Beauty Blog April 2011

The big day has finally arrived!

Kate Middleton is all set to marry Prince William today and the past few weeks of anticipation will be over. Finally we'll get answers to questions like: "Who will design the dress?" "will she wear her hair up or down?" and "will the make up be minimal or classic?".

Yes, we've speculated about the dress, the hair and the make up, but today I'm thinking about the more traditional side of things. More specifically, what her "something blue" will be.

I was taking a look back at some of my favourite pics of the future Mrs Prince William and realised that blue seems to be her signature colour. The deeper shades work well with her dark features to create a sophisticated, sultry look, while paler shades really light up her complexion and give her a youthful glow.

I think it's safe to assume that the wedding dress itself will be a traditional shade, so I'm left wondering what blue accessory Ms Middleton has chosen for her big day.

I'd love to see her with a gorgeous midnight blue manicure (perhaps she could use Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in 044 Blue Dahlia) or a mascara with just a hint of blue to really make her eyes sparkle, like Benefit BADgal Blue Mascara. Alternatively, Kate could make a bolder statement with a gorgeous blue eye shadow. She could use Rimmel Glam'Eyes Quad in State of Grace, blending all four heavenly hues to create a stunning smoky look.

Whatever she wears, I'm sure she'll look as gorgeous and elegant as ever.

Happy Royal Wedding day!

Style tips for brides

Yesterday we took you through this year's key bridal make up trends courtesy of the lovely Sarah Brock. Now it's time to delve into the dress side of things. If you're not going for the traditional white gown, there are a few options you could consider.

When it comes to advising on wedding style, I can think of only one woman for the job. I got in touch with award-winning stylist Lisa Talbot, who shared some pointers on picking out the perfect outfit for your big day, regardless of what kind of wedding you're planning.

"For any bride the dress is the most precious part of the day," Lisa says. "This is the dress you will spend the most money on and the dress in which you want to feel the best you have ever felt."

Here are Lisa's top tips for finding the perfect wedding outfit...

The mature bride

"If you are a mature bride you are probably looking for a wedding outfit that you will look fantastic in and feel comfortable wearing," Lisa says.

Lisa's wedding style suggestions:
• Dresses with straps or sleeves (short, long or capped)
• Strapless dresses with higher necklines, like V-neck, sweetheart or halter, teamed with a wrap or jacket (although Lisa warns these styles won't suit the top-heavy body shape)
• Non-traditional wedding outfits, such as shorter dresses or bridal suits

The second-time bride

"For the second-time bride the dress will still be a very important part of her day," Lisa says. "Her options are wider as she can choose a completely different style and colour from the first time around."

Lisa's wedding style suggestions:
• Dresses in ivory, champagne and ecru shades
• A simple, lined dress, teamed with a fuss-free piece of hair jewellery, such as a crystal or pearl comb

The non-traditional bride

"These brides can play with bold colours like red or a dress that may be completely sequinned," Lisa says.

Lisa's wedding style suggestions:
• Choose a dress to suit your personality and follow a theme, such as the swinging 60s
• Opt for a short dress, rather than a traditional full-length one, and accessorise with long gloves and a shrug, rather than a tiara or train, for a theatrical look.

Now we've had the lowdown on wedding style and beauty, all that's left to do is sit back and wait for the future Queen of England to show us how it's done when she walks down the aisle tomorrow.

PS! Don't forget to add the final touch to your outfit – fragrance. Find your signature wedding day scent with our new wedding day perfume ideas.

Royal wedding takeover: Bridal make up trends

It's wedding season! With anticipation surrounding the royal wedding building up this week, I thought it was about time to turn our attention to some of this season's biggest bridal trends. Who better to ask, I thought, than bridal make up artist Sarah Brock? She gives the lowdown on this year's top bridal trends...

2011 bridal make up: The trends

"For 2011 there were four strong make up trends which have dominated the bridal catwalks," Sarah reveals.

Smokey eyes in pastel tones, as seen on the David Fielden runway.

Try the trend: DIY wedding make up

Vintage/Hollywood glamour, as seen on the Jenny Packham runway.

