Pamela Mann 3D Footless Tights £4.99

I am normally quite late on trends, it was only recently that got into leggings and now I don't know how I survived without them. I was also very late on the Ugg boots trend, have still to find a pair of skinny jeans that look nice and only got into military once it was going out of fashion.

When it comes to tights however I am confident that I am up to date, mostly because my legs are my unique selling point. Having not been blessed in the shirt filling department I do have nice long legs and although that means that I can't wear heels often (the messages don't get from my brain to my legs in enough time) I can get away with short skirts. Not with bare legs mind you as then I end up looking a bit trampy, ok very trampy so for years I have been relegated to wearing stock 50 denier black tights.

The lovely people at Tights Please have now released me from the boring monotony of the staple black tights with a range of footless tights by Pamela Mann in a range of 19 colours that can spice up any outfit and add a splash of colour in the dull winter months.

I tried the dark grey which may not be that much of a move away from black but is subtle enough to wear for work and gives my boring old outfits a kick and can be worn with any other colour. I also tried the jade which looked simply amazing on and drew all the boys attention to my legs, right wear I want it! They have a light sheen and are tight enough so that my legs looked much firmer than they are. The waist band is also really comfy which if you are a glutton like me is extremely helpful as you don't end up with a red band round your waist after a big meal. A superb way to reinvent an outfit and make yourself stand out at any party.

Payot Paris - Les Revitalisantes Masque Reveil Eclat £31

My French is extremely basic, well to be truthful its entirely poor. When I went on holiday a few years ago to the South of France I somehow started talking Spanish even though I know absolutely no Spanish. Still I managed to get by and have a lovely holiday, anyway I digress.

Les Revitalisantes is a range of body care for skin exposed to constant stress and I definitely know a thing or two about constant stress! In just 10 minutes this face mask relaxes and smooths your skin and gives your face a radiant glow. It contains cocoa and orange extracts which makes it smell simply divine. It heats up slightly on application so is just perfect for these horrible winter nights. I used mine whilst relaxing in the bath and not only did my face feel relaxed so did my skin. Treat yourself this month in preparation for all stress of the next couple of months or put it on your Christmas wish list.

Halo Wipes

My handbag is a graveyard of scrunched up old tissues and every time I need one I pull one out of the creases in my bag, carefully peel off an old sweet and debate about whether I can actually use it without getting some disease. Thankful I have discovered Halo wipes and a range that caters for all of my needs. The range includes hygienic handy wipes, perfect now the cold and flu season is upon us and you never know where the next sneeze is lurking. Deodorant wipes, even though the sun is hiding itself in shame over the rubbish summer we still sweat and need to keep our pits fresh. Eye make-up remover wipes, toilet/surface wipes and moist toilet tissue, all pretty self explanatory! There are two great things about these wipes, firstly they come in handy little packs making them perfect to carry around in your bag all the time. Secondly the price at 99p per pack (make up remover pads £1.99) they are perfect additions to any handbag. I have two sets, one in my bag and one in my car as you never know whats around the corner. Once I yoghurt all over myself in the car and had to wipe it off with a map, not cool.

Fushi extra virgin organic coconut oil £8.95

I am fully aware that I am full of contradictions and once place it is the most obvious is in food, a prime example being coconut. I love Thai curry or pina colada using coconut milk, but if I find a couple of coconut shavings in my morning muesli I am not a happy girl. I do love the smell of coconut though so when this pure coconut oil landed on my desk I spent most of the morning sniffing it. After having a bath that night I smeared it all over myself, including my hair, and I smelt like a tropical island, if it hadn’t been frosty outside I might have indulged the fantasy a little more. As it’s an oil it take a little while to sink in so if you can avoid wearing clothes brilliant, if not try to find something cotton to wear. My skin was left soft, fragrant and super moisturised well into the next day.

I left the oil in my hair overnight and washed it out the next morning, actually I lie, I lazily stayed in bed to late to wash it out in the morning so spent the day at work looking like I had been flushed. It took two washes to get it out completely but my hair looked like it should have been on an advert. It had a healthy glow and all the dryness I have caused from blow drying it disappeared into a lustrous shine. 

