vanity notes #3
March in skincare terms; the good, the bad, and the why-did-I-buy-this...
This is a big one, somewhat by accident. We’re going to go through new entries, old favourites, my LED mask recommendations, my two step facemask theory (prompted by Kelly Klein) and then for paid subscribers I am sharing the monthly beauty scheduler I made for myself to make sure it’s not only my house that gets a Spring clean. A 4 week rolling maintenance PDF that means everything stays “just so.” Let’s get into it…
Quite a few newbies this month as March is notoriously a launch period for brands in beauty.
I laughed when I saw the name of Kiehl’s latest launch: Meltdown Recovery Cream. Was it for consumption? Could I have a lorry load? I have used my husband as a guinea pig for this and have to say, his jet lagged skin really did look better for it. Would recommend.
I love a fancy hand soap. I love fancy shower products even more. So when Hotel Mike landed in my inbox I had to say “yes please” to some samples. Even more so because my friend (Mike) is about to rent his Lisbon apartment out, and I happened to have seen him the week before. He should absolutely have this stuff in his place; it’s the same level of cool that he tries to give off (he is a Brooklyn based film creative with a beard, say no more - and I say attempts because we have known each other for 30 years and know what really lies beneath our current day “branding” - ha). This candle is SO good and I am a big fan of the shower wash.
When Gucci Westman Neville invites you to a tutorial, you go. So I did. I am mildly obsessed with her (her career, her style, her expertise) and I cannot explain how much I love the new hydrobalms. My favourite shades are Ballerina and Cafe Creme. In comparison to my much loved Hermes balms, they’re a step closer towards a lipstick - deeper colour coverage.
In this job, I rarely need to buy products. But since discovering Medicube I have been like a woman possessed. First were the exfoliating pads (incredible for cleaning pores and tightening them) - now the fixation is on their collagen gel and turmeric face masks both of which I have bought in the Amazon sale. I firmly recommend that you do the same.
Lastly, followers of my Instagram will know that I went full throttle with Uliana at LAM Clinic last week. I had my usual Botox plus a full face, neck and chest of polynucleotides. Uliana has a very specific way of doing it (she does not approve of the bubbles under your eyes) and instead subjected me to around 1600 - painless - needles that she has sent from Switzerland. She does not f*ck about. I love her. I will be sharing a lot more in a deeper post on aesthetics but as a neat placeholder: yes I would recommend.
Last autumn was quite heavy on the gifting front and I’ve spent February and March I finishing up a lot of these samples. Below are some examples…
I am incredibly sad to tell you my Goop Eye Patches have finished. RIP. They do indeed “lift and depuff” and I will miss them dearly. I am hovering over buying them again but they are a real investment. Should you have an event coming up where you want to look 10/10, get them.
I know the Caroline Hirons’ Skinrocks Jelly Cleanser was a massive hit in my house because it was left, empty, on my side of the bed. I ignored this for a few days, in the same way I ignore bin day, until he asked “what cleanser do I use now the bright pink one has finished?”. I liked this cleanser a lot. Caroline doesn’t f*ck about - she has a reputation to maintain. It cleanses, it doesn’t strip and it doesn’t irritate. I also love her stuff for pigmentation here.
I finished my Merit Double Cleanser. In truth, of all the products Merit have made I found this one tricky to use. The watery texture meant that even though it was supposed to come out as a foam, it felt like a lot of wastage as it was literally slipping through my hands. I guess if I’d applied it to a cleansing pad I wouldn’t have had this issue. Results wise, very good, but I don’t think it’s as strong as other Merit products (shout out to the Great Skin).
I has a similar issue with the Sunday Riley Aquamarine Cleanser. I am a big SR fan but I found the texture of this impossible. It was so watery that I think most of the product ended up in the sink. A real shame.
Anyone else find the resurgence of spring means a resurgence of panic over revealing their winter-skin to the world? Same. Me and body creams are having a moment. I finished a Bejia Sol De Janeiro tub and I have to say I thought it was very good for my arms and tummy. It didn’t quite hit the way others do for my cellulite-ridden thighs, but for the upper body it was fab.
On that, I have been gifted some Legology leg serum that I am planning on starting soon (once my beloved UBeauty finishes) and I have high hopes given the results I’ve seen on others.
Lastly, I don’t mean to cause a panic but my shade of Victoria Beckham Foundation Drops (and most then darker than me) are currently back in stock… go, go, go!
You can find my wider favourites on ShopMy, I have been making an effort to keep them up to date - the tabs starting with 2026 are all the recent ones. I’ve broken it down in make up regulars, body, facemasks, tech, supplements… Lots of sections, basically.
I am adding this in out of laziness because it is a question I get asked all the time in DMs. It means I have somewhere to send people. LEDs feel like a minefield and I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to try lots of them. I can imagine as a consumer it is overwhelming - so many at such varied prices. Below is a text I sent a friend over Christmas when her sister in law was after one…
A little more advice; please don’t be tempted by any super cheap options. They could well just be red fairy lights in the mask. The reason the Beauty Pie one is cheaper is because of their business model - they make the majority of their profit via their membership - so don’t be put off. I think you’d be more than happy with any of the above.
PS - my Light Salon code expired, sadly. My CurrentBody one is ANNALEDCB.
The lovely Kelly Klein gave me the idea to share this when she asked me what face masks I used. I’m not sure I’ve shared my “theory” on using face masks, perhaps on Instagram but not on Substack? Well here goes…
I have a two step process that I do once, or if I’m lucky twice a week. I have three types of face mask, here they are:
Exfoliating masks - There are glycolics and tonics where the focus is to remove dead skin. They are good for skin that needs a good buff and on their own can achieve things like “giving you the glow” and other marketing terms we have become used to.
Clay masks - Similar to an exfoliator, but, instead of removing dead skin we’re focussing on removing unnecessary sebums, spots and dirt from the skin. You would expect the skin to go red when wearing one; means it’s working. I wouldn’t do this a day before an event as if often brings out a few pimples the following day - again, means it’s worked.
Nourishing masks - Vitamin based, etc. These put goodness into the skin, but in my opinion are only really worth doing once you’ve done either 1. or 2. Otherwise you’re just layering goodness on top of gunk/dead skin/spots you don’t want.
All 3 in one go can be a bit much so mid week I’ll do something from 1. and 3, and then at the weekend I’ll do a 2. and 3. Does this make sense? I hope so… It is completely my own theory and I should note I am not remotely qualified dermatologically but at 41, I think my skin is doing quite well. My favourites for each category are below and the wider list is here.
Exfoliating: Kate Somerville Exfolikate Mask - I have a horrid feeling KS is struggling, so have been quietly stocking up on this.
Clay Masks; Omorovicza’s Thermal Cleanser was excellent in the run up to my wedding or Origins Charcoal Mask.
Nourishing Masks; it has to be Dermalogica’s MultiVitamin Mask. My favourite for at least 8 years.
And now for paid subscribers a downloadable PDF with my recommended daily, weekly, monthly (and more) care tips to ensure we stay presentable and less bridge troll…
Ok so here goes - I am expecting to get absolutely ripped apart for this so I would like to remind you of two things…