Baby face

These little gems made for babies and children work just as well for those of us with sensitive skin…

 

Weleda Baby’s Calendula Face Cream (£7.95, weleda.co.uk) is a gentle cream containing organic almond oil and organic calendula extract. It helps soothe baby and toddler’s skin and prevents it from drying out. Its pure and effective formula means it can also double up as a moisturiser for adults who can’t tolerate rich facial products.

 

Created especially for teenagers by beauty expert Fiona Parkhouse, is the Amie range of products. Free from harsh chemicals, Amie products use botanical extracts specifically chosen to suit sensitive skins and complexions prone to breakouts. The hero product Skin Shield Daily Moisturiser SPF15 (£5.95, amieskincare.co.uk) protects against the damaging effects of the sun and contains anti-oxidant rich fruits, such as Kakadu plum and blueberry. Say no more…

Orba Goats’ Milk Skin Soother (£11, myshowcase.com) is a velvety cream that harnesses the gentle properties of goats’ milk. It calms and moisturises irritated or sensitive skin and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals, parabens or lanolin. It can be used on the face or body and also contains rose and geranium essential oils as well as vitamins A, B and E. It’s a great all-rounder, especially when travelling, as it is suitable for babies, teenagers and adults, too. (Love the cute tin).

 

The genius Shower Shampoo (£8.50, melvita.co.uk) from organic brand Melvita’s baby range, is probably one of the most gentle around. The foaming mousse, with its linden, lemon balm and organic honey, doesn’t sting or dry out the skin and can be massaged into baby’s hair as well as using all over on the body. Because it is so gentle, it can also be used on adult’s delicate skin.  Melvita’s Nappy Change Milk (£8), meanwhile, both cleanses and soothes baby’s skin with its olive oil, calcium solution and beeswax formula. It may sound an odd one to use, but its cooling properties mean that it can be dabbed on eczema outbreaks or sunburned skin to cool and hydrate.

 

 

Another gem from one of my favourite beauty brands, Melvita. Its ProSun High Protection Sunscreen SPF 30 (£20, melvita.co.uk) is a natural, non-whitening fluid for the face. It contains organic Capuaçu butter, an antioxidant with moisturising properties to help protect against harmful sun rays and leave skin feeling silky smooth. Ideal for all ages.

 

 

Just wanted to give a special mention to the La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios range of products. They are not specifically for babies or children but they have been devised for sensitive and sun-intolerant skin. This brand is one of my favourites as their sun products are among the few that my boys can use (as they are allergic to most sun creams).

La Roche-Posay has just launched two new products for the summer ahead. Anthelios XL Dry Touch Gel-Cream SPF 50+ (£16.50, laroche-posay.co.uk) is a facial protector that sinks in immediately, leaving no white marks or shine and leaving a dry finish. The Anthelios XL Invisible Nutritive Oil SPF 50+ (£17.50) also offers an ultra-high UVA-UVB protection but in a luxurious, nourishing body oil that is delicately scented.

 

 

You don’t have to be a teenager to use Good Things Cleansing Wipes (£3.49, goodthingsbeauty.com). The biodegradable wipes are infused with superfruit extracts of cranberry and raspberry, to calm the skin, along with Vitamin E, to help skin keep soft. Ideal for all of us sensitive souls.

 

Cool it!

The sun may not be shining over here, but in the hope that you may find some on your holidays, the following little gems are essentials for keeping fresh and cool.

I’ve long been a fan of water-based cleansers. My all time favourite is Lancome’s Eau Fraiche Doucheur. It sweeps away make-ups quickly but also leaves your skin feeling vibrant and fresh. In France, Micellar waters (as they are known) have long been a best-kept beauty secret. They are less drying than conventional cleansers and more thorough. Buy a bottle of the cult Bioderma’s Sensibio H₂O (£4.50, escentual.com) and you’ll be hooked (I am, too, especially given the price). The 3-in-1 cleansing water sweeps dirt away from the face including waterproof makeup. It is ultra-mild so can be used by all ages and also contains decongesting active ingredients to draw out impurities without dehydrating the skin.

Etat Pur’s Gentle Miceller Cleansing Water B100 (£8.20, etatpur.co.uk) is actually part of the brand’s baby range (probably because it can also be used for refreshing the delicate skin of newborns). It works just as well to take off the day’s grime in one easy swipe.

Korres Citrus Showergel  (£8, waitrose.com) is one of the most refreshing gels I’ve come across. After a day in the sun, rinse off debris and sweat and put a spring back in your step.

