In Style 100 Best Beauty Buys - 2010

I posted about this last year. Both what was listed I owned and what they listed I wanted to try. I read back and realised I didn't try anything on the list! Excellent effort. I'd love to say that meant I saved money but I think we all know I'd be lying.

The list has not massively changed this year. I have decided they must be getting a back-hander from Sisley. So many products recommended. Including a night cream that costs £435. Yes, £435. What on earth? That makes my Guerlain rose face cream look like Boots value.

Best anti-ageing cream - Sisley Global Anti-Age: £218. Apparently there is nothing better for hydrated, radiant skin. I expect you flush having spent that much on a moisturiser.

Best radiance mask - Sisley Radiant Glow Express Mask: £54.50. Almost cheap! I wanted to try this when it was listed last year. But I have now decided my money is better spent having monthly facials. I had the most amazing one in my local salon last week and my skin is looking very smooth and blemish-free.

The perfect red nail varnish

Yes, more about nail varnish. You wouldn't have thought it was possible to say so much but I feel I've barely warmed up. There are about a gazillion red nail varnishes out there. And at first glance, it's easy to think they are all much of a muchness. But you'd be wrong. Many have a pearl effect, some are from the Rouge Noir school and are very deep reds, some have orange in them and only really suit those of a Brazilian complexion, some are almost brown.

Finding a true red, like the red of a cartoon apple, is actually quite difficult. But fear not, I have found it. It's by Essie of course. And it's called A-List. It's perfect. I love it. I have it on my fingernails and I am admiring them as I type. I expect it would be fantastic on toenails too.

Head and Shoulders

I don't have dandruff. OK, now that's out of the way, let's proceed. Over the years I have noticed that when I say to people, ooh, I like your hair, they often reply that they use Head and Shoulders. I don't know why it took me so long to try it but I noticed that they do a formula for coloured hair and so I decided to try it.

That was about six weeks ago. I can report that since using it, several people have told me my hair looks nice. Is this a coincidence? It's also satisfyingly lathery without being stickily so, if you know what I mean. I am a convert. Best of all it's cheap. Really cheap. I saw it for 95p in Boots the other day.

So H&S gets an enthusiastic thumbs up from me.

Maybelline Dream Creamy foundation

I mentioned this last week. It was in the Sunday Times top 10 buys for 2010. At £5.99 in Boots (special offer, usually £7.99) I wasted no time in buying some. I normally am not a foundation girl. I am quite lucky in that my skin is fairly even and clear. However, foundation does make you look finished. And sometimes that can be nice.

So I gave this a whirl with little hope of really liking it. I can report that it's pretty damn good. It has a little sponge to apply it with and it's a very light cream but not a mousse. It has good staying power and very little flakage. Perhaps a tiny bit on the nose at the end of the day but at this price, I don't think one can complain.

It doesn't feel claggy or heavy. I rather like it and have used it everyday since buying it. A bit of a treasure really. Yay for Maybelline.

Coping with winter

It's been snowing in London. You may have heard about it. A flurry of snow and the world is coming to an end. Schools are closed and the trains have an excuse to be late. With snow comes very cold air. Central heating turned up indoors. It's a recipe for potential beauty disaster. Flaky skin, chapped lips and sad faces.

But don't despair, Cover Girl is here to see you through your winter woes. Here are my tips to keep you gorgeous all winter long.

Lip balm. Someone asked me today what the best lip balm was. Well, it's a subject I've paid close attention to because my lips are always dry. I have three contenders.

1) 8 Hour Cream - Elizabeth Arden. This stuff is great for heavy duty lip care. Not the lipstick version - that's rubbish. The stuff in a tube.

2) Kiehls lip balm. It feels like it's doing you good and it's nice and shiny too.

3) Blistex conditioning lip balm. The one in the pot. It really works and it's cheap too.

That's your lips sorted. What about your skin? Well, since buying the Guerlain cream, I am feeling the love. It's wonderful and moisturising but no greasiness. However, I realise £60 is a little extravagant and I will find it hard to justify replacing it at that price. So other heavy duty creams I love include: Dr Nick Lowe day cream and Kiehls Facial Moisturiser. If I had to pick one, I'd go with the Kiehls one as I think the consistency is just right. You can also get it with SPF15.

Your body? Kiehls again. No, they are not paying me. I got Creme de Corps for Christmas. This is a love/hate thing. Some people find it too greasy. I am not one of them. I love it. A little goes a long way so it's good value too. For those days when you feel like a dried prune, this is the job. I also really like the Jergens body lotions. The age defying one is particularly pleasing.

And to get you through winter I recommend lots of long bubble baths, some warm boots and booking a holiday to look forward to.

Another year, another perfume

My long-suffering man proved he listened by buying me a Guerlain perfume for Christmas. Not only that, he took photos of my current Guerlain perfumes (Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue and Nahema for those of you not paying attention) and took it to the Guerlain counter.

That, my friends, is love. Anyway, he bought Idylle, the most recent scent. I was planning on taking this back as I already had some samples and wasn't sure I loved it. However after a run in with the woman in Selfridges (I am never shopping there again), I decided to give it another go. And it's rather nice. I think I like it as it doesn't smell like any of my other perfumes. If I could describe it, I would. I checked the Guerlain site and they actually have a typo in the description. Maybe I should apply for a job there to sort them out. Imagine how good I'd smell...

Also, he got me a parfum, not an EDT so it actually lasts. If all the perfume suddenly stopped being available, I think I'd now last until I was 100 with my current stash.

2010 - what do we need?

I just read the top 10 list in the Sunday Time Style magazine of what we all need in 2010 beauty-wise. I am excited by a few on their list:

The eye colour - Lancome Le Khol Gloss in Pop Petrol. It's out on Thursday. I've been reading great things about the revamped Lancome make-up and am definitely going to check it out. This sounds lovely, it says it has a texture like oil. Oooohhhh. And blue - my fave colour. It's £18.

The foundation - Maybelline Dream Creamy foundation. What a shocker! A cheap foundation being recommended. I don't wear foundation but maybe I should check this out at £7.99. How can I go wrong just looking? It is described as 'foundation perfection'.

The multi-purpose product - Nars Orgasm Illuminator. Nars. Orgasm. Say no more. £21.

The lipstick - Ellis Faas, Ellis Red. It's the colour of blood apparently. Comes in three finishes - creamy, milky and glazed. And it's on sale at Liberty and I love Liberty. £21.

They talk about the latest Chanel nail varnish but Chanel does not make good quality nail varnish. I know it gets all the fuss but it chips. It does look like a gorgeous colour - minky brown. Mmmmmm. And they talk about a Revlon mascara but I am now such a cynic about mascara.