I found this cool video for Dove about how our perception of beauty is not always as it seems for Dove’s Self Esteem Programme.

Or, perhaps this video actually gives hope to us all!

If you like beauty, like we like beauty, you will love Beauty Swap Shop.

Loads of beauty babes on there with hints and tips and offers and more….

It’s a brand new site but Fiona has done a great job of getting people hooked in straight away. Should turn out to be a great beauty website.

Flicking through Professional Beauty Magazine (Feb) this month I noticed an article about how much British women are now spending on cosmetics - over £1 billion in 2006 - that’s not each obviously - I wish

It’s from a recent Mintel report and goes on to say that the figure has climbed  almost 40% in the last five years thanks to "glitz and glamour making a comeback since the millennium".

MIchelle Strutton, from Mintel, goes on to say that there is an increasing alignment of face make-up and skincare products, blurring the distinction between cosmetics and a treatment product. The report also acknowledges an ageing population using anti-aging skincare products as a factor for the increase in spend on beauty products.

It follows this beauty survey article I found quoting a New Woman magazine survey late last year that states that "beauty-conscious British women" are spending a whopping £3,000 a year on beauty products and treatments, with 81 per cent of women wearing make-up every day.

Despite this massive spend, only 18 per cent of the women said they were ‘happy with their skin’,
with 44 per cent admitting that it was ‘prone to spots’, 32 per cent
said ‘it’s blotchy’, while others complained of freckles and dryness.

In the beauty survey, the woman (5000 of them with the average age of 29) were asked how make-up made them feel:

• 73 per cent said that they felt ‘sexier’
• 53 per cent were ‘more flirtatious’
• 52 per cent felt ‘healthier’.

Only ten per cent of the women said that they
actually felt they looked any younger in make-up though, which highlighted the £600 per year spent on facials, massages and anti-aging
treatments.

Get ready for the real shocker ladies. "The total cost of an adult lifetime of beauty products and treatments was calculated to be £182,528".

I don’t know about you, but I am impressed with what Coleen (Wayne Rooney’s girlfriend) has done creating a career out of nothing and today she is in the Sunday Magazine doing a style makeover for a lucky reader. Although she loves her expensive handbags, she always seem to come across as loving the high street shops, which is great for us, because it’s stuff we can actually afford.

In the style article, she shares her top ten tips for successful clothes shopping:

1. Shop For Now - It’s a gamble buying a smaller size hoping you’ll lose weight - you’ll probably waste money.
2. Don’t Bulk Buy - Lots of people go out at the start of of season and buy in bulk. Shops filter their ranges through gradually, so don’t blow all your cash at once.
3. Leave Your Man At Home - If you are shopping for yourself, go by yourself. I hardly ever shop with Wayne, he just gets bored.
4. Keep Focused - Go through your wardrobe and hit the shops with a clear idea of what you’re looking for. Know what suits you and don’t follow a trend for the sake of it.
5. Accessorize Last - Buy the dress first, then shop for accessories. Take your dress with you and match it to accessories when you find them.
6. Add Sparkle - A clutch bag is a perfect way to add sparkle to your look, and is ideal for a night out. I love Warehouse and Accessorize.
7. Instant Glamour - Chandelier earrings are great for a glam finishing touch. I have a pair of diamond studs that I leave in.
8. Try Something New - It’s important to at least try different looks. Your reflection in the mirror might surprise you.
9. Ask for help - Shop assistants can be a good sounding board. Ask them what they think and why. Find out what other customers in the changing room think too.
10. Make an investment - It’s worth splashing out on a classic handbag or designer shoes that will last for years.

Coleen has a book out at the moment - Welcome to My World - as well. May be worth a read?