Enough of Argan - here's why Kukui Oil is your new go-to hydrator.

I love Argan Oil as much as the next beauty addict.

Not only does it banish that halo of unsightly frizz from my wild mane (I'm obsessed with the OGX Moroccan Argan Oil, £6.99) but it also peps up lacklustre skin by proving a surge of nourishment that serums and face moisturisers don't seem to do - I can't get enough.

That was, until a plethora of Kukui oil laden products landed on my desk this month - and I am sold on their hydrating properties!

Kukui Oil has been a long kept secret of Hawaiian women for centuries. It's the reason behind their impossibly glossy tresses and perfectly smooth limbs and it's just made it's debut in the beauty sphere. Thank goodness. 

First up is The Body Shop's 'Spa of the World' Hawaiian Kukui Body Cream, £23. I'm a stickler for moisturising top to bottom once I step out of the shower - body washes and shaving can strip your skin of essential oils, plus a vigorous rub is amazing for circulation.

Like all skin creams from The Body Shop, the scent of this oil infused body butter is just beautiful. It's not fruity or zingy, it's actually sexy - almost like Chanel no.5 in cream form and there's no need for a extra spritz once you've slathered yourself in this.

Aside from the gorgeous fragrance, my skin has never felt more nourished. Dry elbow patches? Gone. Uneven tan? A thing of the past. And that's because Kukui Oil locks in moisture, improves skin's suppleness and increases elasticity.

But that's just how it makes my skin feel. I could swear that my body almost looks photoshopped thanks to the smoothing properties - is that even possible?

Next is the Kukui Oil Shampoo and Conditioner from OGX - a haircare brand I've been enamoured with since discovering their cute, dome shaped bottles in a bid to bring a halt to my hair's unruly tendencies.

Frizz is a product of dehydrated lengths but the super-luxe blend of Kukui Oil in these gems restores shine to dull hair, all while making it resistant to humidity and tough on flyaway strands.

Top tip: Apply the conditioner to you hair before you dollop on the shampoo. Your hair will feel stronger, healthier and softer, sans any greasy residue. I've been doing it for years.

So what's next for Kukui Oil? Lipsticks, face masks and nailpens could benefit from a few drops of the nurturing hero and I'm looking forward to snapping up the lot.

Watch this space.

Why you absolutely need to incorporate the Kiehl's Iris Activating Treatment Essence into your skincare regime.

My skincare regime is vigorous.

I take pleasure in slapping on a facemask twice a week and never start or end the day without having treated my complexion to a splash of toner and a generous blanket of serum, moisturiser and eye gel.

You can understand my frustration, then, when family members would ask whether I was feeling sick if I decided to give my face a breather from my trusty NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.

Why wasn't my skin up to scratch? I was doing everything right.

As a beauty writer on a best selling weekly title, I'm used to products landing on my desk in their exclusive, not-yet-in-the-shops glory, all promising to provide my skin with an envy inducing glow - but none have ever really delivered.

Que the Kiehl's Iris Activating Treatment Essence, £36.

Just when I thought there was no more room left in my beauty arsenal for another skin treatment, this 200ml bottle of brightness came along and proved me entirely wrong. Let me give you the lowdown on what it does.

The treatment essence is super-charged with Iris Florentina Extract - the Ancient Greeks had a penchant for including it in their skincare rituals and even to this day we can't get enough of it's plumping, skin enhancing properties.

A few drops smoothed gently over the cheeks, forehead and chin area primes skin to absorb what it's lacking. In my case, that was a whole load of radiance boosting minerals that were just sitting awkwardly on top of my skin instead of filtering through each layer to do their job.

Here's my regime and where the dull skin banishing essence fits in:

After cleansing (with the Elemis, White Brightening Even Tone Cleanser, £19.99) I treat my skin to lashings of the Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Gentle Hydrating Toner, £18. I wait a total of three minutes before veiling my skin in a few drops of the Kiehl's Treatment Essence - and it guzzles the lot, leaving my stressed, lacklustre face feeling much perkier.

I'll finish with the Manuka Doctor Bee Venom Skin Treatment Serum, £18.99, a few swipes of Flint + Flint's Moisturiser 3x, £42 and Fresh's Lotus Eye Gel, £44.50.

When I say that Kiehl's have nailed the complexion holy grail with the essence, I'm not exaggerating. A luminous, blemish free complexion and an even skin tone has all been granted to me.

I saw results almost instantly with this glowy-skin favourite which turns on its internal water tap to up hydration levels, reduce lines and mask a lack of sleep.

Gone are the days where I look drained and it's all down to this little addition. Snap yours up fast, before I stockpile the lot!

The new Clinique Cheek Pops are making me blush.

The perfect blush has often eluded me.

A very famous cult classic leaves me looking as though I've been walloped around the face - no matter how lightly I dip my blusher brush into the compact - and using a matte bronzer to add a flush of colour to cheekbones is probably best left to the likes of Kylie Jenner.

Hello Mars Bar effect.

But in my quest for the perfectly pinched look I came across Clinique's Cheek Pops. Set in clear round compacts and embossed with a daisy, each eye-catching shade smooths on like a cream blush but has the staying power of a powder.

From a rather generous eight 'Pop' shades, I gave Melon Pop, Rosy Pop and Berry Pop a whirl.

If the ethereal, outdoorsy look is what you covet, look no further than Rosy Pop, a pretty pink shade that is in the running to replace NARS' Orgasm Blush as the make-up artist's go-to hue. Sophisticated and just a little flirty, the powder doesn't sit awkwardly on top of foundation like other's I've tried.

