The Pleasure in Beauty

THE PLEASURE OF BEAUTY  

I’m lucky enough to count Jane Cunningham (britishbeautyblogger.com) as one of my beauty industry friends and we chat about what beauty means to us.  She brought up that sometimes we buy beauty products not because they necessarily do anything for our skin, but because of the genuine pleasure their presence on the bathroom shelf gives us.   Here are my personal beauty thrills that go above and beyond what it says on the tin.

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil

Just read the reviews for this product and you will see how amazing it is, but the real pleasure goes beyond that.   When it touches your skin the delicious fragrance of almonds is released but it feels like oil.  However, on contact with water it turns milky and becomes the softest foaming cleanser that I’ve tried – heaven.

Price: £17.50, 250ml

Stockist: uk.loccitane.com

L’Occitane Divine Cream

No apology for two L’Occitane products, they earned their places.  The pleasure in this product is immense.  The fragrance, the feel, the beautiful opaque yellow glass jar and the tiny gold spoon make a ceremony out of moisturizer that often isn’t there.  Oh, I rate the contents too.

Price:  £72.00

Stockist: uk.loccitane.com

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Bath Oil

Jo Malone epitomizes the pleasure that beauty gives without us even trying the product as no woman would be disappointed to see this brand on their birthday.  It is the ultimate gifting brand and so the ultimate brand to understand the pleasure in beauty products.  For me, nothing beats their Orange Blossom Bath Oil – It’s the Cote d’Azur in a bottle at the side of my bath.

Price:  £38.00

Stockist: jomalone.co.uk

Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour in Mademoiselle

Much of Chanel beauty is the thrill in having part of this iconic brand in your handbag.  The double “C’s”, the black case, the satisfying click as the lipstick case closes – international luxury in my little world. 

Price: £25.00

Stockist: Boots.com

Bare Minerals Precision Face Brush

I use Kabuki and shadow brushes all the time, but I got this when I recently tried Bare Minerals Foundation.  It is a game changer.  This brush has packed bristles and a chunky feel that makes it solid when you use it. I just know the results are going to be great however poor my workmanship.

Price:  £24.00

Stockist: bareminerals.co.uk

Clarins Bronzing Duo SPF 15 Mineral Powder Compact

I could have picked any of my Clarins compacts for this piece as they are all an immense pleasure to use.  From the velour case the compact comes in, to the case itself (gold for eyes, tortoiseshell here), Clarins have made pressed powders an experience that lifts the mundane into something really special.  We’re not just bronzing here, we’re getting sun-kissed by minerals.

Price:  £28.00

Stockist: clarins.co.uk