Competition to come up with the hottest nail colour is building between the beauty houses: at Dior’s a/w 09 show, nails looked very Joan Crawford with their highlighted half-moons; and the jade shade at Chanel’s a/w 09 show has already had an outing on the hippest hands. MAC, Chanel and YSL have all come up with some truly chic seasonal offerings – these have just debuted. I hear your doubts, but trust me, these bold colours look great, and you will be rocking them before you know it: MAC nail polishes in Dirty Grey Lavender, Rich Blackened Brown and Khaki Olive Green by the nail artist Jin Soon Choimaccosmetics.co.uk. Chanel Noirs Obscurs Vendetta Nail Enamel. , 020-7439 3836. YSL La Lacque in Extra Purple and Stormy Grey.

THE NOVELTY Natural hair colourants

Jigami’s new colouring system is free of peroxide, alcohol, ammonia and mercury; instead of damaging hair by opening the cuticle to let pigment in, H2O Water Colour wraps around the shaft. Jigami has come up with an odourless seaweed lightener, too. Exciting developments for those worried about chemicals in hair dyes. For details

THE COMEBACK Lip pencil

I did not think I would find myself saying this for a while, but lipliner is back – new pencils have been spotted on the counters. The gloss and lip-enhancing abilities of liners are unparalleled, and the best define without emphasising lines; but you must blend well to avoid a hard outline. Prescriptives Guava, Nutmeg, Aubergine and Redwood Lipcolouring Pencils are natural enough to melt into every lip colour. each,

THE SCENT Guerlain Idylle

The new floral by Thierry Wasser, Jean-Paul Guerlain’s successor as house perfumer, does not disappoint. Opening with the scent of the Plessis Robinson rose, a note heightened with raspberry and lychee, it

BEST BUY Nubo Stimulating Moisturiser

Boasting a unique cell dynamic concept, said to recycle energy in skin by converting internal free radicals (the skin-ageing molecules) back into oxygen, this state-of-the-art treatment is a sound anti-ageing buy in a sea of wannabes. It feels and smells like a quality cream, discreetly scented, with the texture of fine silk. , at Harrods (020-7730 1234).

When a good idea comes along, particularly in the health and wellbeing field, people often pick up on its essence rather than its detail.

Take the "five a day" edict, for example. Everyone knows that it means you should eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, but most of us get a bit hazy on the detail. If you have a huge portion, does it count as two? (No.) And potatoes are a vegetable, aren't they, so do they count? (Again, no.)