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This mask came to us as part of the DWC Advent Calendar — one of many products that arrive throughout the year, put into the hands of real readers for honest review. This is one of them.

Right. Let me set the scene. It's 9pm. I've wrestled my way into my good dressing gown — the one I save for special occasions and minor surgery — poured myself a medicinal glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and decided tonight is the night I do something about my face.

Enter: the L'Oréal Glass Skin Hydrogel Glow Mask.

First, the packaging. Very purple. Very spa. Very "I'm not just someone's nan, I'm someone's glowing nan." I felt sophisticated just holding it.

Opening the sachet is where my dignity quietly left the room. The mask slid out like a wet jellyfish that had given up on life. Cold, translucent, floppy — and I had to somehow locate the eye holes and apply this to my face with purpose. I tried the mirror. I tried squinting. I ended up wearing it slightly sideways with one nostril exposed like a cartoon villain mid-transformation.

But here's the thing. Once it was on — and I'd stopped startling myself every time I caught my reflection — it actually felt extraordinary. Cool. Plump. Like my face had been wrapped in a tiny, hyaluronic cloud.

The packet says it turns clear in 90 minutes and releases all its lovely adenosine and glycerin into your skin. So I set a timer, sat down, and attempted to watch television. My family found me like that. Sitting in the lounge. Mask on. Wine in hand. Fully committed. My daughter screamed. My husband said, and I quote, "Are you alright, love, or should I ring someone?" I waved them away with the authority of a woman deep in her skincare era and pointed at the telly. We watched Vera in companionable silence, though I suspect they were watching me more than the programme.

Ninety minutes later, the mask had gone clear — honestly, a slightly eerie effect, like my face was slowly disappearing — and I peeled it off with the satisfaction of someone removing a very satisfying piece of cling film.

The serum. Good lord, the serum. There was enough left in that packet to moisturise me and a medium-sized labrador. I patted it in, pressed it in, and when I ran out of face I just started on my neck and décolletage because at 60, everything gets included in the skincare budget.

I went to bed looking like a glazed doughnut. I woke up looking — and I say this with absolutely no exaggeration — decent. Genuinely plumped. Quietly luminous. The kind of glow that makes people say "have you been sleeping better?" which, at our age, is basically "you look radiant."

Would I do it again? Yes. Would I warn houseguests first? Also yes.

Glass skin, it turns out, is achievable at 60. You just have to be willing to look completely unhinged for an hour and a half on a Tuesday night. Worth every second.

Right, let's talk about this oil. It has quite the reputation — thousands of reviews, bold promises, and a devoted following who will tell you, unprompted, that it changed their hair. One reviewer reported turning around a decade of thinning. Another swears by three to six inches of new growth. Naturally, we had to find out for ourselves.

First thing to know: a little goes a very long way. Do not upend the bottle — a few drops will do.

For daily use, apply directly to the scalp and work through to the ends. No rinsing. Just style as normal and carry on. For a deeper scalp treatment, part the hair into sections, massage a small amount in, and leave it for at least 20 minutes before shampooing. Three times a week is plenty. For split ends, apply to the ends before washing, leave for 10 minutes, then rinse.

So — does it work? Yes. After two weeks of consistent use, shedding reduced noticeably and new baby hairs appeared along the hairline. Not a miracle, but a real and visible result.

The formula is packed with biotin and more than 30 essential oils, working together to improve scalp circulation, calm irritation, and combat dandruff. It is lightweight enough not to weigh hair down, and it works across all hair types — chemically treated, braided, natural, fine, thick. There is very little it will not suit.

If your hair has been quietly crying out for some attention, this is worth giving it.

We had heard of The Legian Village and decided to pop in — first for lunch at their Bar and Grill, which is open to everyone. What surprised us immediately was the atmosphere: trees and foliage interspersed with paths and water features, quiet and genuinely relaxing in a way you don't always expect in the heart of Legian. The menu is varied and well-priced; the chicken wings were excellent. Diners are welcome to use the pool, though no outside food or drink is permitted.

A conversation with duty manager Wally, and kindness from the owner, led to a couple of nights' stay. The room is well thought out — large double bed, TV, fridge, coffee facilities, bathroom with both bath and shower, and generous storage. That last detail makes sense once you understand the place: many guests stay for a month or more, forming a kind of extended vacation family with the staff, knowing everyone by name.

