Tokyo Milk is a range of cosmetics, skincare, candles and other ‘curious things’ crafted with originality and wit by designer Margot Elena.

For the beauty connoisseurs among you, be warned that the detailed, vintage style packaging and attention to detail renders each unique product a collectable- so prepare for a little addiction.

There is nothing mainstream about Margot’s range. There is nothing No.7 or Garnier about this. Browsing the Tokyo Milk website is a little like wondering around an old antiques shop crammed with ever-surprising knickknacks and trinkets… you never know what you might find.

Like every curious antique shop in literature, Tokyo Milk houses a dark and dangerous corner only the brave dare to explore.

Introducing the Femme Fatale Collection: featuring luxurious hand-creams, adventurous perfumes and lip-balms with a bite. With names like ‘Tainted Love No.62′, ‘Arsenic No.17′, ‘Clove Cigarette No.18′ and ‘Dead Sexy No.72′, it’s clear to see that this is a range designed to coax out the beautiful beast in all of us.

Despite the dark names and subversive feel of Tokyo Milk, the products themselves reserve the all important feminine touch and smell simply delicious. Featuring blends of mimosa bark, Japanese green tea, dandelion and brazil nut oil among many other ingredients, each product is designed for long-lasting scent and silky skin.

The luxurious packaging and unique, quirky feel of each product makes Tokyo Milk a great place to head forpresent buying.

To explore the mystifying wonders of Margot Elena’s very special brand, head over to the Tokyo Milk website and indulge yourself!

It’s time for us to load up on salad, hit the gym and start taking care of our bodies. Clarins’ 5-step skin care regime is a perfect way to fight the wrinkles, banish cellulite and smooth dry skin – but, with many of us vowing to tighten the purse-strings this year, such luxury may no longer be affordable.

With budgets in mind, we’ve created a 5-step beauty regime designed to prepare your body for the bikini season, whilst helping you to save money.

Step 1 – Exfoliate

Rather than spending nearly £30 on a luxury exfoliating cream that runs out after a few squirts, we suggest you invest in an exfoliating brush. Exfoliating brushes are cheaper, they last longer and they can prove more effective at removing dead skin cells and improving circulation.

Try the Body Shop ‘Body Brush Round’ for a wallet-friendly £7

Step 2 – Moisturise

After having a good scrub with your exfoliating brush to remove all that dead skin, you’ll need to sooth the fresh skin with a rich, creamy moisturiser. Instead of spending £37 on a luxury brand, choose Dove Body Silk Cream. It comes in a sizeable, long-lasting tub, smells fantastic and leaves skin looking radiant and feeling soft.

You can buy Dove Body Silk Cream for a mere £3.59 at Chemist Direct.

Step 3 – Firm

With weight fluctuation, comes loose and damaged skin. Clarins knows the secret to youthful skin is firmness. No need to spend over £50 on a toning and firming cream, however, when Garnier offers a great alternative for less than £10. Garnier Ultralift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Day Cream promises to smooth even the deepest of wrinkles over a 7-day period.

You can buy Garnier Ultralift Ant-Wrinkle Cream at Tesco for £9.38

Step 4 – Contour

For problems with water retention, cellulite and stubborn curves, Clarins recommends contouring products. Nivea ‘Goodbye Cellulite Gel-Cream’ tackles dimples, smooths blemishes and offers a far cheaper alternative to luxury brands, without compromising on quality.

You can buy Nivea ‘Goodbye Cellulite Gel-Cream at Superdrug for £10.67

Step 5 – Hands

No matter how much you take care of the skin on your face, your hands will always give away signs of ageing. It is important to moisturise them regularly in order to prevent dry skin and wrinkles. Try Nivea ‘Hand Age Defying Q10 PLUS’ and save nearly £15. Although simple, this hand cream promises to smooth fine lines, guard against age-spots and moisturise dry skin – all for under £5.

You can buy Nivea ‘Hand Age Defying Q10 PLUS’ for £3.09 at Lloyd’s Pharmacy. 

What is BB Cream?

BB Cream, short for Blemish Balm, or Beblesh Balm is a product which unites the benefits of skincare and make-up as one.

The cream is said to have originated in Germany, developed by a dermatologist with a view to being used as a cover up which also provided protection for patients who has just received laser surgery.

However, the products aptitude for providing light coverage, moisture, protection from the sun, and an improvement in the texture of the skin soon meant that BB Creams became a sensation all over Asia and have since remained a cult must have product.

