Getting closer to the depths of winter by the day, this week I was looking for some pick-me-ups. Not only do they need to enhance my routine by working well, but a bit of sensorial joy or luxe wow-factor.
They don’t have to break the bank – the gloss below is just $25 – but it genuinely made me excited to swipe on, with the look and feel of a product with a far higher price tag.
The new packaging idea of an alcohol-free fragrance gel is also a fun addition that’s easy to tote around and it looks so cute and slim, I loved slotting one into my clutch.
Skin and beauty tech is advancing every day, so there’s not excuse for thick textures that sit on top of the skin either – happy to report these products are reliable on that front.
Here’s what I’ve been impressed with this week:
MECCA MAX Gloss Boss Lip Gloss
This smooth lip gloss is by one of my favourite affordable go-tos – Mecca’s in-house brand MECCA MAX. Not entirely new, it’s just had a zhuzh, with new packaging and some great new colours that work well over a matching, or slightly deeper, lip liner. It has a great price and the glossy finish gives a fresh and fuss-free look. Unsurprisingly one of these, the rosy-brown shade ‘Top Tier’ has been in my pocket or my handbag since it arrived. It’s sheer so only gently enhances my natural lip colour. I realise it’s very similar to the last gloss I featured, so I’m clearly fixated right now!
Dyson Supersonic Travel Dryer
I’ve had a Dyson Supersonic hairdryer for 7 or 8 years and while it doesn’t have the extreme power of other dryers like ghd’s Air or Speed dryers, I have reached for it daily as it really cares for my fragile, lightened hair. I have also carried it in a full-size suitcase on many a long and short haul flight, because I never trust a hotel hairdryer to have enough oomph to style properly. So the arrival of this new travel version, a mini size of the OG, was very exciting.
I’m still testing it but initial reactions are good. It’s a decent bit smaller and lighter, has good power for drying and brilliantly, has universal voltage so it will work wherever you’re headed. The nozzles for the original dryer magnet on perfectly, though it does come with an air concentrator for focused styling. It definitely doesn’t get as hot though, so not I’m not entirely convinced the style will last as long. Probably a good thing for those fine, challenged strands.
Essano Future Skin Lifting Peptide Gel Cream
I love a gel cream texture, it gives enough hydration without feeling too heavy. This one is from essano’s new Future Skin range that uses a mix of carefully selected actives to support long-term skin health, whether you’re 25 or 65. The accessible range has been doing lots of development lately and I’m impressed with the results, including the mix here that uses a 1.5% bio-retinoid blend, biomimetic exosomes (algae-derived cellular messengers sending signals to crank up skin’s renewal) and barrier-supporting ingredients. There’s also a serum, face oil and night cream and you can pick them up in supermarkets or Chemist Warehouse.
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Sculpting Serum
In the pursuit of a ‘snatched’ looking jawline, I’ve been reaching for this newbie. It’s Estee Lauder’s newest serum that the mega brand has used years of collagen research to develop. It offers what Estée Lauder says is a blend that provides a ‘5D facelift’ across five dimensions of the face and neck. Take that with a grain of salt as serious skin lift usually is only possible with a scalpel. Nevertheless, the ingredient mix is respectable and what we want to see in a serum, with a good dose of Hexapeptide-8 and Hexapeptide-9, known to boost collagen at different levels of the skin.
Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Alcohol Free Perfume Gels
Beyond new note combinations, there’s not often innovation in perfume that makes me sit up and pay attention. These pocket-sized, squeezable bottles dispense an alcohol-free scented gel meant to be rubbed into skin from a luxe metal applicator.
The format makes them brilliant for travel or your handbag as there’s no worry about breakage, and the fragrance has decent staying power. They come in three youthful and bright Dolce scents, including the original Dolce, Blue Jasmine and Violet.
