Back in the day I never understood eyeshadows. That was when people would use a million shades and textures and resemble extras on a dodgy 80s music video. These days, neutrals offer a really modern approach to eye (and lip) makeup. The low-key shades of taupes, browns and plums are perfect for anyone who shies away from complex eyeshadow looks and wants ease – I tend to use just fingers to be honest(with a cotton bud dipped in makeup remover on standby). And they are easy on the eye – yours and everyone else’s.
1. Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette £40, iliabeauty.com
2. Blink Brow Bar x Priya Alhuwalia Eyebrow Pencil £22, bbb-london.com
3. Pucci x Guerlain Powder £68, guerlain.com
4. Jones Road Lip and Cheek Palette £28, jonesroadbeauty.com
5. Lisa Eldridge Rouge Experience Refillable Lipstick £49, lisaeldridge.com
I can’t do without… A body wash with a stunning scent that will linger all day
I have always been a bar soap kind of girl. There is something really special about this weighty, solid thing that has the power to not only clean you but also make you feel as if the prosaic act of washing yourself is a luxury ritual. Shower gels never made me feel that way. Even the nicest smelling ones always managed to feel perfunctory. That has changed. I have discovered some wonderful liquid body washes – usually developed by perfumers – that are just a delight. Like the new bodycare line from Escentric Molecules. This fragrance brand has something of a cult following among editors and creatives. It pioneered – almost 20 years ago – the idea of a scent that has been created to smell completely different on everyone. It is a scent you cannot quite put your finger on but it is one I have found addictive for many years – on myself and others. So often I tell someone they smell really good and it turns out to be Escentric Molecules. Lately, I have been using their body wash – there are five scents (mimicking the fragrances). I love them all, but the original scent, E-01, never loses its allure. It combines spicy pink pepper, zesty lime and Iso E super – which perfumers create to add woodiness to a scent. It is stunning. Not only does it fill the air with the perfume, it makes the act of washing an indulgent experience, and one that lingers all day. Escentric Molecules E01 Body Wash, £48, escentric.com
On my radar… Luxury unguents for hands, hair and skin
Hands up With bottles inspired by 18th-century royalty and a scent rich in sandalwood, sage and jasmine, Trudon makes the ultimate hand soap. Trudon Hand Soap, £85, trudon.com
Cold comforts This brilliantly priced oil cleanser not only removes makeup and cleanses your pores, it leaves your skin protected from the harshness of winter. Bubble First Class Oil Cleanser, £17, boots.com
Brush with fame Mason Pearson are famed for their beautifully made hair brushes. Their new hair care line is equally as fabulous for your hair. Mason Pearson Leave-In Conditioner, £20, masonpearson.com
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