Skincare, Go There.

 

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Chantecaille Biodynamic Lifting Serum £198

Those of you with Ermine lined purses, read on. Forever converted and doomed to live in a dustbin, I glow with the epidermis of a post acne apocalypse,  teenager. I care nothing that to sustain my newly emerging Skincare habit, my children will never eat again, I am seduced and convinced by Chantecaille that their bijou, artisanally created skincare line helps me achieve my best dermal self. Again, for your lives only, I rummage metaphorically through make up and beauty bags of the gurus whose stock in trade these potions are. In this case I have been pointed towards two products from the Chantecaille skincare range. A philanthropic French brand known for using uniquely high concentrations of natural botanicals, Chantecaille’s skincare, makeup and fragrances are the epitome of luxury. Their purity of ingredients ensure utter luxury across their products. There are many options for similar products to these, a sort of wannabe mates scenario at a lower entry level, but if you have the means, treat yourself or allow someone else to. I can’t imagine for a second that you’ll be disappointed . I have used a week’s supply of this double act of creams, and am impressed by every aspect really. The serum is potent, kindly lifting and  smoothing wrinkles and and if that wasn’t enough, taking matters into it’s own hand, broadening it’s remit, this Biodynamic Lifting Serum also builds and protects collagen. Awesome, thank you. DNA is repaired with the newest combination of natural stem cells, which is a technicality, but translated, it’s shoring up the skin’s youthful longevity and all hail that!

Chantecaill Bio Lifting Mask, beauty, moisturiser, www.themodeledit.com, Vanessa Voegele-Downing, Mrs V

Chantecaille Bio Lifting Mask £140 

This next product trialled by a frizzy, freckly redhead covered in opinionated skin, came portentously packaged in a platinum coloured pot, and was described to me in a conversation with top beauty blogger  Anna Shearer @lefashionfetish  as ‘a facelift in a jar’ Cue me curtsying.  Chantecaille’s soothing Bio Lifting Mask mask virtually irons out the face. Love us some of that. Our, Non? It’s so fabulous to have access to people like Anna as ordinarily I wouldn’t just take a punt on such an expensive product. Truly industry experts and access thereto, are just divining opportunities. Instagram Idols that I have come across are holding their ground because of their insights and integrity. When you find one that you trust follow them just close enough to avoid a restraining order. Their words are gold dust. Mrs V sobs for the preclusive price point, but simultaneously  and honestly, believes that Chantecaille is a beautiful skincare company using insanely well sourced base ingredients that deliver addictively fine results.

With reference to the ‘facelift in a jar’ recommendation, rather you go over your skincare budget than under the knife.

The Goddess of Make Up

NYX cosmetics, NYX Make Up, beauty, eye make up

NYX; A  figure of such exceptional power and beauty that she is feared by Zeus himself.

I’ll have me some of that.

