You might think you're a good decision-maker but no one would blame you for hesitating — even panicking — when faced with a nail colour wheel at the salon. Should you go for Barbie pink or vanilla chrome? Milk bath nails or lip gloss nails? To be real, choosing the right shade is by no means the most difficult choice you'll ever make but post-manicure regret is a thing and the abundance of hues can be a little daunting.

There's a lot to consider. Will Aperol orange suit your skin tone? Does the French fade work best on short or long nails? Then there's the question of how you dress. While colour clashing is more of a trend than a faux pas,  figuring out which shades will complement your aesthetic is no mean feat.

To save you humming and hawing in the salon chair, we asked nail artist and session manicurist Ami Streets for her tips. Here are the nine nail polish colours that go with absolutely everything.


Blueberry Milk Nails
Blueberry milk is the blue jeans of nail colours, "This beautiful, baby blue colour takes inspiration from its predecessor, the milky manicure," says Ami. "A pale tint of pastel blue [mixed into] a sheer, creamy shade makes this a unique tone." Ami says that this viral nail colour trend works perfectly for summer but the soft, icy hue will also add contrast to darker outfits and transition well into the winter months. It's so versatile that Ami asked for the shade to be mixed up for her a few years ago, as it wasn't sold in stores.

Try Gucci 716 Lucy Baby Blue


Pillar-Box Red
This is the ultimate classic manicure colour, says Ami. "Red adds vibrancy to your manicure or pedicure and works well all year round, from summer holidays [where it complements a sun-kissed glow] to the [winter] season." Picking the right shade of red can also add a rich contrast to your skin tone, says Ami. "Blue-based reds suit paler skin tones."

Try Essie Expressie Nail Polish in Seize The Minute Red.

"Orange-based reds are best for those with a more olive or warmer complexion," adds Ami.


Lilac
"Surprisingly, lilac is universally flattering on all skin tones," says Ami, who thinks the shade has a playful energy to it — and that it's about to knock millennial pink off its perch. Variations on the pastel hue have gone viral this year, including "digital lavender" (lilac with a chrome overlay) and "milky lavender" (a sheer take on the colour).

Try Dolce and Gabbana Nail Lacquer 107 Lilac

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Earthy Taupe
Taupe is a truly versatile neutral, says Ami, but experiment with other earthly tones like olive, 
moss and rust to figure out which best complements your individual skin tone and matches your mood. "Go darker and choose delicious chocolate brown to add depth and richness," says Ami. "Or select taupe for a sleek and modern-looking manicure."

Try Rimmel London 60 Seconds Nail Polish in #Yolo


Rouge Noir
Rouge noir occupies a comfortable space between jet-black and pillar box red. Though the brooding hue is often associated with autumn and winter, its red nuances really pop in sunlight. "Opulent deep rouges are a decadent choice for a sophisticated nail look," says Ami. "This cult colour has reached iconic status over the years, having been featured in classic films and on various catwalks. It remains highly requested as a suits-all statement shade."

Try Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Rouge Noir,  hits the nail on the head. 


Sheer Pink
If milk bath nails re a little understated for you but you want to keep things simple, try
sheer pink. "Barely there, nude shades make all nails look well groomed and expensive," says Ami. "The hint of pink enhances the natural undertone of nails and camouflages any imperfections, resulting in brighter, healthy-looking nails with a high shine."

Try Deborah Lipman Dream a little Dream Of Me Gel Lab pro Color  Nail Polish

When it comes to sheer shades, you might need a total of three coats. To further avoid streaks, start with a smoothing base coat and finish with a glossy top coat.


Jet Black
"Black polish is always in style and instantly adds an edge to any ensemble," says Ami. Just keep nails short and chic. "Choose a luxe, highly pigmented formula for a bold, high-shine manicure," Ami adds.

Bougeoir loves Ciate Plant Pots- Unrestricted Glam Nail Polish  


Iridescent Pastel
"Metallic-effect nail polish can work with any outfit; it adds subtle interest and dimension compared to standard colours," says Ami. She particularly recommends choosing opalescent polishes in sparkling pale or pastel shades as these are a softer, more minimalist option."Colours like these are a contemporary update to a traditional metallic, chrome or glitter manicure," adds Ami.

Try Nailberry Star Dust Nail Polish
Just one coat is enough to lend nails a gauzy finish. 


