Susannah Taylor is one of my favourite beauty writers. She has worked on some of the biggest publications around, including a stint at Vogue. This is precisely why we have her writing for Zuneta right now!

In early January, we had a surge in sales on the site as everyone tried to shed the unhealthy feelings that linger after the festive period. I, for one, was beating down the door of my local swimming pool on Jan the 2nd (OK- not Jan the 1st, I didn't do anything on Jan 1st).
This year, however, I also had a fantastic range of products to help me kick-start my new years resolution.
Here are a few of Susannah's tips for looking lively!

"Baggy eyes, and line-ridden, pasty, spotty skin - sound familiar? An early morning glance in the bathroom mirror can be quite a shock at this time of year. Well, we’re not here to suggest you cut out wheat, dairy, chocolate or alcohol, nor are we going to suggest you take up an expensive gym membership (jeez life is hard enough right now). On the contrary, our New Year’s resolution for 2009 is to indulge ourselves more. How? With a few beauty products and a little bit of me-time of course.

Papering over bad skin cracks with make-up can make matters worse, so January is a time to invest in DIY beauty treatments before you hit the make-up counters. The one product guaranteed to make the biggest difference at this time of year is a quality exfoliator to slough away dry, dead skin cells leaving skin able to absorb products better. If you prefer a grainy scrub try Korres Almond Meal Facial Scrub £13.70, which will hoover the party season from your pores without irritating the skin. Alternatively try MD Skincare’s Alpha Beta Daily face Peel £53.83, a daily two-step micro-exfoliating regime consisting of facial pads steeped in Glycolic , Lactic, Malic and Salicylic acid – all dermatology-tested ingredients proven to rid skin of dulling debris.

If your biggest complaint is dry skin, then MD Skincare’s Intense Hydra Mask, £46.98, could well be your winter salvation. Rich in the moisture magnet Hyaluronic gel and packed with antioxidants, it immediately leaves skin with that post-facial, plump glow. But most importantly, make sure you invest in a deeply nourishing moisturiser such as Erborian’s Ginseng Infusion, £41.60 which promises to kick-start post Christmas skin by aiding microcirculation.

If skin is particularly sensitized (dry, itchy, red, sore or prone to more breakouts than usual) then one of the best all-round skin SOS products is Jurlique’s Soothing Herbal Recovery Gel, £44.04, a beauty editor’s favourite infused with chamomile, shea butter and lavender which not only replaces lost moisture levels but calms and balances hyper-sensitive skin types."