I was recently given several dry skin creams to try from Lodesse, a new French skincare company that specialises in dry and sensitive skin. It was founded by a woman named Carole Fichter, who - unusually for France - has no academic training in cosmetology, but was a dry skin sufferer looking for a solution to her problems. She devised the range after working with dermatologists, nutritionists and biochemists over a number of years. 

My skin has become much drier with age and now absolutely drinks in moisturiser - to the extent that at home I don't wear foundation, so that I can add moisturiser throughout the day, so I was looking forward to trying the products.

The the products I tested - in thumbnail-size samples - were the Crème Seconde Peau no 1, and balms Baume Seconde Peau no 2 and no 3. All three are water-free formulations (ie: based on waxes and oils) based on alpha-lipoic acid, vitamin E, myrtle polyphenols, co-enzyme Q10, olive-oil-derived squalane, wheat ceramides and phytosterols. They all cost 85 euros for a 40ml pot, which seems steep but you really need a very tiny amount at a time. 

Crème Seconde Peau 1, for normal to dry skin, also contains cupuaçu butter, sesame oil and buriti oil. Baume Seconde Peau 2, for dry skin, also contains shea and cupuaçu butters, oils of muscat rose, argan, nigella and jojoba, and carnauba wax, and Baume Seconde Peau 3, for dry to very dry skin, contains the same ingredients as Baume 2, but in a different formulation.  

Of the three, no 1 is the most pleasant to use, with a whipped-cream texture that sinks beautifully into the skin. I found this a great cream for use during the day. The other two are heavier - in particular, no 2 is very waxy and has to be left to melt a little on warm fingertips before use - and are better applied at night.

After only a few days of using these creams I could feel a distinct difference in my skin, with far less tightness and irritation, and it felt smooth, plump and nurtured. I would definitely consider buying Nos 1 and 2 for day and night use.

Other products in the range are:  

* Démaquillante soin velouté (makeup remover - 200ml, 26 euros), with coconut and sesame oils and vitamin E; 

* Lotion tonifiante (toning lotion - 200ml, 21 euros), with laurel hydrolat, ginger extract, gingko extract and ginseng extract; 

* Lotion apaisante (soothing lotion - 200ml, 21 euros) with marine serum, verbena, cornflower, mallow and elderflower.

At the moment, the products are available only from the Vitalibio website and a handful of retail outlets, but you can find out full information about the range at http://www.lodesse.com/. 

Phoenix Rising by Nicola Newsome is the story of a horse.

Told in first person, Black Beauty style, it details the rise and fall and rise again of Phoenix, a filly bred to be a racehorse but who nearly dies due to the incompetence and neglect of one of her many owners. 

Newsome is a horsewoman who volunteers at a horse refuge (part of the proceeds of the book go towards the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre, UK), and she's  filled with righteous anger about the ill-treatment of equines at the hands of humans.

From thoroughbreds created to race and fit for nothing else, to twitching, to hard bits and tough breaking, lack of proper feed and exercise, starvation, neglect and outright cruelty, Phoenix encounters everything that life might throw at a single horse as she is sold from pillar to post and back again and crosses the Channel from England to France - the land where recalcitrant horses are eaten. 

On her journey through life she encounters many other horses, each with their own history, and humans of all kinds - good riders and bad riders, horse-whisperers and drunks, passing farmers and enthusiastic pony-clubbers, with the ever-present threat of the knacker and the butcher awaiting any horse that can't earn its keep or dares to show resistance to its fate. 

Newsome's knowledge of riding, training and horse communication lend the book great authenticity and fascinating detail (I, for one, did not know horses can't vomit), and parts of it are both terrifying and moving. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger, making it ideal to read to children in bed, or for older children to read a chapter at at time, but be warned - like its great Victorian predecessor, there are real deaths and real cruelty in this book; it is not a Disney version of horse life and Newsome clearly wants us all to think harder about our relationships with and exploitation of animals. 

Phoenix Rising is downloadable from equestrian specialist publisher Lavender & White (lavender&white.co.uk) for £3.99.

I had the unusual experience of sending back an item to Wall last week, so thought I would review my latest batch of clothing. 

