In February, it’ll be fourteen years since I posted my first blog on this website. Back then, in 2010, the website was called A Model Recommends and each post was a couple of hundred words long, if that. I just wrote exactly what I thought of a product in the shortest, snappiest way and the images that accompanied those reviews were the brand’s own still-life product images, dragged and dropped from their online shop or from Google. The phrase “social media” didn’t really exist yet and the word “influencer” was still a glorious decade or more away.

Sometimes I re-read these reviews and wonder at how simple online life was, then. I was writing about products that I’d discovered during my twelve years as a model, when I’d been sitting in the chairs of famous makeup artists and having my hair chopped about and backcombed into oblivion by the coolest stylists. It had been an immensely brilliant way to find out about the most effective cleansers, the gentlest skin-soothing tinctures and the balmiest hair-smoothing creams because these mega-professionals, these industry kingpins, they were sent everything on the market to try out on their models.

(Makeup recommendations weren’t always quite as fascinating, because 90% of the time everyone just used MAC and it often got very boring for me as a nosy product sleuth, but that’s a story for another day!)

So yes; I travelled about the world as a model and then I wrote about the things I loved. But then things began to change; my blog almost immediately snowballed into something quite big and I adopted a whole new role: all of the skincare and haircare and makeup samples were coming straight to me and so rather than passing on other people’s recommendations, I became the product tester!

It was, I felt, an almost overwhelmingly weighty responsibility. With something like 450,000 pageviews a month on this website at the height of the blogging boom, I knew that what I wrote would influence how people spent their money and because of this I felt that I had to be extra-diligent about how I went about testing and rating the products that were sent in. I read extensively about how certain ingredients worked and whether they would be beneficial, I spent half my life on a website called Cosmetic Cop that cut through a lot of the marketing bullshit, trying to hone my critical eye and above all I tried to test the products fairly and practically, giving them enough time to do what they should do and limiting the number of new products I introduced at once.

To cut a long story short (maybe all of this history deserves its own post!) I treated my beauty product-testing as a proper job. And it quickly became a proper job. And I am still very much as diligent in my testing and reviewing as I was all of those years ago, when I was still working from my free Blogspot website and using copy-and-paste stock images. If I say I love something then you can guarantee that I really do and that I’ll have tried enough stuff from the same category to have a pretty good idea as to how it ranks against its competitors. But I always think that the true proof of an outstanding product is the one that I will personally use again and again. And even more than this, it’s the one that I would buy again and again. Because it makes absolutely no sense to buy something when you have twenty similar versions of it waiting on a shelf to be tried – why spend thirty quid on a mascara when there are five new ones that have just landed on your desk to be tested? If I’d go and buy it, despite the pile of stuff I still need to wade through, then I’d say that’s a fairly solid recommendation for something.

So I’ve started a new habit. I’ve started making notes on all of the products I use again and again and saving the packaging when I finish them so that I can keep track of personal favourites. Which skin recovery cream I reach for above all others; which retinoids I would recommend to my friends without hesitation – which facial mists I can’t live without. (Answer: none of them, I find them mostly quite pointless and I hate the feeling of spraying my own face.) I have some plastic boxes in my office into which I chuck these pots and bottles and tubes –  the foundations I can always rely on, the mascaras I’d pack in a hurry, the cleansers that are a cut above the rest – and every now and again I either take a photo of the contents of the boxes or I sit down and make a list of them with a few added notes.

This post (got to the point in the end!) is basically the contents of one of those boxes. The skincare products I’ve used repeatedly, more than any others, throughout 2023. That’s not to say there aren’t two dozen or more other skincare gems that I’d love to rave about – there most definitely are – but the hallowed Boxes of Regular Use only hold so much. So these are the true staples. Enjoy. In this era of serious skincare overload (there are so many brands and so many people selling them) I hope that this provides a genuine little glimpse into my routine.

OK here we go then: my most-used skincare products of 2023. Maybe next year I’ll manage to get myself into some sort of order for a makeup version and a hair one as well, but I’m only just managing to publish this in 2023 by the skin of my teeth so I don’t think it’s wise to get too ambitious…

Ad info: no paid or sponsored content. Contains press samples and affiliate links are marked *. I have worked with or currently work with some of the featured brands but their inclusion here is purely editorial. 

My Most-Used Skincare Products: 2023

I’m arranging these products into a vague resemblance of my daily skincare routine.

Daytime Products:

In the morning I rarely do a proper cleanse (I do a deep cleanse every night) and so more often than not it’s a quick swipe-over with:

Sali Hughes Placid Daily Exfoliant*.

This is a mild acid exfoliant in liquid form that you simply pour onto cotton wool, wipe over and leave. I love it because it’s genuinely gentle enough to use every day – and in the morning, at that. It keeps my skin clear and bright and it leaves my evenings free for my retinol application. (I wouldn’t have any problem using this before my retinoid it’s just another step to remember and I like to keep things simple!)

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid*.

This is my PMT week alternative to the Placid – it’s salicylic acid and so specifically adept at keeping pores clear and tackling any nasty hormonal spot outbreaks. Pricier than the Sali Hughes exfoliant but hugely effective and this has been a staple in my skincare routine for longer than I care to remember.

