Old faithfuls!

Don't you just love it when you re-discover an old favourite, or a super classic that you forgot you had?

Well, that's happened to me this week. And not just once, but twice!

I stayed over at my friend's for a couple of nights last weekend, and very annoyingly forgot to bring my shampoo and conditioner.

You can't imagine how cheesed off I was.

My friend lent me her shampoo and conditioner - Herbal Essences Smooth and Soft for Dry/Damaged/Frizzy Hair, £3.36 each. I hadn't used this for an age, and we can all get a bit tied to our favourite products so wasn't sure how my hair was going to react.

Well, I needn't have worried!

First thing is the smell. Yummy. It actually made my mouth water, wrong I know, but I can't help it.

The lather was good too, and it didn't tangle up - this must be because of the botanical silk extract. The conditioner is excellent too - it is mixed with a serum so it smooths, detangles and tames. Brilliant!

I dried my hair to a silky, smooth and straight perfection. They have actually re-formulated the shampoo and conditioner and I must say I was so happy, it is now on my beauty shopping list!

The second moment of heart-stopping joy was when I was sorting out my perfume cupboard. Yes, I have a cupboard full to the brim of fragrance. My other half used to think it was quite over-the-top and slightly ridiculous that I needed an entire cupboard, but he's grown used to it now and doesn't shake his head in disbelief every time he walks in there.

Anyway, I was re-ordering it and came across a trusted friend - Chloe Eau de Toilette, £46. What a joy!

If you are not familiar with it, give it a go. It is floral, but not cloying. I think it is the mix of rose, freesia and iris that makes it soft rather than intense. I also like the hint of fruit in the scent, it's sort of summery, like your own ray of sunshine on a grim day!

Anyway, it's no longer at the back of my cupboard, no, it's now on my dressing table, ready to be spritzed on every morning!

Product of the day!

Ta-da!! It's the Shimmer Brick, Famous by Sue Moxley.

This is my most prized makeup possession at the moment.

It is excellent as a highlighter: dust it over cheeks and decolletage as well as your brow bones. it catches the light beautifully and really makes a difference to your look.

I also like to use it as an eyeshadow. Sounds nuts but really isn't, I promise.

It is perfect for a summer natural look as there are several different types of gold and bronze, that really work and add glamour.

It is such good value at £7, from Superdrug, and I defy anyone to tell the difference between this soon-to-be make up classic and Bobbi Brown's iconic Shimmer Brick, other than the price tag, that is!

This multi-tonal bronzer is so flattering and a real beauty bag secret. Ignore me at your peril!

Product of the day!

Now, I know that it's not Winter, but nonetheless, my hands get really dry. Well, they used to, until I invested in my star product, Aveda Hand Relief.

This is so luxurious and so enriching, your hands will feel so darn good after a couple of days of use.

In some ways, it's almost like a rich face cream, pumped full of antioxidants, plant emollients, exfoliating fruit extracts and even vitamins A and E to stave off the signs of ageing!

I am a fan of the scent, it is fresh and light and spa-like. However, my friend asked me what I was wearing as she really didn't like it. Well, you can please everyone! For my part, it smells great and absorbs super-quickly.

At £5.50 for 40mls, it is pricier than many others on the market. But it is such a good hand cream and a tiny blob goes a very long way, so while it is expensive it does last a very long time.

All up, if you have dry or chapped hands, this is the one for you!

Feel good!

I'm a huge fan of Dermalogica products. Nothing quite makes my skin glow like their Skin Prep Scrub, £22 followed by a good dose of Skin Hydrating Masque, £27!

But not only does Dermalogica make your skin feel good, but they can make you feel good too.

The kind-hearted folk have joined the FITE initiative. The Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship program contributes US$1 when you enter your code on the website, wwwjoinfite.org . The codes can be found on Dermalogica's specially green packaged products.

These products help female entrepreneurs in deprived areas of the world who would not be able to access capital or even credit. In fact, you can even specify which industry and part of the old you would like to benefit from your purchase.

So, if you want to help make a difference, buy any of the following products, enter you code and look good as well as feel great, with Dermalogica!

Join the FITE with these products

Daily Microfoliant £31

Precleanse £28

Skin Hydrating Booster £36

Total Eye Care £29

Intensive Eye Repair £33

Product of the day!

I cannot survive without Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate!

We all dream about having clear, bright, smooth and younger-looking skin don't we? Well, don't just dream about it at night, smear a dab of this on at night and you'll have it by morning!

I love this lightweight serum as your skin feels so refreshed and so luminous the next day and the feeling lasts all day.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate is £36, which is a lot better value than most of the serums on the market and I really feel this is one the most effective and useful beauty tools.

