It’s been a busy few weeks at the beauty ed’s desk! There’s been an influx of fabulous new products; everything from statement Swarovski brow jewels, to a smoking hot new mens cologne, a skincare range that only wants you for your body, to limited edition collections you’ll be dashing to the beauty counter for.
With so many hot recent releases, we’ve tried and tested, spritzed and sprayed and finally, collated our absolute faves to ensure you’re in-the-know, from head to toe…
Anatomicals – body care range
The company that ‘Only Wants You For Your Body’ has now arrived in New Zealand. Hailing from Britain, Anatomicals body range is now here and it’s bright, bold, witty and devilishly good!
You’ll be pleased to know in Anatomicals land, rabbits run free, guinea pigs rule and the only testing the mice do is Brain Training (purely for their own entertainment we might add). In fact, one of the mice has a higher IQ than Einstein had. our ingredients are all free from animal testing – we think fluffy bunnies are cute enough without Anatomicals products or ingredients. It’s just us humans that need a bit of help sometimes! all of our formulas are also paraben free.
Anatomicals claims they only want you for your body and we kinda dig their honesty… “Look, you’re probably a very intelligent person. always a grade A student. always top of your class. always first with the answers. god! how we hated you. for all we know, you can currently speak ten languages fluently, including Tibetan (handy) and you can name the leaders of every country in the world, their deputies and even their Finance Ministers. but frankly, we don’t care. we don’t give a jot whether your IQ is 15 or 150, because we only want you for your body. not that we wish to buy your bodily parts. truth is, we’d rather purchase a clapped out Ford”.
If you are looking for a fun and funky brand then Anatomicals is for you. Not only is this a great range and totally affordable, the products all have funny annotations on the labels, making them highly entertaining and original (do read the small print on the back of each product – they are guaranteed to give you a giggle). We’re loving Anatomicals!
The Anatomicals body care range is available from The Warehouse and selected supermarkets and stores nationwide. RRP starts at $9.99.
Benefit Cosmetics – Bling Brow
Super glam and super fun! Introducing Benefit’s new ‘Bling Brow’…
The thing we love about the beauty industry is that it’s all about having fun and being creative – it’s an art form after all, and this is something that Benefit Cosmetics wholeheartedly supports through their fabulously packaged, innovative products.
The brow connoisseurs at Benefit Cosmetics, have created an in-store service (and DIY kit) aptly named Bling Brow; stick-on brow jewels made from genuine Swarovski crystals. Application-wise they’re incredibly easy to use as they have an adhesive backing that slips right off the packaging, straight onto your skin; once you’ve applied these blingtastic jewels, rest assured, they’re going nowhere until you choose to remove them.
Although were created for the brows, we’ve had a lot of fun using them as a subtle touch of glamour by adding them to the tear duct or winging them out across the temple from the outer corner of the eye.
Bling Brow Swarovski crystals are available in 8 colours and 3 sizes, which you can mix and match to your heart’s content, however we were definitely partial to the Greige and Rose Gold.
Available in-store now. Kits RRP $47.00
Paco Rabanne – Invictus Silver Cup Collectors Edition (fragrance for men)
Following the victorious release of Invictus from Paco Rabanne, we now have Invictus Silver Cup – the Collector’s Edition. We adored the original Invictus by Paco Rabanne, but with this new updated silver and glass packaging, with its captivating scent, well – it’s the icing on the cake!
The fragrance remains the same as the original Invictus fragrance in a stylishly, refreshing and sporty formulation starting with an opening of vibrantly fresh grapefruit and a rush of sea notes that build to an energetic heart of aromatic bay leaf and everlasting Hedione jasmine. The winning dry down results in a woody trail of guaiac wood, patchouli, oak moss and ambergris.
The new limited edition fragrance Paco Rabanne Invictus Silver Cup Collector’s Edition will be available in 100ml trophy cups of eau de toilette formulation outfitted for the occasion in a striking silver armour shield. Available at leading department stores from 30th November.
Savar- Limited Edition Wonder Lift Serum
Not so long ago there was a time where the basic cleanse, tone and moisturise skincare routine was all that was available, then facial serums came along and revolutionised skincare as we know it. Enter Savar’s new Limited Edition Wonder Lift Serum. Fast absorbing, light weight, anti ageing and fabulous for all skin types, this super charged skin booster is 99% natural, made in New Zealand and now available in a gorgeous apothecary style 30ml glass bottle.
Powerfully rich in rejuvenating extracts and oils, including New Zealand blackcurrant seed oil which is anti-ageing, uber-nourishing and exceptionally high in essential fatty acids. Other stand out ingredients are vitamin E, time stopping co Q10, marine peptides and organic goji berry extract, one of the richest anti ageing antioxidants used in skincare.
