Category Archives: beauty news

In late June, skincare brand La Roche-Posay are launching something quite brilliant, especially if you’ve always been interested to know just how much UV exposure your skin is getting. (I realise that’s quite a niche interest, but there are lots of skin and beauty obsessives here so it’s not too far-fetched!) Being an annoyingly cynical sort of person, I have always wondered how much SPF I really need to apply when I’m here in the UK. And I don’t mean on a blazing hot day – it’s obvious, I think, to most of us, that when the sun is glaring down and you’re forced to put your sunglasses on your skin needs to be protected. No, I’m talking about your confusing overcast-then-slightly-sunny-but-also-cool-enough-to-wear-a-jacket kind of day. The typical British summer’s day or a nice spring day, or even a winter’s day when you’re going to be gadding around outdoors a bit. What then? How high is your exposure to UV, really?

So La Roche-Posay’s new UV Patch is of great interest to me – the first ever wearable, stretchable skin sensor that’s able to monitor UV exposure and, via a smartphone app, advise on the most appropriate way to stay protected. By scanning the patch with the app, you can keep a regular check on just how high UV levels are, something that satisfies my curious nature! The patch will be available to the general public from late June and will be totally free, available from Boots skincare experts (I’m assuming they are in larger Boots stores, but I’ll check) and dermatologists. You’ll also be able to register for one online – I’ll update you with the link once I have it – but fear not if all of this sounds like too much effort, for I have one hundred UV Patches to give away to readers of A Model Recommends. All you need to do is leave a comment below and 1oo entries will be picked at random at the end of the month. (Noon on 27th May, 2016.) Those readers will receive their UV Patch before they become available to the general public, so you’ll be able to be incredibly geeky about smart technology and skin monitoring when people ask why you have a special patch on the back of your hand…

I’ve been wearing my UV Patch for the past three days – you can wear it for up to five – and the results have been really interesting. I hadn’t reckoned on my skin being exposed to UV quite as often as it was and there were a couple of hours of really intense exposure last Saturday, when I was out walking the dog, that had completely escaped my notice. I’m looking forward to testing my spare patch when the weather gets hot (ha) so that I can track the exposure over a number of days when I know I’ll be outdoors a lot – I thought I might use that time to do some SPF-testing, very scientific!

The idea behind the UV Patch is that it works as an educational tool – not just for people who are failing to use sun protection at all, but for those who are curious as to whether they are applying enough of it (and frequently enough) for it to be effective. The patch is waterproof and stretches with the skin, so you completely forget you’re wearing it, and scanning it with the app is simple; just line up the heart shaped patch with the guide on your smartphone screen and it “reads” the photosensitive dyes that have changed colour to indicate varying levels of sun exposure.

I hope that this is the kind of technology that will become very mainstream; stuck to the inside of magazines, like perfume samples, or free at the till when you buy something at Boots. Perhaps. I realise that it’s much more expensive to produce wearable technology than it is a perfume sample, or a little sachet of face cream, but it would be so beneficial to make people more aware of how they needed to protect their skin. I have to say, the app could be simplified much more – perhaps a very basic traffic light system to show when the skin is being most exposed to UV, for those who don’t want to look at the chart or read notes – but overall, it’s a very user-friendly experience.

Please do leave a comment if you’d like to try a UV Patch –  be aware that the patches won’t be ready until June, just ahead of the main launch, but definitely in time to monitor some days in the sun! I’ve been doing a marathon SPF test session recently, so keep a look out for some recommendations…

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I’m a sucker for an eye pencil, and the new Revlon PhotoReady Kajal Matte Eye Pencil is exactly the kind that I love. Super, super pigmented, bold lines and a soft formula. I think the fact that they’re matte is neither here nor there – a good kohl pencil is a wonderful thing, no matter what the finish! You can tell it’s cold in my kitchen again! Goosebumps. I need a room like a cigar humidor that’s just exactly at the right temperature at all times! For a really good kajal or kohl, pigment is all – these are plenty full of pigment. I’ve used Espresso (dark brown) on my inner rims and can’t say that it has outlasted any other kohl I’ve ever used but it’s not bad at all. If you want to use them on the outer edges of your eye, the pencils have a smudger – personally I prefer a good, clean line. If you want bold definition, that’s definitely here. There are 4 shades – above, you can see Matte Espresso, a deep, rich brown, Matte Coal, a deep black and Carbon Matte, a smoky grey shade. I don’t have a launch date yet, but they’re… Read More

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Online purveyor of the coolest and most covetable luxury items, Very Exclusive, has it’s mid-season sale running with 30% off selected items. Timely, as I have now moved back into my house and have an actual wardrobe (just about) and am also in need of some serious treats-to-self in the fashion department. Though I’m limited, admittedly, to things I can breastfeed in. And that are a good size or two bigger than I’d usually wear…

Here’s a little roundup of my sales picks – some stuff that I’ve ordered for myself and some “fantasy purchases”. You can shop the sale here.

Wildfox For President Star Sweater: you’ll know if you’ve read my Very Exclusive sales posts before that I like a bit of Wildfox. Slouchy, soft sweaters that are brilliant for just chucking on when you can’t be bothered to think about what to wear. This one is cheery and bright – £63 down from £99 here.

Black Score Cocoa Channel T-Shirt: I have a canvas bag with this design on and thought that it was very witty, so I was pleased to see that it also came on a pristine white t-shirt. £28 down from £40 here.

