Hello, good morning and let’s talk about Camera Ready, mostly because it is the bestselling product to date from the Icon Skincare range, but also because throughout the years there have always been those products which are iconic by virtue of their brilliance, and Camera Ready has just joined them. Intuitively, I felt Camera Ready would be heroic before I had even tested the product. And then I tested it. For confirmation.

I have always believed that intuition plays an important role in each of our lives, that inner knowing about a person, a product, a moment, long before the evidence catches up to confirm it, so I smiled rather a lot when the Beauty Bible girls declared Camera Ready a ‘holy grail’ product. And they would know. So, this from Sarah and Jo:

‘Please, whatever else you do or don't buy, order this. It’s simply superlative. And remember we’ve tested literally thousands of products between us for too many decades to count. It may not feel anything that special, a balm-like texture that needs a wee bit of smoothing in and leaving to absorb. But then, oh then! Just look at your bare skin and pick yourself up from wherever you’ve collapsed in delighted shock. If you’re having a bare skin day, leave it at that – your skin will look gorgeous - but if you favour foundation, maybe a dusting of powder and a soupcon of blusher, apply that as usual. Goodness knows what magic is in this but we don't care a whit or a jot.’
Camera Ready by Icon Skincare £47 for 20 grams

Following through, you can read the full review on Icon Skincare, which I have linked below, but on from that, and on theme, The Beauty Bible Iconic Edition launches on 10 September. Gathering every little nugget of wisdom they have learned over three decades of writing their books and running the Beauty Bible Awards, Sarah and Jo share their insights, alongside the products which have become superstars over the years, the icons, on the strength of reader trials. If you can’t wait until September, you can pre-order it at Waterstones and using the code ‘Beauty 26’ at checkout, you will receive a 25% discount off the cover price. Et voilà!
Icon Skincare by Beauty Bible; The Beauty Bible Iconic Edition (offer ends 9 September)

Most obviously, Camera Ready, or indeed any of the Icon Skincare products arrived far too late to be included in The Beauty Bible Iconic Edition but, notwithstanding that, I thought we should take a look at a few of the products which have become iconic across the years and, somewhat inevitably, I am going to begin with Sheald Recovery Balm. Somewhat inevitably because Sheald Recovery Balm by iS Clinical is totally iconic, it was the first product in its genre which could be used to heal open wounds and it is endorsed by surgeons all over the world, such is its efficacy to help heal surgical scarring, or any scarring actually.

Reverting to my words about intuition, I remember sitting in Bryan’s office in LA about a year before we launched Sheald and shivers ran down my spine as I held the sample product. I remember saying to Bryan and Alec that Sheald would change everything, and it did. To this day, I still maintain that this is one of the most important launches we have ever done, because it is not just about the efficacy of the product, it’s about the psychology of a formulation which understands emotional vulnerability. And that’s what really matters. It always has.
Sheald Recovery Balm by iS Clinical £79 for 60 grams; Sheald Recovery Balm by iS Clinical £30 for 15 grams

Moving on, this next product is totally iconic, and I know I have written about it several times this year, but I do the same every year mostly because Mrs White’s Unstung Hero is a legend in its own lifetime. Historically, it gained its legendary status many years ago when it was used in a Vogue photo-shoot to help repel mosquitoes and insects, but on from that we have long recommended using it not only as a mosquito repellent, but as a summer fragrance, without any other fragrance underneath, and as a room spray to help ward off the unwanted intruson of mosquitoes which habitually fly into our homes.
Mrs White’s Unstung Hero £20 for 250 ml (Glass Bottle); Mrs White’s Unstung Hero £15 for 100 ml (Aluminium Bottle)

Many products become iconic because of their revolutionary technology and that is certainly true of Clinisept+ Mouthwash because its revolutionary hypochlorous technology represented a complete step change in oral care. Respecting the natural chemistry of our mouths, it provides antimicrobial protection and it is easy to understand why, in the recent past, hypochlorous solutions have been coming to the fore across several genres, including eye health.

We launched Clinisept+ Mouthwash in February 2021, basically because traditional mouthwashes contained either chlorhexidine, alcohol or peroxide, all known to cause oral irritation, and we wanted to offer a safer solution. Clinisept+ was that solution. Clinisept+ is not subject to antimicrobial resistance, therefore it kills and inhibits the growth of bacteria effectively and efficiently and, as we are all aware, bacteria can often lead to oral hygiene issues such as decay and infection. Clinisept+ Mouthwash sets the bar high; it is the ‘gold standard’ in oral healthcare, and in and of that recognition and statement, it drops in price from £9.99 to £7.99 across the weekend.
Clinisept+ Mouthwash £7.99 for 400 ml (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 August)

I am not going to do a roll-call of all of the brands we have launched across the years, well I might mention another one or two, but launching Color Wow Root Cover Up for and on behalf of Gail Federici and John Frieda was a moment, a rather significant moment because it solved a problem that anybody with greying roots understood instantly, with very little explanation needed. As is often the case with innovative products, a new genre is created, and in the case of Root Cover Up, it created a genre in haircare which has, across the years, seen an explosion of similar products.

