My top 5 beauty essentials that really work
As a student who spends about 60% of her income on beauty products, it seems only natural that I should share my tips, best and worst products with the beauty blogosphere (the other 40% goes on the arts).
For my first post, so you can all get to know me a little better, I thought I’d share my top 5 beauty essentials with you. Read on for timeless beauty buys that really work…
1. The Under-Eye Concealer
As many before me have discovered, no matter how many new products strut onto the shelves as ‘scientifically-proven miracles!’, Yves Saint Laurent Touch Eclat will always be the number one in under-eye concealing. Radiant, undetectable and perfect for on-the-go touch ups, this sleek gold pen is worth the £25 price tag for the ultimate fresh complexion.
2. The Dry Shampoo
Another classic, it has to be Batiste. One of the originals and best, £2.99 is all it takes to get everything you need for a between-wash freshen up. My personal favourite so far is Boho for its summery scent, but the range also includes everything from shimmer and XXL volume to dark hair types. There really is a can for every crop.
3. The Body Lotion
Palmer’s is hands down the only moisturiser you’ll ever need. I love their unique Olive Butter Formula Cream Oil in the summer as it’s lightweight but still amazingly nourishing, and smells so fresh. For the winter, Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion, enriched with vitamin E, is a little more heavy duty and smellsincredible, all day long. If scents don’t agree with you there’s a fragrance-free option, and an SPF 15 version to protect you from those pesky rays. Again, this doesn’t break the bank at just £3-4, yet it’s the best out there. The ‘soft skin’ compliments say it all!
4. The Eyebrow Saviour
I have Carmine’s Beauty Box to thank for this discovery. For those who don’t know (where have you been?!), beauty boxes are a relatively new, completely inspired concept where you pay roughly a tenner a month, and receive 5 luxury samples of beauty products worth at least 3 times as much – obviously the best option ever for a beauty addict! Among my amazing Daniel Sandler Eye Delight and Caudalie Quenching Crème Sorbet (which I proceeded to buy the full size of), came possibly the best finding ever, as I’d never heard of such a product: Cosmetics à la Carte Brow Ink.
It looks like an eyeliner pen (and can indeed be used as one), comes in three shades and allows you to fill in your brows stroke by stroke for the most natural, flawless finish I’ve ever come across! Another slightly pricier piece at £22, but worth every penny. The time of desperately smudging away overenthusiastic pencil marks is over; hello perfect brows! Their website is amazing, too, as you can choose free samples with every order – I now have an exact colour match pot of mineral foundation and an under-eye concealer for when my Touche Eclat is running low!
5. The Underdog
Now, I was trying to decide on a final cosmetics-based product to share with you, and my mind ran through the obvious Benefit highlighters and Max Factor mascaras.
However, it then occurred to me that the Topshop beauty range is quickly taking over the most colourful section of my beauty bag. It was only launched in 2010, yet is without a doubt the best in the business for colour ways that are not only bang-on-trend, but completely affordable as well. I already own three of their lip products, and borrow the fourth from my housemate! I especially love their Lip Glaze in Bronze which only set me back £1 in the sale (£6 full price) – as you can see in the photograph, it even works on the palest of skin types, and is really moisturising.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this taster – bearing in mind that it involved some near-impossible decision making! Keep your eyes peeled for more from me, and please feel free to comment with anything you’d like me to cover!
