2013 Awards – Judges’ Favourites Part 2 (of 3)

OK here we go! More winners that wowed us during the 4 month judging process before last month’s Awards…

BEST  ALL-IN-ONE CREAM CLEANSER & MAKEUP REMOVER

SOPHYTO – Purifying Silken Cleanser, Pai Skincare – Camelia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser,  Liz Earle – Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Until we tried Sophyto’s Silken Cleanser we found it hard to believe it could be quite so good.  Sort of a liquid-cream hybrid, it’s ‘non-sting’, sweeps off waterproof makeup when you use it neat with cotton wool, gently cleanses, is antibacterial, calms and hydrates the face…and lasts for ages. And men can use it as a pre-shave skin softener too (leave on for 10 mins).  Recommended by makeup artists and, apparently, Dr. Oz (Oprah). A £13 his/hers wonder worker, it has sold out on Beauty Bay (try Sophyto)

BEST BODY LOTION (tie)

WELEDA- Seabuckthorn Body Lotion (WINNER), EO -Everyday Grapefruit & Mint Body Lotion (WINNER), Dr Organic -Rose Otto Body Lotion, Crabtree & Evelyn – Tarocco Orange Body Souffle

There is nothing more irritating than dry skin (or breakouts) so if your skin acts dry a lot of the time, it might be time to look beyond the ‘usual brand suspects’ that do not rebalance/hydrate skin at a deeper level, and treat your skin to something more targeted instead. Weleda’s new Replenishing Body Lotion £15.95 will probably do the trick. Claudia Schiffer loves it, so did we.

Skin-softening superstars in the formula include Shea Butter, Sea Buckthorn Oil (hello Omega 7!), Glycerin, Mallow and Macadamia. Pairs well with WELEDA’s Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash £7.95

BEST FACE MASK (tie)

OSKIA – Renaissance Mask,  GLAMGLOW – Mud Mask,  Super Facialist – Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask

Next up – GLAMGLOW Tingling & Exfoliating Mud Mask (aka a 10 minute spa treatment).  The “Glam” bit is for the “after photo” because there’s nothing remotely glam about how it looks on. It tightens and tingles (both of which you may not be a fan of) and it feels a bit gritty but good grief – this works!! Too much to say in one short paragraph, so we’ll defer to the experts HERE  Our tip: buy the Trial 7ml size first £4.99 and if you like what you see you can upgrade.  A “repeat buy” if the words “SKIN LOOKS NEW” ring your bell:

• Skin Collagen Synthesis for a noticeable 3 day glow; brighter, radiant skin in minutes, leaves skin noticeably soft and smooth; multi-level resurfacing exfoliation;penetrates into the deepest layers of the skin to soften fine lines and wrinkles; tightens, tones and lifts the skin; relieves dark circles and minimises pores; absorbs impurities without removing natural oils; helps protect against everyday environmental aggressors; suitable for all skin types, all ages and for both women and men; contains no artificial colours or fragrances; 99% paraben-free, cruelty-free, and suitable for vegans.

BEST SHOWER GEL

BODHI – Mint Thé Shower Therapy, Tisserand – Awakening Shower Gel, Abahna – White Grapefruit & May Chang

BODHI is a brand that blows my mind when I think of the passion and work that goes into creating their signature bath and body collections. So on to our winner:

Mint Thé Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy is 50,000 light years away from your off-the-shelf bath foams; aromatherapy is very much at the heart of this five star eco-luxury bath and body brand. I’ve met Bodhi’s founder Elijah Choo who is a complete  inspiration (you can tell a lot about a brand from its founders) and everything Bodhi stands for, The Beauty Shortlist does, too.

This is no ordinary Mint Thé – it’s extremely concentrated and delivers a big mint hit! Pour a little bit onto your hands in the shower and inhale it “neat” before using it – it’s a great way to wake up when you’d rather stay under the duvet. Top notes:Peppermint  Eucalyptus Spearmint  Grapefruit  May Chang  Heart:Marjoram  Lavender Rosemary  Thyme  Clove   Base:Frankincense.

£23/250ml at Bodhi, Beautybay.com and other retailers.

Side note: If you love a nourishing, deluxe skin serum, they’ve just brought out three new ones as part of Bodhi’s “Artisan” skincare range

BEST TARGETED SERUM

NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES – Soothing Starflower Daily Essence (Sensitive Skin), Antipodes – Skin-Brightening & Tone-Correcting Serum, Astalift – Brightening Serum and also Jane Scrivner -Flaxseed Serum (special mention)

Neals Yard’s Soothing Starflower Daily Essence is manna from heaven if you have ultra-sensitive skin (tip – you can use this under sunscreen if your skin is sun-sensitive).  At £42.40/30ml this is more of a serum-ish, protective treatment than the Starflower Moisturiser, but if price is an issue, go for the Starflower Daily Moisturiser which is £23.75 if your bank account and skin both need a little extra love.  (Unrelated side note, I’ve used this on badly burnt skin (not from the sun) and this helped heal it).

You might also like… The Neals Yard Remedies Sensitive Skin Regime

…and now for one of the most competitive categories – by far – of the entire Awards.  

BEST FACE OIL

BALANCE ME – Radiance Face Oil,  Suti – Rejuvenate Face Oil, Willow Organics  – Rose & Argan Face Oil Serum, MyRoo Starflower & Orange Blossom Serum (Special Mention)

This is one of the best-priced face oils (price v. efficacy) we’ve tested this year and it’s a luxury skin feast in a bottle.

Balance Me’s Extra Care Radiance Face Oil is one to earmark if your skin needs help transitioning from winter-into-spring after endless months of freezing winds, central heating and lack of fresh air and sunlight. We like the label, too, with its dynamic combo of kukui, moringa, buruti, rosehip and camellia oils as well as Vitamin E, benzoin and yarrow.

If it’s time to go beyond a moisturiser and add a serum or facial oil to your beauty bag,  head to your nearest John Lewis and take a look. £30/30ml.

Part 3, next weekend…