooden blocks, with neon-bright leather straps, designed to elongate the legs and make feet and ankles look impossibly slender. Stunning works of art they may be but the fact is they are nigh impossible to stand up in let alone walk in.

Whilst strapping a pair on 'for a laugh' in the Top Shop bit, I asked the assistant who was lolling nearby, "How long do you think this trend for über-platforms is going to last? I mean, I’m not old or anything. Ha, I’m only 32!" <nervous laugher> "but seriously, how does anyone walk in these?!"

To which my much younger blonde beauty replied "A glass of wine helps". 

Ah ha.

Take the current S/S stretching into A/W 2011 trend for red eye shadow, as seen at Narciso Rodriguez, Carolina Herrera, Alexander Wang, YSL, Chanel, D&G....(I could go on). Basically, RED is BIG NEWS. 

Carolina Herrera Beauty, Spring 2011

But is red eye shadow wearable off the catwalk?

Much is being debated online about the way to wear red. I'll sum up: it looks better on the young (e.g. 25 and under). If you're going to wear it, don't be frugal. Make a statement.

Another way to wear red this year is blended into the lower lash line with a deeper brown swept across the lid. Coppery reds work best and be careful not to shade too far down under the eye.

Rhianna is someone who can pull off just about any look but the combination of red eye shadow and tapered lashes here is clearly on trend and alluring (if slightly scary).

Rhianna rocks red

A huge trend from last year which continues to influence 2011 is the orange lip.

Prada Spring/Summer 2010

I most vividly remember seeing this for the first time in the The Prada Sunglasses campaign; the dynamism between the polished acrylic transparent frames and high-lacquered tangerine lips. Orange lips felt instantly brave, now, and boy did I want to try it. 

So how do you decide if a trend is wearable?

There are two frustrations for the classicists amongst us when it comes to makeup trends. One is that it is sometimes difficult to tell which of the trends will last beyond a season (you finally get round to buying a bright orange lipstick only to discover neon pink is the colour of the moment). Secondly, some makeup trends are not necessarily designed to work on their own. They are carefully considered, extensions of a fashion collection, engineered to accentuate an entire look.

For me, the pleasure to be gained is in giving a nod to, rather than diving head-first into a makeup trend. Flirt a little with a neon pink lip but keep the rest of the face pared back. Swap your trusty mink eye shadow for a sweep of gold. Red eye shadow may be a stretch too far but how will you know unless you try it?