This week the Glossy team put products to the test that deal with the not so glossy issue of dry feet. Read more: Get The Gloss.

In New York City, Antonia Opiah (founder of Un’ruly), extended an open invitation to all curious passers-by for an exhibition called “You Can Touch My Hair.” Opiah was exploring the “tactile fascination” with black women’s hair by gathering a trio of women with different hair textures and styles (locks, straight/weave and loose, natural hair) and allowing strangers the opportunity to fondle their follicles. Bedecked with signs reading “You can touch my hair,” the ladies made their hair available for two hours to anyone with the courage to take them up on the offer. Read more: Huffington Post.

Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser

While a decent shower gel shouldn’t leave your skin feeling dried out, you’ll be hard pushed to find one that actually leaves your limbs feeling softer afterwards. Enter Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser – a cream that you apply over your body while you’re still under the spray, then rinse off afterwards. Think of it as a hair conditioner for your body that leaves behind a light layer of nourishing ingredients like almond oil, meaning that you don’t have a hassle of moisturising afterwards. In the interests of research, I sceptically tested it just on one leg and it truly does work. Showering just got a lot  more savvy.

James Read Sleep Mask

I’m a big fan of slapping on a self-tan overnight and the formulas by expert tanning god James Read are exceptional. So I was intrigued to see just how it was possible to make them any better. Genius that he is, James has succeeded by creating a facial gel that not only adds colour but is a superb skincare treatment too. By combining soothing aloe vera and cucumber, nourishing vitamin E and naturally plumping hyaluronic acid with the DHL tanning agent, you’ll wake up with a complexion that’s silky soft, even and glowing.

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor

Hair removal is never going to be a sexy subject, but as a necessary task, isn’t it only fair that it should be as hassle-free as possible? Proctor & Gamble obviously share my feelings as they’ve brought together two of their superbrands to create a simple revolution in a razor. Added onto the sharp shaving blades provided by Gillette Venus is a gel strip created by skincare whizzes Olay, which replaces a shaving gel – so there’s no need for separate foam and zero skin irritation. Hello streamlined holiday beauty kit!

L’Óreal Paris 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil

I’m a big fan of cleansing oils and also, as I’ve mentioned on RIH previously, and even bigger fan of industrial strength mascara. So my excitement at finding one that superbly removes the other has been uncontainable. Just one pump of the oil, massaged well over dry skin and then emulsified with one splash of water before rinsing off, is enough to remove every scrap of make-up and daily dirt without leaving behind any residue. Your skin will feel fabulously soft afterwards too.

Illamasqua Blush Up Brush

According to resident Illamasqua make-up artist David Horne, most women don’t apply their blusher correctly. The result is usually 80’s stripes rather than that soft contouring we should be aiming for. With that in mind, the beauty brand has created the Blush Up Brush, cut with a specific curve to make sculpting the cheeks a no-brainer. The trick, says David, is to press the brush into the hollow just below the cheekbone and flick up, then blend. My tip is to start with a little colour and add as required until you’re looking perfectly chiselled.

The oil has a light floral fragrance, with extracts of neroli, lavender and rose which make it extra lovely to use. Some oils can tend to ‘sit’ on the skin, but this absorbs quickly – and it’s suitable for normal or combination skin types too. If your complexion is particularly dry, the Cell Repair Night Oil can be applied daily, otherwise it’s best used two or three times a week, as an overnight pick-me-up to bring back that luminous glow. Your skin will look like you’ve had a good night’s sleep – even if you haven’t!

F0r more information, see the Aurelia Probiotic Skincare website.

Remove Your Make-Up Separately

Just like washing a car, you need to get rid of the excess dirt before you can start properly cleaning. Some people like to just cleanse twice, but I’m a fan of make-up wipes as you can really see all the gunk coming off. Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Wipes are devoid of chemical nasties and I’ve found them to be brilliant at removing any last traces of foundation and stubborn mascara.

Cleanse and Exfoliate

Cleansing is probably the most important step in any skincare routine. If you don’t cleanse thoroughly, your skin will look dull and flaky and your moisturiser won’t absorb properly. Finding a cleanser that suits your skin is a matter of trial and error though. Hot cloth cleansers like Liz Earle’s famous Cleanse & Polish seem to work wonders for many people, the cloth does the exfoliation work, while the heat (from soaking the cloth in warm water) opens pores allowing the product to give a really deep clean. A great option for dry skin is Pond’s Cold Cream- a skincare brand which has been around since the 1800s, while using a gentle scrub like Estelle & Thild’s Lily Micro Scrub two to three times a week (more can irritate the skin) removes dead skin cells which can lead to break outs.

