Quick Review: No 7 Youthful CC Cream

I found this product difficult to review. Initially I didn't like it for it's lack of any coverage or evening of skin tone. Then I started to really like it's lightweight feel and slightly luminous finish. So although this will never really have quite enough coverage for me and I won't be buying it again I would recommend for someone who didn't need to even they skin-tone and just wanted a really light all-over base.

Protect and Perfect Hand Cream

I try to avoid anti-aging products because I have 'no anti-aging' policy until I'm 30... then I'll probably start to slather them on. This, however only applies to my face, my hands are quite another matter. There's no point having a face like a child and hands like an old lady... look at Madonna, you can put lots of make-up on your face to make it look better but your hands are the real age tell.

I obsessively find liver spots (they are there) and try to keep my hands well moisturised and nicely manicured but I have naturally dry skin though and sometimes feel like giving up altogether and letting them be the out-doorsy, gardening hands I think they long to be. Anyway, I've been using No 7's Protect and Perfect Hand Cream and I think it really has been helping with the spots - I think they look younger so therefore it must be true. It's nice smelling, non greasy (after it's absorbed) and has a 4 out of 5 star rating on the Boots website so it's not just me who likes it. It's £10.50 which isn't cheap but if you are as paranoid as me it's definitely worth it.

What You Need to Know - Protect and Perfect Hand Cream

• £10.50 for 75ml
• SPF 15
• Available from Boots

No 7 Speed Dry Nail Varnish in Coral Kiss

No 7 Speed Dry Coral Kiss - not very corally

I'm researching a piece on coral nail varnish at the moment so this week I'm wearing No 7's Coral Kiss Speed Dry Nail varnish. It was incredibly easy to apply, relatively quick to dry (these quick dry nail varnishes are never as quick as I think they are going to be) and was very smooth once dry. However, I really don't think it's coral at all. Now I know my skin tone has a tendency to bring out the red in coral colours but there's nothing coral about this... if you want a really nice bright red then it's great. What is not great though is that having applied it on Sunday evening the first chips appeared by Tuesday lunchtime. Now I do type all the time so I'm pretty demanding on my nail polish but not only where there chips along the tops on my nails but also along by the cuticles. Not very good I think you'll agree. So great for easy application, bright colour and good results if you are going to a party that night - but for general use and coral colour this is a no xx

New Year, New Handcream

I always suffer from dry hands - Mr J tells me this is because I use hand cream but I did only start using handcream because they were in such a state so I'm going to ignore him. My hunt for the perfect cream has been going on for years now and every time I think I've found the one it either fails me or stops being made!

So although I know this will probably mean the end of its life on the shelves my latest favourite is by Boots - it's their Traditional Skin Care Hand Conditioning Cream. It looks great as it comes in a rather old school looking tube and you only need a small amount to make a difference and I think it really has had an effect on my dry mits. The only downside is I'm not a fan of the smell, this is not to say that everyone will hate it but I am really not keen. However, I don't care because it works and doesn't break the bank. Perfect start to the not-so-new-anymore Year xx

L'Occitane Hand Cream

After years of spending a lot of my money on trying to find the best hand cream I have found it by accident and for a mere £1.36. Boots Essentials Intensive Hand and Nail cream for very dry skin is without a doubt the best hand cream I have ever used. No matter how much I usually apply the day before my skin will be all cracked in the mornings when I wake up. Not any more not only did my hands remain smooth and soft over the entire weekend without me needing to use any other hand cream (the Boots cream is on my desk at work) my nails are notably more shiny and strong. I don't know how they do it. Now even though this is the case and from now on I will always have some on my desk or at home, L'Occitane's Shea Butter hand cream is still technically my favourite - what's not to like the packaging is fantastic, it has the best smell of any hand cream in the world... OK so the £6.85 price tag isn't great (and that's for the travel size) but I think the overall package is worth it (I never said I was a rational girl). So you don't need to break the bank to smooth up this January - try it out, it's a miracle worker.