Try the trend: Glamour queen video tutorial

Natural, flawless make up, as seen on the Vera Wang runway.

Try the trend: Fresh, flawless make up video tutorial

Strong lips, as seen on the Carolina Herrera runway.

Try the trend: Bold, beautiful lips video tutorial

Got your wedding make up sussed? Check out Meena's fab DIY wedding hair guide for some great hair inspiration. Who said creating a gorgeous wedding-day look had to be difficult? Not us!

A problem shared...

We love it when our inbox fills with lots of great beauty questions from you guys, but I recently noticed that there are some skin care concerns that many of you have in common. So, instead of doing seven different blog posts on the same topic, I thought I'd do a mass post to highlight some of the great features and vids we have to help with your skin care quandaries.

Skin care bugbear: Sensitive skin

Whether you're super-sensitive or occasionally irritated, we've enlisted Dr Nick to talk us through how to tackle sensitive skin and also put together a list of key rules to follow.

Not found what you want on the list and think there's something we've missed? If you've got a beauty-related question or dilemma drop us a line now and let us know how we can help.

Psst! In celebration of Will and Kate's upcoming nuptials, we're having a wedding takeover on the blog next week, when we'll be dishing out bridal beauty and style tips as well as speculating about the royal big day itself. If you can't wait to get your wedding fix, check out our wedding hair and make up features now, or, if you're having jitters about your own big day, hop over to WebMD and read our feature on how to have a stress-free wedding.

Easter pastels

Hands up if you're planning a decadent chocolate banquet (for one) over the Easter weekend. Yep, thought so! I'm no different. For me, this bank holiday is all about sweet treats. For those of you that want your candy fix without the calories, there's a basket-load of beauty goodies that look just as delicious as a mega Easter-egg haul. Hence, this post is dedicated to the prettiest pastel shades that are everywhere around Easter time.

Take a look at these beauties from nail polish champion, Barry M. Aren't they adorable? The shades are named the Ice Cream Nail Paints, which, in my book, makes them a shoe-in for my spring make up bag. My personal favourite is the cheerful blue, 306, which is bound to look pretty as a picture with a matte or glossy topcoat as the finishing touch.

Lippy ladies will love the latest shades in the Revlon Matte Lipstick range. Pink Pout is definitely a contender for the title of best budget candy-floss pink lipstick, while Smoked Peach is the perfect colour for anyone who's wary of light, cool-toned shades on their lips. It's a coral with a hint of sienna – the ideal colour accessory for your upcoming summer tan.

So, as you can see, it's pretty easy to rock a candy colour this weekend. If you've yet to get your fill of pretty pastels, take a look at this make up tutorial from Daniel Sandler.

Dannii Minogue hearts ModelCo's new lash-boosting mascara

Earlier this week I was lucky enough to attend the press launch of ModelCo FIBRE LASH Brush On False Lashes, ModelCo's much-anticipated new mascara, and found myself sitting next to none other than the super-glam style icon Dannii Minogue!

ModelCo FIBRE LASH Brush On False Lashes, a nifty two-step mascara designed to take lashes to dizzying new heights by helping them look instantly and dramatically lengthened using tiny fibres, apparently made such an impact on Dannii that she decided to become an ambassador for the product.

At the launch Dannii talked about how she's a self-confessed beauty junkie and that, since having her son last year, she's had to severely streamline her portable beauty kit (and the time it takes her to get ready!), which is why she's fallen in love with ModelCo's "smart beauty" ethos of creating problem-solving beauty products designed to make maximum impact with minimum hassle.

Dannii also revealed that, shortly after she first laid her hands on a tube of ModelCo FIBRE LASH Brush On False Lashes, she cast aside the false lashes she usually wore on the X Factor in favour of her recent discovery and received no end of compliments about her new lash look.

Having been thoroughly convinced by Dannii's testimonial at the launch, I'll be giving my sample of ModelCo FIBRE LASH Brush On False Lashes a thorough trial over the next couple of weeks – check back on the blog for a review soon.

ModelCo FIBRE LASH Brush On False Lashes isn't available to buy over here until June, but if you want to be one of the first to know when you can get your hands on a tube of Dannii Minogue's must-have mascara you can join the waiting list right now.