Do we really need toner?

This one always divides beauty experts. The official party line is that it refreshes skin, tightens pores (although in my view the first two can be achieved with a splash of cold water) and restores the skin’s natural pH balance after cleansing. I’ve never seen the need to use one and so far my skin hasn’t shown any signs that it needs one. But if you like using it and feel that it’s benefitting your skin, who am I to stop you? I’m rather fond of Suti’s Rose Water Facial Toner to wake my skin up if I’m feeling tired, but for me it’s more of a luxurious treat rather than an essential step.

Super Serum

While moisturisers mostly work on a surface level, a serum absorbs into the lower layers of skin to plump it up and boost elasticity from within. They can be costly, but I saw results instantly with L’Oreal’s Revitalift Repair 10 Instant Serum at a budget-friendly £13.99. There’s also Estee Lauder’s famous Advanced Night Repair which repairs and rejuvenates the skin (you’ve guessed it) overnight. Apply before your moisturiser.

Eye Bright

The area of the face which is driest and ages the quickest is around the eyes – hence a good eye cream morning and night is a must. Orico London’s Hi Rise Rejuvenating Eye Elixir is organic, cruelty-free and contains bioactives to keep the area firm and hydrated. It’s great at reducing dark circles too.

24H Moisturisers

These are essential for keeping skin happy and hydrated, while locking in moisture. A great choice for everyday use is Cowshed Quinoa Hydrating Daily Moisturiser which fights harmful free radicals and keeps skin nourished and hydrated – without feeling too greasy or heavy. Massaging the face while you apply moisturiser is good for releasing tension, shifting toxins and toning the facial muscles (a good guide to facial massage can be found here). While a light day cream is good to use first thing in the morning, a decent night cream such as Eucerin Q10 Active Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream tends to be slightly richer and is specifically aimed at restoring the skin while you sleep. I also love a dab of Decleor Neroli Essential Night Balm when it’s particularly cold, as it stops my face becoming parched by central heating come the morning.

Sunblock

You can spend countless amounts on face creams and the latest hi-tech facials but unless you use sunblock, all that ain’t worth a penny. UVA rays, as well as causing cancer, are the main cause of ageing so apply sunblock (such as Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream) after your moisturiser every morning. And you should apply even when it’s not particularly sunny, as those UVAs will still be doing their damage.

Spot Solutions

Spots will become redder, angrier and inflamed if you try to poke around with them so it’s just a waiting game until they go away. If it’s got a yellow or black head then you can wrap your (clean) index fingers in tissue and gently press either side – don’t dig your nails in. If it refuses to pop, then stop! It’s not ready and you can end up scarring skin. Once you’re done dab a spot of Savlon or another anti-bacterial cream on the area, as the skin will be broken and vulnerable to infection. You can sometimes get painful red lumps under the skin – nothing can be done about these, again they will just swell up in retaliation if you attempt to do anything with them (squeezing them is also very painful!).

If you suffer from bad acne, this is usually due to hormones – make an appointment with a dermatologist or doctor to get a prescription treatment. Drinking lots of water, cutting down on sugar and lots of sleep will help keep skin clear too. And for prominent blackheads on the nose, there are few things more satisfying than a Bioré strip, which after being left on for 10 minutes, slowly lifts out blackheads which you can examine on the strip if you’re so inclined!

Serge Lutens however, being the artisan that he is, doesn’t do usual. A poet, painter and photographer as well as master perfumer, he has used the city as source material for the latest fragrance from his eponymous luxury label. To be even more specific, the scent draws on post-war Berlin during the Soviet occupation. The city and all of its history is something of an obsession for Lutens, who created the La Fille De Berlin to celebrate beauty rising from adversity with a blend that is both delicate and dark.

Notorious for not revealing the notes in his fragrances, Lutens does divulge that La Fille De Berlin is inspired by, ‘a mix of hyper-femininity, represented by girls in dinner jackets, slicked back hair with red lipstick on pale skin.” So far, so German, Sally Bowles. The fragrance itself however translates as something softer combined with that dark edge.

