Summer loving

Poppy Loves Lipgloss prides itself on being an up-to-date beauty broadcaster, and the top-secret launches we've been privy to are some of the most gorgeous - and more importantly, useable - products we've seen for a while.

Oven-fresh and coming to a counter near you in August 2009, here's our pick of the beauty bunch:

Prescriptives Well-Suited Finishing Powder, £23 (limited edition) - a posey-pink powder that looks like a blush but has a translucent finish designed for use all over the face, in place of your usual powder. Imparting the subtlest amount of colour, this gives skin a fresh, healthy glow that had us hooked from the first try.

MAC Eye Shadow x 4 in In the Gallery, approx £28 (limited edition) - purple eyeshadow often has colour-phobes running for the hills, but it actually complements the tones in most eyes (be they blue, hazel or green), making it a surprisingly flattering choice. This palette, created in collaboration with painter Richard Phillips, contains a perfect mix of colours (mauve, violet, pink and plum) and textures that can be finger-painted on for a subtle matte sweep of shadow or a night-owl smoky look.

Aveda Enbrightenment skincare range, from £19.75 - infused with skin-brightening plant extracts such as mulberry root, grape and rosemary leaf, Aveda's new range increases your skin's cell turnover (so a tired, dull epidermis is swept away to reveal a more even, luminous skintone). The range includes a cleanser, toner, serum and moisturiser, and a gorgeously indulgent Intensive Massage Masque. Good for getting rid of post-pimple dark patches too.

James Brown Scandalous haircare range - a new selection of lock-loving products that coincide with the opening of Brown's first ever hair salon, 'James Brown London' (where appointments with the man himself start from £500 - ouch). Kinder to the wallet with a starting price of £4.99, the range includes Rock Chick Wave Spray (inspired by best friend Kate Moss), Intensely Glossy Rescue Treatment, and (our favourite) Fabulously Flirty Dry Shampoo.

Images: Aveda, Prescriptives, MAC

Brownie Points

I recently had some friends over for a barbeque, and while the boys went neanderthal with the fire and flexed their cooking skills (for cooking read burning), the girl talk inevitably strayed into tanning territory - it was the hottest day of the year so far, and our legs were out to seize the moment.

One friend with enviously tanned pins admitted to weekly sunbed sessions (very, very bad, and definitely not condoned here at Poppy Loves Lipgloss, despite their deliciously caramel-y hue. Ooh, you could have have melted them over ice-cream. I hope they turn orange). The rest of us were on the paler side but, in these days where the worship of mindless celebrity is on the wane (and with it the aesthetic of uber-tan, blonde hair and fake bazoomas), looked none the worse for it.

Yes, we all wanted our skin to catch a little sun, but the days of slipping around in factor 4 oil are totally o-vah. We no longer believe that burn turns to brown, or that a maximum exposure tan is really worth the sun-spots and wrinkles. But we do still want a little colour in our lives (Snow White we ain't... have you seen our behaviour after five glasses of Pimm's?).

Whether you're after an overnight blast of bronzing, or a slow'n'subtle hue change, these are our tried-and-tested favourites:

Subtle For your face, Chanel Soleil Identité Perfect Colour Face Self-Tanner SPF8, £25, creates a realistic touch of colour and smells of peaches rather than biscuits - you put it on every day till you reach your desired shade, then every 2 to 3 days to maintain it. Also highly recommended is Sisley Soleil Sans Soleil Self Tanning Gel, £54.50, a fantastically light facial tanner that doesn't clog pores. On your bod, the best we've found is Origins Let It Show Bare Body Skin Enhancer, £15, a sweetly-scented body moisturiser that delivers a super-natural, glowing colour over several days. Apply a few hours before wearing shoes though, as sweaty feet have a habit of making it patchy.

