Latest Skin News

Want to be let in on a few of LOOK's Beauty Editor Sophie’s secrets? Oh go on then...

"If I had to tell you about only three products that I defy you not to find jaw-droppingly amazing it’s these. Calculated from my personal usage to compliment ratio; this stuff REALLY works! I promise."

Swiss Dent Nano Whitening Toothpaste, £15 OK I’ll admit it, I had this lingering in my ‘spares’ cupboard, and only used it when my Colgate ran out and my local Tesco was closed. Three days later I was baffled at all the compliments on my white teeth and finally put two and two together. And this from someone who has tried every whitening method under the sun… Available Nationwide and online at harveynicholls.com PH Advantage Acne Treatment, from £20 Years of testing truckloads of different skincare gave me beauty editor’s syndrome – unpredictable skin. After a good few years trying to fix it (including a couple of doctor visits) I got this on my desk. It’s medical grade skincare, which sounds extreme, but even if you only have the odd breakout and sensitive skin like me it’s a godsend. Clear skin in two weeks – yes please! phadvantage.co.uk Vichy New After Sun SOS Balm, £10.00 Even if you’re not lucky enough to get some winter sun like I just did, it’s worth bulk buying in time for summer. Two hours in South African sun + local ineffective sunscreen = embarrassing pink skin bikini. After three days of my usual aftersun not helping I tried this one, and went from pink to brown within a few hours – I kid you not. Stockist 0800 169 6193 -SB

• Skincare
• Suncare
• Tooth whitening
• Face
• Skin
• Teeth
• PH Advantage
• Swiss Dent
• Vichy

OK, so coconuts may not be the most glamorous of things to be posting about, but with the likes of Madonna on the bandwagon, we can’t help but be intrigued.

Vita Coco is the latest buzz on the beauty and fashion circuit. Found backstage at Alexander Wang and in the gift bags at countless London Fashion Week 2010 shows (we even spied a carton in the hand of Dame Viv in the front row of her son’s fashion show, A Child Of The Jago), this pure coconut water drink is clearly something of a fashion obsession.The skin and health benefits are even endorsed by Madonna, who was so impressed she invested in the company. One of these a day for A-list skin? We’ll have a truckload please! SB

£1.49 from Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Waitrose, Whole Foods and Holland & Barrett

 

• Madonna
• Body
• Skin
• Vita Coco
• Vivienne Westwood

Want to know what the best beauty products are before you buy? LOOK is here to help... this week our very own Beauty Editor Sophie Beresiner and LOOK reader Leigh McAlpine have put under-eye concealer pens to the test... 

• George at Asda Under-Eye Concealer, £4.50

Beauty Editor: The yellow tones in this were great at balancing dark shadows and the best thing is you can pick it up on your weekly supermarket shop! Leigh: This one tended to sit on top of the skin and took some effort to blend in but it camouflaged dark zones as well as any premium brand product. Beauty Score: 3/5

• 17 Hide & Chic Eye Brightening Concealer, £2.50

Beauty Editor: An illuminating concealer that was easy to apply but needed touching up after a few hours. Better for dark shadows than full-on bags! Leigh: This is pretty thick and didn't blend easily. I had to apply quite a lot to get a good coverage. I’m not sure I’d buy this again. Beauty Score: 2/5 

• Guerlain Precious Light Rejuvenating Illuminator, £27.50 

Beauty Editor: This doesn’t just cover up imperfections, it brightens too. A quick sweep of this under each eye and I looked completely refreshed. Made my early start almost bearable! Leigh: This one came in a luxurious velvet case and was lovely to use. You have to twist to refill the brush rather than click but it was just as good at covering bags. Beauty Score: 4/5

• Lacura Beauty Concealer Pen, £3.59 

Beauty Editor: I used this in the corners of my eyes and they looked instantly brighter. The light consistency meant it didn’t look cakey either. Eight hours sleep in a single click! Leigh: This one was the best for my skin and really easy to use. It blended straight in and covered any dark circles perfectly. I would definitely buy this one. Beauty Score: 5/5  

• Beauty

• Concealer
• Skin
• Boots
• George
• Guerlain
• Lacura

Need a beauty product that'll combat dry skin? LOOK is here to help... today our very own Beauty Editor Sophie Beresiner and LOOK reader Jessica Constanti have put exfoliating mitts to the test...

• Soap & Glory Scrub Gloves, £7.83 

Beauty Editor: "A great product with heavy-duty results. These ‘glovelies’ combat dry skin with ease and make skin visibly smoother. A showertime essential." Jessica: "These gloves had a different texture to the others and fitted better on my hand. They gave really good results without being too rough – definitely my favourite!" Beauty Score: 5/5 

• The Sanctuary Exfoliating Gloves, £3.43 

Beauty Editor: "Not as rough feeling as the rest so I had to scrub a little harder, but good for delicate skin. The light colour meant my shower gel stained them though." Jessica: "These were sort of woolly so I felt like I was wearing my winter gloves in the bath! They smelt odd when wet, but they worked well and I was left with super-soft skin." Beauty Score: 3/5  

• Boots Exfoliating Gloves, £2.50 

Beauty Editor: "These buffed my skin up a treat and made my legs especially smooth. Use them in the bath after a lovely long soak." Jessica: "I found these really effective, they definitely did the job. My skin was left feeling really soft, but the only negative is that they felt a little tight on my hands." Beauty Score: 4/5

• The Body Shop Bath Gloves, £4

Beauty Editor: "Yikes! These ones certainly meant business but left my skin so tender and red. Good for very dry skin but make sure you moisturise afterwards." Jessica: "I adored the bright orange colour! They were a lot rougher on the skin than the others but they really did the job." Beauty Score: 2/5 

• Soap & Glory Scrub Gloves, £7.83
• The Sanctuary Exfoliating Gloves, £3.43
• Boots Exfoliating Gloves, £2.50
• Beauty

• Skin
• Beauty Tried And Tested
• Boots
• Soap & Glory
• The Body Shop

Want to know what the best beauty products are before you buy? Look is here to help... This week our very own Beauty Editor Sophie Beresiner and Look reader Tisha Payne have put body butters to the test...

