vanilla body butter

2011 has been a great year for cutting-edge technology skin creams, debut fragrances from luxury fashion houses and niche brands becoming cult ‘must haves’ in the UK.

Here are a few products that have stood out and become firm favourites this year…

Nanoblur – After a few application teething problems with the best-selling optical, quick-fix anti-ageing skin cream, Nanoblur is now my beauty best friend! It works wonders on fine lines and instantly refreshes skin, but most importantly, it slicks away excess oil, so it’s perfect for those of us with combination to oily skin.

Bottega Veneta – The debut fragrance from the Venetian luxury leather and fashion house is unique, captivating and a joy to wear. It has become my everyday scent and I still get a fleeting moment of euphoria with each spritz!

shu uemura uv under base mousse – This weight-less mousse evens out the skin, conceals redness and tightens pores, ready for foundation. It’s another discovery that has become an everyday essential.

Shan Rahimkhan – I had the pleasure of meeting and being styled by Iranian, Berlin-based hair expert Shan Rahimkhan this year. His natural, luxurious and incredibly stylish hair products give unrivalled volume and just make your hair feel great!

Sodashi – This natural-luxe Australian brand has become a fast favourite, as all of the products feel so soothing and nourishing. The Rejuvenating Face Mist has saved me on long flights and the Vanilla Body Butter is just so nourishing.

NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer – This incredibly light gel-crème primer calms skin using natural extracts and the mineral powders help control oily t-zones – once again, a good bet for combination to oily skin.

Caudalie Vinoperfect – Caudaline Vinoperfect Cell Renewal Night Cream and Enzyme Peel Mask revitalise and exfoliate skin without any harsh effects. Used together, they freshen the appearance of skin and definitely help reduce the signs of pigmentation.

Balenciaga Paris – The first fragrance from the French luxury fashion house, Balenciaga Paris is a modern classic of chypre violets, lucid cool florals and metallic aldehyde. Like Nicolas Ghesquière’s muse Charlotte Gainsbourg, it’s chic and effortlessly cool with a renowned heritage…j’adore!

What was your beauty hero of 2011? Which product could you not live without?

* Samples

Natural skincare is quickly becoming more advanced and a real, viable alternative to high end spa products with the results to match.

One of the most luxurious natural body and skincare brands that I’ve been lucky enough to try is Sodashi – an Australian company using high quality chemical-free ingredients and ethically-sourced essential oils.

Founded by Megan Larsen in 1999, Sodashi adopts a holistic approach to well-being and means wholeness, purity and radiance in Sanskrit.

Products are formulated using a a unique combination of biochemistry, aromatherapy and Ayurvedic principles.

The Sodashi range is made for women and men and the sleek black packaging and aromatic scents will surely appeal to both. There is something very sensual and warming about Sodashi products, which is perhaps down to this sharing approach.

I tried the Vanilla Body Butter (€109/250ml) and was surprised to find that it doesn’t have a typical vanilla scent – in fact, it’s distinctly more herbal.

The Vanilla Body Butter comes in a generously-sized black glass pot with a white scoop and is very thick and creamy in texture.

As it is a high quality product, a little goes a long way and it feels rich, smooth and just the right side of oily on the skin.

I used the body butter at night and when I awoke in the morning, the results were impressive! My skin felt smoother, more toned and nourished. The cream absorbs well, so there was very little excess and it even brought relief to a mild patch of eczema.

Another favourite from the range is the Rejuvenating Face Mist (€100/100ml) and it has quickly become my travel beauty staple for rehydrating my face and indeed rebalancing my sanity after a sticky London tube journey.

It has a subtle, invigorating aromatic scent and simultaneously calms and refreshes the skin with natural ingredients such as damask rose, almond oil, atlas cedarwood, lime and grapefruit seed oil.

I also tried the Eye and Lip Smoother (€135/30ml), which has a light, oil-based texture and is a great everyday treatment. It’s more of a nourishing and relaxing cream than those zingy gel-cremes that tighten and pop your eyes in the morning.

It absorbs quickly and leaves the eyes feeling relaxed, hydrated and comfortable.

Sodashi really is at the top end of luxury natural skincare and the prices reflect this, but the superior quality of the ingredients mean that the products last a long time.

The four travel kits (€198) contain six travel size products, including the full-size Eye and Lip Smoother, so they are ‘good value’ and an introduction to the brand, to make sure they really work for you.

To see the full collection and to buy online, visit:www.sodashi.de Get regular beauty tips and spa advice from the Sodashi experts on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

All Sodashi products were given as samples.

Favourite Beauty Discoveries Of 2011

Chérie Loves: Sodashi