Dr Hauschka

Application: This is a well presented cleansing milk with what I would call a perfect texture, it cleans your skin beautifully and gently, and leaves you feeling moisturised already before you put on your moisturiser.

What's in it?: Kidney vetch extract, jojoba, sweet almond and apricot kernel oil, bentonite clay.

Effect: I'm not quite ready to stop using my night cream yet (Dr Hauschka recommend letting you skin breathe, au naturel, at night). But if, and that's just if, I should be persuaded to go to bed unmoisturised, this is definitely the cleanser I would use beforehand.

Verdict: I was curious enough to go and buy a tester kit of all their regular skin care products, and I will definitely get the toner and the Quince day cream as they are lovely too.

Application: When the cream first comes out of the tube it is almost solid - it needs a little gentle warming between the fingers to soften it and make it easy to apply. Once on, it took a good ten minutes or so to be fully absorbed by the skin, so not ideal if you have a brisk morning routine and need to apply make-up tout suite.

What's in it?: Peanut oil, beeswax, St Johns wort, shea butter, rose petal extract, rosehip extract.

Effect: After a few weeks, my skin looked great - plumped up, glowing and healthy. I started to enjoy the little ritual of warming the cream in my hand every morning.

Verdict: I'm going to carry on using this as it agrees with my skin so well.

Application: The cream is putty coloured with quite a runny consistency. As you apply it to skin it seems to firm up a little and become more viscous, but it's not sticky or greasy - a big plus. It has a light, rose scent.

What's in it?: Sesame seed oil, rose flower water, rose extract, kidney vetch extract, apricot kernel oil, wheat germ oil, rosehip extract.

Effect: This moisturiser grew on me during the test period and I have now incorporated it into my beauty regime (in so far as I have one) as its texture makes a good base for make up too.

Verdict: A good product for keeping normal to dry skin hydrated.

Application: The toner comes in a glass spray bottle, which delivers a fine mist onto your face. If you don't fancy being left with a wet face for a while, spritz onto cotton wool instead.

What's in it?: Kidney vetch extract, witch hazel.

 Effect: It has a light, fresh fragrance and does feel like it might be doing something. Astringent witch hazel is good at leaving skin feeling fresh, and calming redness.

Verdict: This product does feel quite effective, as toners go.

Application: Smooth this oil on your body and you will feel pampered and moisturised. Waft around in a cloud of subtle rose-scented happiness for hours afterwards.

What's in it?: Oils of sunflower, jojoba, rose.

Effect: This oil absorbed easily and left my skin silky-smooth and lightly fragranced. I ran out of hair serum and starting using this oil as a substitute: it worked brilliantly.

Verdict: Great. Three cheers for multi-tasking beauty products!