Nowadays there are hundreds of BB Creams on the market, with developments consistently being made so that formulas are improving all the time. Some higher end BB Creams now claim to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, whilst others claim they can help to reduce acne.

The product…

Up until quite recently BB Creams have been relatively difficult to get hold of in the UK, unless you were prepared to order online or pay premium beauty prices. However, Garnier have recently just released their take on the Asian sensation, which means it is now accessible to the masses.

I can’t imagine it will be too long before other drug store brands such as L’oreal, jump on the BB wagon, but until then let us discuss Garniers foray into the BB biosphere.

Garnier BB Cream claims to provide 24hr hydration, sheer, luminous and smooth coverage, SPF15 protection and UV protection.

The product comes in two shades, medium and light, and I plumped for the light option as I felt it would be more suitable for my skin tone. I first applied the BB Cream in the morning on clean, dry skin. I was going to use a brush but actually I found this wasn’t necessary as it blended into the skin extremely well just with the use of my fingers.

The cream noticeably improved the appearance of my skin immediately. My pores looked smaller, my skin smoother and brighter and generally my complexion looked much more even. The cream is extremely light, smells fresh, doesn’t feel too heavy if you wear it underneath make-up and it does seem to help my skin retain moisture during the day.

I tend to use this as an alternative to tinted moisturiser on days around the house or when I don’t feel too much like wearing make-up, but I prefer to use the product as a primer under a very light liquid foundation such as Mac Face and Body, or under a light dusting of a mineral powder foundation such as Laura Mercier Mineral Powder.

Though I haven’t tried any other BB Creams with which I can compare Garniers version, I can say that this is good solid product which I am sure will hold it’s own when other BB Creams start to saturate the shelves.

8/10

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One B.B. Blemish Balm Cream is available from Boots and is priced at £9.99

Handmade and full of the finest ingredients, this best selling moisturising cream offers a wealth of benefits.

In a gorgeous, vibrant pink tub, the Rum and Blackcurrant Shea Butter Moisturising Cream from Bettyhula draws inspiration from the pacific islands, and will be guaranteed to leave your skin feeling fresh and silky smooth. It is made from renewable sources and without the use of chemicals.

As a firm favourite in moisturising creams, this luxurious product has many ingredients which offer plenty of benefits for your skin. The Shea butter found in this moisturiser is known to reduce the appearance of burns, scars, sores and stretch marks. It is also good for wrinkles and will increase circulation and elasticity of the skin.

Aloe vera is another ingredient which helps with dry, cracked and itchy skin. It also promotes healing and helps to repair damage. Cocoa butter is perfect for helping relieve the symptoms of eczema and dermatitis. This glorious moisturiser also contains coconut oil and vitamin E, and has no chemical ingredients. It can be used on dry/sensitive skin, combination and oily skin. It is also ideal for helping to soothe sunburn.

You should apply the moisturiser on a daily basis, after a bath or shower, as part of your skin care routine. It comes in a handy 120ml size, which is perfect for popping in your handbag, to take on your summer holidays.

If you use the Rum and Blackcurrant Shea Butter Moisturising Cream and enjoy it, you may want to try out the Bettyhula – Champagne and Spice. This is another best seller, with all the goodness and quality of this one.

Bettyhula – Rum and Blackcurrant Shea Butter Moisturising Cream is available to purchase now at Bettyhula, and is priced at £14.99

Unless you’ve been in hiding for the past couple of months it is very unlikely that Glossybox will have escaped your beauty radar. This exciting new concept is the long awaited UK version of the US Birchbox, a monthly subscription service which sends you a luxury box of five high end beauty samples each month.

Subscription is £10 per month, including delivery and before you ask what the catch is – you can cancel at any time! In addition to your beauty samples you’ll also receive information and usage tips and tricks on all of the products, plus the occasional bonus of discount vouchers for some of the ranges included.

The idea is that beauty lovers will get to try out products they may not have picked up themselves, and test them out in the comfort of their own homes before investing in the full size if they wish. As if it couldn’t get any better, Glossybox also reward your loyalty by providing you with one Glossydot for each completed product feedback sheet you complete, and once you have collected 100 dots they translate to one free Glossybox!

Those who are concerned the products won’t be suitable for their skin type or to their taste will also be pleased to know that you can create a personal beauty profile on the Glossybox website. You’ll be able to provide information about your skin type and make-up preferences so that each box will contain products which will fit your needs.