Peter Jensen Rabbit Dress: yes, it’s expensive, but LOOK AT THE RABBITS!

I want this so badly, but to breastfeed in it I’d literally have to take the entire thing off and sit in my pants and bra. Which wouldn’t be the best look. Possibly. It’s £227 reduced from £325 here.

Another thing I desperately want but wouldn’t be able to squeeze my giant bangers into: the A Corps Perdu bra from Heidi Klum Intimates. A whisper of lace that would look every-so-sexy peeking out from beneath a silky shirt or little black dress. My favourite nursing bras have been from Heidi Klum Intimates (used to be Elle MacPherson Intimates) and so I think I may be building up a bit of brand loyalty in the lingerie department… £42 down from £60 here.

Oh the irony: I searched on an almost daily basis for a lovely pair of nude sandals over the summer months, but these from Ancient Greek completely slipped through the net. I love the superhero thunder bolts on them yet the sandal shape is otherwise very classic. An injection of humour that very much appeals to me. You can find the Fontini sandals here – they are £84 down from £129 here.

And now for a beauty bonus: would these Anna Sui lipsticks not make the most brilliant little Christmas presents for makeup aficionados? The shade, Paris Pink, looks to be one of those universally flattering kind of tones, and the star-shaped bullet and incredible outer casing will definitely be a crowd-pleaser. The lipsticks are £16 here.

Browse the Very Exclusive Sale…

*this post is an advertorial for Very Exclusive

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The latest Naturisimo Discovery Box is, as usual, well worth your time and money. This haircare themed box is packed full to the brim of luxe haircare samples for just £12.95 but is worth £37.

I’ve had the box for a week or two now and have had a chance to use almost everything on my hair before and after it was bleached (uhhh, more on that another time…) and have been really impressed with everything. The box contains 3 new releases and everything is generously sized from the beefy 10ml sachet to the 60ml styling spray.

Evolve Organic Beauty Superfood Shine Shampoo & Conditioner 60ml each – These are my favourites from the box and are brand new releases from Evolve. I have used them twice so far and love how soft and manageable they left my hair, especially now it’s a lot more damaged than usual. The conditioner is nice and thin so it rinses out clean, but still detangles and smoothes well, whilst the shampoo bubbles up nicely and really cleans without irritating my fussy scalp. Both use the superfoods baobab and pomegranate to add shine, strengthen and reduce frizz.

John Masters Rose & Apricot Hair Milk 30ml – I already have the full size of this and just love it. I use it both as a quick pre-shampoo nourishing mask and as a leave-in conditioner on the days when I don’t condition my hair in the shower. It’s the perfect lightweight cream for all hair types and leaves it feeling silky and soft without any grease or heaviness. Love.

John Masters Sweet Orange & Silk Protein Styling Gel 10ml – Styling gels scare me, aren’t they for boys who want to spike their hair up like a hedgehog? I decided to brave it anyway and give this a go when I lightly curled my hair the other day- I added a pea sized amount to my hands and scrunched it lightly through the curls and roughed up the roots a little for volume – and I think it worked! More testing needed on this new world of styling gels but my hair had extra bounce and shine so that’s got to be good.

Swell Ultimate Protect & Renew Serum 30ml – This is a very generous travel size as the full size is £20 for 50ml! This clear gel is designed to be used on wet/damp hair to protect it from heat styling and smooth away any frizz, it’s silicone free and very lightweight. My hair is quite short so it’s hard to say how well this works after two uses, but any heat protection at all is welcome in my books.

Intelligent Nutrients Volumizing Spray 60ml – I love the Intelligent Nutrients line but have never tried any of their hair styling products before. This spray is meant to be a styling and curl activator spray on wet hair and a finishing spray to add volume and hold on dry hair. I didn’t even read this before using it and just sprayed on my roots before drying my hair for a little lift, I think it worked and it didn’t make my hair greasy at all like some volume sprays can. I will have to get back to you once I’ve actually used it properly.

What do you think of this box? They usually sell out at top speed so be quick if you fancy trying out some new organic haircare! Get it here.

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When I tweeted about Estee Lauder EE Cream there was a collective eye-roll, so I thought I’d tell you a little more about this alphabet stretcher. The alphabet is totally up for grabs on the back of BB creams (we’ve had CC, we’ve had DD – and I’m pretty sure there are other EE creams floating about somewhere) and mostly they bear no resemblence to the BB origins. However, Estee Lauder EE Cream – full name Even Effect (see what they did there?) Skintone Corrector SPF30 actually does have some strong connections to BB cream.

I did test this at launch – but there were only lab samples available so it was a quick dab on the back of my hand rather than on my face – and while it does contain colour, it’s super-light. Estee Lauder EE Cream is part of the new Enlighten Skintone Correcting Collection; three products that help to prevent hyperpigmentation. Used in combination, it forms a 3-step system for hyperpigmentation that, unusually, does its best work at night. Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Night Serum and Enlighten Even Tone Correcting Creme are the sisters to EE Cream in the 3-step. I’ve got to admit that I’m pretty tempted by this, not least because the Night Serum has claims of significant improvement in two weeks. I think I’ll be putting it to the test.

So, back to EE – it’s got a good level of SPF at 30 and colour correcting pigments, as well as ingredients to counteract pollution (this is something, by the way, that all the major brands are focussing on), and while it does give a very natural look on the skin, it also definitely adds something in the way of glow.

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