PS Want to win one of ten sets of this new make up miracle? Take a look at our ModelCo FIBRE LASH Brush On False Lashes competition for more details. Good luck!

Review: Clarins daily energizers

I managed to get my hands on a sample of the new Daily Energizers cleansing regime from Clarins a couple of weeks ago and thought that, since I sat well and truly in the target demographic, it would be simply rude not to give it a bit of a test drive.

The range has been developed specifically for the twenties age bracket, which I immediately loved as I reckon there just aren't enough regimes out there for those of us who fit into the post-teenage-but-not-quite-ready-for-anti-ageing-skin-care category. However, as I already have a dedicated skin care regime that I love, Clarins had a pretty tough act to follow.

There are a couple of different moisturisers in the range, but I chose the Daily Energizer Lotion SPF15 (nice and light for the warmer months) to use alongside the cleanser and toner.

I really like the moisturiser, as it's so light and sinks in really well to my skin – no waiting around, I can get straight in there with my foundation! – and the Daily Energizer Wake-up Booster toner has made a pretty good first impression too.

What I'm not so sure about is the Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel. I've never used a cleansing gel before – foams and creams are more my forte! – and my first impression was one of wariness. While the product itself is perfectly inoffensive, after a few uses I'm still a little unsure if I like the consistency or not. Top marks for the actual cleansing element though!

Overall, I reckon Clarins have really pulled it out of the bag with this range. I love the fact that there's a choice of moisturisers (Cream, Cream-Gel or Lotion with SPF15) and if they considered making alternative types of cleansers too I'd definitely be up for trying them out. Oh, and I love the bright orange packaging, it totally brightens up my morning...

If you fancy giving the regime a go, you can get your hands on the Daily Energizers range exclusively in Boots stores and on Boots.com from Thursday 28 April*. And if you have any thoughts on the gel cleanser issue then do get in touch and share!

*Clarins Daily Energizers exclusive to Boots until 11/07/2011.

Five of the best: Tinted moisturisers

Summer's just around the corner and it's time to start thinking about lightening up on the make up front. Heavy foundations take a back seat – this season it's all about fresh, natural-looking complexions.

With that in mind, I've done a quick sweep of the beauty aisles and rounded up five of the best tinted moisturisers on the market at the mo.

Best budget buy: Natural Collection Tinted Moisturiser If the purse strings are a bit tight then fear not, this gorgeous tinted moisturiser is a snip at less than £2. Best for ultimate protection: No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser Featuring SPF15 and 5-star UVA protection, No7's offering definitely comes with added benefits to help keep your skin looking its luminous best. Best for spot-busting: Witch Anti-blemish Tinted Moisturiser Who said moisturisers couldn't be spot-busters too? Discover this multi-tasking moisturiser from Witch, with antibacterial ingredients to help tackle the causes of breakouts and blemishes. Best for young skin: Nivea Visage Young be beautiful! Tinted Moisturiser The perfect compromise between moisturiser and full-on foundation, this tinted moisturiser has been designed specifically with young skin in mind, offering the confidence of sheer, even coverage without the commitment of a full face of make up. Best for mature skin: Olay Anti-wrinkle Provital Revitalising Tinted Moisturiser Radiant skin at any age can be yours! Olay have combined intense moisturisation with a hint of sheer colour to help mature skin really glow.

4.8 / 5 3 out of 4 (75%) customers would recommend this product.

Still haven't got the "naturally flawless" look pinned down yet? Check out our video tutorial with celebrity make up artist Daniel Sandler to perfect your technique in time for summer.

First look: Summer collections

Spring may be in full swing, but here in the beauty office we're getting all hot under the collar about the upcoming summer make up collections. Vibrant summer colours and gorgeous, silky bronzers – drool! Here's my longed-for line-up...

17: Miami Pop

The best bits: Without a doubt, the Miami Pop nail colours. You'll be able to choose from Down Town (bright orange) or Palm Beach (hot pink). Or, if you're really daring, mix and match for the ultimate colour pop.

