Surviving the festive season

Shaloam Hodge was the first naturals maker I ever met at the Brighton Open Market and it is a pleasure to give an update after we covered a range of her products earlier in the year.

She will be back on her Shaloah stall to sell lovely skincare gift sets today (Friday) and over the weekend and then back again on December 19 and 20. Nip along and have a try before you buy.

I think the Christmas gift set is good value as it saves more than £15 on buying things separately. Check it out at the market or online at www.shaloahskincare.co.uk.

The £55 box offers a little bit of personalisation, too. It includes a choice of daytime moisturisers (50ml), Green Tea and Avocado Nourishing Night Cream (50ml), a choice of facial serums (30ml), plus a choice of bath, body and massage oils (100ml). The external packing is deliberately plain, so that customers can customise the presentation.

I could try to claim that natural fanatics don't enjoy late parties, sweet indulgences, or hardcore drinking, but actually the best skincare products offer night-owls a real safety net for when life demands total participation in all the vices. Makeup can even help you get through the day, if you are nursing a tremendous hangover.

I just discovered a superb M-A-C product that helps dark under-eye circles and gives you a seasonal winter glow that is easy to graduate.

The glowy white tube hints heavily at its luminescence. It isn't a concealer as such, but more a highlighter that can go over the heaviest foundations to lend a dewy freshness when you need it the most. M-A-C Strobe cream is £10 for a travel size (which lasts for ages) or £24.50 for a larger tube.

I particularly enjoy something bright beside my hat and woollies as you can look bit papery if you are prone to a dryer face. Ditto for when you get a sniffle. Strobe cream is powered by botanicals to de-stress, moisten, freshen and boost the look of dull, flat or tired-looking skin. It achieves this with a hearty dose of green tea. The nights are long at this time of year so just touch up before you leave work and the iridescent particles will ensure that you look ready to party all over again!