My Week in Beauty

SATURDAY
A jazz party in Edinburgh was the big event of the week and although my pal Caroline and I had been debating for weeks about what we might wear, we still ended up getting changed and made-up in a huge rush at the last minute – that’s what happens when you’re the hostess (as Caroline was) and her glamorous assistant (me!).

I had settled on my one and only maxi dress, a black Grecian style number which I bought last summer and wear with flat gladiator sandals (I do like to mix my ancient civilisations-inspired looks… Actually, the effect I’m going for is the pool-side Grace Kelly in High Society!). So it seemed highly appropriate that the palette to which I turned for my one-stop eye make-up requirements was Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Pure Color Five Color Gelee Powder EyeShadow Palette in Bronze Sands (£35; www.esteelauder.co.uk), worn (right) with Guerlain Eye-Liner in Noir and Sisley Phyto Mascara Ultra Stretch.

I may not have the requisite tan to be  a bona fide “Bronze Goddess”, but I found that the copper and bronze shades worked a treat on pale skin too.

MONDAY 

After getting virtually no sleep post-party on Saturday, I was still a wreck on Monday but managed to fake my way through the day thanks, largely, to Guerlain. Not only did the Guerlain Precious Light (£29) prove once again to be the best eye-opener for weary peepers, but the no.263 shade (appropriately, for me, named A La Parisienne) of the recently launched Guerlain Rouge Shine Automatique (£24.50; www.houseoffraser.co.uk) also perked up my paler-than-usual face no end. The other recent favourite make-up item which came into its own in the battle against looking completely knackered was Benefit Coralista (£23.50; www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk),  which – as you might infer – is a coral-coloured blusher, which I’ve taken to applying with an angled brush to really accentuate the old cheekbones. (I was wearing it on Saturday too for its contouring capabilities..)

TUESDAY 
The Blythswood was the venue for a champagne-fuelled beauty catch-up with the lovely Ally from Clinique. She had come to Glasgow weighed down with new products to show us beauty journalists. I know I’m in a minority but I’m not a convert to the Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balms (£16; www.clinique.co.uk)  several new colours of which have just been launched. I was much more excited to get my hands the latest additions to the Even Better range of products which tackle hyperpigmentation. So far, I’ve been giving Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Correcting Hand Cream SPF15 (£22.50) a whirl, and it could be a contender for favourite hand cream along with the other Clinique must-have for the mitts – the Deep Comfort Hand & Cuticle Cream (weirdly much cheaper, at £16).

WEDNESDAY

I was back at the Blythswood on Wednesday for a beauty briefing from the two Rachels from Purple PR which looks after a host of top beauty brands, among them Butter, Jurlique, James Read and Tigi. We were given a fab goody bag of products to try and so far I’ve been experimenting with the haircare from Tigi. I’m not that struck on the new hairspray, Tigi Bed Head Masterpiece Massive Shine Hairspray (£TBC), though it does come in a funky, street artist-designed aerosol can. It’s very effective and fixed my hair beautifully while adding shine but I just don’t like the fruity smell and would rather my perfume did the talking rather than my hair spray…

THURSDAY 

I may have been wearing the coral shade Distraction of Chanel Le Vernis on my fingernails to Caroline’s party, and it is set to be the one I wear most over the next few months, but by Thursday I had also fallen in love with the palest of the new trio launched for summer 2012: Chanel Le Vernis in Island (£18) is a beautiful pearlised shell shade, slightly pink, slightly beige and it looks great on pale skin – though I’m sure it would look even better with a tan.