Available from: June

Clarins: Mosaique

The best bits: Summer just wouldn't be complete without a hint of coral, so I'll be investing in Clarins' Crystal Lip Balm in Crystal Coral. A super-sheer wash of colour with a hint of gloss is perfect for those lazy, hazy summer days.

Available from: May

Clinique: Summer at Clinique

The best bits: Limited Edition Almost Bronzer, which now comes with a gorgeous lemon-and-lime pouch. Summer, here we come!

Available from: April

Dior: Electric Tropics

The best bits: Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow in Limited Edition Rosy Nude is perfect for my short-on-space suitcase. It's time to ditch the liquid eyeliner and embrace a natural eye look, so this gorgeous palette looks set to be my beach BFF.

Available from: May

Estée Lauder: Bronze Goddess Sôleil

The best bits: The gorgeous Sea Star Bronzing Blush complete with starfish emblem. I adore the blusher/bronzer combos from Lauder's summer collections and the cute crustacean element makes this one my fave so far!

Available from: May

No7: Limited Edition Sundowner Collection

The best bits: The lip glosses. Sultry Nude is perfect for a beach-chic look, while Sultry Red is an instant beach-to-bar transformer. Nothing says summer nights like a slick of red lip gloss to complement sublimely sunkissed skin.

Available from: May

Yves Saint Laurent: Surrealist Sun

The best bits: For days when candy-coloured nails just won't do, I'll be painting my talons the shade of the sea with YSL's La Laque in Utopian Turquoise. I can only imagine how stunning they'll look teamed with a tan.

Available from: May

There you have it: summer 2011 in a nutshell. Keep your peepers peeled for possibly the best summer beauty haul ever, coming soon to Boots. See you at the cosmetics counter!

Spring cleansing Beauty blog: Friday 15th April Is it just me or has this recent well-behaved weather sparked a sudden burst of enthusiasm in everyone? I've found myself embarking on spontaneous walks, making super-healthy (and yummy) smoothies and revisiting those fleeting beauty resolutions that I made all those months ago. My newest make up objective, however, is to make its removal less of a chore. I'm intent on upgrading my bedtime routine, so I've been reading up on the hot cloth cleansing method. I've heard enough rave reviews about this from friends to be tempted into giving my usual regime a rest and trying this technique. It's designed to help give your skin a gentle-but-effective cleanse, leaving it radiant and without a trace of make up. There are a few products out there specifically for this method, like No7's Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser. If the reviews are anything to go by, (which, usually they are – you lot certainly know good beauty products when you try them!) this is definitely one to introduce to your bathroom counter. Evielyn (a top ratings and reviews contributor) described it as a "super cleanser" and loved being able to cut out using a separate toner. Soap & Glory's Fab Pore has received a lot of love too. The basics of the cleansing method? A muslin cloth and a creamy cleanser. Sounds simple enough. You start off by applying a blob of your chosen cleanser to your face and gently massaging it in a circular motion. Next, drench the cloth in lukewarm water. Wring it out and gently press the cloth to your face – this will help to open up your pores, allowing an easy cleanse without the need for scrubbing. All relaxed? Now clean up by buffing the cleanser into your skin to lift the make up and grime and finally rinse until there's no sign of make up. Done!

This technique is also said to prime your skin for absorbing beauty serums and moisturiser, so it really seems like the perfect way to wind down at the end of the day and prep for a good night of beauty sleep.

I'm set on perking up my skin, so this sounds like the right make up removal method for me. I'll be reporting back with my findings. Stay tuned to the Beauty Blog for my verdict – bookmark this page now!

Summer scrub-up: The home stretch

Summer's almost upon us, but if, like me, you don't feel quite ready to bare all then fear not! I've devised an all-bases-covered checklist to help us all get shipshape for summer?

1. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate

There's nothing worse than dry, scaly skin, so I'll be reading up on how to exfoliate from top to toe for a gorgeous, glowing body with this exfoliation masterclass. Want to know the bonus bit? It'll help create the perfect base for a fake tan.

