A BEAUTY BLOGGER'S BEST FRIENDS

A little less of the pretty products in today's post, and I'm putting a little more focus on the basics - the things we all use and own but don't actually talk about. It's about time to give them some loving.

The first is a compact mirror. Okay, I'll admit, this No7 one actually looks rather nice (and comes with a protective pouch too), but I do have another from Poundland which I use as well. Another thing is Bobby Pins/Hair Grips and hair bands. These are the guys that help you out on a windy day when your hair is in your face, and we really should appreciate them handing around in the bottom of our bags more often.

Nail Wheels. I bought mine in bulk from Amazon, coming in at a couple of pounds for some clear ones and some cream ones. Whether you have bought a new polish and want to test out the consistency and colour when your nails are already painted, or for swatches in blog posts - they really are helpful.

Hand gel is a must, and I love the Cuticura Passion Flower and Mango Gel which smells good and leaves your hands feeling clean. I like to use this once before and after I do my makeup to remove any dirt or excess, or if any of you use public transport, this may be a good one for you.

I went through packets of the Kleenex Blotting Sheets like water in the summer, as I was blotting my face when I was hot, as well as handing them out to friends so that they could blot their faces too. I have a stash of 6 packs of these so I will certainly not be running low anytime soon, but they are hard to find at times so I guess I'm in luck at the desperate times.

Finally, eye drops. A lot of people are scared of using them, as was I, but once I got contact lenses and they totally dried my eyes out, I had no choice but to use eye drops otherwise my lenses would be too drying for me to wear. I use either the Blink ones or the Optrex ones that are suitable for contacts.

What are your unheard of beauty essentials?

HERBAL ESSENCES GOES BACK TO BASICS

I'm all about the drugstore/high street when it comes to shampoo and conditioner, as much as I do lust after the Bumble and Bumble Surf Range I can't quite justify, and neither can my purse frankly.

Herbal Essences have recently taken a little bit of a 'back to its roots' path (excuse the pun), and I am feeling it. Cute, vintage looking packaging, with a floral background which you can see among the pink shampoo and through the plastic - it's the little things with me.

But, I thought I would give them a go. Basically they have bought back 2 of their earlier range duos of shampoo and conditioner from around 5 years ago, and I cannot wait to give them a try. The scents they have released ditch the fruity scents the brand normally go for, and instead, have taken a more floral, fresh route, but still isn't too overpowering.

Although I haven't used these on my hair yet, I am certainly excited to do so, and maybe I will report back on how well they did.