EASTER is undoubtedly one of the prettiest times of the year. Fresh from a bleak winter, it's all bunnies, chicks, daffodils and dreamy eggs.

But you don't have to go overboard on chocolate to indulge. The beauty shelves are packed with seasonal-inspired treats that last a lot longer than a Cadbury's Creme Egg.

Who needs Easter egg boxes when beauty is this tempting?

FEATHERED FRIEND

Nail aficionados are in a flap over Nails Inc's Feathers Collection. The bright textured nail polish is designed to look like tiny feather-like particles, blended in a range of pastel shades. In peach and white, York most resembles an Easter chick, £11 each (www.nailsinc.com).

CHOCS AWAY

Trust tongue-in-cheek Anatomicals to come up with a cracking beauty alternative to an Easter egg. Open the 'Quick, Scramble For It' limited edition egg to reveal a Cocoa Infused Shower Gel, £5 (www.asos.com).

BUNNY BONUS

You'd be hopping mad to miss Paul Smith's limited edition Easter bunny. The floppy-eared designer cutie comes free with the purchase of any 50ml Paul Smith fragrance, from £27.50 (department stores nationwide).

DAFFODIL DAYS

Undoubtedly the scent of Easter (besides chocolate), if daffodils aren't growing in your flower beds yet - cheat! Diptyque's Jonquille candle evokes the freshness of a daffodil bunch picked straight from the garden, £40 (www.diptyqueparis.co.uk).

IMPECCABLE SPECKLE

Get a speckled mini egg-inspired mani - minus the calories. Illamasqua's Imperfection Collection nail polish comes in five mouthwatering shades, £14.50 each (www.illamasqua.com).

KITCH CUISINE

Jo Malone has got the 'all things nice' element of Easter covered with the Sugar & Spice fragrance collection. The delectable limited edition range includes Lemon Tart, Redcurrant & Cream, Elderflower & Gooseberry, Ginger Biscuit and Bitter Orange & Chocolate, £38 each (www.jomalone.co.uk).

CRACKING FIND

Chocolate eggs melt in the bath. Fact. Lush has solved the problem with its fragrant Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb where you can wallow in candy waters without upsetting the dentist, £2.95 (www.lush.co.uk).

SWEET SKIN

Add a tempting new product to your routine if you've overdosed on your current moisturiser. Like a luxury dessert for the skin, Sanctuary Spa's Creme Souffle smells good enough to eat, £10.25 (www.sanctuary.com).

COCOA DREAM

Chocoholics don't need to miss out on the Easter fun. In fact, they can bathe in the stuff with The Body Shop's Chocomania range, from £2 (www.thebodyshop.com).

RISING SUN Say hello yellow! Orly has nailed the colour of spring with the eye-popping Melodious Utopia nail polish. It's guaranteed spring sunshine for your talons, £10.25 (www.graftonsbeauty.co.uk).

TRIED & TESTED

Lisa Haynes shells out on a detox massage with a difference.

I'm not a fan of the cold - until I hear reports that bracing temperatures can help eliminate cellulite. Pass the ice bucket! On a week when sunshine and snow flurries graced the weather maps, I tried out Sanctuary Spa's Glacial Shell Detox Massage - a similar mix of extremes. The massage uses ice-packed glacial shells in unison with heated lava shells. Combining hot and cold pressure on the body aids the breakdown of fatty tissues (hello slim silhouette), stimulates circulation (goodbye cellulite) and removes build-up in the digestive system (flat stomach ahoy!).

The treatment begins with some brisk body brushing to kick-start the lymphatic drainage process and then a soothing massage oil is applied to use alongside the shells. This is not a treatment to kick back and snooze in. The therapist switches effortlessly between smoothing my skin with the soft shells and relaxing massage strokes but the glacial shells feel like ice cubes gliding over your skin, shocking your body. It's a unique sensation and whilst it feels relatively nice on my legs, it's trickier to handle on my tummy - the two problem-prone areas this detoxing treatment focuses on. The results are worth the chill factor though.

Afterwards, my skin feels toned and invigorated, while my stomach looks instantly flatter as though I've been on a cleanse. If you can handle the ice, this treatment is hot property if you're looking for a quick-fix detox.

  •  Sanctuary Spa Glacial Shell Detox Massage is from £65 for a 55-minute treatment. Available at Covent Garden, Richmond, Bristol or Cambridge (0845 521 4567).
  • Recreate the treatment using Sanctuary Spa's Warming Massage Stones, £10.25 (Boots)