Beauty latest

Apr 6 2008 by Pauline Holt, Sunday Sun

OOH la la, there’s a bit of a French theme to this week’s guide to the best beauty buys.

All eyes have been on France’s first lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy following her whistle-stop visit to Britain and the question on many a Brit babe’s lips has been: “Just how are French women so stylish?’

To commentators like Helena Frith Powell, author of Two Lipsticks & a Lover - The Secret of French Women’s Elegance, their secret seems to be that they never let their glamour guard down and are spectacularly well-groomed at all times.

Look at your nails for example. Are they perfectly polished or bitten and broken? If it’s the latter then don’t despair.

There’s no need to fork out for an expensive set of extensions at your local nail bar as Nailene have come up with a fabulous French Manicure Collection.

For £5.99 you can invest in their traditional French Manicure set which will help you fake a professional salon manicure in minutes. It comes with their Hard and Healthy pink-coloured polish, a white for the tips and some peel-off tip guides to keep your lines nice and straight as well as a top coat.

Alternatively, there’s their French tip pen, at £4.99, which means you can pearl up wherever and whenever.

If you haven’t the time or patience to grow your nails, then opt for the false stick-on variety. Nailene has three to choose from . . . Real French, short, practical, natural-looking nails for every day at £6.99, French Express for a stunning French manicure in minutes, £5.99, or Salon French for women with smaller nail beds at £6.99. All are available from Boots, Asda or Superdrug.

FRENCH beauty house, L’Occitane en Provence, is tres popular over the Channel and now the chic brand is widely available here with a dedicated shop in York and a consultant-led counter at Fenwick, Newcastle plus selected Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis stores.

They have just launched a complete skincare range, Immortelle 2008 which, as its name implies, is all about restoring the youthfulness and radiance of skin. The organic Immortelle flower contains essential oil which is said to boost cell renewal and the products smell delicious.

The range includes a brightening renewing serum at £32 and a brightening toner, £15. We tried the brightening, smoothing exfoliator at £22, which contains micro-granules of pumice stone and cellulose for deep exfoliating action.

If you’re 35-plus then exfoliating a couple of times a week gives your skin a real boost. This cream, with mulberry extract to regulate pigmentation, is a wonderful smoother and leaves your face feeling soft and supple.

FINALLY, just out this month for the summer is Clarins of Paris’s new Super Restorative Tinted Cream which gives a hint of colour but also has replenishing and protective technology with a sun protection factor of 20.

There are four shades to choose from, sand, which gives a hint of gold to pale or pink skin tones; lichee which would give most complexions a healthy glow, honey to add warmth to dull skin tones and tea for dark or tanned skin. The pump-dispenser tube is £38 and available from Clarins counters in selected Boots and most department stores.

THANK you to all readers who entered our fabulous Paul Mitchell competition. The winners are listed on Page 27.