ELLE's Beauty Essentials

Your day cream doesn’t need to cost the earth - just remember, keeping skin hydrated and protected throughout the day is the most important part. ELLE loves Benefit’s new Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15, £19.50 – it’s oil free and contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate and vitamin E for an antioxidant boost. If protection is your main concern, you can also try Boots No 7 Brightening Day Cream SPF 30, £19.50 - it contains Mulberry, Ginseng and Vitamin C to protect skin and also even out pigmentation. If you already love your existing face cream but it doesn’t include an SPF, layer one over the top. Crème de la Mer’s SPF 30 UV Protecting Lotion, £52, protects skin and works as a primer for your make-up.

Radiant by Benefit Skincare launches in Debenhams, Benefit Boutiques and benefitcosmetics.co.uk from 2 April. To buy Boots No 7 Brightening Day Cream, click here . Visit the Creme de la Mer website here .

At night your skin repairs itself, so what you put on your face before bedtime is crucial to enhancing that process. Clarins new Vital Light Night cream, £60.26, is a new weightless version of Vital Light Night that is currently the 9th best selling product in the UK. The lighter version suits all skin types and uses plant extracts - Cochlearia officinalis, rich in vitamin C to prevent against oxidisation that can age skin; Spergularia, to fight pigmentation and Waltheriato that stimulates collagen production. We also love Nivea’s Rich Regenerating Night Cream, £4.19, with almond oil and calendula oil to moisturise and calm, while Pro Vitamin B5 aids your skin’s regeneration process; great for night cream first timers.

Click here to visit the Clarins website...

Get Nivea’s Rich Regenerating Night Cream here...

You don’t need to spend loads on a cleanser, but it does need to get the job done. There’s no point washing your face if you don’t remove every last trace of dirt, otherwise your pores can get blocked, your moisturiser won’t work as efficiently and your complexion will become dull. If you use a wash-off cleanser (foaming, oil or milk), try using a muslin cloth for gentle exfoliation (and so you can see all the dirt coming away), Liz Earle’s iconic Cleanse & Polish, £13.25 comes with a cloth. Otherwise, use a cleansing water with cotton wool, you’ll be able to see once your face is crystal clear because there’ll be no more dirt on the pads.

Click here for ELLE’s guide to the best cleansers…

Visit Liz Earle's website...

Wipes are brilliant for taking on holiday, removing make-up after a night out or tackling last traces of stubborn eye make-up, but you shouldn’t rely on them. ELLE loves Ole Henriksen’s Truth To Go wipes, £15, they’re not cheap which will prevent you using them everyday. They’re gentle enough to use on the eye area and contain impressive skincare ingredients - vitamin C to brighten, green tea to calm and essential fatty acids to nourish.

Buy Ole Henriksen's Truth to Go wipes here...

There are so many eye creams out there, so it’s important to look for a multi-tasker that does everything. It should fight fine lines, brighten dark circles and reduce puffiness. Caudalie’s Premier Cru Eye Cream, £49, does just that, plus it works on all skin types and can be used morning and night. It’s a winner.

Buy Caudalie Premier Cru at Space NK...

When ELLE spoke to Dr Nick Lowe about his skincare line a while back we asked whether he would be including a body lotion. He replied with a resounding ‘no’, because he thinks Vaseline’s body lotions do everything you need them to and at a reasonable price.

Try Vaseline Essential Moisture Daily Body Lotion, £4.59 at Boots .