Update your face: this month’s beauty news and reviews

By LINDSEY JOHNSTONE
Published on 14/09/2012 18:00

Estée Lauder, who passed away last November, launched October’s annual Pink Ribbon and Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the UK in 1994.

The campaign has so far raised $35 million (or £22m) for the global research charity she founded, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), which supports institutions across the world, including the Royal Marsden and Harvard Medical School. The campaign has seen hundreds of pink balloons released from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and other global landmarks including Sydney Opera House, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building lit up in pink.

Among the Estée Lauder companies releasing limited edition products for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this year are Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone, Clinique, Aveda, Darphin, Origins, Crème de la Mer, Smashbox and, of course, Estée Lauder. Our picks are the Jo Malone Red Roses Cologne (£76, £5 donation to BCRF’s UK research grants during the month of October, jomalone.co.uk) and the Origins Make A Difference hand cream and

on-the-spot stress reliever Peace of Mind duo, strung on a pink clip that makes the perfect keyring (£10, £2 donation to BCRF during October, origins.co.uk).

NIGHT AIRS

Fresh, green ozonic fragrances and summery florals just don’t feel right worn with a pea coat and a polo neck; dark skies call for something with depth – heavier, smokier, more masculine. My favourite of the new season’s fragrance launches are Tom Ford’s Café Rose and Chanel’s Coco Noir. The former is part of a new quartet in Ford’s Private Blends collection named Jardin Noir, inspired by a garden at night. Café Rose Eau de Parfum (from £135 for 50ml, tomford.com) takes the unorthodox approach of teaming roses with surprisingly spicy elements: black pepper, saffron, coffee essence and sandalwood combine for a warm, enveloping, moody floral reminiscent of incense. Coco Noir Eau de Parfum (from £75 for 50ml) is Chanel’s gothic answer to its woody floral Coco and its lighter update Coco Mademoiselle. An ode to Gabrielle Chanel’s love of black and her challenging of traditional ideas of femininity, this sombre, nocturnal scent favours restrained luxury and complex seduction over the frivolous. Frankincense, vetiver, patchouli, jasmine and pink peppercorn are layered, in the words of Chanel perfumier Jacques Polge, the way black velvet is dyed, to achieve depth and intensity. The result is elegant, sophisticated, and yet warm.

STEAM PLAYER

Makeup artists’ backstage staples have to meet certain criteria: affordable enough to buy in bulk; suitable for all skins so there’s no risk of disastrously unsightly irritation; a good base for makeup, and quickly absorbed into the skin. Step forward the Steamcream moisturiser. Made using a steaming process to create a light, glossy texture, with oatmilk, organic jojoba oil, healing lavender oil, almond oil rich in vitamin E, and cocoa butter, it is so beloved of industry MUAs Jemma Kidd, Wendy Rowe and Ruby Hammer, the three have teamed up with the brand on a limited edition tin to be launched at London Fashion Week on 14 September. Rowe, who has worked on shows including Burberry and Calvin Klein, and for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair, said: “It’s such a versatile product that suits all skin types and works well on the face, hands and body.” £12.95. 
• steamcream.co.uk

NAILED IT

Revlon’s 80-year history is among the most venerable in the beauty industry. In 1932 it created the first nail polish (its formulations are still the best on the market), and the following year it was the first to introduce the concept of new colours for each season tied to fashion trends. It was also the first to produce matching nail and lip colours, in 1939, and introduced the first cream eyeshadow and waterproof mascara in the 1940s. In 1961 it produced the first creams formulated specifically for older skins. To celebrate its 80th birthday the company is going back to where it all began, creating a nail enamel it says is the closest thing you’ll get to a salon gel manicure (without the treatment’s nail-wrecking effect) at home. Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel promises 11 days of glossy, chip-free colour (I’m on day seven and it’s still on course to deliver) and comes in 28 colours. £7.99, available at Boots nationwide. 
• revlon.co.uk