I’ve just finished three teeny, tiny sample-sized beauty products and thought I’d give you a quick mini-review on each. I’ve had these in my makeup bag for a few weeks and have been taking them away with me on overnight stays at various places – please excuse the photograph, it’s actually quite hard to take pictures of things when the insides of the glass bottles are all oily!

So, from left to right, we have the Aromatherapy Associates “De-Stress” bath and shower oil. The full size is £37 here but you can get a smaller version as part of the “essentials” set, which is £23.50 here. I know that I harp on about these oils all the time, but I do find them to be properly effective – if I need a bit of a pick-me-up then I know that the Revive oils will do the trick. If I feel totally stressed and overwrought, then I turn to the De-Stress versions. The De-Stress Mind (there’s also one for body) is perfect for frequent travellers. I only use about half of a tiny capful at a time, you really only need a few drops to get the full effect. In fact, I find that if I use more than a capful, even the trial-size cap, it’s a little OTT and the oil coats the top of the water. So, although the full-size bath and body oil seems like quite expensive, it does last a very long time if you’re sensible with amounts.

In the centre of the photograph you can just about see a rather blurry empty mini of Nuxe’s Huile Prodigieuse, something that I never manage to spell correctly. Have I done it properly? I always miss off an i or add an extra letter… Anyway, Nuxe’s oil is not a new discovery, I’ve been using it for what must be coming up to a decade. It’s a real treat. You can get 50ml for £17 or 100ml for £28.30 here. This is a beautifully fragranced dry oil that leaves skin with a non-greasy sheen. Great to pep up your legs if you’re about to reveal them to the unsuspecting world after many months of having kept them under wraps! The reason I’m writing about this oil again, however, is that I found quite a good extra use for it: shaving! I was in a dodgy hotel and had forgotten to bring any shower gel – the only toiletries available in the room were some awful little soaps and I couldn’t bear the idea of having to squeak my razor over soapy skin! I used a very small amount of Nuxe oil on my legs and the razor slid over the skin like a dream. Really, really nifty little trick – and then I used the oil again once I had finished and dried off! I shall be re-filling the empty trial bottle for future travels…

Lastly, to the right, Douvall’s Argan Oil Cleanser. I adore the smell of this one, and I know very well that I shouldn’t really allow that to sway my opinion, but it does. It just makes cleansing into a more pleasant experience – an enjoyable ritual – if it appeals to more than one of the senses. This oil removes every last speck of makeup but doesn’t leave the skin feeling stripped or tight and you can use a few extra drops after cleansing as a moisturising treat. I actually find that I need very little moisturiser at all after using this cleanser, so it’s a great one for those who like to keep things simple when it comes to beauty routine. It’s £28 for 150ml at Harrods’ Urban Retreat and you can find it online at their Beautique: Free Samples With Every Order

I have a whole other stash of little samples that I’m testing out, so I’ll be back with another set of mini-reviews soon. Any requests?