Skin: Facial Wipes

I can’t even remotely disguise my horror when it comes to face wipes. I’m as black and white about them and skin care in general as I am about people (I am a nice person I promise)

If you’re a beauty nerd then you will know where I am coming from on this. They are moaned about for a reason, yes?

• A wipe to cleanse your skin? No. It doesn’t come close to cutting it. A wipe is what you use on a baby’s bottom. Or to quick clean the bathroom ahead of guests. The only time I will ever think it’s just about OK to use a wipe is at a festival. Even then, you still need a bin for them, so why is a cotton pad any more of a nuisance?

• The chemicals. The long list of harsh, hard to pronounce chemicals they contain that allow them to survive on a shelf for several months and keep moist just won’t do you any good. They will only aggravate as they are full of irritants. The high levels of alcohol will cause extreme dryness of the skin too. Don’t be taken in by the ‘natural’ branded ones, they’re lying to you – 99% of wipes on the market are packed with dangerous chemicals.

• They are a hotspot for bacteria. Even with all of the chemical nasties crammed into them, moist wipes piled on top of each other in a warm shop environment = breeding ground.

• They are non-biodegradable. So not only are they going to harm your skin, but also the environment.

However they have revolutionised the beauty industry: convenience. We want a quick solution for everything, and it’s got us totally fixated. Luckily, there are other ways of removing makeup that are no more time consuming and on every level better than a wipe. My preferred? Micellar Water.

A well crafted french creation that is the hottest thing on the UK market right now, and so it should be. They look like water, feel like water and smell like water. Ultra mild, non rinse cleansers that remove makeup in one gentle swipe without stripping the skin. A good squeeze onto a cotton pad, sweep all over the skin and makeup is effortlessly removed. They are alcohol and soap free meaning they are a blessing for the skin (particularly sensitive). They breakdown makeup and dirt by using micelles which micro-emulsify impurities while maintaining the skin’s balance all at the same time. The french know their stuff.

The most famous of all? Bioderma.

An old favourite and cult product in any makeup artist’s kit for years has been catapulted into the beauty industry’s spotlight with everyone desperate for a drop of the stuff. This month it finally made its way to UK soil where you can find it in BeautyMART in Harvey Nichols at £16.50, and also dotted around in independent pharmacies and online retailers.

Although I am in adoration of Bioderma, I have been on the hunt to find some alternatives that are more readily available.

La Roche Posay Physiological Micellar Solution, 200ml. My personal favourite having at least 2 bottles of the stuff in my bathroom at any one time. £11.50 and you can pick it up at Boots!

Avene Micellar Lotion Cleanser, 200ml. £12.50 and also available Boots.

B.Pure Micellar Water 150ml. If you’re on a budget, this is available at Superdrug and is only £3.99!

So there you have it. My inner satan having a rant about facial wipes and my inner goddess shouting from the rooftops for all things micellar. So put down the wipe and pick up the cotton pad. Please!

The Ferrari of Beauty: Tom Ford

9 times out of 10, the name “Tom Ford” will trigger the hallelujah chorus *insert heart eyes smiley face*

Why? Well firstly, take a look at its packaging. Mahogany and Gold casing which would look right at home in that classic London home library, sleek edges and what we beauty people call the “expensive car door” noise upon closing the product. Even with that well known expression ‘never judge a book by its cover’ maybe lingering in your mind, you can understand how women go weak at the knees and loosen the purse strings a little further than normal without much deliberation. Secondly, the products themselves. Richly pigmented lipsticks, velvety shadows and sculpting and glowing complexion necessities, they are every inch the ultimate beauty buy that are pretty darn good.

Before I declare the rest of my love: The Eye Quads.

Left: Cognac Sable. Right: Silvered Topaz

Beautiful, yes? A gorgeous array of smokey browns and cool mauve’s that remain in my personal and professional kit 24/7 – the dips in the bottom row are evidence. Sob sob.

Cognac Sable – even the names are divine – is a collection of warm toned browns and coppers. These work beautifully on people with green eyes and really makes them pop. The lower two colour’s are my preferred and create a sultry smokey look which is a welcome change to the usual grey toned smokey look. For added intensity, the top left colour, a vibrant copper sparkle works brilliantly when pushed onto the centre of the lid using your finger.

Silvered Topaz – is a collection of cool toned mauve’s, brown toned plum’s and grey’s. The shade on the bottom left corner is perfect for that subtle day to day outer corner definition. It’s a colour that works universally. A cool toned brown/purple with the slightest amount of shimmer. 10 out of 10. The dark plum colour smudged into the lash line marries in beautifully and a light pressing of the white gold sparkle for added evening drama. The grey colour is also incredible when used in the traditional black and grey smokey eye combo, but more on that later…

So there you have it. Tom Ford Eye Quads: every inch the luxury beauty buy in appearance, performance and price (setting you back a cool £62 a quad from Selfridges…It’s OK, baked beans on toast is fine for the rest of the month). Dense pigments and as easy as 1, 2, 3 to blend, they are totally worthy of the “Ferrari” label of the beauty world.