Do I think you need makeup? No one does. But I believe makeup can be fun, creative and even life-enhancing

One of the loveliest things about my job has been hearing from women who, having never worn makeup before, have grown to love it through this column. It makes me happy because, while it goes without saying that I love makeup, I appreciate that for some it's a foreign language with conflicting connotations and a series of disasters in its wake (I speak as someone who wore lightning bolts on my cheeks in a misguided tribute to Aladdin Sane).

Do I think you need makeup? No one does. Do I believe makeup can be fun, creative, confidence-giving and even life-enhancing? I absolutely do and make no apologies for it.

If you want to wear makeup and feel at sea, drowning in options that are scary and bewildering, these six products are a great starting point.

I've chosen them because all look extremely natural, are easy for a novice to use and don't require loads of tools (apply with fingertips or straight from the stick). I call them Fisher-Price starter makeup. And even if you are on top of this whole beauty thing already, they are all still brilliant products that I use on myself frequently.

Lipstick Queen Medieval, £20, uk.spacenk.com
A transparent colour inspired by the ancient practice of rubbing fresh berries on the lips. I can apply this without a mirror.

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner, £17, smashbox.co.uk
The easiest eye shadow and liner in the world. Marble is near impossible to get wrong. Just draw on like a child's crayon and blend/smudge with your finger.

Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara, £16, clinique.co.uk
This in Jet Brown is the most natural-looking mascara. Defines and darkens without clumping.

Origins VitaZing SPF15 Energy-Boosting Moisturiser, £27, johnlewis.com
Looks great on most skin tones. Slather on like a normal moisturiser for a healthy tint.

Maybelline Dream Soft Blush, £6.99, boots.com
An idiot-proof blusher that's smudged on to cheeks with your finger. Sheer, light and flattering shades.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lipbalm, £5.99, burtsbees.co.uk
Instant, face-brightening, subtle lip colour that looks casual and pretty, and feels comfortable.

'For those of us over 30 who find our lipstick likes to wander off midday, liner's an instant fix'

Lipliner is suddenly back in vogue and, I must say, I'm feeling pretty smug. It never left my side during its years in the fashion wilderness, tainted by its association with Baywatch types who puffed up their pouts implausibly with contrasting brown liner and peach gloss. I kept on lining throughout because, apart from looking defined and polished, it's so useful. For those over 30 who find our lipstick likes to wander off at midday, bleeding into fine lines, blurring the mouthà la Baby Jane, liner's an instant fix.

I also use lipliner as a base for balm or gloss, giving it a subtle, longer-lasting base of colour. I line with the pencil, then use my little finger to blend it softly over the entire lips, before slicking balm over the top. (Very often, when readers ask me which lipstick I'm wearing in a photo, it's actually liner and balm.)

I recommend you start with a pinky-nude liner – it will go with far more lipsticks than you might imagine. I prefer a traditional pencil, rather than the retractable jobbies, which never seem sharp or precise enough. Apply around your natural lip line before matching lipstick, resting your pinky against your chin for stability. I keep these six in my kit at all times.

Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Brownie Pink, £15, bobbibrown.co.uk
I wear this more than any other pencil. Goes with almost any pinky-nude lip colour.

Barry M Lip Liner, £2.99, barrym.com
Brilliant pencils in wonderful bold shades. I always wear Fuchsia with hot pink lipstick.

Mac Lip Pencil in Spice, £11.50, maccosmetics.co.uk
The world's bestselling luxury lipliner, and with good reason. Matches a host of reddy-brown hues.

Lord & Berry Ultimate Lip Liner, £8, lookfantastic.com
These soft, blendable pencils are perfect with gloss or balm. I particularly love Mandarin.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Lip Pencil, £16, esteelauder.co.uk
A great soft texture and good definition. My favourites are Red and Rose.

The Body Shop Lip Line Fixer, £8, thebodyshop.co.uk
A completely colourless liner for a softer finish, or for wearing with hard-to-match lip colours.

'It's not enough to shove the word "summer" or "sun" into a fragrance's name. A summery scent must take me somewhere'

Smells that will always remind me of summer: cut grass, Hawaiian Tropic sun lotion, new flip-flops on hot pavement, warm dog's belly, Pimm's, sausages on a barbecue, Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino. The latter's blend of bergamot, orange flower, mandarin and amber instantly makes me want to bunk off work and sit in a beachside beer garden for the rest of the day.

It's quite a skill to sum up an entire season (or at least a fantasy of one) in one bottle of scent, but some perfumers manage exactly that. Juicy citrus fruits, sea-salty notes, carnal, efflorescing white blossoms, fresh coconuts, when blended expertly, give perfumes the irresistible scent of warm, sun-soaked skin.

It's not enough to shove the word "summer" or "sun" into a fragrance's name, as countless brands do every year. A truly summery scent needs to take me somewhere, transporting me from a disappointingly grey day in Brighton to an imaginary white sandy beach where I'm the kind of wavy-haired goddess who wears oversized bangles on long, tanned arms and knows how to tie a sarong without making it look like Pampers. To me, these six scents manage to squash long, hot summers into one glass bottle.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, £135, johnlewis.com
Crisp, citrussy and sunny. Especially lovely on a summer's evening. The body oil is also gorgeous and a third of the price.