Beauty savvy, surprisingly money conscious teenage daughters are my spy satellites. We have a symbiotic relationship. The Esmeralda Violet child seeks and finds make up newbies whilst Zenobia Crimson non too altruistically devotes herself to pursuing edgy new designers also stalking trendy vintage and charity clothing caverns. I pull my weight (and lots of times my rank) by housing, feeding and sustaining an entirely not very shabby wardrobe lending library for their chaotic pleasure. Lately I have been prancing about for your benefit in  NYX a range of cosmetics previously released just for the perusal of make up professionals… and Esmeralda Violet.  NYX Cosmetics started small in 1999 by founder Toni Ko. The brand was initially only available to professionals through trade shows. “We really grew by word of mouth,” said Joyce Kim, NYX’s global director of product development. This word of mouth strategy was also the mega successful ethos of body con pioneer Azzedine Alaia who gifted, loaned and discounted his clothes to the modelling sorority. We knew a good thing when it squished us, and were not afraid to talk about it, which is totally what bloggers do, via the internet. The rest of this good marketing procedure is history. It’s clear to Mrs V that sliding in the shocker of a fairly ‘off piste’ bright, yet sort of gentle purple violet eyeliner and matching mascara should not represent the sum total of my make up spend for the following 6 months. Price is not an issue here as quite cleverly NYX has positioned themselves smack bang on the middle shelf, totally within our reach. Quality is also not an issue.  I give you non slippy, non smudgey eyeliner and mascara that clings to my lashes not my wrinkles. How nice is that? The shades shown above are those which excite me. There are many more in this eyeliner mascara dynamic that are less shouty. But, if shouty and pouty is what you’d like, they’ve got you covered here too. Velvety matte or glossy glistening. Brilliantly they have a lipstick colour spectrum of nudes and naturals labelled Lip Lingerie. Sort yourselves out girls.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream, lipstick, NYX Cosmetics, NYX Beauty, beauty, make up.
NYX cosmetics, NYX lipsticks, lipsticks, cosmetics, beauty
NYX Vivid Brights eyeliner, NYX Cosmetics, NYX Make Up, eyeliner, cosmetics, beauty products, beauty

 All you need is the spirit of adventure. I’ve been going places ever since daughter #1 pointed out this liberating little brand.

Balmy About This

High grove Baby, Highgrove, Prince Charles,Organic Balm, Organic, balm, skincare, beauty

Balm;

  • : an oily substance that has a pleasant smell and that is used for healing, smoothing, or protecting the skin

  • : something that gives comfort or support (that could include big girl knickers, Spanx and your best girlfriends though)

My ‘press send’ this week is, that second pot of this most delicious ( yet to find Muesli with ingredients that makes me salivate as much as those listed on this tub of delight ), skincare Balm. Highgrove Baby Organic Balm is part of an  unique range created by Daniel Galvin Jr, in collaboration with Alexandra Soveral. Daniel Galvin Jr has pioneered and developed organic products for hair and beauty over the last decade and Alexandra Soveral renowned and highly respected aromatherapist and facialist, was Daniel’s first choice in helping develop this special range. The relationship Daniel has with Highgrove came through the development of the Duchy personal care range, for over a decade and the various visits to Highgrove as an Ambassador to The Prince’s Trust, and so it has continued. Alexandra Soveral is a facialist with more than average scientific, physiological and homeopathic understanding – she also spent two years studying anatomy, physiology remedial massage and the chemistry of essential oils.

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My Edited Highlights

 

Close up red hair - 1
Mrs V, Vanessa Voegele-Downing, red hair, redhead, venetian blond, pre raphaelite,
Red hair, frizzy hair, afro hair

My red hair is very unruly, very curly, very long and not in very good condition. What a spiffy challenge it is for a hairdresser. The Model Edit likes nothing better than a hairdresser who can stand their ground and intelligently explain why this, that or the short straight bob with a full frontal fringe won’t work on my head however much I really, really would like it to. Why can’t I have my hair like Christina Hendricks? My hairdresser has to have answers to all these questions and informed opinions that will deflect me from inappropriate hairstyle choices. I don’t go down easily.

Christina Hendricks, redhead, the bob hairstyle,
Luckily for me Daniel Galvin Jr is that person. I am now a very happy customer at the Daniel Galvin Jr, 4 West Halkin Street, London SW1. It has been a smooth and enlightening transition both mentally and physically. First consultation I chatted with Daniel and Olyvia, Daniel’s executive colourist. After an exchange of wants and needs (me ) and what could actually be achieved (them) the process of making my barnet look blissed out began. You’ve all been to the hairdressers so I’ll spare you the process of what ensued. Know that Mrs V, emerged all gorgeous glossy and glowy back into the polite society of London’s Knightsbridge for an hour or so then the not so polite surroundings of Dorset, mud, hay, sand and salt water, looking exactly how we discussed. I didn’t look coiffed but I did look chuffed.

