Beauty: This is what happiness smells like
Sisley’s uplifting classic is a year-round boost
Beauty is filled with new launches – rafts and rafts of them. But sometimes I really like to focus on a classic, an old firm favourite, something that has truly stood the test of time, because all too often these gems can be overlooked as we chase the thrill of the new.
So this week I want to write an ode to Eau de Campagne eau de toilette by Sisley Paris (from £73 for 50ml). My word, this is one of the most wonderful fragrances you’ll ever find: a fresh but warm smell, cosseting yet somehow also liberating and uplifting – even easy-breezy – as it conjures up the joy of being out in the countryside with its notes of tomato leaf, basil, wild herbs, jasmine, lily of the valley, geranium, oakmoss and patchouli.
But simply listing all of these ingredients – even saying it’s like a ‘fresh green breeze’, as the marketing materials do – doesn’t come close to how it feels to simply breathe it in. It’s joyfulness bottled, yet also packed with sophistication, innocent but somehow knowing at the same time. It’s good all year round – even in full summer sun – but for some reason I often come back to it in the autumn and feel comforted by its burst of freshly cut grassiness as the leaves in real life start to turn shades of brown.
It was created in 1976 by Jean-Claude Ellena (who, as serious fragrance followers will know, went on to be the in-house nose at Hermès for many years where he created another perfect classic, Terre d’Hermès. Interestingly both of these scents are perfect unisex offerings).
However you experience Eau de Campagne it’s always a winner. The classic EDT and the Bath Oil (£70.50 for 125ml) are my favourites but I also love simply using the Scented Soap (£25), which elevates every hand wash. sisley-paris.com
Two-in-one skincare
A season of tinted serum launches seems to be upon us. Which is good, especially if your skin is prone to dehydration, as these offer lightweight and natural-looking coverage (though buildable should you want it) and come with skincare benefits to add moisture.
First is Typology with its first skincare/ make-up hybrid simply called Teint Tinted Serum (£25.80, uk.typology.com). It comes in six shades, which doesn’t sound like a lot but because of its adaptive technology each shade can work for a range of tones (I used shade 2: Clair, which looked a tad too dark for me in the bottle but actually worked perfectly). This formula is silicone- and fragrance-free, comes with vitamin C to brighten plus aloe vera and squalane to moisturise and hydrate.
Trinny London has come up with BFF Serum De-Stress (£39, trinnylondon.com). This comes in 12 shades and focuses on including ingredients (technically known as NP-TriOX) that help the skin to protect itself from external aggressors such as pollution and HEV light from screens. It also contains hyaluronic acid to help with hydration but isn’t greasy. What you end up with is a very natural colour that lasts the day and is light and breathable on the skin.