Review
Glossy Posse Picks: the top products on our radars right now...
22 October 2016
1 / 10
Glossy Posse Picks: the top products on our radars right now...
There's constant stream of new beauty products arriving on our desks and in the shops for autum/winter. And with Christmas nearing, beauty brands are going full steam ahead with their new releases.
From supersonic toothbrushes to 'chocolate box' eyeshadow palettes and from speedy spa stays to pregnancy-safe polishes, these are the products that caught our eye recently - we just had to tell you about them.
Click through the gallery to see what made the cut...
2 / 10
Zoya Nail Polish in Wendy, £11
Why we love it: Natural nails, in coral!
Review: "I was recently gifted a set of Zoya nail polishes by one of my besties looking out for my toxin intake in my newly pregnant state. I decided to try out Wendy, as it looked like the perfect coral to brighten my stream of black-on-black autumnal outfits. The formula itself is everything I look for in a polish - full coverage in two swipes, high gloss, great colour and staying power to boot, but this varnish boasts something many of the others don’t - the exclusion of toxic ingredients including toluene, camphor, formaldehyde resin and DBP (dibutyl phthalate). All of this means I can work my way safely through their spectrum of shades as a well-tipped mumma-to-be!"
Reviewer: Gemma Bellman, Managing Director
3 / 10
Zoeva Plaisir Box, £48
Available from 31st October
Why we love it: An incredible quality ‘box of chocolates’ for beauty addicts
Review: “There’s something exciting about opening a box of chocolates and choosing which to go for. It takes me back to when I would ask my parents for a fancy box of chocolates at Easter instead of an egg. While I'm not as in love with chocolate as I was back then, beauty, on the other hand is a different story.
Zoeva have launched their very own ‘box of chocolates’, featuring three stunning eyeshadow palettes; Blanc Fusion Eyeshadow Palette, Caramel Melange Eyeshadow Palette and the Cocoa Blend Eyeshadow Palette. Each palette looks a little like a chocolate bar upon opening the box, and what’s inside gets even better. The palettes feature a range of matte, glitter and shimmer nudes, browns, golds and a few bolder shades thrown in for good measure. The shadows are creamy, the pigments are rich and the shades are oh so tempting - all like a great box of chocolate.
The shadows blend really well and are all super wearable. I like using all three but the palettes are great in their own right (and also available to purchase individually at £18). This set is truly incredible for the price and is perfect for a gift or a treat to yourself - just like chocolate would be.”
Reviewer: Lorna Patrick, Marketing Assistant
4 / 10
Vincent Longo Pearl X Eyeshadow, £19
Why we love it: A high performing eyeshadow where no look is ever the same
Review: “Confession: I love eyeshadow. I won’t leave the house without eyeshadow. I have loved it since I was 13, when bright white was the only colour to be seen in. Thankfully my colour palette has somewhat improved since then but one thing remains - anything with a hint of metallic or shimmer takes my fancy. But never before have I seen shadows like these, from Vincent Longo; each one has a beautiful galactic feel to it, with a combination of matte and shimmer shades swirled and marbled together to create a unique compact.
Unlike most powder products with a pretty design, this doesn’t disappear with the first use - the whole shadow is created in this way, making it a joy to experiment with. I used the Ethereal shade, a blend of khaki-golden colours for a more gritty day time look and each time was different thanks to the varying pigments within the formula. All five shades are works of art in themselves - and that’s before you’ve had the chance to paint your eyes with them.”
Reviewer: Judy Johnson, Online Editor
5 / 10
Aurelia Calming Botanical Essence, £42
Why we love it: A heavenly calming scented facial mist to relieve stressed, dry and tired skin
Review: “There is nothing worse than having a beautifully moisturised and hydrated face when you step outside in the morning, only to have it feeling dry and dull by mid afternoon. I blame central heating, aircon and the cold British weather.
Aurelia have recently launched their botanical mists; Calming Botanical Essence and a Brightening essence. I've been using the Calming essence, a lightweight facial mist, designed to relieve stress while soothing the skin and mind. Containing a blend of essential oils such as chamomile, lavender and linden blossom, the scent is incredible calming and a allows you to take a little time out during a stressful day.
I've been adding it to my morning and evening skin routine, but where I think it works best is as a booster during the day for more radiance and glow! Instantly sinking into the skin and leaving it feeling refreshed, moisturised and balanced - when you suffer from dry or dull looking skin, this is such a little wonder to add to your beauty haul.”
Reviewer: Sarah McGinnis, Art Editor
6 / 10
Spa Social at agua Bathhouse, Mondrian London, £65
Why we love it: Roman baths, reimagined for stressed out modern city workers
Review: "If the thought of sneaking away to a day spa appeals, but is practically off the cards, plus you’re a bit bored of the gym/sofa/pub rotation that typifies an urban weekday lifestyle, the Mondrian’s new Spa Social concept promises a fresh, yet time honoured, alternative to the usual after-work haunts.
Taking place once a month (every third Tuesday evening- the next Spa Socials on the cards are 15th November and 13th December), you can play Caesar by mingling with friends or other spa goers, with the agua Bathhouse and Spa open exclusively for you on the night and your ticket including access to all spa facilities between 6:30pm and 9:30pm, a mud mask to slather yourself in (as fun as it is detoxifying), a scalp or shoulder massage, two glasses of Thompson & Scott Skinny Champagne per person, a health-giving, yet also genuinely tasty dinner bowl courtesy of the chefs at Sea Containers and unlimited herbal teas throughout the evening.
