The Weekend Wrap-Up #6
With extra sparkle! Facial rollers to relax you, more Christmas gifts to inspire, and sequins to shine in. PLUS, Trinny pops-up in New York next week.
Helloo, hooray for the weekend!
I’m raising my first cuppa of Saturday to you here, as we dive into an extra-shiny edition to take us into the weekend with added sparkle. A BIG welcome to new subscribers!
Don’t forget, paid subscribers also receive the weekday edition, each Tuesday, devoted to one midlife beauty, style or wellness theme and PACKED with product recs, expert tips, how-to’s and more—I’d LOVE to welcome you there!
The fact that my new favourite facial tool has festive red sparkles is a happy coincidence.
One of the brand’s best kept secrets, Clarins’ Resculpting Beauty Flash Roller has an impressive weightiness, grip and glide. It genuinely mimics the kind of movements you’d get during a pro facial massage geared towards boosting circulation and lymphatic drainage, de-puffing and de-stressing.
Of course, you can do a facial massage without tools—and there are endless tutorials online. But having something you can whip out and run over your jawline and face—working gently, as directed, and lifting the roller off your face at the end of each movement—means you’re way more likely to do it. And isn’t it amazing how much tension we can hold in the jaw (just me?).
For years, I’ve been reaching for UK Facialist Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis The Facialift tool, and I do love that, too (it’s also got a tapper-thing—*technical term*—at one end, which gently tap over your skin, to encourage sluggish circulation). Both now live in my bathroom.
Do you use any facial tools? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Speaking of skin care gadgets, I spy a facial roller in one of Trinny’s new Christmas gift sets: the Feel Pampered Gift Set. It comes with the Bounce Back moisturiser.
Designed to encourage lymphatic drainage and the circulation, it’s a traditional face roller, rather than an at-home microneedling version (Trinny does one of those, too - and on that, Alice Hart-Davis posted some cautionary advice yesterday on DIY-microneedling, in this reel).
For MBE friends in New York, Trinny London is opening a pop-up boutique in SoHo, New York City, on Monday.
The pop-up studio is due to be in place for at least four months, from 11 November. Head to 124 Prince Street, SoHo to have a play, or book a one-to-one consultation online here).
Sweaters and sparkle ✨
I’ve always been of the firm belief that sequins and sparkle are not just for Christmas, nights out—or just going out, full stop. Yesterday, I pulled out a very old, multi-coloured sequinned skirt from Zara, circa many summers ago (just add opaques, and Sequins Are Forever), threw on one of my oldest, homiest jumpers, and I never the left the house. Here’s to cosy cheer!
I love the festive London vibes in this post from Wyse London yesterday.
How gorgeous is the leopard suit worn by founder Marielle Wyse, who launched the label aged 49, after a career in TV? But I truly can’t resist the sparkly and softest sweater combo.
M&S has really brought its sparkle and shine A-game this season, with so many shimmering sequinned skirts, sparkling tulle and shiny metallics.
The sequins and knit! So Christmassy.
A few more holiday gift ideas
ICYMI, there’s MBE beauty and wellness gifting inspo galore here. Some other new arrivals, to add to the mix …
Glossier’s limited edition Chrome Beauty Bag. (Perfect for holding all the best Glossier products for midlife skin.)
And how holiday-jolly is NEOM Wellbeing’s Christmas Wish Scented Candle?
Key notes in this warming, festively-inspired limited edition include mandarin, cinnamon and tonka bean. (NEOM Wellbeing founder Nicola Elliott shares her beauty and wellness tips and makeup favourites with the MBE here.)
Or give the gift of the perfect midlife ZZZ (we can dream!): the Slip Sleepover Set, at Space NK, contains a lovely tartan silk sleep mask, designed to protect eyelashes, and two scrunchies, to minimise hair breakage overnight.
Midlife style in the wild
This week, demo’ed how to use her just-dropped, limited edition Jones Road Lip & Cheek Kit.
(Also, those RINGS!) These palettes are so handy (I keep the Miracle Balm version from the summer in my bag at all times). This one contains two Lip and Cheek Stick shades, and one of The Illuminator, an exclusive new highlighter. Pick from Golden Pink, or Golden Bronze.
Moore Gucci: Demi in London yesterday, at the photocall for Landman.
Cindy shines in a halterneck and hoops at an event this week (should we be adding ‘lava lamp’ to our Christmas wish lists?).
Gucci Westman working her makeup magic on Anne Hathaway, for the cover of French Vogue.
Among the products used was the much-loved Baby Cheeks blush stick (as featured in the MBE gift guide), in Bichette. Get expert tips on applying blush like a pro—including one from Gucci—at 10 of the best cream blushes for a gorgeous midlife glow to-go.
Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks so much for reading, and hitting ❤️ below posts, which lets Substack know you’re enjoying the MBE. I so appreciate it!
See you on Tuesday—stepping into the weekend here with you!
All that sparkle!!
Suddenly feeling the urge to rifle through the closet and find some sequins! xox