I also have to give  Crabtree & Evelyn’s Sienna Hair and Body Wash (£13, crabtree-evelyn.co.uk) for men an honourable mention as it. It smells divine and is a fab multi-tasker – perfect for travelling. It  has a blend of leather, citrus and spice notes and lathers up to work as a body wash and shampoo.

I love this fresh alternative to a body moisturiser. The Aromatherapy Associates Renew Rose Hydrating Body Gel (£30, aromoatherapyassociates.com) gives sun-drenched limbs suffering from over-exposure a burst of hydration. It’s perfect for hot climates and summer evenings when creams and lotions can be too sticky. It contains Damask rose water and evening primrose oil to condition dry skin.

Elemis’s Instant Refreshing Gel (£29.50, elemis.com) uses soothing extracts of arnica and birch with cooling camphor and menthol and is an instant reviver when travelling or in hotter climates. Use to relieve tired legs, muscle tension, and on the neck, temples and forehead to lesson headaches.

A little of Mrs White’s Legs Eleven (£15, Roullierwhite.com) goes a long way. It perks up tired pins after long-haul journeys. It contains a blend of 11 natural ingredients, such as beeswax to lock in moisture, peppermint to awaken the senses, organic cocoa to give legs a subtle sheen and organic vodka to cool and revitalise.

Bag lady

This is the prettiest bottle I’ve seen in ages. The new summer fragrance from Carolina Herrera, CH Sublime Eau De Parfum, is vintage inspired with a modern twist. Shaped like a purple leather handbag (very 50s), it has little initial pendants and a bow – so will look gorgeous on a dressing table. And inside? The composition is inspired by old vintage scents of the 20s – rose, patchouli and moss are updated with notes of passionflower and bergamot. It’s quite heavy and distinctive so ideal for summer nights out.

Overall, it is its Chypre notes that give the scent a thoroughly modern twist with a sweetness coming from bergamot  and oriental passion flower.

Exclusive to Harrods from 30th June 2013, from £55 for 50ml.

Getting misty eyed

I’ve noticed a new little beauty trend at the moment: the return of the spritz.

First up, are perfumed body sprays. These days they are often deemed as old fashioned, but were popular back in the 70s-early 80s (Impulse, anyone?) when actual proper fragrances were seen as an extravagant purchase. Now that’s no longer the case, and with the huge amount of choice of perfumes on the market for all budgets, perfume spritzes have been somewhat shelved. But there’s a few new launches that will put them back into the spotlight.

 

Crabtree & Evelyn’s Tarocco Orange Refreshing Body Mist (£15, crabtree-evelyn.co.uk) is a gorgeous citrus spray. It uses antioxidant-rich Tarocco blood orange extract that conditions the skin, eucalyptus to cool and refresh and sage, known for its deodorising properties. It’s lovely to use in the summer months, to uplift and refresh and the scent actually lingers for a good while.

 

Spritz on a burst of Kiko’s Sunny Island Body Splash (£9.90, kikocosmetics.co.uk) and it is like a pick-me-up in a bottle. It has a delicate, fresh fragrance – overall very floral with sweet notes – from citrus fruits, freesia and peony.

 

Weleda’s Citrus Deodorant (£5.95, weleda.co.uk) is a refreshing alternative to a roll-on or aerosol deodorant. It not only has a light tangy scent (from its essential oils of lemon and orange) but it also comes in a handy 30ml travel size. Free from aluminium salts, so it is suitable for even sensitive skins and can even double up as a revitalizing foot spritz.

 

Ideal if you find most perfumes too heavy for summer weather is Dirty Works Scentsational Body Spray (£1.32, sainsburys.co.uk) with you. It has a light, zingy aroma to refresh and energise – spray on pulse points, behind the knees and wrists.

 

Just launched in Boots and Sainsbury’s is a brand new range of fine fragrance body sprays with deodorant action. Q Awe (£2.29, boots.com) is a refreshing scent of jasmine and rose and is just the thing for cooling down when the temperatures rise.

 

Soap & Glory’s Body Moisturising Mist (£6.50, soapandglory.com), meanwhile, is a post-shower moisturiser spray. You simply spritz on and it sinks into the skin, leaving it  smooth and hydrated skin and has a gorgeous fragrance from its peach, strawberry, jasmine, and musk notes.

 

It’s not just the body that is getting the benefit of new spritzes, either. Take the Love Your Skin Frankincense, Myrrh, Rose and Aloe Vera Floral Hydrating Spritzer (£19.99, lys-london.com), it is a lovely light alternative to conventional moisturisers. Spray on the face and its combination of exotic ingredients work together to gently cool and soothe hot skin.