I then go in with an antioxidant serum every morning, before my moisturiser or SPF. I see a profound difference to general brightness of the skin and evenness of tone when I use a vitamin c serum, in particular and I like to tick the box for “extra protection” – it’s sort of like the underwear to my sunscreen, which is obviously the ultimate protection! This year, as in 2022, the serum has nearly always been:

Kiehls Line-Reducing Concentrate*

I love the unusual, dry texture of this serum. It doesn’t glide on or feel slimy, it’s more like smoothing on…velvet. Which is going to be the most abstract statement on this page but it will make sense if you’ve ever used this. Then we have, in next most-used place:

Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster*

This can be applied directly to the skin as a serum or mixed into moisturiser or SPF as a booster. I apply directly, just a couple of drops. It’s not cheap but works out considerably more affordable than the Kiehl’s or the Lancome below.

Lancome Triple Serum*.

This contains Ferulic Acid (as in the famous Skinceuticals CE Ferulic) but – at least to me – is infinitely preferable, texture-wise, to the Skinceuticals product. That one feels very perfunctory and science-y (to give it its due, it probably is one of the best in its category) and it has a dropper and doesn’t spread so nicely on the skin. The Lancome Triple Serum combines the ferulic, once pumped out, with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide and it slips smoothly onto your skin whilst ticking a few other “desirable ingredient” boxes. I’ve used this a lot this year and I’m not totally ashamed to say it’s partly because it comes in a pump, my preferred serum dispensing method!

I follow the serum with either a moisturiser or sunscreen. Rarely both as I tend to pick sunscreens that are very moisturising. Take the Murad Essential C as an example:

Murad Essential C SPF30*.

It feels just like a high-end moisturiser and is a high end moisturiser. It just happens to have the sun protection built in. I realise it’s not the highest factor available but for incidental, non-summery sun exposure in the UK (which is my primary usage) I do tend to go for an SPF30 or even 25 because I tend to prefer the texture and so it means that I’ll apply it more consistently.

You can find loads of other sunscreen recommendations here. They are conspicuously absent from this round-up mainly because I test so many of them that I don’t use one version often enough for it to make it into the special box of repeated use. I will do an update post soon, with regards to sunscreen as I know that it’s one of my most common requests. (Make sure you’re subscribed to posts by email (it’s free) so that you get the post sent straight to your inbox when it publishes. You can sign up here.)

If I’m not going outside at all, or I want something soothing and plumptious to layer underneath my sunscreen then I have a little stable of simple moisturisers next to my desk that I grab a tube from. One of the most-used this year? A very old favourite:

Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream*

I must have been using this for over twenty years by now. It was one of my first skincare loves when I became a model – the rose smell was the start of a lasting affair with perfumes that had rose scents and I loved the richness of the cream that seemed so light and unassuming when it was squeezed from the tube. It’s still a favourite after all of this time.

Nighttime Products:

My most-used evening skincare products for 2023 are possibly almost identical to my most-used evening skincare products of 2022. I’m a creature of habit. In fact I don’t think that there are really any new launches here at all, apart from the excellent Elizabeth Arden Retinol + HPR cream.

I start my evening routine with a deep, thorough cleanse and this is non-negotiable. I don’t have much of a cleanse in the morning and so this session needs to do the heavy lifting. My most used type of cleanser? A balm. I like the solid form application and then the way it melts down as you massage it in.

Beauty Pie Hot Oil Cleanser*.

I’m not sure that you can go far wrong with the Hot Oil Cleanser from Beauty Pie. It behaves in exactly the same refined, ultra-effective way as the luxury balm cleansers that are five times the price. Gets off all makeup, sunscreen, dirt and then removes with a warm flannel to leave soft skin. No tightness and absolutely no greasy residue. (The price you see when you click through is the membership price; it’s kind of a unique set up so read about it here but if you do sign up, use the code RUTHSENTME to get some money off.)

Read More: Top 5 Beauty Pie Picks

Neal’s Yard Frankincense Cleanser*. 

Frankincense just does something good to my state of mind. I know that essential oils aren’t everyone’s cup of tea (and I’m actually surprised, in many ways, that they are mine!) but there are a few blends out there that just work for me and have a profound effect on how I feel. Deep Relax from Aromatherapy Associates, for example, sends me into the deepest sleep if I use it in my bath before bed. It’s so effective for me that I’d hesitate to use it and then drive, or even operate a hand mixer!

Anyway, Neal’s Yard have a Frankincense range and I have always been a fan. This cleanser has double whammy greatness because I love the smell of it as I massage in, but I also really rate the texture and action of the product itself. It feels very clarifying in my PMT week when my face just feels a bit gungey and gross. It’s a rich cream but removes to leave no residue, just very deep-cleansed skin.

My routine in the evening is cleanse-and-then-just-retinol on one day and cleanse-and-then-hydrate-and-repair the next. I use a retinol eye cream every night regardless of which night it is (this one*, usually) because it’s my crinkly eyes that are changing texture before the rest of my face but for all other face parts I alternate nights. My most used retinoids?

Skin + Me Daily Booster

For about the umpteenth year running, I have been cracking on with my own personal daily booster from Skin + Me. Mine contains tretinoin, which is the most powerful form of retinoid and (I think in most countries?) requires a prescription. With Skin + Me you have an online consultation and then some follow up questions with the team before your particular product is assigned to you and sent out. I’ve had great results with my booster and no side-effects, probably because the percentage of actives is gradually increased month on month.

I have to say though, it felt counterintuitive to only be testing one thing again and again when such a large part of my job is…testing things. And so I did some switching up this year. First to:

Elizabeth Arden Retinol + HPR*

This is Arden’s latest big skincare launch and I think it’s great. It’s retinol, but presented in a way that can be more easily tolerated by skin that usually says a hard no to retinoids. It’s so easily tolerated, the brand say, that you can use it morning and night. I tested for a couple of months and yes, it’s a great luxury option for those who want to add retinoids into their routine but want zero problems with dryness, flaking or itching.

