Top health and beauty tip of the week
Help blend concealer that’s too pale for sunkissed skin with a swish of bronzing powder over the top
Freeze a few eye drops on a spoon and hold against skin for a minute to shrink summer spots and reduce redness
It's easy to forget how much hands are exposed to sunlight so wear hand cream with SPF, especially while driving
Use a little moisturiser to blend in around the edges where you've applied fake tan so you don't end up with obvious lines.
Thinking of whitening your teeth? Go for a professional clean first so the active ingredients don’t have to fight through plaque
Naturally frizzy hair blows out like a triangle in the wrong conditions so have long layers cut in to control the shape
Add definition to cheekbones by sweeping bronzer beneath the bone before adding blush along the bone itself
If your under-eye concealer looks too heavy and caked on, dab a little moisturiser around the edges
Using a plain waxy lip salve can actually make lips drier because the skin beneath doesn’t adapt to colder conditions. Instead use balms that contain extra moisturising and skin strengthening ingredients
The more flavours in your food, the more the appetite is stimulated so keeping meals fairly plain, with fewer than six different tastes, may reduce the amount you eat
Add milk to your favourite essential oil to help it disperse in water for a scented bathtime treat
If your hair’s looking limp, give it a lift at the roots by pushing your opened fingers through and sliding them back and forth a few times against the scalp – the friction causes hair to stand out, giving the whole head more volume.
Be careful when spritzing perfume all over your neck – UVA light will cause photoactivation that can lead to mottled-looking skin, even via a car window. Instead dab your scent out of sight of light
If you have dry skin, skip toner after cleansing as it simply removes any conditioning ingredients left on the skin. Instead apply moisturiser straight away to seal them in
If you're using self-tan to give your complexion a little burst of colour, apply the product to your face before brushing your teeth. Flecks of toothpaste can lighten spots of self-tanned skin
Clear up make-up cluttering your bedroom and bathroom with a desk tidy from a stationers. The pots for pens are ideal for storing eye- and lip-liners, mascaras, lip glosses and brushes while the drawers keep hair clips and grips out of the way
Don’t say goodbye to your sunscreen just because it's winter. Before you leave your house, apply a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15 or more to protect your skin from the elements. Or, choose a product that combines sunscreen with a moisturizer
Want to make your lipstick last longer? Choose a matte formulation – glossing ingredients mean pigment slides off the lips – apply then blot with tissue before slicking on a second layer which ‘sticks’ to the first for true staying power
Keep cotton wool pads soaked in toner in the fridge over Christmas to cool and soothe tired or hungover eyes and reduce puffiness.
Apply glittery eye make-up before foundation (smooth a layer of concealer over lids first to give the eyeshadow staying power) so you don’t ruin your base wiping away speckles that inevitably fall during application
The skin under the eyes is the thinnest on the face and prone to wrinkling. So always dab rather than stroking or wiping creams and make-up along, to avoid pulling the delicate skin, which can lead to lines
If you don’t have time to leave 30 minutes between moisturiser and make-up, place a tissue over your face and pat with your hands to absorb moisturiser still on the surface and avoid cosmetics on top sliding off
Don’t test new foundation on the back of your hand where your skin tone is completely different from your face. Try it on your jawline instead. If it 'disappears' into your skin, you’ve got the perfect match
Keeping nail polish in the fridge simply makes drips harden around the neck. Keep it instead at room temperature although out of direct sunlight, which makes the pigments separate
Coming up to the party season, stroking hair serum down the centre of legs, across shoulders and even dabbed onto the décolleté grabs the light to make skin look luminescent
If you've overdone the blusher or eyeshadow, sweep a light layer of face powder over the top to soften the lines
Apply foundation and powder as a base over eyelids before eyeshadow or eyeliner. It will help keep both in place for longer without creasing or smudging
If you smudge your nail polish, immediately lick a finger and smooth over the top. Saliva contains a compound that reacts with polish so you can soften and blend the surface
Stroke a little hair serum down the centre of legs when you’re wearing a sexy skirt or frock to catch the light and draw the eye downwards which creates the illusion of longer pins
Mix liquid foundation with a little highlighter for a more dewy finish with added luminescence that catches the light to create a truly glowing complexion
Lipstick can make lips look less plump than gloss – but gives you more intense colour. Combine the benefits of both with a dab of gold, iridescent gloss just in the centre of lips and in the cupid’s bow, for an instantly sexier finish
Wearing nail polish does more than make your fingertips look fabulous; it adds a protective layer, too, that really does strengthen them against knocks that can split or break the nail
Most compact eye shadows have a highlighter in either gold or silver. Dip a blusher brush into the palette and sweep the lightest shade just on top of your cheekbones and down the bridge of your nose for instant glow without buying separate highlighter - Caroline Barnes, make-up artist for Olay touch of foundation
Mend a torn nail by applying a coat of varnish over the entire nail, placing a tiny piece of loo roll over the split, then immediately sealing it in place with another coat of polish
Keep eyeshadow in place for longer by applying a light layer of concealer to the eyelid first – it forms a barrier against the skin’s natural oils that lead to creasing - Make-up artist Caroline Barnes
We’ve all learned the importance of using daily sun protection on our faces, but don’t forget to extend it down the neck, the décolletage and the backs of hands, too. They’re all areas exposed to the sun as much as the face, yet without as much fat behind the skin, are prone to significant crepiness as we age - Dr Nick Lowe, dermatologist
If the results of your latest self-tan application are patchy with tell-tale streaks, use a little nail polish remover on a cotton wool pad to blend in the areas where you look Tango-d. It's harsh, though, so do a patch test first on a tiny area and avoid altogether if you have sensitive skin or skin disorders