It’s all in the details

The first box came beautifully packaged, even down to the purple Royal Mail tracked sticky labels, and if the saying ‘It’s all in the details’ is anything to go by then Glossybox are surely onto a winner.

Even the outer packing, which is essentially nothing more than a cardboard box, is actually really nicely done. There is no cellotape in sight and instead you have to tear a perforated strip which add’s to the feeling of luxury and exclusivity.

Inside is a well made, smart pink box, which when opened reveals yet more loveliness in the form of black tissue paper and pink ribbons. It’s like pass the parcel!

Once you have peeled back all the layers you’ll discover that the Glossybox team have really surpassed themselves with the contents of the first box.

Inside lay a full size Nars Orgasm Illuminator, All For Eve Eve Red Lipstick, Bionova Lab Bioactive cleanser, Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Active Repair Spray and a Como Shambhala Invigorate Body Lotion.

The contents of the box are above and beyond what I had imagined and I was elated to discover a full size Nars products among the other gorgeous goodies.

Skeptics will be asking if the subsequent boxes will contain products which are just as good and if it is really an idea that will take off or flop? Well if the Birchbox and it’s long continued success are anything to go by, we’ll be looking forward to receiving our monthly Glossybox for years to come!

Keep a look out for upcoming reviews putting the May Glossybox samples to the test!

For more information and to sign up, visit the Glossybox website.

The product –

The price - £2.99 for 250ml £4.99 for 400ml

The range – Also comes in aloe vera for normal skin, mango oil for dry skin, honey for sensitive skin and cocoa butter for dry and rough skin.

The promise – ‘Imagine a body product that offers daily hydration so intense you feel it up to 7 days.’

Garnier say that this product will leave the skin feeling intensely hydrated for up to 7 days, which is based on trials of 241 women who used the cream regularly for 4 weeks and then skipped a week. After this 9 out of 10 women apparently went on to recommend the cream.

The cream also claims to be enriched with natural-based Shea Butter and L-Bifidus, inspired by probiotics, which have been selected to meet the specific needs of dry to extra-dry skin as well as boasting super fast absorbancy so you can get dressed in a flash.

The results – My first impression of this cream was that it was extremely thin and lightweight. As promised it smelt delicious and really did absorb instantly into my skin. This is of course a positive but as someone with extremely dry skin I had to resist the urge to keep putting more on to make sure it was working! Since then I have learnt that a little goes a long way, and just because it isn’t thick and doesn’t sit on the skin it doesn’t mean it isn’t doing its job properly.

I’ve been using this moisturiser for almost 4 weeks now and although there has been the odd one or two days when I’ve jumped out the shower and haven’t moisturised (which was fine!) I couldn’t go longer than two moisture free days without feeling like my skin was really thirsty. All in all a good product which I would buy again but it doesn’t perform the once per week moisturiser miracle I was hoping for.

Since my late teens I have been using Clinque products on and off so when my skin was particularly dry and thirsty during the winter months I decided to pick up a bottle of the cult bestselling moisturiser to return my skin to its former soft and supple glory. I have used this moisturiser many times before and have been impressed with the results, so I am surprised that this seems to be the source of my troubles. However, skin does change and it would seem mine has so for now my Dramatically Different is hibernation in a dark draw and I have downgraded to a much cheaper moisturiser.

Amie is a range specifically designed for girls in their teens and twenties by ex-Estée Lauder marketing executive, Fiona Parkhouse. I first came across this line when I was looking for a very gentle face wash and I was drawn to the Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash because it is paraben, mineral oil, sulphate, GM ingredient and petrochemical free! It has also not been tested on animals, is suitable for vegetarians and vegans and is made with an average of 95% natural fruit and botanical ingredients (as is true for all products in the range).

The face wash is extremely gentle and non drying and does keep my skin soft, cleansed and blemish free. In light of my love for the facial wash I decided to pick up the Morning Dew Matte Finish Moisturiser. This moisturiser says it is suitable for all skin types but especially oily, so I couldn’t go wrong with my normally dry but now extremely oily skin!

I have always found heavy moisturisers don’t work well with my skin so was pleasantly surprised to find this formula extremely light and easily absorbed into the skin. It contains organic rosehip and bilberry to nourish, natural plant sugars to hydrate and vitamin E to protect against pollution and sun damage.

Once absorbed I wouldn’t say the finish is completely matte, but then again the mattifying effect may be more noticeable on a slightly oily skin type than my own. However, it did control shine and still made for a very smooth base to apply make up too.

