Need a bit of help with your sunny-day reveal? These bronzing body sparklers will do the trick nicely
Keep sparkling all summer with my pick of the best body shimmers
Ah, summer, aka the Big Limb Reveal. Which means three things in beauty terms (if you’re into them, of course – no pressure). Hair removal, self-tan or skin tints and, lastly, a dash of shimmer. Christmas, if you can bear the cold, is generally the only other time of year when you want your arms and legs to sparkle; but for summer sun, and possibly even sunnier foreign climes, here are our top five body-dazzlers…
B Shimmer Instant Golden Mist (£9.99, superdrug.com) is very sweet-smelling – like coconut and candied popcorn – and gives a gentle glistening effect, along with the lightest golden tint.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Shimmer Body Oil (£43, beautybay.com). The luxe option: a lightweight oil (which itself gives skin a shine) with flecks of golden sparkle and a fragrance of coconut and vanilla.
Sanctuary Spa Shimmer Luxe Body Butter (£14, boots.com) is really a moisturising balm but one that’s loaded with a bronzey tint and just the right amount of dazzle to attract a little light. I’ll often use it down the centre of my shins as it can give an optical slimming effect.
Bali Body Shimmering Body Oil (£25.95, balibodyco.com) moisturises skin while delivering a decided hint of deep bronze with a glittering finish.
Becca Glow Body Stick in Champagne Pop (£38, boots.com). A moisturising stick of lightly bronzing shea butter, infused with some pearlescence for luminosity. It’s also a practical option if you’re packing light and keeping liquids to a minimum.
The brow boosters I can’t live without
Brows have become super high maintenance
Back in the day, all I needed for my brows was a good pair of tweezers – always Tweezerman (from £13, beautybay.com) – and my Chanel Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Blond Clair (£21, chanel.com). I’ve had the same one for years, but in truth I haven’t used it in a while. Brows have become such a thing these days – HD styling and tinting, microblading, you name it.
They’ve become super high maintenance and often look as if two slugs have set up camp above someone’s eyes. And, though I’m still in the keep-it-looking-natural camp, my brows have also changed a bit: they’re blonder than before, while also looking sparser than usual after a facial abroad had them mistakenly plucked (a language-barrier incident).
Glossier Brow Flick
As a result, a few recent launches have become my trusty beauty companions. First is the Glossier Brow Flick (£15, glossier.com) – it looks like a felt-tip-style brow pencil, created to help you draw on a single-hair effect. But all too often with these, I find the ink too strong or the line too obvious, so I spurn them. But this one is lighter, therefore it’s easier to control and ensures things don’t hurtle from nothing to OTT in one swipe. I don’t use much, just a little here and there to make things look more filled out. The formula is water-resistant so it lasts the day – and it’s vegan.
Hourglass Arch Brow Micro Sculpting Pencil
Then there’s the new Hourglass Arch Brow Micro Sculpting Pencil (£26, spacenk.com) which offers more of a traditional approach – hence the pencil – but with a super-fine 1.4mm tip. Again, this is easy to draw on and fills brows in more than the Glossier pen. I use a combination of the two and my brows have never looked finer. This too is smudge- and waterproof, cruelty-free and comes with a concealed brush at the other end for combing brows into place.
On top, I still tend to apply a brow gel – my favourite being Tom Ford Fiber Brow Gel (£38, johnlewis.com). Like a mascara for brows, it helps add volume and groom hairs into place. I also always have L’Oréal Paris Brow Artist Plumper (£6.99, boots.com) in my retinue – a fine substitute, though I do prefer the brush on the Ford. With both, I find that I need to comb through brows immediately after to remove excess product and attain the perfect placement. A new alternative comes in the form of Iconic London Brow Silk (£20, iconiclondoninc.com). It’s a conditioning balm that you apply with the accompanying brush (a bit like mascara). Even though it’s clear, it does add subtle volume to hairs while helping to groom them into place – a great addition to the brow arena.
Iconic London Brow Silk and brush
For some good clean luxury…
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
The Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm (from £43, qvcuk.com) is a bit of a favourite at YOU. Infused with a blend of geranium, lavender, camomile and eucalyptus, as well as orange, menthol and clove, the beautifully scented balm can be used either as a cleanser or a mask for prolonged pampering.
Last year, the brand produced a limited-edition version in Rose (from £43, elemis.com) for extra sweet-smellingness – it was such a hit that it has now become a permanent offering.
This year, it has produced another limited version (£55, qvcuk.com) – blended with Neroli oil for some added luxury and to lend some fragrant escapism to your daily cleansing beat.