The downside is the downtime: a couple of days of being puffy faced due to inflammation, and rough-skinned due to tiny bumps from the laser. For Carla Bruni, getting papped everywhere she goes was bound to result in a photo of her in the recovery phase. I think it's amazing that, for a woman who must be trailed everywhere, there aren't more snaps of her looking dreadful- such as the case is with our own British celebs, forever caught all bedraggled getting the milk in etc.

Perhaps the French paps are less intrusive. Or perhaps it's all down to sunscreen. Madame Bruni once claimed to use an SPF of 15 on her face all year round, even in winter. My guess is that it's paid off.

We all know that we ought to protect our skin from the sun. And not just in summer: UVA rays, the ones that cause ageing, can penetrate even on cloudy days.

A simple piece of advice to follow, but not so easy to find a cream that does the job while being right for your skin type with no stickiness, greasiness or heaviness.

Sisley All Day All Year Essential Day Care could have the perfect consistency; nice and light, with anti-free radicals to protect collagen and elastin fibres. But at 199 pounds a pop, it's perhaps best left to the Bruni Sarkozy's!

Someone recently gave me a bottle of Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion, SPF15. Yes, it smells lovely, and is reassuringly paraben and petrochemical free. But the consistency is so sticky, even my normally couldn't-care-less 4 year old son protests at having it on his face.

In choosing a reliable sun lotion, it's important to go for one that offers a broad spectrum of both UVA and UVB protection. UVAs age, UVBs burn.

All of the following have proven efficiacy:

Boots Soltan Face SPF 15, 8.75. No heaviness, high UVA rating, low price. boots.co.uk

Epionce Ultra Shield Lotion SPF 50+, 38 pounds
Ticks the same boxes as Sisley's, for a fifth of the price. As light as an SPF15. Excellent UVA and UVB protection. Multiple antioxidants; no chemical nasties. epionce.com

La Roche-Posay Redermic, 24.50 pounds. Contains ingredients that assist in skin repair. Best for normal to combination skin. Stockists: 0800 0556822