TrendLife Beauty

My good friend Emilio is forever flying the flag for his native Greece. The closest I’ve been to exploring the Greek isles is dining at Cyprianis Restaurant in South Croydon, but with Emilio’s persistent patriotic devotion and promotion of all things Greek, I’ve always been curious to explore the Greek culture for myself. With Croydon’s Greek offering tantalising my tastebuds, Emilio’s dishy Grecian looks acting as eye candy, and a picturesque postcard of the Kefalonian beaches from my godmother sitting on our mantelpiece, its only natural that I experience Greece in the way I know best: beauty.

Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, is becoming an all too familiar mention on Trend Life, but the gal really does wave her magic wand for me and grant me with some superb gems. Aphrodite and Emilio were born for careers in PR; and as a duo, their consistent plugs of Greece have well and truly won me over.

And with that, I bypassed check-in, baggage control and duty free, and forfeited a holiday to the promised lands, and instead logged on to  www.paparuna.com who offer a range of gorgeously Greek natural olive oil cosmetics from Macrovita and Olivelia. Indeed, the cosmetic properties of olive oil are on the wishlist of girls across the globe as inclusive of intensive cell stimulating, anti-inflamamatory and antibacterial, olive oil also has a moisturizing effect on the human skin.

Macrovita Body Butter is simply divine and applying it after each shower has left my skin luxuriously soft and scented, hydrated, nourished and revitalised. Mummy is in on the Greek act too, as she’s been using the Olivelia Time Repair Cream, a moisturising balm suitable for all skin types which tightens and uplifts her skin, reinforcing defence against ageing. In fact, some say that since DBL’s use of the cream, we look more like sisters. Upon using the Macrovita Active Formula 24 hours face cream, I sided with our beauty critics as its regenerative and anti-wrinkle properties of rice and rice proteins combine with the hydrating properties of cupuaçù oil, sugars, aloe and glycerine, nourishing avocado and revitalising beer yeast to firm slack skin and eliminate thin lines and skin blemishes.

Tired from Emilio running through my mind, the Macrovita Extra Strength Cream helps to fight my signs of exhaustion, whilst also improving skin elasticity and hydrating and nourishing my skin.

All in all my latest Greek acquisition smells and looks absolutely gorgeous, and no Giorgos, I’m not talking about you.

www.paparuna.com

I, Claire Basing-Lawson, am jealous of Harper Seven Beckham. Indeed, the little lady has it all; a fashionista-in-waiting, she’s already dripping in designerwear at the tender age of nine weeks and has access to the fashion pack’s most coveted closet; the wardrobe of Mummy B. Fashion aside, what I am in fact, most envious of is Harper’s silky soft baby skin.

I have thus taken it upon myself to channel my desires for satin smooth skin akin to that of a baby by throwing a baby shower and gifting me, myself and I with Annique’s Baby Body Lotion. Great for those with eczema, sensitive or allergic skin, Annique’s beauty in a bottle can also be used on the face, its SPF5 giving a little added protection. Its delicate fragrance is a divine and sweet-smelling aroma and the lotion also contains Rooibos tea (Red bush tea) extract, which is known for its soothing anti-allergic properties.

My passion for languages has lended itself to my fluency in French and Spanish. I have, however, found the language of baby particularly difficult to comprehend over the years, that is until my recent eureka moment. ‘Gaga’ had often been lost in translation between baby and I, but since Annique’s Baby Body Lotion, I’ve been joining in with the baby beauty brigade and going gaga for this godsend of a product. Harper, tell mummy to go online and order yourself some of the good stuff right away. Ciao bebe!

£7.75

www.anniqueuk.co.uk

A die-hard devotee and long time fan of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion, my loyalties will forever lay with what I perceive to be the best moisturiser on the market. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter softens, smoothes and relieves dry skin whilst also smoothing and blending marks to create a toned appearance. I find the fragrance simply divine as its cocoa scent does wonders for my chocolate cravings but there is also a fragrance free formula available if the smell is not to your taste. With such a substantial and inexpensive range to cater for hand and body, pregnancy, lips, scars, facial and hair care, Palmer’s really does answer our beauty prayers.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion and the rest of their range are available nationwide in stores including Boots, Superdrug, Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Ocado.

£3.77

uk.palmers.com/

If you’re dreaming of that holiday feeling but not able to jet away this summer, then the Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt by Elemis with its frangipani scent will invoke holidays in the South Pacific.

