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Remember that famous scene from Bridget Jones Diary where she has to have dinner with lots of smug married couples? You know, the one where the happily married wife bluntly asks her “why are there so many single women these days Bridge?” She jokingly replies “…well I suppose it doesn’t help that underneath our clothes we are all covered in scales!” The comment of course goes down like a lead balloon and the entire female audience is left feeling heartbroken for the sorry state of Bridget’s love life.
But did our good
friend Bridget have a point after all? Here at The Gloss Project the condition
of our flaky, parched Winter worn skin would certainly suggest so as it appears
that come January, we seem to be our most reptilian. The onslaught of the cold
wind and rain teamed with the stuffy heating only results in dull, dry and
sensitive skin that is screaming out for a bit of sunshine. Whilst you may not
be able to afford a three-week stint in the Caribbean you might be lucky enough
to get hold of these fabulous winter skin saviours that guarantee to nurse grey
skin back to its soft, peachy appearance.
Scrub a dub dub: In order to allow a good moisturiser to actually do
its job you must remove scaly skin with a decent exfoliator. Forget half hearted
puff balls, body brushes and brillo pad gloves and discover soft pink skin with
the help of Space
NK’s Daily Fix Japanese Wash Cloth. This super size towel teamed with
plenty of hot water and decent soap allows you to scrub all those hard to reach
places. £18.
Moisture Injection: Lavera
All Round Moisturising Cream is an inexpensive and indispensable
rich cream that leaves skin soft
and supple. The ice-cream like smell means using this product is more of a
pleasure than a chore. Whilst it may take a while to dry, results are well
worth the wait. The organic ingredients of almond and sheer butter are kind to
sensitive skin and a little bit goes along way. Moreover it comes in a handy
tin making it an easy-to-transport handbag essential. £6.95
For something a little more heavy
duty (including the price tag) try Ren’s Moroccan Rose Otto
Ultra-Moisturise Body Oil. The beautifully light rose infused body oil
intensively replenishes the driest of skin, locking in moisture to give it a
healthy glow. It’s none sticky and the scent makes it almost edible. £34
Balmy Army: Random break outs of sore dry skin are a Winter
hazard, so it’s a good idea to carry around a fast acting balm. Elizabeth
Arden’s classic Eight Hour Cream is a legend amongst its millions of users.
Perfect for lips, face and hands the beauty balm has managed to become a hit
with some of the biggest sceptics. The Walking With the Wounded (WWTW) team of
former soldiers were impressed with the cream’s ability to work on frostbite
and blisters during recent missions to Everest and the North Pole.
Oil Leak: Oily skin is Winter’s number one victim. The constant
temperature change aggravates oiliness and if skin is dehydrated then it overcompensates
by producing more oil leaving it tight and flaky. Rectify damage with an
oil-free hydrating serum such as Aesop
Hydrating Serum. It will give your skin an extra boost without it becoming
greasy £41.
Best Foot Forward: There is nothing more painful that shuffling around
on sore, dry feet. So put your best foot forward with Margaret Dabbs Intensive
Hydrating Foot Lotion. We simply
cannot get enough of this product. Unlike other balms that simply sit on the
surface of the feet, one small pump of this award winning luxurious lotion
immediately absorbs and visibly moisturises the skin. It leaves tootsies baby
soft and deeply nourished. With the signature ingredient of Emu Oil (a natural
bi-product) and the scent of lemon myrtle, this product has for good reason,
gained global hero status. £25
Transforming your
nails is by far the easiest way to switch up your look; nothing says ‘New Season
Trend’ like freshly painted talons. And if like most, you are a fan of nail art
then you’ll be pleased to hear that
there is a slew of must-have nail collections launching this year. From textured nudes and 3D beads to metallic
vamps and rubber brights, here are the ones team GP are most excited about.
Playing it Cool:
It wouldn’t be Spring without the
latest takes on nude and natural looking shades. Bold and bare is the name of the
game and soft milky shades were favoured by the likes of Valentino and Stella
McCartney. Angel Sanchez and Chanel undid the
traditional French manicure by layering a subtle dark matte pink shade on top
of a glossy one.
We are particularly loving Rococo's Sandrine, from their new Spring collection. It’s a cornflower blue inspired by
the Parisian woman. A rework of the classic French blue this crème finish
paints a block shade that’s totally on trend. (Available March 2013 from Space
NK). If you're a fan of nude
shades with a pop of vivid colour then it’s also worth checking out the nude-yellows and pinks from Butter London.
