Beauty discoveries 2014

Vasilisa Naumenko, beauty editor:

– What a difficult choice – to decide what you liked the most for the whole year. I counted at least 15 products that surprised me. But the decision came instantly: you need to choose something that I have never written about, and that which is in the arsenal of almost any girl.

So, the testing period is a year, the product is a foundation, or rather a fluid with the effect of radiance and light tan, as well as spf protection.

LES BEIGES by Chanel is a tool that I met at a master class by Ernest Muntaniol, the main makeup artist of a French brand in Russia, and instantly wanted to get this fluid.

Opponents of bronzate, self-tanning and red skin can immediately say that the fluid is presented in three fairly light shades and does not darken the skin, but creates the effect of a healthy glow.

Light texture: with my permanently dry skin, which, by the way, literally in a month was saved by the intelligent repairing serum Clinique Smart, the fluid is applied very easily and maintains perfect makeup all day and even night, tested at the New Year’s party!

Thanks to the complex of plant cells from cotton flowers and white rose, the fluid soothes the skin, and the SPF15 filter allows you not to use additional products when sunny days.

It also contains a hyaluronic acid derivative that instantly moisturizes the skin and creates comfort for it.

These are the products (the second is the serum from Clinique) that I discovered in 2014.

Olga Turbina, editor of the section “Sex and Relationships”:

– I have always dreamed of matte, even and radiant skin. Finally, my wish came true. I had never tried any oils for facial skin before, but when I saw Loreal oil, I decided to try it. And I was delighted! This is my main discovery this year.

Luxurious Nutrition Extraordinary Facial Oil is a magical remedy! As written in the instructions, the oil contains eight essential oils: lavender, rosemary, geranium, orange, rose, marjoram, lavender and chamomile.

The bottle is only 30 ml. But it will be enough for a long time, because 2-3 drops are enough for one application. The oil is immediately absorbed, instantly feeling tenderness and comfort on the skin.

I applied the product every morning and evening, after cleansing the skin, as well as before applying makeup.

At first I thought it was somehow delusional to apply oil before applying makeup. Although oil does not leave a greasy film, oil is oil and it will still be shiny.

Oh, how much I was wrong! Having tried, for the sake of experiment, to apply oil before makeup, I was delighted. Makeup lay down as lightly and smoothly as ever. It was amazing! The feeling of comfort did not leave me all day.

Now this oil is my little secret. I will never part with him. I highly recommend this miracle to you! I’ve never been so happy with my skin in my life!

Yulia Gaponova, managing editor:

– I love niche perfumery and have long been a fan of this brand. However, I still did not have a clear favorite – either the fragrance was too oriental for me, then too stifling. In fact, finding your own scent is very difficult.

When I first managed to listen to the new fragrance Amouage Sunshine, I confess right away that I was impressed. This novelty is not quite in the spirit of Amouage, but I was simply captivated by bright fresh notes, a light fruity aroma, the most delicate aftertaste of light bitterness of almonds and vanilla, which then reveal honey tints. For me, this novelty came up perfectly, turned out to be resistant and lasted almost a day on the skin and hair. Plus, I think it’s the perfect scent for both the spring / summer and cold seasons.

I also appreciated the rainbow bottle of a sunny shade, for me it is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy cool day. In general, I am very pleased with the new product. There seems to be one more favorite for me.

Kristina Semina, editor of the “Lifestyle” column:

– I used to work in the beauty industry, so it’s quite difficult to surprise me with cosmetic know-how. For the last year and a half I have been using my old usual beauty products and have enjoyed life. However, by the end of the year, she decided to exclude chemistry from the ritual of personal care and switch to a natural product. She started looking for ecological brands, giving preference to Russian ones. And then on the Internet in one of the blogs I came across a review of the Chocolatte brand. I started reading about the brand and other reviews, found the official website, studied it and decided to try hair line products.

First of all, I’ll tell you what attracted me to the Chocolatte brand. Here are a few points that I hope the manufacturer has sincerely described.

Firstly, only natural ingredients are added to the cosmetics, which, by the way, are produced in Siberia. For example, the phyto shampoo for hair restoration contains a decoction of soap nuts, dandelion, mint and calendula roots, nettle and thyme extracts, lemon and rosewood essential oils. In general, such a good set of components that our great-great-grandmothers mixed.

Secondly, the products are not tested on animals!

Thirdly, I was attracted by the democratic price. Shampoo costs a little more than 200 rubles, herbal oil for hair – 150! I am not chasing cheapness, but I know for sure that there are many excellent products among the mass market, just like luxury brands have bad ones.

And the last thing. You can order cosmetics online, delivery by courier is carried out within two days. It is very convenient for me, there is no need to waste time on a trip to the store.

Now about what happened in practice. I ordered almost all hair products: phyto shampoo, conditioner, oil, and mousse shampoo. And I still could not resist and bought a hydrolat for the face and hair and a lip balm with menthol.