In terms of the packaging, its sweet, perhaps slightly childish but it is completely unoffensive and wonderfully practical. The lightweight tube allows you to throw this into your bag whilst on the go and weighs much less than heavy glass jars and tubs.

The only negative is that I’ll soon be too old to slot into the Amie target market!

You can pick up Amie products online from the website or in store at Boots.

The Great Big Skincare Event is also running some fabulous competitions, with their Facebook competition giving you the chance to win a years supply of your favourite skincare product.

Boot’s have also gone out and asked some celebs about their holy grail skincare products and they found that former Eastenders star and Strictly Come Dancing champ  Kara Tointon can’t live without Bio Oil, presenter Alexa Chung loves Calendula Face Cream, Joanna lumley won’t go anywhere without her stash of Imdeen tablets and model Erin O’Connor swears by Simple Cleansing Wipes.

Brands included in the offer even include the pricey Neals Yard, Burt’s Bee’s, Cowshed, Nip + Fab and Cowshed among many others, so why not take this opportunity to either stock up on your favourites or to try something new?

I took the opportunity to stock up on my much loved Sanctuary Salt Scrub, which seems to be the only thing in the universe which reduces the appearance of my keratosis pilaris (more commonly known as chicken skin) on my upper arms and I also plumped for the Sanctuary Radiance Exfoliator among a whole host of other things.

Check out the Boots website for full details.

Though the time for whipping out the factor 30 may still be a little way away, as the scouts say…’Be Prepared’ and prepared we are, with the very first sunscreen review of 2011!

Though February might seem slightly premature for sunscreen, one of our Beauty Resource ladies was recently holidaying in St Lucia when she discovered this little gem - Lancaster Sun Sport Multi-zone Cream & Stick SPF 30.

This product features a rollerball sun protectant for eyes, lips, ears, nose and other delicate areas and then in a separate compartment there is a sun cream which can be used on larger areas. The tube is small and perfectly formed so you can easily pop this into a pocket or handbag and one of the most fantastic features of this product is the fact it is also sweat and water resistant. Lets see what else Debs has to say about her new holiday holy grail:

Debs:
‘This tube was easily the most useful of all my creams whilst away on holiday. It is small enough to fit into a handbag and the rollerball is great for quick and easy application to the face, neck and decolletage. Particularly appreciated the sweat resistant factor as it ensured my chest area (which can often be sweaty and is prone to burning) was fully protected.

In terms of texture the cream also scored top marks. Some creams with SPF 30 can be extremely thick and difficult to rub in but this is silky to touch and absorbs rapidly into the skin. Though I would usually be reluctant to part with £21 for what some may consider to be a small amount of product, after 10 days of continuous usage in the St Lucia sun I still have some product left! Would say this product is worth the price and it will definitely be joining me on my next holiday. Overall would mark this product 9/10 .’

If like us you would love to pick up a bargain but would rather be chilling on the couch as opposed to entering a death match over the last pair of size fives then behold…the internet sale.

Yup so online sale shopping is not without its down falls. If you’ve ever sat there for hours ‘adding to basket’ only to click ‘proceed to checkout’ where you are confronted with angry red, bold letters stating ‘one or more of your items are out of stock’, then we feel for you. But at least you didn’t travel all the way to town to find out there was nothing you liked (Silver lining and all that!).

So without further ado, here is a round up of our favourite online beauty sales and what they have to offer:

Feel Unique

The Feel Unique sale is offering up to 70% off some of our favourite beauty brands. We snapped up the cult Xen-Tan Dark Tanning Lotion (236ml) for £16.19 instead of £25.95! What’s more, worldwide postage and packaging is currently FREE!

Cheap Smells

Cheap Smells are offering various post Christmas seasonal offers. Our top pick has to be Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Eclat for only £14.95 as part of their ’3 Day Winter Mega Deal’. Thats 38% off the retail price and again, postage and packaging is currently free.

Gorgeous Shop

The Gorgeous Shop winter sale is currently offering hundreds of beauty items for up to half price.

We love Korres Rice Proteins Serum – For Split Ends (15ml) which is now £9.80 knocked down from £14 and will help dehydrated hair back to its former glory.

HQ Hair

Despite the name of the site, Hq Hair offers a fantastic range of high end beauty products. The online store is currently offering 30% of everything when you enter the code ‘saletime’ at the checkout.