Yesterday I finally got my hands on a copy of the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible by Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley (Kyle Cathie Limited, 2011). It was worth the wait. I spent a good two hours soaking up their words of wisdom which go beyond skincare and cosmetics tops to provide some practical and sensible advice on fitness, yoga, diet and supplements.
 Being a skincare and cosmetics junkie, I already have some established favourite products so there was nothing in the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible that was likely to persuade me to forsake my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish while on the moisturiser front, Philosophy’s Hope in a Jar and Decleor’s Hydrafloral remain my firm favourites. That said, I will be reviving my Liz Earle Skin Repair moisturiser – not for my face, but to try as a neck cream because – once again – it gets a great write-up category.
Anti-ageing miracle creams
But let’s forget moisturisers for a moment because the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible puts the spotlight on what they describe as anti-agening miracle creams. Interestingly, their top-scorer is L’Occitane’s Immortelle Divine Cream but the one that caught my eye was the Neal’s Yard Frankincense Nourishing Cream. Frankincense is such a wonderful scent that to use this as a night cream sounds like a blissful experience. That’s the first tick for my shopping basket and I’ll let you know how I get on with it.
Anti-ageing hair products
Other products that caught my eye include Head & Shoulders hydrating shampoo and conditioner. Colouring your hair tends to make it dry and I, for one, am definitely in the market for good hydrating shampoos. I’ve tried a number of different products, few of which have delivered the desired results (John Frieda’s Brilliant Brunette Conditioner is my current favourite). Head & Shoulders hasn’t been in my bathroom since my twenties but, if the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible is correct, then it’s time to take another look so this is another one for the shopping list.
Anti-ageing body treatments
On the body treatment side, dryness is a common complaint for women once they hit their forties and fifties. L’Occitane’s almond based range gets good reviews in the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible. I’ve tried the shower oil from this range (and loved it) so I’ll definitely consider adding the body products to my list.
Also favourably reviewed by the girls is Decleor’s Aroma Sculpt Divine – the thought of sculpting is enticing but price points mean this will have to go on the wish list. (Decleor’s Excellence de L’Age product is another one of the recommended anti-ageing miracle creams). Although Decleor is a bit on the pricey side if you’re just purchasing to try out the range, their gift sets around Christmas are very good value and watch out for their in-store promotions which sometimes offer really good value. If you’re in Dublin, you’ll find a Decleor counter in Clerys and in House of Fraser or you can purchase online from the QVC, the shopping channel.
Anti-ageing hand and foot care
Like the body, feet too seem to become drier with age. Thanks to a stroke of luck, I recently won Bliss’s Sage and Lemon body moisturiser so I’ve been using that extravagently for foot massage and moisturising. Bliss is well named! But, based on the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible, I’ll be saving up and adding Aveda’s foot relief to my shopping list.
For hands, Liz Earle’s Hand Repair is favourably mentioned as are a number of other naturally-based product. The one I’ve selected for my list is the Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream on the basis that it’s not expensive and I’ve seen some good results from Weleda products.
Eyes
I’ve blogged recently about the importance of the eyebrow and Shavata remains my favourite for shaping and grooming the brow, but based on the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible reviews, I’m now adding Soap & Glory’s Arch de Triumph Brow Shaper to my list of ‘must purchase’ items. And, if you’ll parden the pun, the other product that caught my eye is the Bourjois Effet Smoky Pencil. I want one of those!
Conclusion
Overall, the Anti-Ageing Beauty Bible is an informative read that is as enjoyable as a good chat with your best friends. It’s a pity that it’s not yet available for the Kindle because I would love to have it with me whenever I am shopping for skincare and beauty products. I’ve only touched on some of the topics it covers – there’s lots more, from coping with sleeplessness to dealing with sunspots and rosacea, from getting over aches and pains to the facelift diet. Do get your hands on a copy if you get the chance. You’ll enjoy it!
Izzy’s Anti-Ageing Beauty Wish List
- Head & Shoulders Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner
- Marks & Spencer Advanced Formula Solutions Anti-Redness Serum
- Aveda Foot Relief
- Soap & Glory Arch de Triumph Brow Shaper
- L’Occitane Milk Concentrate Firming & Smoothing with Almond Milk
- Decleor Excellence de L’Age Sublime Regenerating Cream
- Decleor Aroma Sculpt Divine Rejuvenating Cream
- Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish
- Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvenating Face Serum
- Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream
- Liz Earle Hand Repair
- Neal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Nourishing Cream
- Bourjois Effet Smoky Pencil
Better value skincare is a priority for me ever since saving became the new religion. I have been hearing a lot about the Lacura skincare products at Aldi and have been keen to try them out. This week I finally got my opportunity and picked up two moisturisers to sample.
 The first is Lacura Shimmering Day Cream. I like the bottle, I like the texture, I like the idea of the shimmer, I like the price but I don’t like the smell. In fact, I don’t like the smell so much I didn’t want to risk putting the cream on my face so, so far, I’ve only risked using it on my arms.