2. Get rid of unwanted "winter" hair

Yes, baring all inevitably means tackling those areas that have been hiding under layers of winter clothing for the past few months. Check out this guide to hair removal techniques to find your ideal de-fuzz method.

3. Learn how to fake tan, properly

Want to make streaky, patchy fake tans a thing of the past? Join me in swotting up on how to apply that faux glow the professional way with this hands-on tutorial. The perfect summer colour will be ours!

4. Get feet looking gorgeous

My main summer scandal is usually feet that are unfit to be seen in public. If you share my pain, you can discover how to get a salon-worthy pedicure in the comfort of your own home by following this simple step-by-step.

Quick summer scrub-up kit:

• Ted Baker Gentle Body Scrub
• Wilkinson Sword Intuition Pomegranate Razor
• No7 Naturally Sunkissed Gradual Body Tan
• Ms Pedicure Smooth & Sweet Sugar Foot File
• 17 High Gloss Nail Polish in Miami

Summer, here we come!

My hunt for the perfect sun protection product

After a glorious weekend spent lounging on my, erm, sun lounger, my thoughts have turned to sun protection. Never does a day cream go anywhere near my face without first being assessed for evidence of an SPF factor (no less than 15, please!), but I tend to forget about the rest of my body until a scorcher like last weekend catches me unawares.

I won't beat about the bush here – I'm lazy. Yes, I want sun protection, but I want it to be quick and easy to apply, with minimal fuss and without having to ask anyone else for assistance. Is that too much to ask?

I've spent many an evening examining my "missed bits" after a day at the beach or in the garden and have decided this is the year I find my ultimate sun protection product.

My first port of call is a spray that works from all angles to ensure total coverage of those tricky areas. Last year I took Clinique Sun Protection Body Spray on my hols and, while I loved the idea of the spray, it just felt a little too greasy for me. (I am, however, still completely in love with their Targeted Protection Sun Stick, which is super-handy for glove boxes and handbags alike...)

With that in mind, the next product on my sun protection hit list is the new Soltan Once Invisible Dry-Touch Transparent Spray, which claims to spray from any angle and dry super-quickly on the skin. Sounds like I'm on to a winner!

Let's just hope the sun keeps on shining long enough for me to carry out my rigorous testing.

Beauty crush: Amanda Seyfried

Today I'm serving up a dose of gorgeous beauty inspiration as your starting point for glamming up. I'm a sucker for the old-school screen siren look and Amanda Seyfried nailed it perfectly when she hit London town for the premiere of her latest flick, Red Riding Hood. Luckily, you don't have to be a Hollywood vixen to ace this style...

The reign of the red lips isn't over yet. It's not surprising, given the stunning effect it has on Amanda: her complexion looks luminous and she definitely doesn't need much more to create a statement look. I'm all for reds in their glossiness, but here's a trick I'll be trying to give scarlet lips a modern edge: dab a thin layer of translucent powder, like Estée Lauder Lucidity Powder, over the top to lock the colour in and give a vibrant velvet-like finish.

In the era of old Hollywood, chances are the precise, flicked-out liner Amanda wears so well would have been created using a wet liner cake. In modern times like these, we can rely on the gel liner phenomenon to give amazing colour pay off that lasts for hours on end. Eyeliner is my vice, so much so I have two shoeboxes full of them. My latest favourite? Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner. It's become a must-have for me and the brush that's supplied with it is perfect for creating subtle daytime looks or vampy smudgy styles.

Amanda's come out with some real winning looks lately and we're sure this isn't the last! I'll definitely be keeping an eye on what she comes up with next.

How do you fancy a weekend of pampering?

If a weekend break at an award-winning spa sounds right up your street then pop over to our baby editor's blog right now to discover how you can be in with a chance of winning just that, simply by joining our parenting community and leaving a comment any time during April.

That's right, a luxury pampering break for you and a friend at the gorgeous Ragdale Hall spa – including overnight stay, three meals and a natural harmony facial or a body massage plus use of all Ragdale's fantastic facilities – could be yours simply by joining in on one of our parenting community threads this month.

You asked: How to get Emma Bunton's look

"Good morning! In your blog, you mentioned Emma Bunton's style on Dancing on Ice. I was wondering if you have any idea what that fabulous eye shadow she wears is called? It's sort of a nude glitter sparkle and it looks great. Thank you!"

