The British Beauty Blog
by Jane Cunningham since 2008

[purchase] If you don’t know Australian comedian, Celeste Barber, I can tell you that her Instagram account is one of my favourites. She has observational comedy down to a tee and one of her favourite themes is copying model poses (and failing at them but winning at the funny). She has 9.6 million followers so…

[purchase] I’ve wanted to try Isamaya products for a long time and when I saw that there was a 70% off ‘archive’ sale, I didn’t hesitate to pay £10 for the Isamaya Lash Lasso Mascara which is normally around the £35 mark. I’ve just been served the ad for the Archive sale and it looks…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I have known Jo Malone London since its very inception and it’s always so interesting to see how they develop their fragrance collection. My least favourite Jo Malone London fragrances are Pomegranate Noir (although I was burning it over Christmas and actually started to like it more) and Lime, Basil and Mandarin. I believe…

I know – it’s been a while, but somehow writing the BBN became a bit of a sticking point in my head – I just couldn’t put myself in the right frame for it. However, hopefully better late than never, here it is at last, with CEO shuffling dominating. With Aesop’s CEO, Michael O’Keefe standing…

If you’re anything like me, with ever growing Claudia envy after every episode of Traitors, fear not! While Claudia’s clothes are all bespoke, artisanal and haute, that castle in the country look can happen on any budget. I mean, not the castle, obvs, but the kit at least. I’m basing the looks around this skirt…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I will admit that I don’t get this candy-store, Care Bear kind of a look but also realise it’s not particularly aimed at my demographic (nothing much is!). If you’re keeping abreast of your Easy Bake shades, you’ll know that the last iteration was Cherry Blossom Cake and this Electric Lilac version is designed…

[unpaid/purchase/affiliate] To be truly honest, I didn’t have high expectations for the H&M Perfect Hydrating Foundation when I picked it up the other day. It looks pretty uninspiring but at the same time gave me old No.7 vibes and I like their foundations so curiosity got the better of me. I have to tell you…

[unpaid/purchase] I was at Westfield Stratford at the weekend with Max just doing some browsing and I passed a Bath & Body Works that I didn’t even know existed. When we walked in, I was immediately reminded of shopping in the USA – it smells exactly the same as Victoria’s Secret and exactly the same…

[unpaid/sample] Personally, I don’t think I’ve seen a slim pencil style concealer before – concealers tend to be wand or stick style and you make the best of the splodge that you get by blending out – although a quick search shows me that it’s a trend coming out of Japan. The new Lisa Eldridge…

[unpaid/affiliate] I have what some might call an unhealthy amount of CHANEL sunglasses, acquired over many years. The thing is, you never get rid of a pair – I found a wonderful lens replacement service and I’ve used that a few times just to revamp some very scratched lenses – so it looks like a…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] I received these Milk Makeup samples well before Christmas and have got very fond of the Lip & Cheek Creamy Sheer Blush and Lip Colour, to give it the full title. It’s the right side of sheer and the right side of pigment to give a wash of colour over the cheeks that’s both…

[purchase] My son has just come downstairs (from bed!) and immediately said, ‘what’s that amazing smell – it’s so peachy?’ and I can’t think of a better start to the review of the Smoke & Matches Peach Fizz Candle. Smoke & Matches is an independent small business knocking out better scented and more generous candles…

[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] What’s supposed to happen when I receive product samples is that they are first photographed in pristine condition, then they head off to the bathroom to be put through their paces. They come back downstairs and join the queue of products to be written up. Can you see what happened to Tatcha The Indigo…

[unpaid/sample] The Acqua di Parma Powder Soap that you see here is something I pulled from my shelves to show you because it looks like the Italian brand, founded in 1916, is discontinuing it. There is quite a plentiful supply of the alternative fragrance, Cipresso Powder, available on line which I will direct you to…

*DON’T FORGET YOU CAN FIND ME ON AD-FREE SUBSTACK HERE [unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Bright red or cosy neutral? Each to their own but these are new shade discoveries for me and I love them both. If you haven’t encountered Urban Decay Lip Bond, be prepared! I’ve got shade Unbreakable and it’s probably the most intense red that…