Emma Day, makeup artist and the beauty blogger behind Lady Day Makeup, talks us through the hero products that have earned pride of place on her bathroom shelf...
'When I was younger, I was completely obsessed by Beatrice Dalle from the 80s film Betty Blue. She was so sexily French with her brown bob, red lips and cool style - Azzedine Alaïa, breton tops and large hoop earrings. I thought she was amazing! My mum was pretty glamourous as well as being very beautiful and she had a few bits of late 70s Chloé in her wardrobe which I thought was very cool. When she went off to dinner parties with my dad I used to forage about in her dressing table and put her makeup on very secretively and then dress up in her clothes! Never got caught!
I have always been very diligent with my skincare as I had awful prolonged teenage skin breakouts from 15 to my late 20s. I was incredibly self conscious about it so when I see people with the same issues I am very empathetic. I am product obsessed but tend to generally favour the organic and natural brands - plant essences over synthetic smells and chemicals are my preference. I'm now all about anti-aging fixes and keeping my skin as radiant as possible.
Living in a city and having oily skin means that I need to work extra hard to keep my skin clean and so I do a detox mask a couple of times a week while I am having a bath. Caudalie's Instant Detox Mask, £22 at Caudalie, lifts out the nasties and refines your skin texture. I am a huge fan of Caudalie and have many of their products. All my clients are very happy when I use Sisley on them. Black Rose Oil, £136 at Sisley Paris, is miraculous for pepping up tired and dehydrated skin. I use it at night with a serum for a double whammy of moisture infusion. You wake up with baby soft dewy skin and it smells wonderful. Pricey but worth the investment.
At the moment I'm using Jurlique's Nutri Define Facial Serum, £86 at SpaceNK, every morning and I love it. It's concentrated with a battalion of active ingredients and melts nicely into the skin - it doesn't make the skin feel tight so makeup glides nicely onto it. Another serum I adore is the IS Clinical Youth Serum, £126 at Effortless Skin. It was sent to my agency randomly when I was in LA and I didn't use it for a bit. I didn't know much about the brand apart from the fact Rosie Huntington Whitely loves it but it really is a wonder worker.
Another skincare range I am a big fan of is Omorovicza. I met the founders of this brand recently and was really impressed by them. Inspired by the natural minerals in their spa in Budapest (a place I really need to check out) I really love its Refining Facial Polisher, £65 at Cult Beauty. It smells great and the texture is ideal for achieving that squeaky clean refined skin we all want. My skin always looks wildly healthy after using it.
Like many of us - I am completely in love with Diptyque. From the candles and perfumes to the skincare - everything about this brand is so considered and outstandingly beautiful. I love the Luxurious Hand Balm, £22 at SpaceNK - I use it before I go to bed. The rich texture nourishes your hands.
I am really bonkers and obsessive about perfume and started a blog so I could discover more about it. Ormonde Jane Tolu, £90 at Selfridges, totally got my heart - it's a really grown up and yet softly feminine perfume that I always go back to. It's smells slightly powdery on me with a seductive element that I love. I also love Bella Freud's set of fragrances. I have known Bella for about 20 years. I worked with her when I was a fashion stylist and she has always been one of the coolest and most stylish women I know. I love her perfume and candle collaborations with Azzi Glasser and her amber smelling signature eau de parfum, £75 at Selfridges, is just beautiful. It's soft and intriguing and my favourite from her perfumes. Smells great on a man too.
I have been collecting Fornasetti bits over recent years and now friends know a bit better what to get me for birthdays! I have seven candles now and it's hard to choose a favourite but I really adore the white floral scent of this Flora Scented Candle, £115 at Selfridges. What I love about Fornasetti's candles is that you have a beautiful pot to keep once the candle is long gone - the potency of the scent transforms the atmosphere of a room in such an elegant way.
