Chocolate is back on the menu. Phyl Clarkesuccumbs to temptation.
It's February at last, and naturally my thoughts turn to chocolate. I think we all deserve a large bar of Green and Black's for the Herculean task of getting through the past five weeks (and it had to be a five-week month, of course). Chocolate's reputation for delivering the feel-good factor is widely documented, and beauty companies give us the indulgence of the treat without the weight gain. It's a surprisingly easy colour to wear, with shades ranging from milk to dark. It's also a good alternative if you are looking for a classic but contemporary look. Let's open the box.
Cosmetics guru Bobbi Brown has a serious chocolate addiction, and her range includes a complete chocolate collection for the face. My favourites are Pot Rouge for lips and cheeks (€26), a two-in-one which comes in two shades - Milk Chocolate and Chocolate Cherry. She also has a brilliant eyeliner in a shade called Chocolate Shimmer Ink (€22), which was voted best long-wearing shadow or liner by In Style magazine. Clinique High Definition Lashes in Chocolate (€19), is a mascara with a difference. It is a brush and comb in one, for perfectly separated lashes. Laura Mercier Basic Chocolate Colour For Eyes (€27), is an ingenious cream that dries to a long-lasting, semi-matte satin finish. It's water-resistant and crease-proof, too. Stila Convertible Eye Colour in Clove (€19) is a double-ended, pen-shaped product, with eye shadow on one end and matching eye liner on the other. Benefit Glamazon (€33) is a liquid bronzing tint for cheeks, forehead and nose that comes in a natural rosy chocolate shade.
On to the lips now, and you must be careful here. If you've gone for dark chocolate eyes, go for milk chocolate lips and vice versa.
Givenchy Lady Pulp (€19) is a liquid volumising lipstick with a velvety, semi-matte finish in a shade called Lady Brown. Nars lipstick, called Pigalle (€25), is a semi-matte, pink chocolate shade. This is the one to go for if you want a natural, stained-lip effect. Prescriptives Colorscope lipcolour in Chocolate Frost (€21.50) has a moisture-rich formula which is perfect for this time of year, along with a little sparkle to the finish.
You can continue the theme on the nails, with Essie's Chocolate Kisses nail colour (€18), which will leave nails looking like shiny chocolate buttons. Boots No. 7 Colour Miracle polish in shade Chocolate (€9.50) is a product with a twist. They are pretty, demure shades by day, and later you can slick on a coat of clear varnish to reveal a deep, glossy night-time shade.
Chocolate is also popular as a perfume ingredient and is found in scents including by Thierry Mugler (€33), the very popular Fantasy by Britney Spears (€32) and Tartine et Chocolat from Givenchy (€55) to name but a few.
I suppose it wasn't going to be long before some bright spark cashed in on the success of everyday tanning (body lotions with a hint of fake tan that builds up with each application) with similar hair products. John Frieda gave us the cure for frizzy flyaway hair - Frizz Ease - and his latest offering is Luminous Colour Glaze (€11.99), a gel-cream that boosts shine and adds a hint of colour with each use. The Chocolate to Expresso shade is perfect for brunettes. Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder in Brown (€22.50, available at Peter Mark) is a brilliant styling product that gives instant volume and prolongs the life of your blowdry by absorbing excess oil. A winner. Well, after all that, I'm off to finish that box of chocolates as I see from the use-by date that they must all be eaten by tomorrow. By me.