Glowing!

I’ll be honest – I love nothing more than fabulous, glowing skin, but since starting out in the beauty industry, I’ve heard enough horror stories and scary sun facts to ensure that I stay out of the sun forever! I’ve topped up my skin care routine to include a day cream containing SPF15 at the very least, and I also keep a tube of sunblock in my handbag and apply this to my hands every time I get into the car. Obsessive? Maybe, but it’s a small price to pay for looking younger for longer, don’t you think? Not to mention preventing unsightly photo-pigmentation and protecting myself from all sorts of dangerous melanomas.

It hasn’t been easy giving up on tanning, though. I always feel more radiant and toned when I have a tan, so I was sad to give up the glow…until I discovered the fabulous St Tropez range.

Last Thursday, I was treated to a St Tropez spray tan at Skin Renewal in Parkhurst (call 0861 7546 72 or visit www.skinrenewal.co.za for your nearest branch – they have fabulous non-surgical solutions for a younger looking you, including microdermabrasion, mesotherapy, fillers and laser and light treatments) and I was absolutely blown away at the results. I was instantly more tanned, and the colour continued to develop over the next few hours. The best bit? All St Tropez products contain Aromaguard™ − a revolutionary fragrance technology that eliminates the tell-tale self tan smell by at least 70%. That way, no one but you knows that your tan isn’t real!


It’s a whole week later, and I’m still beautifully bronzed, thanks to the St Tropez range of at-home products. The St Tropez Body Polish is a gentle exfoliator that removes all dead skin cells, which is vital before going for a spray tan and helps to maintain your tan afterwards. I’ve also been using the St Tropez Body Moisturiser, which smells absolutely heavenly and keeps my skin hydrated all day long.

I’ll definitely be visiting the salon for a professional spray tan before important events in future, and I plan on getting my hands on the St Tropez Bronzing Lotion so that I can tan in the comfort of my own home – no sun required! Who says winter means the end of gorgeous, glowing skin?


Chereen


Contact Evolution Cosmetic on 011 442 5682 or visit www.evolutioncosmetic.com for more information and stockists details.

INSTANT UPDATE

Bobbi Brown fans, grab your purses and head to Edgars at Melrose Arch for the ultimate beauty experience. The fabulous store-within-a-store concept is a first for Bobbi Brown South Africa and I had the privilege of being at the grand opening, along with the likes of Jennifer Su, Edith Venter and the MD of Estée Lauder Companies, Sue Fox.

Each guest was treated to an instant beauty update, courtesy of Bobbi Brown’s trained make-up mavens. It’s amazing what five minutes and a few products can do for you – a pop of blusher on your cheeks, a darker shadow blended into the crease of your lid and some under-eye concealer to cover up dark circles and you’ll look like a new person! I tend to stay away from concealer as it cakes in the creases underneath my eyes (which, in my opinion, is far more unsightly than dark circles!), but after chatting to an expert at the Bobbi Brown beauty counter who explained that this was due to dehydration (a sure sign of skimping on eye cream!), I’ve upped my use of a good eye cream and I’ve started using a concealer too. I simply love Bobbi Brown’s fantastic Hydrating Eye Cream, R435 for 15ml – it’s the latest addition to my wish list!

To experience Bobbi Brown’s gorgeous new store for yourself or if you’d like an instant beauty update, be sure to pop round to the Edgars store at Melrose Arch.

TIP: Ask your Bobbi Brown expert for their appointment menu – they have a range of free beauty options available, from a quick, five minute instant update to a full make-up lesson. You can even learn how to look younger without going under the knife with the fantastic Bobbi Brown Make-up Facelift.

Parisienne Chic

Ask anyone on the woman & home team and they’ll quickly tell you that my wardrobe consists of one basic staple: a black everything! When it comes to clothes, I prefer to keep things simple and stylish in black, but there’s nothing I love more than playing around with different make-up looks, shades and textures.

Some of my favourite looks for autumn and winter (I know it seems far away, but it’s never too late to start collecting a few vital products for next season) include the vibrant blue shades that have erupted all over lids and nails. We look set to start winter with a bang – dark, navy nails, cobalt liner and electric blue shimmer on lids. One of my favourite looks has got to be Lancôme’s Indigo Revolution, first introduced to me by Lancôme’s national make-up artist, Andrew James at Lancôme’s spectacular 75th birthday celebration, held at Gallery Momo, a chic art gallery in Parktown North, Johannesburg.

This look seems a bit frightening at first and I know I was worried at how to pull it off at the office or out to lunch, but it’s surprisingly easy to translate this look from catwalk to pavement. All you need is a pretty palette filled to the brim with gorgeous variants of blue and some time to play. Too much blue can be overkill, so mix things up with a subtle gold shimmer. Lancôme’s new Palettes Liberté in Harmony includes two gold shades and two blue ones, so you can mix and match, layer and blend to your heart’s content. The result is a glamorous look that can be softened for day or worn dark and dramatic for an evening out. Oh-so-chic!

Let’s fight against boredom

Yves Saint Laurent is adored by millions, and it’s easy to see why – inventor of the ‘Le Smoking’ tux, which gave way to a wave of androgynous dressing, creator of exceptional scents, including Opium, Baby Doll and the soon-to-be-launched Parisienne, and an amazing cosmetic range which includes bold flashes of colour and miraculous products like the renowned Touch Éclat – YSL is refined, sophisticated, modern and irrevocably French. A firm favourite amongst many women, you can imagine my excitement when I was invited to a ‘little’ soiree to celebrate the brand’s recent move to the L’Oreal group.



As I stepped into the Circa Gallery in Rosebank, Johannesburg, I was greeted by vibrant colours, striking artwork and local models doing the rounds, offering guests the opportunity to touch, feel and sample Yves Saint Laurent Beauté’s range of amazing fragrances, dazzling lipcolour and radiance-boosting skincare products.

Among my favourites is the Top Secrets range – an expert skincare range designed for use underneath your make-up, revealing fresh, younger looking skin in a flash. Inspired by top models and professional make-up artists, the Top Secrets range includes miracle products like the Flash Radiance skincare brush, Instant Eye Wake-up Patches and the travel-friendly Beauty Sleep Restoring Skincare Palette, a nifty face cream and lip balm in one. It’s ideal for those of us who like to work hard and play hard, much to the detriment of our beauty sleep!



A recent addition to my ‘It’ list is YSL’s newest fragrance, Parisienne. I’m a huge fan of feminine florals and I like my scent to stay put all day long. Parisienne, with hip top notes of cranberry, blackberry, damas rose and violet, does just this. Brand manager for Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, Nine Le Roux-Marais, describes Parissiene as “a scent for the eternal woman – she is personality, she is paradoxical and she toys with convention. Kate Moss, the face of fragrance, embodies what it means to be Parisian, assuming her contradictions with captivating allure.”

And as if these fabulous fragrances and gorgeous products weren’t enough, we were treated to a look into the history of YSL and a spectacular talk by renowned trends analyst and forecaster, Dion Chang. His insights into the brand’s legacy and his predictions of how the brand will continue to push women to be true to themselves and go boldly where no woman has been before, was nothing short of inspiring. Even the brand’s manifesto is like no other:

“Addicted to love, devoted to life, let’s fight against boredom”.
Parisienne will be out in stores on 22 February 2010 at the recommended retail price of R545 for 30ml, R695 for 50ml and R895 for 90ml.