Shea Alchemy

English rose light day cream (12.50) & Geranium anti-wrinkle day cream (£17.50) 

I wasn’t overly fussed about these creams, they were nice enough and easily absorbed but my face felt a little tight after using them and they weren’t as luxurious as I would have wanted.  The geranium doesn’t smell too bad but the English rose smelt a bit clinical and chemically. They are SPF 6 which makes them great for an everyday cream as even in winter skin should be protected from the sun. Not one of my favourite products but considering their price they would be worth having as a daily moisturiser. 

Eye Slices £9.99

When I cry, which is frighteningly often as I am such a softie, my eyes puff up so much the next morning I look like I have been in a fight. The age old trick of cucumber slices helps but I don’t always have cucumber in the house and I find it impossible to make them stay where I want them. Having recently been introduced to eyeslices I was more than happy to give them ago the morning after watching a particularly sad film. They have a jelly like consistency and are amazingly cooling and soothing. They come in a neat little case that I keep in the fridge and now I never bother with cucumber and just put these on my puffy eyes instead as they work twice as well and I don’t have to worry that someone is going to make a sandwich out of them! 

Shu Uemura – Cleansing beauty oil £27

Slightly unusual consistency for a makeup remover, it feels oily and you put it onto your skin dry. Once you have smeared it over your face, splash on water and the oil starts to go cloudy. It takes makeup off softly so there is no scrubbing involved and will take off the heaviest of eyeliners. No matter how long I spend taking my makeup off the night before I also wake up looking like Alice Cooper after a heavy night. The morning after taking my makeup off with Shu Uemura I woke up fresh faced without a hint of khol anywhere. My skin also felt lovely and smooth to the touch. 

Nip + Fab – Scrub Fix £10.95

My regular readers have probably noticed that I am a little bit obsessive when it comes to face scrubs. I think the benefits of a weekly scrub and huge, brighter skin, softer appearance and it limits the amount of makeup you need to apply. I am so glad that I have found this face scrub by Nip + Fab. Not only do the micro particles polish, salicylic acid brightens and resurfaces. For all those worried about the ‘acid’ don’t be scared, I have extremely sensitive skin and it very gently peels off dead skin. It also contains bamboo which renews and decongests. Use once a week for a radiant glow and you will not be disappointed with the results! 

Look Good ........ Feel Better

Look Good...Feel Better (LGFB) is the only national charity dedicated to helping women manage the visible side effects of their cancer treatment. Providing free skincare and make-up workshops through 60 hospitals across the UK, volunteer beauty consultants are on hand to help boost women's confidence and self-esteem at a very difficult time in their lives.

The charity has the support of many of the world's top cosmetic brands. Now, some of the biggest names in beauty are to donate funds from sales of 'exclusive' and special 'limited edition' products especially to help LGFB continue its valuable work. Look out for the following and help a very worthy cause...

* bareMinerals Limited Edition Pink Lemonade 100% Natural Lip Gloss : bareMinerals will be donating 100% of the sale of this gorgeous gloss to LGFB ... but hurry as this offer is only available until the end of October. It's preservative-free and contains an infusion of 100% pure bareMinerals, natural oils and Cupuacu Butter which deliver lasting hydration and shine. Get ready to pucker!

* Mama Mio: The award-winning and fun skincare range have selected the following products to help raise funds and will donate £1 from every product sold
o Get Waisted
o 'Boob Tube' Bust and Neck Firmer:
o The OMG Christmas Kit
o Snowflake Crackers - available in a choice of three; Get Waisted, Boob Tube or Tummy Rub

* Clarisonic: Fresh from the USA, this invigorating face and body cleansing tool has launched a Limited Edition 'paisley designe' version of its unique skin cleaning system. Available in Selfridges, £5 from every sale will go to support Look Good...Feel Better. Clarisonic is twice as effective as manual cleansing and removes six times as much make up, minimising enlarged pores, wrinkles and fine lines.

And something very special for Christmas...
* www.feelunique.com: Sophie Ellis-Bextor has teamed up with the world's favourite online beauty emporium website, www.feelunique.com, to launch a range of designer beauty cases. The collection has been designed by top British talent Zandra Rhodes, PPQ, William Tempest and Olivia Rubin, These one-off stylish, designer beauty cases cost £9.99 each and are set to be popular with everyone this Christmas making them the ideal present. Log onto www.feelunique.com and select your favourite.

