Take a look at our brand-new celebrity beauty range

Hi beauty fans, Alison here,

Always on the look out for something new and different in the beauty world? Well, you'll be excited to hear that we're launching another new beauty range Psy Derma and this time it's from celebrity and huge beauty buff Linda Papadopoulos.

Check out the interview in QGossip here.

On perspiration-proof make-up techniques...

I am 67 yrs old and all my life my face has got very hot in the summer months and literally any make up I put on pours off. I use Liz Earle light moisturiser during the day and Clientele night cream at night. When I go out I put Bare Escentuals on but if I get anxious or hot, I can feel the perspiration rising and I have to get out as it is very embarrassing. Can you suggest what I should perhaps use - it does seem to have got worse the older I get.

Alison: To control perspiration on the skin, which is a common problem, you're best off using gel-textured or oil-free products. This is because sometimes when you put on luxurious rich cream-based products, they seem to go into the skin but then you perspire and sweat them back out, leaving yout skin feeling slimy. The best option for you then is to keep rich cream or oily products for a night time routine so that your skin can really benefit from them.

During the day, don't put anything heavy into the skin. What you should be applying are cooling, gel-based formulas such as Laura Geller Spackle Under Make Up Primer. Laura suffers from this problem herself and loves this product. This can be used as a moisturiser and a make-up base. If you feel perspiration coming up through any key areas you can apply Cosmetics A La Carte Matte Miracle under your make-up and over the top by patting it in. Or try Smashbox Anti-shine lotion. Both of these act like reservoirs on the skin and feel very matte when they are applied, absorbing all the surface oil. They also have hollow fibres inside that stay in between your skin and make-up to block any perspiration that comes through. So it will take longer for shine to come through when you use these products than it does other products.

Other things to help with the confidence factor are items like waterproof make-up - the easiest one of these being self-tan to give you some colour. We also do waterproof foundations and concealers from Covermark that cannot be sweated off, they have to be cleansed off with a waterproof cleanser remover. There's also Mario De Luigi waterproof lip stains and Smashbox waterproof eyeliners.

Another great thing to try is Rub-out Dry Cleanser from Ojon. When you suffer from hot sweats, this also can affect your hair as your scalp will also sweat, causing the hair to go lank. So spray this into the roots to help control this - you can even carry it with you in your bag so you can take it to the ladies and give it a quick spray to dry all of your roots out. It's normally used for greasy hair but it's great for perspiration too and is colourless. Follow these tips and guidelines and it should stop you worrying about it which plays a big part in making it worse.

For dry, splitting, peeling nails...

I have a nail peeling problem with my thumbs and the next two fingers on both hands. The other 2 fingers on both hands are strong, good nails. I have used OPI nail envy nail and strengthening & peeling which seals the split end but does not stop the splitting and peeling. I've had this problem for two years now. Have also used OPI hand and nail care. Any ideas to solve this dry splitting peeling problem would be great.

Alison: You've missed out a vital thing - your cuticles! Drying out of the nail area and nail peeling as you've described requires a product like OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Oil on your cuticles three times a day. Once a week when you have removed your nail strengthener and varnish, I would advise leaving it off over night and soaking your nails in the Avoplex Oil so that it actually goes into the bare nail as well as the cuticle. Any peels or flakes can be buffed off with a nail file and you can then seal your nails with the OPI Nail Envy treatment you already have.

The one thing I would query is whether you do some sort of manual work or hobby that requires you using those two sets of fingers as maybe this is causing your nail peeling effect. Or maybe poor circulation could be causing it as those two fingers are fed by the same veins. It may be worth looking in to.

Check out Sarah Chapman's interview in QGossip

Hi everyone, Alison here,

Just to let you know that high-profile facialist Sarah Chapman is launching her new range of beauty products with QVC this Sunday.

She dropped in to share her beauty tips and tell us about some of the celebs who use her clinic - her facials sound fab! You can read the interview here.

On suitable skincare for mature, combination skin...

I am 40 years old with combination skin which is dry on the cheeks and forehead. Can you please advise me on some appropriate skincare products and make-up for me?

Alison: Let's go for something really good, but really easy. Combine the Elemis Cleanser &Toner for dry skin with the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream. Use these all over morning and night on your face, neck and eyes. If you are using eye products, I'd advise using the Gatineau Melatogenine Futur Plus Eye Cream. If you are also using a moisturiser, I'd also recommend applying the Decleor Arommesence Iris oil underneath it.

At this age, you should also introduce into your routine more exfoliation than when you were younger as this helps to thin the look of wrinkles. A dermabrasion kit is good for this - a light option that would work well is Lulu's Time Bomb Dermabrasion Cream.

From a make-up point of view, be careful that the products you use that touch your skin are more treatment based. Laura Geller foundation, if you prefer a powder, or Sue Devitt foundation, if you like creams, are both good. These aren't completely matte and contain skincare benefits - so do not emphasise lines or dry out the skin. On the lips go for Gale Hayman Lip Lift as this is good for mature skin that can dry out.