A deeply hydrating hair and body moisturising oil that is proven to reduce the depth of wrinkles by 19% and increase hydration levels by 10% after only fifteen days of use.

£29.00

www.cultbeauty.co.uk

Simple face wipes are one of my beauty must haves.

They’re gentle and moisturising on my sensitive skin but there is a lot more to the range than ‘simply’ their skin wipes.

The new Kind to Skin Sun-kissed Moisture Cream is a blend of vitamin goodness and gentle tanning agents which provide daily moisture and gradually build a light, natural tan. It's perfect for even sensitive skin.

Price: £4.99

Available from Boots, Superdrug and other supermarket retailers

There’s nothing more frustrating than shaving your legs ready for those summer shorts only to not have them feel as silky smooth by the end of the day. Veet’s new Hair Minimising Body Moisturiser helps to slow down the hair growth retaining the smooth, just shaved feel for longer.

The unique ProMinimise™ formulation contains natural botanical extracts that are known to inhibit hair follicle activity and noticeably slow down the appearance of hair re-growth. This means that silky smooth feeling is prolonged and you can remove hair less often.

£4.99 for 250ml

Available from Boots stores nationwide

One of my favourites beauty buys is Palmers Moisturiser. It’s highly moisturising and has a gorgeous rich scent.

They now have two new products that have launched for summer. The first, the Palmers Swivel Stick is like a very large lip balm that can be used not only for dry lips but also to moisturise any dry patches on the face, hands or elbows and is perfect for popping in your bag when you go on your holidays.

The second is their Natural Bronze, a light gradual tanner that is highly moisturising and when used every day builds up a natural and even looking tan. Perfect for when you have a sunny spell and want to don those denim shorts but your pins are a little too pasty.

Palmer’s Swivel Stick - £2.49

Palmer’s Gradual Tanner - £4.88

Available from Boots, Superdrug and independent chemists

When packing toiletries for the summer vacation, the biggest problem I find is downsizing all my products, moisturisers and make-up removers, which is why I was excited to find that British Classic ASTRAL is actually a brilliant multi-tasking product.

ASTRAL is practically an institution in beauty terms. Launched in 1950 and loved by celebrities like Joanna Lumley and Twiggy, it’s brilliant at moisturising traditionally dry areas like elbows, nails and heels. It’s also excellent at multi-tasking as an after sun lotion, cleanser and make-up remover.

With a ‘handbag’ sized pot of 50ml, ASTRAL is perfect for taking away with you on holiday or to a festival and will take up no space at all.

Astral is available in Superdrug, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Tesco and all good chemists

50ml - £1.49 / 200ml - £4.19 / 500ml - £7.99

www.superdrug.com

Sudocrem, the original baby’s nappy cream has become a celeb skincare ‘must-have’ for its gentle and soothing properties.

Loved by celebs like Cheryl Cole and Kimberley Walsh, Sudocrem’s Antiseptic Healing Cream is brilliant for soothing irritations and keeping moisture in.

However, the familiar grey and red tub is inconvenient and unsightly for use on the go which is why the newly launched 30g sized Sudocrem Skincare Cream tube is the perfect size for keeping in your handbag.

It now comes in a convenient chic white tube, with all the same healing properties as the original but just easier to use on the go.

Sudocrem Skin Care Cream - £2.11 for a 30g tube

Available from pharmacies and major retailers nationwide

I was recently introduced to a new beauty brand initiative called ‘All for Eve’. It works together with some of the leading brands in the beauty and lifestyle industry to produce a range of highly covetable products with 100% of the net profits donated to The Eve Appeal, a charity that supports women’s cancers. Since launching in March 2010, the ‘All for Eve’ product range including the twice award winning hand cream and the Swarovski crystal nail file have gained cult status among consumers and beauty insiders alike.

This month ‘All for Eve’ launches their brand new Eve’s Balm, considered a must-have multi-purpose balm for even the driest of skin. With a combination of sweet almond oil, lavender, chamomile and wild mint; I’ll be using this highly nourishing recovery balm to relieve my dry winter skin, chapped lips and even cuticles but I’ll also be sure to pack it in my suitcase for my summer holidays to soothe my parched holiday skin.

It’s the perfect size for keeping in your handbag and includes a handy pocket mirror for use throughout the day. Priced at only £7.50, the Eve’s Balm is now available at Urban Retreat in Harrods, www.allforeve.co.uk and www.beautique.com