1 / 10
The sun might finally be starting to make an appearance - so which beauty products can stand the heat?
From an anti pollution oil to a winged eyeliner, and a refreshing mist to a charitable candle - the Glossy Posse have made their picks and these are the products we just can't get enough of at the moment. Click through the gallery to find out what we rate right now...
2 / 10
Why we love it: "A natural, tinted skin protector that allows your skin to breathe and glow."
Review: "There are quite a few products on the market that are aimed at blocking out city pollution, but are they of any use to our skin if they are also full of chemicals and it then can’t breathe as a result? Which is worse - pollution-laden skin or skin that’s suffocating under a mask of product? The new Atmospheriques Pollution Proof Skincare has been formulated by hand by the wonderful Anne de Mamiel to protect the skin from the oxidative damage that pollution and the sun can bring, without blocking its natural process and ability to breathe. There is an antioxidant-rich cleanser (Pure Calm Cleansing Dew) and oil based serum (Intense Nuture Antioxidant Elixir) , but this daily moisturiser is my absolute favourite. Acting like a natural filter for the skin, it contains a potent blend of active phytonutrients as well as an SPF 30, preventing cellular damage yet allowing skin to thrive simultaneously. Containing essences of flowers such as sweet orange and vetiver it also has a very slight tint to it cocooning skin in a luminous, flawless glow. Total heaven."
Reviewer: Susannah Taylor, Editor-in-Chief
3 / 10
Why we love it: “The perfect year-round refresher that looks as great in the bottle as it does on the skin.”
Review: “My skin can be extremely dry and dehydrated and although I know it’s my fault for not drinking quite enough water, I don’t ever seem to do anything to sort it out, therefore leaving my skin needing a good hydration boost throughout the day… and that’s where this beauty comes in. The cult favourite Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist has had a makeover and its beautiful new packaging with the incredibly refreshing product inside has made it my summer staple. I use this for everything - as a toner after cleansing, as a daytime refresher or even to calm me down when things get a little too much. It hydrates, purifies and leaves my skin feeling great. This product really does do it all and I can’t see it leaving my side any time soon.”
Reviewer: Lorna Patrick, Marketing Assistant
4 / 10
Why we love it: “A beautifully scented candle that helps support a deserving cause.”
Review: “While burning a candle in the middle of summer can seem rather counterintuitive, the floral fragrance of this beautifully scented new launch from Jo Malone London serves as the perfect treat when it’s too cloudy - or indeed too rainy - to venture outdoors.
“The brand’s renowned for its charity candles and this year’s offering makes for a fitting addition to the tradition and the cause they support thanks to its notes of peony, moss and cassis. With 75 per cent of the retail price of each candle donated to the brand’s charity partners, the initiative helps to support people living with mental health problems through the cultivation and care of therapeutic gardens, providing a safe place for rehabilitation and recovery. It’s a candle whose cause goes beyond just the sensory to make for a welcomed addition to anyone’s home fragrance line-up.”
Reviewer: Ayesha Muttucumaru, Senior Features Writer
5 / 10
Why we love it: "A sumptuously buttery lip balm with a light creamy finish that glows naturally on my lips and makes them look utterly kissable."
Review: "I fell in love with Korres Lip Butter about two years ago when my friend gave me one as a gift and I've been addicted ever since. The light buttery texture of the balm is simply divine, serving just the right level of creaminess and moisture without being thick or greasy and giving a soft gentle shine when applied to the lips. This is coupled with the beautiful range of natural colours that the balm comes in, which all seem to have been designed to lift the natural colour of the lips rather than ‘add’ colour, and the result is delicately dazzling. My favourite is Mango which really draws on the orangey hues of my skin and makes my lips look gorgeously sunkissed.
"The only problem? Korres Lip Butter in Mango is only available with a very limited number of retailers online. So, ‘get with the program high street’ I say! You need this in your stores now!"
Reviewer: Gemma Painter, Digital Marketing Manager
6 / 10
Why we love it: “A wonderfully zingy pick-me-up, a great alternative to caffeine.”
Review: "When I first started in the Get The Gloss office a few months ago, the one thing I brought to my new desk was this oil. Around 4pm when the sugar low hit, I would rub two drops between my palms and take a deep inhale. Pretty soon my colleagues were asking, 'what’s that amazing smell?'. We get a lot of amazing smelling products in the GTG office, so this was high praise. The pretty bottle was borrowed by our MD Gemma after a sleepless night and by Editor-in-Chief Susannah who was giving up caffeine. The zing comes from essential oils peppermint and rosemary. I turn to it when I’ve hit a block in my work, need to reboot my focus or am craving sugar.