Product of the day!

Product of the day is…Soap & Glory Sexy MotherPucker!

It is a must-have for every beauty queen!

So, the first thing I love about Soap & Glory Sexy MotherPucker, £8, is the humour - the name is brilliant, the packaging cheeky and retro. It's a bit of a laugh, which is what beauty should be. So, thumbs up there.

But the best thing is that it really does pump your lips up! You tingle for a bit and then you end up with a pout which would have made Brigitte Bardot in her hey-day envious!

The glosses contain superfill microsphere which help make your lips fuller and they really do. Also, it has a lovely little touch of glitter running through it so it's not over-the-top, but subtle and sophisticated.

It's great on its own, but also lovely under, or on top of your usual lipstick or gloss.

Get out quick and buy it! Your lips will never be the same again!

Available from Boots.

Product of the day!

Today's star is…Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Scrub!

I love a good exfoliation - there is nothing like it to make your skin glow and feel smooth.

I also love the top quality Aussie brand, Aesop, the entire range is beautiful, useful and indispensable!

So when the two are combined it is a winning formula to my mind!

So, what's so great about it?

It is not skin-type specific for a start, which means it's a great little product that you can keep in the shower and everyone can use, so you get more value for money.

Unlike some other scrubs which feel like you are being rubbed down by a wire wool pad, this is a gentle exfoliator.

The product is mildly abrasive rather than skin-flaying and it also has a detoxifying quality, as such it feels like you get a deep down clean; something more intensive than your average scrubs.

I love the feeling after using this scrub - your skin does look and feel smoother, but you also feel hydrated in some way. What more could you want?!

Available from www.aesop.com for £21

Get lippy!

There's been a fair bit of fuss about Rimmel London's Vinyl Max lip gloss, £5.49. Not all of it good either.

The wand is too big, the colours too similar, too drying, too sticky - these are just some of the criticisms levelled at it.

Naturally, I wasn't going to let a little beauty controversy put me off, so I gave it a go.

It is massive, is the first thing I noticed. At least twice the size of most other lip glosses. That's not a bad thing, just an observation.

The wand itself is also a lot bigger than your average. But rather than that being a hindrance, I found it very useful and I am sure for unseasoned gloss-wearers it is a blessing as it makes the product very easy to apply.

The gloss smells delicious and fruity, not synthetic and horrid. It smears on very evenly and is extremely shiny and brilliant, in the truest sense of the word. So all good on that front. I also like the tingle-effect it had on my lips. It was cooling and I felt like my lips looked plumper - but that could have been an optical illusion because of the shine on my lips enhancing the natural shape.

The colour I've been using is Breathless but I would say that of the six colours, Addictive is probably the prettiest.

All up it's a very good lip colour. After all, what do you want from a gloss? Shine, colour, sheen, slight jamminess. Well, it's all of those things, so I don't think it deserves the bad wrap!

Product of the day!

So, every day I will post a teeny-tiny update on what my product of the day is. I'll also tweet about it - you can follow me: @beautybagsecret.

Let's kick this off.

My top product for today is Shu Uemura Stage Performer.

it is described as an Instant-glow, immediate radiance skin perfecting cream.

Sounds good-and it is!

This really is a can't-live-without beauty-buy.

It is a primer, come-moisturiser-come-foundation-come-highlighter.

Okay, so Shu Uemura don't say that, they say it is a primer, but I say you can use it for virtually everything!

I love it for a fresh-faced look during the day - it really warms and evens your skin tone and gives you the prettiest glow.

In the evening I actually don't put foundation on top as I feel it gives a much better effect with a bit of powder and bronzer swished over it.

For a healthy and dewy complexion this is a super and very versatile purchase so it's £30 well-spent!

Enjoy!

Breaking news!

Stem cell facials are big beauty news at the moment and all of Hollywood (whether they admit it or not) are having them done.

This really is a really wonderful non-surgical treatment - instant tightening, dramatic reduction in fine lines, a more youthful glowing complexion.

It works by exfoliating, polishing and plumping up your skin with the help of their magic ingredients - peptides, fruit enzymes and botanical stem cells. The results are excellent.

The treatment is ideal for reducing the signs of ageing and sun damage but also important as an ageing preventative. Therapists also recommend it for acne or rosacea sufferers as the treatment is a gentle one but with really good results.

Brilliant, yes, but pricey.

Now, this really is hot off the press.

Normally you can expect to pay about £165 for three facials but if you head to the money-saving exclusive offers website, Wahanda (www.wahanda.com) you can get three for just £65! Get in quick though, as this is a nationwide offer and available for two weeks only from Monday 1st August.

You're so sensitive!

