Product Watch: Autumn eye-shades and an Indian summer in a bottle

September’s launches include a fiery take on autumn eye-shades and an Indian summer in a bottle. Rachel Marie Walsh reports.

Jo Malone London Honeysuckle & Davana Collection

Whether there’s an Indian summer in store or grey days ahead, Jo Malone’s new cologne lets you keep a little sunshine in a bottle. Honeysuckle, a clingy plant that is thought to make the wearer dream only of their true love, makes an uplifting top note. Davana, typically used in far heavier, headier chypres, and deeply soothing, is the warm heart of the fragrance, gently dominating honeysuckle’s sweetness as the day progresses. The blend becomes increasingly alluring after dark, drying to a mossy base.

Master Perfumer Anne Flipo and Celine Roux, the brand’s Global Head of Fragrance said it brought back memories of their youthful summers. It is lovely worn alone or layered with Grapefruit or Oud & Bergamot.

Jo Malone typically removes one fragrance from its permanent collection to make way for the new. Fans of French Lime Blossom, one of the brand’s original Nineties lineup, may therefore wish to stock up as it is set to be phased out.

The Jo Malone London Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne, 30ml/€54, and Home Candle, €52, launch September 1.

NARS Climax Mascara, €25

Some brands produce mascaras at such a tare. NARS is not like this. It has been three years since the launch of Audacious Mascara, €26, notable for its red-tipped wand and the fluttery, 70s-style falsies look that frankly makes it difficult to get enough of the stuff. Climax, as the name suggests, is all about volume.

Full-on, clump-free volume that makes individual lashes look like upturned ‘C’s are one thing, getting them in one sweep clearly another.

Ribbed bristles are the secret, all the better for holding as much glossy black pigment as possible. NARS recommends touching them to the roots and tips to the upper lashes first before wiggling through. Holding the roots with the brush for five seconds creates an especially dramatic look (and adds useful lift if you’ve forgotten your curlers). The formula is moisture-rich, which looks and feels lovely but can weigh lashes down if applied too liberally. The name is quite cringeworthy but NARS’ bestsellers are called ‘Orgasm’ and ‘The Multiple.’ If it ain’t broke, push it further.

Dior Autumn 5 Couleurs ‘Rouge en Diable’ High Fidelity Eye Shadow Palette in ‘Devilish,’ €60

For Peter Philips, Creative Director for Dior Makeup, autumnal eye shades are more about fire than fading fauna.

Sparked by an ad from Dior’s archives bearing the slogan “Dior en Diable!”, he’s created two palettes featuring fiery orange, red, gold and berry hues for autumn.

Christian Dior is associated with the ‘femme-fleur’ but he was also a daring couturier,” says Philips. “He excelled in dressing his clients in angelic pink but also in an almost toxic, and thus irresistible, orange.

Orange-copper is at the heart of ‘Volcanic,’ which also includes more traditional greys and warm browns. ‘Devilish’, pictured, is a more high-fashion mix.

As with all 5 Couleurs palettes, each shadow is highly concentrated and a little product makes an impact. They are also long-wearing with radiant finishes.

Kérastase Aura Botanica Masque Fondamental Riche, €41.30

Kérastase adds a treatment mask to its near-99% natural Aura Botanica line this month. It is extremely fast-acting, managing softening, smoothing effects that last three days in just five minutes.

My patience for masks is fading, perhaps as consequence of the Korean sheet-trend or maybe just a desire to spend less time feeling a bit damp and half ‘done’ in the morning.

Either way, I appreciate a speedy deep condition because who - with the multiple steps skincare and makeup now takes - has haircare minutes to devote to product soakage? On the flip-side I cannot abandon heat-styling, so often compensate with L’Oréal Elvive Dream Lengths Heat Mask, €8.99, an oil and protein-rich balm that comes with a self-heating tissue mask to speed absorption.

Kérastase, L’Oréal’s premium brand, makes Aura Botanica with sustainability in mind.

The formula is high in Amazonian brazil nut oil, for which they work with Candela, a not-for-profit Fair Trade organisation that helps the Castañeros (Brazilian nut collectors) to preserve up to 8,000 hectares of Amazonian rainforest each year. The oil deeply penetrates the hair fibre without weighing it down.

Thai rice bran oil, another star ingredient, is sourced from Rice Fund Surin, a cooperative of 660 small-scale producers from Isaan, Thailand. Rice bran is loaded with vitamin B and protective fats that help control frizz and enhance shine. This mask works best on dry or sensitised hair.

Deciem The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%, €6.25 at BeautyBay.com

Azelaic acid is the perfect ‘booster’ to add your skincare regime this month.

This ingredient can noticeably improve post-acne marks, poor skin texture, redness or sun damage without the sensitising results of home peels.

Azelaic acid is a grain extract and tricky to stabilise (like Vitamin C, which also improves the above issues), so typically does not feature in moisturisers in a high enough concentration to do much. This suspension is not only effective but has a silky cream-gel texture that is not sticky and blends well with skincare and makeup.

You can use it alone or as a spot treatment, though wearing any acid without an SPF in daytime is a bad idea.

Azelaic acid is quite soothing on its own but The Ordinary’s formula also includes Vitamin E, as well as enough silicones to double as primer. It is also fragrance-free and benefits all skin-types.