- The Observer, Sunday May 14 2006
Under-eye cream
Boots
Time Delay Instant Eye Brightener, 10ml, £5.50, Boots
The pinky tone diffuses some of the blue-black tones while the anti-ageing cream moisturises and de-puffs. Really impressed.
5 stars
Freeze 24.7
Eyecicles Anti-Age Serum, 15g, £65, Space NK
Stings a little at first, then 'freezes' wrinkles. You can feel them tightening. Brilliant for a pre-party quick-fix.
5 stars
Natura Bissé
Stimul-Eye Active Gel, 30ml, £40, Fenwicks
Cooling, glides into wrinkles, and can be applied after make-up, useful for craggy late nights.
3 stars
Crème de la Mer
The Eye Balm, 15ml, £85, major stores
Divine-feeling moisturiser for eyes, but wrinkle improvement is gradual, in a blink-and-you-miss-it kinda way.
2 stars
Bronzer
Becca
Pressed Bronzing Powder, £26, Harvey Nichols
Beautiful, fine-textured matt powder in warm, sun-kissed shade. Goes on easily. No brush or pad.
4 stars
Guerlain
Moisturising Bronzing Powder, £24.50, major stores
Goes on easily, looks natural, slight shimmer. Wish it had a pad or a brush.
3 stars
Barry M
Natural Dazzle
Compact, £9.50, Superdrug
Slightly suspect colour, but looks very natural on. Works well as a contouring blush. Large mirror.
3 stars
The Body Shop Brilliance
Powder in Matt, £13.50, The Body Shop
Colour and texture of powder is fine, but the brush is so synthetic and messy, I wish they hadn't bothered.
No stars
Eyeshadow
Jelly Pong Pong
Dynamic Duo, £10, www.jellypongpong.com
Fantastic, a summery take on the smoky-eye- rock-chick on the beach. Good textures. Lasted all evening.
5 stars
Shiseido Silky Eyeshadow Quad, £23.50, major stores
Pretty, cream textured powders. Gold looks great under the brow; wish taupe-lilac was more intense.
3 stars
No 7
Eye Quad, £9, Boots
Colours look a bit garish in the compact, but they're surprisingly versatile for a pretty summer look if you wear two at a time and then blend, blend, blend.
3 stars
MAC
Eyeshadow Palette,
£27, major stores
Metallic white of Forgery is difficult to apply. Other shades are really pretty. Slip in easily to magnetic compact. Wish there was a mirror.
2 stars
Ceramic irons
Babyliss
Pro 230 C, £60, Argos, Boots
Has heatproof mat to rest the tongs on and four clips to separate hair. Slightly wider iron made things easier. Heat dial to control temperature.
5 stars
Errol Douglas
Pro-Tect Straight Solid Thermo, £59.99, Errol Douglas salons, 020 7235 0110
These are fine, with a dial to decrease heat when your ends start crackling (only kidding).
4 stars
Daniel Hersheson
Irons, £99, Daniel Hersheson salons, Harrods
Easy to get the hang of, in spite of lack of information. No dial to control temperature.
3 stars
GHD
Professional Irons, £99, www.ghdhair.com
These do the job and have the best instructions. No heat dial though. And why does everything have to be gold or silver?
3 stars
Cellulite creams (tested by four different women for two weeks)
Payot
Celluli Lisse, 150ml, £34, 020 7499 4420
Skin felt smoother, but not sure if it makes any difference to cellulite. More effective as a moisturiser than a miracle worker.
3 stars
Superdrug
Optimum Physique, 200ml, £5.99, Superdrug
Skin felt tighter and firmer slight reduction in the appearance of cellulite.
3 stars
Bliss
Fat Girl Slim, 170g, £25, Harvey Nichols Right leg (tester) still fat girl fat, but this needs 60 days to work. Skin texture definitely softer.
3 stars
Clarins
Body Firming Cream, 200ml, £32, major stores
The skin is more even and less pitted. Not sure that the tightening would last long once the daily application stopped.
2 stars
Spa products
Ligne St Barth
Avocado Oil, Skin and Hair Care, 125ml, £25, Fortnum and Mason
5 stars
Champneys
Skin Comforting Gentle Bath Milk, 300ml, £6, selected Sainsbury's Makes the bathwater go creamy white, for that Cleopatra-in-ass's-milk feel. Pleasant despite depressing packaging.
3 stars
Umi Spa
White Jasmine and Waterlily Bath Essence, 200ml, £5.49, Waitrose
This is by Waitrose! Beautiful bottles, pretty smells, but lacks a certain wow-factor.
3 stars
Cowshed
Lazy Cow Soothing Bath and Massage Oil, 100ml, £15, www.cowshedproducts.com
Could barely smell this in the bath, lacked that luxurious feeling. Worked better as a body oil. Love the bottle.
3 stars
Post shaving (for men)
Clinique
Post Shave Healer, 75ml, £15, major stores
Perfect. Soothes and moisturises at the same time and leaves your face with a nice tingling sensation.
5 stars
Clarins
Shave Ease, 30ml, £19, major stores
Remarkably non-oily. Absorbs quickly with soothing effects that last.
4 stars
Menscience
Post Shave Repair, 118ml, £24, Space NK
Refreshing spray but only gives temporary comfort. Would be better offin a glove box for long car journeys .
2 stars
Botanics
Soothing Post Shave Balm, 50ml, £5.45, Boots
Greasy and cloying. Doesn't absorb well. No thanks.
1 star
