It goes without saying that beauty products have the power to transform us on the outside. Arguably more important, though, is the psychological boost they give us in terms of confidence and morale. Here’s how to turn your daily routine into a healing space with the best mood-boosting beauty products…

Find calm with aromatherapy oils
 
The quickest way to change your mood is through smell. So essential oils mean you quickly reap the mind-body benefits to boost relaxation and calm frazzled nerves. 
 
‘Studies have shown that essential oils are absorbed by smell receptors in your nose that are linked to the limbic system – the part of the brain controlling our emotional responses,’ says Dr Anna Persaud, a biochemist and CEO of This Works. ‘This, in turn, impacts heart rate, blood pressure and the nervous system.’
 
One of the simplest ways of using aromatherapy oils is via a rollerball.
 
‘Apply the rollerball to your wrists and on the palms. Cup your hands over your face and breathe deep for the count of five to help settle a whirring mind,’ says Noella Gabriel, president of spa brand Elemis, who recommends Elemis Life Elixirs Calm Perfume Oil. It features clary sage, an essential oil that is known to reduce muscle tension and is linked to the feel-good hormone dopamine.
 

Trouble sleeping? Pour a tablespoon of carrier oil (jojoba, grapeseed or coconut oil), add five drops of your favourite essential oil and swirl the concoction in your bath water. Or try Cowshed Sleep Cow Calming Bath Salts, which are infused with chamomile.
 

Get your ZZZ’s

A pre-blended pillow mist will also help to alleviate the catch-22 of sleeplessness: stressing about the fact that you haven’t drifted off to dreamland yet.
 
Most like This Works’ Deep Sleep Pillow Spray are built around lavender essential oil.

This purple flowering herb contains the compound linalool, which has a sedative effect,’ says Professor Tim Jacob, a neurologist from the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University.
 
‘Smelling it increases alpha waves in the frontal regions of the brain, encouraging you to relax.’
 
Numerous studies have shown that lavender has a physical effect, too. It has been found to reduce blood pressure and help the body to produce melatonin, the hormone that promotes restful sleep.
 
Get colourful with your make-up

Ask most women why they enjoy their morning make-up routine, and they’ll tell you it ‘sets them up for the day’. It can boost productivity for some, as studies have shown that wearing make-up while taking a test can lead to higher scores.
But colour is the main way that make-up can impact your mood. Generally speaking red is enlivening, so swipe on a lipstick such as Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Decisive Poppy  when you hit the 3pm slump. Meanwhile, blues and greens are soothing. So apply Shiseido Inkstroke Eyeliner in Shinrin Green if you want to serenely float through the day

Spritz on a feel-good perfume

Citrus scents including lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit are almost always used in the same sentence as ‘uplifting’.

‘Citrus scents revive us,’ says perfumer Roja Dove. ‘This is, in part, down to the fact that they smell fresh and also because the scent molecules are short lived. When you wear them, you experience the movement of lemon and orange molecules as they evaporate on your skin. That burst of energy is incredibly stimulating and uplifting.’

The best mood-boosting perfumes: