Germaine de Capuccini

Application: The water, added to a cotton pad, does a thorough job of removing make-up, while not being too harsh or stinging round the eyes (it's ophthalmologist-tested, which is reassuring). The water does act as a toner as well, so you can use this product, then apply moisturiser.

What's in it? Olives and wheat protein.

Effect: It's amazing how much make-up it takes off in one go! I had to look twice at the cotton pad! I also found the water gentle, and it has a very pleasant smell -- floral rather than clinical.

Verdict: Overall, a fab addition to any make-up shelf. And it looks elegantly good on it, too!

Application: This Germaine de Capuccini scrub is chocolate brown (funnily enough) and the texture feels like a cool mousse with large, coarse flakes. It felt strange applying brown gunk to my body -- I felt like I was turning into a choc-chip ice-cream! I enjoyed a good exfoliation with some vigorous rubbing, even though the packaging advises applying with a gentle massage.

What's in it? Cocoa powder.

Effect: It really took some sluicing to get the flakes off completely, but it was worth it. Afterwards, my skin felt cleansed and softened, with a faint cocoa butter aroma.

Verdict: A fun, indulgent scrub, but watch out, it's a messy product!

Application: : I used this Germaine de Capuccini cream every morning and evening for three weeks. It felt great on my skin, went on really nicely and was absorbed quite quickly, too.

Effect: This cream did have a moisturising and firming effect on my dry skin, and perhaps if I'd used it in conjunction with other products in this range I may have seen more of a "volumising" effect.

Verdict: A gorgeous daily treat for dry skin.

Application: This is a smooth white cream with well-defined granules in it. The creamy part soothes the skin and the granules do the job of exfoliating. This product goes a long way -- even though I only used a little, I had enough to go on my hands where it helped fade the brown age spots.

Effect: Usually I find scrubs to be either so fine they don't seem to make a difference or so coarse that they are uncomfortable to use. This scrub worked wonders on the areas of congestion on my chin and on the blocked milia on my forehead.

Verdict: An effective, good value exfoliator.