Mrs V, Highgrove, The Ritz, Vanessa Voegele-Downing, www.themodeledit.com

I was totally happy with Daniel’s ‘less is more for the time being’ approach. Loved that he pointed out the often overlooked fact on a first visit to a hairdresser, that it’s a new relationship which must be learnt from either side. Daniel believes  women need to see hair as an extension of their make up. “Haircolour should be used as a cosmetic, if you have the correct make up in your hair then you should not be dashing for the make up draw in the morning to make you look healthier.  Haircolour should make your skin armed and eyes stronger”
My highlights are going to subtly change according to the season. Now that makes really sense. Why on earth would my hair colour literally stay the same colour come rain or shine? I’d like my hair to evolve and stay as naturally pretty as possible.I think I’ve found the man for the job. Even better, he encouraged me to see how I felt with the result and to return for any fine tuning necessary. Oh, I will…

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Pixi’s at Work.

Pixi Glow peel Pads, Pixi Skintreats, Hyaluronic Acid, skincare, Mrs V, Vanessa Voegele-Downing, themodeledit.com

 The May beauty crush. Pixi Glow Peel Pads

 Petra Strand  is the beauty and the brains behind the skincare brand Pixi the culmination of acquired knowledge from her 20+ years experience as a makeup artist & product developer. Pixi products are formulations infused with botanicals and beneficial ingredients. Their ethos is to create products that are multitasking, flaw-fixing and youth-enhancing for women like us with no time to spare. Goes without saying that they are the offerings of  a busy mother of four who has previous in the beauty industry and therefore knows how to cut to the chase. I like their strap line ‘ Flawless in fuss free minutes”

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An Holistic Friendship

Vincent LaRouche, Creative Director at LAFCO

Lafco, friend, Vincent Larouche, luxury, holistic, design,candles, client

Vincent is someone that I met in Paris more than 25 years ago. I was modelling and he was designing Haute Couture Gowns. Our friendship has endured through mutual admiration .Vincent deserves my undying admiration, I just cross my fingers and hope that he never notices the chinks in my armour that my 3 naughty girls have made. We share a fussy, fascination with aesthetics and a frank and honest visceral sense of humour that neither of us are afraid to vocalise. Truly, I would follow Vincent to the ends of the earth if he said there was a particularly interesting shop there or designer sale…

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Pommade is Divine

balm, pommade, skincare, healing, cinnamon, cloves, lips, skin

Whilst smearing on this treat of a potion just now, it suddenly occurred to me that in my first frenzy of excitement when I discovered this one stop pot, I tweeted about it but didn’t blog the word!. So, by my calculations, you are all running around with chapped lips and rough heels, whilst I’m wafting around quite unblemished (now)…

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Champagne Again

handcream, almond oil, essential oils, skincare

Forging ahead with my preoccupation with all things LAFCO, because they are assiduously researched and produced, and the ingredients are delicious. I will now tell you how their Champagne Reparative Hand Cream has performed for me. As a blogger that reads blogs, I do tend to enter the ‘white noise ‘area if  I am given too many details on a product. I like the bullet points and a personal recommendation .

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Champagne Everywhere

champagne, fragrance, soap, oil, skin, beauty

Look what I have here. These Champagne soaps by Lafco, are excellent for dry, aging, super sensitive or damaged skin because they give back oil and nutrients naturally. They are perfect for use on your face since they automatically balance your skins natural sebum (the skin absorbs what it needs and the rest is washed away). This soap is more like a beauty bar than just soap. When you use it, you will notice that there is a silky layer that stays on for a minute or so then is quickly absorbed. Heaven.

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Surprisingly Cheap, Beautifully Cheerful

moisturiser, hyaluronic, vitamin, retinol

Supposedly perusing the internet for something completely different like light bulbs or something, my subconscious vanity  hijacked me and suddenly I was quite happily sifting through anti wrinkle creams, truly . Don’t query the route I took to find these products from OZ Naturals, just read on.

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