These products would be a good start though you are welcome to come back for more advice in the future. Any make-up that you put on top is completely up to you and your personal style. If you protect your skin with the right foundation then you can pretty much get away with any brand of make-up.

On a cleanser for oily skin prone to breakouts and blackheads

Please can you recommend a good cleanser (I like to use water to wash off make-up etc). I'm 24, have very oily skin, open pores, blackheads, am prone to break outs etc, and really want to get into a good skin care routine. Can't bear moisturiser on my skin during the day as my make-up slides off. Should I be using a night cream to replace not wearing a moisturiser in the day? Thank you.

Alison: I'd recommend the Purity Made Simple Cleanser from Philosophy, which comes in the Philosophy Skincare Set. I think this brand would be perfect for you. This cleanser is really lightweight so you can wash it off, use it in the shower or use it to take off your make-up.

I'm not going to let you get away with not using a moisturiser though! It's so important to use one, I just don't think you've found a good oil-free one yet. I recommend Philosophy Hope In A Jar Moisturiser to use morning and night - it's really light so you shouldn't get greasy skin with it and it should go matte on your skin. It will help to stop the build up of blackheads and get rid of dead skin cells from the surface layer. Using both these products should help to make your skin feel refreshed.

Another product you might like is Cosmetics A La Carte Matte Miracle. You apply this before make-up to stop any shine from coming through.

For achieving a smooth, non-bubbled finish on the nail...

I am having trouble with the end result of Nail Envy. I take the trouble to wash hands after removing the polish to remove any residue and I leave a day between the first coats of Nail Envy and the polish.  I then allow that to dry before applying the final coat of Nail Envy, but I still get a bubbled effect on the nail. Can you suggest anything to help me achieve a smooth finish?

Alison: Bubbling on the nail is either caused by oily nail plates or an allergy. If the latter is the case then I’d try ProStrong as they use different ingredients in their nail treatments. You'll know if it's an allergy because the top of the nail will have a stinging effect.

You don't need to leave a day in between your first coats of Nail Envy and the polish. You are, however, correct to wash your hands to remove any residue so that there is no oil left on the nail plate - that's one of my top tips! But if you naturally have an oily nail plate, then that can cause bubbling. So you want to use OPI Chipskip - put that on first and it will help to rectify the oil balance of the nail. Oily nail plates aren't common for everyone so I wouldn't necessarily need to recommend Chipskip to everyone - it's just a great problem solver for those who find their nail varnish peeling, lifting or bubbling up.

Alison's top beauty tips for autumn and winter

Hi everyone,

Here's a heads-up on the latest make-up trends to look out for throughout autumn and winter and a few tips on how to achieve them…

Get a good foundation

At this time of year you need to make sure you're using a good quality foundation because this acts as an extra layer of protection from the colder weather and your central heating, as well as completing your make-up look.

Eyes for autumn and winter

Eyes have gone gothic with dark colours and the smoky eye look - the stronger the better!

On suitable skincare for slackening, lined skin...

My mum is 65 this year. She has great skin and looks much younger for her age but recently she has noticed her skin is slackening and she has lines on her cheeks. She has always moisturised morning and night although only with lightweight beauty fluid. I would like treat her to some skin care that will improve her skin, what should she use?

Alison: Often when you treat someone to a beauty regime, if it’s too complicated then they won’t use it. So I recommend Gatineau DefiLIFT 3D Resculpting Lift Cream - it's a fantastic and luxurious moisturiser that your mum can apply day and night and that is specifically designed to firm the skin. However if you think she'd be prepared to do a complete firming regime, then get one of our Clientele kits with Estrolift in it, such as the Clientele Estro-Lift Starter Kit, the Clientele Estro-Lift Day & Night Treatment or the Clientele 6 Piece Estro-Lift Complete Beauty Collection. One of these would make a great routine if she's prepared to take it on and is great value in a kit form too. Sometimes it's difficult to get people away from their much-loved cleanser though, for example, that they've been using for years! So the moisturiser alone can still give her fantastic results.

On whether there are any hypoallergenic nail products…

Could you tell me if QVC have any nail polishes which are hypoallergenic?  Also, are any of the nail treatments and strengtheners suitable for someone who can only use hypoallergenic polishes?

Alison: Nail polishes are essentially solvent-based liquid paints that dry quickly so none of them are actually non hypoallergenic. However, some do contain ingredients that are a little bit more sensitive than others. If there was a nail strengthener that I would recommend for you, it would be Nails Inc.

If you do have really sensitive skin and really can't get on with nail varnish at all, then bear in mind that nail strength can come from cuticle treatments. So try the OPI Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Oil and massage it into the nail area. Buffing helps too so I recommend one of our buffing kits from Nails Inc or Leighton Denny. You can also massage in Liz Earle Superbalm, Decleor Aromessence Baume Essential or L'Occitane Shea Butter on a daily basis, and they are all 100% natural. This won't deliver instant results but it will aid nail growth and health over a period of time. A nail strengthener will paint on nail strength, while a cuticle product stimulates and works on the nail bed where the nail cells are developing.