Trusty tinctures

My can’t-live-without items that you might be missing.

I’m a repeat-offender in most areas of my life. I often find myself dressing in the same neutral colours, I eat the same thing for breakfast every day, and I can’t break away from my running route that I can probably now do in my sleep.

Same thing with my beauty and skincare items. There are the few items that I use day in day out and will forever repurchase until someone can convince me otherwise or the money runs out.

These are the Trusty Tinctures.

#1 / EYEBROW GEL

When Cara Delevingne was booming with her kept-but-unkept money makers, I didn’t catch on the importance of my own two caterpillars. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties and having not touched my tweezers for a few months that I realised the need for a brow gel. Since then I’ve tried too many to count but there are a few that have stood the test of my hair strength and length. The Anastasia Beverley Hills Clear Brow Gel is like concrete and I can confidently rely on it not allowing any droopiness. For some colour I’ve really loved the MERIT Beauty Brow 1980 with the small spoolie. And we can’t forget the cult favourite, the Benefit 24-hr Brow Gel.

#2 / CUTICLE OIL

If my memory serves me well, I think cuticle care products was one of the earliest skincare items that I discovered and dabbled in. These days there’s only one product that I have found does all that the packaging says - the L’Occitane Shea Cuticle Oil. There have been times where I come to the end of a tube and I tell myself that I can go without it for a while. Alas, that doesn’t last long and I’m back to using it religiously every day the next day.

#3 / WELEDA SKIN FOOD

You may have heard of this miraculous product already, but if you haven’t, fret not for it is never too late to discover Weleda Skin Food - you will always reap its benefits. An ultra thick multi-purpose cream that has become my go to product all year round. I’ll rub some in after a day hanging out at the lake in the sun, I’ll lather a layer on before I head up the mountain to ski, or if my skin is being disagreeable I’ll calm her down with a bit of Weleda.

#4 LIPBALM

I feel like I own hundreds of lip balms but it’s also one of those things that when you really need it you can’t find it, or only that one with the specific texture is the one you need in that moment. Throughout my day I’m constantly rotating between the Milk Makeup Kush Lip Glaze for it’s long-lasting juiciness, everyone’s all-time favourite Carmex, and the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask before bed.

#5 / BODY MOISTURISER

I’ve been a crispy and flakey human since I could remember. I was a massive fan of The Body Shop’s Body Butters with their mouth-watering scents. But here’s the thing with body moisturisers - they either come in a large bottle labelled “for dry skin” but my body doesn’t feel quenched, or the formula is perfect but it comes in the smallest tub and it might last you a month. That’s why I’m fervent fan of the Aesop Body Balms and will not use anything else, even if the price per bottle hits the triple digits. A little goes a long way with a single pump lathering nearly half my body. My balm blend of choice is the Geranium Leaf Body Balm with it’s citrus extracts and fresh-but-not-overpowering scent.