Hello, Happy New Year! January is always a bit of a struggle so this month I'll be mainly focusing on budget products (that are actually worth buying).

On a recent trip to Tesco, I found this little gem of a nail varnish and was amazed by the price.

This shade, 'Cocoa', is a beautiful, rich bronze colour and I've been really impressed with its staying power. I did a quick two coats without any base or top coat on Monday night and it lasted until Friday without any chips. That's good going as usually varnishes chip on my nails after a day or two.

Next time I apply I'm going to do it properly and use some Seche Vite and hopefully it will last even longer!

They have a good selection of colours and you'll find the range in the bigger Tesco stores.

If you try it let me know what you think!

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Suqqu, as you've probably guessed, is a Japanese make-up brand. It's only stocked in Selfridges in London or you can find it online.

Looking after your brows is quite high maintenance, I pay more attention to my brows now than I have ever done in the past and I can't get enough of this eyebrow pen. The first thing I love about it is the very fine tip that makes defining the brows really easy. It also looks really natural as it's more of an ink, so the finish is different to an eyebrow pencil or powder. Once you've applied, it lasts the whole day without smudging.

Unfortunately it only comes in two colours, 'brown' and 'moss green' and the 'brown' is swatched above.

A must for any eyebrow enthusiast. It's £20.00 available from Selfridges.

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Because we're all feeling frazzled, here's another body oil for you. This one by Clarins is gorgeous, it smells of a spa and immediately makes you want to lie down and have a massage! I like to use it after exercise or after a bath when your skin is nice and warm. You're guaranteed to get a good night's sleep after using this.

It's usually £36.00 but at the moment the Escentual website is selling it for £28.80.

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They have really good pigment to them so you'll still get a good amount of colour and there's no need to sharpen as you just twist up from the bottom. Simple design. I love them.

£15.00 each from Clinique.

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What I love about these candles is they actually release fragrance when lit and they burn evenly down the glass. They're an attractive addition to any room with their classic black and white design.

You can now buy in two sizes, £20 for a 70g candle and £38 for 190g. They have a huge selection of fragrances to choose from so you'll be sure to find something that suits you. 

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Available from Superdrug or direct from the Sleek website. 

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They have great staying power and they really don't crease. I love this rich bronze colour, it looks amazing with blue and green eyes. You can also wear these shadowliners as eyeliners so it's a very versatile product. 

They're £14.00 each and available from the Benefit website.

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Facial oils are as important as a good concealer in my opinion. People tend to think they'll make your skin oily but in fact this is just a myth - facial oils can actually rebalance and moisturise your skin.

Suti is a relatively new organic brand to hit the beauty market and all of their products are packaged beautifully. 

Their Rejuvenate Organic Face Oil smells amazing, you can really smell the neroli which is uplifting. As soon as you apply to your skin, it absorbs straight in. I like to give myself a quick facial massage when applying an oil.

I've always used oils at night but this one is light enough to use in the day. Alternatively you can mix a couple of drops in with your normal moisturiser.

It's £28.00 for a 30ml bottle and will last a long time as you only need a few drops at a time.

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No7 have brought out these limited edition eyeliner sets for Christmas and they are gorgeous. In each set you get five different coloured metallic eyeliners, perfect for your make-up bag as they're smaller than your average eyeliner. 

The eyeliners are very soft in texture and are highly pigmented. They're very easy to blend, so great for updating your make-up look for an evening out or just to use every day. Get one before they sell out for you or as a gift. £13.50 each. 

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Bobbi Brown make the best palettes in my opinion, they get it right every time and they're great present ideas.

This one's called 'Classic to Go' it has three very wearable eyeshadows (use the black wet with an eyeliner brush if you want a more defined eyeliner look). Use the cream colour as a highlighter, it looks great applied on the brow bone and apply the sand colour all over the eyelid or just in the crease.

There are two lip colours, these could double up as cream blushers, and one lipgloss. It's tiny (three inches wide) so perfect for your make-up bag.

You can buy this online and in-store from Harrods, get it quick as they always sell out fast.

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It's that time of year when we all need some time out. A good massage will release tension and make you feel more relaxed. You can use body oils to give yourself a mini massage, it's obviously not quite the same as going for a massage in a salon but it's effective (cheaper too).

I also like to use body oils as every day moisturisers, especially when the weather gets colder. This one by Dr Hauschka is lovely as it doesn't leave your skin feeling too oily. When you apply to the skin it feels warming and there's an uplifting scent of mint and lemon. It's great to use after exercise too and to massage into your muscles if they're feeling sore.

Dr Hauschka Birch Arnica Body Oil - £17.95.

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Something for the men in our lives as we can't forget them at Christmas! Men can be hard to buy for but this little set from Kyoku will go down a treat. It comes in a handy wash bag and you get a cleanser, exfoliator and moisturiser; a simple, no nonsense skincare set. It's £21.00 on Mankind at the moment, usually £28.00.

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I love French skincare and Caudalie is one of my favourites. These limited edition gift sets really caught my eye as they're such good value. There are three scents to choose from, Fleur de Vigne, Zeste de Vigne and The de Vigne.

I chose the Zeste de Vigne, it's a refreshing citrus fragrance so very uplifting for this time of year. It's £25.00 for the set and you get a 50ml bottle of fragrance and a 100ml shower gel. The shower gel feels rich in texture and leaves a subtle zesty aroma on your skin. A perfect present idea. Available direct from the Caudalie website.

