I’ve been trying to ignore all of the fuss around “millennial pink” (the dusty, opposite-of-Barbie pink that’s quickly established itself in the world of fashion and beauty and interiors because the shade du jour) but I have to admit that it's very easy on the eye. This is actually the colour that I would have painted my room, aged twelve, had I not spotted the shade Pink Panther Pink and been wooed through the name. Good grief, it had been lurid. In fact I think that Pink Panther Pink was skirting boards, windowsill and picture rails, the walls were a softer Country Pink. A pink symphony. Or pink nightmare, perhaps.
I’ve been attempting to avoid pink for most of my adult life, but I’m afraid to state that it’s winning me over. And never even in an ironic way – it’s less though I want to “toughen it up” with black biker boots along with a leather jacket, or “ensure that it stays edgy” by wearing it with a monochrome-striped boiler suit. I just like to look at it: unadulterated, peachy-warm, non-blue-toned pink.
And with that, some of my current beauty favourites. Pink ones.
The Slip pure silk pillowcase (bottom right of photograph) is something of an anomaly, because I haven’t thoroughly tested it yet, but I will crack it out this week and report on their behavior. I’ve heard great things about Slip: apparently they will use the highest-grade silk and so the pillows are supposed to be great for reducing frizzy bed-head in addition to preventing pillow creases from forming in your face overnight. What I particularly like is always that they make the cases in different colours (including millennial pink!) – I’ve been slightly put off by the standard white, satiny pillow cases because they never seem quite as white as cotton bedlinen. You'll find the Slip range at Net-a-Porter here* – it’s expensive, however i love the way they’ve styled it and i believe that the silk eye masks would make brilliant presents.
From the pricey to the pleasingly affordable; Fine Flowers Cleansing Cream from L’Oreal. I’ve been working all things in this big pot and it’s a fantastic option to a cleansing balm if you prefer a cool and comfortable cream texture instead of an oily one. It’s a really robust cream, so it gives you plenty of massage time, even if you add a little water. I've found that it has to be removed having a washcloth and warm water – it doesn’t just splash off – and thus this, for me, is a proper end-of-the-day cleanse. Fine Flowers Cleansing Cream is lb5.33 at Boots here**.
I’m almost finished with my first tube of Bosom Buddy from Love Boo. I began using it at the end of my pregnancy with Ted to avoid getting stretch marks on my bust but post-partum, I made use of it because I liked the idea of using a dedicated cream for your area. It’s funny – just because a baby only makes contact with a very small part of your bust! – however i find that I can’t bring myself to utilize a standard body lotion on my boobs when I’m breastfeeding. I suppose I’m hoping that a dedicated cream will have been formulated to be safer, ingredients-wise, but you never know. At any rate, I like Bosom Buddy – though I’m unsure that I’ve seen any lifting effects (chance would be a fine thing!) the skin on my bust feels soft and smooth and that i like that this doesn’t possess a strong scent or a greasy finish. It’s lb18.99 at LookFantastic here*, if you’re looking for a boob treat. I can also highly recommend the Weleda Nursing Oil, that is a brilliant lb7.95 (here*) – very nourishing and softening, however it didn’t have a pink bottle, so. Welcome to my fickle, pink-themed world.
I’ve tested both of these tan-boosting serums quite extensively, now; Tan-Luxe’s Tan Booster and Anne Semonin’s Phytarosa Serum. The Tan-Luxe Illuminating “Sun Activating & Intensifying Drops” are put into face cream or facial oil to help extend and intensify a natural tan. These aren’t an imitation tan, like (for example) Hylamide Glow; the formula contains ingredients that stimulate melanin production so that your skin develops a more even colour in the sun. I discovered that my face looked beautifully golden next hot spell we had a couple weeks ago, and I’ve now started to add drops to my body lotion too. My shins, which never ever seem to appear anything but blotchy, are positively Californian. The Tan-Luxe Tan Booster is lb42 from Space NK here*.
The Anne Semonin Phytarosa Serum (lb88 at Harrods here*) has an identical tan-enhancing effect, though it’s a straight-to-the-skin product rather than a concentrate that’s added to other things. A rich, sumptuous oil, it gives my skin an instant glow and feels very plumping and decadent. It’s formulated with macadamia nut oil and beta carotene oil and it has great anti-oxidant properties, I like to put it on in the morning before I come out for my bit of Vitamin D in the garden. (AKA: five stolen minutes lying around the picnic blanket, baby monitors switched on, dog careering around like a nutter. Perfect.)
Ooh – I’ve just realized that there’s a Lanolips lip ointment in the main “pink things” image. You can read about Lanolips here; that one is strawberry-scented. Very nice, though nothing can beat the banana one. Again, been with them been packaged in pink…
