Phyl Clarkereveals her antidotes to the January blues
It's grim, it's grey, it's raining and still a week till pay day. What could be worse than the last week in January?
The twinkling get-togethers and Christmas parties, the midnight feasts, and the open chocolate boxes inviting the passing hand to dip in are all distant memories now, as my new regime is in full swing. It's time to keep the head down, use up all the food in the freezer, and brave the biting cold (suitably moisturised, of course). February can be bad, admittedly, but at least it's a short month with the promise of spring at the end.
At each meal I'm eating only a portion of food that would fit into my cupped hands, and I marvel at how small my hands actually are. I never noticed before. I try to drink water instead of eating when I feel hunger pangs, as I read somewhere that the body can send out hunger signals when it's actually only thirsty. This has upped my fluid intake, but I still feel like eating the leg off the table sometimes.
All this saintly behaviour has to reap benefits, and I need a little reward, so I'm going to treat myself to a few perk-me-ups. If you have that end of January feeling, too, here are some products to make you look as fresh as a daisy, even if you don't feel quite that way.
Give your face a little colour, and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel. A daily application of sunless tanner will give your skin a healthy glow. Olay Touch of Sun SPF 15 (€12.99) gives subtle colour enhancement, with no streaking. Clarins tinted moisturiser in Blonde (€29.50) is a suits-all shade. You can't go wrong with Benefit's Dandelion (€33), a skin-brightening pink powder that imparts a beautiful freshness to the complexion.
Being deft with concealer will mean that you don't need to pile on the foundation, thus avoiding a heavy and matte look, which can make skin look dull. Use a light-reflecting concealer such as YSL Touche Eclat (€26) to fill in shadows - at the corners of the nose and sides of the mouth - and a slick under the centre of the eyebrow really opens up the eye. If your eyes are feeling a little droopy, dot a little at the outside corner of each eye for instant eye brightening - a magic pen indeed. Staying with eyes, drop the grey and taupe shades in favour of warmer neutrals. has a lovely new palette which suits this time of year in its Les 4 Ombres range, called Beige Velours, which is a matte/satin mix of neutrals that gives a subtle perk (€42). Cheeks will thank you for a healthy flush. The Slopes blush (€26) by Bobbi Brown aims to give the wearer the "just down from the ski slopes" effect, and Bobbi has provided a lip colour in the same shade for €22.50. I love both. The Multiple (€45) by is another favourite. I like two shades, Malibu, a lovely plummy brown which doubles up as a cheek and lip shade, and Mustique, a sheeny peach that adds a lovely freshness without being too orangey.
When it comes to lips, a little sheen goes a long way. I'm not a particular fan of lip glosses, finding most too gloopy and without enough staying power. My preference is to use my chosen shade of lip colour, and then apply a clear balm (even Vaseline) over it. A good buy is C-Thru Lip Gloss from (€18), which is a milky pink and can be applied over any shade to give a lustrous finish. And don't forget to treat your body to a little colour. Tone skin and target cellulite while gradually building a subtle colour, all with one product. New from cult brand St Tropez is the Everyday tan (€19.95), sure to become a best seller. Believe me, it will be easier to look at the effects of those mince pies if your skin doesn't look like a side of corned beef as well.
BEAUTY SPOT Now here's welcome news at the end of cash-strapped January. The Olay Regenerist range has beaten all contenders to win first place in a test by American and French consumer groups. Yes, even those really expensive ones that cost six times more. Tests showed that the most significant reduction in wrinkles was achieved by using Regenerist. So hooray for Olay.