Today we thought that we’d do something a little different and give you a tour of our bathrooms. Sam has recently had a new bathroom fitted and has been spending lots of time in there sorting through her (many) products and Gemma has been spending lots of time in hers mainly as a way to avoid doing Belle’s bathtime (sorry Jonny.)
As someone who has been privy to every single skincare product that has launched over the last 10 years, what has made it home into Sams bathroom cabinet is a must buy, and the ones that she’s used up ’til the last drop, are ‘add to basket’ now. What will be surprising though is that before we met, Gemma owned two skincare products – face wipes and cocoa butter. But with her new skincare regime in hand, she’s ready to talk the skincare novices among you through her faves. Be warned: it’s a long one. So here we go, from shower time to skincare routine…
INSIDE SAM’S BATHROOM
IN MY SHOWER…
I’m all about the volumising shampoo’s – can you tell? I need something to lift my fine, flat hair and help it last between washes so I have these on rotation. Redken’s High Rise Volume Lifting is one of the best I’ve found for volume that lasts – I awarded it a Stylist Beauty Hero Award, it’s that good. Bumble and Bumble’s Thickening Shampoo is a new entry but it really does do a good job, it would great to help disguise post-partum hair loss until it grows back. I’m really into Percy and Reed hair products and the Volumising range gives great root lift. I don’t have dandruff but as part of the job I do test everything and I’ve found that L’Oreal’s Elvive PhytoClear really helps to remove product build up, leaving my hair less lank – for under £2.
CLEANSING…
If you don’t clean your face and take your make-up off properly at the end of the day, anything that you put on afterwards won’t do it’s job. The first thing I did with Gemma was take away the face wipes and instil a proper cleansing regime. She hated me at first but now she loves it. Skinceuticals Blemish and Age Cleanser does what it says on the tin, it’s for those of us that are worried about aging yet still get breakouts so need something that fuses anti-aging ingredients with spot fighting – it keeps my skin on track. I use This Works Night Time Cleanse & Glow when I look particularly knackered in the morning, it’s super nourishing and really gives skin back it’s radiance thanks to the high levels of vitamin c. I’m also a HUGE fan of their In Transit No Traces (and now so is Gemma) simply because they’re bloody brilliant. The wipe fans among you should try these; cotton pads saturated in rose-infused miceller water, they swipe every ounce of makeup away. Great for travelling or when you’re so tired your head can’t wait to hit the pillow. Cult US brand Glossieris coming to the UK in October so I’m currently test driving their pH balanced Milky Jelly Cleanser which I’m loving as it doesn’t dry out or tighten my skin. And a new entry sink-side is Dermalogica’s Micro Exfoliant. Lack of radiance is my biggest skin problem so I’ve been using this every couple of days to slough away the dead skin cells sitting on the surface of my skin which cause it to look dull.
TREATING
Right, I’m going to speed through this. I’m obsessed with serums and oils. I could go on and on (maybe for a later post) but for the sake of speed reviews, it’s because they penetrate deeper than a moisturiser can and you really notice a difference. You can tell here how much I love these four. I’m really obsessed by hyaluronic acid as it’s the best hydrator – during the day I’ll go something like Dr Dennis Gross Clinical Hydration Booster but I also love the NIOD Multi Molecular Hyaluronic Complex which is packed full of the stuff. When my skin is freaking out and breaking out, IS Clinical Active Serum (which Rosie Huntington Whitely actually told me about) is the one I turn to. At night, I love an oil and are convinced that they can transform the skin. As you can see, both Clarins Blue Orchid Oil and Creme de la Mer The Renewal Oil are well loved, for two very different prices.
We call Mixa Cica Repair ‘magic cream’ in my house; I burnt my cheek on my curling tongs the other week and this has healed it and is gentle enough to use on scratches on Leo’s face too. NKD Pre Shower Tanis genius. A full review is here, but just a reminder to you all that you pop it on for 10 minutes then wash it off and it develops into the perfect bronze shade. Great for breast feeders that like to tan but don’t want to get it all over their kid! Got a spot? Mario Badescu Drying Lotion or Shiseido Blemish Targeting Gel will kill it overnight and finally, Dr Dennis Gross Glow Pads are saviours – cotton pads soaked in super-light exffoliating acids, hyaluronic acid (my fave) AND gradual tan. Wake up with smooth skin and a tan, what’s not to love.
SKINCARE…
Speed reviews of what’s currently going on my face (it does change, perk/peril of the job)
PM: (after cleansing) if I need to look tanned in the morning,Tan Luxe Sleep Oil is full of antioxidants so it repairs skin overnight as it tans. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair is a staple in every beauty editors bathroom – it tackles dryness, dullness and dehydration – when used nightly beneath moisturiser. It basically re-sets skin. I’m on an eternal quest for glowing skin (not the dull, drab skin that motherhood has left me with) so Vitamin C is my hero ingredient. DCL C Scape High Potency Night Booster is one of the most potent around and is really effective when it comes to breaking down pigmentation. A more pocket friendly version The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension(23% on this link, I’ve been trying 30% which is out next month).