On the other end of the line you have the powerhouse that is

Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6*.

I am back on this in a big old way. One of the things I found with my Skin + Me booster is that my face was getting a bit dry and I was having to really pack in the moisture on the nights in between. Almost do a kind of repair job on my face. The Crystal Retinal formula seems to be a little more hydrating and so I’ve appreciated the reduction in dryness. This is also available without any online consultations and so on – you just buy it* – and it comes in varying strengths. I should probably be on more than the “6” but that’s what I had two of and so that’s what I’ve been using. It’s great stuff!

If you’re at a loss, by the way, as to what the hell retinoids are (you’ll most likely have heard the word “retinol” instead) then it’s a skincare ingredient that’s brilliant at tackling nearly every sign of ageing and also helps with spot-prone skin at the same time. It works on fine lines, wrinkles, unevenness, firmness and at the same time it tends to keep skin very clear.

Side-effects tend to be itchiness, flakiness and dryness which is why I don’t overdo it with my retinoids – every other night maximum. On the nights in between I use quite simple, soothing, hydrating products. My most-used serum to layer under just about anything for instant relief is

Aveeno Calm + Restore Triple Oat Serum*

I go through bottle after bottle of this and even use it on my dodgy shin. (I have one shin with an extreme dryness problem that’s been there since my teens. It’s very odd, flares up every now and then but is vastly helped if I regularly use this Aveeno serum!) If I just want to make sure I’ve taken care of my skin barrier and calmed everything down a bit then I reach for this almost without thinking.

My most-used moisturiser over the top?

Beauty Pie Youthbomb Peptide Cream*.

This is one of the most massively hydrating face creams I’ve ever used. It’s almost too much, in a way, despite leaving no greasiness or overwhelming slick. It seems to just fill the skin with water from the inside (I know this isn’t true but stay with me) so that my face is sort of turgid with it, like a wobbling eighties waterbed. As well as the supreme moisturising effects it happens to be a powerful source of peptides. I won’t go into peptides now because quite honestly we’ve done vitamin c and retinoids and that’s enough bad science explanation for me for one day but it’s safe to say that peptides are a good idea. And this cream ticks that box so that I don’t have to think about inserting them into any other part of my skincare routine. This is a high-end investment cream but – as usual with Beauty Pie – it’s far less than it should be if you have membership.

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Blimey. That turned into a post and a half, didn’t it? What a way to finish the year. See you on the other side! Remember that you can subscribe to these posts by email so that you never miss one – just click here. It’s free and takes no time at all and there will be little bonuses coming up in 2024 as I return to posting more of this long-form content.

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It’s the Best Christmas Gift: Books and Chocolate 2023 Edition. I write this post every year and – despite always preparing it at the start of November – it never gets published until a couple of weeks before Christmas. I sort of like it that way – it’s my very own Christmas tradition and quite in keeping with my own festive timeline. Because we don’t start thinking about presents at our house until ten or so days before Christmas and even then we just tend to order it all online! (I rarely meet anyone else who has such a relaxed, last-minute approach so do let me know if you’re a kindred spirit – drop me a note in the comments.)

This is the only Christmas shopping guide you really need. If you’re after the best Christmas present but don’t have ridiculous amounts of cash to spend then this ticks all of the boxes. Because imagine if you could buy someone the ultimate bespoke Christmas present – something that was thoughtful and looked exquisite –  and bring it in for under twenty quid? A Christmas gift that was simple to order, easy to wrap, cheap to post and that made you – the giver – look learned, cultured and – dare I say it – ever so slightly debonair?

If you’ve never done a books and chocolates Christmas present before then you’ll be so pleased you read this post. You’ll be known forever, quietly, as the person who gives stylish gifts. And if you’re dubious as to whether this will work then take my birthday present from one of my oldest best friends; I unwrapped it on the train home from London and it was a simple notebook with a beautiful cover and a bar of Pump Street chocolate. I was genuinely overjoyed. It was just so chic and lovely.

So get stuck in – there are just a couple of rules: for the “books and chocs” present to truly work, the pairing needs to be a) quality and b) stylish. This isn’t a slab of Galaxy and the latest throwaway romance book from the shelf next to the tills at the Co-Op: we’re looking for literary gems with striking, graphic or immensely photogenic covers and then equally attractive bars of chocolate.

There’s nothing wrong with the slab of Galaxy, it’s just not really the vibe we’re going for here. We’re trying to create a Christmas present that looks and feels utterly delectable, despite its humble contents. We’re trying to gift something that seems thoughtful, carefully considered and tailored to the recipient. We want them to open the parcel and notice how pretty everything looks inside, how visually pleasing.

And if this all sounds too much like hard work then fear not: I’ve done the picking for you. You can either buy the exact books-and-chocs combinations below, or take inspiration from the pairings from previous years:

Books and Chocs 2022

Books and Chocs 2021

Books and Chocs 2020

Books and Chocs 2019

I try to pick new releases when it comes to the books, but sometimes the choices are just the best books I’ve read that year regardless of release date. They all have something in common, though; fine, enjoyable writing and lovely-looking jackets. Chocolates with pretty enough packaging are more difficult to source (and can be crazily expensive); I’ve listed all of my favourites at the bottom of the post, including the crow-pleasing budget options.

Right: without further ado, let’s get on with this year’s Best Christmas Gift: Books and Chocolate 2023.

(AD info: no paid or sponsored content. Books and chocolates all purchased. Affiliate links marked *.) 