• Boots Extracts Fairtrade Avocado Body Butter £7.50

Beauty Editor: This smelt so natural, I was tempted to eat it! The colour was a bit off-putting but it sank into my skin quickly and my skintone looked much more even. Tisha: This smelt amazing and the scent stayed on my skin all evening. It was easy to rub in and it kept my skin moisturised for ages. Beauty Score 5/5    

• Marks & Spencer Ingredients Lemon Body Butter £6

Beauty Editor: This looked and smelt like lemon sherbet. A tangy skin treat that brightened my skin and gave it a lasting fresh scent. Tisha: I wasn’t so keen on this one because the smell was so strong. It was very thick in consistency and also took a long time to rub into my skin. Beauty Score 2/5  

• Beautifully Delicious Coconut & Shea Butterlicious Body Butter £4.98

Beauty Editor: Coconut always makes me think of holidays, so this lifted my mood. It didn't spread very far, so apply a little at a time. Tisha: This took a long time to rub in as it was so thick. A long-lasting product that's good for the skin. Beauty Score 3/5

• I Love… Mango & Papaya Nourishing Body Butter £4.50

Beauty Editor:  This tropical butter was easy to apply and sank in within minutes. It was particularly good for keeping my knees and elbows moisturised all day. Tisha: This one smelt lovely and was the freshest of the bunch. It left my skin feeling soft but also a little greasy, so you only need to use a bit.Beauty Score: 4/5

• Marks & Spencer Ingredients Lemon Body Butter £6
• Boots Extracts Fairtrade Avocado Body Butter £7.50
• Beautifully Delicious Coconut & Shea Butterlicious Body Butter £4.98
• Beauty

• Body
• Skin
• Beauty Tried And Tested
• Beautifully Delicious
• Boots
• I Love...
• Marks & Spencer

Want to know what the best beauty products are before you buy? LOOK is here to help... This week our very own Beauty Editor Sophie Beresiner and LOOK reader Lizzie Cleghorn have put cleansing milks to the test...

• La Roche-Posey Physiological Cleansing Milk £10.50

Beauty Editor: I liked how nourishing this felt on my face and my skin looked brighter after using it. Great for keeping dry skin moisturised. Lizzie: This product removed all of my make-up quickly and felt very cooling on my face. My skin was left moisturised but it was a little too oily for me. Beauty Score 3/5

• Biotherm Biosource Hydra-Mineral Cleanser £14.50

Beauty Editor: This is great for when you want your face to feel mega-clean. It left my skin feeling a little tight, but I knew it had done a thorough job. Lizzie: I loved this product. It left my skin feeling smooth and I found that a little goes a very long way, so I would use it daily. Beauty Score 5/5

• Lierac Paris Refresh Cleansing Milk £15

Beauty Editor: A super-creamy cleanser that removed the day’s dirt while still being kind to my skin. Definitely the latest addition to my beauty regime. Lizzie: This product removed my make-up well, although I wouldn’t use it on my eyes. It had a nice refreshing scent and left my skin looking clear and smooth. Beauty Score: 4/5

• L’Oreal Dermo Expertise Re-Nourish Cleansing Milk £3.49

Beauty Editor: This was gentle and cleaned my skin without making it feel stripped. I’d use an eye make-up remover beforehand to shift my mascara, though. Lizzie: I didn’t feel like this product thoroughly removed my make-up. It felt soothing, but it left my skin feeling a little clogged. Beauty Score: 3/5

• La Roche-Posey Physiological Cleansing Milk, £10.50
• Biotherm Biosource Hydra-Mineral Cleanser, £14.50
• Lierac Paris Refresh Cleansing Milk, £15
• Beauty
• Cleansing Products

• Cleanser
• Skin
• Beauty Tried And Tested
• Biotherm
• L'Oreal
• La Roche-Posay
• Lierac Paris

For skin so glowingly gorgeous you’ll want to show it off, here is all you need...

Start with the basics – cleansing is where most people get it wrong. Use Simple Facial Wash, then moisturise with L’Oréal Youth Code. If you need a little extra help try Olay Anti-Wrinkle Classic, too.

Don’t forget your body: Nivea Firming Body Lotion is a great all-rounder. Build from there with Gosh Velvet Touch Primer on your face to even skin tone and plump skin up. Maybelline Dream Satin Foundation is a great base for Me Me Me Blusher Compact to bring a natural flush to your face. Don’t forget the extras; make lips kissable with Maybelline Color Sensational Gloss and define eyes with Revlon Eyeshadow Quad. Gosh Professional has all the tools you need, from blusher to eyeliner.  

Check out our step-by-step video below to see how to put it all together – effortlessly. And visit superdrug.com to enter the competition to win a collection of beauty products to get the look.

• Skin
• Superdrug

There's nothing us LOOK girls like more than a 6am start (yeah right) but to add to the situation, this morning we woke up to cloud. Not in the sky, but outside the door. We’ve now learnt that being up high guarantees the best views but also a front row seat to the weather.  

Anyway, panic not because after a quick sun dance from the team, the clouds parted for our busiest day so far.  Check out this sneak preview of our upcoming bronzing story. We had serious tan envy of our model Jo, especially next to our pasty skin. Maybe faking it is the best option after all….  

Psssst! A little beauty tip from our top makeup artist Jose, mix your orange lippy with some high factor sun cream for a fluro colour that protects too. Nice. JH

 

• Skin