Give sensitive skin the royal treatment with Queen Cosmetics

I'm sure you'll all be fascinated to learn that I have ridiculously sensitive eye lids!

So when I discovered one of beauty's best-kept secrets for sensitive skin recently, Queen Cosmetics - a range which spans cleansers, toning lotions, face and body creams, hair, bathing, sun protection and make-up -  I decided to put their Eye Make-up Remover and Eyelash Cream to the test.

One of the first things that fascinated me about this little-known brand is its 84-year-old history. I can imagine the fashionable, wealthy women of the 1920s, with their cloche hats and bobbed hair-dos, trotting across London to the pharmacy on Queen Square (hence the name), where the brand made its debut after being developed by three eminent dermatologists.

The manufacturers appear to be so confident of the brand's efficacy that they let the products do the talking, keeping both the packaging and formulations fuss-free and simple. There are no perfumes, essential oils or any unnecessary ingredients here, so that's great news for easily irritated skins.

I found Queen Cosmetic's Eye Make-up Remover particularly soothing after I'd been wearing heavier eye make-up, even waterproof mascaras. It has a thick cream-like consistency and glides across the skin effortlessly when removing, minimising pulling the delicate skin around the eye area. I found using damp cotton wool pads worked best for this. It feels creamy, mild and I felt no sensitivity towards it at all, if anything the eye area felt protected afterwards, and it removed every last trace of make-up.

I've always been pretty proud of my long eyelashes (the only part of me that is long and leggy!) but over the years I've noticed they've become more and more sparse and brittle. Queen Cosmetic's Eyelash Cream conditions and repairs lashes, and you can even wear it as a mascara if you like a natural look. It's also a good eyebrow groomer too, and keeps unruly brows in place throughout the day. It's also a pretty good lip conditioner and cuticle balm!

If you have allergy prone or sensitive skin which suffers from breakouts, redness, itchiness, eczema, rosacea, acne, dermatitis or soreness after using certain products, or maybe that your skin has become more sensitive with age, I'd give this time-honoured, tried-and tested range a try. There's a free sample of the month and trial sizes are available (great for finding out if a product suits your sensitive skin before committing to buy!) and also a 60-second survey on the website offering free advice via e-mail (and a 10% discount off your first order as a thank you).

Queen Cosmetics Eye Make-up Remover, £14.50 for 50g, and Eyelash Cream, £9.70 for 12ml, are available from www.queen-cosmetics.com