The brilliant Fiona Klonarides founded The Beauty Shortlist in 2009 and in just a few short years, has transformed her hub of beauty wit and wisdom into one of the UK’s top ten blogs. Fiona and her team leave no pot unopened on their quest to discover the very best in beauty, and every year bestow coveted ‘Beauty Shortlist Awards’ upon their favourite, bathroom cabinet must-haves.
Fiona has generously taken time out of her hectic January schedule (the beauty contenders are currently being shortlisted for the shortlist). to tell us which Cult Beauty lovelies she’ll be relying on in 2014…
Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Emma Watson and Maggie Gyllenhaal are fans of Aussie brand MV Organic Skincare, and once you’ve tried this stellar cleanser you’ll understand why. My skin hates being ‘stripped’ and this creamy formula works perfectly with my beloved LUNA.
2. {DISCOVERY KIT}
If you only discover one brand in 2014, make it Therapie. Arompatherapist Michelle Roques-O’Neil’s capsule collection has become my go-to ‘stress-less, live more’ mind and body brand – her Discovery Kit is great value, packed with generous travel sizes, and is a beautiful quintet to dip into during the bleak mid winter.
Scary thought of the month? ‘Bikini season’. Luckily, summer is still sufficiently far in advance to prepare for it, so start liberally applying ‘Get Waisted’ like, yesterday!
4. {START OVER EYE CREAM}
There’s lots of love around for this now-almost-cult eye treatment and it’s high on my 2014 must-try list.
Jouer’s has to be one of the best tinted moisturisers I’ve found on my beauty travels and if there’s one thing that can ‘lift your appearance’ in less than 60 seconds on a down day, it’s a stellar tinted moisturiser.
6. {INTENSIVE REPAIR CONDITIONER}
‘Fly away to somewhere sunny’ is good. Flyaway hair is bad. Sachajuan’s Intensive Repair Conditioner is like a conditioning drink for winter worse-for-wear hair.
7. {COVET WATERPROOF EYELINERS}
Brush tipped eyeliners and my eyelids don’t get along that well, but felt pen-tipped, or twist-up ones like this one, do. With eyeliner still headlining well into 2014, I’ll be adding Anastasia’s gorgeous shimmering copper and metallic charcoal to my (currently) jet black collection.
London brand Oskia won Best British Skincare Brand in the 2012 Beauty Shortlist Awards and it’s still one of my favourites. Their collagen-boosting MSM, silica, peppermint and rosehip balm conditions skin while exfoliating and if your complexion, like mine, takes offence at being ‘sand-blasted’, this will polish and refine it without any scrubbing – plus, the ingredients read like a dream.
9. {MAGNETIC LASH}
I tried Magnetic Lash a couple of months ago – and it really does work in a different way. It’s really two mascaras in one, a base mascara and a lash extender. Brilliant for instant Bambi-long lashes without the tremendous faff of falsies.
10. {GORSE EAU DE TOILETTE}
Impossible to describe and possibly one of the most original scents on the market, if you love the smell of a gorse-bound English meadow in summer, this fragrance will remind you of bygone hazy days, idling in the sunshine as puffy white clouds float aimlessly across the big, bright blue British sky…
Follow Fiona (and team) on twitter @beautyshortlist.