Today is National No Smoking Day and should hopefully provide all smokers with an incentive to try and kick the habit for good. Not only will quitting smoking give them better health and fatter wallets, it will also improve the quality of your skin, as smoking removes oxygen from the face and can lead to dry skin and uneven texture. You may also want to address your smile, as this is one area that is commonly affected by smoking- so lets get those teeth shining once more. Here are three easy ways to improve your smile!

Try the Braun 9900 Smart Guide Electric Toothbrush

It has been proven that using an electric toothbrush is far more effective than manual brushing, and here at Beauty Quest we love this Braun toothbrush. Not only does it make our teeth feel extra clean it also combines a variety of cool features that we can’t get enough of. An LCD display lets you know how long you’ve been brushing and the brush beeps to let you know when you need to move to a different quadrant of your mouth. Different heads give you deep cleansing and polishing effects and the massage mode is great for gentle gums.

Sensodyne Whitening Toothpaste

A simple yet effective way to whiten your teeth is to start using a whitening toothpaste. Sensodyne formulas are specially tailored to be gentle on sensitive teeth, and should help your smile look sparkling in no time at all.

Crest Whitestrips

Whitestrips have been popular in America for some time now, and are also available in the UK.  You simply attach them to the teeth, wait a period of time and then remove them, and the Crest formula will have got to work – targeting stain build up and yellow spots.

The Oscars took place last night, and many people gasped as gorgeous gowns and diamond encrusted shoes took dainty steps down the red carpet. We were more interested in the beauty trends on offer and found it very interesting that there seemed to be a return to the pink lips. Gentler and more coquettish than the full on red lip, the pink lip hints at girlishness and suggests delicacy as well as overt femininity. Less challenging than red, this is a colour that complements rather than overpowers an outfit and there are many shades to choose from. The youthful Maggie Gyllenhaal opted for a bubblegum pink shade that perfectly offset her strapless gown, whilst Sandra Bullock plumped for a rosier tinted hue, as befitted her gown. This year’s favourite Vera Farmiga chose a plummy pink, which managed to blend perfectly with her similarly tinted dress.

Check out some great pink lipsticks here!

There was a surprising nail trend spotted at this years Oscars as the eagle eyed Beauty Quest team realized there was a surprising LACK of nail varnish. Yes, apart from a few rebellious teen A-listers, black varnish was relegated to being so last year and this years stars all opted for either a nude nail- or, more unusually a completely bare nail. As you an see from the pics above two stars didn’t even opt for a clear topcoat, just let their nails remain free from colour and gloss.  Whilst this trend heralds a new era of easy (if unexciting) nails for us, can you guess which stars opted for this trend? I’ll give you a couple of hints-one has a very hot brother, one is starring in a much anticipated sequel film this May, one was in Titanic and one is just a girl from the block.

Can you work out which nails belong to which star? Answers after the jump.

1. Jennifer Lopez

2. Kate Winslet

3. Maggie Gyllenhaal

4. Sarah Jessica Parker

I was most surprised at SJP’s short bitten looking nails- one would have thought the queen of glam might have gone for some colour or falsies!

Schwarzkopf has also created a new range of hair dyes called Schwarzkopf Palette which aims to help you find your perfect shade.

Sara Blonstein is a major events organiser and played a substantial role in London Fashion Week this year. She was the brains behind the Fashion East show held in the vaults of Somerset House and it was her vision that saw the once rat-infested space transformed into a fashion extravaganza. Sara has  worked in the industry for over 20 years, with major clients that have included MTV, Channel 4 and Vivienne Westwood. We managed to catch up with her backstage and asked her how she stayed so glamorous under pressure.

Q. What are your fashion week essential products?

Good bright lipstick that doesn’t “gather”-, bottles of water, good quality bronzer and chewing gum.

Q. Which celebrity beauty style do you love and which do you hate?

I just love natural looking women who don’t have to try too hard- I worked with Carmen del Orifice recently. she was 70 – no surgery- grey white hair- beautiful!

Q. What’s your beauty routine?

Rose oil baths and good holidays out of polluted areas. I have much fewer carbs as I get older and find that being in love really helps me look good!

Q. What are your five favourite beauty products?

Estee Lauder Verite cleanser,  Crème de la Mer  face cream, L’occitane 100% pure Shea butter, Bobbi Brown lid liner in black, Illamasqua copper and gold cream eye shadow and YSL burgundy with gold flecks lippy.

Q. And your favourite haircare products?

Cowshed or Six Senses shampoo and conditioner!

Q. What do you think about cosmetic surgery- would you ever have it?

Maybe. ask me in 10 years!

Q. What has been your biggest beauty mistake?

Short hair- don’t do it!

Q. What beauty lesson would you tell the younger you?

More water!

For more information about Sara Blonstein check out her website Blonstein & Associates.

These are three top body lotions that will get your skin feeling super soft, and let you save your cash for those Kurt Geiger shoes…

Johnson’s 24hour Moisture Extra Rich Body lotion

Beloved of both babies and adults alike, Johnson’s is known for producing high quality products that are gentle on the skin. They’ve recently reformulated their 24hour Moisture range to make it literally sink into the skin when you apply it, and have lots of charts and graphs to prove that you’ll still be feeling the effects 24 hours after application. As well a higher levels of emollients and glycerin (which help the skin retain moisture) they’ve also added a drop of oil to the lotion for dry skin, which feels very soft on application and has a non greasy finish.

