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By Claire Brayford
Since its launch in February, Benefit's Roller Lash mascara has gained a huge following from beauty editors and insiders, who love its natural eye-opening effect. The hook-and-roll brush grabs and separates lashes, while the instant curve-setting formula holds the curl for up to 12 hours. Michelle Collacott says: "Unlike Benefit's other mascara They're Real, Roller Lash gives a much softer, less intense look. It really widens the eyes and is great for a more natural finish especially now the sun is out.”
Benefit Roller Lash mascara, £19.50
One of the prettiest, but also most exciting, new launches for spring is the Touche Éclat Blur Perfector. A translucent palette, it is a cross between a gel and a powder that is applied on top of your make-up to blend, perfect and reduce shine. Easy to use, you simply pat it on with the applicator pad or a foundation brush, and it gives a beautiful flawless finish. “I couldn’t quite believe the beautiful texture of it - it is incredible," Michelle admits. "It literally glides onto the skin. A lot of my customers don’t understand primers and perfectors but this is a product that I genuinely do think works.”
YSL Touche Éclat Blur Perfector, £31.50
Clarins' Radiance-Plus Golden Glow for the body is unlike any other self tan on the market. You simply mix four to six drops into your regular moisturiser to create a gradual, healthy radiance. The finish is much more natural and there is no unpleasant odour. “Last year when Clarins launched the Radiance-Plus Golden Glow for the face we had a waiting list of people wanting to get hold of it," says Michelle. "We expect the new body version to be even bigger. The best bit about it is it's a gradual tan. It's not scary - you don't have white legs one minute, then deep brown the next - you can add it to your moisturiser and build up the colour over time. It's going to be huge.”
Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow booster, £26
The Lancaster Dry Oil Fast Tan Optimizer is a combination of a unique tan activator and SPF50. It offers broad spectrum protection against UVA, UVB and Infrared while allowing you to tan faster, so you achieve the same result but with less sun exposure, which is great for your skin. Michelle says: "When I began as a beauty buyer, the Lancaster Tan Maximiser which you used to prolong your tan was a cult product among beauty buyers. You wouldn't go on holiday without it. I love their whole sun protection range but I was excited to see the new Dry Oil Fast Tan Optimiser, especially as using oils is becoming so popular."
Lancaster Dry Oil Fast Tan Optimizer SPF 50, £24
The Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primer delivers rich, saturated colour that glides onto your lips with ease. In 16 different shades, the smoothing primer gives a long-wear velvet finish that keeps lips moisturised for eight hours but feels weightless. "Lipstick can be quite drying, but the clever addition of a primer to the new Pop Lip Colours means that they are conditioned and the colour lasts," explains Michelle. "The shades are really fun and bright for spring too."
Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primer, £16
Unlike other long-wear foundations, the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless foundation boasts a unique fluid, oil-free formula that creates full coverage in a single, weightless drop. It comes in 20 shades to perfectly match your skin, lasts for 16 hours, neutralises redness, dullness and discolouration, and all while feeling light as air. “I think this will be one of the biggest foundations this season," predicts Michelle. "The beauty of it is the lightweight formula. For spring and summer, people still want that flawless coverage but they don't want anything too heavy."
NARS All Day Luminous Weightless foundation, £32
This is the first superfood nail range. Infused with kale extract it improves the strength and smoothness of the nails, while the unique Regenerating Complex boosts the production of keratin for stronger healthier nails. And we love the four new shades for spring, including St John’s Wood Gardens, a fresh pale pink; Marylebone High Street, a pretty watermelon hue; Abbey Road, a cool lilac; and Hampstead Grove, a suit-all coral reef orange. “This range is an innovation in nail care," Michelle explains. "People who have been getting gel manicures and find their nails are dry and damaged will really benefit from the treatment aspect and the fresh colours will be really popular particularly for pedicures, where women are much braver with colour."
Nails Inc Nail Kale, £14
A rich and moisturising overnight treatment, Dermalogica’s new Power Bright Pure Night treatment helps control melanin formation and restore the skin’s luminosity. Containing an active blend of skin brightening vitamin C, as well as cranberry and raspberry seed oils, it helps to hydrate and reduce the appearance of fine lines. It works particularly well on hyperpigmented skin and uneven skin tones. "I think the whole new Dermalogica Power Bright range is brilliant," says Michelle. "Our beauty shop floor manager took the travel kit on holiday and it made her skin feel so healthy she bought it again when she got home."
Dermalogica Power Bright Pure Night, £55
A real multitasker, bareMinerals' new Complexion Rescue Hydrating Gel Cream offers skin hydration and naturally radiant coverage in one. Billed as the best of a BB cream, a CC cream, and a tinted moisturiser, it promises that customers will see a 215% increase in skin hydration after just one week. “This is a product we're really excited about," Michelle says. "It offers hydration, coverage and sun protection, all in a beautiful lightweight gel cream. It's a real makeup must.”
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF30, £26
Top of the scents is La Vie En Rose, the summer version of the hugely popular Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb fragrance. It's the same sparkling, refreshing twist on the famous original, just in a newly designed bottle. "This is a collector's product," explains Michelle. "The scent is the same - but this year it's packaged in a new iridescent bottle. It's always a staple when the sun shines."
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb La Vie en Rose, £59
