Beauty

Hands up:Did you know that your nails age along with your skin and everything else? Ridges on nails are the equivalent of wrinkles on your face. Top nail brand Essie addresses the problem with Fill the Gap (€11.99), which smooths out ridges, leaving an even surface for polish and also helps treat the problem with deep conditioners.

Tel: 01-4610645 for stockists.

Strong shades without a big price tag lets you mix and match as you please. The Mini Nail Colour Collection (€7) from Marks Spencer also comes in a pastel quartet, all wrapped up in cheery box.

Sally Hansen’s new hand cream is called Radiant Hands, Nails Cuticles so I was expecting a lot for €7.22 – and it delivers. Like a mini-treatment for your hands, skin soaks up this rich balm, as it smooths cuticles and strengthens nails. It also absorbs quickly for such a rich cream.

Save a luxurious handcream for night-time – you’ll get the optimum benefit over eight hours. Estée Lauder’s Re-Nutriv (€28), is an intensive and rich formula, and a lovely treat for hard- working hands. It makes an ideal gift, too.

Just like finding your perfect pair of jeans, (and we all know how difficult that can be), finding the right neutral nail shade can be tricky. Too pink can make your hand look yellow – too beige and all of a sudden your nails look false. Transparent polishes demand perfectly groomed nails, so go for something semi- opaque. The shade needs to blend seamlessly with fingers and not stand out. That’s a tall order for a little bottle, but I wouldn’t be telling you all this if I hadn’t found it. Estée Lauder’s Hollywood Gold nail polish (€17), is only one of the stars of a terrific, limited collection designed by Michael Kors. At Brown Thomas, Dublin.

Here’s a great night-time treatment for your hands. It’s very unromantic – but effective. Apply Vaseline Petroleum Jelly generously to hands and pop on some light cotton gloves (available from pharmacies). Next morning your hands will be baby soft. Works just as well on feet – just substitute socks for the gloves.

To set nail polish quickly, wait until nails are touch-dry and then run under cold water.

Make this the year you master eyeliner – it’s a terrific eye definer and can be as subtle or dramatic as you wish. My favourite is the award-winning Long-Wear Gel Liner (€24) by Bobbi Brown. There are many shades, but I like Graphite, as it is a softer shade than black and the hint of shimmer lifts the eye. Do invest in the lining brush (€29), for a perfect finish.

Lip service

Even if you’re dashing out the door, there’s always time for a quick slick of colour, but the best quality lipstick will struggle on dry and chapped lips. Keep them exfoliated (a dry toothbrush works well) and super moisturised. A lip balm such as Vichy’s Aqualia (€5) is instantly comforting and repairs chapped lips. Apply over lipstick during the day for a moisturising sheen. From pharmacies.

Skin treat

A new addition to the Eve Lom range is big news in the beauty world – her simple, uncomplicated range of skincare products has earned her cult status. TLC Radiance Cream (€68) is her first new product in five years and it manages to be both hydrating and lightweight, leaving skin fresh and glowing. Bulgarian Otto Rose oil provides moisture and scent. From Harvey Nichols, Dundrum, Dublin 14.