Looking for a foundation that offers moisture and good coverage?

Birds have started twittering away in the trees, evenings are growing lighter and snowdrops are showing the first signs of life – could that mean that Springtime is in our midst? Well no actually – sadly, we still have two months left until the sun puts in a notable appearance, and with UK temperatures set to plummet to below zero this week (again), its time to prepare our skin for the battle.

Winter is a difficult time when it comes to choosing the right foundation. We are not all blessed with perfect skin, and during winter there are many of us who want considerably more coverage than a tinted moisturiser but find that heavy foundations suck out any existing moisture whilst worsening dry patches.

With this in mind, we have been scouting out a few good medium coverage foundations that still promise to keep the skin feeling full of moisture:

Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturizing Foundation £29

Bobbi Brown products always come with a hefty price tag but as the saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for’. This foundation is sitting pretty at the top of our selection – offering moisture and buildable coverage, as well as age reducing properties.

The Body Shop Moisture Foundation SPF15 £13

This is a lightweight formula that offers medium coverage great for retaining moisture. However, if you have combination skin and an oily T-Zone but dry cheeks then it is best to avoid using it on the areas of your face that are prone to oiliness

17 Sheer Moisture Foundation £4.99

This foundation is relatively lightweight but can be built up for heavier coverage. Best when applied over your daily moisturiser with a light dusting of setting powder on top to hold the foundation in place for longer.

The beauty industry has, over the last few decades, been persistently hacking away at the stereotype that is ‘Man’, in the hope of unleashing a great untapped source of potential customers.

Now the tables have turned to such an extent that  male brands are beginning to open their doors to the lucrative female market.

Lynx has lead the way for male body sprays since 1983, with a very simple and effective formula: combine a semi-naked supermodel and a good dose of tongue-in-cheek humour with names like ‘Lynx Dark Temptation Bullet’ and ‘Lynx Africa’, and you’ve suddenly got men queuing at the perfume counter.

Luxury London born brand Nails Inc are now allowing customers to customize their nail polishes right down to the very last detail.

Nails Inc couture is a new online service which lets you select your nail polish colour, a cap of your choice and a personalised name for your unique ensemble – all wrapped up in a lavish gift box and topped off with a perfectly tied bow.

Visit the interactive area of the website to select your favourite cap before going on to play around with the extensive selection of

shades. We settled on the striking fuchsia diamante cap with Symons Street – a gorgeous glittery turquoise polish.

The final step is choosing two stickers from the selection to make you box that little bit more personal.

The couture polishes come in at a rather high price point of £20, but it goes without saying they make fabulous gifts for females and let’s be honest – what girl wouldn’t want a nail polish named after her?

Visit the Nails Inc website for more information.

Famed for its cutting-edge approach to haut couture, fashion house Dior has recently announced an exciting collaboration with abstract artist Anselm Reyle.

The German artist has been set to work projecting his unique style onto a range of Dior products, including handbags, sandals, nail varnishes and make up products.

This is not the first time Dior has paid tribute to the world of contemporary art. In 2005, Turner Prize nominee Angela Bulloch was commissioned to create an installation for the Dior flagship store in Osaka, Japan. ‘Androidika Descending the Staircase’ comprised of an illuminated staircase attached to a wall of colour-shifting bricks. Perhaps it was this electric marriage of fashion and modern art that helped motivate the more recent collaboration with Anselm Reyle.

7 years on, and we’ve seen a migration. While contemporary art was once confined to fashion’s backdrops and stage-sets, today we find it moving into the limelight and, as Dior’s new collection proves, emerging as the pièce de résistance- the main star of the fashion show.

Making full use of fluorescent colours and striking contrasts, Reyle has created a collection that is both bold enough for the catwalk, and wearable enough for the discerning fashion fiend.

Although it may be one thing for contemporary art to penetrate the fashion industry (the catwalk is, after all, more of a gallery than a catalogue), surely it is quite another for it to infiltrate the beauty industry?

Of course, this has not deterred Dior. The Dior Anselm Reyle Eye Palette is a perfect example of wow-factor presiding over practicality. It features Reyle’s signature camouflage design, a postmodern take on the material’s original use in warfare.

 The artist explained his choice to Dazed Digital- “Usually the camouflage hides something, but here it’s the opposite – it is very visible because of the signal neon colours.”

