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With spring on its way I want to start the new season with healthier, glowing skin that’s hydrated, smooth and to do that, it’s time to take a closer look at my skincare routine. All skincare fanatics know that it’s important to change up your regime with each new season, as changing weather and temperatures means your skin usually needs different things.

However, no matter how carefully you’ve curated your skincare routine, we all know that nothing quite beats that just-back-from-the-spa glow that your skin always seems to have following a facial. So I decided to totally overhaul my spring skincare routine with spa-inspired skincare products from luxury brand Germaine de Cappucini to see if I could keep up that spa-worthy glow at home.

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The brand is known for its spa-quality products and treatments that are created specifically to give you a spa experience every time you use them. Now one of Europe’s leading luxury skincare brands, you’ll find Germaine de Cappucini products stocked in spas everywhere, with the added bonus of being able to shop these products and use them at home, too.

With my dry, sensitive skin in mind, I decided to pick four ultra-hydrating products that also tackled some of my other skincare concerns, including early signs of ageing and dullness. The four I chose are:

Each product is specially formulated to help bring deep moisture and hydration back to your complexion, and considering this winter has played havoc on my skin I couldn’t wait to give them a go. The very first time I used my new regime I was shocked at how instantly it improved the look and feel of my skin.

So much so that when I facetimed my mum an hour later, she (unprompted) asked if I’d had a facial because my skin was glowing so much. But of course, you need to use something more than once to really see the benefits, so I used my new routine for several weeks to make sure it really was as good as I was hoping.

How I found the Germaine de Cappucini products

The first thing I noticed about each product was that nothing smelt chemically or artificial. It had a soft, sweet and fresh smell, and each had a lovely texture that melted instantly into my skin.

The Excel Therapy O2 Comfort &amp, Youth Cleansing Milk soaked straight into my skin and rinsed off easily, without leaving any sort of film on the surface or making my skin feel dry or tight. It was also great at getting off stubborn makeup, and helps to protect your skin external aggressors and signs of ageing whilst oxygenating your face to leave it glowy – truly a does-it-all product.

For my serum, the Timexpert Hydraluronic Hyaluronic 3D Force Serum was a great choice, as it not only gives your skin 24 hours of hydration but also plumps and fills it from within. I loved that it had more of a gel-like texture than some other hyaluronic acids, which can feel sticky or gloopy. This absorbed straight into my skin, and after using it for a few weeks I really did feel like it had helped fill some fine lines and made my skin look plumper.

As anyone with dry skin knows, your moisturiser really can make or break your skincare routine. I decided to use the Timexpert Hydraluronic Plumping Moisturising Cream Rich Sorbet for my daytime moisturiser thanks to its lightweight texture and the fact it protects your skin from external aggressors, so my skin would be covered whilst out and about.

You can choose from several different thicknesses in this moisturiser, and I opted for the ‘ Rich ‘ sorbet due to how dry my skin is. It was still beautifully lightweight but really did feel like it sunk deep into my skin and plumped it, and I could still feel how hydrated my skin was by the end of the day.

My top pick from the Germaine de Cappucini products

For the evenings, I swapped to the Germaine De Capuccini Timexpert Premier The Cream, which I will admit is a big splurge for skincare at £180. However, from the first time I used it I couldn’t believe how amazing it made my skin feel.

It has a whipped-like texture that applies quite thickly, so I probably wouldn’t use it if you’re planning on wearing makeup afterwards. However as a night cream, it is absolutely heavenly.

The Timexpert Premier The Cream is designed for dry to very dry skin and helps fight the signs of ageing from the inside out, whilst giving it a big boost of hydration. It addresses everything from wrinkles and sagging to texture, uneven skin tone and dryness and I really did feel like it did all of the above.

If I had to choose one desert island skincare product, I think this would be it. It may be a little heavyweight for when we head into the summer and my skin needs less hydration, but for the colder months this is an absolute essential.

If you’re looking for something a little lighter for those warmer seasons, I also absolutely love Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream which you can pick up for £67 for a 50ml tub. It’s a more lightweight hydrating moisturiser that leaves skin looking and feeling softer and brighter.

Many people have taken to social media to share their heartbreak surrounding the death of American actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa – and about one detail in particular.

On Friday (March 7), authorities in New Mexico in the US revealed the cause of death of the Hollywood star and his wife – who he had been married to since 1991. Dr Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Examiner for New Mexico at the office of the Medical Investigator, explained in a detailed press conference that Betsy most likely died first and Gene had died a week later – with his pacemaker last recording heart activity on February 18.