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Oh Sister by Jodie Chapman, £14.29 here* + Rococo Rose Milk Chocolate Bar, £2.95 here – Total Spend: £17.24

I think that this is my book of the year; it was just so fabulously written, with not a word out of place and such brilliant attention to timing, that it could have been about paint drying and I’d have still enjoyed it. It wasn’t about paint drying, though, it was about three different women in varying stages of leaving a religious cult. So the subject matter couldn’t have been more fascinating. I couldn’t wait to get into bed every night to start where I’d left off…

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, £9.05 here* + Hip Oat Milk Chocolate, £2.00 here* – Total Spend: £11.05.

If ever there was a book for the modern-day mother… This is wild. Quite literally. A fast and furious read that perfectly encapsulates what it is to become a mum and completely lose your identity. It’s punchy, bold and leaves your jaw hanging open for at least the first third. (Also, how well does the cover

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead, £7.60 here* + Tony Chocolonely, £1.35 here* – Total Spend: £8.95

I devoured Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle on my summer holidays and immediately ordered the second from the trilogy, pictured below. It has the exciting pace and plot of a crime novel, but at the same time it’s an extraordinary character study of an ordinary man who’s trying to stay on the right side of the law. Which is easier said than done in the Harlem of the early sixties. Absolutely cracking – it was like reading a film.

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead, £15.81 here* + Coco Black Forest Chocolate, £5 here* – Total Spend: £20.81

Ouch, went over-budget by 81p here but I promise you it’s worth it – what a gift! Whitehead’s genius in hefty hardback form and then the most delectable chocolate to enjoy whilst reading.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, £16.99 here* + Pana Organic Golden Comb, £2.70 here – Total Spend: £19.69

The Bee Sting is a book of brilliance. Set in Ireland, it’s a hefty un-telling of a family’s story, unwinding dark secrets and comic twists as the novel progresses. It really teaches you not to judge a book by its cover (HA!) for want of a better, less time-worn phrase, because the judgements you make about characters at the start almost always turn out to be wrong.

I’ve paired this Booker Shortlist novel with Pana Organic’s finest Golden Comb plant-based chocolate. I love Pana – it’s squidgier than traditional chocolate, almost like eating ganache, but no less satisfying.

Mr Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo, £9.19 here* + Coco Milk Chocolate, £5.49 at Selfridges here* – Total Spend: £14.68

Read this last year, but I forgot to put it in. This has a surprising twist –  and it’s not at the end of the novel, either. This is a thoroughly heartwarming novel and the characters immediately reel you, sit you down right in the middle of the story and surround you with their riotous noise. If you loved Girl, Woman, Other then you’ll know how vividly Bernadine Evaristo uses her words to paint London in all ; it’s just joyful.

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang, £8.49 here* + Tony’s Chocolonely, £1.40 at Ocado – Total Spend: £9.89

Honestly? I didn’t love the last third of Yellowface but only because the first two thirds had been so completely mad. A novel about a girl who steals her best friend’s book and passes it off as her own, it made me cringe so hard in parts that I actually thought my body was going to turn inside out. There are “cancellation” scenes and bits about social media that’ll give me nightmares for years.

Oh and you cannot – I repeat cannot – go wrong with Tony Chocolonely in this whole “books n chocs” game. It’s graphic, looks slightly retro and cool and is really tasty. And easy to get hold of (any supermarket) and relatively inexpensive.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, £13.99 here* + Rococo Sea Salt Milk, £6.95 here – Total Spend: £20.94

Oh for flip’s sake, I did again – my maths is shocking! Just over the line on my budget but again, so worth it. What a novel. A glorious, moving, gently-written fictional tribute to the love four sisters have for one another and how quickly this love can be pulled apart. I found this very soothing, despite its quite heavy emotional load. Absolutely a must-read of the year.

Claire Keegan’s Foster, £7.45 here* + Rococo Salted Caramel Truffles, £9.95 here – Total Spend: £17.40

Good grief this is a good-looking little package. Who wouldn’t be simply delighted to unwrap this? I’ve featured Claire Keegan before; she’s officially master of the short story. Reading them is like shaking a snowglobe and watching the flakes settle with your nose to the glass. None of them take long to finish, but you feel bereft when they do and the temptation to shake the globe and read again is almost overwhelming. The little books make perfect stocking fillers.

Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris, £9.19 here* + Coco Chocolate, £5 here – Total Spend: £14.19

A grim story of war-torn Sarajevo but lifted, all the way through, by the hope and joy for life of the main character. There’s nothing dramatic or overblown about this novel – the horrors of war are almost underplayed – but it drives home how easily one part of the world can be suffering catastrophic conditions while the rest of the globe lives on.

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That’s my shortlist for 2023. I hope that it gives you some good ideas – just click the links in each pairing title to buy online. Remember you can always cut the price of the chocolate to reduce total spend – the Tony’s and HiP bars are easily available and relatively inexpensive – but if you want to amp things up a bit and make the present extra-special, you can always whack in some fancy truffles. I always think that Charbonnel & Walker look incredibly pretty.

Let me know which Book & Choc pairing you like the look of the most. I think that the Nightbitch with the lips chocolate is, quite frankly, unbeatable.

[Little Women pictured in post is a special Puffin edition – it’s £9.99 and the best value for a pretty, very hefty hardback book. You can find it online here*.)

