Top 5: from Chereen

Chereen Gibson is a beauty editor, avid tweeter (follow Chereen here) and creator of ‘For the beauty of it’ and today we are luck enough to hear from her and see what her top five beauty picks are. I can definitely say that I am after the Clarins’ Cleansing bar and the dry shampoo – good sales lady you are! Thanks for sharing with us Chereen:

As a beauty editor, I am in the very fortunate position of being able to test just about every lotion, potion and cosmetic out there. I would never be able to narrow down my favourite beauty treats to just five, so I’ve decided to share my top five beauty products on my bathroom shelf at this very minute. Since I believe that the foundation for any beauty look is good skincare, a great hair cut and a signature scent, I’ve focused my picks around these:

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer: I have only been using this product for just over a week, but I’ve already seen a vast improvement in the overall tone and texture of my skin. I recently noticed a few pigmentation spots (scarring as a result of picking – bad beauty editor!) along my jaw line, but I’ve noticed a dramatic reduction in the appearance of these, virtually overnight. My skin feels soft and smooth, I haven’t had any nasty breakouts all week and I swear that my pores look way smaller that they did just a few weeks ago – this is fast becoming a firm favourite!

Clarins Gentle Beauty Soap: The wonderful beauty team at Marie Claire SA recently asked me to join their panel of judges for the Marie Claire Prix D’Excellence De La Beauté Awards 2012 and I jumped at the chance. This means that I will be testing various products for the next few weeks to find out which products REALLY work. The sheer number of products I’ve been asked to test will surely put a strain on my skin, which is why I’ve opted to cleanse my skin using Clarins Gentle Beauty Soap. This certified organic bar of soap is incredibly long-lasting (I’ve used one bar for nearing on six months in the past!), and gently removes all traces of dirt and grime without drying out your skin. What I love most about this little beauty is that it’s fuss-free and doesn’t contain any complicated ingredients – pure simplicity at its best!

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15: I have tried just about every foundation under the sun – you name it, I’ve tried it. But few come close to Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation – a lightweight formula that offers sheer (but buildable!) coverage, SPF protection and is a true match to my skin tone. I have a combination skin, so tend to get that dreaded mid-afternoon shine along my T-panel by the time I’ve downed my mid-morning cuppa. This means that I usually opt for matte foundations, but I can’t stand the flat, matte look as a result of the majority of these. This fantastic product, however, ensures that my oily T-zone stays relatively shine-free, while leaving my skin looking dewy and fresh at the same time – so my skin really looks like SKIN! (The Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit is another handbag essential – it’s revolutionized my makeup routine and I simply can’t live without it!)

Thierry Mugler Angel: Fragrance is a very important part of my beauty routine, and I have a vast collection of scents to prove this. I simply don’t feel gorgeous when I’m not wearing fragrance, regardless of the amount of makeup I’m wearing, how much sleep I got the night before or what I’m wearing. Fragrance just does it for me, and none do it quite as well as Thierry Mugler Angel. I absolutely fell in love with this delicious gourmand when I first got a whiff of it on my previous editor, and I just had to get a bottle of my own. It’s fast become my signature scent and this is the one fragrance that I’m quite stingy with. Luckily, just one or two spritzes really is all you need, as the divine blend of vanilla and caramel is really long-wearing. 

Lee Stafford Original Dry Shampoo: Given my love of Thierry Mugler’s Angel, it makes sense that I would be captivated with this gorgeous, hard-working product. All Lee Stafford’s haircare products boast the infamous ‘Lee Stafford scent’ – a heady mix of vanilla and caramel, inspired by none other than Thierry Mugler Angel! The award-winning hairdresser’s gorgeous range of haircare products was recently launched in SA and is available at Clicks stores nationwide. The first product I tried was the Original Dry Shampoo and I was blown-away. I’m not usually a fan of dry shampoos (most of them leave a white residue on my dark hair, and I find that others just don’t eliminate the grease), but Lee’s version is fast becoming one of my style staples. I typically wash my hair every second night, but opt for a wash every day from time to time, depending on the state of my fringe. But I’ve found that a quick spray of this delicious product followed by a quick brush-through is all it takes to completely eliminate any signs of grease – and any white residue left at the roots are brushed out in an instant, thanks to the corn starch contained in the product. (Most dry shampoos contain rice starch, but Lee Stafford opted for corn starch as the particles are finer and more readily absorbed). Best of all? It compliments my signature scent, rather than clashing with it. Beauty win!