Perfume & Fashion

How many different beauty products do you use every day? Chances are it’s probably more than you used to. With a seemingly neverending supply of new lotions and potions on the market that are designed to make you look younger, bronzer, and healthier, it’s hard to know where to start. There really is something for everyone. And we all love it – after all, who wouldn’t want beautiful clear skin, sleek hair and perfect makeup? But are these products really helping us to achieve that or is it just that we want it so much we’re convincing ourselves that we can’t live without them? I recently discovered that the moisturiser I had been using wasn’t actually improving the condition of my skin, in fact it could have been making it worse. I had become so used to applying it a couple of times a day that when I forgot to use it, my hands quickly became drier than ever. Many skin products almost work too well – to the extent that your skin becomes ‘addicted’ and unable to cope without it. It’s the same with hair styling – the more products you use, the more you need. Styling tools and hairdryers can dry your hair out, leaving it brittle and frizzy. The answer to this, as usual, is product – there are loads of different styling products to keep frizzy, unruly hair in check. They get your hair looking shiny and sleek even after blow-drying or straightening, problem solved. But nine times out of ten these products merely disguise the problem without actually doing anything to repair the damage. You keep using it because your hair looks fine, but the longer you leave it the worse your hair condition will become. So how can you tell which products are really worth your money? Well, for a start, less is more. Choose products that will really last and work for your skin, like Body Shop body butter or Clarins HydraQuench cream. These may cost more than regular moisturisers, but it’s really worth it in the long run as they do help fix dry skin, and one tub will usually last much longer too. For hair, the best solution is to wear your hair naturally for a while, and use products designed to help dry hair to recover. If you love the straight look too much to let it go, invest in some GHD straighteners – again they cost a bit more but they’re designed well and are much kinder to hair than many other brands. GHD also offer a great range of shampoo and styling products specifically developed to protect heat-styled hair and help it to stay healthy.