If you like your make-up to reflect deeper, philosophical ponderings about human civilization, then head over to the Selfridges store and treat yourself to Dior Anselm Reyle Eye Palette for £72.00.

Although it is pricey, and rather impractical- there’s no denying that it looks amazing. If you have the cash to splash, it might be worth it… if only for the novelty of being able to hold a little piece of contemporary art in your make-up bag.

Umberto Giannini give their classic Incredible Body range a glamourous make-over. 

After much festive season styling and frequent battles with the wind and rain it is no wonder that January is never a particularly good month for the barnet.

If your hair is looking a little lacklustre then there is no time like the present to inject some much needed volume back into the mix.

Umberto Giannini (the maestro’s renowned for the most phallic packaging in hair care), have recently given their old Incredible Body range a fabulous make-over and it is now back on the shop shelves with it’s new and improved formula ready to give your hair some oomph!

The philosophy over at Umberto Giannini is ‘the bigger the hair, the smaller the hips’, so if that’s not enough to convince you to put down the scrunchie and pick up the barrel brush and blow-dryer, then nothing will be.

The Incredible Body range is made up of shampoo, conditioner, mousse and blow dry spray – four products key to obtaining ultimate volume.

To get a super glam Hollywood hairstyle start by washing your hair using the shampoo and conditioner.

Once you have towel dried your hair, pump out a generous helping of mousse and work it into the roots and lengths.

Next is onto the grand finale. Evenly spritz some blow dry spray through the hair (as well as a good heat protectant), and blow dry the hair starting at the roots using the biggest, roundest barrel brush you can lay your hands on.

The best type of brush to use is one with a metal barrel as this will hold the heat more effectively, helping to add more volume and seal in the style.

Finally, one you have achieved the desired look, spritz with the hairspray of your choice for hold and et voila…incredible body.

The Umberto Giannini Incredible Body range is available from Boots and is currently on a 3 for £10 special offer. Pop on over to the Boots website to view the full range.

So now it’s time for everyone to brace themselves as once again the tabloids whip up a frenzy of panic, all major airports close, councils fail yet again to order the right quantities of road-salt, and our economy comes to a complete standstill while the rest of the northern hemisphere puts on a coat and gets on with it.

But not to worry. Unlike the authorities, we can prepare ourselves for the approaching cold spells. Instead of locking ourselves in with a year’s worth of tinned beans and a cricket bat, it’s time to strap on the Ugg boots, whip out the mittens and embrace the old British way of keeping calm and carrying on.

Of course, bad weather is no excuse to neglect an all-important health and beauty regime. Unless you fancy going round in a balaclava, you’ll need some way to protect the vulnerable skin on your face from the icy wind- especially the soft skin on your lips.

Lip balm is an absolute essential for any national weather crisis. Without it, lips can become chapped, cracked and sore. Ensure your lips are always looking smooth, soft and healthy by choosing a lip balm that suits your lifestyle- whether you love the outdoors, love to look good, or you’re living on a tight budget.

To do our bit for the nation, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 best lip balms for meeting everyone’s needs this winter.

1. The ‘eco-warrior’ -

For those of you who care about the environment, why not try Fair Squared Lip Balm 4 Pack? These eco-friendly organic lip balms come in four different flavours, including spearmint, vanilla, citrus and even vegan pomegranate. Free from petrolatum, sulphates, GMO, parabens and cruelty, Fair Squared Lip Balm is perfect for taking care of your lips ethically, without harming the environment.

Buy Fair Squared Lip Balm 4 Pack for £6.99

2. The ‘glamorous’ -

Lip balm can pose a problem for women who love to make a statement with their lips. Unfortunately, many lipsticks and glosses just don’t offer the same level of protection as lip balms do. Clinique has come up with the perfect way of combining the glamour of lipstick with the functionality of lip balm. Introducing the brand new Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm. This super-nourishing balm moisturises dry lips with mango and shea butters and comes in eight exciting colours, including ‘woppin watermelon’ and ‘chunky cherry’.

You can buy NEW Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm for £16

3. The ‘outdoor type’ -

Whether you love climbing, cycling, sailing or running, you’ll know that in cold weather, lip balm can be your best friend. The outdoors can be unkind to vulnerable skin, that’s why it pays to always carry a pot of lip balm. We recommend Eco Lips Sport Eco Lip balm, which comes with a nifty clip for easy portability and access.

