For those who know me, they know that I'm not the type of girl who's into her make up, bags or shoes and I am the polar opposite of those knows as beauty guru's. I can appreciate them however, and I have found a few products that I consider as my holy grails and I keep reaching for them over and over again. Below are few of my grails that I've found to make me feel that bit more put together, along with the prices and where I got them from.
I have recently discovered Garnier Ultimate Blends, Coconut water and aloe vera silicon free shampoo and conditioner. These products have completely changed the hair game for me. From the first use my hair felt so soft and healthy and over time I've been able to go an extra day without washing my hair before my hair gets really greasy, whereas before it had to be done everyday! From personal experience, I can say that it does exactly as it says on the bottle! I try to get these when there's a good promotional deal on but they usually range from £2-£4 per bottle.
Staying on the topic of hair, another product I use is the OGX Brazilian Keratin Smooth anti-breakage serum. It has coconut oil (I love the smell of coconut as you can probably guess haha), keratin proteins, avocado oil and cocoa butter which adds to the smoothness of the hair. admittedly I don't always apply the oil, dependant on how mentally prepared I am I to blow dry my hair, but when I do I only use a few drops, rub it between my hands and apply it to the mid section and the ends of my hair. I don't apply it to the roots as my hair gets greasy quickly if I do and I don't get the same longevity between hair washes. I bought this for £7 (at the time) on amazon, and even though it seems quite expensive for only 100ml, I'm on my second bottle and the first bottle lasted me over a year!
When it comes to skin care, I've not had much luck through the years as I've always had problematic skin going from puberty into my adult years and used all the drugstore brand cleansers, toners and masks but to no avail. But in my time of watching YouTube videos (so... many...) I came across a tip that has actually worked for me! Tea tree oil. This one simple ingredient has helped my skin so much it's unreal. My skin is a lot clearer now since I've started adopting this into my regime. Tea tree oil is an amazing product as it can be used for many things as it is antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic and an anti inflammatory amongst other things. Although tea tree oil is regarded as one of the oils you can place directly onto your skin, I always mix it in a moisturiser at night and apply over my face and neck. I do this 2-3 times a week, as admittedly... it's not the best smelling oil in the world and it is a strong smell too. But I find that this is enough to keep my blemishes at bay. The oil I have actually came in a pack of essential oils I bought from amazon from a company called Mystic Moments, with the intention of using them in my air diffuser, but you can buy it separately for around £3.
This time of year gets problematic for my lips as I'm more prone to break out with a coldsore, especially if my lips are so dry and they crack. I try to carry a lip balm with me wherever I go, either in my pocket or bag, to prevent this problem as much as I can. My favourite lip balm has to be the Avon protective lip balm with shea butter and almond oil. My lips feel so moisturised and soft from using it, I find myself applying it constantly through the day (probably way too much than I should). Plus it smells amazing! If you have a local Avon representative near you, I highly recommend this lip balm as it does the Job and it's only £1!
When it comes to perfumes, I love the smell of a fruity/ berry fragrance and a favourite of mine is DKNY's Delicious Night. This however doesn't come cheap and is usually lower in the lists of what to buy when money is tight. Although not a dupe, but it is cheaper, I found Avon's Imari Elixir. It's described to have a "seductive blackberry" frangrance with a rose and "hypnotic vanilla" undertone. Even though I've never been one for the rose fragrance, the vinalla does round it off so its not too musky like. I save my DKNY for the special occasions now and use the Imari elixir on the daily. I bought it through my local representative at the introduction price of £6.
I hope you enjoyed this post and try some of these products out! I'd love to hear from you about your favourite products and also if you have tried any of the ones I have listed! Please like and share if you enjoyed this post!