Jil Sander Sun, £22.99, amazon.co.uk
A nightmare to find, but smells exactly like warm skin smothered in sun oil, without the grease and mozzies.

Clarins Sunshine Fragrance, £30, clarins.co.uk
You know how your arm smells after a day in the sun? This is like a more potent version of that.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent, £45, houseoffraser.co.uk
Somewhere between expensive suntan lotion, beach breeze and salty skin.

L'Occitane Thé Vert & Bigarade, £49, uk.loccitane.com
Green tea and bitter orange. Like a Long Island iced tea for the nose. Delicious.

Body Shop Coconut Eau de Toilette, £8.50, thebodyshop.co.uk
Nothing smells more summery. No fuss, no frills, just moist, creamy coconut.

'If I'm between meetings with an hour to kill, off I head to a pro shop to buy hairgrips by the hundreds, hot wax pots that save fortunes in salon visits, fantastic pencils…'

I was 16 the first time I entered a professional beauty store. My mission was to buy 20 pairs of false eyelashes for a Pet Shop Boys video (featuring drag queens) on which I was to be makeup assistant. I wasn't prepared for the sheer, giddy joy waiting for me behind the door of ScreenFace in London. Pretty paintbox lipstick palettes and cover-everything concealers sat on cluttered shelves next to fake blood, bruise kits and moustache wax. I must have stayed for two hours, playing with bald wigs and strange brushes I hadn't yet any idea what to do with.

More than two decades later, I'm still hooked. If I'm between meetings with an hour to kill, off I head to a pro shop or beauty salon supply store (there's one in every city) and browse the aisles, buying hairgrips by the hundreds, hot wax pots that save fortunes in salon visits, fantastic pencils and powders at a quarter the price of their department store counterparts, empty palettes to fill with your old eyeshadows – those ones begging to be prized from cracked packaging and given a new lease of life.

You don't have to be a beauty industry professional to enjoy these six retailers. You just need to love products. And if you do, I so envy you your first visit.

Mac Pro Stores

These are dotted all over the country. Great brushes, fillable shadow compacts and foundations for every skin tone.

Sally Beauty Supplies
Large beauty stores selling cheap salon supplies, a million nail polishes and excellent electrical appliances.

Guru Makeup Emporium
I am obsessed with Make Up For Ever and Guru is its exclusive UK stockist. Great website, too.

ScreenFace
My first, my last, my everything. The website is good, but a visit is bliss.

Charles Fox
A theatreland stalwart. Glitters, panstick, wigs and beards. A dream world for beauty fans and drama types.

Love-Makeup

Vast eye palettes, immovable Lip Tar lipgloss, Embryolisse moisturiser and Japonesque brushes. I spend hours browsing this site.

'Balms are very thorough, shifting all traces of makeup including waterproof mascara. I also like them because they're economical'

I've said it a million times, but cleansing is, in my opinion, the most important and transformative part of your skincare routine. Those who cleanse thoroughly, in general, have brighter, smoother, healthier-looking skin than those who use wipes (let's not go there again: they instantly raise my blood pressure) or, worse still, sleep in their makeup. What is more flexible is the type of cleanser you use. In recent years, balms (as opposed to traditional milks and creams) have become increasingly popular; it's a trend started by Eve Lom's much-celebrated cleanser.

Cleansing balms are solid or firm in the tub or tube, then liquefy when rubbed between palms and massaged on to a dry face. They're then removed, as any cleanser should be, by a hot cloth (I favour an old-fashioned terry cotton flannel). Balms are, as a rule, very thorough, shifting all traces of makeup including waterproof mascara. They're economical, last ages and cause no spillage (I know there's a lot of love for cleansing oils, but half seems to trickle through my fingers and stain my pyjamas). Balms also leave any skin but oily very comfortable.

I've tried heaps; these are my favourite six.

Aromatherapy Associates Soothing Cleansing Balm, £25.50, beautybay.com
Takes away every bit of crap and leaves skin wonderfully soft. My favourite.

Sophyto Purifying Silken Cleanser, £13, naturisimo.com
Silken is the word. Leaves all skin types clean, calm and soft. Good value.

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel,£19.50, johnlewis.com
Removes all makeup quickly without much massage, leaving skin neither tight nor coated in oil. Smells lovely.

Eve Lom Cleanser,£40, evelom.com
The original cleansing balm Some hate the medicinal smell and the mineral oil, but I've seen it work wonders.

Nutriganics Softening Cleansing Gel, £9, bodyshop.co.uk
Light enough for combination and spotty skins; comforting and soothing on sensitive types.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, £39.50, timetospa.co.uk
Expensive but long-lasting. Wonderful on drier, older skins.

