I love a ’10 best buys under a tenner’ list* and this is a good one. Although I suspect not everyone who puts these lists together actually buys all the products because I’ve bought a few duds in my time based on recommendations.
But, I have brought everything here, (more than once in most cases) and they all do their job – at a reasonable price.
I’m not linking to the specific items on Amazon because vendors frequently change, and I don’t want to lead you to anyone a bit iffy. But, if you copy and paste the descriptions, you should find the exact items or similar.
I’m an Amazon Prime member – £79.00 a year, which is worth it for me and the family, my boys, in particular (especially next day delivery at Christmas), but I’ve noticed that certain ‘perks’ have slowly been diluted, ie films that used to be free with Prime Video now can only be rented – sneaky!
Note that it’s worth shopping around because Amazon put their prices up and down like a yoyo. But, if something is out of stock (and lots of things I deem ‘necessities’ have sold out during lockdown), then I’ll take the extra hit pricewise just to get it.
BOAR BRISTLE BACKCOMBING BRUSH £7.99
I’m not one for backcombing and there’s no doubt it damages hair if you overdo it, because you’re working against the cuticle cells of your hair. But my hair’s become very long and I just need a little backcombing for my ponytail.
A comb is too harsh on fine hair for backcombing, so always use a brush. So far this one is gentle on my hair and just lightly teases it. It’s very lightweight in the hand, but the bristles feel robust.
It also came in double wrapping – a sealed cellophane sleeve, and an outer thick, plastic bag with a press down seal (waterproof, so it’s going to come in useful later).
SEARCH FOR:
FALETO Boar Bristle Hair Brush Teasing Hairbrush Anti-Static Hair Comb
BIG SEXY HAIR SPRAY £10.99
EDIT: Don’t buy it from Amazon!
I’ve been searching for this hairspray for years. Look Fantastic * sell the Big Sexy range, but it’s this particular hairspray I want.
I bought it to use with the backcombing brush. Backcomb, spray, let it dry and smooth.
Big Sexy Hair and a spray from the 80s called ‘Rock Hard’ were the only two hair sprays that would hold my fine hair in any position. I used to wear my hair in a banana clip (don’t judge) and Rock Hard would cement all the ‘curly’ hair in the clip in place. True, the pungent scent would make your eyes stream for a couple of hours and probably tore a massive hole in the ozone layer, but it was worth it.
I’ve probably overpaid for it, but if it’s the right one I’ll be more than happy. Although I’m not convinced I’ll ever get it, everything I ordered came within a couple of days, but this order has been delayed to 3rd June. I’m just waiting for an email to say it’s out of stock or discontinued.
SEARCH FOR:
Sexy Hair Big Spray and Play Volumizing Hairspray 300ml Nope, get it from an online retailer, don’t trust Amazon for this particular product. Try AllBeauty instead, see my post.
HEEL BALM £3.39
You’ve probably seen this on every blogger’s Amazon recommendations list. That’s because it really works overnight on cracked heels and is dirt cheap.
SEARCH FOR:
Flexitol Heel Balm 56g (also available in Boots * which I didn’t see until too late, but it’s £5.09 on there anyway)
FOOTNER EXFOLIATING SOCKS £10.00
These work and I can’t recommend them highly enough. It’s not a pretty process, but it gets the job done.
They’re out of stock at Boots, so I bought them for the same price on Amazon.
Click on image below for my review.
SEARCH FOR:
Footner Exfoliating Socks, Foot Mask, Foot Peel, At Home Pedicure to Remove Dry and Hard Skin
ALTRUIST SUNSCREEN SPF50 £7.80
I’ve been using this product since I reviewed it a few years ago.
I actually bought two 100ml tubes because I alternate this with other sunscreens. I don’t wear this with makeup, it takes too long to dry and the SPF50 (you can also get SPF30) can sometimes ball up under makeup, but it’s fine for home.
Click on the image below for my review.
SEARCH FOR:
Altruist Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 – high UVA protection, 100 ml (2 x 200 ml)
Apart from Old Father Time, sun damage is the number one factor in premature skin ageing. Sure, a real tan is going to make you look gorgeous and temporarily plump up the skin and make you appear younger, but the long term effects are just not worth it.
Enjoy the sun, stay protected and slap on the fake tan.
SALLY HANSEN LEG MAKEUP £11.23
I know I’m taking (another) liberty with the price as it’s over £10.00, but to redeem myself, there’s a price drop to £8.00 (30/5/20) from Look Fantastic * (I saw this too late)
I reviewed the spray version a while back, hated it, then loved it, this is the same. If you apply it straight from the tube then you are going to get a very nasty shock. It’s a terrifying shade of peach – a lot like the packaging above.