My second purchase was Lacura Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream. This time, I like the texture, I like the price, the smell is fine, and the packaging is acceptable. In fact, the price was so good, I feel I can be lavish with the cream so I experimented by trying some on my dry, cracked feet. Interestingly, I saw an immediate improvement that persisted for a couple of hours. I’m quite impressed because I had tried a couple of other creams on my feet in the last few days and none of them produced as good a result. I haven’t tried this one on my face either, but I may risk it before the week is out. If I do, I’ll let you know how I get on.
As for the savings to be achieved from this shopping for better value skincare experiment, well the trick seems to be to stop spending. Unfortunately, I haven’t mastered that part yet.
 - Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Scrub
If I am ever going to retire early, I will have to cut down my spend on skin care products. I don’t why they hold such fascination for me but they do. I am addicted to exfoliators, moisturisers, serums, gels, oils – anything that makes the skin feel cared for and comfortable. After all, I rely on it to hold me together so it’s only fair that I do my best to keep it in decent condition.
My latest find is Soap and Glory. You’ve probably known about it for years but I invested a few euro in it for the first time this week. I purchased several of the scrubs and have begun putting them through their paces. And the verdict is that I’m impressed so far.
This particular Soap and Glory Sugar Body Scrub is the one that’s currently in my bathroom. I like the tub and, in particular, I like the lid which is easy to get on and off. There’s none of that messing about with foil or getting sugar or salt stuck in the crevices of a screw cap lid so, on the packaging alone, this one is a winner in my book.
But never mind the lid. What about the scrub itself? I didn’t think I liked sugar scrubs but I’ve changed my mind. The texture of this one in the tub is very good. I’ve like the zingy scent of the lime. It smells clean, if you know what I mean. And the sugar and macadamia oil seem to do a good job. I used it on my arms, legs, bum and boobs and it was fine everywhere but what really impressed me was the impact it had on the backs of my hands which were instantly smoothed and softened. That alone would make me purchase Soap and Glory again.
So impressed was I, in fact, that I risked using it on my face – just around the pores on the nose and chin area. It’s a bit too abrasive for the face so I am not recommending that you try it. I was very gentle with it and it didn’t do me any harm but I’ll be sticking to body applications in future.
On the cost front, this is a lot cheaper than my usual brands (Philosophy and Sanctuary). It’s just as effective in my opinion. In fact, I prefer it. Boots stock it and it is discounted at the time of writing.
 Three months of cold mornings and the fact that I hate the feel of gloves means my hands have taken a battering this winter. In the last few days, things reached a critical point and some TLC is very much in order. I’m fussy about the fragrance of products I use on my hands because I like to sleep with my hands on the pillow so I’ve started using Weleda’s Wild Rose Day Cream last thing before I go to sleep. It’s a deep nourishing moisturiser and, yes, it’s meant for your face but I think my hands are worth it. There is something about the scent of rose that is comforting and soothes the spirit. My local natural food shop and pharmacy both stock Weleda and, compared with similar brands, it’s pretty good value for money.
 I find myself taking issue with The Sunday Times Style Beauty Awards 2010 which are featured in today’s colour Style magazine. Why? Well, I was not among the almost 20,000 who logged on to vote in the Awards and I certainly would not have given my vote to some of the products on this list of winners. So, today, to release my pent-up frustration I have decided to select some of the categores and announce my own winners. These ‘Izzy says’ listings are products that I personally use regularly and have bought on more than one occasion. They are also products that I invariably empty the tub so although they may cost a bit more than the supermarket alternatives, at least I don’t end up throwing them in the bin. My choice is almost always in favour of products that use natural ingredients and not too many unnecessary chemicals. I have sensitive skin that tends to be dry and is also – sadly – becoming more mature. If you are on the right side of 30 my picks today may be rather different than they would have been twenty years ago so use your own judgement, dear readers and, if by chance, you have found the perfect naturally -based inexpensive anti-aging solution, please leave a comment and let us know what it is!
Best Blusher
- Style magazine says Clinique Blusing Blush Powerder Blush in Bashful Blush.
- Izzy says Bare Escentuals Clear Radiance
Best Foundaton
- Style magazine says Clinique Superbalanced Makeup
- Izzy says: Bare Escentuals
Best Facial Moisturiser
- Style magazine says: Clinque Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion
- Izzy says: Decleor Hydrafloral
Best Skincare Brand
- Style magazine says: Clinique
- Izzy says: Decleor
Best Makeup Remover
- Style magazine says: Simple Kind to Eyes Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover
- Izzy says: Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
Best Body Moisturiser
- Style magazine says: Nivea Rich Care Body Moisturiser
- Izzy says: L’Occitane Shea Butter Body Lotion
Best Shampoo
- Style magazine says: Pantene Pro-V Smooth and Sleek Shampoo
- Izzy says: Revlon Equave Hydro Nutritive Shampoo
Best Conditioner
- Style magazine says: Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner
- Izzy says: John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Daily Conditioner
Best Bargain Buy
- Style Magazine says: Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil
- Izzy says: (from Lidl) Cien Sensitive Body Lotion
|
|
|