'Crayons are a fast way to up the ante if you find yourself with evening plans you hadn't reckoned on. But to imply they are for use only in extremis is to sell them short'

I rely heavily on lip and eye crayons when I'm on the move, or can't be bothered with carrying around lots of makeup. They're a cinch to use, even for the clumsy, take up a tiny amount of space in your handbag (so you can allow yourself several colour options without losing too much real estate) and are a fast way to up the ante if you find yourself with evening plans you hadn't reckoned on.

But to imply crayons are for use only in extremis is to sell them short. A fat stick of colour smudged in easily with your finger gives a soft and lasting look to your makeup. I often use a crayon as eyeliner to give a flattering smoky finish, as opposed to the more defined line of a pencil. Navy, charcoal and bottle green become much more wearable in crayon form.

Satiny lip crayons are also a good way to wear a bold lip without the strong statement of a matt lipstick or the girlishness of gloss, and because of their shape they go on neatly and sharply. Handily, I find they're less prone to melting in the summer than traditionally packaged lipsticks. I adore the Nars Satin crayons pictured above. They're brilliantly bold, creamy and very satisfying in a craft-time-at-playschool kind of way. Here are my favourites.

Nars Satin Lip Pencils, £17.50, narscosmetics.co.uk
Not pencils, but very definitely crayons. I'm wearing Yu here, but I love all of the shimmer-free shades.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain, £5.99, superdrug.com
Gives a very natural and pretty look. I love Honey against a heavy, smoky eye.

Models Own Lip-Stix, £5, modelsownit.com
I am in love with this budget brand. Fat sticks of bright colour that leave a moist, comfy finish.

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner, £17, smashbox.co.uk
Yes, I quack on about these eye crayons, but they are perfection. The new shades for autumn are stunning, too.

Topshop Lip Bullet, £8, topshop.com
Not for the faint-hearted, but if you like your lip colour to stand out, Rockabilly and Joyride are fabulous.

Pixi Lid Last Shadow Pen, £12.01, pixibeauty.co.uk
Easy-to-wear eye shadows that go on as cream but set like a powder. I wear Gilded Mink and Brun Beam often.

'Flamboyant nails are a great way to give your style some quirk and edge without breaking professional dress codes or looking like mutton dressed as lamb'

I love a £5 bargain that makes me squeal more than a £200 serum or a fancy perfume that costs the earth. When Models Own's Ice Neon nail polishes arrived, all jolly and uniform like a pack of new highlighter pens, I did exactly this. They were out of the case and on my nails within minutes – all five shades, in fact. I just couldn't choose.

Yes, they're a bit daft, but this is precisely why they're so joyful. Painted nails are already a mildly ridiculous concept, if you think about it, so I say don't fight it, just revel in the fun. However dull my week is, I still smile every time I look down at my Illamasqua blue speckled nails that make my fingertips look like stolen blackbird eggs, or my Nails Inc Feathers polish that resembles whatever laid them.

Flamboyant nails are also a great way to give your style some quirk and edge without breaking professional dress codes or looking like mutton dressed as lamb. And, crucially, my picks below are easy. We're not talking nail art here – these don't come with pens, foils, glue sticks and gems; they're just lovely, feelgood polishes. Whack two coats over a basecoat, allow to dry thoroughly and finish with topcoat. These six make me happy.

Models Own Ice Neon nail colours, £5 each, or five for £20, modelsownit.com
Matt finish, dense neons that I can't keep my hands off. Irresistible.

Revlon Colorstay Nudes Nail Enamel, £7.99, boots.com
Skin-coloured nail polish, in every shade. Better than it sounds; go a bit darker than your hands.

Illamasqua speckled nail polish in Fragile, £14.50, illamasqua.com
I'm obsessed with these. Beautiful, sludgy pastel shades like Cadbury's Mini Eggs.

Nails Inc Feathers, £11, nailsinc.com
I want not to love it, but I do. Three coats make nails look as if they're covered in tiny feathers. Cute bottle, too.

Kure Bazaar polish, £14.95, selfridges.com
Non-toxic eco nail polish – 85% of natural origin – in fantastic, vibrant shades.

Rimmel London Cocktail Colour In A Flash, £3.99, superdrug.com
Iridescent, fine-glitter polishes in bright, tropical colours. Baby Bellini is my favourite.

'I have mixed feelings about timesaving products, but the speedy tricks I do use are invaluable'

I think people assume I spend hours a day putting on makeup. Understandable, given my job, but in reality far from the truth. I'm a single mother of two small boys and live 70 miles from most meetings where I need to look half-decent, so I spend many mornings in a state of extreme flap.

I have mixed feelings about "timesaving" products, since they often put speed ahead of performance. I've never used a fast-drying nail topcoat that didn't cause polish to chip within 24 hours and as for those double lip and cheek colours, they're usually great as blushers, while flat and corpse-like on the mouth. But the speedy tricks I do use are invaluable. The Aquis hair towel shaves half an hour off my morning (the microfibre fabric absorbs water faster than a regular towel), allowing me to bother with only a quarter of a blow-dry before dashing for a train (just make sure you comb wet hair upside down before wrapping for some root lift).

