Fragrance is intensified by heat. Spritzing or dabbing perfume on pulse points (e.g, temples, below earlobes, the base of throat, the nape of neck) works well, because they’re the body’s circulation-stimulated hot spots. But also try spraying perfume on just-showered, slightly damp skin, as this will hold and amplify scent well. Body heat also makes scent rise, so don’t forget to spritz behind the knees.

FOR WHITER EYES: Benefit Bad Gal Blue, $36, from selected Myer stores. The same lash-thickening formula but in a deep violet-blue shade that makes eyes instantly look brighter and whiter. It works particularly well on blue eyes, making them pop gorgeously, but also gives an interesting golden tinge to brown and hazel eyes.

FOR BRIGHTER EYES: Jane Iredale Active Light Under-Eye Concealer, $58, call 1300 850 008 for more info. This concealer wand is truly magic. Mineral particles create a soft-focus effect that deflects light and attention away from dark shadows, while the super-creamy formula mean it’s a dream to blend in. And then there are the added skincare ingredients that make this more than skin-deep: Vitamin K provides extra anti-shadowing help; cucumber extract helps tighten skin; white tea offers an antioxidant boost; and, buckwheat wax works to de-puff.

FOR HEALTHIER COLOUR: Bloom Cheek Tint in Bronze and Rosie, $20 each, call (03) 94211 0200 for stockist information. A lovely cool-on-skin gel that sinks into skin seamlessly. Blend in a little for healthy-look colour, or layer up for pretty intensity.

FOR SOFTER LIPS: Yves Saint Laurent Baume Exfoliant Exfoliating Lip Balm, $45, from department stores. This creamy balm contains sugar grains and strawberry enzymes, which exfoliate lips as they melt away on massage. Adding to the deliciousness: Apricot kernel oil and macadamia oil provide great moisturisation power, mint essential oil stimulates lips and adds a breath-freshening effect, and shea butter leaves a protective film that’s an ideal lipstick primer.

You don’t need a weekly salon pedicure to get show-off-able feet. Or even a pair of designer shoes - although, yes, that would be nice. Here, your cheap-and-chic checklist for toes that look like they deserve to be living in Jimmy Choos.

Daily: Stash a foot file in the shower and exfoliate away dead skin on the soles and sides of feet every morning. Don’t scrub too hard, however - calluses are the body’s natural way of giving feet padding and protection. A little dead-skin build-up on the soles will make walking - especially in high heels - all the more comfortable.

Nightly: Keep a rich cream on your bedside table so you remember to slather it on each night. Any lotion will do - from a fancy foot cream to a basic tub of sorbolene. Also make sure to massage cream into cuticles; if any are creeping up, gently push them back into place with an orange stick. To make cream absorb and treat skin more effectively, slip on a pair of socks. (more…)

I’d follow Cameron Diaz’s lead here. She used to be the ultimate sunny blonde but now that she’s gone brunette and changed her makeup to suit so well, she’s never looked better. The thing is, with dark hair and darker skins, you need stronger makeup to keep your features defined. But that doesn’t mean you automatically reach for the browns and smokes - these can actually make you look a bit flat.

You best bet, in my opinion, is golden-toned metallics, which immediately give a richness to your look, as well as enhance that overall brunette glossy thing you’ve got going on. Cameron wears a variety of golds: from the bright yellow-gold seen here (left) to a paler rose gold when she wants to add a strong lip (right). Brunettes with olive-toned complexions can also play around with bronze and copper shadows - a great way to create a smokey eye without using the clichéd slate shadow, which can look a bit murky on darker skins. (more…)

So picture this. I’m interviewing a cosmetic surgeon. Broad noon daylight streaming in through the window, towards which I am facing and squinting. Fluoros bearing down from overhead. It’s hot. I’m sweaty. I’m not feeling so pretty right about now. We start talking about various procedures. What you can do for thin lips/baggy eyes/hollow eyes/flat cheeks/droopy jaws/furrowed foreheads/etc. We’re talking theory. Until the mirror comes out and suddenly it all gets very personal because my face has become the textbook example - of the ‘before’. As in, “when you have these saggy bits here or those baggy bits there, you can do x or y or …” Um, is it too early to start Friday night drinks yet?