You can buy Eco Lips Sport Lip Balm with clip for £4.50

4. The ‘hard-up’ -

We all love a good bargain, especially when the economic climate is just about as chilly as the meteorological one. Not to fear, Body Shop is currently offering a wallet-friendly discount on selected flavoured lip balms. Try Candied Ginger Lip Balm for a spicy, wintry taste and instant hydration.

You can now buy Candied Ginger Lip Balm for a very reasonable £2.50.

5. The ‘luxury lover’ -

Sometimes a plastic pot or battered tin just isn’t good enough for the sophisticated ladies among us. For those who desire the decadent, consider Estee Lauder Lip Conditioner SPF 15. This lip balm, or ‘conditioner’, comes in a sleek gold lipstick-style case and offers intense moisture, vitamins C and E and sun protection.

You can buy Estee Lauder Lip Conditioner SPF 15 for a very luxurious £16.50.

Remember- this is winter, not the apocalypse. Protecting your lips from an early stage will ensure they still look great at a later age. 

If you’ve been a somewhat over zealous with the tweezers and are currently sporting a pair of brows thinner than ferret on the Dukan diet, lay down your weapon and begin the liberating journey of regrowth, because if you haven’t already got the memo…BIG brows are back.

Rejoice, for finally the demise of the super arch has come about and the big, bushy, natural look is the one that is gracing the faces of most of our favourite trend setting A-listers. No, that does not mean it has become acceptable to grow a Frida Kahlo brow, it simply means that whilst your tweezers are in hibernation a brow grooming/filling kit can keep their place warm instead.

Over plucking your brows is not just time consuming and difficult to maintain, but also intensely unflattering on most faces. Our natural brows grow in a way that naturally frames and lifts the face so instead of massacring them we should instead attempt to manicure them and treat them with love.

Use a home brow kit to add depth and definition to your natural brows and always remember that they should be playing a supporting role in your make-up look and should not take the spotlight (e.g. don’t be too heavy handed or you will end up with a ‘Scouse brow’).

Here are our top picks:

GOSH eyebrow kit £7.49

Contains three brow powder shades, a wax fixing cream a double-ended applicator and a mirror.

New Cid Cosmetics i-groom £15.50

An angled eyebrow pencil featuring a grooming brush.

Benefit Brow Zings £22.50

Includes a wax for shaping, a natural shaded setting powder, mini tweezers, a blend brush, an angled brush and a mirror.

This kit may come in at a higher price point but the products are of a high quality and the brushes and tweezers will stand the test of time.

Available in light, medium and deep.

ELF cosmetics Eyebrow Kit £3.50

Coming in at a budget busting £3.50 this nifty little kit contains coloured wax for shaping and defining.

Comes in four shades – light, medium, dark and ash.

HD Brows Eye & Brow Palette £19.96

HD Brows are the creators of the famous ‘Seven Step’ complete brow procedure and now also offer a home kit.

Available in four shades.

Visit the HD Brow website to find out more about the salon services they offer and for stockists of their brow kit.

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!

Want the length of false eyelashes everyday without the hassle of having to painstakingly apply then with tweezers and glue?…If so, Benefit’s latest mascara offering could be just the ticket.

Benefit aren’t particularly well known for mascara – obviously the cult Bad Gal lash is the holy mascara grail for many, but other than that the kitsch and quirky brand are better known for the other great products in their line.

However, recently Benefit released their second mascara – they’re real, a mascara aimed at giving women lashes that are so long and so gorgeous – they could almost be mistaken for a pair of falsies.

According to Benefit, 94% of testers saw dramatic length and volume, 90% saw base-to-tip curl, 94% saw visible lift and 100% saw longwearing results…not bad hey!

Benefit believe that the lengthening effects of the mascara can be attributed in part to the specially designed mascara wand. The wand is designed with a combination of both short and long bristles for length and definition with the horizontal and vertical bristles making for perfectly smooth application.

The bristles continuing to run around the wand tip also means you are able to capture every single last lash with the lengthening, curling, plumping formula.

If you would like to try out they’re real!, pop on over to the Benefit website and pick one up for £18.50.

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.