Check out Johnson’s here.

Botanics Organic Body Lotion

This lotion  smells really fresh and sinks into the skin very quickly. I really like the light consistency and the way it gives the legs a subtle sheen. It leaves the skin feeling really hydrated and refreshed, and is great for a quick perk me up in the mornings.

£4.99 from Boots

Boots Original Body Lotion

If the retro style of this bottle hasn’t hooked you in, the fact that the formula combines patchouli and lavender oil should make you a lifelong fan. The lotion feels really conditioning on the skin, and the use of essential oils makes the skin feel really soft and protected.

Get it for £5.49 here

It was no easy wash-and-go hairstyle at the Prada Fall 2010 fashion show, as Redken’s Guido explains in the video above. High ponytails were fed through large donuts and then arranged in a perfect, larget than life bun with braided and knit hairbands around the head. The hair accessories are definitely something you could incorporate in your look now to be totally ahead of the trend curve! Also, I always dig glasses on the runway.

We’re all told that it’s important to get your five a day of vegetables and fruits, but how about your five a day of beauty? The new lip glosses from E.L.F provide you with a daily wardrobe of delicious lip treats that will suit every personality and style.

New Studio Minty Gloss

Combining mint with gloss is not a new idea, but one that I’d like more brands to sign up to. It’s always a treat to reapply your lip gloss and get a lovely whiff of mint, and that’s just what this product does. There are six colours on offer, each named after a US state, and I’m torn between New York and Los Angeles (like, who isn’t?).

Mineral Lip Gloss

This gloss is created with 100% mineral ingredients, with added Vitamin A and E for extra softness. The colours is very sheer to allow your natural lip colour to shine through and it’s long-lasting without being too sticky.

The Studio 2-in-1 Conditioning Gloss

This product gives you serious colour and shine as well as having a moisture infused gloss in the second tube. I love how you they’ve combined both products in one gloss, and love that the lip glaze provides the inner section of the gloss with a streak of colour.

Studio Lip Stain

This double ended product gives you colour at one end and a vitamin infused gloss at the other, allowing you to opt for colour or gloss, or both! The names of the shades are great as well, as you can enjoy Birthday Suit, Bombshell, Fashionista, First Date, Heartbreaker, Lucky Lady, Mysterious and Red Carpet.

Studio Lip Balm SPF 15

It’s important to keep your lips protected from the sun, so I’m glad they’ve added SPF to this product. A classic black tube allows you to apply lip balm easily, and gives you that bare faced au naturel look that was seen on so many catwalks this year.

Get them here (some products not available till later this month).

Angel by Thierry Mugler

This has been my favourite scent for many years as it combines an intoxicating mix of vanilla, sandalwood and patchouli with elements of fresh citrus and plum. It’s one of those Marmite scents as many find it too sweet, whilst others adore it. Part of the desirability is due to the fact that every bottle comes with a miniature blue envelope and a card inviting you into the ‘Angel family’, which makes you feel part of something larger. The star shaped blue bottle has also achieved iconic status, and looks fabulous on the dresser.

Get it for £51.84 here.

L De Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum

Lolita Lempicka “L” is a dark delightful perfume that turns you notions of vanilla as a sugary scent on its head. Here you find it mixed with dark woody notes that includes cinnamon bark and bitter orange, with a smoother base full of vanilla extract and tonka bean. Musky sandalwood infuses this perfume with warmth, and this gives it real staying power. The bottle is beautifully shaped, with an ornate stopper and delicate gold mesh woven around the top.

Buy the 10ml version for £6.69 here

Guerlain Shalimar for Women

This scent may be older than most of the readers as it was first launched in 1925.  It’s a delicate scent that mixes vanilla with Iris and Rose, creating something floral yet subtly sweet. The scent has a refreshing powdery allure, as it is very soft and warm, whilst pervading the air with a sweet sexiness.  This should appeal to both vanilla lovers and haters alike, as the hint of vanilla is so soft that one feels it like a whisper on the skin.

£33.50 here

Do you have any favourite vanilla scents? Let us know in the comments below.

Fake tanning is a great way to give your limbs a subtle colour without harmful rays, but often the best products are out of most peoples budgets. Fake Bake has come up with a solution for this problem, as they’ve teamed up with Superdrug to offer sun-seekers a low cost way to go gold. They have a created an (initially) exclusive range for the store entitled Beyond Bronze which offers the same benefits at a more consumer friendly price.

Beyond Bronze contains two actives to give the skin that great sun kissed glow and also  comes in a  wide range of formulations. I’m a  big fan of spray on tans, so looking forward to trying that bottle, whilst others may enjoy the lotion or mousse formulation.

There were initially three products in this range, the Airbrush Self Tanner, £17.99, the Self-Tan Lotion, £19.95 and the Self Tanning Mousse, £21.99, but there are new additions now such as a Beyond Bronze Wash off tan and bronzing compacts.