6 Beauty Products That Aren't A Necessity But I'll Always Buy Them Anyway

Even though I absolutely adore beauty and I always will there is no way that I can ever deem it a necessity in life. The way it makes me feel however and the value it adds to my life is incredibly important so for that reason I do make it a priority in my life. My beauty routines are so precious to me, some more important than others like my skincare routine is something I take so much joy in because it helps keep my skin clear therefore giving me more confidence in life. And when I apply my makeup, take that time for myself and how the actual products make me feel isn't something I think can be argued with. So often beauty is looked down upon because it's not a necessity but that doesn't mean it's not important for the women that use those products on a daily basis. However, there are a select few products that aren't a key part of my routine and they could be skipped over easily but they are still something I buy and here are the details on why.

LIP BALM

So many people deem lip balm a waste of time, an addictive product and these are the people who have never used a lip balm yet never suffered from dry lips at all. Now maybe I have brought it on myself that my lips are parched and tend to crack if I don't use a lip balm so using something to soothe them is a no brainer. I will never forget as a child suffering from the worst cracked lips I've ever had, bits of skin was falling off, they bled and I could barely move them they were so sore. So from that point lip balm became a necessity so I could prevent that ever happening again. I use a balm daily now, not too often because I know it can just become a habit and try and pick up the best options I can find that can really help to hydrate them rather than just coat them in product. Maybe if I did a little detox then it could help me know whether it was actually a necessity or just something that I use out of habit.

HAND/FOOT CREAM

Now, this depends on whether you think it's necessary to moisturise your body or not which I do as you could easily use your body moisturiser instead. As I'm an anxious skin around the nail biter my hands end up in quite the state and there are little cuts all over them so I always like to use a hand cream to sooth and heal them. And now I have to wash my hands a lot more because I'm a contact lens wearer and a dog owner and even when using a nourishing hand wash my hands still feel horrible afterwards. So I like to have a thick buttery cream around so that I don't have to deal with any uncomfortable cracked skin. The trouble with hand cream is that if it's not a good formulation is that it can leave your hands feeling greasy and tacky which isn't something you want at all so finding one that injects moisture but still leaves you able to use your hands afterwards is key. The same goes for a foot cream, of course, I'm not biting the skin around my toes but they still require a thick buttery cream to stay soft and supple as having dry feet is something that I can't stand.

EYESHADOW PRIMER

If you suffer from somewhat oily eyelids you will know the pain of applying a pretty shadow only to see it crease and melt away on the lid. And eyeshadow primer was something that I just rolled my eyes at whenever I heard people talk about it because in my mind why did I need yet another step especially when I was using a primer already? But ever since I started using the Too Faced Champagne Shadow Insurance it's been a complete game changer for me. Even when using cheaper shadows I no longer have to worry about them creasing and generally looking pretty rubbish. It's a tiny extra step that makes all the difference as it not only helps my shadow to last longer but it also neutralises the lid and creates a smooth even base for anything you might apply over the top.

TEXTURISING SPRAY

I've spoken before about how flat my hair is, it's not something anyone probably needs to hear about again so naturally, I love to pick up a texture spray to add that beachy lived in look to my tresses. Luckily at this point, there are so many on the market that you don't need to shell out a tonne of money to add a little more bounce and texture to slippery soft hair. There are a few ways that you can add volume without a spray of course but there is just something about them that I love. And whilst they aren't damaging to the hair at all I don't find them to be that nourishing and can be ever so slightly drying which might not be something you want to do if your hair already feels dry and course.

SHOWER OIL

A shower gel or soap is something I would deem a total necessity as we all need to get clean but a shower oil is a total luxury. I fell in love with the overall world of oils awhile ago and it wasn't until this year that I tried one dedicated for the shower. I've been plopping a capful of oil into my baths for a long time but in the shower, I worried it might be a little too slippery but it isn't. The L'Occitane Shower Oil* is something that I absolutely adore to slather myself in, it not only adds that beautiful slip that you would expect from an oil but it also cleanses the skin too which I don't think you would get from a typical oil.

BROW GEL

I've said it before and I'll say it again that my brows are determined to just slope downwards and look sad no matter what I do. I'm sure most people could happily go without a brow gel and if I really wanted to I could. I've gone from using a clear mascara through them to dedicated brow products and the only one that I've truly found that holds up all day no problem is the YLS Brow Couture*. Which pains me because it's obviously quite pricey and my brows aren't typically something that I like to spend that much money on as I don't really have a love for brows in general, to be honest. They are never something I've cared about all that much but now I've found something to work with them a little better it does make the process a little more pleasurable.