Available now at selected pharmacies, department stores, beauty therapists and online at savaronline.com. RRP$45.90
Clinique – Gift With Purchase
It’s Clinique bonus time! When you purchase two or more Clinique products you’ll receive : Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion+ 30ml Repairwear Laser Focus 15ml Repairwear Uplifting Firming Cream for Skin Types 2/3 7ml Take the Day Off 50ml Beach Plum All about Shadow Duo – Limited Edition 1.3g Quickliner for Eyes Intense – Intense Black 0.14g High Impact Lipstick – Extreme Pink 3.6g Total value: $229
Available from the following stores: Ballantynes, Christchurch – 22nd October – 9th November Smith & Caughey’s (Queen St & Newmarket) – 29th October – 16th November Kirkcaldie & Stains, Wellington – 29th October – 16th November Arthur Barnett, Dunedin – 29th October – 16th November H&J Smith, Invercargill – 29th October – 16th November Pharmacies: Unichem Gahagans, Napier – 29th October – 16th November
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
It may well be 84 years old, but Eight Hour® Cream’s relevance to contemporary beauty remains unrivalled. Whilst it has always excelled at moisturising and healing dry skin (from lips to elbows, cuticles to split ends, Eight Hour® Cream fixes them all), Eight Hour® Cream is now considered a key part of a modern makeup bag, such is its versatility: dabbed over eye shadow to create glossy shadows, mixed with lipstick for a moisturising lip stain, patted over the cheekbones to give dewy highlights, brushed through the brows to tame and condition (all tricks we saw backstage at the Autumn/Winter ’14 Fashion Week shows).
In keeping with the transparent and glossy makeup effects that have emerged as a key direction on the Autumn/Winter ‘14 catwalks (and, not least, the propensity towards gold eyes and metallic highlights), this season’s Eight Hour® Cream Limited Edition is the Gold Collection. It’s the same great, all-purpose cream, of course; only now in a new, limited edition, covetable, chic package design…
The Limited Edition Eight Hour Cream Gold Collection is available in-store now.
Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant – Original 30ml, RRP$29
Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick SPF 15 3.7g, RRP$41
Valeur Absolue Sérénitude – Enchantment encapsulated in a bottle!
With this totally new composition, the fourth in the collection, Valeur Absolue continues its quest for happiness. This new creation remains faithful to the brand’s values: the highest quality raw materials, chosen as much for their olfactory qualities as for their soothing properties; bold combinations; semi-precious stones; active minerals. Without forgetting, of course, extract of Immortelle which is included in each of the perfumes and stimulates the release of beta-endorphins, synonymous with well-being.
Sérénitude is a soothing, calming composition, with rose as its dominant feature. The velvety Damask Rose included in the fragrance is deliciously creamy, as is the natural sandalwood from Australia, the essential oil of which has well-known calming and relaxing properties.
The ‘visible’ element, Amazonite, aqua green in colour, is renowned for its capacity to protect against negative waves. It’s also said that this stone, which takes its name from the Amazon River, promotes a sensation of happiness.
An indulgent, luxurious Christmas gift perhaps? We think so!
Valeur Absolue Sérénitude Parfum Elixir 45ml RRP$115
Valeur Absolue Sérénitude Parfum Elixir 90ml RRP$159
Nivea – Stress Protect Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Ok, we realise this may seem like a strange one to have under ‘hottest recent beauty releases’, however… when you think about it, shouldn’t personal hygiene be right up there with beauty necessities? Yes – we think so too! And although deodorant isn’t something we would normally feature as a newsworthy beauty product, when an anti-perspirant is this good and actually does what it says it will do, well, we think it’s definitely worth featuring.
Yes, we love our beautifully scented perfumes, but when it comes to anti-perspirant deodorant, we just want it to do exactly what it says it will do, but not be over-powering in scent. Nivea’s new Stress Protect Clinical Strength was put to the test by both a guy and a girl, during one of our recent ‘boot camp’ sessions (yes, we’re crazy enough to have joined boot camp). We didn’t actually set out to prove its amazing, we just received it and thought, heck lets give it a whirl (otherwise to be honest, we probably wouldn’t have featured it). Not only did it meet our ‘cant be overly scented’ standards, it works! If this deodorant can work through a boot camp session, leaving us still smelling clean, fresh and car-pool worthy, imagine what it can do for you during those stressful situations that generally leave you feeling, well, less than fresh! Definitely our ‘go to’ anti-perspirant deodorant this summer!
Nivea Stress Protect Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant Deodorant (Mens & Womans) RRP$14.00.
Gurl Interrupted
A Girl Interrupted By Fashion, Beauty & Anything Pretty That Catches My Eye
The fragrance announces itself as a gourmand-fruity-oriental. The composition opens with sweet aromas of blackberry liqueur, blackcurrant sorbet and creamy coconut. Bold florals of velvet gardenia, dark creamy violet and jasmine are in the heart of the perfume. Amber, musk, cashmere and vanilla provide lasting finish and a new depth to this daring scent.
