The British Beauty Blog
by Jane Cunningham since 2008

[unpaid/purchase] This gorgeous candle was a gift from a Ukrainian friend and it’s certainly perked up my interest in Ukrainian brands in the home and beauty space. Salty Candy has tinges of burnt caramel but it’s treated in the lightest possible way. I’m not usually a fan of gourmand scents but this is a little…

[unpaid/sample] If you follow the beauty calendar, you’ll know that you should have started to get your feet ‘summer ready’ *insert eye roll* months ago. If you’re like me, the emerging warmth has you taking SOS action because you just couldn’t be bothered back in March when it seemed like there would never be another…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] My mum has a weakness for Maron Glacé so the number of times I’ve hung around the glacé fruits selection at Harrods, I can’t count. I think that glacé fruit is something you grow into – we always used to get sent a box at Christmas from an elderly relative and felt it to…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] These lip crayons have only just launched and yet some shades have sold out already. I love Ilia’s approach to beauty – there’s always something a little bit more than just a colour. In this instance, with a claim of more hydrated lips within a week, the crayons contain some beautiful ingredients to make…

[unpaid/sample] On first spritz of EPC Pistachio Haiku Fragrance you get alllllll of the toasted pistachio that puts the olfactory-taste connection on high alert.  I would give anything for a little pot of toasted pistachios to be next to me right now. The toastiness is predominant – it’s warm and mellow with a distinctively nutty…

[purchase] Vibrant creme shadows are like catnip to me – I absolutely love a creamy, sheeny eye look. Usually, I add a primer underneath because, depending upon how oily your lids are, they can quite easily shift or wear down during the day. I haven’t used a primer here because as usual – rush, rush,…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] It’s really quite difficult to recommend a 100ml SPF30 that costs £33 – it’s prohibitively priced for daily use all over the body but where it comes into its own is for sport. It’s designed specifically for on the go, for sweating and cooling and for skin comfort. The last thing you need is…

[unpaid/affiliate] One of my perceived entries into adulthood, along with a proper purse, was buying a sun parasol for the garden. Somehow it just seemed such a sensible and grown up purchase! In researching this piece, I’ve discovered that prices for parasols vary wildly depending upon all sorts of things but mainly size – if you’re…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I know I’ve featured these lip balms before – I’d forgotten about the review until I actually saw them but very happy to give them a re-run. I think with the surge in popularity of tinted balms these could do with a bit of a revamp in terms of pigment level. They’re quite shy…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Stila is a brand that I haven’t kept up with over recent years but oh, I used to love the Stila twist up lip glazes. The gorgeous, milky shades that made lips look so juicy and smooth – there was a famous shade, Kitten, that everyone adored and that still exists now (I have…

[unpaid/sample] If you’ve got any kind of sensitivity to essential oils, don’t spray the new Feather & Down Sleep Face & Body Mist on your face. They may have been given a light touch in hyaluronic acid but personally, I don’t think I’d take a chance. On your body – and most people are less…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Floral Street Arizona Bloom is described as a dry, floral amber, and indeed, it is exactly that. To me, it’s not particularly exciting – there’s nothing in it that floats my fragrance boat but I should tell you that this scent is an award winner. I’ve reviewed Floral Street fragrances in the past and…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I rarely say that something is a ‘must-have’ but I’m so glad that Teddy Takeover Eye & Face Palette arrived on my desk and I haven’t stopped wearing it. I don’t feel the same enthusiasm for palettes that I used to – I think I just got to eyeshadow overload and couldn’t be bothered…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Well, who knew? I was initially confused about whether Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Daily Hydrating Body Lotion has always existed or whether it was brand new. It fits so well into the 8 Hour stable that I had to do a double take. I’m a words person but even so, I always admire the…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I love coloured mascaras – from the wonderful, back-in-the-day Clinique Black Honey (that needs to come back) to Kiko’s Metallic Purple. I wore Rouge Intense to walk Dora last week and although nobody I stopped to chat with said anything, I did notice that they were really looking quite hard at my eyes. It’s…