Sarahjane Robertson, Executive Director, Look Good...Feel Better said: "Look Good...Feel Better is incredibly grateful for these inspiring initiatives from some of the biggest names in the Beauty Industry. The funds raised will help LGFB achieve its aim to have the ability to reach out and support every woman diagnosed with cancer in the UK". 

Lush Turkish delight (£15)

I like my body polishes to be really rough so at first I was a little disappointed that this wasn’t particularly grainy.  The smell however is fantastic, bursting with rose, it will bring out the romantic in you. It contains cocoa butter so makes your skin sumptuously soft. I got out the bath smelling divine and as soft as cashmere.

Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel (£15)

Apparently this is the most popular product in Asia for removing dead skin and blackheads. Rather than being a scrub or using it on a wet face you rub it straight into dry skin. The result is you can visibly see all the dead skin coming off on your fingers, which is a little gross but a good indication of how well it works. I tested it out on a teenage cousin who suffers badly with blackheads. They were so happy with the result that they instantly snatched out of my hands and wouldn’t let me have it back. It was a small price to pay though for seeing their excitement at a product that cleaned up their blackheads. Results a happy and more confident cousin that now owes me a massive favour. 

Go get yours at http://www.happybabble.com and see how well it works!

Nip & Fab (£9.95)

Now I really am letting you into a little secret here as Nip&Fab’s range is so new they don’t even have there website up yet. Still they are causing so much attention with their brilliant products, some of which have recently sold out at Harvery Nichols. The first of the products that I have to tell you about is the eye fix. Ever woken up in the morning looked in the mirror and questioned whether you had actually had any sleep with the bags under your eyes? Well I have and I can tell you it’s not a pretty site! Eye fix not only is a great concealer, vanishing the darkness and bathing my eyes in light but it also contains cucumber extract to reduce puffiness and stop me looking like I have been punched in the face. Brilliant all rounder to turn panda eyes into princess eyes.

Visonary Soap Company – Lip Balm

Lip balm is another of those products that every girl and every guy should have with them at all times. There is nothing worse than dry chapped lips; not only for those that have them but also for the person they are kissing. I don’t just mean full on snogs, even a peck on the cheek from someone with chapped lips makes me shiver. With the weather turning cold, keeping your lips smooth is especially vital.  The lip balms from the Visonary Soap Company are particularly good ones for the winter months and I have four huge reasons why you should get one. First they are organic and fair trade, no nasties, and no chemicals just 100% organic goodness. Second they are cheap, at £2.99 and coming in a cute glass pot you can hardly go wrong. Third they smell divine, available in lemon, peppermint, grapefruit and orange, my favourite is grapefruit with its powerful zing. Forth and probably most importantly they do a brilliant job of softening your lips, making them kissable and soft. 

Pat and Rub – relaxing hand balm (£12.30)

I have an obsession with hand cream, I always have at least 4 different ones on the go. One by the side of the bed, one on my desk, one by the kitchen sink and one in my bag. This particular one by Pat and Rub was by my bed and I used it every night. It’s 100% natural, comes in a cool little pump, moisturises, softens, soothes and absorbs easily. For all those reasons it’s absolutely great but although I really appreciate it for those qualities it’s the smell I adore. It smells of lemon grass and coconut so in effect it smells like Thai green curry. It may not be to everybody’s taste but I think it is sensational and loved drifting off to slept with the smell on my hands. 

Linziclip

Linziclip is an innovate product that allows a multiple of styles effortlessly, quickly and stylishly. I had got into the habit of messily pulling my hair into a ponytail with a hair band when I couldn’t be bothered to style it, which quite frankly is most days. Apart from being boring it also tends to make my hair knotty and my cat has an obsession with hair bands and hides them under the sofa. As he is considerably smaller than me it is a real effort to get to them so he has quite the collection now. Being introduced to the Linziclip was great as you can create as many styles as your imagination can fathom and there is a huge range of gorgeous designs and colours. They come in three sizes, are simple to use and don’t dig into your head when you lean back like most clips. Cheap to buy but in no way cheap looking, head to the website Linziclip to get some ideas on how they can be used to create a look that’s as individual are you are.

The Perfect Complexion

I am delighted to have found two products that when used together provide the perfect complexion as well as feeling light on the skin. To start is the fabulous new product from Benefit Porefessional  (£23.50). Designed to reduce the look of pores it is also silky smooth and is a fantastic base to use under your regular foundation (but see my suggestion below for the perfect look). I was never really bothered by pores until I tried this and now I am getting a little obsessed. It really changes the look of your skin from girl next door to Hollywood movie star. It is a little pricey but not for the result and its well worth the money as you only need a small amount for a dazzling effect and super smooth skin. 

