From the fastest fake tan to the best face serum for the over-forties
This Works Perfect Legs Skin Protector
(£40; thisworks.com, from April 3)
Are your legs out yet? Mine are. I never really put them away, to be honest. And the older they get, the more I think they should be rewarded for their service. This spray-on moisturiser from the aromatherapy-based brand makes skin soft and a little bit sheeny, is SPF30 and gives a hint of colour. You have to wait a bit before dressing (because of the fake colour), but only about 30 seconds.
Rosie for Autograph Sheer Finish Complexion Enhancer
(£17.50; marksandspencer.com)
I wouldn’t naturally have high hopes for any beauty brand brought to us by a celebrity, but I have been consistently impressed by the supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s make-up range for M&S. This is the first foundation-type product in the 70-piece collection and lands on shelves today. If you’re someone who doesn’t love wearing a base but wants to blur a few marks and lines (most of us, right?), then this is perfect. It’s lighter than a tinted moisturiser and it brightens and hydrates skin well. No need for any fancy application technique – just use your hands. It comes in six shades.
Sisley Phyto-Blush Twist in Petal
(£43; sisley-paris.co.uk)
I defy anyone not to suit a pop of this pink on their cheeks from Sisley’s spring collection.
Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur in Cassis
(£28; houseoffraser.co.uk)
Most long-wear lip colours will lose in moisture what they gain in staying power, but this retractable crayon is one of the few I’ve seen that keeps lips soft without disappearing after a coffee break. This is a very wearable plum colour; it’s an easy way for anyone to have statement lips that aren’t red.
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Superstitious
(£158 for 100ml; Liberty)
If I am a fangirl of any sort, it is for the perfumer Dominique Ropion, who has created some of my all-time favourite fragrances (Carnal Flower and Portrait of a Lady, also from Frédéric Malle’s range). Ropion has made this one with the former Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz. It is the classiest of female scents: Turkish rose, Egyptian jasmine, peach, apricot, vetiver and patchouli. If you need a category, it’s a floral aldehyde. But it does have something very abstract and can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on about it. For women, not girls. I shall be wearing it from now until September.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Matte Highliner Gel Eye Crayon
(£20; johnlewis.com)
The fashion gods are encouraging us to improve our eyeliner game this spring. To that end, Marc Jacobs has just brought out 12 joyous matt shades. I am all over Fine(wine), because it is just so flattering. Anyone who has trouble weaning themselves off black should try an aubergine/burgundy, or at least a brown. You’ll get the same drama without the harshness. For a more experimental, but still age-appropriate look, try Out of The Blue or Over(night) – both dark blue. These pencils are great for ye olde feline flick. But they are even better for smudging with a brush for a speedy smoky eye. It takes about 30 seconds to dry, and then it won’t budge for hours and hours.
Daniel Sandler Instant Tan
(£22.50; danielsandler.com, from April 1)
It might be a tiny bit early to think about fake tans, but we all want to warm up our skin tone a bit. This is the fastest and best way to do it I’ve seen for a while. It’s a non-shimmery bronzer that can be applied all over the face. It looks almost alarmingly orange in the container, but a few sweeps of it with a big brush give a subtle sun kiss. The extremely pale-skinned might want to be careful not to overload the brush.
Skinceuticals H.A. Intensifier
(£82.95; skinceuticals.co.uk)
This is a product everyone should know about, especially if you want to boost dehydrated or just over-40 skin. Skinceuticals is regularly recommended by top dermatologists. Among its many excellent corrective skin serums, this is the best one I’ve tried for dehydration. After a couple of weeks, the increased dewiness in my skin was markedly noticeable. It contains concentrated levels of hyaluronic acid, a proven ingredient for improving skin boinginess. On top of that, it encourages your skin to produce more of its own hyaluronic acid.