August has traditionally been considered a bit of a lacklustre moment in the beauty calendar as brands and their CEOs head off to sunnier climes and save the showboating of new launches for all-star September reveals. Not quite so much this time around. This month I’ve happily discovered a cluster of new, largely indie, treats that have been a joy to try and are now piled up ready for my own great escape. I hope you love them as much as I do.
1. Pomegranate power
My legs are never quite as bronzed or as well hydrated as I’d like them to be, but this body scrub helps a treat with the latter. Supercharged with enzymatic exfoliators from pomegranate, it quickly slays away rough, dull skin, while hydrating hero squalane provides much-needed moisture. Lovely job.
Biossance Squalane + Enzyme Sugar Body Scrub, £22; biossance.com
2. Welcome to the jungle
Humour me, please, because strictly speaking this beautiful Myanmar brand launched last year, but it’s just landed a new home at Liberty and is too good to leave out. I’ve always favoured perfumes with the power to transport and this joyful cedarwood, amber and wild fig blend does just that. Spray, close your eyes and escape to Hpa-An in Myanmar, where torrents of rain pour from the jungle canopy onto the flora and fauna below.
Gabar No.III Swim Eau de Parfum, £120; libertylondon.com
3. Dream scents
NYC-founded (and, devastatingly, recently closed) cult beauty hero Rodin Olio Lusso and Jo Malone London have teamed up on a year-long Jasmine and Neroli-themed collab which I like A LOT. This body oil smells like a dream and is just the thing to slather onto well-sunned limbs on balmy holiday evenings.
Jo Malone London X RodinOlio Lusso Jasmine & Neroli Body Oil, £88; jomalone.co.uk
4. A new daily go-to
Ultraviolette’s Supreme Screen SPF50+ came recommended by a makeup artist friend, sits velvety soft on skin, never pills under makeup and is now my daily go-to. Coming in 15 flexible shades this newly pigmented version is perfect for holidays and down days when you fancy being makeup free but still need a bit of evening-out. Blend and buff it in with a brush for best results.
Ultraviolette Daydream Screen SPF50 Tinted Veil, £38; ultraviolette.co.uk
5. Affordable cleansers
Prior to CeraVe’s 2018 UK launch, beauty editors used to return from US trips with their suitcases full of this stuff. First-timers must try the cleansers which are all excellent and sufficiently affordable to use on rotation as your skin requires. With niacinamide and two per cent salicylic acid, the new Blemish Control incarnation is making light work of my heatwave-induced outbreaks.
CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser, £10; boots.com
6. Overnight treat
With a potent blend of 22 active ingredients, this thrillingly rich overnight treat from the world’s very first carbon positive beauty brand delivers fresh, plump and juicy skin even when you’ve been up too late and don’t deserve it. I currently massage it on pre-bed and post-cleansing, one or two times a week.
Emma Lewisham Supernatural Sleeping Mask, £70; emmalewisham.co.uk
7. Eye like it
On first seeing this mask I sniggered a bit, because if there’s anything more boujis than sleeping in an expensive silk eye mask (I can say that because I sometimes do), it’s sleeping in an expensive silk eye mask engineered to protect your even more expensive eyelash extensions from getting squished while you snooze. At least this concept makes some kind of financial sense with its meaningful purpose, so I’m now 100 per cent here for this silky treat.
