Coming soon?
A trip to London is a chance to grab some unusual cosmetics and dream of the day they will come to Cyprus
I rather fancy myself as a jet-set international correspondent this week because I’m in London, a healthy dose of self delusion never did any harm. I’ve found some interesting products though, so if you are coming to the UK look them up.
Many of us who live in or regularly visit a major city in the UK will have come across Lush products. Their shops are such that if you enter one, you will leave having purchased something, because there are so many delicious looking bath and skin care goodies that differ from most other products you will not be able to resist. Lush were the first to make natural-ingredient-based products in such an innovative, fun-to-use way. Their Bath Ballistics were the first I came across and have since been copied by others, although they tend to lack the quality of the original Lush ones. These amazing balls contain beautiful smelling natural ingredients including flower petals and essential oils. They fizz as they dissolve in bath water to turn your ablutions into a real skin and senses treat! You must try one, but be warned, when faced with the selection available it will be very hard to choose just one! Try to visit a Lush shop if in the UK and you’ll find all manner of gorgeous goodies to tempt not just women but men too! For stockists phone 0044 207 534 7484 or www.lush.com.
I was schlepping, or rather slopping, around Covent Garden deep in thought while looking for clothing bargains when I decided to call it a day and headed back to the station. With my soaking wet feet and hair, I walked past an interesting looking shop. I back tracked for a closer look and walked in to find a quaint, if not particularly new in its concept of Covent garden style, trendy but old world deco boutique selling cosmetics and potions. On closer inspection of some of their make up though, they appeared unusual and cleverly presented. I went down to the basement, which was a cavernous, old brick construction with arched alcoves, like so many of the basements in the area and very reminiscent of old pre Victorian London (think Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper movies). The effect the basement achieved with its soft lighting and arches was literally an Aladdin’s cave of little pots and goodies. The shop is called B never too busy to be beautiful, (www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.com) and their make up and cosmetics are beautifully contained in little bejewelled and beaded ethnic style pots and Far or Middle Eastern designs and metal work on their potions and foundations. I took a closer look at the little pots of eye shadow and their very interesting mascara type tubes of bright eye shadow cr?mes and found they were very impressive. I made some enquiries and discovered it is the sister company of Lush. Not surprising really. Their lip colour pots contain products scented according to tones, hence the rose scent of all the pinks and reds, orange scent for all orangey tones and chocolate for all brown tones. Make up brushes are all bejewelled in the bright ethnic stones and beads style.
Put a few of these on your dressing table and you’ll feel like you have your own little treasure, just like the forbidden to touch bottles and potions on your mother’s dresser when you were a little girl, but now all your own! For stockists call 0044 1202 493 789.
If you are visiting the UK for a few days, why not keep your skin care baggage to a minimum and purchase one of the following great travel size kits containing miniature size products when you get here? Bottles and jars can be washed and re-used. It’s a great way to sample some of the world’s finest skin care.
Dr. Hauschka Daily Face Care Kit. £12. Tel: 0044 1386 792622.
Jo Malone Inflight Bag. £72. Tel: 0044 207 720 0202.
Dermalogica Skin Kit. £19.50. Tel: 0800 591818.
E’Spa On The Move. £40. Tel: 0044 1252 352230.
Champneys Spa Skin Care Essentials. £12. Tel: 0800 636262.
Liz Earle Pampering Weekend Kit. £42. Tel: 0044 1983 813913.
