My Favourite Four Beauty Products:

1. L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Conditioner for Dry to Very Dry Hair

Since I was a little girl my hair has always been insanely dry and frizzy. My mum tried everything – from combing in conditioner and leaving it for 10 minutes to various oil treatments. Nothing worked. Even into my twenties I battled with this thick unruly mess that I called my hair. I would continuously trial new hair products hoping to find “The One”. Then approximately 2 years ago, I tried L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Conditioner for Dry to Very Dry Hair. I wasn’t expecting much as I had tried a variety of conditioners dedicated to dry hair and none had much of an effect. The very first time I used it, I followed my ritual of completely coating my hair and leaving the conditioner in for approximately 10 minutes before washing it out. As I washed it out my hair felt heavy but smooth… Which made a change from the usual heavy but coarse feeling. On drying it I found my hair to be over moisturised! It was actually oily – instead of dry!

I came to realise the optimum process for my hair was to condition the mid-to-ends for approximately 5 minutes and the top for approximately 1 minute. It feels lovely and smooth when washing it out. I imagine it depends on the individual’s hair, what will work best for them, but this tends to work best for me.

As I have used this for approximately 2 years, I have noticed a significant change in my hair. My hair looks and feels so much better. Instead of being dry and coarse to touch; it is now well-nourished and perfectly smooth. Furthermore, if I stay at a hotel and use the hotel provided conditioner, my hair isn’t as smooth as it usually is, but it’s nowhere near as dry as it used to be either! This means the conditioner is having a long-term effect on my hair, making it healthier with each use. It also has a shimmer to it which makes my hair shimmer slightly in the sunlight.

If your hair is very dry I seriously recommend you try this! After just 1 wash you will notice a difference – your hair will feel nourished instead of dry. With continued use, it seems to permanently reduce dryness, even if you don’t use it every single time.

Price: Can usually get it on promotion for £2 for 400ml. I think the regular price is £2.99.

2. Rimmel London Exaggerate Eye Liner (Waterproof) (Black)

Since my teenage years, I have always been a fan of pitch black eyeliner. Safe to say I have tried a wide selection of black eyeliners over the years and to date this one is my favourite.

Application: It is a liquid eyeliner which is very easy to use. It has a small fine tipped brush which allows for precise application. The eyeliner itself glides on easily and dries relatively quickly.

Effect: It looks pitch black with full coverage.

Waterproof: I have had eyeliners which claim to be waterproof yet run with the slightest bit of rain or humidity. And living in Scotland – it rains a lot! Happily, I found this one lives up to it’s claim of being waterproof! I can go outside in the rain without fear. It even held up in the very humid weather of Singapore! I even went swimming with it on…. I did try to avoid submerging my head under the water too often. Even so, it held up surprisingly well and only required a slight touch up! My supposedly waterproof mascara on the other hand caused some unsightly black smudging under my eyes. Overall, definitely the best waterproof eyeliner I have tried so far.

How long it lasts: I am notoriously bad for forgetting to remove my eyeliner at night and will wake up with it still intact. In fact, there has been a few occasions where I have been running late and instead of removing and reapplying my eyeliner, I have simply touched it up and went out. In conclusion, I would say it lasts a good 24 hours at least.

Removal: I find the best way to remove it is with Micellar cleansing water and a cotton pad. I simply soak the cotton pad with the cleansing water and wipe it over my eye lids a few times. If any then transfers to under my eyes I use a clean cotton pad with the cleansing water and easily remove any remaining traces. I imagine it can also be easily removed with other cleansers/make-up removers.

Price: I pay £5.29 per bottle. Although I tend to wait till it is on 3 for 2 promotion and buy 3 at a time.

3. Garnier Skin Naturals – Micellar Cleansing Water for Sensitive Skin

I have been using this product for a while now. I started with the Pink one for sensitive skin and used to buy the smaller bottle but found I would go through these bottles quite quickly and, as a result, started buying the bigger bottles. The little bottle is better suited for trips away, just please note that although it states it’s travel size, it is 125ml! This means that although it is ideal for packing in a bag to travel somewhere; it is too big to have as hand luggage on a plane with the current 100ml liquid limit. More recently, I purchased the Blue Pure Active one for combination to oily skin and found that one works even better for my skin seemingly leaving it softer to touch. I have yet to try the Green one for combination skin, but I imagine that it will be equally good.

I have not tried any other cleansing waters other than the Garnier range, so I can’t really compare it with others on the market. However, I find it works well for me and as such have not felt the need to try others. It leaves my skin feeling soft, clean and doesn’t dry it out or cause any irritation.

I use it, with double-faced cotton pads, daily as a waterproof make-up remover and a general cleanser. I find that it easily removes make-up and is also handy for fixing any make-up mistakes. I find that if I don’t remove make-up before washing my face, the face wash won’t completely remove the waterproof make-up. Similarly, I like to use it after washing my face to make sure there is no dirt remaining before moisturising. I also use it during the day between washes, if I want to freshen up a bit without having to wash my face and then reapply make-up.

Price: The 400ml bottle is usually £4.99 but is occasionally included in a 3 for 2 promotion or save 1/3^rd promotion.

4. Aussie Miracle Recharge Take the Heat Lightweight Conditioning Spray

As my hair is naturally dry going without a heat defence product would be madness. A heat defence product is necessary when using a hair dryer, straighteners, curling wand etc. Therefore, I always use this after washing my hair to ensure my hair is protected before I use any heat on it. I find as a heat defence, it seems to work well as I rarely get split ends. Also, I like the fact that even after styling at 200 degrees my hair still smells nice! But then again, I do use quite a lot!

I prefer this product over other heat defence products simply because of the way it smells. It smells soooo good! It reminds me a bit of sweets? So, if you want your hair to smell yummy, a bit like sweets, give this a try!

Price: I pay £4.99 but usually get it in a 3 for 2 promotion.