Overcast Nails
When layered, this semi-sheer polish (also referred to as "milk-bath nails") is reminiscent of the 
opacity of clouds, says Ami. If you want more of an opaque finish, take inspiration from Julia, who calls this shade "liquorice soft serve".

Try Sally Hansen Hard Bitten 365 Hard As Nails Nail Polish 

It seems fitting that the world's newest makeup trend coincides with the moodiest week of the year. 
Previously sported by the likes of a baby-faced Kate Moss, blue eyeshadow and liner is officially on the rise once again.

The first blue eye resurgence was seen on the steps of the Met donned by Miss Emma Chamberlain at the annual gala back in 2023 and ever since blue-toned eye makeup has skyrocketed to fame, donned by both beauty and fashion moguls alike.
Bold hues were all the rage back in the mid to late noughties, a time where knee-high socks and mini skirts were making waves, breaking through the synonymous 90s grunge scene where if you weren’t donning black in all forms, were you even in the know?

Now, the TikTok girlies have taken it upon themselves to sport the sky-blue hue, recreating the bold eye trend in various ways with new and improved formulas from beauty giants such as Dior's Diorshow 5 Couleurs Couture Blue Eyeshadow Palette. 

For many of us, sporting a bold-coloured tone can be a little daunting, especially when left to our own devices without the helpful hand of an acclaimed celeb makeup artist. Lucky for you, we chatted with expert makeup artist Yasmin Salmon to discuss the best tips and tricks when it comes to making blue eyeshadow pop.
Yasmin says that the secret to any good coloured-eye look is to always use an eyeshadow primer beforehand. "P.Louise Base is one of my favourites as they come in loads of shades and it’s tinted which helps the shadow pop as it gives the eyelids a more even tone," she tells Bougeoir.
"To stop it from looking like a bruised eye I like to line the eyes with a dark brown or black eyeliner. This will help define your eyes and complete the look."

Take this as your 2024 sign to spice up your makeup looks and add a pop of colour.

Some tears are sweeter than others… And this is the case of benzoin, this balsamic resin that flows to deliver its sweet and vanilla scent. This precious ingredient has enchanted a large number of perfumers who use it to take their compositions to oriental lands. From its benefits to its olfactory profile, discover the mysteries of this very special balm. 
Benzoin resin is commonly used in perfumery because of its great fixative properties and its unique sweet and warm scent of vanilla and caramel. Apart from perfumery, it is also used in a lot of other areas – cosmetics (for its calming properties), medicine (for its therapeutic properties), food/drink industry (as a flavoring and as a preservative), and for religious purposes (it is one of the classic ingredients of incense).

It is naturally extracted from the bark of some specific trees. An interesting fact about benzoin is that it is extracted after deliberate damage done to the tree (the tree must be at least 7 years old, though!). Each tree can “produce” benzoin this way for about 15-20 years. Known since antiquity, benzoin was highly valued by many rulers all over the world. Even the famous Nostradamus was impressed by its qualities and included many recipes with benzoin in one of his books.

The origins of benzoin
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A little bit of botany
Benzoin is not a tree or a plant, but the resin that is secreted by plants of the genus Sytrax (a genus of trees and shrubs that grow mainly in the Far East, belonging to the family Styracaceae). When the bark of these trees is cut, a resin, also called balsam or tear, flows out. At first liquid, the exudation will solidify in contact with air. There are various types of this balm, depending on the origin of the tree from which it is extracted. Then, there is benzoin from Siam or Laos, but also benzoin from Sumatra. The precious tears are harvested in Malaysia, Sumatra but also in Laos and Vietnam.

History and benefits of benzoin
Benzoin resin has been used since ancient times. As early as the time of ancient Egypt, its tears and wood were prized for their fragrant and disinfectant properties. They are used in fumigation during religious rituals but also in the embalming process. The Greeks then used it in medicine to fight against lung infections and skin problems. From then on, benzoin was known and recognized for its virtues. In many cultures, its fragrant wood is burned to purify homes and ward off bad energy.
Very quickly, benzoin was used to make incense. It was found in this form in Buddhist temples, Orthodox churches in Russia and Catholic churches in Europe, and in the living rooms of people in the Gulf States. It is also said that great Asian masters drank it as an infusion of styrax leaves to improve their divinatory art. Benzoin was marketed throughout the East and then the West from the 8th century.