I bought Baggy Trousers in black cotton and viscose drill; the linen Amalie dress in the blue/white colourway; the Jersey Preppy Dress in dark plum, and pima cotton trousers in black. 

I knew the black pima cotton trousers would look great, because I already had these in grey. They are fabulous trousers - cotton jersey, lined to the knee with more cotton jersey, and with big pockets. The front tucks have a very slimming effect when worn. The black are for more posh occasions, such as today, when I'll be wearing them out to lunch.

The unknown quantities were the baggy trousers, linen dress and jersey dress.

First to the jersey dress, because this wasn't right for me at all. It looked great in the pictures and I thought it would work well in mid-season, worn over leggings or thermal tights, but it was totally wrong for my hourglass figure. It made my boobs look like a shelf, it was too big on the shoulders, hid my small waist and was tight on the hips. And too short. I looked like someone's gran in it. A massive shame, as not only did it cost me £12 to send it back, but I loved the thick viscose/spandex fabric - I will definitely look for other items in this fabric. 

I'd also taken a punt on the Amalie dress, having not bought a woven fabric from Wall before. I kind of have a rule in my head that I don't buy clothes in woven fabrics, because I should be making them. (I'm not good at sewing stretch fabrics, so I'm happy to buy stretch clothing.) The Amalie dress has a linen exterior and a thin cotton interior, to which the outer is attached to give the asymmetric effect.

When it arrived, it was rather shorter than I'd expected, but I love the asymmetry and the ease of the adjustable tie, and I think it will get plenty of wear this summer.

And finally to the baggy trousers. Well, when these arrived, I was sure there'd been a mistake, as the trousers in the box were clearly a fine wool. Beautiful things but not suitable for my life.

I couldn't find the fabric label on them, so I phoned Wall customer services, thinking I'd made a bad mistake. Except that they told me that these were indeed what I had ordered. Well, blow me down. I was expecting a toughish cotton fabric, like the drill I once covered my sofa with, not a butter-smooth fabric that feels like cashmere. But they are indeed machine washable, which was my main concern, and fully lined. 

They are, if truth be told, still a bit posh for my life, so I won't be bumming around the house in them as I'd intended, but will instead keep them for trips out for a year, when they won't be so prone to getting covered in cat hair and wood ash.

I have this as a rule, btw, that things can be posh for one year, then after that you should wear them into the ground - I saw my mother keep a lot of things for a 'best' that never came, but clothing is made to be worn. Otherwise, it's nothing but clutter (of which more later). 

I set out this morning to review the Lands' End Mary Jane Trekker, but since I see it's no longer available, I'll turn instead to one of the other items I've been living in lately (the shoes are great, by the way - a neat, practical alternative to Crocs, with a memory foam footbed and a useful velcro strap to hold them on your feet). 

The correct name for the Starfish trousers (Starfish is a collection) is Women's Regular Refined Stretch Jersey Trousers and you can find them here. They come in a wide range of sizes, including plus sizes, and in three lengths. I'm 5'2" and the petite fits me just fine. And currently, many sizes and colours are reduced from the normal £35 to £25. 

These have become my go-to trouser for everyday wear. They could, for me, be improved by having pockets, though these would have to be stitch-down in order to lie flat, so you'd lose some of the slimness. The lack of proper pockets (there is a small one for a credit card) does mean you benefit from wearing a top with pockets. They also have a slight issue in that they can give you a bit of a camel-toe, which is noticeable in the paler colours, so you may need a longer top. I kill two birds with one stone by wearing longish, tunic-style tees or polo-collar tops, with pockets (also from Lands' End). 

However, when it comes to comfort and practicality, these pants can't be beat. The cotton jersey/spandex fabric is thick and substantial, with quite a corseting effect, and the waistband lies completely flat and comes up nice and high at the back - these trousers disappear under other layers. Once on, you can pretty much forget you're wearing them, they are so comfortable, and they also have a very slimming effect because of the fall of cloth. They wash well and don't give at the knees because of the high elasthane content. 