Kirsten

Hi Kirsten, thanks for your question. You already know I'm a huge fan of Emma's gorgeous look on the show, so I was only too happy to track down someone who could help us find the perfect products to recreate it.

I managed to get in touch with Rene Metcalfe, the backstage make up artist for Dancing on Ice, who kindly nipped into Boots and picked out the products she would use to recreate Emma's look.

So here it is: how to get Emma Bunton's look, straight from the Dancing on Ice make up artist...

"The trio eyeshadows in Boots 17 range are perfect for recreating the gorgeous nude look that Emma favours, which is fresh and let's the eyes stand out, making their own statement. I chose 'in the nude' and blended all three colours together to create the perfect nude shade. Apply this as a base all over the lid and up to the eyebrow. For that extra sparkle, use Barry M Fine Glitter Dust in Gold Iridescent* and press lightly over the nude base. This will put that "twinkle" in the eye! Now add the lashes. Emma has great lashes, but to add a bit of extra lusciousness you can use Eylure Naturalites Eyelashes in Glamour 116. Or, if you are new to false lashes, try Boots False Eyelashes in Ultra for a natural look and then add lashings of mascara. 17 Wild Curls is my favourite."

"For the beautiful glow, use instant bronzing pearls in the hollow of the cheek to create a contour and add a pop of 17's Blush Powder in "my first kiss" to the apples of the cheeks. (To find these, just give yourself a smile and lightly dust the round part of the cheek.)

"The best-kept secret has got to be No7 Lift and Luminate Foundation. It does exactly what it says on the bottle, perfect for recreating our gorgeous Emma's look.

Just when you were wondering how you were going to fill that Dancing on Ice-shaped hole this weekend, along comes an excuse to give yourself a makeover!

If you do follow Rene's fabulous advice to try out Emma's look for yourself, drop us an email with an image of your new look attached.

*Available in store

Advantage Card competition: The winners

We had a record number of entries for the recent Advantage Card competition and had a really tough time selecting the winners. After much deliberation, we managed to whittle it down to five great entries courtesy of Beverley from Derbyshire, Denise from Chester, Elaine from Hertfordshire, Lisa from Birmingham and Jaclyn from Clackmannanshire.

While all the winning entries were fantastic, my favourite was this amazing poem from Elaine...

I'm sure you'll agree Elaine's entry was well worthy of a prize!

Looking through all the competition entries, I picked up on a few common themes...

It seems the mums among you like to save up all the points you collect while buying bits and pieces for the little ones and then indulge in a pampering treat for yourselves, like perfume or something from the No7 Protect & Perfect range.

A lot of you are really savvy with your Advantage Card points, saving them all up and then splashing out on friends and family at Christmas or (even better, I reckon) waiting until the January sales to bag some bargains for yourself!

Pampering and "at home" spa treats were also popular, with loads of you saying you spend your points on indulgent goodies from brands like Sanctuary Spa to help you make the most of your "me time".

However, I reckon one of my favourite suggestions was to use your points to invest in trying out a new beauty product – what a great idea! I now have almost £30 worth of points so I reckon I'm going to treat myself to the DiorShow 360 Mascara, as my not-so-subtle hinting before Valentine's Day went unnoticed.

More summer prep...

In a salute to summer, I've been reacquainting myself with my tube of Biotherm D.Code in an attempt to get my legs looking ship-shape for the warmer weather.

Having let myself go somewhat over the winter months (I may still have some post-Christmas bulge to shift...), I was delighted to hear Biotherm was bringing out a new product to complement their oh-so-popular D.Code gel. S.Code, designed specifically for the stomach and waist area, is available exclusively at Boots from today.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting miracles – I know a couple of body products won't work wonders on their own, so I will also be going for a run after work to help get my body beach-ready. Well, after I've picked up my tube of Biotherm S.Code that is...

Form an orderly queue, please!

Hot trend: Crackle topcoats

I'll admit I wasn't so smitten with the "first generation" black crackle topcoats. They were too dark for me, and no matter what base colour I teamed them with my nails only ever seemed to look, well, dirty.