My skin used to be like the hide of a rhino.

Honestly, it did.

I could put anything on it, it would stay put, look good, not breakout, go red, chap, crack or flare up. I was so lucky and I didn't even know it!

But then 10 years ago or so, everything changed!

Nothing worked, everything hurt, I was all breakouts, redness, flaring and chapping. My skin was fragile and I had to learn to pamper it and really look after it. After all, no matter what people say, they ALWAYS notice that spot, that cold sore, that chafing.

I've tried lots of different products over the years and have settled into a very strict beauty regime to ensure my skin stays in tip-top condition. People compliment my skin a lot now, and it makes me feel so good after all the trials and tribulations I've been through. The things is, it has meant that I stick to the cleansers, toners and moisturisers that I know and love and more importantly, trust.

Recently, however, that rigidity and regiment has changed as I have come across two brands that I had only noticed in passing and now consider them to be beauty bag staples.

My first new beauty favourite is balance Me. It does what it says, balances your skin.

All their products are incredibly soothing and smell delicious. In fact my bedroom and bathroom have a beautiful lingering scent of roses as a result of using these products lately!

Like all skin types, sensitive ones require exfoliating, but the difficulty is in finding one that doesn't irritate.

balance Me have a wonderful product called radiance face mask, £18, which very gently exfoliates and brightens but is not abrasive. I have been complimented on how fresh my complexion is looking lately and I know it is down to this great product.

The moisture-rich face cream, £24, is very delicate and so ideal for tricky skins. it is so hydrating but not oily, so your face doesn't feel tight or dry nor does it feel like it needs a good wash though!

I used these products morning and night as some night creams are a bit too heavy for me and I am really delighted. To finish off my beauty routine I slather on the rose otto body cream, £18, and really, you'll be hard pressed to find a rich body cream which is so protective of your skin, so hydrating and smells so heavenly!

I think I even slept better as a result of the fragrance!

Another brand that you must check out if you are plagued with the most sensitive skin is Queen. It is a real vintage company, having been around since the late 1920s and was formulated by dermatologists for those with very delicate, super-allergic and sensitive skins. I had to give them a go!

The medicated cleansing lotion, £15.25, is one of the best I have ever tried. It is light but gets down to business immediately, no matter how heavy your make up is. It also leaves your skin feeling deep-cleaned rather than just surface-cleaned.

I followed this by using the Skin Freshener toner, £15.25, which I must say left

my face feeling so light, so residue-free and remarkably hydrated, I even thought I might not need moisturiser! Of course, I didn't just head off to bed at that point.

No, I did indeed use an extra something.

Rather than moisturise I experimented with the Queen Sensiderma Renew and Refine Serum, £35.95.

It can be used under your moisturiser or instead of. I opted to use it without an added moisturiser and am so chuffed!

If softer and firmer skin is what you want from a serum, than this is the one for you.

I have not used it for a prolonged period of time, but my skin looks and feels better even after a few

days. Queen say that in one month of daily use, fine lines and wrinkles will be reduced substantially. I totally believe them. This is a wonder-product.

So, the morale of this story is, that we sensitive skin types are very cautious and actually frightened about using products. We are never sure of the outcome, never know how long the ill-effects of using a product which doesn't agree with us will last.

But with these two brands, balance Me and Queen, we can be sure that our skin won't react adversely, on the contrary it actually benefits from trying them. So let's not be shy, let's give them a go!

*To find your nearest stockist or for more information on these products and others in the ranges, go to

www.balanceme.co.uk and www.queen-cosmetics.com

Hard as nails!

I reckon I change my nail polish about three or four times a week. For me, it's the easiest way to make a look. Dark and vampy colours give you a seductive and mysterious edge, bright neons a fun and trendy look, and natural colours can add an air of sophistication.

There is a drawback, of course, to doing this. Time. None of us have much of it anymore and traditional nail polish takes a fair while to set. I tend to do mine as late as possible at night but then you risk getting the fibre impressions on your polish. Aaaghh. Very annoying.

The other irritating thing is that my nail varnish tends to chip quite quickly. I'm not super-careful you see; I do the dishes, clean the bathroom and am generally a bit knockabout, so hard-wearing nail varnish is the Holy Grail for me.

Luckily, I think I may have just found it!

I have recently discovered Artistic Colour Gloss - a soak-off gel treatment which is only available at the salon. What do I love about it? Virtually everything!

The colours are wonderful. A perfect mixture of bright classics, fun trends, glittery little numbers, mature cafe au laits and sexy dark hues - there is something for absolutely every one.

The other exceptional thing is that the treatment is so quick. if you are short on time but need a quick pep up this is the professional manicure for you. I reckon it takes no longer than about 40 mins from start to finish, so a lot quicker than an average manicure.

