Best beauty buys: A round-up of beauty products I’ve been trying out lately…

LANCOME HYPNOSE DRAMA MASCARA AND BI-FACIL EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER

I have to say, Glossybox is coming up with the goods month after month. As I wrote in a post for Glamour a while ago, the main pull for me is the practicality of all these miniature products. My March Glossybox was a Harrods special containing goodies from Shu Uemura, SKII, Molton Brown, Clarins, a Valentino fragrance sample and a miniature Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara. I admit I’m not fussy about mascaras but I do love this mini Lancome one with its wavy brush. On a separate note, I’ve also just started using Lancome Bi-facil eye makeup remover. I’m fed up of trying the cheap eye make-up removers; they either make your eyes itch or they’re not effective enough so I decided to invest in the proper stuff. This one does an efficient job of keeping pillowcases mascara-free plus has the added bonus of a calming rose scent (I’m obsessed with rose-scented skincare for some reason).

REN NO 1 PURITY CLEANSING BALM

I’ve never done the whole cleansing-balm-and-muslin-cloth regime; frankly I don’t have the patience. But having tried Ren’s luxurious No1 Purity Cleansing Balm, I finally get it. The consistency is perfect – you scoop up a bit, rub it between your palms and massage into face and neck while inhaling the lovely soothing rose scent. Then you add a bit of warm water to turn the oily balm milky and using the wet muslin cloth (supplied), gently remove the cleanser. You can also massage it into your eyelashes to remove waterproof mascara. Then rinse off. You have to take a bit of time over the process but it’s ideal for removing heavy make-up after a night out.

YSL ROUGE PUR COUTURE GLOSSY LIP STAIN IN ORANGE AND CLINIQUE MOISTURISING LIP COLOUR BALM CHUBBY STICK IN CHUNKY CHERRY

Clinique Chubby Stick Lip Balm

Two very different lip products, both are good for a subtle lip boost but need reapplying. Clinique’s Chubby Stick is a great morning balm, easy to crayon on in seconds and a wearable pinky shade. I like it for slapping on first thing but have been adding a bit of Stila Lip Glaze later in the day to make it more shiny. For slightly more oomph I’ve been using YSL’s Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Lip Stain in Orange. To be honest, it’s a bit faffy because you get quite a lot of product on the applicator and as I like a sheer effect, I end up blending it with my finger so it gets a wee bit messy. But the orangey shade is just right for spring and the best thing (about both products) is there’s no glitter or shimmer. Even though it takes longer to apply the YSL, I enjoy the ritual and of course I love YSL packaging!

THIS WORKS DEEP SLEEP BATH SOAK WITH AROMATHERAPY ASSOCIATES DE-STRESS MUSCLE BATH AND SHOWER OIL

My idea of heaven is a hot bath and a copy of Vogue before bed. My recipe for a really relaxing bath is a few drops of Aromatherapy Associates bath oil plus a sprinkling of This Works Deep Sleep Bath Soak. You can’t beat lavender for deep relaxation and this will melt every crease from your furrowed brow.

SCHOLL FOOT CARE

A nifty bit of time management meant I scheduled myself for a Scholl pedi at the end of a marathon day of AW12 press days last week. As well as having a pedicure by quite the nicest lady I’ve ever met – thank you Trish Lomax – I was also gifted a mountain of Scholl products to try. Trish prescribed regular foot filing, Scholl Dry Skin Exfoliator and Scholl Dry Skin Instant Recovery Cream for my slightly (ahem) flaky soles. A chat with podiatrist Michael Harrison-Blount revealed the following nugget of info. Apparently we should make sure our feet are always properly supported because letting your feet slide around your shoes causes friction which leads to hard skin and calluses. That means laces should be done up securely (so no lazy shoving feet in and out of trainers) and mules are quite the worst thing you can wear. Ha, I told you so

Although I’ve been thoroughly spoilt for beauty products lately, I’m still searching for an aubergine cream eyeshadow (sparkle-free) and the perfect cuticle de-flaker for my ragged nails. Let me know if you have any recommendations to share.