6 of the Best Concealers with Built-In Sun Protection

I've always looked for double duty products, and there's no one more important that concealer/primer/foundations with SPF included in the mix.  And that's not just for summer, but for any time of year, so that you're using sun protection without thinking about it.

These are difficult to find as most beauty companies seem to concentrate on foundation and not concealer, however all of these will give you all the protection you need - from luxury brands to much less expensive products.



Having said that, finding basic foundation with SPF is simple.  Finding concealers that you use around your eye area anything but.  Which is frankly ridiculous.  I have used two of the products here, IT Cosmetics full coverage CC SPF 50 and Bare Minerals Correcting Concealer SPF 20 and they're both excellent, both from US brands but click through to buy them in the UK.


My final choice is a luxury cushion foundation with SPF 40, higher protection than most, for those who don't need a specific concealer but want a great foundation to use all over the face with seriously good protection.

9 of the Best Body Lotions for Dry and Sensitive Skin

One of the hardest things at this time of year is to take the time to make sure your skin is properly moisturised all over and avoid the problems that cold weather and indoor heating can cause of dry and flaky skin.

A good body lotion applied regularly will leave you with supersoft, moisturised skin whatever the weather - this is essential maintenance for this time of year.






What you’re looking for from a body cream or lotion for very dry skin is not your average scented body lotion which you may love during the summer months, but something a bit heavier, preferably unscented or very lightly scented that offers hours of hydration.

I like a body lotion that comes in a big tub or pump bottle, by a brand I know and trust, and that doesn’t cost the earth.   Difficult?  Not if you know what you’re looking for.

All these are brands that I have used over time and trust completely for offering high quality beauty products across the range.  If you have very dry skin try Bioderma’s Atoderm Body cream or Avene, both of which are designed for the sensitive end of the spectrum (and the Avene is great for travel), otherwise my personal favourites are by Clarins, Lierac and Caudalie. 

To get the most out of your body lotion apply all over within three minutes of getting out of the bath or shower, and make sure you don’t soak too long in the tub in winter, that too will help to dry you out.

Beauty Review-Temple Spa Skin Truffle Rejuvenating Face Cream - It's Time for a Treat

Temple Spa Skin Truffle Total Facial Radiance is the second product by Temple Spa I’ve tried and tested over the past few months.  As someone whose been devoted to their ‘favourite’ skincare brand for many years I was interested to try something new, particularly when my first buy - their Eye Truffle was such a success.

Temple Spa is a brand that, once you know about it, you can easily find online, however you’re not going to find it in most stores.  Harrods and specialist salons may have it, but for the main part you may well not have heard of them.

Temple Spa is a niche luxury brand with gorgeous packaging, wonderful gift ideas (think bath and body, scented candles and gift sets) and, most importantly, products that really work.  Their Skin Truffle is a deeply moisturising silky gel cream that’s perfect for any time of year, but particularly when your skin needs just that little extra bit of glow.

This anti-aging, radiance boosting, glow inducing cream goes everywhere with me, you can use it as an every day moisturiser or to boost radiance when you need it.  I confess I use it every day. 
BEAUTY BIBLE ANTI-AGEING AWARD Score:  9.31/10  They said ‘“A truly stupendous score: the highest we’ve ever had for an all-round, all-singing-and-dancing miracle cream, in 17 years of Beauty Bible testing.  (Not that Sarah’s surprised:  she’s long been a Skin Truffle-ette.)  Diamond powder, gold and silk clearly do illuminate the skin from first application, testers report;  other key ingredients include black truffles, grape seed champagne, purifying strawberries and lush cocoa butter, in a cashmere-soft formulation.” Jo Fairley & Sarah Stacey
A treat for the New Year, at £90 for 50ml it’s not inexpensive but a little goes a long way.  If you sign up to the Temple Spa website they have some excellent special offers and discounts so it’s well worth doing.