The colours are then set under a lamp and they emerge extremely shiny - almost patent - and the colour is tough. I have not been able to chip this polish and I've tried!

There are a whopping 66 colours in the range to date, but am sure there will be more before Christmas.

I opted for Hotzy and LOVE it! I had so many comments about how shiny and gorgeous my nails look, even from strangers, so it is a really winner for me. And I'm in top company with major fans such as Victoria Beckham J Lo and Beyonce addicted to it too.

The colour lasts for about three weeks and I think that's brilliant and very cost-effective, each treatment starts from about £30, so a good manicure for about £10 a week! I had mine done at the Urban Retreat Salon in Harrods (dead posh, I know) and it stars from £50, there. In fact, a special mention to Angel, the technician who did my nails. Professional, fun, and simply lovely!

Give it a go if you are heading off on your holidays or have a special occasion or want to make a good impression - I promise you, you will not be disappointed. In fact, you won't be able to sop staring at them!

Artistic Colour Gloss is available nationwide. To find your nearest salon call 0844 800 9396 or check out the website www.artisticcolourgloss.co.uk

True blue, baby I love you!

Applying a great eyeshadow can completely change your face and your look.

If I am out and about during the day I make my eyes up very simply:

No colour, thick black eyeliner flicked up at the end and lashings of mascara.

But sometimes you want more than that and that's when you reach for shadows that make a real impact.

One that I've really started using a lot is from Elizabeth Arden's new Bronzing Collection.

The collection has been out since about May this year and I am really loving the Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad in Blue Breeze, £25.

The colours are very pigmented and are great for the Summer. In fact, the two blues are like looking into a beautiful, deep sea.

This how I use it to great effect and to maximise the use and wear from my eyeshadows.

1. I like to use the lighter sandy shade all over my eye, right up to the brow bone.

2. Then I blend the lighter icy blue over the actual eye socket.

3. I use the metallic grey colour in the far corners of my eyes, to create a sort of filled in 'v' shape, so that the eyes look slightly feline.

4. Then the very dark blue, I brush very close to the lash line and use it as an eyeliner.

I would still use this in the Winter, but might omit the lighter blue in favour for the grey all over the socket.

The result is excellent and ultra long-lasting.

Juicy fruits!

When you read the words Juicy Couture, do you think of J Lo and velour tracksuits?

Well, I used to until I came across their scrummy little Juicy Couture Travellers Eau de Parfum.

They are:

1. Adorable - the little juicy strawberry hanging off the lid is super cute.

2. Portable at only 30ml.

3. Sensational - the scent is so fresh and mouth-watering, it's like inhaling a bowl of fresh fruit!

I really love this fabulous little perfume, so I am going to bring it on holiday with me next week and actually, I think they make great gifts, so a friend will soon be receiving this as her birthday present.

I'll warn you at £39.50 it ain't cheap, but you don't really want to smell cheap, do you?!

* Available from Harrods, Selfridges, selected John Lewis, Debenhams, House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols

Clean as a whistle!

The Peppermint and Lavender soaps really feel like they are working!

Would you use a product on your body as you would on your teeth, hair, to do your washing or even as insect spray?

No?

Well until this week I would have completely agreed with you. But then I came across Dr Bronner's Pure Castille soap and my mind has been changed forever!

There are more than a dozen different products in the range and some are liquid soaps and others are the traditional bar of soap.

Dr Bronner's are the number one selling natural soap brand in the United States and it seems I am in illustrious company with Natalie Portman, Drew Barrymore and make-up goddess, Bobbi Brown, all numbered amongst it's fans.

The Rose soap is absolutely lovely. The perfect little bar for a guest bathroom.

So, what's great about it? Well, it works. Yes, your mouth stays fresh, yes your hair is shiny, yes your body is clean and tingly, and actually my friend used it to wash her dog, and his coat looks great (and he smells a great deal better for it too).

They claim to have at least 18 different uses for each bottle or bar of soap which makes it versatile and great value - not often you can say that about anything nowadays! A 263ml bottle is £4.99

The soap comes in eight different varieties: Peppermint, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Citrus, Almond, unscented Baby Mild and Tea Tree. I love Almond, my other half says Peppermint is the best and my neighbour has been using the Rose. We are all enthralled. In fact, I did use the Peppermint one to wash the dishes after we had a curry and it worked a treat!

This is my favourite - Almond; very sweet scent and instantly relaxing!

So, give them a go,they are available from Waitrose, Fresh and Wild, Planet Organic and Liberty.

I really think you'll love them and let me know what you think of them and more importantly, what innovative ways you've discovered to use them!