However, this is happily very much not the case with this year's offerings so far. The shatter/crackle nail trend has taken off and I for one can barely contain my excitement.

Having spent the last week sporting 17's gold Crackle Top Coat over Showgirl, a gorgeous hot pink shade by Orly that was kindly given to me by Meena (I only needed to bully her into it a little bit...), I thought I'd found my perfect shatter combo. And then the new Barry M crackle topcoats landed on my desk.

If you've not yet heard the rumours, I can confirm there are three new crackle topcoats from the brand: white, pink and blue. Now, obviously I immediately had the urge to paint my nails black and try out a monochrome effect with the white polish. Well, it's only natural isn't it? But then when I had time to think about it more deeply, I changed my mind and decided I wanted to create a strawberries-and-cream effect with the white over a nice pink shade like Rimmel's White Orchid.

I'd also love to see the pink shatter over a gorgeous turquoise shade like Collection 2000 Hot Looks Fast Dry Nail Polish in Button Moon, but I've still not decided what I would wear the blue with other than a really nude nail shade.

I've spent so many gorgeous hours daydreaming about different crackle combos, I can't wait to get my nail stash out this weekend and indulge in some manicure fun. Oh, and don't even get me started on the gorgeous new Model's Own versions I've had a sneaky peek of... This summer, nails are going to be all about the shatter!

Last-minute Mother's Day gifts

If you've yet to get your hands on a present for Mother's Day tomorrow (eep!), you'll probably need a gorgeous gift to save the day. Thankfully, you can find a multitude of mum-pleasing beauty treats at a Boots store near you. Here's a few that have proven to be popular picks for my mum, the unrivalled beauty addict who introduced me to the wonderful world of make up. There's a good chance your dear old mum will love these too:

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

This potion might look unassuming, but I can assure you it's not. Packed with ingredients to help fight the effects of ageing and nurture that glowing-from-within complexion, it's definitely a dressing table staple.

Issey Miyake A Scent

No one seems to do fresh scents quite like Issey Miyake. This fragrance joined the ranks of mum's (many) favourites for its soft and tranquil essence. It's undoubtedly fresh and airy, which makes it perfect for this season.

Nicky Clarke Compact Heated Hair Rollers

As great as curling tongs and wands are, sometimes it's best to go back to basics to create the desired effect. That's probably why these were a hit in my house a couple of Mother's Days ago. Not only do they heat up quickly with minimal fuss, they're great for creating curls that last.

If you had an eventful Mother's Day, let us know which beauty goodies made your day. We're always keen to find out which products you're lusting after, so send us an email at beauty.editor@boots.co.uk.

Review: Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara

Having been on the last dregs of my Lancôme Hypnôse Precious Cells Mascara for some time now (I got it at Christmas so I've well and truly broken the unwritten "three month" rule), I was only too happy to test out the new False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara by Max Factor. With promises of volume AND length, I had very high hopes indeed...

My first thought when I opened the mascara was "wow, this brush is huge!" I was convinced it would leave me with a bad case of "spider lashes" but it was actually really easy to handle and defined my lashes beautifully.

The beast of a brush also meant I could lightly lean on the tips of my lashes to create a curling effect – a lovely added bonus that I wasn't expecting.

As someone who only wears false lashes on special occasions, and expects them to be as big, fluttery and fake-looking as possible, I'm not entirely sure if I'm the right person to be testing the "false lash effect" theory.

While there was definitely a volumising and lengthening effect, I don't think any mascara will ever measure up to false lashes, but I reckon it's perfect if you're the kind of person who uses really subtle falsies on a daily basis to give your lashes a bit of extra "oomph".

Overall, Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara gets four ticks from me, one each for leaving my lashes looking volumised, lengthened, curled and defined. Given the hype, I was expecting a bit more in the volume and length stakes, but the fact I was able to add a bit of curl and a lot of definition to my lashes really made it for me – I'll definitely be using this again tomorrow!

If you've tried Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara for yourself then make sure you drop us an email and let us know your thoughts.