10 of the Best Instant Eye Brighteners from Ren to Dr Sebagh

I find that it’s now, after the party season, when too much booze has been drunk (almost certainly) and too much food eaten (ditto) combined with too much sitting in front of the fire fighting the need to take the dogs for a brisk walk, that I need the most help with an instant beauty brightening fix, particularly the eye area.

These products are all designed to instantly provide relief for tired eyes, refreshing and tightening your eye area and providing long term benefits in terms of hydration and wrinkle repair.   And who can say they don’t need that right now. 

There are plenty of eye creams and serums that offer long term help but not that many that do both - work very quickly and for the long term.

My all time favourite is Dr Sebagh’s Eye Primer Lift which is a wonder product particularly if you’re just about to go out and you need a pop of pep.  It looks like a small amount and it’s expensive but I’ve found it lasts because you don’t need a lot - it’s worth every penny. 

So if you’re in need of a refreshing start to the New Year and some instant revitalising therapy to brighten your eyes consider trying one of these and then keep going.  People will ask you how you look so refreshed just after all the Christmas and New Year celebrations.  That in itself will give you a lift.

Beauty Review - YSL Top Secrets Instant Moisture Glow

There are some beauty products that stand out a mile in the holiday/party season and beyond, and YSL Top Secret Instant Moisture Glow has just become my new best friend.  I suggest you make it yours.

For late nights and over indulgence at any time of year, but particularly at this time of year when most of us are stretched to our limits, this lightweight blur perfecting moisturiser is a must-have.  This is not just a moisturiser, although it offers all day hydration, it also effortlessly evens out your skin tone and primes it for foundation.

YSL Top Secret Instant Moisture Glow comes in a travel friendly tube so you can take it everywhere with you, and has a silky, gel like consistency which I really like.  It just glides on to your face and stays put.  What’s really great about this is that you’re not adding a radiance or shimmer product at this stage, but a gel to help perfect the canvas for your makeup.

They say you can use it without foundation.  I say who doesn’t need a bit of extra help at this time of year so I’ve made it an addition into my beauty routine.  I’m still using my normal serum and moisturiser, then adding this in.  It’s so lightweight you hardly notice it.

There are always some beauty products you want to have with you wherever you are.  This is definitely one of those……..

Beauty Review - Temple Spa Eye Truffle-A Perfect Beauty Gift for Girls

Anyone who travels a lot, or has late nights, or too little sleep knows that feeling of just wishing there was a product that could immediately make your eyes feel fresher and more wide awake in an instant.

Temple Spa’s Eye Truffle is supposed to ‘target all signs of aging’, to treat dark circles, reduce puffiness and brighten the whole eye area.  Having read that this was the winner in the GH eye cream test, and because I was about to go off on a long trip, I decided to invest.  And I am so happy I did.

I love the way this eye cream goes on and immediately sinks into the skin around your eyes and you do instantly feel refreshed.  I’ve been using this cream now for about a month and a half and I’ve definitely noticed an overall improvement.  This is an excellent buy.

Temple Spa Eye Truffle is not that inexpensive - currently £65 for 15ml in a beautifully packaged pot (and I’m a sucker for great packaging) but this one is going to be going everywhere with me from now on.  I’m totally hooked.  Give it a try if you’re looking for a new eye cream.  Buy two.  One to keep and one to give away.

25 Gift Ideas for Glamour Girls - From Brush Sets to Bubble Bath

Most girls love to be pampered, and Christmas is a great excuse.  You can, of course buy a gift voucher for their favourite salon so they can choose for themselves, or you could choose one of the pampering gifts below.

My only advice is to have some idea of what brands they love to use already, or their skin type, so that you don’t buy the wrong thing.  Otherwise I don’t think you can go very wrong with something gorgeous and special in the beauty field.  Having a daughter who loves to be bought for I know these things.



I don’t know any girl who doesn’t love to be pampered, at any time of year, so these are suggestions for makeup, skincare, luxury body products and scented candles from a variety of my favourite brands.