Step two for the ultimate in flawless skin is Rock Face's mineral foundation (£13). If you haven't tried mineral foundation yet I suggest you go and buy this as it is just amazing. It has the coverage of a liquid foundation but feels lighter on the skin, like you aren't wearing any make up at all. As its free from parabens, petrochemicals and other nasties and only made from natural minerals it's much better for your skin, brilliant for those with sensitive skin, dry skin or spot suffers. It comes in 29 different shades making finding the perfect shade that much easier. It's so easy to apply, cuts out the need for powder and will have you marvelling at just how gorgeous your skin can look! 

There you have it, my two essential products in getting a glamour puss glow and radiant complexion. So go out my lovelies and show the world how beautiful you are! 

Tights Please

Tight Please
Tights are fast becoming the best way to jazz up an outfit and having once been regulated to the boring and mundane are now the fashion fix for women in the know. Leading the way in tights fashion is the fabulous site Tights Please who have the definitive collection of tights, so whether you want to look like Agyness Deyn, Cheryl Cole, Pixie Lott or Katie Perry Tightsplease will have the right hosiery  to complete your celebrity look.

Having to choose a favourite from such a great collection is always going to be hard but try I must. Firstly Red or Dead Una Footless tights (£9.99)

This tights/legging epitomise how tights can now make the outfit. Fun, fresh, funky and individual they are bound to get you noticed and have your friends green with envy. The material is easy to wear and the fit is great, no baggy knees or baggy crotches.

My second favorite has to be Red or Dead Addy tights (£11.99)

Dripping with sexy appeal, these tights are miracle workers. They make your legs look like they go on for miles and are the perfect way to jazz up any outfit. Smart enough to be worn at work and funky enough to be worn at night, show your legs off the maximum with these classy and cool tights that will transform your legs from drab to fab.


My history with tights has not been great until I discovered Red or Dead tights. I tend to snag them all the time and although I don't think it is possible for anybody to be as clumsy as me, Red or Dead are perfect for those, shall we say 'elegantly challenged' as myself. I have had many wears out of both pairs of tights and not a single snag or mark..........worth every penny.

Angela Langford, Perfect Pores £26.55

An anti-age serum that is light enough to use on youthful skin and gives instant visible results. Having tried quite a few products that claim to have anti-ageing benefits this is the first product that I have seen such noticeable results. It’s like having a mini face-lift and leaves your skin taught without feeling dry and has a lovely fresh smell. A true hidden gem of a product that vanishes pores, improves appearance of your skin and is packed full of active ingredients. Where possible organic ingredients are used and you find no hidden chemicals within giving a heavenly smell that is all natural. To find out about this great product and many more visit the Angela Langford website here, you won't leave disappointed!

Slinks

I have a problem with high heels or should that be they have a problem with me? Never the less I just can't wear them, being 5'10 I look ridiculous. I do love them though so for years I have been forced to covet them from afar and relegate me feet to boring deck shoes and the occasional pump. Imagine my happiness then when I hear about Slinks and their revolutionary footwear.

They arrived in an adorable silk bag wrapped up with delicate care and they feel like a gift fit for a princess. I was expecting them to be as sturdy as they were and being able to change the design is just such a suburb idea. 

More than just a pair of flip flops they are decorative enough to be the icing on any outfit. So go on love your feet and dress them up spectacularly for all to see. 

Mellor & Russell - Professional Colour Secrets (£2.39)

There are two reasons why I went for Mellor & Russell hair colour. Firstly it was the cheapest and secondly the girl on the front of the box vaguely looked like one of my friends. The dye was easy enough to mix, the standard squeeze one tube into a bottle, shake well and off you go. The application was easy, the mixture is thick enough that it doesn’t drip and provides easy coverage. The issue that I have though is the gloves. They aren’t as watertight as they should be so have left me with purple / black fingers. I look like I have some weird tropical disease, not the look I was after. My hair at least is a lovely vibrant brown and the intensive fixing balm that you apply to your hair after dying has an amazingly fruity smell. I will definitely buy the product again; I will just make sure to use my own gloves!