I have not been using these Chocolatte products for a very long time, so I have not noticed much result. But the herbal aroma and pleasant texture made me very happy. So far, my favorite is the chocolate mousse shampoo. In texture, it resembles a sorbet, it needs to be taken out of the jar, and on the hands it immediately melts.

Nastya Obukhova, editor of the Fashion and Shopping section:

– 2014 for me personally was rich in discoveries. I got to know the less Is More hair care brand, the purist Australian cosmetics A’Kin, and other Cosmotheka products. True, we are not talking about her at all and not even about the wonderful heather water that I brought from Riga.

It was in 2014 that I paid special attention to high-quality natural cosmetics and organics, but even despite the fact that everything I tried at Cosmotheka caused me (and most importantly, my skin and hair) a wild delight, I was always on the lookout for something new and exciting. The fact that some Western brands create and produce amazingly effective and at the same time safe for my extremely capricious skin products did not surprise me at all and does not surprise me until now.

The same cannot be said about the cosmetics of Russian manufacturers. That is why my main discovery of the past 2014 was an unusual find – a Russian natural brand whose products really work. Pure Love cosmetics, created by the girl Katerina Karpova, captivated me even before I decided to try it. Everything – from the formulation of the products to the design of the bottles – made a lasting impression on me.

And the fact that Katerina, for the sake of her beloved, changed her specialization and was educated as a cosmetic production technologist, generally struck in the very heart. However, special knowledge is required to create effective products!

In general, I bought several Pure Love products at once and did not regret the money spent. I have very moody, thin skin, with rosacea, oily sheen, dryness, sensitive areas, enlarged pores and other problems – a real “gentleman’s kit”.

I am not allowed to use products containing silicones and alcohol. Needless to say, I choose cosmetics for my face very carefully. The cream – both day and night – turned out to be the best in all 28 years of my life. The skin looks healthier, the tone is evened out, the redness and inflammation are practically gone. And this is just a couple of months of use. All products are natural as much as possible in the beauty industry. That is why their shelf life is only six months. At the same time, you need to store all this magic only in the refrigerator.

And this, in turn, further strengthened my confidence in the brand. Pure Love is my love for life. By the way, Pure Love, in addition to tonics, foams for washing, creams, shower gels and other things, also has a line of selective fragrances that I have yet to try.

Victoria De, Deputy Chief Editor:

– You can look really perfect only by using expensive cosmetics. Think so too? But in vain! I was convinced from personal experience that the means of the middle price category are able to hide all skin imperfections no worse, and sometimes even better than those, from the price tags of which the teeth unwittingly drive.

For example, the Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin foundation is beyond praise (although it costs only 364 rubles!). Easy to apply, does not leave streaks on the skin, and most importantly, it lasts throughout the day.

The texture of the product is quite dense. At the same time, the Maybelline base does not dry the skin, but it perfectly masks the circles under the eyes and looks great on the skin. After applying it, there is no “mask” feeling.

10 out of 10. I recommend it to everyone!

Victoria De, Deputy Chief Editor:

– Are you looking for a blush that fits perfectly on the skin, does not wear off and at a reasonable price? Then Vivienne Sabo from the Mon Amur kit was created especially for you. I’ve been using tone # 51 (a collection of pink shades) for a week and can’t get enough of it. It is easy to apply, lasts a long time, and most importantly, the blush looks very natural. I wish all cosmetics were like this!

Victoria De, Deputy Chief Editor:

– Pamper yourself every night? With body oil from The Body Shop, this dream will come true! It’s no secret that aromas can influence our mood. Believe it or not – every time I open a jar of this product, I involuntarily close my eyes and start smiling – I really like its aroma: natural, I just want to eat it!

The oil is quickly absorbed and moisturizes perfectly. After prolonged use, the skin becomes literally velvety. The tool fully justifies its cost. I advise everyone!

Natalya Zheldak, editor-in-chief of the Woman’s Day portal:

– If I was allowed to take only one remedy from my huge cosmetic bag to a desert island, I would grab Chanel eyebrow shadow. Because what is the use of cream or lip gloss on the island. And so I will make a perfect eyebrow in front of the natives, maybe they will not eat it. Joke! But only in the part of the aborigines.

Chanel eyebrow shadows are perfect for me. The palette is three-color, it will suit the owners of any hair color. The set includes two brushes – hard and a brush, small tweezers. I immediately sowed the tweezers somewhere, the comb did not impress me at all, but the hard brush is just a delight! It perfectly distributes shadows of a fairly dense texture, there is not even a hint that the eyebrows are tinted – just a natural and well-groomed look. And what for me is perhaps the main plus – makeup takes two minutes. As a result, even on the days when I give my face a break from makeup, I still use eyebrow shadows.

But the only drawback, perhaps, is the price of the palette. I remember the fox circling around the Chanel samples in the store until I decided to make this purchase.