Code8 on Burlington Arcade are purveyors of the most beautiful cosmetics, with a less-is-more approach. With winter faces needing a little extra help at this time of year, the experts at Code8 have everything needed to help you look the best version of yourself, using just a few select, hard-working products.
We are already life-long fans of the company’s Radiate Beauty Balm — a heavenly, tinted moisturiser which is so light and fresh it can be applied quickly with fingers, and built up to a lovely, glowing finish. We were excited to try their new, long-wearing, Day To Night Foundation for something with the same credentials but which works harder in terms of long-lasting coverage.
At this time of year many of us are running around town between meetings, school plays, then often straight out to a Christmas party, so we need makeup that will take us between each, without worrying about redoing a whole face when we have our hands full.
For the time poor, this new, medium coverage, buildable foundation lasts an impressive 12 hours, yet doesn’t look heavy, and works both day and evening thanks to its soft-focus demi-matte finish. The ease of the applicator wand means it can be applied quickly — in the back of a taxi if needs must — and just to the areas that need it. It works under eyes to disguise tell-tale dark circles, and also to calm redness. Touch up where you need, or use it all over — the jack of all trades foundation.
When you go to the boutique the Code8 Makeup Artists will try a few shades of the Day To Night Foundation to get the right tone. There are 15 options meaning the perfect shade for you will certainly be amongst them. They might choose something deeper to warm up the complexion, or spot on to unify tones. The luxurious product contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to ensure a radiant, velvety finish. It goes on seamlessly, and is almost undetectable, yet lasts all day — surely the holy grail when it comes to foundation?
Finish your look from the in house products which you will also become addicted to. A finely-milled blush, a perfect highlighter for added glow, and then why not add a smokey eye to be ready for an evening ahead? Their Iconoclast eye palettes house beautiful pigments, and with the chicest packaging would make an excellent gift.
For the person who has everything:
Code8 offers a bespoke lipstick service, where clients create a colour that’s totally unique to them alongside the makeup artists on hand. Their experts look at colourings, discuss current favourites, and craft a lipstick there and then, mixing up colours together and creating a miniature laboratory — mesmerising. The clever end result will transform a client’s eyes from sludge to vibrant, bring out hair colours and enhance skin and teeth, too — the power of the perfect lipstick should never be underestimated.
-
Alan Titchmarsh: Patience is in short supply today, but learning when to crack on and when to leave well alone will do your garden wondersAlam Titchmarsh cannot wait to get to work in his brand new garden, but acting too soon could have long-lasting ramifications.
-
I'm thinking about the ice and wasting an afternoon on AutotraderIn this week's Glovebox, we consider why we love being on the ice so much, and where you can buy Heathcliff's carriage from Wuthering Heights. Important questions, as always.
-
Couture’s best-kept secretBased in the heart of London’s Belgravia, Stewart Parvin’s timeless womenswear guarantees the wearer will make an impression, whatever the social occasion.
-
Jewels of the Mediterranean: Luxury multi-generational villa holidaysThe Thinking Traveller have some of the finest villas in the Mediterranean on their books for multi-generational holidays. Here are just a few of the highlights.
-
Diamonds are a man’s best friendMale interest in jewellery is on the rise, with gypsy and signet rings proving especially popular, according to renowned jeweller Hancocks.
-
The beauty of bespoke: A journey with Julia Lloyd GeorgeGoing bespoke with Julia Lloyd George means getting not just a piece of jewellery, but a lifelong treasure.
-
Hancocks: Sparkle of geniusHistoric jewellery firm Hancocks, now in its new St James’s home, specialises in old-cut diamonds pieces that gleam and turn heads even in low light.
-
The glittering new home of Hancocks London, the jeweller that makes the Victoria CrossThe new home of Hancocks London celebrates the historic brand’s history of making exquisite jewellery and providing the bespoke service that befits them.
-
High in the saddleCece Fein Hughes crafts exquisite jewellery inspired by the natural beauty of her native Dartmoor and the grace and elegance of horses.
-
G. Collins & Sons: Experts in the exquisiteG. Collins & Sons has been a beacon of experience and expertise in the world of fine jewellery for the past 40 years.