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I had my first contact lens “lesson” last week and to say it went badly would be a huge understatement. To be quite honest with you, I don’t know why any part of me thinks that I’ll ever be successful with a procedure that involves precision, dexterity and being OK with repeatedly touching your own eyeballs. I’ve never been successful with body-related things that don’t involve precision, dexterity and repeatedly touching your own eyeballs, come to think of it: all ear piercing episodes have all ended disappointingly when the holes have inexplicably decided to close themselves over; my flirtation with lash extensions was both painful and short-lived and don’t even get me started on the time I thought I’d use a diaphragm for contraception.

I’m fine about doing things to/with my body so long as I don’t have to interact with it in the same skilled way as you’d expect from, I don’t know, a medical professional. I like to be responsibility free. I can use a battery-operated foot file, for example, but if you ask me to inject myself with a life-saving anti-coagulant twice a day for a week I will look at you with a faraway expression that means that I have definitely not processed the instructions. I can Veet my bikini line, but do not ask me to check my own c-section wound for infection. Go ahead and pierce my ears, but I can guarantee you that I will not turn the studs to release the stinking gunk.

Things I have vetoed due to my post-babies aversion to having my body meddled with in any shape or form: getting a contraceptive coil fitted, starting my very necessary Invisalign programme (I have a bite problem that needs correcting) and having any form of face alteration, injection or tweakment. Unless a procedure is potentially going to stop me from getting ill or dying then I’m not interested, ta ever so. Back the f*ck away with your needles and rollers and things that freeze your fat off.

So why, then, have I made the decision to have a crack at wearing contact lenses? Surely this decision is – at best – unwise. At worst it is completely and utterly insane. I had a complete breakdown at my first cystoscopy (Google it if you dare) and was so traumatised that I sat in the bath for five hours, silently rocking back and forth with my knees pulled up to my chest. What makes me think having things inserted into my eyes is going to go any better? Having to touch the wobbly eyeballs, those jelly balls, the things that Lady Caroline from Succession (may one of the best dramas ever made rest in peace) called “face eggs” with such a tone of disgust?

Having things inserted into my eyes was better, obviously. I’m being obtuse. I mean if you had a choice between having your eyelids clamped open and your eyeball firmly stroked, over and over again or having a camera inserted up your pee-hole then I can imagine you’d fall into the same camp as me. I’d opt for the eyeball every time. Still, it’s not what I’d classify as an enjoyable pursuit. Apparently I have flickery eyelids, which hinders things when it comes to contact lens application, but tell me this: what sociopath doesn’t flinch when something approaches their naked, vulnerable eyeball?

Anyway, it took ages to get the blasted things in and it wasn’t even my go to do it myself yet. And I have astigmatism and so some parts of the lens are thicker and I had to blink lots to get them to turn into position, which felt like blinking with an eyelash stuck in my eye and all felt very counterintuitive. If I’m being truthful, the lenses still felt like eyelashes, or debris, even when they were in position.

But barely had I recovered from one torture when another one started: a lesson in how to take the blasted things out. There I was positioned, in front of a pedestal mirror that had apparently been briefed to show me in my very worst light, and all I could see was a version of myself who was at least fifteen years older than the one I’m used to (potentially because I’m so blind) pulling faces that wouldn’t be out of place in an aquarium and poking herself again and again in the eyeball whilst exclaiming “ugh” and “ow” and “argggh”!

Had someone happened upon me who had been unaware of my predicament, ie that I had to sit there until I had learned how to remove these little eye-discs of doom, they would have thought I needed immediate help. Because who willingly sits there fingering their eyeballs until they are dry (I needed emergency drops) and sore (of course they were sore) when there are racks and racks of perfectly comfortable glasses to try on just around the corner?

It must get better. That’s what everyone keeps telling me and that is why I am taking another stab at the whole thing. For want of a better phrase. I have another appointment – Eye Death Episode II – at the end of the week and it’ll either be disastrous, ending in another mild panic with me flailing about saying “just get them out, for the love of God – GET THEM OUT OF ME!”, or I shall emerge victorious with a trial pack of my special daily lenses and a spring in my step. I cannot see there being any middle ground. If, once again, my eyes feel as though they are being massaged with sandpaper then I shall have to politely decline a trial and draw a line beneath my contact lens escapades.

Many thanks to all those so far who have sent tried-and-tested contact lens methods, they are all very much appreciated. Can I have a show of hands for those who thought they would never conquer it after their first go but then emerged, to use my own description, victorious?

Image credit Unsplash

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

I was slightly nervous about the fact that the epic Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation had been reformulated. And I say epic with not even a hint of irony because it was just that: very few high coverage, ultra longwear foundations came close to it in terms of the quality of finish, ease of application, shade range and longevity. The original Teint Idole covered every blemish and imperfection – no concealer needed – but it somehow managed to not obliterate all of the life from your skin at the same time. It looked flexible, comfortable, slightly juicy, but also gave that perfect, flawless, airbrushed sort of finish that completely removes redness, dark circles, areas of pigmentation. And it had a subtle glow, an expensive luminescence, yet the finish was velvety-matte.

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And the feel! Oh the feel of the thing. It was cushiony, it didn’t settle into lines, it moved with your skin…if ever there was a full coverage foundation for grown-ups then this was it. And so: my nervousness over the reformulation. What would Lancome tweak? What aspect of the original formula would us diehard fans sob over? How could Lancome improve upon perfection and a face base that had been around – successfully – for decades?

Well, let me tell you; they have. Lancome have taken their Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation and made it just as comprehensive in coverage, just as cushiony to apply and just as long in wear-time, and they’ve somehow added a load of skincare ingredients into the mix along the way. And do you know what? You can actually feel the difference.

Buy Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear*

After a week of daily testing, with the old formula on one half of my face and the new formula on the other (how I suffer for my art) I can categorically tell you that the new side of my face feels continuously hydrated throughout the day. More plumptious. The other side doesn’t feel dry, as such, it just feels…normal. There’s a definite difference. I was sceptical beyond all polite reason about the hydrating skincare element of the relaunched formula but it’s there. And it works. My new face side is juicier and more springy to the touch but with the same amount of coverage on the skin.

I really don’t think that many (if any) Teint Idole users will be disappointed with the new version. It’s the same marvellous foundation, plus a (very) slightly more hydrating feel. I personally welcome the additional plumptiousness because I still get the same coverage but now it feels even more comfortable and flexible on the skin.

This newly reformulated Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear is not to be confused with the new Teint Idole Ultra Wear Care & Glow. It’s incredibly confusing and I wish that Care & Glow was just a totally different product line, in a way – it’s less coverage, more dew – but you can easily tell the two foundations apart by looking at the lids. White for the lighter coverage Care & Glow* and black for the higher coverage Idole*.

Interestingly, I prefer the feeling of the high coverage Idole on my skin to the Care & Glow. But Care & Glow does give an exemplary level of high-wattage luminosity – it’s the sort of glow level where I personally feel I don’t need a highlighter. (Though as a disclaimer, I do feel as though highlighter is one of the most overused and misused products in the entire makeup world. Looks great for the gram but honestly, in real life, some people look absolutely wild. Like robots. At the very least it just looks incredibly unnatural, which is surely the opposite of the desired effect.)

I should add, because it’s pretty important, that I use very little product when I’m applying Teint  Idole. It really doesn’t need to be trowelled on and I think it looks best when it’s applied very lightly, from the centre of the face, and built up only if needed. One light coat is enough to knock back most blemishes, dark circles and areas of redness – take a look at the before and after photos:

The single layer of foundation, applied very wispily with a small powder brush and not a flat-topped foundation brush, even part-conceals the glasses marks on my nose. Those are always a nightmare to disguise, when I’m filming, because they are red and indented and just a general pain in the arse to deal with. No problem for the Teint Idole. And if I’d gone back over with another little light coating then I’d have obliterated them completely.

The photos do a pretty good job of showing the finish too: it looks quite velvety-matt but there’s a real luminescence that isn’t glittery or shiny but just…expensive looking. It’s the kind of base that really is a base, coming into its own as the bronzer goes on, then the blusher… it’s the perfect starting canvas, flawless and smooth.

You can find new Teint Idole Ultra Wear online at Lancome here*, LookFantastic here* and Selfridges here*. There’s a whopping range of 45 shades and Lancome have also improved on the pigments to create tones that are always flattering and enhancing on the skin. No ashy undertones. It suits all skin types and doesn’t slide from oily patches or settle in fine lines. Here’s a little quickfire video if you’d like to see application:

The post New Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation Review appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

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DMTBeautySpot

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

Ad: this post is sponsored by Beauty Pie as part of my ongoing partnership.

There was a blog post due to come out this week; the title of the draft post was Did A Sexier Power Couple Ever Exist? and it was a six hundred word near-delirious rave about the wonders of Beauty Pie’s Youthbomb Concentrate and Youthbomb Collagen Peptide Cream, specifically when used together. A more face-plumptioning, skin-elasticating combo has not yet crossed my path – it’s a revelation and I have been zipping through bottles and pots of it like a woman possessed.

But I had been sitting on this draft post for five weeks or so, wondering whether this week was the right time to publish it or perhaps that week would be better, and the reason for my deliberating was because Beauty Pie had sent me a sample of a product that had thrown a right old spanner in the works. A new addition to the Youthbomb line-up that took the range from Power Couple to what can only be described as… Expert Threesome.

Now look, there’s no judgement here, but I’ve never been convinced by the idea of threesomes. Zero temptation. It’s enough mental and physical load trying to partner up with one person, let alone two. Surely one is always left out in the cold – and if not, then the people shacking up must have a hell of a lot more coordination than I do. I can’t even reverse a car if the stereo is playing because my ears take up too much brain-space.

So human threesomes: it’s a no for me. But when it comes to Beauty Pie and their new Youthbomb product? Yes, yes, yes. Ohhhh yes. (They’re going to be absolutely thrilled to bits at this off-piste intro, I just know it.) They’ve formulated what I think is their most potent, results-driven product yet, the Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum*, and it joins the high performance 360 Radiance Concentrate and the Biologic Collagen Peptide Cream to form a trio of absolute show-stoppers.

If you’re sick of wondering what will actually work on your tired, slightly slack, dullish skin and you just want straight-shooting results then this is your range. It was amazing before, but the new serum just takes things to a whole new level of good.

Whereas the excellent Radiance Concentrate (find it here online*) focused on the use of peptides and a cocktail of other powerful actives to firm, brighten, give glow and aid hydration, and the Biologic Cream added to all of this with eighteen actives in a massively rich, skin-plumping base, the brand new serum slides on in to the Youthbomb line-up with a double-dose of the industry’s gold-standard ingredient: retinol.

The Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum uses two types of retinol – microencapsulated retinol and granactive retinoid – to tackle just about every skin-ageing concern you can come up with. If you haven’t read the dossier on why retinol is so loved in the skincare world then let me precis it for you: it works on wrinkles, fine lines, uneven skin tone, dullness, lack of firmness, crepey-ness and other things I haven’t remembered and the results are both profound and visible. I say this as someone who has been testing out various brands and various strengths of retinoid for quite some time.

