Blunt fringes, summer face creams and Hollywood's hottest lippie: Elsa McAlonan’s beauty upgrades

WHAT'S NOW AND HOW TO DO IT... A BLUNT FRINGE  

A fringe is an instant anti-ageing trick - it conceals wrinkles, is much cheaper than Botox and can even make your cheekbones look more prominent.

There’s just one drawback: frizz. Manage this by spritzing John Frieda Frizz Ease Forever Smooth Blow Dry Spray (£7.99, Boots) through damp hair, then blow-dry the fringe with a round brush. Smooth it out with straightening irons (£130, ghdhair.com).

To tame flyaways on the go, try dry shampoo - I like travel-size Bagsy Hair Wonder Dry Shampoo (£5, feelunique.com).

A fringe is an instant anti-ageing trick - it conceals wrinkles, is much cheaper than Botox and can even make your cheekbones look more prominent

From left to right: John Frieda Frizz Ease Forever Smooth Blow Dry Spray (£7.99, Boots), travel-size Bagsy Hair Wonder Dry Shampoo (£5, feelunique.com), straightening irons (£130, ghdhair.com)

ARE UV GEL MANICURE LAMPS SAFE?  

Trendy gel nail varnishes require an ultraviolet lamp to set the colour, and they do emit moderate levels of UV light. So nail expert Margaret Dabbs advises wearing suncream when using them.

‘The process is more damaging to fair skin, as the tissues are finer and more prone to the effects of ageing,’ she says.

‘The application and removal of the gels themselves can also damage the nail.’ To protect and hydrate hands, apply a cream with SPF, such as Alpha-H Protection Plus Hand Cream SPF 50+ (£35, marksandspencer.com).

For one that soaks in quickly, try Margaret Dabbs SPF 30 Sun Defence For Hands (£22, margaretdabbs.co.uk). Or for a budget option, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Anti-Ageing Hand Cream SPF 25 (£4.97, Boots) also helps to reduce brown spots.

THREE OF THE BEST SUMMER FACE CREAMS 

Bliss Fabulous Drench ’n’ Quench (£29.50, lookfantastic.com) applies like water

In your 50s...

Warmer weather means it’s time to lighten up your day cream. Bliss Fabulous Drench ’n’ Quench (£29.50, lookfantastic.com) applies like water, instantly hydrating skin.

Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme (£45, Boots) leaves no oily residue or shiny patches

 In your 60s... 

Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme (£45, Boots) leaves no oily residue or shiny patches, while flower extracts lock in moisture and revitalise sluggish skin cells. 

By Terry Liftessence Daily Cream (£95, feelunique.com ) is full of rose essence cells

In your 70s...

By Terry Liftessence Daily Cream (£95, feelunique.com) is full of rose essence cells to promote production of collagen and boost skin’s elasticity. 

RACE YOU THERE 

Jump on the colour correcting bandwagon with this new Stila Correct and Perfect All-In-One Colour Correcting Palette (£32.50, stila.co.uk )

Jump on the colour correcting bandwagon with this new Stila Correct and Perfect All-In-One Colour Correcting Palette (£32.50, stila.co.uk). It has everything you need to get to grips with the trend, encased in a beautiful marble compact.

Five creamy shades help to camouflage, brighten and neutralise uneven skintone, with a creamy formula that is easy to apply and blend with your normal foundation or moisturiser for a natural look. 

Finish with the two brightening powders along the cheekbones, nose and collarbones to illuminate and set make-up.

HOLLYWOOD'S HOTTEST LIPPIE  

There’s nothing so glamorous as a perfectly painted red lip, as worn by Amal Clooney at the Cannes Film Festival. Her make-up artist, Charlotte Tilbury, relies on the colour to get stars ready for the red carpet.

There’s nothing so glamorous as a perfectly painted red lip, as worn by Amal Clooney at the Cannes Film Festival

Mrs Clooney wore Tilbury’s K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipstick in Love Bite (£23, charlottetilbury.com), the ultimate classic Hollywood shade.

The new Clarins Fix Make-Up (£23, clarins.co.uk ) helps your foundation stay in place

THIS WORKS 

To be used under or over make-up, the new Clarins Fix Make-Up (£23, clarins.co.uk) helps your foundation stay in place, while hydrating skin. 

It also has a cooling effect, keeping flushed cheeks to a minimum and calming any irritation - ideal for summer.

SHAMELESS INDULGENCE

This stunning new perfume bottle by Bvlgari looks like a work of art. The shape is a nod to Bvlgari’s jewellery, while the vivid blue-green colour is inspired by the rare tourmaline stone from Paraiba in Brazil. 

This stunning new perfume bottle by Bvlgari looks like a work of art. The shape is a nod to Bvlgari’s jewellery, while the vivid blue-green colour is inspired by the rare tourmaline stone from Paraiba in Brazil

The fragrance, Omnia Paraiba (£59 for 65ml, johnlewis.com), is fruity and floral to celebrate the wonderful energy of Brazil - timely, given this summer’s Olympics in Rio. 

The perfect scent for summer holidays, it contains notes of bitter orange and passion fruit combined with woody notes of vetiver essence and warming cocoa beans. 

Like a tropical cocktail bottled in a fragrance, it will leave you dreaming of sunny days on an exotic beach.