The use of benzoin in perfumery

The harvest of benzoin tears
Before revealing its warm notes in compositions, benzoin is first harvested by hand. And for that you must not be afraid of heights! The harvester climbs to the top of the tree trunk (which can reach up to 3.5 meters high). As he descends to the ground, he will cut the bark several times and in different places. The goal? To make the tree “cry” so that the tears can flow, slowly but surely. This exudation is at first semi-liquid, white in color. However, it will quickly harden as it dries to become amber yellow. It is necessary to wait approximately 6 months to collect the benzoin. After cleaning and sorting by hand, the small pebbles are extracted with volatile solvents. This process will allow to obtain a resinoid, then finally an absolute. For information, a tree produces between 4 and 6kg of resin per year.

A sweet and vanilla fragrance
Benzoin is an ingredient rich in scents, which unfolds in multiple facets. It is a raw material whose smell is very vanilla, warm and sweet. We find aspects of caramel, almond, roasted coffee or honey. It also distills more floral notes that evoke the carnation, with slightly medicated nuances. It is the basis of the recipe for Armenian paper.

Depending on its variety, benzoin will not reveal exactly the same scent. For example, Laos benzoin, with its great olfactory qualities, will be vanilla and caramelized, without being too sweet or powdery. Siam benzoin, the most sought after by perfumers, is much rarer, and therefore much more expensive! It has a much more assertive vanilla character, very sweet.

Benzoin accords
With its milky, syrupy nuances and its cocoa butter facet, benzoin brings a lot of roundness and warmth to a composition. That’s why it is mainly found in oriental, amber or gourmand accords. Behind this soft appearance, benzoin also reveals very sensual tones, which noses often associate with labdanum or spicy notes, such as cinnamon. This ingredient is also an excellent fixative that will improve the hold of a fragrance, while providing a lot of depth and relief.

Whether you like to use your best bath bombs and immerse yourself in a good tub or you're more of a fan of the quick 15-minute rinse, the most important part of any body-care routine is the products you use. Though it's not uncommon to hear about a 10-step routine for the face, the skin below the neck often doesn't get the same amount of love.

"Just like the face, it is important to build the right skin-care routine for your body," Joshua Zeichner, MD, FAAD, associate professor of Dermatology and the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells Bougeoir. Though there are some pretty common steps that everyone should have covered when it comes to a body-care routine — like cleansing the skin at least once a day — you may have specific concerns like "bacne" or dryness that you want to addressed, and a generic wash-and-go regimen may not cut it.

Likely cause you to speed through them quicker than you'd like, which is why it's helpful to have designated products for these areas. The ingredients that you use on your face tend to have the same effect on the rest of your skin, so below, Dr. Zeichner explains what you should be paying attention to when building a good body-care routine.

Building a Body-Care Routine For Normal Skin
Your body-care regimen will depend entirely on the concerns that you want to address. If you are amongst the very lucky few that have a normal skin type, you can reach for any cleanser that you wish for bathing, as long as it isn't too harsh. For body lotions, there are a few things you'll want to look out for.

"Lotions or gels are great options for people with normal skin," Dr. Zeichner says. "When shopping, note that a good formula contains a blend of three ingredients: occlusives, humectants, and emollients." For the first category, look for ingredients like petrolatum or dimethicone. "These form a protective seal over the skin to prevent loss of hydration," he adds. When looking for humectants, search for ingredients like hyaluronic acid or glycerin — they act like sponges to pull hydration into the skin. Emollient ingredients can be labeled as ceramides or natural oils. These smooth and soften rough patches on the skin's surface.

Building a Body Care Routine For Dry Skin
Now that you have the building blocks of your body-care routine, you can address specific concerns like dry skin by either adding in an extra product or step.
"If you have dry skin, look for a rich formula when it comes to moisturizers," Dr. Zeichner says. Depending on the severity of your dryness, you may want a moisturizer that's higher in occlusives or emollients. You can find this information my looking at the ingredient list on the packaging; the closer the ingredient is to the beginning of the list, the higher the concentration in the formula. 