 

But my absolute favourite and a joy for the summer months is Kahina’s Moroccan rose-scented Toning Mist (£38, beautyworkswest.com). It uses alfafa seed extract to brighten skin, argan leaf and white tea extracts to protect against free radicals and aloe vera to calm and hydrate – giving a dewy complexion all day long. As well as infusing the skin with a bioactive complex, it replenishes moisture throughout the day, gently tones and minimises pores and calms irritation. As well as coming in a gorgeous jet-black bottle (so stylish), it is lightly scented with Moroccan desert rose.

 

Lastly, delicious for when feet and legs are tired, swollen, sore or hot is Crabtree & Evelyn’s La Source Reviving Leg & Foot Mist (£10, crabtree-evelyn.co.uk). It contains peppermint oil and cooling menthol to revive aching legs and feet.

Spray away…

A grand impression

The Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa in the Bordeaux’s central La Place de La Comédie square is a wonderful mix of the traditional and the theatrical. With its flamboyant interiors, designed by Jaques Garcia, it is the perfect mirror for the city’s opera house, Le Grand Théâtre, which faces it.

 

The sumptuous candy pink flowers in the lobby set the tone. If the minimalist look is for you, then this is definitely not the place to check in. The hotel was originally designed by Victor Louis in the 18th century and was re-opened in 2007 after a full redesign by Garcia, which gave freedom to his trademark bold style.

The walls in my bedroom were covered in a vibrant orange linen, a take on the traditional French toile wallpaper.

Beds have oversized headboards…

 

The hotel’s spa, Les Bains de Léa spa, is an opulent space and where Garcia seems to have really gone to town. Vivid red and black walls create a cocooning space, murals depicting buxom beauties abound while windows are sheathed in extravagant drapes. Treatments, such as the signature Instant Radiant Facial with Flowers, are by acclaimed French beauty brand Nuxe. And, new for this summer are treatments on the roof of the hotel… be warned: set on the roof-top with a billowing curtain for privacy, they are not for faint-hearted but feel wonderfully indulgent. Garcia would be proud.

Little terraces off bedrooms give wonderful views across the city.

 

Public spaces, like the Orangery (left) and the lobby are glamourous, featuring velvets, jewel colours and statement pieces.

While the Victor Bar, named after the architect Victor Louis and the writer Victor Hugo who stayed here, is a tiny sensuous space that features lit luminous green wine bottles.

The more retrained setting of the Le Pressoir D’Argent restaurant is deserving of its Michelin star cuisine. It has an elegant 1920s feel and is light and airy – a perfect backdrop for some of the amazing dishes we were served.

 

Amuse-bouche (left) included gold-coated macadamia nuts, olive scented macaroons, lobster dip and deep-fried samphire. The starter (middle) was sublime and was made of sea bass, avocado, caviar, shellfish consommé and citrus condiment. The main course, meanwhile, (right) was John Dory, Pata Negra ham, deep fried pig’s trotter meat with the freshest, zingest pea puree I’ve ever tasted.

Who’d have thought the wine would have been an after-thought in Bordeaux?

ghbordeaux.com

 

 

 

 

 

Doorways on Bordeaux

The city of Bordeaux may be better known for its wine and surrounding chateaux but wandering around in the June sunlight today, I discovered some wonderful architectural details that reveal the town’s history dating back to the Roman times.

Street light

Gates inside the city’s cathedral

Poignant details in the cathedral

A medieval-era painted column

Gleaming spires

Doorway to history

A Medieval street

Little finds

Balcony scene

The 19th century era

Lavender scented store

Overwrought

Macaroon heaven

Flight of fancies

Case in point

Deserving of a little post today is the Globe-Trotter collaboration with The Goring hotel.

 

The Globe-Trotter Goring Hotel Collection will be available in nine sizes and feature a lovely damask silk lining from the Gainsborough Silk Company – a replica print of the silk wall covering used in the Drawing Room of the Royal Suite at The Goring.

 

It’s a collaboration that seems to go hand-in-hand. Both names have a quintessential Britishness about them – Globe-Trotter was founded in 1897 and The Goring opened in 1910. The elegant ivory cases feature leather trimmings in The Goring colours of navy and burgundy and will be available from July 2013.

The Globe-Trotter Goring Hotel edition will be available to purchase from July 2013 at the Globe-Trotter flagship store: 54-55 Burlington Arcade, London (020 7529 5950). Prices start from £485 for a 9” Mini Utility Case. 

thegoring.com