When Linda Lusardi launches a skincare brand, you sit up and listen. Known for her youthful appearance and elegant style, it was inevitable that she would create a skincare range that reflects her personality… and Linda takes no prisoners when it comes to putting her name to a product, it has to be top notch. But this isn’t Linda’s first step into developing a skincare range, in fact, she launched her initial skincare range ten years ago, but this additional range was launched about two and a half years ago. When I asked why she felt the need to set her mind on a new skincare venture, she told me that it started just through the frustration of not finding anything for herself that was in the price range she wanted. With Ideal World (www.idealworld.tv), her team sourced the manufacturing base for La Prairie, Crème de la Mer and Bulgari in Switzerland, and using the same technicians and chemists, brought to the market products that were on the same level of quality both in their ingredients and packaging but at an affordable price point. But one vital ingredient is key to Linda’s range… edelweiss. Mixed with glacier water, hyaluronic acid and almond oil, it is a key ingredient due to its natural protective qualities.

Linda explained that because millions of pounds aren’t being expended for endorsement by a Hollywood celebrity to put their face on the products, advertising in glossy magazines and selling it in Harrods, she’s able to keep the profit margin down and bring it at a high street price that you would pay for a normal cream in Boots, but you’re getting a really luxury range with expensive active ingredients. The range was showcased at the Anti-Ageing Health and Beauty Show at Olympia in May, Linda told me “The women trying it just loved it, it’s just a divine cream and if you’re spending that amount on a cream now on the high street, then you’re not going to be getting the amount of ingredients in there that you’re getting in mine. On screen (Ideal World), I battle to try and say you’re getting exactly the same quality of product as those ones that are charging like £100 or £300 a pot, but it is hard to convince people that what they’re getting is the same, if not better.”

Linda has a strict daily beauty regime, at night to remove her make-up she uses the Caviar Cleanser and Radiance (£17.99 120ml + £4.99 P&P) and a hot large muslin cloth (sold with the product) which is slightly abrasive to the touch, exfoliating and cleansing with almond oil and beeswax as well as the caviar, glacier water and edelweiss. So it moisturises, cleanses and exfoliates all in one go, then applying Recharge Night Cream (£29.99 50ml + £5.99 P&P) and Restore Eye Serum (£24.99 15ml + £4.99 P&P). In the morning she doesn’t always use the hot cloth cleanser but might just use the cleanser on its own without the cloth, just to wake her face up and cleanse, then Eye Serum and Line Lift Serum (£24.99 30ml + £4.99 P&P), which both contain a tightening agent that really lifts the face and makes it plump up and makes it feel fuller, disguising the lines but still putting all those lovely ingredients in as well. An important product is the Outstanding Caviar Neck and Decollete Cream (£24.99 50ml + £4.99 P&P), which is used night and morning, perfect for tightening those important areas which are often forgotten. A swift application of 12hr Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream (£24.99 50ml + £5.99 P&P) and off she goes! Most day products have a UVA/UVB filter, which is very important for me, the sun is extremely damaging and this range makes sun protection a priority.

We remember Linda Lusardi as a former model, she is an actress, TV presenter… the list goes on, and recently appeared on ITV’s ‘Dancing on Ice’. She told me “I didn’t think I’d get to the show because I did break my foot in about the second lesson so I had a Beckham boot on for six weeks, I was filming Emmerdale, hobbling on my boot and then they said no, you’ve still got time to be in it, you’ll just have to catch up!” Linda made it to week seven, a braver woman than I! But would she consider ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ if approached? Linda said “Oh, I’d aboslutely love to do it! I’d love to be able to dance like that because I’m quite agile and I’d just love to be able to move in those beautiful dresses.”
Watch this space…

The complete Lusardi: My Miracle range is available exclusively at www.idealworld.tv
Linda is appearing as Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the New Theatre in Cardiff later this year.