Building a Body Care Routine For Acne-Prone Skin
When it comes to acne-prone skin, there are a few steps that will need adjusting. "People with body acne should use a medicated cleanser," Ted Lain, MD, MBA, FAAD, and board-certified dermatologist says. Ingredients you should look out for include salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. "The latter, in particular, is a stronger, more active ingredient, so make sure to completely wash off the product when using it so as not to bleach towels," Dr. Lain says. 

Where all skin types, but especially acne-prone and dry skin, find common ground is the need to exfoliate gently. "If you see flakes, you should listen to what your skin needs and moisturize first," Dr. Zeichner says. "Scrubbing already dry skin can further disrupt your skin barrier and make the situation worse." If you're after the radiance that exfoliating provides, do it once weekly. This can help keep the skin looking glowy without causing barrier disruption.

Body care doesn't have to be intimidating, and it will feel less so as long as you know what you're looking for. You can get into the weeds and add more serums and oils if you want to take your regimen up a notch, but if you're new to the field, then these products are a good place to start.

I'm a huge lover of facials. In fact, I'll admit I'd rather spend my money on a facial than on a night out. Once you start seeing the benefits of facials, you won't be able to stop, but if you've never had one, you may not know who to ask for advice. Facials are like any beauty treatment: you can have pretreatment jitters simply from not knowing what to expect. Although they're not typically considered painful, it's always nice to know what's in store when you are booked for your first one.
Plus, there are so many different types it can get a little confusing. There are the more intense options, like the "zombie" facial, and more mild treatments, such as "diamond glow" facials and Hydrafacials, and then just plain-old signature facials that offer the most basic of options. To break down exactly what to expect and cover whehter or not facials hurt, we reached out to skin-care expert Elizabeth Rimmer, founder and director of London Professional Aesthetics.

Keep scrolling to learn exactly what to expect from a facial appointment.

Do Facials Hurt?
"There are a wide range of facials on the market ranging from oil-based massage-style facials to microcurrent and microdermabrasion facials to peel-based facials," Rimmer tells POPSUGAR. Due to the wide variety of options, it's difficult to know what may be painful as it depends on your comfort level, so it's always a good idea to ask your therapist ahead of time what to expect in terms of pain or discomfort. Typically, facials do not hurt, but some treatments, like microdermabrasion and extraction, can cause slight discomfort. The noises of the tools used may also be new to you, but the facialist will be able to explain to you what the sounds are.

What Is the Typical Downtime?
"This really depends on what type of facial you are planning," Rimmer says. Facials such as pore extractions and heavy chemical peels are likely to need more downtime than an oil-based massage facial. She suggests that it's wise to "plan a convenient time" to avoid any problems with the skin needing a little downtime. It's best not to get an extraction facial the day of a big event; get it a few days before.

Do I Have to Get Undressed For a Facial?
Some facials also involve a shoulder massage or treatment to the décolleté area, which may require you to remove your top. This may make some people feel initially apprehensive, but much like a massage, your therapist will be very reassuring and provide you with a towel to wear during the treatment. The advice from Rimmer is to "try to make yourself as comfortable as possible so that you can enjoy the whole experience."

Do I Need to Wear SPF After a Facial?
"Some facials involve some type of exfoliation, which can theoretically increase your risk of sun damage," Rimmer says. Treatments such as microdermabrasion and products containing retinol can increase this risk, and therapists will tell you if you should be more wary of SPF application. "Either way, the best way to protect your skin from aging and sun damage is daily use of SPF. I recommend a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, preferably oil-free."

Do I Have to Speak to the Aesthetician or Can I Just Relax?
"Your therapist should be in tune with you," Rimmer says. "If you want to chat, then of course, you can. However, if you prefer to close your eyes and drift away, then your therapist will be sensitive to that."

Are Followup Treatments Always Required?
"Your therapist will advise you of how to get the best from your skin following your treatment," Rimmer says, as some treatments may be for specific skin concerns and others for more relaxation purposes. "You may find that some products are recommended for your use; this should be presented in a non-forceful manner, and you should not feel obliged to make any purchases."

Will My Skin Break Out Following the Facial?
This is dependent on both the treatment you choose and your skin type. I personally find that my skin breaks out a little a day or two after the treatment and is at its best following that. If you are concerned about breaking out, choose your treatment with this in mind. Hydrating facials, for example, are ones you can get closer to an important event, but you would not want to get extractions prior to a special day. Rimmer's advice is to "be fully informed in advance of your facial and then you will find the whole experience less daunting."