Also hope you all heard my friend Frank Turner on the Sara Cox's Live Lounge this morning. If not, shame on you, go and listen again. Miss F and I went to the closing party at the Astoria last night - it was actually quite emotional and Frank's set was awesome as was Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly xx

Recovery...

I don't know that I've ever been so exhausted after a holiday in my life. Having come back tanned, thin and poor I vowed to spend the rest of the month in a state of nun like abstinence - that lasted a week. Having arrived home for some parental pampering I seem to have put all the weight back on and emptied my bank account. I can justify the mass DVD buying that went on, after all HMV are having a massive and irresistable sale, but it was when I found myself leaving Boots with No 7's limited edition Gorgeous Eye Palette. I'm convinced that I will discover that it's not so limited but it better be after I had to return the first one having got home, opened it and found it completely disintergrated. I also picked up some Protect and Perfect Serum by No 7 for Mumma B. This has been selling out all over the UK - you literally could not get your hands on it for love nor money for the first couple of months of its release. I'll let you know whether she notices any effects.

My major concern since getting back however, has been the maintenance of my tan. I have never been this colour before and I have become obsessed with keeping it. I've been basting myself in after sun (the Nivea Sun tan prolonging after sun seems to be working although have started to notice orange bits so I'm not sure how long I can keep using it). My sister has just produced Body Spa's Malama Intense Moisture Body Butter which smells amazing and feels really smooth. Where did she find this sweet smelling wonder? Tesco's. Who'd have thought it. It's available here and is a real bargin at around £4.99. Go and get some it will be worth it and its perfect for keeping post-holiday skin mosturised.

All my pre-holiday purchases were great. I'm really loving Eye-Con and the Gilded pencil is really great for a subtle bit of glamour - was a definate bonus when glitzing up for the clubs. Something which is not worth its £16.50 price tag is Benefit's Rush Hour. The colour is slightly too dark even for a lipstick but for a product that is supposed to be used on cheeks as well it just doesn't work. I bought it at the airport and when I arrived in Ibiza it had spread on the inside of the lid and looked a bit sad. It would have been much better if one end had been for lips and one for cheeks and/or eyes. The packaging as always is beautiful but for once I just don't think this Benefit product cuts the mustard which was especially annoying as it would have been perfect for those post-clubbing 11am-with-no-sleep moments. Luckily I also managed to purchase some more Bad Gal Lash Mascara which is an essential item in any girls make-up stash.

So what has been my recovery plan (apart from spending money I don't have on even more products?). I've been trying to ignore my morning craving to eat everything bad for me (ideally i'd have a toasted bagel with cream cheese pastrami and pickle every morning) by just sticking to a bowl of bran flakes. For lunch I've been making myself a salad of tomato, cucumber, feta and tuna (sounds bizarre I know but is really yummy). I've also been trying to avoid carbs after 6 and drinking booze during the week which is, rather worringly, easier said than done. It is working but it is incredibly hard not to fall off the wagon. I've been keeping up the walking and am hoping that when the new salary has had a chance to kick in I'll be able to take up a dance class or something. One of the hardest things to do has been to give up the full fat Coke. Having accidentally lost weight in Ibiza having tried and failed to lose it before leaving I'm now determinded to maintain my optimum weight and my coke substitues of water and green tea just don't have the same sugary satisfaction. One bonus of the new health drive is I have finally learnt to love Cranberry juice. I can't get enough of the stuff and it will hopefully help me avoid the incredible discomfort and embarrassment of certain infections with which cranberry's have now become associated with.

So I did manage to return from holiday tanned and thin... I did however get my fill and more of funky house music. This has manifested itself in my almost permant singing of Dr Feelgood by Motley Crue and other such anti-social metal tunes. I think my new boss may wonder what he has employed. Speaking of which I am now bound to return to London to get back to the grind stone tomorrow I'm going to spend my week discovering some feel good cheer up treats to boost us through this foul weather, if you are anything like me you will need all the help you can get. Two hours on a horse this morning and I'm still looking like a drowned rat!! xxx