Beauty better than telly

Long winter nights and weekends don't have to be about needlepoint. They could also be time to indulge in overdue hair and face treatments

Sally Hansen Natural Nail Growth Activator
$17.95 for 13.3ml

Paint this on day and night, massage it in and in five days, weak nails are stronger, more resilient. That would be thanks to the marine active treatment that moisturises the nails. Worth the faffing about.

From selected department stores, variety stores and pharmacies.

Clinique Makeup Brush Cleanser
$50 for 236ml

When you're really bored, you could try cleaning your makeup brushes. Ideally, they should be cleaned far more often than just on rainy Sunday afternoons. However, this does a thorough job and is less of a drama than if you use a mild shampoo.

From selected department stores and pharmacies.

Garnier 100% Colour
$12.95 for the pack

Hairdressers will always do a better job than you at colouring your hair. They know the ins-and-outs of chemicals and, unless you have eyes in the back of your head, results at home can be patchy. But this does a nice job, giving a long-lasting, shiny colour.

From selected supermarkets, department stores and pharmacies.

Lancome Absolue Masque
$150 for 6 masks

This is a serious cloth mask - the kind you'd imagine silent screen legends using in their boudoir. It targets dry, mature skin that's been exposed to the sun and hormonal fluctuations. The cloth has been infused with a serum that uses a double dose of the Absolue cream to intensively moisturise and improve elasticity.

From selected department stores and pharmacies.

Kerastase Reflection Chroma Reflect Rich Radiance-enhancing Masque
$60 for 200ml

This is penance for hair that's suffering the effects of colouring. In 5-10 minutes this mask sets about giving hair a mirror-like shine, thanks to what it calls fibrionic technology. It also has UV filters to help protect hair from sun damage.

From selected hair salons.