Launching in 2013, Root Cover Up was the original and I still believe it remains best-in-class, but another iconic product was yet to arrive and it arrived in March 2017. That product was Dream Coat, a three-day texture spray that prevented water from frizzing up hair. Coating each strand of hair with an invisible waterproofing cloak, it became an overnight sensation and the subject of many wait lists. So, with that said, we are offering a 15% discount across Color Wow this weekend, but additionally if you spend £15 or over on any of the Color Wow products, we will automatically include Dream Coat (50 ml) which has a value of £13. There is only one gift per customer and if the gift fails to go into your basket, the offer is over.
Color Wow Products (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 August)

Lanolips 101 was always going to be iconic. Launching in 2010, Lanolips 101 was the brainchild of Kirsten Carriol, it has won rather a lot of awards, unsurprisingly because it did something so simple, it took one extraordinary ingredient, pure lanolin, and allowed it to deliver its magic. Iconic products have always stood the test of time, and sixteen years later, 101 remains the bestselling product across the brand.

It is never easy launching a brand, or a product, and I remember talking to Kirsten about this before we launched Lanolips. It is worth repeating that conversation, because we both recognised that when the going gets tough, and it always does, it is the passion and love that pulls you through. So, sharing that love, we are offering a 15% discount across the entire Lanolips range this weekend.
Lanolips Products (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 August)

Spacemasks became iconic the very moment they launched and that was in 2017. Being a self-heating eye mask, each Spacemask promised, and delivered, approximately fifteen minutes of comforting bliss, transporting us to another dimension. I championed them because I thought they were exceptional, but also because Spacemasks were, and remain, a niche independent brand and I totally respect, and support, independence. Onwards to glory is what I say, onwards to more glory because I am also throwing a 15% discount across Spacemasks this weekend. The magic continues.
Spacemasks (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 August)

If we are celebrating iconic products, I really have to include the Fulvic haircare products, mostly because they have supported scalp and hair health for so many of us for so many years. Each product in the range contains Ioniplex®, a patented Fulvic Acid which displays multiple benefits, working to calm down underlying inflammation, which is often the cause of thinning hair, hair loss or hair which is damaged or simply out of condition. So, keeping it short and sweet, and in recognition of Fulvic being an iconic compound, the Fulvic haircare products drop in price by 15% this weekend.
Fulvic Haircare Products (offer ends at midnight BST, Sunday 9 August)

Notably, I haven’t written about any supplements today, but if I was to single out four of our most iconic supplements, they would be Hyaluronic Acid, Superior Joints, Collagen Tripeptide Complex and NAD+ Generator. I absolutely know that I write about these supplements rather a lot, and I also know that I wrote about HA last weekend, but they earn their iconic status independently by virtue of the dedicated, and ongoing, research, which determines efficacy. Rather a lot of editorial links below, but it’s important to understand why these products stand out in the crowd, so in recognition of their status, they are each discounted by 15%.
VH Editorials: Benefits Of Hyaluronic Acid Supplements; Read This If You Suffer From Painful Joints; Does Your Collagen Supplement Contain Collagen Tripeptides; NAD+ Supplements: Benefits And Side Effects; DoSe Supplements: Hyaluronic Acid Capsules High Strength; Superior Joints; Collagen Tripeptide Complex; NAD+ Generator (offers end at midnight BST, Sunday 9 August)

To the end with two summer health concerns, the first of which is Prickly Heat. Prickly Heat is also known as miliaria or heat rash, and it is a skin condition that occurs in hot, humid weather conditions when small particles of sweat block the sweat glands, with symptoms including a rash which appears on the body. Although this rash can develop anywhere on the body, it most commonly occurs on the face, neck, chest and thighs and is composed of tiny spots or bumps which are surrounded by an area of red, inflamed, itchy skin.

As is the case with most compromised skin conditions, we recommend an inside-out approach to help prevent the symptoms of heat rash. Stinging Nettle is commonly used to provide relief from heat rash because of its ability to inhibit the release of histamine, which is responsible for the rash. Additionally, Stinging Nettle leaf extracts are powerful diuretics which help to eliminate the compounds responsible for the inflammation of the sweat glands. Topically, Thyme Out also helps reduce inflammation, while calming your skin.
VH Editorial: Prickly Heat Treatment; Stinging Nettle Urtica Drops by A. Vogel £13.99 for 50 ml; Thyme Out £18 for 200 ml

The second summer health concern I want to talk about is dehydration, actually it’s not specifically a summer health concern, but it is important to say that it is really important to ensure that our bodies are sufficiently hydrated in the heat. There are many factors which contribute to dehydration in the heat, including not drinking enough fluids, sweating profusely and traveller’s diarrhoea, all of which can result in an electrolyte imbalance. Shabir deep dives into electrolytes in his article, linked below, where he recommends Electrolyte Fix Liquid, which drops in price from £14.70 to £13 for the interim.
VH Editorial: Recharge Your Body With The Benefits Of Electrolyte Liquids; Electrolyte Fix Liquid by Viridian Nutrition £13 for 100 ml

Into the Saturday only treat, and with every order placed for £35 and above, excluding p&p, we will automatically include the Super Shiner Buffer* from Margaret Dabbs. Using tiny crystal technology, it will instantly smooth and illuminate your nails, and the quicker these particles move, the shinier and glossier your nails will become. Full product details below.
Super Shiner Buffer

Finally, an icon sings an iconic song. It fits.
The Best by Tina Turner; The VH Playlist

Wishing each of you a restful weekend.

With love

Gill x