In black they are smart enough for evening or the office, while in the other colours, they are useful for casual wear. I bought them in charcoal heather and bistre heather (a lovely chocolate brown heather that has a slightly purple tinge), and liked them so much I then ordered them in black and nightshadow blue, which is a good medium airforce blue. I'd like still more pairs in the smoke brown heather and navy. 

Lands' End have also introduced these pants in a slim-leg style (not good for me) and a legging, which is useful under dresses, as well as a cropped version. 

I once had two pairs of jeans made in thick cotton jersey, from Fenn Wright and Manson, which I wore until they literally fell apart (I looked down one day when I was sitting on the loo and realised I could see daylight through them). I have a feeling that these trousers will fill a similar role in my wardrobe.  

4.5 stars - they lose half a star solely for the lack of pockets.  

It's not often that I post a negative review on Second Cherry. Most products that one might buy aren't dangerous and the public doesn't need warning off them, but I was so disappointed with my Cath Kidston purchases that I felt I really had to say something. 

Back in the summer I had a hiatus from work, so I decided to pretty up the house a bit. Cath Kidston was my first port of call. I've long lusted after her beautiful prints and very often, when I admire a print from an editorial feature I'll discover that it's by Cath Kidston. Her balance of colour and form is just about perfect, and I love all that 50s retro vibe, so I was very excited about my purchases.

From the company, I ordered the following:
* Floral fleeces (designed for Ikea) x 2.
* Cotton duck tablecloth in Candy Flowers.
* Cotton duck apron in Candy Flowers.
* Cotton haberdashery fabric in various colourways.
* Bath towel and hand towel in English Rose.
* Paper table runners in three colourways.
* Paper napkins in five colourways.  

And sadly, they are all basically rubbish, other than the apron and tablecloth, which are satisfactory.

I can't tell you how disappointed I am in both the quality and size of these items. The floral fleeces are stingily small. The fabric itself is fine, though thin, but I had to stitch the two of them together to get a fleece of usable size, and it isn't warm. These fleeces cost me £28 each and I found ones of far better quality and size in a local discount store for that price.

The haberdashery fabric is very thin indeed. When it arrives, it's crisped up with size, but it doesn't wash well: definitely a fashion fabric, it is nowhere near robust enough for curtains or cushion covers, which is its stated intention, though I think it could be used very well to make dresses. 

The bath towel and hand towel, again, are both very stingy in size. This bath towel is barely bigger smaller than my hand towels, and the print of the fabric is only on one side, so what you basically have is a piece of towelling fabric stitched over with hems on all four sides, like something you could make yourself - they are not properly woven in a piece as towels, which is what I was expecting. I had intended to order the bathrobe in the same colourway, but the thin quality of the towels really put me off. After a single wash, they are feeling very flimsy and quite stiff. I have used the bath towel as a bathroom curtain and the hand towel lingers unused. 

The paper napkins are very small also - real saucer size rather than dinner-table size - though the quality is adequate. And the paper table runners are not the thick, robust paper I was expecting, but are a thin, transparent tissue style of paper, almost like rice paper, that allows show-through, so has to be laid over a white cloth for the colours to appear. The printing is also very muddy and the greens in particular are not as bright as they are on the paper napkins, so they don't match. 

The cotton tablecloth is not a proper tablecloth woven to shape but is merely a length of fabric cut off a roll, with a hem at each end and the selvedges visible. I don't therefore use it as a tablecloth, but as a throw for the mattress on my sofa, where I can tuck under the raw edges. The cotton duck fabric, however, is robust enough and wears well, so both this and the apron, which uses the same fabric, are OK and I am using them.

All in all, I am terribly disappointed and feel that this is a firm that needs to sort out its quality control, as Cath Kidston prices are not cheap. I am now reluctant to order from this company, for all that I love their designs. Laura Ashley offers far better quality for a similar price, and for furnishing the house, I found myself very quickly turning to Sanderson, whose fabrics are of superb quality, with a robust thread count and crisp printing.  

For those who do want to order, I would say stick to the cotton duck and furnishing fabrics. As to the homeware items such as trays, mugs and tins, and the fashion items, I can't speak. 

One star, for the beautiful designs.