On applying Philip Kingsley haircare products...

I just bought the Philip Kingsley Discovery Kit for fine hair (bodybuilding) after reading your advice but I'm unsure how to use the products. I will use the shampoo & conditioner daily but how often do you use the scalp tonic and the elasticizer?

Alison: Here are my step-by-step instructions on how to use each product in the Philip Kingsley Discovery Kit. Use the Elasticiser once a week as a pre-shampoo treatment and leave it on for ideally five minutes, but even up to half an hour or overnight if you wish. The trick with this is not to apply it to soaking wet hair. I tend to stand at the sink, look in the mirror, have the warm tap running or warm water in the sink and just wet my hair with my hands - just dampening it rather than soaking it.

The Elasticiser doesn't work on soaked hair from a shower or a bath. Just run your wet hands through the ends of your hair and then warm the Elasticiser up in your hands, almost like it's a facial moisturiser. You only need to take about a 10p-piece-size maximum. Then smooth most of it on to the dry mid-lengths to ends of your hair, as well as any dry, damaged or coloured areas.

If you want it to be intensive, wrap your hair in cling film or a shower cap after application and you can leave it on while you're watching telly or while you sleep. It doesn't matter how long, as long as it's a minimum of five minutes.

Then shampoo and condition it out, using no more than you would normally use as it isn't difficult to wash out. The Scalp Tonic should then be put on daily to revitalise the scalp area and help improve the look, feel and strength of new hair growth. Drizzle it quickly onto the scalp area, even on clean, blow-dried hair as it doesn't contain oil so it doesn't leave any greasy or oily residue behind.

Apply it in sections - I find it easiest to go from the hair line back over the crown to the back of the neck in lines, about a centimetre or an inch in width. You don't need to blow dry it afterwards and it shouldn't even go down your neck if you drizzle it on quickly.

On an eyebrow pencil for over-plucked eyebrows...

I wonder whether you could advise me on the best eyebrow pencil to use. I'm 51 and have thin over-plucked eyebrows. There aren't that many hairs and each hair is long so I only have to lose one hair and I have a huge gap. I shape them but the main problem is not drawing too much attention to them. I don't leave the house without pencilling them in but find that many brown pencils are so dark.

Alison: I'd strongly recommend the Laura Geller Brow Tint. It comes in a blonde colour which, when you don't have much hair, doesn't look as strong as a pencil. It simply tints the skin where the hair isn't there, so you can draw it where the hair should be.

This Tint comes in three different shades: Blonde, Medium Brown and Dark Brown. Most eyebrow pencils tend to change in depth of colour depending on the amount of pressure you apply. It's much easier to paint in hair than it is to paint in skin, which is why the Brow Tint pens are specifically for when you haven't got much hair.

On alternating Decleor Prolagene Gel with Philosophy Help Me...

I'm currently alternating between Decleor Balm Essential and a retinol night treatment (Philosophy's Help Me). This is in order to avert break outs and lessen some acne scarring (pigmentation). I'm very interested in Decleor's Prolagene Gel and was wondering if I could not only apply it under my moisturiser and spf 25 during the day but also on the evenings that I'm using Help Me? As it's a gel, could I apply it, allow it to absorb and then use my Help Me?

Alison: You could apply the Decleor Prolagene Gel, allow it to absorb and then use Philosophy Help Me as you have suggested. However, it may not be the most effective routine for you. This is because you're looking at two completely different families of ingredients - scientific vs. plant-based - and so they could clash slightly on the skin, creating either a reaction or the result that neither of them works.

You can, however, get a result from both of them. I would apply the Prolagene Gel in the morning and just the Help Me on its own at night.

There's also another alternative for you; you could use the Help Me for a one-month course. This would be better for any scarring as the skin cycle is about every 30 days so if you're using a product continuously for 30 days, you're going to see more than just a surface result. If you follow this course, after a month apply the Prolagene Gel morning and night underneath your moisturiser and your Decleor Aromessence Balme Essential at nightime.

For more advice about Decleor Prolagene Gel, check out expert application tips for our top beauty products.
 

For dry, flaky skin with breakouts...

I have dry, flaky skin on my face but I also suffer from the odd breakout of spots. I would probably say that I have combination skin. I was wondering if you could recommend a suitable skincare routine for me. I have limited time and budget now as I have just recently had a baby.

Alison: Many congratulations on the baby!

It sounds like you have dehydrated/sensitive skin because you have two conflicting skin concerns - dry, flaky skin and breakouts. This is a sign of unbalanced skin, which is, unfortunately, quite normal through hormonal changes.

I would like you to try a sensitive, balancing skincare regime. A quick and easy choice for you is Elemis Cleanser & Toner for sensitive skin combined with Decleor Hydrafloral moisturiser, as this will counteract any dryness or dehydration that's causing flakiness, but won't raise any spots or breakouts.

The products I've suggested would be a great first step for you. However, if you can stretch to a third product, I would recommend using Decleor Aromessence Neroli Face Oil morning and night.

Much as you may want to exfoliate, I would be very careful as it could bring you out in more breakouts. So, your skin would benefit from more of a calming period. If you do still wish to use an exfoliator, maybe just use Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator once every 10 days as this contains gentle grains, can be used in the shower and shouldn't flare your skin up too much.

Get top tips from our big beauty brands

Happy Beauty Day!

To celebrate a day packed full of beauty, we've chosen a few of our best-selling products and picked up some top tips from the experts behind them.

Learn which products are best combined with Decleor Prolagene Gel, how to apply OPI Twice the Envy and achieve healthier-looking nails, and much more.

Enjoy a day of pampering,

Love Alison x

On improving the look of the eye area...

I'm 55, going through the menopause and I'm on medication for angina and diabetes. I seem to have a large area between my lower lashes and the lower contour bone, resulting in large bags and a "shelf" /indentation where the contour bone/top of cheek is. I don't know if this is due to my age, medication or bad luck! I use good quality products but haven't noticed a significant improvement. The lines under the eyes diminish and are plumped but I still have this indentation that makes me look so tired.

I also have a problem with concealers in that they "break up" especially in the corner of my eye. I have some phytopeel (as yet unused) and having watched decleor recently discovered that this can be used on eye area. I wondered if this would resolve the problem of the concealers breaking up? Please help.

Alison: This 'shelf' that you describe is common and particularly with the type of illnesses that you suffer from so, I have a few tips to help you improve the look if it. The Decleor Phytopeel should work and will help to lighten and brighten up the eye area. Plus, it should help with the application of any other products - meaning that they will break up less as your skin is more hydrated.

You can use this product right up to the lashes, both above and below the eye. Apply a thin layer and let it sink in until you can't see it. You can then just roll it off with your ring finger, stretching your eye area slightly, and it should take the dead skin with it. Keep rolling until nothing else comes off.

On male skincare for oily skin…

I'm a 25 year old guy and have slightly oily skin. I've been using the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish but I'm finding the Skin Repair Light is just a little too heavy. I have slightly enlarged pores on my nose, the occasional breakout, and I find that whenever I put my moisturiser on, within a few hours I start to look a little shiny.

I tend to find that products that are too gentle don't clean my skin properly, and products that are too strong dry my skin so I was wondering what you would recommend?

Alison: If you're happy to continue using the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish then please do. A very easy solution for you to help with your enlarged pores and to use as a moisturiser would be the Decleor Prolagene Gel. It's a light gel, has firming anti-ageing properties and helps to tighten pores too. You shouldn't sweat this out or feel shiny a few hours later either.

I'd recommend using it morning and night and then at night put a moisturiser or night cream on top to help balance your skin out. This can be really light too, if you prefer - Liz Earle Skin Repair perhaps or the hydrating, water-based Decleor Hydrafloral Light.

In terms of exfoliants, use one a maximum of once a week to help to clean out any enlarged pores. I'd suggest Liz Earle, if you want to stay with this brand. I understand when you say that strong products are too drying - it's all about doing a little tweak to your routine to see a big result. This should then get your skin doing what you want it to, then you can stick to a more set routine in the future.

One product I'd love to recommend for you is the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, however at the moment I'm not sure you'd want to use it as it's a bit more expensive and not as light in texture. It's thicker in texture but you wouldn't sweat it out as it's easily absorbed. I'd suggest considering it at some point as it would be great for your skin and it's been a big hit with men in particular as it doesn't leave a residue.

On an intensive hand cream for very dry hands...

I had a baby 15 weeks ago and my hands have become very dry with all the washing/cleaning with hand gel I'm doing after every nappy change. Can you advise me on a really intensive hand cream to use?

Alison: You may be washing your hands with something that is antiseptic but very drying. If this is the case then I would try the A'kin Tea Tree Hand Wash and their Unscented Intensive Hand Cream. This is a very gentle solution if you feel that you are washing your hands an awful lot.

If you feel that it's just dryness and you're happy with what you're washing your hands with then use one of the L'Occitane Hand Creams. A great tip is to put thick layers of this cream on before you go to bed at night - perfect to put on for the one hour when the baby does go to sleep during the night! Let it sink in almost like a hand mask for extra pampering - you can just lie there and wait until you fall asleep without even rubbing it in. I'm sure it will have sunk in by the time the baby wakes again.

On a skincare routine after radiotherapy...

I was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and have just finished my radiotherapy. I used to have combination skin but this has changed to normal/dry. I use the Decleor neroli aromessence but should I now change to the Iris? (I am 44 years old) Could you please advise me on a complete am/pm routine?

I'm also struggling with my make-up as everything looks too heavy. I need a new look, which isn't too heavy, as I lost my hair and it's only now starting to regrow.

Alison: Firstly, I wish you continued improved health through your treatments. You have a common concern with this particular illness and you are doing exactly what you should be doing - readdressing and looking after you skin as it is now. Decleor is an excellent range to stay with.

I wouldn't necessarily jump to the Iris Oil but I would turn to the Angelique Face Oil instead. This is because it's winter and the central heating is on more now so your skin tends to get drier. The Angelique focuses more on dryness so it should give your skin more comfort, especially as your illness is one that tends to dry the skin out. Plus, the drier your skin, the more it will wrinkle so it's best to keep it as hydrated as possible. Iris Oil, instead, is designed to tackle the appearance of wrinkles so you can alternate these oils if you want.