As opposed to doing another christmas wish list themed blog (way too many gift guides floating about now, and who is really still buying all their presents?) I thought I would share a few things that are, in my opinion, some essentials that you may want to treat yourself to.
A Mason Pearson boar bristle brush, (that's a lot of B's). This extra large brush is £75.25 on HQ Hair, but if that price is a bit steep for your budget then you can do as I did and buy the child sized brush for £29, which is still actually a decent size. These brushes are great for distributing the oils in your hair, and the natural bristles are much better for your hair than plastic.
Kerastase already has a fab reputation, but if you can only afford one thing from their hair care range be sure to invest in a deep conditioning hair mask. They have products to suit many a hair problem, and your hair will definitely thank you for it. This Nutritive Masquintense Fins is designed for very fine/dry hair and is £20.40, also from HQ Hair.
Just as I was about to give up on ever finding a concealer to lift my confidence and hide my incredibly dark circles, I decided to give trusty Benefit a go and spent £13 more than I already was on their Boi-ing concealer. Described as industrial strength, I can see how. Its thick creamy formula is a must, especially after sleepless nights. It's worth the £15.50 price tag (http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/).
A good body brush is for life, not just for the summer. Combine this with a good body scrub and get your circulation going, keeping away those nasty lumps and bumps on your thighs and giving you super smooth skin all over. This nifty brush is only £4.31 from Boots.
I'm personally not one for painting my fingernails. It usually chips within two days and I'm too lazy to keep re-doing them, so I just keep them neat and short with a nice coating of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength. It's a base coat, top coat, gloss and strengthener in one. I also use it as a base coat for my toe nails, which are actually never, ever seen without colour. It lasts me forever, I usually get a new bottle every christmas. You can purchase it from Boots for £7.78.
There are many things I'm yet to discover - such as the miracle body lotion or the super exfoliator - but I still have a lot of time to stumble upon these. I have learnt the wonder of taking a good A-Z supplement, and Sea Kelp tablets are great if you want to speed up your hair growth (don't expect miracles though, you still need patience). In the mean time however, if someone would like to donate £200 to me for a permanent blow dry at Daniel Hersheson's then please don't hesitate!
Thank you for reading x