health & beauty

TOP NEW RANGES, TREATMENTS AND NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF MAKEUP, SKINCARE AND FRAGRANCE

Compiled by Nicola McGeorge

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LATEST TRENDS

Bright eyes

After seeing many of my friends wearing Palladium Soft Touch Shadow Pencil by Nars I thought it was high time I gave it a go. To avoid looking like a clown I used it just to finely line my upper lid; it gives a pop of colour along the lash line. Combine with neutrals: for example, a beige base over the whole lid. I would recommend this for ladies with a tan – otherwise you can look washed out. narscosmetics.com

Going nude

I have always liked Models Own polishes as they are extremely pigmented and glide on smoothly. However, I wasn’t that keen to try their nude beige. I've shied away from nude shades in the past, even though they are so in vogue at the moment, but I have to admit Models Own may have changed my mind. A perfect pastel for autumn, this shade of greige is glossy and smooth, great for both day and night. modelsownit.com

Model this

Tested at Marios Schwab’s spring-summer 2010 show, St Tropez Skin Illuminator made sure that his models’ legs glistened and glowed like never before. Skin finishing (the latest beauty buzzword) is now being hailed as the new make-up. It gives the appearance that your legs have been lit by strobe lighting, making them appear slim, toned and super-shiny. I recommend using this over pre-fake-tanned legs for the best effect. st-tropez.com

Tame me

Anti-frizz products have been my saviour of late. Without them.... well, let’s just say Diana Ross would have nothing on me. My latest must-have is Avon Lotus Shield Frizz Control, a leave in treatment which when applied to clean damp hair helps form an invisible shield, helping to block out frizz-producing humidity. After blow-drying my hair, it felt soft, more manageable and definitely less frizzy on the ends avon.uk.com

Feeling bumpy?

I was a bit dubious about Nivea’s Goodbye Cellulite 10 Day Serum, which claims to be “the world's fastest topical cellulite treatment”. Even with all the rave reviews it has received I thought it would be best to try it out myself. I like the thick gel texture that massages easily into the skin, leaving virtually no stickiness. The product combines the powerful active ingredients Lotus Extract and L-Carnitine, and to be fair it did firm my skin, but I didn’t notice a huge difference in my cellulite. Definitely worth buying, however, for smoother, firmer skin. nivea.com

Purple haze

This great-value purple lip gloss is loved by celebs everywhere. In fact, when I first tried to get a tester of Pulp from Top Shop’s press office, they had literally run out. After that I was on a mission to get my hands on it. My verdict? An ultra-shiny gloss that gives voluminous, plumped, wet-look lips. Nicely pigmented but not quite the colour it looks in the tube. I can see why it is making lips big news this season. topshop.com

A glorious golden glow

Bobbi's new Beach Shimmer Brick Compact is hand-made in Italy and features five bars of warm, pearlised shimmer to create a beautiful seaside glow. Every time a new Bobbi Brown shimmer brick hits the market, they immediately sell out. I loved it! I use the whole five shades on cheeks to one shade as a highlighter on brow bone. bobbibrowncosmetics.com