Student Style: Effective Cleansing on a Budget

Bed-head hair can be in vogue; messy clothes can be classed as boho; but panda eyes are never a good look. If anything is a dead giveaway that you fell into the bed at 4am and rolled out of it only a few hours later, it’s failing to remove your makeup.

Far be it from me to preach to you, girls: we’ve all done it, but not taking off your slap before you sleep is one of the biggest beauty no-nos around. The thing about leaving your face on overnight is that it’s actually no fun at all for your poor pores. Considering that the skin around your eyes in particular is five-to-six times thinner than anywhere else on your face, it’s only being smothered if She Laq and the like don’t come off before bed – and sure, we can’t have that!

To encourage more of us to cleanse regularly, cheaply and properly – none of those evil makeup wipes now, ya hear? – try this super quick and affordable way to de-gunk before you doze. Take two minutes, tie back your hair and you’ll be fresh-faced in the leaba before you know it.

My Holy Grail product, Ovelle Aqueous Cream, €4.18, is a great cleanser. Just moisturising enough without being too heavy, gently lather a bit of this over your face and eyes with warm water. Splash it off and pat your face dry.

Chances are your eyes will be pandified at this stage – but have no fear, Coconut Oil is here, €4.59! Gently massaged into your eyes and removed with a cotton bud, this removes my high-end as well as cheaper mascaras, and leaves my skin lovely and soft.

My absolute favourite toner is rosewater: it doesn’t strip your skin, like nasty, harsh, alcohol-laden toners can, and is a delicate way to end your skincare regime. It’s also only €2.12 for a 200ml bottle at most chemists.