I’m feeling very optimistic about the weather for some reason; the grey skies are going to clear and Spring is going to shine upon us!

With that in mind it’s time to turn our attention to our skin. Buried under tights, jumpers and other warm clothing, the time for bare legs and short sleeved tops is fast approaching. Prepare your skin for exposure now by slathering on the moisturiser at every opportunity.

These are my top three:

Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Skin Quenching Body Lotion – £16
This is my go to cream (as you can see from the almost empty bottle) as it dispenses quickly and easily, absorbs nicely and smells great. Ingredients include pomegranate, argan, sesame, grapeseed, and almond oils which not only moisturise, they also protect the skin.

Nivea Express Hydration – £3.57
This is one I keep in my gym bag; it’s light (in texture, fragrance and weight), rapidly absorbed and gives long lasting moisture. Cheap, cheerful and effective.

The Organic Pharmacy Neroli Body Lotion – £39.95
If you really want to spoil yourself, splash out on this light yet nourishing cream. Containing neroli, jojoba, grapefruit, lemon, aloe, honey, rose hip and shea butter this smells good enough to eat. It leaves the skin deliciously hydrated and as it’s 100% natural, safe enough to use on even the youngest in the house. My kids love it!

While flipping through an old copy of Hype Hair magazine at Sen Style Salon, I read an interesting titbit about Angie Stone.

When discussing her beauty routine she said she is a huge fan of Eucerin beauty products. Aside from her amazing voice, Angie is known for having amazing skin and hair. If Eucerin is partly responsible for her smooth chocolate complexion it’s a brand I need to investigate.

Eucerin is a 100 year old German company that prides itself on combining dermatological research with innovative skin science. They are one of the few companies to hold the ‘dermo-cosmetic’ mark. Most of their products contain Urea and Lactate; natural moisturisers that improve the moisture binding capacity of the skin.

I tried the Eucerin Repair Foot Crème, Repair Hand Crème, Calming Scalp Treatment and their new Even Brighter Day and Night Cream.

The Hand and Foot Repair Crèmes are perfect for dry or very dry skin and the foot crème worked wonders on my feet that have been neglected since Summer. As I’m always washing up and never wearing gloves, my hands often appear quite dry but the Repair Crème makes them soft, supple and hydrated.

The Even Brighter range helps reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation for a brighter and more even complexion. Darker skins are more prone to hyperpigmentation and while this range won’t lighten your skin, it contains B-Resorcinol which decreases melanin production to visibly reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation.

My favourite product is their Calming Scalp Treatment (reviewed here) it’s a miracle worker.

It’s no secret that Angie Stone was the inspiration for D’Angelo’s classic hit Brown Sugar. While I can’t promise using Eucerin will bag you that fine specimen, I can say that it does a great job in looking after the health of your skin.

www.eucerin.com

Unfortunately, my skin is too dark to use the Gillette Venus Naked Skin IPL System so I asked my good friend Maria Nigro of One Body Beauty to review it for me. Here’s what she thought:

“With pale, sensitive skin and dark hair I was nervous but excited about trying this system out. There is a colour spectrum shown in the booklet that comes with the device which shows exactly which skin tones can and cannot use this IPL system safely (it is unsafe on blonde hair and on dark skin).

I did feel that when trying it on my friends with a slight bit of colour in their skin I wasn’t permitted to use it. This was a bit of a let down because I wanted to give my friends treatments too. Also it cannot be used on any area with moles or freckles which meant I couldn’t use it on my arms or legs. I found that a bit disappointing because most pale girls have moles and freckles. The only areas I could treat were my underarms and bikini area.

There is a small cordless instrument which you need to use each time you treat a different part of your body. It detects your skin tone and this automatically adjusts the settings of the IPL ready for use. You then apply a thick layer of the gel to the area which is to be treated. Because it’s a fiddly process and the gel dries out, it’s best to apply it in small patches as you go along.

You must ensure that the IPL is applied flat against the skin or it simply will not operate which can be a bit challenging on the bikini line where the skin is not flush. A white light signifies that the machine is ready to use. You press the button ONCE and there will be a red flash. Do not look into the light – you can see it side on (protect your eyes!) There will be indentations in the gel on your skin where you have already treated, which helps you keep note of where you have and have not treated. You must not treat the same area more than once in one session or you risk burns.

Treatments should be carried out every two weeks for the first couple of months and, to maintain the hair reduction, it reduces to once a month. I have used it four times on my underarms and twice on the bikini area. I find the bikini line a slightly time consuming process requiring concentration, focus and it’s a little bit painful in this area. The results are definitely worth it especially under the arms. Even though I’ve only been using the system for two months I can already see an undeniable reduction in hair re growth in this area which is great!

Financially, it is a big outlay, and the replacement activation gel is another ongoing commitment, but I would recommend it. If this could be used on more skin tones then I would say everyone should have one but if you’re a really pale girl like myself with no moles, no freckles or dark hair then this is the machine for you.”

Gillette Venus Naked Skin Intense Pulsed Light Hair Reduction System – £449

I am something of a lip balm obsessive; every handbag I have must contain at least one. I’ve got balms from almost every brand imaginable and in most formats; tubs, tubes, pots – you name it.

My latest discovery is the new chocolate (ding! ding!) lip balms from Palmer’s. Containing 100% pure Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E and with a SPF of 15 they’re perfect for the harsh winter sun and the (hopefully) hot weather soon to come.

The new formulations are Chocolate & Cherry flavour and Dark Chocolate & Mint fragrance. Both do a great job at hydrating chapped, cracked or dry lips and neither sits too heavily on the lips. I like lip balm that feels like a balm and not a lipstick; I don‘t want the interference.

My favourite of the two is definitely the Chocolate & Cherry flavour balm. Not just because it gives you a hint of chocolate when you lick your lips but also because it leaves behind a nice cherry tint on your lips. It’s got quite good staying power too; after a cup of coffee the balm was still there as was the cherry colour.

Plus they are a bargain at only £1.99!

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Chocolate Lip Balm – £1.99/4g