dead sea minerals

As online beauty retail continues to grow, it can be difficult to remember the names and who sells what, but I always find myself returning to boutique sites that offer a carefully selected range of niche brands and products.

NUUSUITE.com is a new UK-based beauty website that offers a selection of handpicked products for all skin and hair types and beauty concerns.

Founded by a make-up artist with over 10 years of experience in the beauty industry, NUUSUITE brings together products that they have found most effective and even have UK exclusives of Make-Up Designory and Amazon Series.

I was invited by NUUSUITE to try some products from two of their beauty brands, Gielly Green and Lubatti.

Founded by Fred Gielly and Shai Greenberg, Gielly Green is a London Marylebone boutique hair salon with a holistic approach to beauty and styling. Gielly Green Boutique Collection is a luxurious range of natural hair products, formulated from the world’s finest ingredients.

I was given the Gielly Green Nourish Mask (£29.50) to try, as I needed to bring life back into my hair and repair it after a period of over-styling.

The mask has a thick consistency and is packed full of Dead Sea minerals, with a deliciously rich pamplemousse and cassis fragrance. Leave it in for 10-15 minutes before washing out and the results are astounding. My hair really soaked up the mask and felt significantly more hydrated and manageable after use.

It helps to define my curl and leave my hair volumised at the root (not at all weighed down). The monochrome packaging is stunning and makes it feel like a real treat to use, which is a real incentive when you just don’t feel like making the extra effort!

The story behind the Lubatti brand is fascinating and worth a mention. Madame Lubatti was a well-known skincare specialist in 1920s London, who treated the city’s society ladies, royalty and celebrities such as Vivien Leigh from her plush apartment.

Renowned facialist Tracey Malone’s motner Eileen was trained by Madame Lubatti and so her recipes and treatments have been passed down the family and luckily for us, are now available as the Lubatti collection.

I tried the Deliciously Rich Body Lotion – Bergamot & Grapefruit (£22.50) and absolutely love it. Although it says ‘rich’ on the bottle, it’s actually quite light in texture but rich in aroma. It’s perfect for the upper body and using on the go, as it sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave an oily residue.

I like to apply it in the morning, as the zesty citrus scent and invigorating bergamot instantly uplift the body and awake the senses – exactly what you need to kick start your day!

I discovered the Yes To skincare brand a few years ago when working on a magazine website and loved the idea of capturing the vitamins and powerful anti-oxidants found in fruit and veg and packing them all into a pot of cream. Yes To Carrots and Yes To Cucumber weren’t quite right for my skin type, but the newly launched Yes To Tomatoes is formulated for oily/combination skin, so I tried out the Facial Hydrating Lotion (£11.99 for 50ml).

Yes To Tomatoes face care range combines the powerful anti-oxident lycopene with organic tomatoes, watermelon, red peppers, rosemary, camomile and dead sea minerals to help absorb surface oil, balance the complexion and add moisture to dehydrated areas without clogging pores. It’s 99.6% natural and is free from parabens, petroleum and SLS – perfect for those with sensitive, allergy-prone skin.

Having used Dr Hauschka Normalising Facial Oil for the past 9 months, the prospect of going back to a facial lotion was pretty daunting, but I was amazed at the texture and feel of the Facial Hydrating Lotion.

Only a tiny amount is required for the whole face and as soon as I massaged it in, I could feel it instantly cooling and moisturising my skin, particularly on the more dehydrated areas. The lotion provides more coverage than the Dr Hauschka facial oil, so you feel that every part of your face has been hydrated and nourished.

The lotion sinks in quickly and leaves skin feeling velvety soft and plump. There are no drying effects like some harsher mattifying products and there is no oily residue that you might experience from a regular day cream for normal skin.

On the first day of my trial, I road tested it on an extreme day of heat, PR appointments and multiple tube journeys in central London. The lotion held its own against the elements and there were no signs of make-up melting off or any irritation. I’ve been wearing it every day since and found that I don’t need to use as much of my YSL Top Secrets primer, as my skin texture is softer, hydrated and more even.

I can’t report any dramatic differences to my skin just yet, however, it feels more hydrated and less stressed from dehydration, so hopefully in time it will help reduce my breakouts and improve the general skin texture.

The Yes To range is affordably priced (from £7.99 to £11.99) and some of the proceeds from sales goes to the Yes To Carrots Seed Foundation, a non-profit organisation that helps change lives through sustainable agriculture.

Yes To Tomatoes face, body and hair range is available to buy from www.victoriahealth.com and selected store nationwide.

Chérie City

Gielly Green & Lubatti at NUUSUITE.com

Tried, Tested and Loved: Yes to Tomatoes