PREPARING for the arrival of spring involves not only weeding out your wardrobe, but your make-up bag too. The changing season calls for a revamp on the beauty front - after all, what's the point of investing in some new gear if it clashes with your old lippy?

The good news is you don't have to spend a small fortune on updating your beauty box of tricks.

High street chains like Superdrug, Boots and The Body Shop have a fantastic range of up-to-the-minute products at affordable prices.

Of course, you can splash out - and it would be hard not to be tempted by some of the beauty ranges from the leading cosmetic houses.

In cosmetics, the trend has been for natural products with lightweight, micro-soft textures to create a healthy, youthful glow.

This continues for the spring, with the emphasis firmly on creating a natural look, with a subtle touch of colour and sheen. It's a very modern and feminine rather than girly look.

At The Body Shop, look out for some new additions to its Colourings range in the spring. For eyes, try Duo Sparticles (£4.50), a pot of miniature powder beads which give a double does of metallic eye colour. Shimmer Dust (£6), will cast a soft pastel colour over the eyes or face. For lips, try Lip Quench (£7), a non-sticky, shimmer gloss in a recyclable pen format with built-in brush in lavender, peach or pink hues.

To get those lips into kissable shape for St Valentine's Day, you might be tempted by the latest booster product from Helena Rubinstein at Fenwick, Coppergate, York. Lip Sculptor (£19) is designed to add volume and sculpt lips.

Baby-soft skin is the promise of Givenchy's latest foundation, Teint Miroir (£18). It aims to create a radiant, long-lasting make-up evoking the skin of a child.

If you prefer a powder foundation, you might like to consider Facefinity from Max Factor (£10.50) from leading chemists.

Combining a natural finish with staying power, this compact is easy to use and portable. It also has an SPF 15 protection and light-reflecting and line-softening ingredients to give maximum coverage without any cakiness.

When it comes to looking after our skin, it pays to remember that our hands are particularly vulnerable to the hazards of modern life. Gardening, housework, washing-up - they all take their toll. While we can lie about our age, or use make-up expertly to shave off a few years, our hands can often give the game away with their crepey, dry, dull appearance.

Following on from the success of its Stop Signs anti-ageing facial serum and cream, Clinique has launched a new cream to keep hands looking younger.

Stop Signs Hand Repair (£13) feels silky smooth to apply, offering instant rehydration as well as smoothing lines and wrinkles.