I have recently arrived at that rather depressing age when every morning you seem to notice a new grey hair or line on your face.

I have also found myself scowling at rowdy youngsters skylarking on the street and feeling the urge to adopt several litters of cats with which to live out my old age.

Up until now I have been able to get away with not using a specific eye cream (I think it’s unnecessary for younger skin) but these days I need all the help I can get.

I recently received a sample of Coast to Coast Outback Brightening Eye Cream and have been really impressed with it so far.

The cream is an anti-oxidant rich formula, made with Aussie ingredients including Kakadau plum, desert quandong, fennel and organic rose hip oil to strengthen the connective tissues around the eyes.

The formulation itself is just the right consistency for an eye cream - not too runny and not too firm (you want it soft enough to dab around the eyes, it will do you more harm than good to be rubbing a firm cream into this delicate area).

Not sure if it’s just my imagination, but I think the area around my eyes already looks a little better.

You can buy Coast to Coast Outback Brightening Eye Cream online for $32.95 or from the company’s store in Melbourne Central.

By Caroline Warnes

Napoleon Perdis is set to launch a cosmetics range inspired by a racy historical figure from the early 20th century known as the Divine Marchesa.

The original Divine Miss M, also known as the Marchesa Luisa Casati, was a favourite of the European fashion and art crowd around the turn of the century. Headstrong and beautiful, she has subsequently proved to be a muse to the likes of everyone from writer Jack Kerouac to designer John Galliano.

The Napoleon Perdis Divine Marchesa cosmetics range will arrive in several weeks and will consist of three items - Boudoir Mist Spray Foundation, Dramatic Eye Shadow Quad and Black Sapphire, which is a matte black nail polish.

Plus, if you order a Boudoir Mist Spray Foundation online now you also get a free Ravishing Rose Lip Shine.

By Caroline Warnes

The new Loreal Colour Riche Shine Gelee lip colour not only sounds like some sort of expensive dessert, it’s also actually pretty kind to your lips.

Many lipsticks and lip glosses have the unfortunate effect of drying my lips out - particularly cheaper brands - so I was somewhat skeptical of Loreal’s claims about Colour Riche Shine Gelee. Apparently it’s made with nourishing royal jelly, which is packed with essential nutrients (products with royal jelly are also great for your hair), as well as shea butter.

I came across a sample of Loreal Colour Riche Shine Gelee in one of my magazines this month, and gave it a try - definitely not as drying as many other lip colours, it does give a lovely colour and shine.

I tried the Shiny Grapefruit colour, and there are 11 others to choose from, all with similar hunger-inducing names.

Loreal Colour Riche Shine Gelee retails for $23.95 and is stocked at the usual outlets - selected pharmacies (including Priceline) and department stores.

By Caroline Warnes

I was in Priceline the other evening buying the hair dye that I SO don’t really need when a range of cosmetics called Savvy by DB caught my eye.

Not being as obsessed with cosmetics and nail polish as I am with, say, shoes, I can usually walk past a cosmetic display without feeling the need to make an impulse purchase. But these particular items had the most attractive price tag of $3 each, so I thought why not?

I purchased myself a bottle of Savvy by DB nail polish in a lovely shade of garish pink and went home to apply it immediately. This was on Thursday, it’s now Monday and I haven’t really noticed any chipping. Plus, the colour cheered me up immensely over the weekend. What better way to add colour to a dull winter weekend than walking around looking like a packet of Hubba Bubba threw up on your toes?

The Savvy by DB range has a variety of make up products, including glosses and eye shadows, and is stocked exclusively at Priceline.

By Caroline Warnes

Napoleon Perdis cosmetics and makeup don’t go on sale too often so you will happy to hear you can find discounts of up to 60% on selected products in the range during June.

The sale is available exclusively through the Napoleon Perdis website - just click on the Beauty Bargains link to see which cosmetics are included.

Delivery on orders over $50 is free plus you will also get a free Napoleon Perdis Madame Napoleon powder puff for free if you spend over $100.

Pictured here are the Satin Lips lipgloss, which are reduced to $10 down from their original price of $24.

The sale lasts until the end of the month.

By Caroline Warnes

As previously mentioned, I am on a pretty strict spending ban at present, but for Ulta3 nail polish, I think I can make an exception.

