Health: If warpaint is your weapon, this make-up guide may be a tad basic

AS someone who’s loved make-up since I was old enough to toddle into a pharmacist and play with a revolving display of lipstick testers, there’s nothing much I don’t already know about slap.

A quick glance at the new Make-up Manual produced by Colour Me Beautiful told me there wasn’t going to be anything particularly illuminating inside for a cosmetics veteran like me.

The first chapter on skincare (complete with illustrations of delighted-looking women eating fruit salad and grinning into glasses of water) elicited jaw-cracking yawns. I decided to pass the book on to my mum, a youthful sixtysomething who, to my slight frustration doesn’t share my passion for warpaint, having eschewed anything more flamboyant than a little tinted moisturiser and a slick of nude lipstick for the past couple of decades.

Like a lot of women who don’t wear much make-up, my mum isn’t confident about choosing shades that will suit her and that’s where this guide proved helpful. A chapter entitled “Identifying Your Colouring” helps the reader ascertain what palette to use to best complement skin and hair colouring and offers six different types to chose from. My blonde-haired, grey-eyed mother recognised herself in the “soft” profile, sharing traits with platinum fox Kim Cattrall. She dutifully kitted herself out with some of the suggested products (available from the company’s website) and applied them as instructed. Each colouring type has a step-by-step guide to four key looks ranging from a natural-looking “barely there” to a slightly Nineties “night glamour”.

The Colour Me Beautiful products were, I felt, slightly underpigmented. The two shadows our valiant tester had selected, Fawn and Gold Whisper (£6 each), were, for my money, lacking conviction, showing up a lot less vibrantly on the skin than expected. The brand’s lipgloss (£11), in a shade called Warm Sand, was actually very nice; a nude hue with no sparkle, just a great, lasting (as far as gloss lasts) consistency, and a really flattering rose/tan shade.

Although a good deal of the advice is quite old-fashioned (who really wants to disguise full lips and who’s going to bother trying to “enhance” their nose or chin with “clever shading”?) I would say this book would be useful for anyone intimidated by make-up. Most of the looks are extremely low-key and natural-looking and so completely safe for even the most timid rookie. This is a good common sense primer in the art of facial subterfuge, just don’t expect anything particularly up to date ... for that you’ll have to ask your daughter.

• Colour Me Beautiful Make-up Manual, £10.99, www.colourmebeautifulshop.co.uk/products/books

FAB FACTS FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

THE THICK OF IT

When it comes to haircare, we see endless products that are designed to combat frizz and aid shine. But what if your hair is thinning, perhaps because of ageing, pregnancy or over-styling? Then you need something that can plump up the follicles, like Ojon’s new Ati Rejuvenating Styling Cream. This potion contains a combination of French Polynesian Ati Oil and Ojon Oil (extracted from the nut of the American palm tree). Apply to still-damp hair, and they claim it can give any style lasting hold, as well as much needed body.

£25, www.ojon.com

... AND RELAX

Feeling tense? Then perhaps you should book a place on the free Stress Factor Workshop at Edinburgh’s Missoni Hotel (1 George IV Bridge) on Wednesday from 6pm until 8pm. It’s being held by Professor Ewan Gillan (pictured), Clinical Director of First Psychology Scotland, who will be explaining how to understand your own stress triggers, and what to do about symptoms when they occur. Each attendee will also get a free guide to take away. To book, e-mail events@ edinburghtherapy.co.uk

For more info, see www.edinburghtherapy.co.uk

REPAIR AWARE

After monitoring a group of cyclists, a recent study at Ontario’s McMaster University discovered that just ten minutes of post-pedalling massage significantly reduced their muscle inflammation, and promoted the growth of new mitochondria – the power cells that assist healing. This points to the fact that this hands-on therapy does more than simply aid relaxation, but should be an integral part of recovery when it comes to an intense fitness regime.

Fab Facts for a Beautiful Life