"Uma are potent oils indeed and are made at the family farm in India of founder Shrankhla Holocek, which has furnished Indian royalty with oils based on Ayurvedic formulae for centuries. They now supply prestige beauty brands such as Tom Ford and Estee Lauder.
"There are facial and hair oils in the Uma range too but the four wellness blends (Calm, Rest, Energy and Bliss) are designed to be applied with a specific five-minute technique to maximise the delivery of the powerful ingredients. It involves rubbing the oils in between your toes, where skin is thin, and on pulse points as well as inhaling. While the foot part is not particularly practical for the office, simply in breathing in the Pure Energy oil is a reviving, rebooting pause when you need a boost - and the bottle never seems to run out."
Reviewer: Victoria Woodhall, Deputy Editor
7 / 10
Why we love it: "Designed for ultra-precision this delivers intense black colour onto the eyelid for extreme drama and definition."
Review: "Sometimes all you need is a bit of winged eyeliner to finish your look and what better way to do this than with an eyeliner pen? The Zoeva Cat eye pen allows you to apply a beautiful and precise winged liner that (as stated) is the blackest black. I always find myself gravitating towards this style of eyeliner for two reasons, the first being that it makes applying eyeliner so much easier and also quicker and secondly because you can be really precise with where you’re applying your liner giving you a defined look. The cat eye pen has a very thin stylo pen which is firm enough to create a heavier look or a thin precise line, depending on your preference, yet still the brush feels soft on the lid and doesn’t feel at all scratchy like a lot of eyeliner pens can. The colour is so jet black too that it looks intense on the eye. I highly recommend this eyeliner and at such a reasonable price, it’s definitely an item worth having in your collection!"
Reviewer: Rachael McGowan, Graphic Designer
8 / 10
Why we love it: "A sophisticated shimmer that will warm up dull complexions."
Review: “The summer sunshine might be lacking at the moment but as a makeup obsessive I’m not going to let the clouds hold me back on the kit I’d usually reach for in the hotter months: bronze tones, shimmering highlights and lighter formulas. This highlighter from Mii Cosmetics in the Aurora shade is just that; a delicate powder containing a spectrum of bronze, peach and golden hues, it adds instant radiance and, crucially, warmth to a lacklustre skin tone. I swirled a brush over all six shades for a pretty, shimmering blush in the evening, or used individual shades for a dab of highlighter in the day time. They also double up very well as eyeshadows if you’re on the go; they’re well pigmented and you can build up the colour as you please. A glowing, sun-kissed look in one compact. Who needs the sun anyway?”
Reviewer: Judy Johnson, Online Editor
9 / 10
Why we love it: "Like Black Swan, but positive vibes only."
Review: “If your ballet vocab is a bit rusty, a trip to Xtend Barre on London’s Marylebone High Street is the perfect refresher; you’ll be plieing and tenduing once again in no time, not to mention getting your ballet legs back. The closest thing to a bonafide ballet class of all the barre workouts I’ve tried so far, an Xtend Barre class somehow makes sweating elegant, which is quite a feat for someone who left ballet at the ‘good toes, naughty toes’ stage.”
“With 99 Xtend Barre studios across five continents, it’s really no surprise that the team have honed and toned their technique, and as such each class is dynamic and stimulating, and even if you go regularly it’s unlikely that you’ll do the same exercises or routines, which is as stimulating for your muscles as it is your brain. The London flagship instructors are energetic, graceful and motivating in a non-irritating way, and feeling like you’re mastering a skill rather than thrashing away on a cross trainer is certainly rewarding. Be prepared for muscle soreness afterwards, although teaming up with Mio Skincare for the launch of the tension melting Workout Wonder Ball , £25, was an especially genius move on the part of both brands. If you live near London, or you’re visiting, grab some grippy socks and extend (sorry) your workout repertoire.”
Reviewer: Anna Hunter, Senior Features Writer
10 / 10
Why we love it: "It’s like summer in a jar."
Review: "Candles in summer has always felt a little off season to me, preferring to fill the house with scents of cinnamon and satsumas during a long, dark winters’ night. I made an exception, however, when I came across this mini fig + apricot scented candle from Meraki. Set within a pure white, high gloss glass jar, it immediately made me think of summer. 100% soya bean wax, this candle gives off a clean, almost soot-free flame along with a subtle fragrance of the fruits. To an untrained “nose” the fruits aren’t immediately detectable but the soft, sweet aroma is light, breezy and perfect for a summer’s evening."
Reviewer: Gemma Bellman, Managing Director