While that works its magic, I apply a fast base and blush, saving more discreetly applied lips and eyes (creme shadow is fastest and easiest) for the train. Then I can squeeze in a couple of Kindle chapters and a nana nap without worrying about my face.

Benefit Speed Brow, £13, feelunique.com
A brow fix gel that darkens as it shapes, so you may forgo a brow pencil or powder. Impossible to mess up.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer,£21, narscosmetics.co.uk
This has been a game-changer for me. Works as well on dark circles as blemishes. Use over tinted moisturiser, then skip the foundation.

Aquis Hair Towel, £12.55, amazon.co.uk
I cannot live without this. Wraps securely around my head after showering. By the time I've done my makeup, my hair is 70% dry.

Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Nude Look BB Cream, £28.50, houseoffraser.co.uk
I'm annoyed there's only one colour, but it has perfect moisture and SPF30. More inclusive shades now, please.

Bourjois 1 Second Nail Polish Remover,£5, thisisbeautymart.com
Naked nails are always better than chipped; this takes polish off fast and won't spill.

Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask, from £5.50, uk.lizearle.com
Mix a blob into cleanser and remove with a hot cloth for instant brightnes.

'Micellars are used backstage at fashion shows because they cause minimal stress to a model's skin'

When I get home far too late and knackered or, as my grandmother would say, "a tad fresh", I can't really face standing at the basin, hunched and wobbling slightly while I deep-cleanse my skin. I'm far more likely to take immediately to my bed and try to cheat my way through a beauty regime from there.

I absolutely loathe face wipes, which just move dirt around, so what I've long done in extremis is wipe my entire face down with a cotton wool disc and sturdy eye makeup remover (Body Shop Camomile is particularly thorough).

The new micellar cleansing lotions work on the same principle. They use tiny oil molecules suspended in water to lift away all dirt and even heavy makeup very fast and gently, with no rinsing required. They're used backstage at fashion shows, because they cause minimal stress to a model's skin during multiple makeup changes.

Micellars are everywhere right now. I don't like using them every day (they're no long-term substitute for proper cleansing with a cream and cloth), but I'm never without a bottle of liquid cleanser by the bed next to my hand cream and Kindle. Here are my favourites, for all skin types.

Vichy Normaderm Micellar Water, £10.50, boots.com
Designed for acne-prone skins. Removes oil and dirt from even blistered skin without stinging.

Clarins One-Step Cleansers(main image),£19.50, clarins.co.uk
Three cleansing waters covering all skin types. Not micellar, but they work in the same way.

Avène Eau Thermale Micellar Lotion, £12.50, boots.com
I love Avène. Paraben- and preservative-free, it is ideal for delicate skins such as those with rosacea.

La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution, £11.50, boots.com
Brilliant – removed everything, including heavy mascara, and left my skin soft and hydrated.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3-in-1 Micellar Solution, £4.99, superdrug.com
Works a treat. Removed everything fast and left my skin neither dry nor greasy.

Melvita Fresh Micellar Water, £15, naturisimo.com
Contains rose water and is soothing on normal-to-dry skins. Smells wonderful and leaves skin velvety.

'Just one little pot of concealer can make a bad-face day a great one'

Ask any woman which makeup item she can't live without and there's a good chance she'll say mascara. Much as I like a flutter myself, I've never wholly understood this. To me, everything begins and ends with good skin. The base of your makeup will have the biggest effect of all – not least because your skin occupies a larger surface area than any feature you may enhance individually.

A good base, be it foundation, tinted moisturiser, concealer or powder (there's no longer any need to cover your entire face with makeup – just a strategic application of the right product is enough for most everyday looks), can transform your face, making it clear, radiant and even.

Technological advances in base makeup have perhaps been the most dramatic in all. Nowadays, just one little pot of concealer can make a bad-face day a great one. Powders, too – those much-maligned mattifiers – are now so fine, so brimming with soothing skincare properties, so impressive in their ability to make skin polished and healthy, that I urge anyone to give them another chance. And CC (colour corrector) creams, following the path laid by BBs (blemish balms), are a revelation. This season is a particularly good vintage for bases. Here are the stars.

Revlon Nearly Naked Make-up Foundation£8.99, boots.com
The first budget foundation I've ever liked. Perfect for those who want light, natural-looking coverage.

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream SPF30, £28, clinique.co.uk
If you find BB creams drying and dull, this glowy cream gel is a game-changer.

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Compact Foundation, £32, bobbibrown.co.uk
My favourite compact foundation. Stays put all day.

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder SPF15, £38, boots.com
Wear it alone for a hint of healthy-looking coverage, or over foundation for a soft, matt finish.

Armani Fluid Sheer, £34.50, armanibeauty.co.uk
Use number 4, an egg yolk-yellow illuminator, alone or with foundation, for a glowing, candlelit look.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, £21, narscosmetics.co.uk
The best multipurpose concealer in years. Suits all skins; never looks thick or cakey.