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This colour, Almond No.06, is very on trend at the moment. It's a very wearable shade and would suit any eye colour. The texture of the shadow is really soft so makes it very easy to blend.

I've been wearing this colour in the daytime and it also doubles up as an eyebrow powder or you can use it wet as an eyeliner. It's a staple item in my make-up bag.

They're £22.50 each so this is very much a luxury brand but I think you get what you pay for. As the packaging is so nice anything from this range would make a great present. You can see more Burberry items here. Happy shopping!

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Something different for today! A treament review written by the lovely Naomi. Any men out there, take note - this would make an amazing Christmas present for the women in your life!

After following Emma Hardie's recent success in the beauty press over the past year, I was delighted when Lauren asked me to sample one of her facials. I had heard about the unique massage technique which Emma incorporates into her facials, and was also tempted by her new award-winning range of natural products.

When leaving the Michaeljohn salon which she works from in Mayfair, I was not disappointed.  Not only was my skin glowing and looked much plumper, fuller and more radiant, but I came away with a new insight into how the skin and body remove toxins and heals itself.  Emma was so easy to talk to and very open with her well-researched findings on the anatomy and bio-dynamics of the body.  Her beliefs were fascinating and when put into action, appear to work.

We had a chat before my facial, during which Emma was able to identify my digestion issues (which I had been suffering with for many weeks and was trying to treat) and decided to work mainly on the area of the face which related to this.

I have had many facials in my time and have also worked as a therapist in a reputable spa so am used to the usual routine of a cleanse, tone, exfoliate, steam, mask and massage. Emma's treatment was different. She used her lovely cleansing balm, serum and moisturisers, however one of her main differences was the way she cleansed. Her motto is 'lines not circles', a technique that she has devised for both cleansing and massaging the skin based on an understanding of the anatomy of the skin. She used one of her muslin cloths to brush away and buff the dead skin, which in turn clears the connective tissue in that area. Emma's massage technique is much more deep healing than anything I had experienced in a facial before.  She told me that during the treatment that I might experience a sensation of heat, see colours or may simply drift off.  It felt like a very slow lymphatic drainage technique, her hands felt very hot, and it was as if she was moving away toxins which were very deep in my skin very slowly and purposefully in linear not circular directions. I found it very relaxing and didn't want it to stop! 

Emma also worked various acupressure points which again related to my digestion. At the end of the treatment she gave me advice and showed me how to cleanse my face using her techniques and specific acupressure points that I should use for myself and my digestion.

When leaving the salon I took a quick glimpse at my skin in the mirror and was surprised to see it looked much fuller and plumper than when I had arrived especially in the areas which had received deep massage - It was positively glowing! Having chatted with Emma, I was inspired to look into her techniques further and she has actually had an impact on how I look at the body and skin as a whole. I bought the cleansing balm immediately and have been carrying out her techniques religiously. I am waiting to see if the milia and clogged pores disappear after one month, and I will definitely go back to Emma again. I feel she works on much more than just the skin on the face and am keen to learn more from her. It's as if she has figured out the secret to healthy skin and understands how the body really does shine from the inside out!

You can book a facial with Emma Hardie at Michaeljohn of Mayfair, 25 Albermarle Street, London, W1. T: 020 7629 6969.

A 60 minute facial with Emma costs £130 and £90 with another therapist.

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This product is neither a tinted moisturiser or a foundation, it's in a category of its own. It took me a while to get into this product as I originally thought it was a primer. 

However we now have a relationship and I absolutely love it! The texture is like whipped cream and it blends really well into the skin. It has a matte finish but not too matte as your skin still looks glowy (but you won't get a dewy effect). It also makes your skin look very smooth, so good for people who have open pores like I have. This is a really good product for someone who doesn't like a heavy base as it's very natural looking but with good coverage and lightweight in texture. 

You need to apply moisturiser before you use this product, unless you have very oily skin. A little will go a long way and blend in like you would a tinted moisturiser. You'll see instantly how much it improves your skin texture and it's the perfect base for makeup. You won't need to use powder so you can apply your blusher and/or bronzer on top. 

It's £44 for a 40ml tube so pricier than most base products but I do think it's worth the money as I haven't yet come across a product like it. It seems to go on forever too as I don't wear it every day. It smells amazing too. Available from Space NK.

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Rebecca from Balance Me is one of the loveliest women I've met on my beauty journey so I'm excited to give one of her products a review.

This brand is good for those who don't like nasties in their skincare as their 'Balance Me' promise is no parabens, sulphates, petroleum, mineral oils etc..you can read more here.

This product is multi-tasking, I've been using it as a night time facial treatment, a lip balm and massaging it into my cuticles (when I remember). It's really thick so you don't need to use much and has a nice clean smell, I love it.  My skin definitely looks 'plumper' in the morning after I've applied so I'm going to be using this regularly in my skincare routine.

Any cyclists out there, this would be great to apply just before your moisturiser or use alone to protect your skin from the cold weather.

It's £18.00 for a 50ml pot and you can buy direct from their website.

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It smells amazing too, with extracts of uplifting Neroli, Orange and Mandarin. You can also apply a thin layer as a night time treatment for a bit of extra pampering in this cold weather. 

The starter kit comes with a buffing cloth, rosehip exfoliating seeds, that I only use a couple of times a week and some instructions to give yourself a facial massage. This is Emma Hardie's speciality and a full review of one of her facials will follow from the lovely Naomi. This would make a fantastic present. It's £42 well spent.

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