Dark and Edgy:
Everybody was talking about Prabal Gurung’s ghoulish blood dripping
nails at NYFW and it seems the gothic medieval look was a firm favourite among
many designers including Theirry Mulger and Rodarte. To recreate this look
you’ll need a fine-tip striper brush and blood-red polish. Gently allow the lacquer to drip down the
nail giving it a gory stained effect.
This trend certainly inspired OPI’s
SS13 collection titled Euro Centrale. Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI
Executive VP & Artistic Director explains “Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania make up an exciting new
fashion hotspot. When visiting these countries, you’ll view Gothic churches
alongside vibrant graffiti murals, blending two very different aesthetics. This
fusion of old and new was also seen in catwalk looks during New York Fashion
Week, where classic styles were reinvented with modern silhouettes and patterns”.
For an on trend look we recommend OPI’s cleverly named ‘Vant to Bite My Neck?’ and ‘I Saw…U Saw…We Saw…Warsaw’ colours. (Euro Centrale by OPI will be available February, 2013).
Tempting Touch:
If like us you
adored Ciaté's
Caviar Manicure™ then you’ll be
pleased to know that this look isn’t going anywhere. Beaded
nails will still be going strong in Spring as proved by the manicures spotted
at the Joy Cioci show. Unlike last season however, where colours were bold and
mismatch, the 3D dotted look will be much more somber with, creams and
swan-whites taking the lead.
Upping the anti with textured nails is Nails Inc who have recently created a kinky leather effect polish.
This vampy shade applies glossy but will dry down into a chic leather look
texture. Alexa chung sent nail junkies and beauty directors into melt down when
she recently sported the polish at the British Fashion Awards.
For texture with lashings of colour
try illamasqua's Rubber Brights. This playful limited-edition collection
features luminous colours with a rubbery, matte texture. Gorgeous for a hot neon
look.
Heavy Metal:
Metallic nails with a glossy finish were a staple at the Spring shows. To
recreate the look watch out for Yves Saint Laurent’s Jade Imperial and Bronze
Pyrite. Topshop’s, Nails in Plume and Nails in Mercury Rising are also standout
lacquers. Think rich old coppers, ornate purples and
splashes of platinum.
Two Tone:
This bold but subtle look is a quick way to project a new trend. There’s
lots of ways to wear it. Opt for half moons crescents, vertical lines or
diagonal strip detail. The key to this look is to not be neat. Softer lines
give it a fresh new edge.
Whilst you might think the problem is being spoilt for choice my
dilemma was the exact opposite. I liked NOTHING. Each dress morphed into the
next and I was severely lacking that ‘je ne sais quoi’ feeling. To put it
bluntly if one more shop assistant asked me "does it feel like the one?" I was
in danger of hurling the complementary champagne at her head. On the verge of
throwing a massive bridezilla fit my best friend managed to come across bridal
designer Inbal Dror (knew I made her a bridesmaid for a reason). After hours of
cooing, gasping and fantasizing about wearing every single design featured on
her website I finally managed to scrape my jaw off the floor and enquire about
availability. The lovely ladies at Morgan Bridal informed me that a preview of
the whole collection would be held at their store for one weekend only. From
then on six designs would stay in stock. I booked an appointment immediately
and just as I thought, the eight week wait was worth every second.
Moreover is the variety within the collection, a love affair between jewels, crystals, diamanté, lace and silk means that there really is a design that you will not fail to fall in love with. For eyes that are tired of looking at humdrum bridal designs, these are certainly the dresses to remedy them. For more information on Inbal Dror dresses visit Morgan Davies Bridal
Whilst you might think the problem is being spoilt for choice my
dilemma was the exact opposite. I liked NOTHING. Each dress morphed into the
next and I was severely lacking that ‘je ne sais quoi’ feeling. To put it
bluntly if one more shop assistant asked me "does it feel like the one?" I was
in danger of hurling the complementary champagne at her head. On the verge of
throwing a massive bridezilla fit my best friend managed to come across bridal
designer Inbal Dror (knew I made her a bridesmaid for a reason). After hours of
cooing, gasping and fantasizing about wearing every single design featured on
her website I finally managed to scrape my jaw off the floor and enquire about
availability. The lovely ladies at Morgan Bridal informed me that a preview of
the whole collection would be held at their store for one weekend only. From
then on six designs would stay in stock. I booked an appointment immediately
and just as I thought, the eight week wait was worth every second.