'There's something satisfyingly infantile about smearing colour on your cheeks with an oversized bingo marker'

Few makeup items are as much fun as a blusher stick. There's something satisfyingly infantile about smearing colour on your cheeks with what is essentially an oversized bingo marker. It gives a pretty glow that looks more carefree than powder blush, a little less "done". It's my default cheek colour for weekends, when I want to look nice but not like some lunatic alpha mum made up to the nines for the climbing wall. Application is kids' stuff, too.

Many women avoid cream blusher because they think it'll cause spots, but this doesn't happen much. What is more likely is that it fades fast, making mid-day reapplication necessary. There are ways around this. I ignore accepted wisdom that cream blush goes under powder. Instead, I put on face powder first to give a matt, non-slippery base – it helps grip the colour and means the finished blush looks dewy, not dulled down through a gauze. Then I take my stick and dab directly on to the apples (the fat bits) of the cheeks. The round tip is your friend here, because all you need do then is blur the edge of the circle with your middle finger, feathering it outwards.

There are heaps of blusher sticks out for summer. Here are my favourite six.

Benefit Fine-One-One Sheer Brightening Colour for Cheeks & Lips, £23.50, benefit cosmetics.co.uk
I didn't expect to like this, but it's very pretty on. Perfect, peachy-pink colour.

Topshop Edit Blush Stick, £10, selfridges.com
The pink gives you a slightly rude, post-coital glow. Orange looks extremely cool with a tan or on black skins.

Revlon Baby Stick, £6.99, boots.com
A cute, fat stick of creamy, subtle colour. I like Tahitian, a candy-floss pink for a very casual perkiness.

Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tint, £18, bobbibrown.co.uk
Sunlit Nude and Nude Beach give black skins a gorgeous depth. Summer Pink is for all skin colours; Sheer Pink for pales.

Wild About Beauty Ultra Dewy Crème Blush in Fifi, £17, houseoffraser.co.uk
Lovely, moist finish. The subtle colour makes everyone look better.

Tarte Cheek Stain, $30, eBay and US websites.
I hesitate to recommend something that has to be sent from abroad, but I've been using this for years and it's perfection.

'The point is to sweep away dead cells that exacerbate fine dry lines and blocked pores, leaving skin brighter and smoother'

Iam on record as saying toners – those perfumed waters peddled as the "essential" step two in a skincare regime – are pretty pointless. I stand by it. Proper cleansing with a facecloth leaves no dirt, make-up or cleanser, and leaves skin ready for serum and moisture. I don't buy that classic toners close pores or do anything much except feel and smell nice – and if you enjoy using them, please continue (I'm the last to argue that all cosmetics must be useful to be desirable). But throwing a spanner in the works are liquid exfoliants, which look like toners but bring a great deal more to the party. They're applied in the same way – on a cotton wool disc, swept across the face – but contain exfoliating ingredients such as AHAs (glycolic and lactic acids; for most skins except very sensitive) and BHAs (such as salicylic acid; better on spotty, oily and sensitive types).

The point of a liquid exfoliant is to sweep away dead cells that exacerbate fine dry lines and blocked pores, leaving skin brighter and smoother, but it's important not to overdo it. If you use a washcloth daily, use the exfoliant once or twice a week max. And don't leave home without proper sun protection as your skin will be more susceptible to sun damage. These are the best.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner(main image), £25, clarins.co.uk
Feels soft and comfortable, and causes not so much as a tingle on my dry, dehydrated skin.

Ren Clarifying Toning Lotion, £18, renskincare.com
Works on oily, spotty skin without reddeninng or stinging.

Burt's Bees Anti-Blemish Solutions Clarifying Toner, £9.99, burtsbees.co.uk
Acts like a more expensive exfoliant on spotty, mildly tricky skin.

Suki Concentrated Balancing Toner, £29.75, naturisimo.com
A very effective but gentle liquid exfoliant for spotty and oily skins, or those with eczema and rosacea.

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Toning Lotion/Refiner, £22, esteelauder.co.uk
A new liquid exfoliant to suit all. Leaves skin flake-free but moist.

Aveda Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant, £17, aveda.co.uk
An oldie but a goodie, this leaves my skin visibly brighter and perkier. Great before a night out.

'I can tell you with all sincerity that sunblocks have changed and it's high time you got involved'

I have worn a different sunblock on my face every day for the past five weeks, so you don't have to. Last time I did this, two years ago, my skin emerged well protected, unfreckled, unburnt and looking like crap – greasy, spotty, stinging, often peeling with tiny balls of product as the sunblock reacted against my makeup. (Beauty brands, please deal with this. It makes me want to attack my bathroom cabinet with a claw hammer.) It's little wonder practically no one I know bothers with facial sunblock, however much I shout at them and throw free suncare their way.

More than a month into testing, however, I can tell you with all sincerity that sunblocks have changed considerably, and it's high time you got involved. In 2013 they are finer, smoother, gentler and more like a skincare treat than unpleasant medicine. Broad-spectrum sunscreens (protecting against both UVB and UVA) stop you looking like an overcooked idiot Brit abroad and help protect against lethal skin cancers. Any excuses for not wearing one are lame, outmoded and the beauty equivalent of some pillock refusing to wear a condom because "it doesn't feel the same". Enough now. I've already done the hard work. You just need to buy one and wear it. These six are brilliant.

