I’m very honoured to have been tagged in a top ten award by the gorgeous Smashingbird. I am supposed to tell you my top ten beauty products but, considering I only really use Lush these days, I fear it may be a little dull. I’m not even including shower gels in this list, because I alternate between Olive Branch, Grass and Flying Fox (depending on my mood or my location, since the latter two are my boyfriend’s at the moment…) Still, here goes…

1.) Karma perfume. It took me years to find ‘my’ perfume. I still love Anna Sui Sui Love, but it always disappeared after about half an hour and was never available as an eau de parfum. Then I fell in love with Lush and their Karma Kream (a delicious moisturiser). Turned out that Karma was also a proper perfume, and so finally I had found my perfect one. I don’t like conventional ‘girly’ smells. Flower scents make me feel queasy, always so synthetic and sickly. I liked the fruity smells of the Anna Sui, but it had no depth. I liked musks and patchouli, but they were always too one-note for me. Then I met Karma, and its combination of patchouli and orange was too perfect for me. I’m doubling this up with both Karma Kream and Karma Komba (the solid shampoo). The whole Karma range, basically!

2.) M.A.C Liquidlast eyeliner. Don’t get me wrong, nothing can beat Rimmel’s most basic liquid liner for sheer precision, but its lack of longevity was starting to get to me. Then I witnessed my friend Lisa rubbing her wonderfully liner-ed eyes furiously and yet they did not smudge. Was it magic, I asked? No, it was M.A.C and I decided to splurge (£14). It takes a while to master, especially if you’re used to the fine and smooth Rimmel, but was well worth it. It really does take quite a beating; you can pretty much rub or swim/cry to your heart’s content and it won’t shift. But will easily come off with a very gentle remover.

4.) Beauty UK eyeshadow palette. I have two of these variations, and really do want them all. The colours are very pigmented (almost at the level of old Biba eyeshadows – which is wonderful to find, because the Bibas are hard to come by) and they last longer than more expensive ones I’ve tried. They’re such a bargain as well, you can afford some more expensive but subtle shadows with which to blend them. Or just go for full-on New Romantic/psychedelic extreme looks.

5.) Elnett hairspray. Speaks for itself. All others pale into comparison.

6.) Lush Buffy body scrub. No need for a moisturiser after your shower (so perfect for lazy mares like me!). Will leave you with the loveliest bum, and works nicely on that dry/bumpy upper arm problem area.

7.) Boots No. 7 Instant Radiance Concealer. £13.50. I used to use Touche Eclat, but with the advent of the Boots £5 voucher offers I decided to try the No. 7 version. Well, I now prefer it and it’s a good bit cheaper. Thanks Boots! Thoots…

8.) Tresemme conditioners. (Price varies) My hair is so temperamental, I have to change shampoos and conditioners on a regular basis. This said, I nearly always come back to Tresemme conditioners. I decant them into small-size Lush bottles because they’re always such huge bottles (which makes them value for money as well). They don’t smell OTT, they do the job without leaving residue and they’re usually on special offers in Boots or Superdrug too. Hurrah!

9.) Boots No.7 nail varnish. £7. Brilliant bold colours, fast drying times and longevity. Thanks to Boots’ frequent £5 voucher promotions, they’re also often dirt-cheap to buy. Current favourite is Speed Dry in ‘Siren’. Sexy vivid red, which doesn’t look cheap.

10.) Lush Dark Angels. Amazing cleanser, my favourite from the wide range at Lush. You do look rather like a coal miner when you’re using it, and you need to be careful to clear up the residue, but it’s perfect for my variable skin. I use it in combination with the most basic Simple moisturiser because I have a tendency towards break-outs; the Dark Angels deals with those and the moisturiser replenishes what Dark Angels takes out (without nasty perfumes etc).

I always hate trying to tag people, especially since most people have probably already been tagged, so feel free to take it and do it yourself! I’m always interested to hear new tips and recommendations…