Their  Soleil de la Mer collection (which translates as ‘sun of the sea’ so, well, kind of doesn’t really work, but we’ll let them off) launched this month, comprising three products – The Reparative Face Sun Lotion SPF30 (£85), The Reparative Body Sun Lotion SPF30 (£65) and The Face and Body Gradual Tan (£65).

These products all contains something called the Golden Algae Ferment – this is formulated with Laminaria Ochroleuca, which is also known as ‘Golden Algae’, marine peptides and a blend of sea botanicals. It’s all a bit vague, but Golden Algae, found off the Brittany coast in France has restorative powers, helps reduce appearance of irritation, prevent moisture loss and balance pH – it’s apparently an excellent anti-ageing product. So, in short, these products work with your skin, as you tan, to stop it ageing.

The collection also contains something called The Restorative Waters, a blend of leafy brown algae, Lime Tea Extract, and something Creme de la Mer call Deconstructed Waters. I can’t begin to explain this – here’s what the press info says

“To provide targeted delivery of the formula while also enhancing its activity, the Deconstructed Waters carry positively and negatively charged waters to the skin. Attracted to skin cells of the opposite charge, these water clusters drive the potent ingredients directly into the skin’s surface to help intensely improve the look of the skin”.

Who knows what this really means?!

Lets talk about the latter product here, The Face and Body Gradual Tan. Now, I am not a fake tan fan. Been there, done that, got the orange glow. Gradual tanners , on the other hand, are great – pop a little on after a shower for a week before your holiday and the colour will build up.

Now, I don’t know if it was me, too much tan, or it just has too much fake tan in it, but this is the most instant gradual tanner I have ever used. Can you see the streaks around my ankles in the picture below?

This was after one application. There was a pretty strong smell of fake tan which should have alerted me. So, be warned, this is really not that gradual a gradual tanner. It gave me a good bit of colour, and it didn’t streak on my arms, but my legs were a right off -  a week before I was due to bare them in the sun!

The Creme de la Mer Soleil de la Mer Collection is available now from Creme counters and at cremedelamer.co.uk

When Edinburgh Dungeon re-branded earlier this year, they decided it was time to give the makeup a makeover as well. So, they changed from using general stage makeup, and started to work with MAC. Performance Team Leader, Kieran Woods, and Performance Manager Lyndsay Herbert took the MAC training course in February and learned how to work with the MAC products, on the new character looks, and then adapted what they had learned to the Edinburgh characters.

So, my look is of a plague-ridden Mary King’s ghost, with a bit of cannibal Sawny Bean thrown in for good measure, and Sarah’s is Judge Mental – a rather grump, boozed up old soak! Not quite the makeoevers we’re used to!

“We created the character looks, taking inspiration from what we learned at the MAC training course,” explained Kieran, as he began to transform me. “We have 11 looks, 11 shows and 22 actors, which can rise to 30 in the summer. We have trained the actors to do their looks in around 15 minutes, and each look is adaptable from another, if they are changing characters. Using this makeup is much kinder to their skin, and it is easier to work with, once they have the hang of it.”

Kieran began my transformation by applying MAC Face and Body Foundation in white, to instantly give me that deathly pallor of a ghost. He then used Sculpt eyeshadow to start to define and contour my face – a sweep down the nose gave me a broken nose look. Applied to the eye sockets it made me look tired, deathly and quite scary!

He added MAC Performance HD Airbrush Makeup in Ochre to give me that lovely, decayed look, adding some bruising and scratching with MAC Paint Sticks in Rich Purple and Basic Red. Bits of makeup sponge were used to apply this, and a scrunched up hair bun, which worked a treat to create that ‘dragged along the ground look’.

MAC Eyeshadows in Blackberry and Fig were used to create the bags under my eyes, with the Paint Stick in white used to give them that 3D, proper bag-like effect. Then it was the delightful pustules – so simple – eyelash glue applied, allowed to dry a little, then manipulated and a touch of the red paint stick and some ochre airbrush makeup added to give them that oozing, bloody look. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the piece de resistance was the tooth enamel, in two colours, to give me those #notseenadentistinacentury teeth.