The difference with Beauty Pie’s new Skin Overhaul Serum? Not only does it contain the retinoids for all of the above benefits, it has a dose of lactic acid in the formula along with niacinamide. Lactic acid to gently exfoliate the skin surface (which helps the other actives to penetrate more easily) and niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier, which in turn leaves skin healthier and less prone to sensitivity and flare-ups.

Buy Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum*

I feel like the new serum is a more rounded approach to high intensity retinoid usage, with some exfoliation for efficacy and then ingredients to strengthen and hydrate to keep the condition of the skin tip-top and minimise any risk of aggravation.

Saying that, this is one serious product and it’s not the sort of thing you’ll just want to barge in and apply if you have no prior experience with using retinoids. It’s Beauty Pie’s most powerful retinoid product yet and it’s perfect for those who have been using the Super Retinol range (which is absolutely brilliant) and want to step it up to the max. Even then, start off twice-weekly at first and then build up to more regular usage. As with my other strong retinoids, I’m happy using this every other night, using my “off” days to pack in my hydrating and calming products.

And so, back to the Expert Threesome. It calms my mind-eye-coordination anxieties to know that the three products never actually have to work together; it’s an either-or situation with the concentrate and the serum, one or the other, always followed by the glorious Collagen Peptide Cream.

(Which has become one of my most-used moisturisers, by the way. The Japanfusion Power Elixir (here*) was always my favourite, for its ability to turn my face into a sort of turgid, wobbling waterbed, but the Youthbomb cream takes this benefit and supercharges it with an additional eighteen actives. So if it’s just the insane levels of hydration you want, then go for the Japanfusion Power Elixir* which, with membership is a very pleasing £16. But if you want more in the way of firming, brightening, skin-evening-out prowess then absolutely look to the Youthbomb one which is a superpowered cream, an ultimate moisturiser. It’s £44 with membership, here*.)

Some rules I have when using the Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum: I apply at night to cleansed, dried skin and then leave about half an hour before using my Youthbomb Cream. It’s just a routine I’ve always followed with my retinoids, to allow them to get to work a bit before applying another product. In all honesty, I often forget to apply the moisturiser and I haven’t had dry-feeling skin in the morning, ever, but I also do love the instantly cushiony, elastic results that I get with the cream so it’s nice to remember to use it. Another rule: SPF the next day. Absolutely non-negotiable. The Beauty Pie Featherlight SPF50 is excellent, leaves no residue and has high protection against both UVA and UBV rays. It’s £13.50 with membership here*.

(Just a reminder on how membership works: Beauty Pie produce luxury products at some of the world’s best beauty labs but then they sell direct to you. So there’s no inflated cost for selling through a middleman. No overly-fancy packaging (though I think they’re packaging is just lovely, very high quality and chic), no shop overheads, just luxury products without the luxury price tags. You can see when you browse the site that they have the membership price and then the equivalent retail price, calibrated against similar products available from the luxury beauty brands. For example, the Youthbomb Double Retinol-Action Serum* has an equivalent luxury retail price of £170 (if you’re a skincare aficionado then you’ll be able to think of a couple of examples straight off the bat!) but with membership it’s £44. Which is amazing for a serum of this potency and calibre. It’s easy to sign up, and if you do then make sure you use the code RUTHSENTME to get money off the annual membership! You can find more membership info here*.)

So in short: Beauty Pie have launched what could be their most complete, all-dancing powerhouse product yet. It’s the hero, the big gun, the show-off and my skin has welcomed it with open arms. I love that it gives an instant glow, thanks to the lactic acid and I really appreciate the added hydration in the formula as I can tend to feel slightly dry after a high-strength retinoid.

You can find more info and a full ingredients list for the Youthbomb Double Retinol-Action Skin Overhaul Serum here*. If you’re already on the retinol train and looking to upgrade your ticket (oh my God, sorry) then this one is most definitely – wait for it! – First Class.

I’ll leave you now, my work is done. I’ve managed to shoehorn references to threesomes and train tickets into a skincare post. It’s a skill.

Many thanks to the Beauty Team for having the best sense of humour, I absolutely love working with them.

The post Youthbomb: A Threesome I Can Get On Board With | AD appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

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DMTBeautySpot

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

It’s favourites time, but this time they’re supercharged. The first favourite thing has changed my life and I’m not being dramatic and clickbait-y about it, either; the second favourite is a book that had me audibly cheering as I read it (in just two sittings) in bed last week. The rest of the favourites are also brilliant but it was the first two that inspired my latest video (bottom of the page) and therefore this, the accompanying post. And so without further ado:

Ad info: no sponsored or paid content. No press samples. Affiliates are marked *.

Waterfall D-Mannose Peppermint Tablets

I’m sick of saying and writing the word Waterfall; the video took me three attempts, then I spent an hour editing it, now I’m writing about it. I’ve said Waterfall more times in the past day than in the entire rest of my life. But all is forgiven because honestly, these little chewable D-Mannose tablets have changed my life.

Waterfall D-Mannose Peppermint Tablets*

You know how I had constant cystitis? You can read the odd post here and there, I think I tailed off with talking about it because it was frankly depressing and I had a cystoscopy which was horrible and I just didn’t want to share anymore, but – in short – it’s something I had suffered with since late teens. Triggers include winter, sitting down for long periods, not sitting down for long periods, getting a cold back, sex, any alcohol, no alcohol, no sex, holidays, breathing. You get the picture.

