Blemish free: Clinique's new BB cream. Photograph: Richard Pierce for the Observer

Not like BB King, or a BB gun. And not like BB as in "babes", or Big Brother, or the boys' brigade. BB stands for "blemish balm". It's new and it's nice. It gained popularity in Korea, where BB creams account for 13% of make-up sales, then came over here last summer, when all the beauty brands quickly began to conjure up their own versions. Basically it's a tinted moisturiser that is meant to improve skin quality, and it also doubles up as a make-up primer. They vary in their coverage, sun protection and the promises they make, but the thing they have in common is that they're lovely on the skin. Whether they actually do any healing is debatable, but they feel so comfortable they're worth a go. MAC's BB cream (21, maccosmetics.co.uk) seems to last longer than most, has a thumping 35SPF and the coverage of a light foundation. If you want to give BB a go but not commit wallet-wise, try Garnier's (8.49, feelunique.com) which fades over a day, but provides a lovely gentle base.

The fashionable way to wear eye shadow right now is sort of not really on your eye. Bear with me. It's near your eye. It's up on your brow bone rather than hidden away in the crease. It's a proper splash of bright matte colour, applied with a brave ring finger, in a shade you might find in a nursery school's soft-play area. Purple's good, as is bright reddish pink. And then some odd greeny turquoise colours, too, achieved by smudging two shades together right there, there on the face. Try Givenchy's Le Prisme Yeux Quatuor in Blossoms (35, 01932 233 824) smeared on boldly, and then a sheer pink lip, as if you've been on the Chupa Chups.

Best of British: designs by Oliver Spencer, James Long and Topman. Photograph: Tim Whitby/Samir HusseinTim Whitby/Samir HusseinTim Whitby/Samir Hussein/Oliver Spencer/Getty/Getty

Menswear klaxon! The British Fashion Council has today released the provisional schedule for the first ever dedicated menswear showcase – the London Collections. It's been the source of much excitement among certain members this parish, but really who doesn't love the idea of decent-looking men showing off classy, innovative and occasionally that-bit-too-boisterous clothes?

Menswear nerds should click here to see the schedule which runs from 14th to 17th June in full. We confess we are particularly excited by the thought of HRH Prince Charles 'doing a Boris' and opening the whole event. For starters, he has better suits.

Friday's action will be led by the Topman catwalk show which will no doubt feature clothes for fellas who like their music and have a FROW which may include at least one member of One Direction (we can but hope; come on Sir Phil make this happen). Tom Ford will host a dinner for dapper chaps that evening – cue handsome gallery incoming on this site.

By the weekend we will mostly be excited about Jonathan Saunders and Christopher Shannon showing their respectively brilliant collections. Sunday morning will see JW Anderson's knitwear-based expertise and Christopher Kane showcase his doubtless zeitgeist capturing menswear. British powerhouse Burberry will close the event with a suitably swank event hosted by Christopher Bailey. We'll be covering the Christopher-heavy event in full but please tell us below if there's anything you'd really like covered by team Guardian fashion and why.

Getting fresh: fake it with fig. Photograph: Alamy

What fig fragrances do is make things smell like the outdoors is meant to. The outdoors is meant to smell of wet wood and things cooked on fires. Instead it smells of Red Bull and dirty hair. So you fake it with fig. It's like sweetness soured, or organic pudding. When you burn it in a candle (Wild fig and cassis candle 38, jomalone.com – also, see their cologne below) it makes the room smell like a boutique hotel (best smell ever) and when you rub it in as a body cream (Diptyque Philosykos body lotion 28, johnlewis.com) you feel like you've been for a bracing walk.

Alternatively...

Space NK Mediterranean Fig Candle 30, spacenk.co.uk Korres Fig Body Milk 9.50, feelunique.com Jo Malone Wild Fig and Cassis Cologne 72, jomalone.com Tommy Guns Fig, Plum and Marshmallow Conditioner 5.50, asos.com Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Hand Cream 13, selfridges.com

Fabulous but quite serious: YSL's new gloss.

Do you know what, I'm thinking about getting back into lip gloss. I know! Sure, it can make your mouth look like an overripe melon, and sure, I know it's hard to walk down the street without getting flies and hair stuck to your glistening lips, but something in me says it's time. Lip-gloss time. I'm working up to YSL's new glosses (Rouge pur Couture Vernis Lvres, 22.50, yslbeauty.co.uk), which are fabulous but quite serious. In the meantime Clinique's Chubby Sticks (16, 0870 034 2566) are a lovely interim gloss, somewhere between a lip balm and your goddaughter's best crayons.

Alternatively...

Stila 15, asos.com
Givenchy 22.50, 01932 233 824
Tom Ford 32, selfridges.com
Clinique 16, 0870 034 2566

Spring jackets. Enlarge for details

This time of year can really try one's patience, temperature-wise. And thus, the importance of a lightweight spring jacket cannot be overstated. Actually, that's not true: "Without a lightweight spring jacket, life is meaningless" would be an overstatement. But still it's good to have one. During a routine rifle through my wardrobe, I had come across a cropped pea coat that I'd forgotten all about. It's cotton and perfect for the prevailing conditions. I whipped it out and popped it on, delighted with both myself – and the jacket. A mere four hours later it was soaked through with salmon water.

Picture the scene: it is 9pm on a Friday night. A former T4 presenter (me) is in the car park of a major supermarket (Morrisons). He is wearing a lovely APC jacket. It is obvious that he likes this garment. For reasons that don't warrant exploration, in his car boot of his car (a Y-reg Toyota Yaris) he has an enormous fresh salmon. It has been slumped in there for approximately 10 hours. Unbeknownst to our hero (still me), it was originally packed in ice. So when he heaves the 5ft polystyrene box out of the boot, he's drenched in a tidal wave of salmon-infused water. The jacket bore the brunt of the fishy gush.

This feels to me like a modern enactment of one of Aesop's Fables: there is a crude morality lesson in there somewhere. About pride in a jacket coming before the near-ruination of said jacket. Anyway, the dry cleaners are now dealing with the consequences as best they can. In the meantime, I am scouting around for a new lightweight coat. Which I will not wear smugly, no matter how lovely it may be.

I have been enthusiastically embracing the current double-breasted trend, but in a spring coat, it can be a bit too formal. So it's worth looking for "unstructured" examples. I'm still not 100% clear what "unstructured" means in the context of clothing, but it definitely works. And can always be dressed up, should you wish.

Percival has a nice array of light jackets – my favourite being the Spy Jacket. Which is not only (salmon-) waterproof, but also has a pleasing contrast collar. And I'm not above finding the idea of wearing a "spy" anything quite thrilling.

On a different tack entirely, it's useful to have a casual blazer. Sling it over any outfit and you're immediately ready for an April evening out. You can't go far wrong with Our Legacy's soft grey blazer that can be worn as a two- or three-button. Which means it's effectively two blazers in one. Which means it's actually half the price. That's right, isn't it?