Get your nails ready for Summer

I am so excited about this warmer weather we've had. Ok, it's colder today but last week I had sunglasses on and toes out! It was beyond thrilling.

Being a child of the 80s, I can't let go of my neon love and I treated myself to two Essie nail varnishes in bright (and I mean bright) neon colours.

The pink one is called Bottle Service and I am sporting it on my toes and fingers. It's so fresh and lovely and, yes, bright. And the orange is called Saturday Disco Fever so I don't think an explanation is required. Dark reds be gone until September. Wooooo!

Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Concentrate

In January I talked about serums. Since then, I've become somewhat obsessed which is not unusual. I bought a Sephora own brand serum in New York which was ok but nothing special. Then I read an online review of this and decided to buy it last week.

Eucerin is not a sexy fun brand. It's a 'get the job done' brand. What I have discovered is I like serums that feel like they are hydrating the desert, not ones that sit like a plastic film on your skin. Separating these is not an easy task and required some dedicated research. Fortunately Sali Hughes beauty forum is full of women with opinions and they're not afraid to speak up, they've tried everything. This gets a lot of love and I can see why. It's excellent, it soothes as you apply it like it's actually filling up your skin's fine lines. I don't know why it comes in six dispensers instead of one big bottle but it makes me feel like I am in a laboratory. Read more about it here.

Clinique Even Better Foundation

I said I'd report back on this so here I am. For years I've avoided foundation, finding them too cakey, too heavy, too much like hard work, too try hard if you will. No more! I am loving this so much. I feel all Mad Men Joan, elegant, sophisticated, a proper lady. I'm not saying I am abandoning my beloved tinted moisturisers but this is a serious contender.

First of all, there is no getting away from the fact that this requires more effort to get right. You can't just slap it on in a half-sleepy zombie fashion and hope it will look ok. You have to use a primer (I am still adoring Dior Maximiser) and you have to delicately dab dots of it round your face and blend properly. It probably takes twice as long as a tinted moisturiser to apply but even then, we're still only talking about a minute or so of your time. I then use a foundation brush to give it a more flawless finish which is an extra 10 seconds work.

As someone who has also avoided powders for years, a foundation does require some powder around the nose area. The lightest of dustings does the job. Basically, years of habit are being thrown out of the window as a new routine comes home to roost.

It's worth it though because the result is glowy, even skin. A divine base for blusher and again, a change for me. I've always preferred cream blushers but somehow this look requires powder blusher so I am rediscovering long-lost loves. I am currently enjoying a Bobbi Brown favourite I bought a few years ago. It all looks far more polished. Better still, after 10 hours in the office, it's all still on my face. This is a revelation and worth the extra effort in the morning.

If you've not tried foundation for a while, I urge you to revisit. I think the formulas have improved no end and I am very much loving the result. This Clinique one is £26 which although isn't cheap, it's by no means expensive and it's very impressive.