LOVE AT FIRST SWIPE
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, £4.99 (Boots)
I discovered this product the first time I went on holiday to America in 1997, when it was the must-have mascara on everyone’s shopping list.
It is still one of the brand’s bestsellers, after launching in the UK in the Nineties.
I never spend a lot on mascara — even the most expensive brands flake and smudge. And as you are supposed to throw them out after two months (the brush harbours germs) this is the purse-friendly choice.
The look of love: Because some beauty products are much sexier than others... (and work better too!)
A BRUSH WITH ROMANCE
Bobbi Brown Brush Set, £142 (bobbibrown.co.uk)
I use my personalised Bobbi Brown make-up brushes every day. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on make-up, if you don’t have the right tools to apply it, you’ll never get the same results.
The ones I use most are the long-handled powder brush (which I use for bronzer and blusher) and the Eye Smudge brush, which helps you apply the right amount of eye shadow and makes blending easier.
MY ONE NIGHT STAND...
Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder Spray, £7.99 (Boots)
This bronzing powder spray gives you a completely even tanned look. I use it as a finishing touch on top of make-up, or as a 20-second quick fix to refresh my day’s make-up before I go out in the evening. You can use this on your face, neck and décolletage.
Enjoy the golden glow while it lasts — this is a one-night wonder — but don’t forget to wash it all off at the end of the evening as it does come off on the bed sheets.
GETS ME UP IN THE MORNING
Clarins Eau Dynamisante Fragranced Gentle Shower Mousse, £18 for 150ml (Boots)
This has been on sale in the UK for 23 years and I have been using it for almost as long.
The lightweight mousse contains skin-conditioning ginseng, aloe vera and essential oils.
But it’s the zesty smell, with its blend of plant extracts and essential oils, that I really love. Uplifting and invigorating, there is no better way to wake up.
Simple Kind to Skin Facial Wipes, £3.25 for 25, boots.com
Aerin Fresh Skin Compact Makeup, £37, esteelauder.com
A SENSUAL SCENT
Prada Infusion d’Iris Eau de Toilette, £51.93 for 100ml (John Lewis)
My favourite fragrance is Prada’s Infusion D’Iris. I have loved its light powdery scent since the first spray.
It has a slightly old-fashioned fragrance — a combination of iris, lily of the valley, violet, heliotrope and cedar — that is comforting and pretty at the same time.
This is the scent I wore when I got married and I still love it to this day.
FOR KISSABLE SKIN
Balance Me Extra Care Radiance Face Oil, £30 (John Lewis)
I love the story behind the Balance Me range, which was started by sisters Rebecca and Clare Hopkins.
Their aim was to create a collection of skincare which was paraben and sulphate free. The facial oil is my miracle worker — it restores radiance to tired, parched skin faster than anything else.
Pat it into cleansed skin at night and I guarantee you will have plumper, glowing skin and a more even skintone by morning.
I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR...
Zelens Triple Action Eye Cream, £75 (SpaceNK)
I have been using this regularly for five years. It effectively lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area and also reduces the look of dark circles.
It contains a powerful cocktail of ingredients including four peptides, glycokines (natural sugars), hyaluronic acid, marine collagen and caffeine. A little goes a long way — it does the trick every time.
QUICK CHEAT
Simple Kind to Skin Facial Wipes, £3.25 for 25 wipes
I love them and always have a packet in my bag to remove smears of lipstick and eye shadow that I’ve tested on the backs of my hands (all in a day’s work for a beauty editor); to clean the keypad on my laptop of crumbs after a muffin; or (whisper it) because I am sometimes just too lazy to use a proper cleanser to take off my make-up.
I find they do a very good job, removing every scrap of foundation, dirt, grease and mascara. My favourites are Simple Kind to Skin Facial Wipes which are enriched with pro Vitamin B5 and have no alcohol, oil, perfume or colour.
B. Flawless Targeted Wrinkle Filler, £7.99, superdrug.com
Clarins Eau Dynamisante Shower Mousse, £18, boots.com
Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder Spray, £7.99, boots.com
A SEAMLESS AFFAIR
B range from Superdrug
I have recently become obsessed with the new B range from Superdrug (B stands for Beautiful). The quality of these affordable products, which include skincare and make-up, is as good as you would find in premium brands costing twice as much.
My current favourite is the B. Flawless Targeted Wrinkle Filler (£7.99) that reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and works instantly. It is packed with peptides and also works longer term on fine lines and wrinkles after regular use for four weeks.
THE LUXURIOUS MAKE-UP
Aerin Essentials
This is a pretty, new make-up range created by Aerin Lauder, grand-daughter of the legendary Estee Lauder. it is a small, carefully edited collection with a fresh, floral fragrance.
I love the Pretty Bronze Illuminating Powder (£34, John Lewis) which produces a natural, tanned look, and the Fresh Skin Compact Makeup (£37) a two-in-one cream foundation which can also used as a concealer.
VALENTINE'S BEAUTY NOTES
READ MY TIPS
Try these nail stickers from Essie which celebrate Valentine’s Day in a subtle fashion.
The sophisticated stickers have romantic calligraphy on a white background, with words such as ‘True Love’ and ‘Be Mine’ so you can display a mini love note on each nail.
Each kit contains 18 stickers to fit every nail size and instructions on how to apply them. They have been pre-cured under UV lights and will last up to two weeks.
Essie Sleek Stick Nail Applique collection in Love To Love You, £9.99 (Superdrug)
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HIGH STREET HAIR HERO
Look out for THIS ONE, a new hair care range which launches in two weeks. I have been using the Gives You Showbiz Shine Mist (£3.99), a lightweight finishing spray that shines hair in an instant, tames frizz and can be used for a quick touch-up or just when you need some extra gloss.
Designed to be used on dry hair, ingredients include lychee extract, Moroccan Argan oil and a UV filter.
Everything in the range carries the leaping bunny symbol from Cruelty Free International (formerly BUAV).
The most expensive product in the range is a hair oil for £7.99. The THIS ONE range is available at the end of the month from Superdrug.
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KISS IT BETTER
Clinique has joined forces with Great Ormond Street Hospital for the sixth year running for the Kiss It Better Appeal, raising money to fund research into the causes and treatment of childhood cancer.
This year it’s a set of the best-selling shades of their iconic Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss. Treat yourself and help a good cause, as 50 per cent of the retail price goes to the appeal.
Limited edition Kisses from Clinique, £24 (available at House of Fraser during February).