Estée Lauder DayWear UV Base SPF50, £33, esteelauder.co.uk
Another hit for the DayWear range: non-clogging, sheer, smells delicious, works a treat.

Cane & Austin Protect SPF50 Ultra Sheer, £32, uk.spacenk.com
Find sunblocks heavy/greasy? This is light but moist and goes under makeup like a dream.

Astalift Day Protector SPF35, £39, boots.com
An excellent matt, very light cream with hyaluronic acid to retain water on dehydrated skin.

Simple Sun Sensitive Protecting Facial Lotion SPF50, £10.99, boots.com
A rich yet oil-free sunblock that is gentle on sensitive types and eczema sufferers.

Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream Plus SPF50, £32, feelunique.com
Non-greasy, moist, lets you skip the daycream.

SunSense Daily Face Sunscreen SPF50, £18.50, johnlewis.com
Oil-free, with a light, glow-giving tint. I have never known a disappointed user.

'It's important to treat the eye area (it's usually the first to wrinkle)'

I am asked for eye cream recommendations more than anything else, yet I am somewhat reluctant to endorse them wholesale. I think marketing and beauty advertising has caused people to place undue expectation on eye treatments as some magical cure to skin ageing, and while I certainly agree it's important to treat the eye area (it's usually the first to wrinkle), I don't always think we need a dedicated product to do it.

I'm not convinced that eye cream is anything more than a tiny pot of anti-ageing moisturiser (which I like, by the way), and I don't think all skins need the extra product and considerable financial outlay. If you have dry skin and have no reaction (eye-watering, puffiness) to putting your regular serum and day cream all around the eyes, then do that.

If your eyes are sensitive or your skin is on the oily side, then an eye cream will generally offer a lighter feel and no sun protection, which can aggravate. Whatever you choose, apply after cleanser and serum with your ring finger (it's the weakest), working from your lower outer eye clockwise for your right eye and anti-clockwise for your left, to cause minimal drag. Here are six eye creams I rate.

Prevage Eye Ultra Protection Anti-Aging Moisturiser SPF15 (main image), £76.50, johnlewis.com
Offers UV protection and feels velvety and smooth. I love it.

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream, £24.50, benefitcosmetics.co.uk
A great first eye cream for young skins. Stays moist and makes skin look a lot brighter.

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, £33, kiehls.co.uk
Excellent on very dry, flaky or sensitive skins. Gentle tightening effect from a rich, cosseting cream.

Zelens Triple-Action Advanced Eye Cream, £75, thisisbeautymart.com
I know skin experts who say this is the best anti-ageing eye cream. I agree it's one of them.

Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler Eye Cream, £21.96, boots.com
Keeps skin hydrated and moist all day with no mascara smudge. Fills in wrinkles temporarily.

Sunday Riley Start Over Eye Cream, £65, uk.spacenk.com
I adore the whole range, but this is the star turn, giving depuffed skin and a reduction in fine lines.

'I wear it practically every day; it makes skin look lit from within'

I've known the word bronzer make women recoil in horror. We associate it with Towie-style Ronseal body dips, faces artificially chiselled with bright orange sparkly stripes. But it may surprise you to know that my pale face is rarely without it. I use it for colour, depth and light, not tanning (an impossible dream, frankly). Aerin Pretty Bronze powder is my favourite bronzer in years. I wear it practically every day and the Level One shade is the most flattering pale girl's blusher I've come across. It's not orange and unnatural, not brown and muddy – just a perfectly glowing pale tan with the subtlest golden fleck that makes skin look lit from within. Level Two has the same lovely effect on Asian skins.

But bronzer is certainly not only for darkening skin. I love a golden bronzer on black skin. It imparts a glow and light that gives a beautiful finish against the darkness, highlighting tones that are already there. For this, I use the Body Shop's bronzing pearls. They add a gorgeous light that looks healthy and pretty (in general, black skins absorb more light and can be more susceptible to dullness). Here are my other favourites. All should be stroked on after base along the temples, cheekbones and jaw with a fat, natural-bristled brush.

Aerin Pretty Bronze Illuminating Powder, £34, esteelauder.co.uk
Level One gives just enough glow to pale white skin. Use Level Two on Asian tones.

The Body Shop Brush-on Bronze, £14, thebodyshop.co.uk
Pearls of different golden-brown tones that look beautiful against black skins. 

L'Oréal Glam Bronze Duo Powder, £10.20, boots.com
Two lovely shades of bronzer, to be used separately or swirled together with a brush.

Sleek Luminous Pressed Powder, £6.99, superdrug.com
If you have sparkle-fear, try this. Quality at a bargain price. Go two shades lighter than your skin.

Nars Bronzing Powder, £26, narscosmetics.co.uk
Casino is great for contouring Caribbean skins. Laguna is good on olive tones.