Instant Because sometimes we need a hit of sun, right here right now, sales of instant tanning products are soaring. Also from Origins, The Great Pretender Shimmery Self-Tanner for Body, £15, looks a lot less garish than it sounds. In fact, this sparkly, treacle-brown lotion blends to a gorgeously sheeny-shiny glow that make arms and legs look tanned and slimmer. Also scoring high in the faux glow stakes is MAC Face and Body Foundation, £23, a base you can blend from your nose to your toes, then wash away at the end of the day. Make-up artists suggest choosing one 2 to 3 shades darker than your usual colour for a realistic shot of tan, and because it's water-resistant you needn't worry about splashes by the pool or the odd spilled mojito.

Overnight Heavy-duty overnight tanners are the ones to choose for long-lasting, immediate colour. Fake Bake Original Self Tanning Lotion, £24.95, may not be the most stylish bottle in the bathroom, but it's our testers' favourite for an overnight transformation from milkmaid to beach bunny. Looks like tar going on, but washes off to a deep, sun-snogged bronze. If you don't want the risk of stained sheets and smelling like a granny's biscuit-tin, we also love love love Sun Laboratories Express Liquid Tan, £22, a coffee-like liquid that you sweep onto skin with the mitt provided. It's sort of like colouring-in for grown-ups - you can immediately see if you've missed a spot, making streaks and smears a thing of the past.

The Art of Concealment

I'm sure I'm not alone in finding the salespeople who work on beauty counters amongst the most irritating in the world. At least in a clothes shop you can hide behind a changing room curtain while they hover outside with their pseudo-gal pal opinions, but at a beauty counter they just firmly plant themselves in front of you, offering advice that you already said you didn't want.

I was helping a friend choose a new concealer yesterday, and had already whittled down the list of suitable contenders in my head, so I knew what I was looking for. My friend is a natural beauty and also a bit of a product-phobe - perfect bait for the sales-hungry vultures - so we braced ourselves before venturing inside the store.

"Can I help?" came the inevitable question.

"No thanks, we're just looking."

"That's really good, that concealer is. It's really good at hiding stuff."

"Yes, we know. Thank you. We're just looking."

"Would you like me to do a makeover on you?"

"Really not necessary, we know what we're looking for."

"If you'd like me to show you to" etc etc.

And so it went on, with me showing my friend how to use different textures for under-eyes and for blemishes, while the commissions pest hovered around us, interrupting constantly and trying to convince my English rose friend to try the darkest shade because "orange covers everything".

(The temptation to point out that I had actually tested that product three months before it even went on counter was building up inside me, but as trump cards go you need to use it straight away, or it just looks like you're lying.)

In the end my friend plumped for the fabulous Laura Mercier Undercover Pot, £28 (stockist: 08001234000) - I use this every day and would be lost without it. It's a trio of face perfecters: a creamy concealer for under-eyes that can be patted on to built up coverage, a thicker solid concealer for covering up spots, blemishes and red patches, and a loose setting powder for keeping the concealer put and mopping up any distracting shine. All in one itty-bitty pot.

I'm afraid I don't have a magic secret for getting rid of sales-pests (apart from go with a shopping list and don't be swayed. You probably don't need their new primer and you certainly don't need the matching lip liner. Be strong.)

I can, however, pass on my fail-safe concealer tips, including this helpful little tit-bit from the wonderful Craig Ryan French, lead product advisor for research and development at Paul & Joe Beauté (before I ate his dust on the go-kart track, but that's another story...): "When choosing concealer for under the eyes, go for shades with peach rather than yellow undertones. The yellow counteracts with the blue in your under-eye bags but leaves skin looking grey, whereas peach camouflages the blue and creates a second-skin finish."

My own facial finger-painting has taught me to always dab concealer on with a finger or small brush, building up the coverage ever so slowly (patting it on also creates a more natural finish than smearing it over spots.) I always finish with a light dusting of powder, and if necessary, you can even dab a second layer of concealer over the top.

As is often the way with beauty, less is more. A good mascara, blush, balm and concealer is all you need to look fresh and pretty (but promise me you'll test the shade before you buy it - the future may be bright, but it's definitely not orange.)

Images: MAC Cosmetics, Laura Mercier.

Technorati Profile