I was actually loving it by this point – I felt quite scary and in character. Now it was Sarah’s turn, and I got to help Kieran with her makeover. Sarah’s Judge Mental wasn’t quite as gruesome as my ghost, but wow, what a transformation from pretty sun-kissed blonde, to booze-soaked, broken-veined old lush!

Sarah’s pale pallor and sunken eyes were created using the same products used on me – her eyes were made to look more hollow, and she was given huge bags to recreate the Judge’s tired look. Her broken capillaries on her cheeks and her boozer’s red nose looked absolutely brilliant. Kieran added a few scratches and a bit of a bloody nose with a MAC Chromographic Pencil in red – this judge had a wee fall on his way home – and her look was complete with a wig.

We made a few folk stop and stare when we posed for a picture with Kieran outside the dungeons.

We had a fun afternoon, so thanks to all at the Edinburgh Dungeon. if you want to see the makeup on the real characters, then visit the Dungeon yourself. For more info visit thedungeons.com/edinburgh

I do love an Estee Lauder GWP (Gift With Purchase). I think it’s such a good way of getting to know a brand more -buy a couple of products you love, and get some other bits and bobs to try out. And this GWP offer, on now at Boots, until the end of this week  (May 25) is really great – and there are two options to choose from.

Both have the same lovely bright makeup bag; the contents differ. This one, pictured here, is the Statement bag – it contains Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex, 7ml,
Daywear Advanced Multi Protection Anti Oxidant Creme SPF 15, 15ml, Advanced Eye Night Repair Recovery Complex, 5ml, Pure Color Eyeshadow Quad (shades are Ivory Slipper, Lilac Whimsy, Sepia Sand and Peacock Blue), Pure Lipstick in Tiramisu, Pure Color Kajal Eye Pencil in Blackened Plum, Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in Black

The whole thing, apparently, is worth £90, and it’s free, with two or more Estee Lauder products, one of which must be skincare or a foundation.

The other available, is Subtle – it’s the same skincare products, but different make up. The Pure Color Eyeshadow Quad has shades of  Sugar Biscuit, Wild Sable, Tempting Mocha and Provocative Plum, the Pure Color lipstick is Beige, the Pure color Kajal Eye Pencil in Blackened Coca, and the Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara is in Black.

This offer ends this Saturday, May 25 – so be quick – visit the Estee Lauder counter at Boots

Chanel’s Creative Director, Makeup, Peter Phillips, has been inspired by the humble, yet beautiful butterfly, and is, therefore, very colourful. There’s even a yellow mascara!

The campaign images are beautiful, showing all the products off to their very best.

The collection comprises four shades of Inimitable Waterproof Mascara (£24) - Zest (that’s the yellow), Lime Light, Aqua Blue and Blue Note, and six shades of beautiful Stylo Eyeshadow (Fresh Effect Eyeshadows) (£23) – Moon River, Cool Gold, Jade Shore, Blue bay, Black Stream and Pink Lagoon. You can use these and the Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner (£19) in True Blue, to recreate the beautiful butterfly-like eyes.

If you just want a nail polish, then you can’t do much worse than one of the three new shades of Le Vernis (£18)  - Lilis, Azure and Bel Argus – gorgeous deep blue, aqua or corally-red.

The two new shades of Rouge Coco Shine lipstick (£24) are a gorgeous peachy neutral, Idylle, and a lovely coral red, Pygmalion – both beautifully sheer for summer.

The Levres Scintillante Glossimer Lip Gloss (£21) comes in three lovely shades – Envolee, Zephyr and Eden – again all really neutral and wearable.

So, it’s not as scary as it first looks. In fact, this is one of the loveliest colour collections I’ve seen this year. It’s available at Chanel counters nationwide, from May 31.

This week at 5pm Health & Beauty, we’re highlighting our cheapest spring beauty buys – it is the week before pay day after all. From spray tans to lashes to massage, we’ve got loads of beauty treatments for a tenner or less. Find even more on our website.

£6.50 instead of £9.50 for eyebrow threading at Savannah Day Spa Bridge Of Allan .

