It shouldn't come as a surprise that looking good is pretty high up on the list of priorities for the TOWIE cast, but we're pretty sure their must-have beauty product isn't so obvious: nappy cream.

That's right, ever since TOWIE's Chloe Simms slapped it on the face of co-star and acne-sufferer Diags, Superdrug has reported that the £2.75 tubs of Sudocrem have been flying off the shelves. And, in a time of nationwide belt-tightening, Chloe might just be onto something.  "With customers trying to cut back on their spending we've noticed a significant rise in the buying of cost effective multi-purpose products," observes Simon Comins, Superdrug's director of toiletries.

So, what other multipurpose miracle products lurk within the dark recesses of our homes? Here are the experts' top go-to emergency products.

You've been TOWIED

Whilst we love their use of nappy cream as a quick fix for skin complaints, we're not so keen on the Tango-orange glow sported by the cast of the Essex reality

Read More »from Let’s hear it for multipurpose miracle beauty products

It doesn't have to be Friday the 13th for a beauty disaster of seismic proportions to occur. Here's how to deal with the very worst the beauty gods can throw at us.

Spot check
So, you're getting ready for a night on the town only to discover that the mother of all spots has just put in an appearance. Here's how to cope.

"Avoid picking the spot," says Dr Sam Bunting, a cosmetic dermatologist. "Instead, try treating the area with an anti-inflammatory acne preparation containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, allow it to dry and then cover with concealer (I recommend Vichy Dermablend which is non-comedogenic and comes in a great array of colours), then leave it alone."

But let's face it, how many of us can honestly resist the temptation to have a scratch? "If you've picked a spot and it's red and raw, it's important to interfere with it as little as possible, to reduce the risk of scarring," warns Dr Bunting.

"This is especially true if the spot had not yet come to a white head when

Read More »from Top tips to solve three major beauty dilemmas

More people have more tattoos in more places than ever before.  If you're considering getting inked, choosing the design is now the hardest part, and we've spoken to some of the world's top tattoo artists to find out more about the tattoos they love and the ones they're not so keen on.

Tribal feudsAbove: Mike Tyson, Robbie Williams and Cheryl Cole all sport tribal markings.

"I'm not a big fan of doing Tribal work and cover ups," says top tattoo artist Louis Molloy, resident artist at Manchester's Middleton Tattoo studio, and the star of TV show London Ink. "Also, because of some of the work I've done on celebrities, I've gained a good reputation for doing religious-themed work but I feel that I've done so much over the past 10 to 12 years that it no longer holds the same appeal. I most often get requests for religious-inspired work - not because people are overtly religious but more that they like the 'look'."

[Related feature: The most regrettable celebrity tattoos]

Colour codes
Indeed, while that Celtic cross or tribal etching may have seemed like a good idea at Read More »from The tattoos that tattoo artists love and hate