The secret is to mix it with a non-scented moisturiser and tone it right down. Work fast because it dries in seconds, you’ll barely have enough time to blend it in. But, the results though are very natural and long-lasting, it covers all blemishes and doesn’t go patchy.
SEARCH FOR:
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Lotion, 118 ml, Light Glow
Click on the image below for my review of the spray version (the tube is much better though and less messy).
OSCO CLEAR ACRYLIC TRIPLE DRAWERS £6.99
These really are the most useful, tiny little drawers. Note tiny. Teeny, weeny, tiny.
I’m no neat freak, but I use these drawers to hold all the paraphernalia of everyday life that I hate to see rattling around drawers – hair ties, odd keys I still need, tiny sample pots of product I would normally lose, stamps, measuring tape, tweezers, a micro-mini beauty blender I keep losing because it’s so small, spare headphones, mini sellotape, it hold thems all. Probably overpriced but extremely useful.
SEARCH FOR:
Osco X-Small Clear Acrylic Triple Drawer
GRITIN SILK SLEEP MASK £7.99
I needed a second sleeping mask and was fortunate that this one actually lived up to the review – I take all Amazon reviews with a healthy pinch of scepticism.
Before lockdown, we took our heavy bedroom curtains to the dry cleaners and obviously haven’t got them back. I was waking up earlier and earlier ie around 5-5.30 am every day. I needed a sleeping mask that was just a little bit longer than the norm without feeling like it would smother me. This mask does the trick.
I’m surprised by the quality at this price. It’s incredibly soft, beautifully made and has an adjustable strap. Plus, covering your eyes with smooth silk (or satin) helps with eye wrinkles as it’s less harsh on skin than cotton.
It also came with 2 sets of earplugs (individually wrapped) and a generously sized travel bag. The product and presentation is top quality. This was a really good find.
Search for:
Sleep Mask, Eye Mask, Gritin Ultra Soft Skin-Friendly Pure Natural Silk Fabric and Natural Cotton Filled Sleeping Eye Mask with Adjustable Strap and Ear Plug
TANGLE TEEZER WET DETANGLER £9.20
I know I shouldn’t use these because my hairdresser warned me against them, saying that if you can hear the Tangle Teezer ripping through your hair, then that’s exactly what it’s doing. I can’t help myself, they’re the only brushes to get the tangles out fast (working from bottom to top of hair of course).
I’ve had 3 in my lifetime and each one (even the mint green one) has been stolen by the men in my family, so I bought this bright pink one with a handle, it’s as girly as you can get.
A Tangle Teezer with a handle is much easier to use than the traditional one. It also works with a lighter touch too so hopefully, slightly less damage. A great buy, don’t use it on wet hair though, pat hair dry as much as possible first.
SEARCH FOR:
Tangle Teezer The Wet Detangler, Popping Pink
NUTIVA ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL £10.68
Repeat buyer, always in the cupboard. I use it for cooking and hair treatments.
I’d love to try that ‘pulling’ technique thing for teeth, you melt the coconut oil and slosh the liquid around your mouth for (supposedly) whiter teeth over time. I think you have to do this for about 10 minutes to see the benefits, I’m not sure I could do that.
I’ve tried a few brands but always come back to Nutiva, it’s a top-quality product.
SEARCH FOR:
Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 444 ml
LIPSTICK HOLDER £9.99 (I paid £6.99 about 2 years ago)
SEARCH FOR:
28 Grids Lipstick Holder, Clear Makeup Organiser, Lipstick Organisers and Storage, Lipstick holder Organiser, Lip Gloss Organiser
I love clear acrylic organisers. This one can be placed on its side, stacked with another one on top, kept in a deep drawer – it looks great and reminds me of a cosmetic counter, I love it.
The compartments are very generous – if only I had 28 Tom Ford lipsticks to fill it.
PACKING CUBES – not that you’re going anywhere £11.99 (I paid 8.99 about 3 years ago)
I bought a set of these to organise one of my sons for a trip, but they were so useful, I bought a set for myself.
My set is very similar to this one with little pictures to suggest what should go where. I don’t know why grey is the cheapest colour, it’s very smart.
SEARCH FOR:
Packing Cubes for Suitcases 7 Set, TuTuShop Luggage Packing Organizers with Shoe Bag and Toiletry Bag
HAIR CATCHER FOR SHOWER £11.99 (I paid £8.99 3 years ago)
One of my best ever purchases and a ‘must-have’ if you have long hair.
I think it’s safe to say we’re all washing our hair less during lockdown, but have you noticed how much hair falls out when you haven’t washed your hair for a week?
Hair stuck in the plughole creeps me out big time, but this handy little gadget makes it a little less gunky to remove. Check listing for sizes, but it should fit most standard plugholes.
SEARCH FOR:
TubShroom Bathtub Hair Drain Catcher
All prices correct on 30/5/20.
