There’s something very attractive about the polished look that you seem to find most often on the streets of Paris, New York and London. Simple, usually nude make-up (with the occasional slash of bright lip colour), unfussy clothing and accessories and an air of being on trend but not slavishly under its spell. It’s not a look that comes easily, or naturally, to everyone (though the luminous Cate Blanchett certainly worked it in Blue Jasmine, above) but there’s one simple step that can set you on the path to polished-dom: great skin. And great skin starts with thoroughly cleansed skin, as Clinique’s guiding dermatologists Dr David and Dr Catherine Orentreich, always advise their patients. They say: “Skin that is cleansed well, gently yet thoroughly, is better prepped and primed for whatever treatment products are applied after.”
It makes perfect sense, then, that Clinique has now launched a cleansing brush – to ensure the most thoroughly cleansed, healthiest skin. Its Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush (£79) is not the first cleansing brush on the market, but it’s the first I’ve tried which was created by a skincare company – and that 
counts for a lot. As Clinique’s boffins point out, the most effective brush is only as effective as the cleanser it’s used with – so producing your own brush to go with your own cleansers (Clinique designed this one to be used with its 3-Step Facial Soaps) is the logical way to go.
The brush is oval-shaped and designed with two lengths of bristles to tackle different areas of the face, and to ensure that even the tricky-to-reach, and easily clogged, area around the nose gets attention. Lightweight and waterproof (so you can use it in the shower), the brush is gentle enough to be used twice a day for 30 seconds at a time (the self timer automatically turns it off after 30 seconds, the appropriate amount of usage time for most skin types).
* Available exclusively from John Lewis stores and online at www.clinique.co.uk now, and nationwide from August 29.
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