What A Girl Wants: Five Must-Have Beauty Products

Looking beautiful can be hard work and costly, but the savvy woman in today's market wants quality beauty products that don't break the bank. Some of the most important products to focus on for a fresh and clean, beautiful look are deep pore-cleansing creams, moisture-rich facial creams, natural-looking makeup bases, appropriate lipstick choices and hair care products that deliver glorious shine. Each of these products play a key role in creating a well-groomed appearance.

1. Facial Cleansing
Beauty starts below the surface of the skin, and the basis for healthy and younger-looking skin begins with a deep cleansing to open clogged pores and wash away oily residues that build up over time.

Beauty products such as cosmetics, creams, and sunscreen lotion can seep into your pores, giving your skin a tired and sluggish appearance. The best way to strip away the grime is to use a quality exfoliant once or twice a week. If you do not already regularly exfoliate then you need to add this beauty product to your arsenal ASAP!

To ensure that your skin does not feel tight and dry, be sure to seek out exfoliant products that contain natural, moisture-rich ingredients to leave your freshly scrubbed face feeling silky soft. Use products that have smooth exfoliating particles, not scratchy particles with jagged edges. These jagged edges can cause tiny tears to the skin and permanent damage.

2. Moisturizing Creams
It may take some time to find the right moisturiser for you, with ingredients that are compatible with your skin type.

Firstly, you need to determine if you have oily, normal, dry or combination skin. Your moisturizing cream should contain just enough emollients to soften your skin, but not so much that it causes clogging, comedones and pimples.

Ask for sample sachets and do tests at home to work out what is right for you before making a major purchase. Sales assistants are usually willing to help if they think you are a genuine buyer and likely to become brand loyal. That said, not all good products are pricey. Testing some "supermarket" or cheaper brands is also a good idea.

3. Foundation and Colour Bases
We all need a little help now and then to convey the impression of smooth and flawless skin on our faces. Finding the right liquid or powder-based foundation is a good head start. Some people hesitate to use this particular beauty product but it can be a great "secret weapon".

When selecting your base colour, look for a coverage that is light to touch and sheer, yet can easily be blended to mask any dark circles under the eyes or cover any minor marks on your face.

The best way to check that you have found the right match for colour and texture is to test the appearance of the foundation under natural light. Sunshine is like a floodlight that will show up any caking, colour miscalculations and application faux pas for that brand of product.

Oily skin looks best with a powder-based foundation, and other skin types are better suited to liquid brands or creams.

4. Lip Colour
Lip colour has come a long way, giving us lots of choices for texture, colour deposit and shine.

Some girls prefer a hint of colour and will fare well with an esoteric lip gloss or lip stain product. This type of lip wear works best for the gym, beach and a no-nonsense active lifestyle. When it's time to go all out for evening wear, having a few richly textured lipsticks (in your favourite colours) can be fun. If you are out on the town, or going to a special event and plan to be photographed, a heavier lipstick, as opposed to a gloss, will make your features pop for a better photo.

If you don't already have a nice sheer lipgloss and a classy, heavier "night" lipstick, these two beauty products are well worth the investment.

5. Hair Products
Last but not least, having healthy hair from the inside out helps create a well-cared-for "total beauty" look.

This is one area where beauty products have really come a very long way. From anti-frizz, to super shine, the number of great hair care products is mind-boggling. Gals with longer hair may have to tangle with their locks to whip them into shape, and short-styled girls may rely heavily on waxes and sprays, but both looks can be maintained without spending a fortune.

Conditioning treatments are the name of this game. Use them regularly - if not weekly at least once a fortnight. A good trick to remember is to pull your hair back into a ponytail and saturate the dry tail with your favourite cream rinse. Leave the conditioner in for a few hours while you move through your day. Then, wash and rinse as usual and re-apply your cream rinse according to instructions.

The deep saturation of a lengthy conditioning period helps the product seep into the inner shaft of the hairs, making your hair soft and manageable, while repairing the split ends. This technique is also ideal for colour-treated or sun-damaged hair.