That’s because Ulta3 nail polish sells for just $2 at selected pharmacies, including Terry White Chemists. That means that for the price of just two Coke Zeros from the office vending machine, I can have myself a brand new polish.

Unlike the other el cheapo nail polish brands you pick up from pharmacies and the like, Ulta3 is actually decent and long-lasting. I bought one last week and six days later, it’s still going strong.

Call 1800 181 040 to find an Ulta3 stockist near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Sometimes those discount cards or programs you pay to be a member of can be a false economy - I’ve joined a couple in the past and then have totally forgotten to use most of the offers.

However a new program for beauty and hair services around Sydney could be worth a go - the Platinum Beauty Card will only set you back $34.95 and it’s for a good cause (the company is a fundraising partner of the National Breast Cancer Foundation).

There are some pretty good discounts on offer, too - especially if you are a regular salon-goer. I like the look of 50% off facial treatments and 20% off Dermalogica products at Ella Rouge salons, plus lots of discounts at hair salons, sorted by suburb.

Members will also get invites to VIP beauty events as well as the card’s launch party.

If you’re a busy person and tend to neglect yourself, this could be great motivation to treat yourself once in a while. Personally, I think I will buy one because I don’t think I spend nearly enough time talking or thinking about myself at the moment.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’re into everything artsy and craftsy and like your purchases to be handmade and unique, then no doubt you’ve already discovered the wonder of Etsy.

Basically, Etsy is a worldwide online marketplace where anyone with a creative bent can go and sell their creations to everyone else. That covers pretty much anything you can make with your hands - jewellery is always popular, as well as homewares and furnishings, cosmetics, soaps, clothes, skin care products… the list goes on and on.

This is really the place to pick up a bargain buy. I am quite taken with the Art Deco Fork Bracelet, which, as the name suggests has been created from a refashioned fork from the 1930s.

If you can stand the thought of having an eating utensil wrapped around your wrist, it would make a unique statement piece for only US$15 (that’s around $20 locally).

One handy tip to save on shipping fees is to search for products posted by Australians only - many locals only charge a couple of dollars for delivery in Australia and you’ll get your purchase much quicker than buying from overseas. Shipping on the fork bracelet is only $5 as it’s coming from Byron Bay.

By Caroline Warnes

I was at the gym one evening last week when I noticed something that alarmed me: a couple of girls sporting faces full of make up.

Now I hate to judge other people (actually that’s a lie, I love it and do it all the time), but this strikes me as particularly odd.

I usually frequent the gym in the morning and you rarely see this at 6am because let’s face it, most people would consider themselves to be doing well merely to be awake at this time, let alone perfectly made up.

But in the evening gym bunnies apparently don’t hold back, with many of them looking like they were recently hit in the face by Homer Simpson’s make up gun on the Christina Aguilera setting.

The pores on my face were feeling blocked just looking at them. The combination of sweat and make up cannot be a good thing for the skin on your face. In fact, I would go out of my way to REMOVE my make up before hitting the gym. If only for the health of your skin. (You can get a decent Neutrogena cleanser for $2 from Chemist Warehouse at the moment.)

Am I the only one who doesn’t go to the gym to be in a fashion parade? Or to get scouted for the cover of Italian Vogue? Make up at the gym is just pure tomfoolery.

Photo from Afrobella

By Caroline Warnes

Despite big-noting myself for the last two years about no longer needing shampoo and conditioner, I have to confess that in recent times I have been considering reverting.

I am sick of the looks of pity and disgust that cross people’s faces when I reveal my hair is au naturel, and when it comes to demanding people smell or touch your hair - forget about it, most people won’t do it, and if they do they act like they’re in a petting zoo or humouring a sideshow freak. What’s up with that?

I’ve heard some good things about Nature’s Organics, a local manufacturer of skincare, haircare and bodycare products that don’t cost the earth (in more ways than one).

The company is committed to making products that help the environment rather than hinder it - sustainable solutions and all that hoo-ha.

And this stuff is dirt cheap. I mean it’s literally the cheapest stuff on the shelf at my local supermarket. I already use the vanilla berry body wash, which was around $3. The shampoo and conditioner is also around the same price and comes in some droolworthy flavours such as wild berry and peach delight.

My next purchase for the shower will be the creme brulee shower milk, pictured here.

By Caroline Warnes