AM: SPF is essential. This dinky one from Chanel is a very light, liquid formula so it’s great to use under makeup as feels more like an amazing milky moisturiser than a sticky spf. Eye cream; this Dermalogica Multi Vitamin Power Firm ticks all the boxes – light weight, hydrating, non greasy, de-puffing – and when it comes to moisturiser, I’m so obsessed with the texture of Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and how it leaves my skin feeling that I go through pots. I’m currently using this night and day. There’s no SPF hence the need to add the Chanel.
THE REST…
Secret deo is my absolute fave. I used to stockpile it whenever I flew to NYFW for Fashion Week. I’m running low so anyone Stateside, fancy doing a Duane Reade run for me? I don’t have time to moisturise my body anymore but a haphazard spritz of Vaselines spray on formula does the job in 10 seconds. Hand cream. All mums need handcream and Jo Malone London Hand Cream is a dream. Buy it for a new mum friend. She’ll feel a bit chic when she pulls it out of her mum bag and it will brighten her day. And what fancy new bathroom would be complete without a fancy handwash and scented candles. Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir and Diptyque Baies are my two absolute favourite home fragrances.
IN GEMMA’S BATHROOM
So I’m a little different from Sam when it comes to the bathroom department. As she mentioned above, until I met her I had a nice clean empty bathroom cabinet, filled only with essentials (toothbrushes, tampons, make up remover, paracetamol etc etc.) Then Sam made me change everything! I’m still not nearly in the same league as her and I can’t stand clutter so if I don’t LOVE it then it’s out.
Below are my day to day essentials. I tend to use the same things every day and don’t like to use too many products.
Sam introduced me to face masks and sheet masks and I’ve found I much prefer a sheet mask. I like things to feel SUPER moisturising and these do the job. My all time favourite is theEstee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Foilmask but it’s expensive and fancy so I’m scared to use this one as it’s my last one!!
The Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask is really great and moisturising and we both go through at least one a week – good job they are under £3. This Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye MaskI save for special occasions (although 10 sets for £29 makes them £2.90 each) but I feel like I look so much more alive when I take the eye patches off.
Night creams are a new thing to me and I genuinely feel like they make a difference. I switch between these 3 and seem to notice the same effect from all of them. Sam said I have to use each product for 6 weeks to know if it’s actually working and I’ve stuck to that with each of these and like that my skin still feels moist (ugh, worst word!!) in the morning, as opposed to how it used to feel really dry in my pre-night cream days.
Vichy Slow Age// Marks & Spencer Formula Ultimate Sleep Cream// Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask
These are my daily products. Micellar water has replaced face wipes (which I genuinely never touch anymore) I used to use the Garnier Micellar Water but I now prefer this Garnier micellar cleansing gelas it seems to have a little more moisture in it.
This Dermalogica Super Rich Moisturiser is AMAZING! It’s taken me so long to find something to replace my dear old cocoa butter (that Sam banned me from using within the first week of meeting her) and I’ve been on the hunt for something as rich that keeps my skin feeling moist all day and this does the job.
This Dove cream roll on deoderant I’ve used since I was about 14! Not this exact one, don’t worry. As with everything else I use, I like how it’s creamy rather than drying.
My L’Oreal Paris Sublime Bronzeobsession has also been going for years. I rub it on my face and neck when I’m looking particularly tired and I wake up with a glow. It dries really quickly (probably within 5-10 minutes,) doesn’t stain my bedsheets and last for a couple of days before fading naturally without leaving grubby marks in random patches on my face.
I’m a new convert to eye cream but I’m liking this new addition to my bathroom cabinet (thanks Sam). Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift has a metal applicator that is the BEST THING EVER to wake up to in the morning. It cools and helps to wake my eyes up, and I swear my under eyes look brighter since using this.
Hair has been a tricky one for me. In the years PS (Pre-Sam) I used whatever ended up on my Ocado order and I wasn’t fussy about shampoo or conditioner. But everything changed when I bleached my hair and then again when I dyed it back to dark and it needed SO much more care and love!! Since going dark I’ve stuck with Kerastase Reflection rangeas after trying quite a few, it was the first product I used that made my hair feel like my pre-bleached hair AND it stops colour from fading.
If you’e enjoyed this post, let us know. We might do a tour of our dressing tables next so you can see inside our make-up bags. And then maybe a wardrobe tour, one of Gemma’s ‘shoe room’ would be a great post!
