Last week I was invited down to the Liz Earle flagship store in Duke of Yorks Square Chelsea to get reacquainted with the brand that I’ve known and loved for many years. My first ever proper cleanser was Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish which my mum bought for me after I used to borrow her Eve Lom nearly every night and I was hooked, I preferred cleanse and polish to Eve Lom, I loved how it melted off all my early teenage heavy eye makeup and rid my skin of dirt, leaving it clean, nourished and purified. I since moved on to try other cleansers, and since last Thursday I haven’t been able to put my finger on why I ever stopped using it!
Liz Earle have branched out from skincare and have introduced a makeup line complete with everything you’d ever need including gorgeously pigmented eyeshadows, cream blushes and beautiful natural nail polishes (no nasties here). The makeup lends itself to either a teenager trying their first ever products, a busy professional in their 20s or a more mature woman who wants a natural, organic and chic approach to their beauty routine. It sounds cheesy but there really is something for everyone within the line. After having used the cream blush in the shade Blossom I can attest to its staying power and the fact that it doesn’t move your foundation when applied with fingers- major points for that one. I fell in love with the eyeshadow Bronze as soon as I saw it in the pan, my only gripe? The name- it is far more of a burnished gold than a bronze, and after reading this month’s Allure magazine, burnished golds are seriously hot for AW13 don’t ya know… The lipstick in Tea Rose is the ultimate ‘your lips but better’ colour and glides on like butter to leave a beautifully pigmented pout that has a lasting time of around a couple of hours (although it needs reapplying after food and drink). The nail polishes come in 12 shades in total, ranging from an inky blue which looks almost black, right through to a bridal nude. I chose the shades Grace and Parade– very unseasonal, but totally gorgeous with a lovely chip free wear time of up to 7 days…not bad.
A special mention also has to go to the perfumes- I became a little bit obsessed with the Botanical Essence no15, a woody, spicy, smokey scent which is my new Autumn/Winter perfume. It isn’t dissimilar to a Tom Ford fragrance, but a touch less overpowering. Next time you’re walking past a Liz Earle counter have a spray and you’ll see what I’m banging on about- you’ll fall in love just like me..
In terms of skincare, the standout new release product for me has to be the Superskin Concentrate face oil which rebalances oily to combination skin types, yet doesn’t sink straight in like a dry oil. I’ve been using it in the evenings and the feel is so luxurious, the smell also makes you feel as though you’re in a country spa as opposed to your bathroom and skin looks hydrated, radiant and clearer the morning after. I can’t praise this product enough, it’s going to absolutely save my skin this Winter. The Brightening Treatment Mask is the perfect mid week pick-me-up to transform tired, dull and ‘tube’ (the ultimate radiance drainer) skin, leaving it brighter, clearer and more radiant in just two to three minutes which is perfect for those nights when you don’t want to faff around for half an hour with a face pack on.
All in all, it’s very rare for me to get so excited about a brand’s skincare and makeup, but Liz Earle have hit the nail on the head. Reasonably priced, natural ingredients, products that deliver results yet still feel like a treat to use- I’m sold.