Breakfast (7–10am) is worth adding to your booking — buffet-style with a dedicated egg station manned by a chef, accompanied by gentle East Asian music that shifts to something livelier as the day goes on. Evenings bring live singers performing Western hits; quality varies, but the energy is warm.

The Legian Village is the kind of place that makes you feel welcome without trying too hard. If you want to be in the middle of everything but feel entirely away from it, this is the one.

One more thing: there are cats. A lot of them. Most lounge about with great authority. The kittens haven't quite mastered the unspoken rules yet. Sabbi — the resident matriarch, who was essentially adopted after guests insisted she stay — is apparently terrified of mice, which the others have taken as an open invitation to move in. Cat people will be very happy here.

Some restaurants just get it. Siam Social is one of them.

I had the privilege of being among the first to sample their new menu — introduced ahead of Chinese New Year, a reminder that the best kitchens never stop evolving. What followed was one of those evenings that sets a standard.

The Thai Beef Salad opened proceedings: tenderised strips in a zesty, mildly spiced glaze, yielding to the touch. Claypot prawns with glass noodles came next, lifted by the addition of lemongrass. Then the Lobster Platter — generous enough for three or four — arrived with so much happening on the plate that it demanded attention; the butter chicken element was simply exemplary. Grilled Salmon with Lemongrass melted, the sauce placed with precision. A substantial Lamb Shank followed on creamed potato and spinach. And then the Angus Beef Fried Rice — deceptively simple, every grain seasoned perfectly — which may be the finest fried rice I can recall.

I thought we had finished. Coconut ice cream arrived. Full as I was, there was room. The addition of ice-cold cooked sweetcorn should not have worked. It did.

All of it accompanied by a bottle of red wine, or two. A feast that earned every one of its five stars.

Eleven years on Legian Street, and The PaD knows exactly what it is — and does it very well. It claims to serve the best coffee in Bali. We have not been everywhere, but we can say with confidence it is the best we have had here. Order one. Then order another.

The menu is traditional Australian pub fare with an Indonesian touch, and it gets busy — which tells you something. The fish and chips were excellent in both taste and value. We were close to the beef pie and do not entirely regret choosing otherwise, though the tartare sauce could do with a rethink; it is not a complicated thing to get right. The banana milkshake — large, thick, creamy — arrived exactly as a milkshake should. Their cooked breakfasts are generously sized, and the Hangover Burger earns its name. Not particularly hungry? They will happily serve an adult a child's portion, which is a refreshing attitude.

On one visit, a complimentary Lamington appeared. It was appreciated more than they perhaps knew.

A particular mention for Shannon, who manages the floor with genuine warmth and took excellent care of us. Shannon also runs Bali Wheelchair and Travel, a service supporting disabled visitors to the island — worth knowing if you or someone you are travelling with needs that kind of support.

Grand Sinar Indah certainly looks the part — four pools, one with a swim-up bar (run independently by a third party), set within well-kept gardens. Look a little closer, though, and it becomes clear the property sorely needs updating. New management has reportedly taken over, though this turned out not to be entirely accurate when we looked into it further. That said, we did see a room being repainted, which suggests the process is at least underway.

Breakfast was a disappointment and we dropped it after a couple of days. Right by the entrance is Olips restaurant — more on them in a future review — and you would be far better served ordering room service from there, or better yet, simply eating in.

The staff, however, are genuinely exceptional. Every single one greets you as they pass, and nothing is too much trouble. When the TV signal dropped, they resolved it promptly despite it being far from straightforward. That kind of attentiveness is not something you can manufacture, and it counts for a great deal.

We stayed first on the top floor with a balcony, then moved to a poolside room — identical in layout but with no stairs and immediate pool access. The WiFi improved slightly in the poolside room, though it still cut out on occasion. The only adjustment was remembering to bring everything inside rather than leaving it on the balcony as we had before.

There is an on-site spa that operates on a cash-only basis, with very reasonable rates. Currency exchange is available at reception, though their rates are low — countless better options exist nearby. And a small but baffling detail: both kettles in both rooms took around ten minutes to boil even a single cup's worth of water. Different kettles, same result. No explanation presented itself.

The booking also indicated that poolside rooms include an on-demand channel. They do not, or at least we did not have access to one.

Set away from the busier bars and traffic — though only minutes from them — the hotel was consistently quiet, save for one afternoon when a local festival next door made itself very loudly known. It stopped around 6pm.

Overall: good value, outstanding staff, and a property with genuine potential. Worth watching as the updates progress. Olips restaurant, located at the entrance, will feature in an upcoming review.