Beauty Myths debunked: Everyone CAN wear red lipstick

The Truth: Every girl can, and should, wear a red lipstick. It’s all about getting the right shade.

Red is never going to be a ‘natural’ look, but it's one that chosen carefully we can all wear, plus it's perfect for the Christmas season.

The important thing to consider (as with choosing any lip color), is how natural or contrasting it will be with your skin tone.

If your skin is a cool tone and you’re quite pale, you’re lucky in that you’ll be able to wear most shades of red. True red will compliment the rose tones in your skin and cool, pink-reds and berry-red shades will work well too. However, steer clear of warm reds such as orangey or tomato-red shades.

If your skin tone is darker and more golden then the exact opposite will apply. All warm reds will work, so look for shades with tomato, brick or rusty tones.

If in doubt, head to a make-up counter and experiment! And remember, Marilyn Monroe looked fabulous with red lips, but so does Jennifer Lopez.

MAC have 20% of lipstick sets until December 29th, the perfect way to experiment with colour. Try Passions of Red or Adoring Carmine. Visit your local MAC store, buy online, or see if your local department store is participating.

Bag an A-list Christmas bargain with Karin Herzog

I love Karin Herzog products, and so do celebs; Victoria Beckham, Uma Thurman, Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Aniston and Madonna are all huge fans.

This Christmas Karin Herzog are offering 3 for the price of 2 on all products (including gift sets). So get shopping now! My personal favourite is the Dynamic Duo, the only products I've tried than genuinely do reduce cellulite.

Visit for Karin Herzog website for more info and to start shopping.

Credit crunch cosmetic surgery

If you've still got the cash for cosmetic surgery, haggle and get the cost cut!

Desperate cosmetic surgery clinics are feeling the effects of the credit crunch and have started chopping their prices in a bid to attract more customers. Victoria , 29 and from London tells us:“I had gone for a consultation a couple of weeks back because I was interested in having a tummy tuck, I was quoted £5,300, I was recently called back by the clinic and they had reduced it by a whopping £1,150”.

So girls, if you've already made the decision and have got the cash, don't accept the price without a bit of negotiating. But remember, getting the best surgeon should always come ahead of getting the best deal.

Meet Fergie, buy lippy and give to charity!

Mega star Fergie will be at MAC in London's Selfridges this Thursday (11th December) to help promote the MAC Aids Fund.

Pop into the London Oxford Street branch of Selfridges between now and the 11th December and anyone buying a lipstick or lipglass from the VIVA GLAM range will receive a free pass to meet Fergie and bag themselves a signed poster.

And remember, buy anything from the VIVA GLAM range and ALL proceeds go to help people living with Aids and HIV.

Beauty Myths: Junk food is bad for your skin

We all know that a healthy diet is best for a healthy body. However there’s no evidence that chocolate, chips and junk food directly cause spots!

Spots are caused by hormonal problems and/or ducts in the skin becoming blocked by sebum and bacteria.
The best way to keep your skin clear is to stick to the basics: cleanse, tone and moisturise with good quality skin-care products twice a day.

My routine includes cleansing with Eve Lom's Cleanser twice a day, using a light but effective moisturiser (either Eve Lom's SPF 15, or Rodial's Glamotox) and attacking any spots that do break through with a Salicylic acid based treatment, for instance Dermalogica's Medibac Overnight Clearing Gel or Jan Marini's Bioclear Lotion.

I also use a face mask every three days, Balaton Spa's is wonderful.

A monthly facial will also help, I find the Karin Herzog's Pore Draw works wonders. The Karin Herzog site can help you find a salon near you.

Bliss: new Blood Orange and White Pepper range

After a search to find customer's favourite scent, Bliss have launched the Blood Orange and White pepper range.

It might sound a bit odd, but believe me this scent really works. The orange is gorgeous, like Sicilian oranges in the warm sun with a dash of spicy pepper! I love the shower gel (£16), a new addition to my morning routine. The range also includes a body butter (£23) and a sugar scrub (£28).

Bobbi Brown party collection

Bobbi Brown's new Christmas party collection hits the shops today!

As Bobbi tells us: “This collection is about having fun with makeup. It’s about high colour, high shimmer and a bit of pizzazz.”

These metallic eye shadows and gorgeous glitter lip glosses can be popped out to fit perfectly into Bobbi Brown's handy customised palettes.

Metallic Eye Shadow Collection: in Glitz. Bonfire. Indigo Nights. After Hours. Bash. Pink Chandelier - £14

Glitter Lip Gloss Collection: in Soiree Pink. Ball. Disco Pink. Martini. Velvet Rope. Rave - £13