Raving is a regular occurrence here at VDM, but it’s rare for me to propose something as a ‘need‘. A two minute hint of tint giver for your legs, the perfect blush brush and a photoshopping palette of concealing wonder, as gorgeous as they are, fit more into the ‘only if you really want it‘ category, but the products being pushed into the spotlight today are much more of a necessary stash must have. The ‘Do-It-All’ balms;Â perfect for tending to chapped lips, dry patches and a whole list of first aid functions just to name a few of their uses – you got one? Fab, feel free to read the rest of this post with your fingers in your ears with a ‘I’m not listening’ hum, but you haven’t? Then I’ll run you down my favourites.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream is the longstanding pillar of this product category, originally formulated back in the ’30’s. With a petroleum base and dosed up with Vitamin E I actually tend to use this for more cosmetic jobs now; adding a touch of shimmer-free shine to the cheekbones, below brows and any other areas I wish to ramp up the glow. A good multi-tasker and if you’re after a balmy highlighter without any pigment this is just the ticket.
The French version of the multi-tasking balm bestseller is Homeoplasmine; tubes of which can be found stocking the shelves of BeautyMART in the UK for around £6. The ingredients don’t differ to much from Eight Hour (petroleum based again, but with Boric Acid and Calendula), where it does sit apart from it is in its texture. It’s bizarrely matte, making it a nice lip offering for lads, girls who don’t want their pout to look too glossy or as a non-interfering lipstick base.
Another good all-rounder is African Botanics’ Marula Intense Skin Repair Body Balm. Too oily to plaster onto lips, but fab for the rest of your body. The ingredients list reads like a who’s who of the healing and soothing worlds: Marula Essential Oil, Chamomile, Honey, Aloe Vera – with no nasties to be seen. It’s pricey, but do as I did and nab yourself a sample size pot and scoop some in from a very generous friend (thanks Amelia!) or head to your nearest Space NK. Gals whose skin sits on the drier side of proceedings, this is the one for you.
My favourite of the bunch, and coincidently my Mum’s too is the Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream, Japans take on the Eight Hour formula. With Glycerin giving it its hydration kick I find this to be the most nourishing of the bunch, especially on the lips. It’s the most moisturiser-like in texture and has a camphor scent that fades on thrown on – it’s a good’un for face, limbs and feet too. Definitely worth sniffing out, if you can handle a menthol whiff on application.
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