The spa itself is a Tom Dixon designed thing of beauty, the rain showers something else and the air is infused with our favourite Année de Mamiel Altitude Oil to get you in the zone. Sure, it’s a treat, but there’s nothing like rolling around in the mud, emerging sparkling clean and well fed, to reconnect you with your pals. As the nights draw in, you’ll know where to find me."
Reviewer: Anna Hunter, Senior Features Writer
7 / 10
Suqqu Blush in 05 Yawakouki, £30
Why we love it: The stunning blush graduates in colour to give the skin translucency and definition, offering a bright modern appearance to mature faces
Review: “I had never heard of Suqqu until I read about its iconic status in Sali Hughes’ new book, Pretty Iconic, so when the opportunity came to try out its new blush, I whipped it off the office shelf and pushed it straight to the bottom of my bag before anyone else could get their hands on it.
Call me materialistic, but this blush looks hot, and I am not talking about it on your face. This colourful compact is a surefire way of impressing your friends if they are ever rooting around your makeup collection: a guaranteed status elevator.
The Yawakouki blush is a beautiful graduating display of colour - from a peachy coral to a glistening golden yellow. I applied the blush using the coral along my cheekbone and the yellow along the top of the cheekbone - using it more as a highlighter. The effect is a gentle and dazzling pinch of graduated colour across the face, really giving what the blush promises to do: provide translucency and definition.
If you are dark haired (and pale skinned in the winter) like me, then I would not rely on this colour as your main blush. The effect really takes off when you apply it as a base and layer over a touch of darker cheek colour. The result is just as good out the palette as in.”
Reviewer: Gemma Painter, Digital Marketing Manager
8 / 10
Onira Organics The Nourishing Shampoo, £30
Why we love it: a gorgeous-smelling shampoo that detoxes and restores
Review: “I have picked out the shampoo as an entry point into this upmarket organic haircare range, but really the whole lot (shampoo, conditioner, serum, mask) is truly restorative and a worthwhile investment if you have had problems with condition, breakage or build-up, as I have. I love the fact that it was invented by a former model, Jessica Lemarie Pires (wife of French footballer Robert Pires) who was forever styling and colour her hair. She set herself the challenge of inventing products as natural as her macrobiotic diet yet powerful enough to give her hair the same condition and softness as her ten-year-old daughter’s.
This really is like clean eating for your locks - first you have to go through a detox phase (they warn that your hair might be a bit dry or unruly for the first few days as it gets used to a life without a silicone coating, but I didn’t experience that) and then the healthy glow just starts to build as the nourishing ingredients take effect.
It’s recommended to use the sulfate and silicone-free products for month for the full detox, but even from the first shampoo you can feel a difference. Hair has a squeakiness that doesn’t feel ‘stripped’ and the conditioner penetrates rather than merely coating. The lather is good and the subtle fragrance from the star ingredient of Tahitian ginger is divine.
The mask and serum are used as a pre-shampoo treatment and as these products are pricey, I found it helpful spending four minutes looking at the ‘how to’ ritual video here to make sure I was getting the most out of them.”
Reviewer: Victoria Woodhall, Deputy Editor
9 / 10
Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Sonic Electric Toothbrush, £270
Why we love it: This is the the Dyson hoover of toothbrushes
Review: "If you are using a normal (non electric) toothbrush, then I promise this one will change your life. It’s one of those products that you never knew could be so damn good until you’ve tried it. It’s like the difference between an old frustrating hoover that no longer picks up the debris on your carpet, and buying a brand new whizzy one that sucks out every tiny bit of dust that’s ever landed on it. Very satisfying. Why is it so good? Well it oscillates up to 62,000 times a minute (it’s so fast it’s just a buzz in your mouth rather than something akin to a pneumatic drill), removes up to seven times more plaque and has a tiny little pointed head that gets into every nook and cranny. It has a great timer so you know when to stop, and it also very cleverly comes with a glass cup on a base that you put the toothbrush in and it charges. I changed from a slightly old, clunky, electric toothbrush to this and couldn’t believe the difference in the way my teeth felt. Also, I have just gone a year without going to the dentist (bad I know), and I’m sure it’s the reason I left with a ‘No work required’ grin on my face."
Reviewer: Susannah Taylor, Editor-in-Chief
10 / 10
Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation/Concealer, £64
Why we love it: A high coverage yet easy to blend melt-proof base that withstands heat, humidity and water
Review: “When it comes to foundations, Tom Ford’s are among some of the most beautifully luxurious I’ve tried. The brand’s skin tone inclusivity is one to be admired and although products come at a price, they’ve often proven worth the money - especially for me during wedding season this year when, alongside my efforts to dress up, Tom Ford was the perfect something special to slip into skin-wise. The brand’s new Waterproof Foundation/Concealer (12 shades) doesn’t disappoint, and works a treat on my combination skin type to provide a dose of extra coverage when humidity threatens to melt my handiwork.
Full coverage and mattifying yet surprisingly easy to blend considering its waterproof prowess, it’s proven particularly useful when I’ve needed my makeup to last that little bit longer. As a concealer, it’s effective at restoring overall uniformity, but my under-eyes require something a little more specialised (usually in the form of peach colour correction first). That being said though, it has made for a great helping hand for evening out my complexion and creating a budge-proof base that stands the test of time (and weather).”
Reviewer: Ayesha Muttucumaru, Senior Features Writer