HARDWORKING BEAUTY

When it comes to beauty, I’ve always been a big believer in making the most of nature’s hydrators. I sleep with a pint of water by my bed each night and, a few months ago, I gingerly stepped into the world of oils. And I haven’t looked back. Having tried and tested a few, I’ve come to the conclusion that, thanks to its nourishing properties, coconut oil is a fully-fledged wonder product and one of the most hardworking multi-taskers. When looking for a coconut oil there are certain criteria to satisfy: cold-pressed, extra virgin and organic are all crucial buzzwords to keep an eye out for, as it’s an indication all the natural goodness has been preserved. Enter Vita Coco’s Coconut Oil. It quickly cloaks a room in its sweet-smelling aromatic scents and can be used for virtually anything.

Skin | Face, body, dry elbows, knees and shins… slathering it on liberally nourishes the body inside and out.

Hands, Nails & Cuticles | As the days draw in and become increasingly cold, skin exposed to the elements needs a little extra help. Hands especially will suffer dryness after washing. Try it as an alternative to hand cream.

Make-up remover | It’s rarely covered in magazines and on blogs in comparison to putting make-up on, but I’m always intrigued to know how people get their make-up off. Even the lightest coat of mascara can result in left-over dark smears under the eye and the look is not a good one. Coconut oil is also my new go-to for this. Bid farewell to panda eyes for good.

Using it to whiten teeth (yes really), as a hair treatment (apply before bedtime) and as a lip balm all fall within its remit too. Low on effort, high on results is a big tick in my box. Especially as I will soon have a puppy in tow, which is set to diminish my already short morning routine even further.

This hamper of survival goodies has been rustled up by the gurus at Vita Coco to celebrate London Fashion Week. While I won’t be making an appearance this year – instead a late summer holiday will see me exploring the sunny shores of Mykonos – I know all of these will come in handy for general on-the-go beauty.

Vita Coco is clearly one step ahead in anticipating all the pitfalls fashion weekers might stumble upon. For instance hair ties. I’ve got quite a lot of hair so find it beyond annoying when I can’t scrape it back off my face. For this reason I’ve actually become quite good at holding onto one hair tie and these Invisibobble ones are worth being protective of. They not only stop lines in your hair and prevent split ends, but actually create a great bouncy ponytail too. Coconut Top Coat nail varnish is also a genius addition. I like colour-free nails and wearing a coat of this on its own makes for a more polished look (excuse the pun). Plus the flat brush means it's super easy to apply (I struggle hugely with my left hand). Vita Coco has also designed its very own nail stickers to celebrate Fashion Week and the designs are amazing – watermelons, flip-flops, ice creams… While I’ll admit nail stickers aren’t my thing I’ve loved the recent revival of temporary tattoos, so I’ve taken to creating a bit of body art with them instead – and I’ve even used them to embellish the top of my writing paper.

The stack of Vita Coco Natural Coconut Water and Café Lattes – if you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen I’m regularly clutching one or the other when I’m on the move – are crucial for keeping energy levels up, staying naturally hydrated and giving skin a healthy glow. And, for end-of-the-day skincare, sponges by Konjac are the new find I’m most excited about. They’re brilliant for wiping away built-up grime from the day and give skin a big bath time kiss. Konjac is a pH neutral plant, which helps to balance skin. The sponges gently exfoliate, draw out impurities, tighten pores and revive tired-looking skin.

And that wooden crate…