It’s freshers week this week, and we’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic over at Escentual HQ. Gone are the days when we could get away with staying in bed until the afternoon and living off takeaways – one thing we don’t miss, though, is our pretty rubbish student grooming routines. We’ve had a think about the sorts of  advice we wish we’d been given when we were just starting out as uni students, and here’s what the Escentual team has come up with…

My Grooming advice: One of my essentials would be Klorane Make Up Remover Wipes for those mornings when in my drunken state the night before I hadn’t quite mastered taking off my makeup! The second one would probably be Vichy Lumineuse Tinted Moisturiser Normal/Combination Skin just for the ease of moisturising and having a bit of coverage so even though my skin was worn out and tired it didn’t show it (too much anyway!)

My Grooming Advice: My essential back-to-uni beauty products: Definitely Klorane Dry Shampoo for all of those mornings I woke up late – I relied far too much on hats to hide my bad hair days. Investing in one effective multi-purpose skincare and haircare product like the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse would have been far more cost efficient than spending my pennies on lots of different skin moisturisers and hair products.

My Grooming Advice: Always carry a comb like the Mason Pearson Tail Comb in your bag, and hairspray and gel are a must for nights out. They were essential for me in uni as I needed to groom my long locks!!

My Grooming Advice: My essential back-to-uni beauty products: Micellar Waters are a must. If you’re feeling too lazy (or too drunk) to cleanse properly these waters are a god-send. Simply splash on some cotton wool, and wipe off the dirt and make-up. Also, keep a good lipbalm like Jack Black Intense Therapy on you at all times – everyone needs one! Your lips work extra hard at uni, whether chatting, drinking or sharing the odd kiss!

My Grooming Advice: My essential back-to-uni beauty products: The awakening Roger & Gallet Citron Shower Gel  gets rid of the overindulgence of the night before. Some sort of reworkable hair product if the alarm didn’t wake me up showering wasn’t an option. Some Vichy Homme 24hr Deodorant in case I never made it home after the night before…

My Grooming Advice: Suntan lotion for those long ‘revision’ sessions in the park. Roll on deodorant on presentation days or for lectures with lecturers who loved asking lots of questions. Some decent shaving gel like the Lab Series Comfort Shave Gel – used to use it sparingly to save money!

My Grooming Advice: Whilst at university to make rushing to that 9am lecture so much easier, I would never be without my hair wax as I could store one in my bag at all times. The other essential item in my university survival kit was Hugo Boss Boss Bottled Shower Gel. When showering in the mornings it was a really good shower gel but reminded me of being at home too!

My Grooming Advice: Eyeliner and concealer – even if I didn’t have time to do a whole face of make up in the morning, these two made the most difference in how I looked, especially after a late night! Also the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturising Stick, because it’s autumn so you have to take care of your lips!