The great thing about beauty - and I speak as someone who spent more than a decade reporting on fashion - is that you can transform yourself with the smallest amount of effort (and expenditure) and, in doing so, easily be so many different versions of yourself. I still, for instance, harbour a secret regret that I never seriously rebelled: I never dyed my hair pink, never wore coalmine levels of black around my eyes, but I can still channel that mood with just a slick of Marian Newman's Inkredible matt nail colour Black Beth (£21.53; mariannewmannails.com). Beth Ditto is the face for it, which gives you an idea of how edgy it's considered to be, and painting it on feeds the inner goth that still nestles somewhere inside me.
Then, if I come over all English eccentric, country gardener and ecofriendly Hunter-welly-wearer, I can reach for Green & Spring's products. Inspired by English gardens, the new range from Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds features British wild plants and flowers and is free from parabens, petrochemicals and the like. It includes evocative-smelling liquid soap and hand creams and a wonderfully rich exfoliating body balm (in store tomorrow; greenandspring.com).
If I feel like going back to being just me - you know, those take-me-as-I-am moods - then I simply swipe on Dior Addict Lip Glow (£19). It's a colour-reviving product, so it reacts with your lips to transform them into a boosted version of their own natural shade. It's still me, only with a bit more impact - and I've come to realise that's never a bad thing.
PULSE POINTS
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Parting shot
If there's one part of the body that gets overlooked when it comes to sun lounging, it's the head - the parting, to be exact. A burnt scalp is never a good look, and it can be painful. For those who have been caught out, help is at hand by way of the latest offering from Kérastase, an overnight restorative treatment that helps to soothe sunkissed heads, with an added shot of vitamin E to hydrate parched holiday hair. A double whammy. Kérastase Brume Nuit Après-Soleil, £20; 0800 316 4400
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Cutesy, practical and cleverly disguised as something else, the nifty matchbox containing mini nail files (choose polka dots, stripes or skull and crossbones) and the dinky jam pot of lip gloss (in cherry, raspberry, strawberry or honey) are just the thing for giving you that kid-in-a candy-store feeling. Play nicely now. Jammy Lips, £3.50, from Mad Beauty; 020 8958 0555; emery boards, £5, by Tweezerman; 0845 262 1731
THE PROFESSIONALS
I refer to your reply to Hannah a few weeks ago concerning thread veins in the nose area. Is there an equivalent concealer for men?
By e-mail
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First, don't be bound by whether a product is marketed to men or women. It will depend a little bit on your colouring, but we highly recommend Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer SPF10 (£15.66). Yes, it is officially for gals, but ignore that. It has a 15-hour stay-put guarantee, feels really light and covers everything from redness to blotches and veins. All the men we know who favour a touch of cosmetic help swear by it.
Send your beauty dilemmas to thebeholder@sunday-times.co.uk