La Roche-Posay Nutritic Ultra-fine cream

Oh baby it's cold outside


french dermatological skincare brand, La Roche-Posay is a favourite with skiers, who love its high-performance and protective qualities. But you don't need to hit the slopes to appreciate the havoc cold temperatures can have on your skin. If you've noticed cracking and splitting because of the recent freezing spell in this country, it could be time to invest in something with more industrial strength than your usual moisturiser. La Roche-Posay Nutritic Ultra-fine cream (€16.00) is a daily moisturiser which helps fight tightness, sensitivity and roughness. As testimony to its powers, Arctic explorer Nicholas Vanier tested it out in temperatures as low as -50ºC and found it protected his face from the drying effects of extremely cold weather.


Helping hands


if, like us, your hands stop looking human at this time of year and start resembling red, irritated claws instead, time to get out the L'Occitane Shea Butter hand cream. It's one of the brand's best sellers and it's easy to see why – it glides on and instantly absorbs without leaving any greasy residue. It also smells wonderful with its honey and sweet almond extract with jasmine and ylang-ylang essences and has Vitamin E to help nourish distressed mitts. It usually costs €21.95 but it's on sale for €16.46 until 17 January at Dublin and Galway stores.


Bronze age


top make-up artist mary greenwell (too many supermodel's faces and magazine covers to mention) says that bronzer should always be one of the products in your arsenal of essential make-up products. We agree.
When your skin has a porridge-hue, as it tends to in January, it's an instant way of looking healthier and sun-kissed. The biggest mistakes when it comes to using bronzer are shade (it should be golden, not brown) and position (it should be on the perimeter of your face, not your cheeks). The Body Shop's Brush on Bronze is our current favourite. It lasts for ages and gives a lovely shimmery effect, without being too sparkly. Definitely a good new-year investment. €17.95