Beauty

Compiled by PHYL CLARKE

Seven shades of light

Time was when we had to make do with just the one shade of YSL’s magical highlighting pen Touch Éclat. It still sold by the truckload, but this year’s introduction of six new shades was great news for those of us who didn’t quite fit into the one shade suits all mould.

I can't live without...

CLARE DEVEREUX

Madame makeover on ITV's This Morning

LaLicious Body Butter in vanilla. I discovered it in LA and the range has the most amazing fragrances and products. It’s all organic and the body butter is rich and really hydrating, plus it smells yummy. They have lots of other fragrances, such as grapefruit and lime, but the vanilla is my favourite and it works well with my signature perfume, Chanel Coco. One of my girlfriends sends it over to me in an LA care package with all the other products I find hard to get here. They have a website, however I just like getting parcels.

False tan. I will not go outside the door without some form of tan on. I usually prefer a spray tan such as Wow Brown or California Tan. If I haven’t got time to spray I’ll use an instant tan such as Sally Hanson or Sunshimmer.

My pet pooch, Millie. My little Maltese doggie Millie is just adorable. I got her in LA four years ago and brought her back with me last year. She is a great companion and full of personality. So many people in the States have small dogs, as when you live in an apartment they are much easier than a larger dog. When I was little my dad bought me a toy dog that barked and rolled over. Its funny how I always remembered that and when I went looking at different breeds of dogs I got exactly that doggie, in Millie.

Ole Olay

High-end skincare came to the high street with Olay’s Regenerist 3 Point Super Serum. Its firming and smoothing properties can be seen from the first application. For best results, combine with the companion 3 Point treatment cream and use on face, neck and décolletage.

Glowgetter

So much more than a tinted moisturiser, blemish balms (or BB creams) pack a powerful punch, with anti-inflammatory ingredients that soothe and even out the complexion with a veil of colour that leaves skin looking fresh as a daisy. Garnier started the ball rolling with its Miracle Skin Perfecter BB Cream. Dior and Mac also have Blemish Balms and Clinique will bring one out in February.

Oil right

Using oil as a hair conditioner is nothing new, but this was the year when oils went stellar. The trend was kicked off by the launch of Moroccan Oil, and there are now many to choose from. Their popularity lies in the fact that they provide a silky groomed finish without weighing hair down. There’s plenty of choice in price and viscosity (the thicker your hair, the heavier the oil). Mythic Oil from L’Oréal Professional is a good all rounder and I’ve always been a fan of Alfaparf Semi di Lino.