Beauty essentials

This post is all about my beauty essentials, the products I swear by and have done for years, and some new miracle products I've found. It takes years to find a beauty routine that really works for you and I think I've finally found mine so here it is.

Firstly, supplements, it's so boring but oh so important. It really does make a difference. I take a standard multivitamin tablet every morning, then a hair, skin and nails supplement in the evening. I have pretty damaged hair from bleaching and years of heat styling so I'm trying to get some health and thickness back into my hair. Supplements are the best way to nourish your hair without piling on product. I wouldn't say it really matters what brand of supplement you use, as long as you don't go too cheap, anything is good enough.

I swear by this range. It's formulated for young sensitive skin which is exactly what I need. The cleanser makes my skin feel clean but not oily, I find some cleansers leave a residue after rinsing. The toner is brilliant, I've been using it for years now. I use it after cleansing at night to make sure I've removed every bit of makeup, because I'm quite obsessive about sleeping without a trace of makeup on my skin. The mattifying moisturiser works perfectly for my skin as it's quite oily and this really does the job. I tend to use it before I apply makeup, I save a slightly thicker moisturiser for makeup free days.

This little pot of gold is one of my latest beauty finds. I'd been using Simple makeup wipes for years and had got so used to the slight sting after removing my makeup, I just thought that was normal. Wrong! Turns out my skin is actually too sensitive for the Simple range, which is aimed at sensitive skin. So a friend introduced me to this little beauty and I will never go back to wipes. This cream melts the makeup off your skin, and eyes (seriously you can get right in there with no pain at all), without the need to rub harshly. You simply massage it all over then remove it gently with a warm cloth. The one issue with this, is that it's quite oily, and tends to leave the sink in a bit of a mess after you've rinsed out the cloth. I found I have to wipe down the sink every night but it's a small price to pay for a makeup free face that hasn't been scrubbed raw.

It might seem silly at 22 to start using anti ageing products, but their not just made for older skin, the overall aim of these products is to improve the skins elasticity and pigmentation. I say there's no problem with getting started early. Before I go to sleep every night I apply this Vichy eye cream to the darker circles around my eyes, using a gently tapping motion with my middle finger. This Olay Regenerist is a pretty new product for me, but I'd say it's working already. Again I apply this at night, just one small drop is all you need, but I can already feel that my skin feels softer and firmer, and it's reducing the appearance of my pores as well. Bonus.

This little tube is my biggest beauty secret. As a lipstick lover, I have to take care of my lips making sure they're not chapped so my lipstick goes on smoothly. Every other night (not every night, your lips can get dependant on lip balm and it ends up drying them out in the long run) I apply this, and I wake up in the morning with soft chap-free lips, without fail. If I feel I need to top it up during the day (especially in cold weather), I just slick on a bit of the classic that is Vaseline.

As far as my hair is concerned I'm constantly changing what I use on it. The one thing that has remained constant is my tangle teaser. I genuinely do not know what I did before I had one of these. My hair is very dry and damaged so every time it's combed or brushed it feels like it's all breaking off, but not with this. I'm pretty sure this would make it to my desert island essential list. Apart from the tangle teaser I recommend a heat protectant spray, I've been using this TRESemmé heat defence for years. I also love argan oil, it's like an instantaneous fix for damaged hair, but long term use is even more effective. This Redken version is a real treat, it's like liquid gold for hair.