Starter for 10: Top 10 beauty products

Welcome to the Beautyjunkielondon blog.

1. Garnier Fructis strong hold mousse: Fantastic product for fine, flat hair. The mousse is really light, smells fantastic and keeps natural looking volume all day long.

2. Garnier Fructis style extreme body hairspray: Ok, a bit of a theme developing here, but there was a 2 for £4 offer in Boots… This hairspray is great if you want extra (more dramatic) volume, and a stronger hold. I mainly use this to hold my fringe (which is almost so long it doesn’t count as a fringe anymore) in place. Like all the products in the Fructis range, it smells great.

3. Vaseline Rosy Lips: I have never really been a huge fan of Vaseline despite loads of friends carrying their faithful little tins around like comfort blankets. That was before I tried the rosy lips version. It feels lighter than the traditional Vaseline, and the pretty pink tint leaves lips with a subtle warm colour, whilst softening and conditioning.

4. Benefit Bad Gal eyeliner: It was only a matter of time before Benefit products popped up as I am a massive fan of this brand (probably because I am a sucker for pretty packaging!). The bad gal liner is a classic, fat, black, pencil that delivers that dark ‘I slept in my make-up’ look.

5. Maybelline Define- a-Lash mascara: I seem to have collected a few mascaras (and know they should be thrown out if older than 3 months) over the years but never really stuck with a specific one, till I found Define-a-lash. The well-designed brush gives even, but thick, application in one stroke that manages to carefully separate lashes and coat with a dark but still natural coat of colour.

6. Liz Earl hot cloth cleanser: This was a Christmas gift way back in 2007 from my Aunt (who has very good taste) and it does an amazing job of removing every last trace of make up and dirt. The cleanser is a really thick cream, which you massage into skin and then remove with a muslin cloth. The combination of the creamy cleanser and the exfoliating muslin results in bright, soft, clean skin. Plus, it lasts forever so is well worth spending on.

7. St Tropez tanning mousse: I wish I could say I was made for sunnier climates but unfortunately my naturally pale skin would give away the fact that this is a lie. Luckily St Tropez came to the rescue, having used their products fairly irregularly since the age of around 17, I have just about managed to get the hang of fake tan application.

8. Body Shop papaya shower gel: I love this shower gel. It wakes me up in the morning and smells so fresh and fruity that it really perks me up. As a non-coffee drinker I need something/anything that helps wake me up, and this is a winner as far as I’m concerned!

9. Exfoliating gloves: Ok, not a product technically- but they work a treat to get skin soft and smooth. Using these with the shower gel is as good as any body scrub and doesn’t leave the shower covered in grainy bits.

10. No. 7 eyeliner in grey: I used to think No7 was only for older women, a bit like Marks and Spencer. But now, having tried a few (more than a few) products I have seen it is actually a really good range of products that are excellent value for money. The grey eyeliner is a bit more subtle than black so is best used to add a bit of day-time definition to eyes.