Interview date
12th September 2010
Alice Hart-Davis is an award-winning beauty journalist who writes as a freelance for many newspapers and magazines (including the Daily Mail, The Times, Red and Marie Claire) on all aspects of beauty, health, wellbeing and anti-ageing. With her eldest daughter, she has written the best-selling teen beauty bible, “Be Beautiful: every girl’s guide to hair, skin and make-up” (Walker Books, £9.99). She recently launched Good Things, a range of skincare designed to make the most of young skin. Alice down tools to reveal her beauty and fashion secrets.
Do you use self-tan products?
I do in the summer. I’ve written so much about how bad tanning is for the skin that I don’t dare lie in the sun on holiday, but I love looking tanned so use buckets of self-tan instead (much quicker than lying sweating by the pool for hours, too). And I’m still using gradual-tan moisturiser now, trying to pretend the summer isn’t really over…
What self-tan brands do you swear by?
I love Famous Dave’s tanning mousse which gives a really good – darker – colour, and He-Shi gradual tan. And Clinique’s Self-Sun (I get to try loads of products in this job). But my real favourite for the past two years, which I always come back to, is St Tropez Self-tan Enhancer. It gives a fabulous colour and smells much better/ much less than anything else.
What are your favourite make-up brands?
Oh eek, how long have you got? I can’t choose, I love them all! Right now I’m into Illamasqua’s dark autumn metallics– I’m paired with the brand for the Selfridges Beauty Editors’ Day (September 23rd) in aid of the brilliant charity Look Good…Feel Better, which works with women undergoing cancer treatment.
Do you feel tanning has become more fashionable?
It hasn’t been un-fashionable for a long time – but certainly there’s none of the stigma about wearing self-tan that there used to be, not least because people like James Read make such a great job of tanning celebs for the red carpet that we all want to look glowing and gorgeous as they do, whatever the time of year.
Do you think the days of the over-dark tans are over?
I wish. But no, there will always be some ad campaigns that make dark tans look very desirable indeed and always some people who want to push a tan further than they should.
What shows are you looking forward to at this years LFW?
Christopher Kane, who always manages to weave a bit of unexpected magic, and House of Holland for sheer fun and joie de vivre.
Do you have anything exciting happening that you want to share with us?
Yes! I’ve recently launched a skincare range called Good Things (www.goodthingsbeauty.com) which is all about making the most of young skin – it’s for girls in their teens and twenties. It’s being sold in Boots and next week I’m spending two days singing its virtues to all of Boots’ in-store skincare advisers. Wish me luck!
Name one item of makeup you can’t live without?
A great tinted moisturiser – it evens out the complexion, minimises dark circles and hides a few wrinkles too. Just now, I’m loving Laboratoire Remede’s Translucent UV Coat. It’s like a sheer foundation plus sunscreen, with built-in light-diffusing particles (it all helps!) and it’s what they’re using on the Mad Men set.
Name one fashion accessory you could not be without?
A huge scarf, summer and winter. It’s a comfort-blanket.
What do you think the new beauty trend will be?
Wicked dark eyes for winter parties. Sparkly black eyeshadow, wings of eyeliner, flashes of colour… it’s like personalising last year’s smoky eyes in a more dramatic and more creative way. Whichever way you want to play it, you’ll need a lot of liquid eyeliner.
What are you doing after this interview?
I’m going to take Alfie, my Jack Russell puppy, for a walk round Hyde Park (and try to persuade the children to come with me).
Cab or Tube?
Bicycle – unless I’m wearing a smart dress with a tight skirt in which case cab, darling!
