How I’m Switching Up My Beauty Routine For Spring
Fresh Scents
As far as I’m concerned, a new season calls for a new scent (any excuse). I don’t subscribe to the idea that certain notes should be worn at certain times of the year, which is why I’m not surprised the fragrance I’m wearing more than any other right now is called Winter 23. The juice in question is an organic EDP by Ffern, a perfume maker in Somerset that does four small-batch – and really special – seasonal blends a year. I think Winter 23 is gorgeous right now: for those days when it still feels icy, it has hints of warmth thanks to clove bud and red cedar; when the sun is out and the skies are blue, there’s floral frivolity from jasmine sambac, and brightness from bergamot and lemon rind. The brand’s next seasonal drop – you guessed it, Spring 23 – launches with the solstice on 20th March. It promises to be just as glorious.
The rest of my most worn fragrances this month do feel more spring-like, perhaps as I eagerly anticipate brighter days ahead. Loewe’s latest launch, the Botanical Rainbow collection, encourages the idea of layering two, three, four or more harmonious fragrances together to create your own bespoke scent. The first duo to launch is Aire Sutileza and Solo Ella EDP, featuring aromatic pear and jasmine, and bitter orange, peach and violet, respectively. I’ve been wearing them separately and together and they’re a gorgeously fresh and uplifting segue into the new season. Shout out also to the ever gorgeous Secret Gardenia EDP from Miller Harris which I always love at this time of year. With notes of nashi pear, ylang ylang and gardenia, it’s creamy and soft but with plenty of vibrancy.
New Nails
I recently found myself in a bit of a predicament when my brilliant local nail technician decided to hang up her LED lamp. A great nail person is, like a hairdresser, worth holding onto when you find them, so I’ve been left feeling all at sea without my usual gels. The only upside while I look for her replacement is the opportunity to experiment, which has led me to trying BIAB or Builder in A Bottle. Created by British gel nail polish brand The Gel Bottle, BIAB is a nail strengthening gel that dries to a hard, shiny finish, a bit like shellac. Although traditionally used as a base underneath your normal gel polish, the pale shade range is lovely enough to be worn alone. As well as looking sleek and shiny, the formula is loaded with nourishing ingredients, so it strengthens your natural nails while it’s on. Best of all, it lasts three to four weeks with zero chipping. (Evening appointments via Ruuby take the hassle out of trying to fit a nail appointment into a jam-packed day.)
Can we also please take a moment for my latest nail find? If, like me, you ever find yourself stuck needing nails that look groomed but can’t get an appointment at the salon for love nor money, do yourself a favour and hotfoot it to Primark to stock up on its PS… Beauty False Nails. I tried one of the Almond Glossy sets on a whim recently and was taken aback at how good it was. With plenty of great shape, colour and size options (I love the coloured tip sets), the falsies last a really decent length of time, and the glue doesn’t leave lots of nasty residue on your natural nails when you decide you’ve had enough. Try them out and thank me later.
Seasonal Skin Switches
Come spring, I want my complexion to match my mood. In other words, I want buoyant, springy and sprightly skin. To get there, it’s all about cherry-picking the right ingredients. For me, whose skin is emerging from winter a little dehydrated, lacking in radiance and suffering the effects of some serious sleep regression from my one-year-old, I’m after ingredients that will plump, lift, hydrate and give me back a bit of a glow. For all of the above and more, I’ve turned to MZ Skin’s The Light Moisturiser. As well as using peptides to help smooth lines and wrinkles, it contains bio-identical collagen to lift and firm, and microalgae to improve radiance. It’s also clinically proven to increase skin moisturisation by 26% in 6 weeks, so… yes please.
To get my skin looking seriously juicy, I’m a big fan of fatty acids, so I was thrilled when the new Zelens Omega Shiso landed on my desk. This concentrated serum contains a phyto-complex formulated with shiso or perilla oil – a plant native to south-east Asia that’s rich in omegas 3, 6 and 9. So far it’s helped deliver instant moisture and revive my lacklustre skin, plus I’m content in the knowledge it's supporting the skin’s natural protective barrier. To use it, apply a few drops to cleansed skin then follow with your moisturiser.
To round off my routine, I’m now using Stress Faace which is full of ingredients to combat the effects of stress on the skin. It includes niacinamide, which promotes a more even tone, and neurophroline, which helps inhibit production of cortisol (the stress hormone) and promotes the release of calming neuropeptides. Although it’s good to use both morning and evening, I love how the whipped cream texture cossets my skin as I fall asleep.
Some Essential Body Work
The weekend the clocks go forward is officially the goodbye-tights-and-winter-woollies weekend in my house, which means I have until then to sort out any scaly skin. This year’s task is slightly less arduous than usual because I have got myself into the habit of regular moisturising (see last month’s column) and also because I have discovered a new product that’s vying for top spot along with my beloved Garnier Body Superfood. It’s the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream which – much like its facial counterpart – is like a ready-made filter in a tube. As well as helping to tighten, it blurs and smooths blemishes, and just generally makes everything look better.
As my limbs are pale as well as parched, I’ll also be prepping for legs out with a generous layer of Tan-Luxe’s new Super Glow Body. As well as the brand’s clever tan tech that results in fragrantly scented golden skin, it contains multiple hyaluronic acids for intense hydration and plant extracts that are rich in nourishing fatty acids to keep skin supple.
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