CF Beauty Bulletin: February

So, to make some in-roads into the avalanche of beauty news in the Countryfille.com inbox, I thought I’d start a quick, snippety ‘beauty news’ bulletin every few weeks. As previously a Health and Beauty Editor by trade, writing about new and upcoming launches, trends and treatments is really what snaps my compact (so to speak). I’ll only ever include news from brands I love, products that I am genuinely intrigued to try out and it’ll always be stuff that you can find in the next couple of weeks for an immediate beauty fix… here goes…

Marni’s first fragrance launches in February

With masculine notes of ginger and bergamot, drying down to a more delicate rose oil, then darker incense and patchouli – the first fragrance from Italian fashion house Marni is certainly a complex hybrid of sweet and spicy notes. The fragrance can’t be typified by any particular scent category (oriental, floral, woody etc) as Creative Director Consuelo Castiglioni explains they wanted the scent to be ‘elusive and without stereotype’, a scent to ‘surpass the seasons’ – a signature scent in the making I reckon.
The glass flacon is covered in Marni’s signature polka dots and is available nationwide from February.

Aerin’s second range, the Garden Colour Collection

Here are some snaps from the second collection from Aerin Lauder’s eponymous range ‘Aerin’ – already synonymous with beautifully packaged, grown-up flattering neutrals… this spring range certainly builds on that:

How pretty is this Floral Illuminating powder? (£45) the six pastel shades – swirled with a big brush across cheekbones, temples and collarbones – will perk up my grey winter skin a treat.

A Garden at Dusk Style Palette SS13 (£45) – I love a carefully edited compact without the usual token duff shade – the three eyeshadows can be layers for a day-to-night look and the blusher is a pretty ‘one shade fits all’ rose. Cute floral graphic and practical zip compact, too.

Multi Colour for Lip and Cheek in Freesia (£30) – this rose scented cream blusher/lip colour is my spring handbag essential – perfect for on the go touch-ups (is there any other kind for mums?!) and I *love* a cream blush texture that melts into the skin for a natural, healthy flush.

 Available for a limited period, from February, in Harrods, Selfridges and some John Lewis stores

Revlon’s Nearly Naked foundation

I love Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation for a ‘no-base base’. I am a huge advocate of being able to see your little skin quirks – freckles, skin tone, definition – rather than striving to make skin look too uniform. But at £30 I’m really intrigued to see how this new launch from Revlon, at £8.99, compares. The Nearly Naked formula promises:

“Weightless hollow silica pigments, allowing the makeup to mimic skin’s tone and texture; scatter light; diminish the look of fine lines and create a natural finish.”

Promising huh? There is green tea, black tea, oatmeal and jojoba oil – as well as a SPF20 – so plenty of skin nourishing vits and antioxidants, too.

Out 20 February at major Boots, Superdrug, Tesco and beautymart.co.uk

Diptyqye Rose Duet candle – Valentine’s Day anyone?

If you go in for romance on the 14th, you could do worse than light one of these puppies to set the mood. My love of the Diptyque brand is well documented (Philosykos, 34 Blvd St. Germain, Volutes), and as a Beauty Ed I’ve been writing about their signature candles reliably for 6+ years, and that’s not about to change. This new ‘duet’ formula marries two of the Parisian perfumery’s scents – rose and baies or ‘roses scattered with blackcurrant leaves’ as they so poetically put it. Yum.

Available now at Diptyque stores and stockists, £42

Nars spring collection

If you’re looking to brighten up your make-up bag this spring, the Nars collection certainly delivers. Stella Tennant models the colourful collection, turning what looks on paper to be rather scary (paprika eyeshadow anyone?) into a beautiful, totally wearable pop of colour. I can’t wait to try the bold cyan and jewel green eye compact along the lash line this spring. Note: How incredible does Stella (aged 42) look?!

 The Spring 2013 Collection will be available from 1 February nationwide, priced from £14 to £24. www.narscosmetics.co.uk

Phew! So that’s the first Beauty Bulletin done and dusted! What caught your eye? I’d love to know what beauty purchases you make this month and what recommendations you’re after for March!

CF x