£7.50 instead of £15 for a full body Montana spray tan at BU Beauty.

£9 instead of £12 for Party Lashes at Wink Beautique.

£10 instead of £14.50 for a straight sleek blow dry at Glow – Hair By Debi.

£10 instead of £15 for a back, neck and shoulders massage at CK Hair & Beauty.

£10 instead of £15 for a make up application at Ashley-Jane Beauty.

Find even more beauty bargains for £10 and underat 5pm Health & Beauty.

The fragrances are fresh, fruity and what you might expect from a CK One scent. To accompany the fragrance, there is a Limited Edition makeup collection, featuring the Miss 163 designs across three products.

There’s the CK One Street Edition Powder Eyeshadow Quad in vandalized (£25) – gorgeous, bright eyes colours, the CK One Street Edition Real Nail Polish Strips in graffiti (£10) which are just brilliant for fun nails, and the CK One Street Edition Shine Lipstick in tagged, painted, punked and sketched.

The new CK One Shine Lipstick (£13) launched last month, in twelve shades. The format is a mix of lipgloss, lip balm and lipstick, all in one. They give high shine colour, and care for your lips, adding to the ever-growing list of ‘lipstick hybrid’ products that are so popular just now.

Ck One Shock Street Edition for her and for him and CK One makeup is available at Debenhams stores, and debenhams.com.

The Petal Shimmer is a very pale, peachy pink, perfect for spring. Candy Shimmer is a deeper, bolder pink, for summer nights, and Rosewood Shimmer is a very wearable deeper nude, beige-pink shade.

The Instant Light Perfectors are lovely, offering just a subtle hint of colour, or you can use them over your favourite lipstick, for a glossy look. The ’3D Radiance’ pigment optically smoothes lips to create a natural gloss finish, whilst the extracts of shea butter and mango soften and protect. And they have a fab sponge applicator to apply them – you can pretty much slick these on without a mirror!

Clarins Instant Light Perfector, £17, Clarins counters and clarins.co.uk

Nail polish, of course, is chemical-made. But three chemicals  in particular – formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP, or dibutyl phthalate – have been picked out as the most dangerous, and many nail varnish brands have announced they are ‘three free‘. Some are now ‘five free‘ – free of formaldehyde resin and camphor, which are also irritants. Clinique doesn’t make this claim in their press material anywhere, but the polishes do come in a box, with the ingredients on them, and they don’t seem to be listed. So, I guess you can be pretty sure that your Clinique polish won’t irritate your skin.

And, you can choose from an array of colours – that’s the new polish at the top of the picture, in a few shades. But what is that bottle of dark red, I hear you ask?

Well, that’s an old Clinique polish I found in a drawer – from around 2000.2001 perhaps?! Clinique discontinued their nail polish back then, but the trend for all things nail has seen them push this collection massively. They have 12 permanent shades, from neutrals like Call My Bluff, Fizzy – a gloriously ‘granny chic’ shade, to deep shades like Clinique favourite Black Honey, to gorgeous bold reds and pinks – Red Red Red and Really Rio are just lovely. They also have a collection of nine Limited Edition shades for summer – from a gorgeous yellow, to a fun blue, a fab green and my favourite – Strappy Sandals – a fab shimmery silver.

Clinique’s A Different Nail Enamel Nail Polish is available now at clinique.co.uk, and at all counters from end of May.

Anyway, The lovely Martine McCutcheon, who I interviewed and spent an evening with back in 1999 when I was working at the Daily Record in ‘showbiz’, has been spotted in the Windsor branch of The Body Shop buying four products – and weirdly, three of them are products I purchased on a recent visit to my branch.

Martine, if you are interested, is a fan of Coconut Body Butter (£13), Coconut Bath/ShowerGel/Cream (£4), Inflatable Bath Pillow (£13) and the new Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder (£13) – that’s the one I didn’t buy.

Not too expensive a haul, and excellent products all round. See, being frugal and grabbing beauty bargains is fun, Martine!

All products available from branches of The Body Shop and online at thebodyshop.co.uk

And here’s the video – hope you enjoy!