Diego Dalla Palma Sunset Bronzer, £23, marksand spencer.com
Four colours that add contour and depth to most skin tones.

Do I think you need makeup? No one does. But I believe makeup can be fun, creative and even life-enhancing

One of the loveliest things about my job has been hearing from women who, having never worn makeup before, have grown to love it through this column. It makes me happy because, while it goes without saying that I love makeup, I appreciate that for some it's a foreign language with conflicting connotations and a series of disasters in its wake (I speak as someone who wore lightning bolts on my cheeks in a misguided tribute to Aladdin Sane).

Do I think you need makeup? No one does. Do I believe makeup can be fun, creative, confidence-giving and even life-enhancing? I absolutely do and make no apologies for it.

If you want to wear makeup and feel at sea, drowning in options that are scary and bewildering, these six products are a great starting point.

I've chosen them because all look extremely natural, are easy for a novice to use and don't require loads of tools (apply with fingertips or straight from the stick). I call them Fisher-Price starter makeup. And even if you are on top of this whole beauty thing already, they are all still brilliant products that I use on myself frequently.

Lipstick Queen Medieval, £20, uk.spacenk.com
A transparent colour inspired by the ancient practice of rubbing fresh berries on the lips. I can apply this without a mirror.

Smashbox Waterproof Shadow Liner, £17, smashbox.co.uk
The easiest eye shadow and liner in the world. Marble is near impossible to get wrong. Just draw on like a child's crayon and blend/smudge with your finger.

Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara, £16, clinique.co.uk
This in Jet Brown is the most natural-looking mascara. Defines and darkens without clumping.

Origins VitaZing SPF15 Energy-Boosting Moisturiser, £27, johnlewis.com
Looks great on most skin tones. Slather on like a normal moisturiser for a healthy tint.

Maybelline Dream Soft Blush, £6.99, boots.com
An idiot-proof blusher that's smudged on to cheeks with your finger. Sheer, light and flattering shades.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lipbalm, £5.99, burtsbees.co.uk
Instant, face-brightening, subtle lip colour that looks casual and pretty, and feels comfortable.

'For those of us over 30 who find our lipstick likes to wander off midday, liner's an instant fix'

Lipliner is suddenly back in vogue and, I must say, I'm feeling pretty smug. It never left my side during its years in the fashion wilderness, tainted by its association with Baywatch types who puffed up their pouts implausibly with contrasting brown liner and peach gloss. I kept on lining throughout because, apart from looking defined and polished, it's so useful. For those over 30 who find our lipstick likes to wander off at midday, bleeding into fine lines, blurring the mouthà la Baby Jane, liner's an instant fix.

I also use lipliner as a base for balm or gloss, giving it a subtle, longer-lasting base of colour. I line with the pencil, then use my little finger to blend it softly over the entire lips, before slicking balm over the top. (Very often, when readers ask me which lipstick I'm wearing in a photo, it's actually liner and balm.)

I recommend you start with a pinky-nude liner – it will go with far more lipsticks than you might imagine. I prefer a traditional pencil, rather than the retractable jobbies, which never seem sharp or precise enough. Apply around your natural lip line before matching lipstick, resting your pinky against your chin for stability. I keep these six in my kit at all times.

Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Brownie Pink, £15, bobbibrown.co.uk
I wear this more than any other pencil. Goes with almost any pinky-nude lip colour.

Barry M Lip Liner, £2.99, barrym.com
Brilliant pencils in wonderful bold shades. I always wear Fuchsia with hot pink lipstick.

Mac Lip Pencil in Spice, £11.50, maccosmetics.co.uk
The world's bestselling luxury lipliner, and with good reason. Matches a host of reddy-brown hues.

Lord & Berry Ultimate Lip Liner, £8, lookfantastic.com
These soft, blendable pencils are perfect with gloss or balm. I particularly love Mandarin.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Lip Pencil, £16, esteelauder.co.uk
A great soft texture and good definition. My favourites are Red and Rose.

The Body Shop Lip Line Fixer, £8, thebodyshop.co.uk
A completely colourless liner for a softer finish, or for wearing with hard-to-match lip colours.

'It's not enough to shove the word "summer" or "sun" into a fragrance's name. A summery scent must take me somewhere'

Smells that will always remind me of summer: cut grass, Hawaiian Tropic sun lotion, new flip-flops on hot pavement, warm dog's belly, Pimm's, sausages on a barbecue, Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino. The latter's blend of bergamot, orange flower, mandarin and amber instantly makes me want to bunk off work and sit in a beachside beer garden for the rest of the day.

It's quite a skill to sum up an entire season (or at least a fantasy of one) in one bottle of scent, but some perfumers manage exactly that. Juicy citrus fruits, sea-salty notes, carnal, efflorescing white blossoms, fresh coconuts, when blended expertly, give perfumes the irresistible scent of warm, sun-soaked skin.