After numerous tests, both NHS and private and with no discernible outcome, I had just resigned myself to a lifetime of antibiotic bouts and not being able to drink wine and/or have raucous sex. But two of the things I had been recommended by both consultants was to a) up my fibre and b) try out regular intake of D-Mannose. I tried with the upping of the fibre but the D-Mannose intake was one of those things I – for unknown reasons – resisted. I think it was maybe because the cheap tablets I had were SO big (I have to break them in half) and when I wasn’t actually getting any cystitis warning symptoms I’d simply forget to take them.

Well after my third consecutive cystitis knock-down before Christmas I was desperate to find a way to reduce the occurrences. Also one of the courses of my usual antibiotics had failed to work, which terrified me, and so I ordered a whole load of different D-Mannose products to try them out. Powders, pills and these: the Waterfall Peppermint chewable tablets (here*).

Now I don’t really know whether they are any better than the others out there on the market, in terms of strength or ingredients, but it’s the pure fact that they are like a sweet that keeps me eating them. I have six a day and increase it on the rare occasion I’m going to be doing one of my “cystitis danger activities”, and because I have them on me, whether they’re in my handbag or on my desk or in the car, I know I’ll remember to take them.

They are very pricey compared to my usual ones but – touch wood – I haven’t had a problem since mid-December. Not only that, my usual “irritable bladder” symptoms, – ie always feeling I need to go for a wee, a constant feeling of dread, etc – have almost entirely disappeared.

All of this is completely my own experience and obviously I’m not even remotely a medical expert or advisor, but it’s actually not an expensive outlay to give D-Mannose – regular and consistent taking of D-Mannose – a go. You can get far cheaper options than the Waterfall peppermint ones, it’s just that they make me take them more regularly. Because it’s like chomping sweets. Which has been the gamechanger, I think.

(Realise suddenly chomping six more sweets a day has its own drawbacks but they’re not big. And anyway, preferable to constantly feeling as though your bladder is about to self-combust.)

Anyway, give D-Mannose a Google. There’s plenty of NHS stuff about it – it’s basically a sugar that stops E-Coli bacteria from growing in the urinary system. I wish I had taken it more seriously years ago, it would have saved me a hell of a lot of aggravation and upset!

You can find the peppermint tablets here*.

Enough of my bladder and urethra, though – let’s talk books!

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Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

Rarely have I read a book that resonated with me more. Which is weird because (mild spoiler alert) it’s about a mother who is turning into a dog. But of course that’s not really what it’s all about: it’s about losing your identity in stay-at-home-motherhood and (whispers!) boredom in stay-at-home-motherhood and it’s also all about the trade-offs and anxieties and losses of identity for mothers who don’t entirely stay at home, or who are barely at home. It’s a raw, almost feral examination of transformation after childbirth and also of inequalities in relationships with regards to childcare and nurture and – oh God, just read it.

There were parts that didn’t resonate with me, of course, but there were entire passages, pages, chapters that just had me agog with how accurate they were and how in any other hands the subjects being discussed would perhaps make the protagonist sound ungrateful, spoiled, self-indulgent, mad, all of the above. But you just know what she’s about. It’s great. I loved it and have been recommending it to all of my friends, even if most of them have given me an odd look and said ‘wait, you’ve only just read Nightbitch?’

Nightbitch in paperback is online here*

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We Norwegians Cardigan

Alas, sold out now in black but there’s an incredibly funky lighter one here*, I’ve found my perfect chunky winter cardicoatigan. It has distinct seventies ski lodge vibes, which is a vibe I can get along with, and it was from The Outnet so had money off. Always a bonus.

You may recall that I’m on a constant search for good long cardis – just found this post from years ago! – because they are so versatile and a dream for lazy dressers like me. I think my love of cardigans will follow me to the grave.

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My Haircut

I’m massively pleased with my latest haircut. And I know I’ve said this for the past few, since it’s been shorter, but it’s something of a new era for me. I’ve finally managed to get past my obsession with having to tie it up all the time. I’ve become accustomed to the feeling of it hanging loose and the odd tickle around my face no longer irritates me quite so much. Interestingly I’ve also had less stress headaches since I’ve stopped pulling my hair back into a bun for 90% of the time.

Curing my own ailments, one favourite at a time!

I get my hair done at The Suite in Bath – usually by Mathilde but currently with Cassie Permial, if you’re in Bath and want to ask for her! Both are brilliant.

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Support Equilibrium Bath & Body Oil

Final favourite, or “fave” or “favorite” depending on your age and geographical location: the Support Equilibrium Bath & Body Oil from Aromatherapy Associates. It’s just gorgeous. I’ve always been a die-hard Deep Relax blend person (and so is my Mum, we both find it so effective when we need to de-stress and get a good sleep) but recently I started experimenting with other blends and Support has almost immediately placed itself right up there with Deep Relax on my leaderboard.

It’s far more floral and optimistic than Deep Relax but still with a very grounding, deep sort of base. Ooh, I’ve just Googled: it has Frankincense in it! No wonder I bloody love it. Anything with Frankincense usually worms its way into my stash quite quickly.

Harrods currently have this on sale, for some reason – no idea why as it’s full price elsewhere but I’m not complaining! It’s £38.50 instead of £55 here*. AA oils are expensive but for a reason: I haven’t found any better for the bath and body yet and I’ve been testing hundreds of them over the course of thirteen years.

Added to my bargain basement Epsom Salts (here*) it’s the best luxurious bathing experience money can buy! I like to think that the savings on the salts justify the price of the oils, but in fact the oils are so good they need no justification and you need the teeniest bit each time.

Marvellous: here’s the video for extra info and enthusiasm and drama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post You Won’t Believe How Much I Love These Things… appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

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DMTBeautySpot

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Ruth Crilly, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,