Beautiful Basics
Saturday 1st September 2007 by Elizabeth Richards
In the complicated business of all things beauty, there are those products that count as true luxuries and then there are the staples – toothpaste, shampoo, soap – that we use every day. But if, as most do, you tend to splash your cash on the treats and scrimp when it comes to the essentials, you’re getting it all wrong. Just as with fashion and interiors, the secret to true style lies in beautiful basics so take the first step in smartening up skin with an upgrade on the humble shower gel.
If you’re a morning person, choose a fresh gel power-packed with citrus, peppermint or black pepper to deliver a wake-up punch; in the evening plump for the perfect bath time wind-down body wash with stress-relieving essential oils (lavender and geranium) to ease tired bodies and minds.
Give parched areas extra hydration with a moisturising formula (buzz ingredient: monoi oil) which should also double up as shave gel for girls on the go. And for seductively scented skin, indulge in a little layering with matching body lotion to keep the fragrance going.
REN High Altitude Lavender Body Wash, £15
Naturally fragranced with oil distilled from fresh – not dried – lavender, this light wash cleanses, heals and conditions skin to leave it strokably soft and supple. Tense muscles are eased, frayed nerves soothed and the bottle looks pretty gorgeous on the shelf: what’s not to love!
Available at www.RenSkincare.com 
Liz Earle Orange Flower Botanical Body Wash, £10
With a velvety texture and the feminine scent of orange flower water, this delicious gel gets skin clean and super-hydrated in an instant and comes packaged in a no-mess bottle for easy application. Added extras for sensitive souls include organic oats to soothe, vitamin E to nourish and yarrow to purify.
Available at www.LizEarle.com
Dr Hauschka Blackthorn Body Wash, £8
If mornings are a struggle, invest in a bottle of this soap-free blackthorn wash which has a sharp citrus scent to deliver an immediate boost to exhausted brains and tired-out bodies. Soap-free and with no synthetic preservatives, it’s a natural choice for a stylish shower.
Available at www.DrHauschka.co.uk
Amanda Lacey Collina Body Wash, £22
Balancing superb cleansing and moisturising power with utterly fabulous fragrance –perfectly light with a spicy edge – this super-luxe gel leaves a scent that lingers for nose-down-your-jumper fabulousness all day long. And the packaging scores serious style brownie points thanks to Amanda Lacey’s signature pared-down styling.
Available at www.AmandaLacey.com
Hei Poa Gel Douche Bain au Monoi Vanillier, £11
For sensitive skin demanding gentle attention, this luscious shower cream lathers up to carefully cleanse and really does leave skin soft and comfortable. Fragranced with vanilla flowers for delicious wafts of post-shower scent, we especially adore the tropical floral tube print.
Available at www.HQHair.com
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