The Hour

The dark mornings and nights and cold, wintry weather can really take a toll on our appearance at this time of year, but not to worry as beauty expert Julie Hannah has a few tricks up her sleeve to help us all out.

With just a few clever aids from the makeup world, we can all be glowing beauties within a matter of minutes – and there’s no need to spend a fortune, as Julie explained.

“Some of these things will make your look beautiful and feel great as well, just little treats that you can afford to stick in your makeup bag and make you feel good.”

First up Julie selected her favourite products which are a steal at under £5, proving you don’t need to break the bank to look good.

Eye roll-ons that help reduce dark circles and puffiness around the delicate eye area are big business just now, and Julie has managed to track one down that’s a steal at just £3.55 from Aldi.

Lacura Eye Roll-on contains both caffeine and vitamin B5, and it’s the perfect size to pop in your handbag, so it’s great for people have early mornings or late nights regularly.

Julie’s other selection in the under £5 category is the Goodbye Yellow nailpolish from the Barbara Daly range at Tesco supermarkets.

This clever solution helps to minimise the discolouration of nails that happens after wearing dark polishes. “This looks like just a clear nailpolish, but what is special about this is that it eliminates any hint of yellow in your nails,” the beauty expert explained.

Next on the list were Julie’s mid-range beauty selections, and her first product of choice was a clever little mascara which is exclusively for use on fine bottom eyelashes.

They’re very, very fine lashes, so you need something a lot less thick than your normal mascara. This brush is so small it gets into all the corners,” Julie explained. Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara costs £10 from department stores, and will be in shops from February 1 2011.

Julie’s second mid-range wonder is an instant fake tan, 24ct Silken Shimmer, £17 from House of Fraser. This clever new tan brand gives colour in an instant – perfect for last minute dates or nights out with the girls, turning you from pasty to golden goddess in minutes.

Next up on Julie’s must-have list is a wonder product that actually helps grow eyebrows back – perfect for anyone who has bald patches on their brows after getting a bit overenthusiastic with the tweezers!

Browlicious costs £19 from www.thepowderlounge.co.uk and can be put on either during the day or used as an overnight treatment, helping give the big brow-look that’s so hot this season.

The final products on Julie’s shopping list were her top-range wonders. Anyone who has started to notice lines and wrinkles around their eyes will no doubt love Transformulas EyeLifting Gel (£25.50 from Amazon) which actually freezes the area, helping to give a more youthful appearance.

“If you’re worried about any wrinkles or lines around your eye this is the next step before surgery,” Julie said. “It’s definitely worth a try. Victoria Beckham loves this one and Melinda Messenger’s been using it as well.”

Finally Julie’s last item is Airbase foundation, £29.95 from www.airbasemakeup.com. This clever foundation is made with silicone and is different from most formulas which tend to be water-based.

A little bottle of this magic makeup lasts from four to six months, and gives great coverage on the face, so it's perfect for any TV stars who appear on High Definition (HD) channels – making it a makeup artist favourite.

The silicone formula makes this foundation ideal for use during the cold weather as it actually warms to the skin, and it’s really long lasting, securing Airbase as a avourite with stars such as Holly Willoughby.

KEEP YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL:

• Body potions and lotions to keep you moisturised
• More of Julie's advice on looking good from New Year New You