Rosy Pop merges with your base for a feminine, flushed look. Just be sure to give your trusty blusher brush a gentle tap to avoid overkill as the pigment is pretty heavyweight. 

Early 90s Kate Moss would have most certainly reached for Melon Pop and her fresh faced look is blowing every other beauty trend out of the water this summer. Once on, this peachy hue lifted my cheeks and melted into my newly sun-kissed complexion (thank you, Mykonos) without looking heavy or mismatched - a holiday must-have. 

To pep up colour sapped skin, Berry Pop is the hero. Just a single dusting of this deep fuchsia shade can banish any dullness, without looking too try-hard. It'll be forever tucked away inside my beauty arsenal for when my skin is looking a little lacklustre.

At £17 each, they won't stretch your beauty budget. Grab yours from www.clinique.co.uk before I stockpile the lot.

New obsession! & Other Stories.

A friend introduced me to what can only be described as one of the classiest and dynamic stores to open on London's Regent Street. It is a culmination of gorgeous European style garments, Italian leather shoes and timeless statement jewellery. And nestled amongst the pieces is the &other stories makeup range, varying from everyday lippes to colour pop varnishes and divine body scrubs. 

I bought a gorgeous lipgloss in 'stay pink' and a nail polish in 'satin magenta' both of which are excellent quality despite the store not specialising in make-up like places such as M.A.C or Elizabeth Arden. The lip gloss would match fair to olive skin tones with its hint of nude and a subtle, Khloe Kardashian-worthy shimmer. 

The nail varnish is excellent in terms of staying power with no chips for over two weeks. Although you may need to apply a topcoat to improve the shine and to protect the finish fully. 

Overall, I am in love with the quality of the make-up from &other stories and the prices are affordable enough to rival brands such as Barry M and Revlon. The store often has sales in which their make-up selection is up to 50% off - an absolutely fantastic deal.

Definitely pay &other stories a visit. 10/10 in terms of quality, price, variety and make-up trends. 

Shop the trend: Bobbi Brown art sticks!

Exclusively to Selfridges, make-up geniuses at Bobbi Brown have developed a whole hoard of lip-liner come lipsticks in the form of their new ‘Art Sticks’ range.

Boasting an endless spectrum of colours, the new Art Sticks will provide your lips with that highly coveted matte finish, this season’s defining beauty look. My favourite has to be ‘Rose Brown’ which merges a magenta pigment with a more natural, nude colour for lips that scream catwalk beauty.

Much like the Clinique chubby stick that saw beauty obsessives flock to counters across the UK, the £19.50 Art Stick will revolutionise the way you apply lip colour and promises no-run-no-smudge wear. With one sweep of colour enough to last a whole day, will we ever need to buy another lipstick again?

The everyday moisturiser you'll soon swear by!

Whether you have an oily t-zone, dry patches or are prone to spots, we all know the struggle of trying to find a moisturiser that works well with our skin. But it looks like your search might be called short as I've discovered a skin saviour in the form of this Blissful Daily Moisturiser by wholly natural, organic skincare brand, Organic Surge.

Boasting an abundance of rich, skin perfecting hydrators and antioxidants, this velvety cream comes sans parabens and other artificial nasties that causes sensitive skin to play up.

I've also found that is provides a fantastic base for foundation, increasing staying power and minimising the patchy finish you’d get without using a moisturiser. And with a small price tag of just £9.50, you get a hydrator, primer and skin corrector all in one – what’s not to love?

To fit this little pot of cosmetics gold into your beauty routine, visit www.organicsurge.com

Nail rehab - 5 tips for repairing damaged nails

PHILLIP LIM AW14

Nails are bigger than ever this season with Gwen Stefani collaborating with O.P.I and Phillip Lim’s current fixation with modern nail art that is sure to induce envy amongst his contemporaries.

But somewhere down the line of religiously tending to our talons have we fallen into the trap of neglecting their health. Constant polishing, filing and gel or acrylic abuse all contribute to weakening both nails and the skin on our hands. So follow these 5 tips on how to ensure that your nails survive the winter.

1) Avoid flaky nails by making sure that you’re including enough Omega 3 in your diet. 

Found in oily fish, avocados and nuts and seeds, this super vitamin is scientifically proven to toughen up nails if takenregularly. You’ll even start to see improvements in your skin and tresses – exactly what you need when the cold weather hits.

2) Give your nails a break. 

Getting your nails done professionally is an affordable luxury, but acrylic infillsare doing more damage than you actually think. Your nails have to be roughened up a little for the acrylic to grip the nail bed which can lead to unevenness and discomfort. Instead, give yourself a home manicure with the new NAILKALE range from Nails Inc whichbeautifies nails and treats them too.

3) Invest in a cuticle oil. Banish unsightly cuticles bymassaging them with a conditioning oil. Acetone based removers tend to strip the skin of moisture so it’s important to rehydrate your fingers. Superdrug’s conditioning cuticle oil pen (£2.99) contains vitamin E to keep the skin around nail beds smooth, so there’ll be no temptation to pick at dead cells which can cause painful infections. 

4) Drink plenty of water. 

It’s such a simple treatment but at least eight glasses a day is enough to strengthen damaged nails. Nail guru Deborah Lippmann also encourages us to avoid applying products such as hand sanitisers directly on to nails as they have a drying effect that can lead to chipping. 

5) Ditch the nail file. Or learn a new technique! 

Many of us unknowingly weaken our nails by filing them down too much. Even though you may think you’re making them tougher by keeping them short, excessive back and forth filing will eventually lead to tearing and breakages. Instead, place slight pressure and file from the edge inwards to achieve your desired shape.