It was revealed Betsy, 65, died of hantavirus, pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease carried by different types of rodents. The cause of death of Gene, 95, was identified as “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor”. One of Gene and Betsy’s pets, Zinna, was also found dead at the property last month.

The dog had been receiving treatment at a local veterinary practice and was retrieved by Betsy on the last day she was seen in public, February 11. People on social media platform, X, have reacted to the news.

Pop Base shared a photo of the couple with the caption: “Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa both died of natural causes, authorities say. Betsy died first from Hantavirus. A week later, Hackman died of cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor”.

Users were quick to voice their thoughts, with the post garnering 377 comments, at the time of writing. Several people pointed out the tragic detail that Gene was at home for a week with his deceased wife and dog.

In the press conference, Dr Jarrell shared that Gene was “in an advanced state of Alzheimer’s, and it’s quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased”. One X user said: “So he was walking around the house with no idea his wife and dog were dead”. Another added: “Everyone saying it’s weird he lived there for a week while she was dead really has no idea how Alzheimer’s works”.

The NHS has highlighted Alzheimer’s as the main cause of dementia in the UK, a condition which can affect memory, thinking skills and other mental abilities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, memory problems become more severe and further symptoms develop, including confusion, disorientation and getting lost in familiar places, hallucinations and difficulty planning or making decisions.

Someone familiar with Alzheimer’s commented: “Very sad but people with this disease can be confused. Some will look around the house for a loved one that has died. I knew someone who did that. Tragedy”.

A fourth user commented: “Wow that’s heartbreaking, but I’m glad we finally got to the bottom of this so the families can have closure. We lost a legend and his wife, prayers up for their families”.

Others chimed in with remarks, including “this whole situation is so confusing and so sad”, “this story just keeps getting sadder and stranger” and “tragic for both of them to go out like this”.

Multi-award winning star Hackman and his wife were found dead, along with one of their dogs, at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday 26th February, and police initially said there were no visible signs of foul play. A maintenance person doing pest control at the property, raised the alarm, after being concerned because he had not seen the couple, police said.

Paddy McGuinness has addressed Gregg Wallace’s Inside the Factory exit after the comedian replaced him on the hit BBC show.

Gregg, 60, quit the show after seven series in 2023, saying he wanted to spend more time with his young son. However, in 2024 the presenter faced a series of allegations of misconduct.

In November, the BBC said Gregg would step away from Masterchef amid an external review of historical allegations of misconduct. Lawyers for the presenter have said it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature.

In his absence, food critic Grace Dent, 51, is set to join John Torode on Celebrity Masterchef. While Top Gear star Paddy had already taken up fronting Inside the Factory.

When asked if it was his predecessor’s fall from grace that landed him the role, Paddy told the Daily Mail: “No, that was not the case. Gregg had already decided to leave when they approached me two years ago. I’ve recorded two series, it’s just only one has been shown”.

And while many people may assume otherwise, Paddy explained: “I wasn’t going to go online and point this out. I don’t need to do that.

Paddy, 51, is no stranger to the production line either, having worked in factories around Bolton when he was a younger man. In one episode, viewers even watched on as he returned to a Warburtons factory he worked in as a teenager.

Paddy, who says he used to work cleaning machines in the factory, returned driving a HGV through the gates, having secured his licence while working on Top Gear. He admits fronting the hit TV show is a world away from where Paddy thought his career would go. He added:” When I worked there at 16, never in a million years did I think something like that would happen. “

Paddy rose to fame starring in a host of TV shows with friend Peter Kay. While he made his television debut during an episode of dating show God’s Gift, he subsequently appeared in Phoenix Nights and That Peter Kay Thing before starring in Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere.

He has since gone on to appear in a string of programmes, including a nine-year spell presenting Take Me Out and five series of Top Gear. The motoring show was cancelled two years ago however after co-host Freddie Flintoff suffered a serious accident.

Paddy, who describes himself as a” sentimental person”, admits he misses the show. In particular he says you become” very close “with the people working on the programme while” roughing it together”.

Paddy now hosts Tempting Fortune, which is set to return later this month. The show sees 12 contestants giving up their luxuries as they embark on a gruelling 18-day trek across Malaysia with only basic survival gear.

Each will be hoping to complete the journey and reach the £300, 000 prize. They can however spend some of the cash pot on a series of” temptations”. Viewers will watch on as they attempt to resist temptation and secure the money.