It's not enough to shove the word "summer" or "sun" into a fragrance's name, as countless brands do every year. A truly summery scent needs to take me somewhere, transporting me from a disappointingly grey day in Brighton to an imaginary white sandy beach where I'm the kind of wavy-haired goddess who wears oversized bangles on long, tanned arms and knows how to tie a sarong without making it look like Pampers. To me, these six scents manage to squash long, hot summers into one glass bottle.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, £135, johnlewis.com
Crisp, citrussy and sunny. Especially lovely on a summer's evening. The body oil is also gorgeous and a third of the price.

Jil Sander Sun, £22.99, amazon.co.uk
A nightmare to find, but smells exactly like warm skin smothered in sun oil, without the grease and mozzies.

Clarins Sunshine Fragrance, £30, clarins.co.uk
You know how your arm smells after a day in the sun? This is like a more potent version of that.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent, £45, houseoffraser.co.uk
Somewhere between expensive suntan lotion, beach breeze and salty skin.

L'Occitane Thé Vert & Bigarade, £49, uk.loccitane.com
Green tea and bitter orange. Like a Long Island iced tea for the nose. Delicious.

Body Shop Coconut Eau de Toilette, £8.50, thebodyshop.co.uk
Nothing smells more summery. No fuss, no frills, just moist, creamy coconut.

'If I'm between meetings with an hour to kill, off I head to a pro shop to buy hairgrips by the hundreds, hot wax pots that save fortunes in salon visits, fantastic pencils…'

I was 16 the first time I entered a professional beauty store. My mission was to buy 20 pairs of false eyelashes for a Pet Shop Boys video (featuring drag queens) on which I was to be makeup assistant. I wasn't prepared for the sheer, giddy joy waiting for me behind the door of ScreenFace in London. Pretty paintbox lipstick palettes and cover-everything concealers sat on cluttered shelves next to fake blood, bruise kits and moustache wax. I must have stayed for two hours, playing with bald wigs and strange brushes I hadn't yet any idea what to do with.

More than two decades later, I'm still hooked. If I'm between meetings with an hour to kill, off I head to a pro shop or beauty salon supply store (there's one in every city) and browse the aisles, buying hairgrips by the hundreds, hot wax pots that save fortunes in salon visits, fantastic pencils and powders at a quarter the price of their department store counterparts, empty palettes to fill with your old eyeshadows – those ones begging to be prized from cracked packaging and given a new lease of life.

You don't have to be a beauty industry professional to enjoy these six retailers. You just need to love products. And if you do, I so envy you your first visit.

Mac Pro Stores

These are dotted all over the country. Great brushes, fillable shadow compacts and foundations for every skin tone.

Sally Beauty Supplies
Large beauty stores selling cheap salon supplies, a million nail polishes and excellent electrical appliances.

Guru Makeup Emporium
I am obsessed with Make Up For Ever and Guru is its exclusive UK stockist. Great website, too.

ScreenFace
My first, my last, my everything. The website is good, but a visit is bliss.

Charles Fox
A theatreland stalwart. Glitters, panstick, wigs and beards. A dream world for beauty fans and drama types.

Love-Makeup

Vast eye palettes, immovable Lip Tar lipgloss, Embryolisse moisturiser and Japonesque brushes. I spend hours browsing this site.

'Balms are very thorough, shifting all traces of makeup including waterproof mascara. I also like them because they're economical'

I've said it a million times, but cleansing is, in my opinion, the most important and transformative part of your skincare routine. Those who cleanse thoroughly, in general, have brighter, smoother, healthier-looking skin than those who use wipes (let's not go there again: they instantly raise my blood pressure) or, worse still, sleep in their makeup. What is more flexible is the type of cleanser you use. In recent years, balms (as opposed to traditional milks and creams) have become increasingly popular; it's a trend started by Eve Lom's much-celebrated cleanser.

Cleansing balms are solid or firm in the tub or tube, then liquefy when rubbed between palms and massaged on to a dry face. They're then removed, as any cleanser should be, by a hot cloth (I favour an old-fashioned terry cotton flannel). Balms are, as a rule, very thorough, shifting all traces of makeup including waterproof mascara. They're economical, last ages and cause no spillage (I know there's a lot of love for cleansing oils, but half seems to trickle through my fingers and stain my pyjamas). Balms also leave any skin but oily very comfortable.

I've tried heaps; these are my favourite six.

Aromatherapy Associates Soothing Cleansing Balm, £25.50, beautybay.com
Takes away every bit of crap and leaves skin wonderfully soft. My favourite.

Sophyto Purifying Silken Cleanser, £13, naturisimo.com
Silken is the word. Leaves all skin types clean, calm and soft. Good value.

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel,£19.50, johnlewis.com
Removes all makeup quickly without much massage, leaving skin neither tight nor coated in oil. Smells lovely.

Eve Lom Cleanser,£40, evelom.com
The original cleansing balm Some hate the medicinal smell and the mineral oil, but I've seen it work wonders.

Nutriganics Softening Cleansing Gel, £9, bodyshop.co.uk
Light enough for combination and spotty skins; comforting and soothing on sensitive types.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, £39.50, timetospa.co.uk
Expensive but long-lasting. Wonderful on drier, older skins.