The first thing that strikes you is the vibrant red juice that illuminates the slim and sleek signature bottle. Mist it over your skin and you’ll smell something refined, sensual and beautiful – not surprising once you know that its been developed by Chanel’s Christopher Sheldrake (Lutens has the world’s most esteemed noses on speed dial when it comes to scent creation). The identifiable notes come from powdery tea rose, clean violet and softly spicy pink peppercorn, making it feminine without being too girly or overtly sexy.

The oriental floral is reportedly the only scent due to come from the fragrance house this year (rather than the usual two or three), making it an even more covetable addition for devotees of the cult collection. Trip to Germany, optional.

Serge Lutens’ La Fille De Berlin is available to buy online here.

That said, what things smell like is a fairly subjective process and depends as much upon personal experience as finely honed senses. So, the London blend from cool new French perfume brand, The Scent of Departure, is a gorgeously woody mix of pine, bergamot and gaiac wood rather than the slightly acrid pong of tarmac and traffic fumes that I’m familiar with. The fragrance is utterly lovely, with fresh top notes drying down into a warm woodiness but it’s without doubt perfumer Gérald Ghislain’s version of London rather than mine.

Discrepancies in what I think London smells like and Ghislain’s vision aside, for a beauty journalist turned travel writer, The Scent of Departure is a dream ticket: combining my two favourite things – perfume and travel – in one small luggage tag-shaped bottle. It’s a brilliant idea and lets you travel the world in Ghislain’s wake, immersed in a succession of freesia, peach, chocolate and coffee – all those smells that make the world such an fragrantly fascinating place.

Although the 21 ‘destinations’ include the exotic likes of Singapore, Bali and Istanbul, I found myself coming back to ‘LHR’ again and again. I just adored it, although I ought to admit that I’m a sucker for slightly masculine woody perfumes. For me, the delicate sweetness of Singapore’s lotus flower, cyclamen and violet just wasn’t punchy enough, although I wouldn’t be surprised if that turned out to be the top seller. Unlike the far flung city itself, ‘SIN’ is very accessible with a gentle loveliness that’s bound to have a wide appeal. ‘NYC’, meanwhile, was a sugary homage to the Big Apple, replete with Central Park lilac and rose topped off with crisp green apple notes that reference the city’s nickname.

Less wholesome but arguably more exciting was Abu Dhabi, another city I know well. Two years spent in nearby Dubai gave me some idea of what to expect before I opened the bottle, so I wasn’t surprised to get an instant blast of spicy oriental richness, although I was slightly taken aback by the lack of oud. What smells more like the UAE than oud; the place where every other woman (and man) carries the scent along like a shiny new Louis Vuitton tote? Again, Ghislain and I parted ways. His olfactory vision is sweeter and warmer, with plenty of edible-smelling vanilla, benzoin and tonka bean, spiced up with a shot of amber and nutmeg. Luckily, Dubai’s ‘DXB’ came through on the oud front, with its satisfyingly robust blend of intense rose, jasmine and thyme, underpinned with lovely, lovely oud.

By and large, the perfumes slot into rough categories depending on the continent. US cities, New York, Los Angeles and Miami, are the fresh and fruity ones, while Europe’s London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, Budapest and Keflavik are slightly more challenging and sophisticated. The Far East does delicate beautifully, while from the Middle East, you get the warmly spicy Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai. The perfume might not necessarily smell like your memories do – after all, these are Ghislain’s reminiscences – but each stands alone as an interesting cityscape in perfume. London’s conjures up the Serpentine and Hyde Park, rather than the fumes of High Street Kensington or the spice and rubbish of Brick Lane, while Dubai’s is pure Mall of the Emirates. It certainly wouldn’t smell that way if Ghislain had spent his time in the emirate rummaging through the fabric shops in Satwa or tucking into the butter chicken at Ravi’s.

But clashing remembrances aside, The Scent of Departure is a fabulous idea, made all the better by the fact that the perfumes are actually good as well as being affordable. There have been far too many second rate new launches lately but when you have a perfumer as good as Ghislain, you can probably relax and let him get on with it. And crack on with it he certainly has, with generally excellent results. SIN didn’t work for me, but if you love a delicate floral, it probably will for you. For me though, it’s all about LHR: tarmac or no tarmac, it’s a worthy addition to any travel bag.

The Scent of Departure is available to buy from hqhair.com. 

We’ve yet to try these goodies, but if an expert stamp of approval means anything, Balmain’s hair collection is part of the ‘edited and iconic’ range on offer at BeautyMART.