Secret to gorgeous hair? Use conditioner before shampoo!

. . . and other ingeniously topsy-turvy beauty advice that really works

We’ve all been there. You’re getting ready for work or an evening out and realise you’ve missed a step.

Maybe you meant to put on sun protection before your make-up but forgot, or, having applied make-up, realise your skin could have done with a face mask.

The good news is that exciting new technologies are turning traditional beauty regimes on their heads.

Forget the old-fashioned way of doing things, there’s a whole range of products promising you can condition your hair before you shampoo it, apply fake tan after make-up, and even put on body moisturiser before you get out of the shower. But do they work as well? We put them to the test.

REVERSE YOUR REGIME FOR THICKER HAIR

ReveRse hair washing — using conditioner before shampoo — has been a trend for a while. Devotees claim it leaves hair shinier and fuller.

PRODUCT: Tresemmé is the first mass-market brand to create products specifically designed to be used in this order, with their Beauty-Full volume Reverse system Pre Wash Conditioner and shampoo (£4.99 each, superdrug.com).

‘We knew many women who want volume shy away from conditioning products that weigh hair down,’ says Peter Bailey, of unilever, the maker of Tresemmé.

Their solution is a conditioner designed to leave ‘polishing actives’ on hair, before using a shampoo that ‘washes away the weight of the conditioner but not the softness’.

VERDICT: I followed the instructions — conditioner first, concentrating on the ends, wait for a minute, then rinse and shampoo. The combination left my hair volumised and soft.

But the good news is I’m not convinced you need specifically designed shampoo and conditioner — simply switch the order of your usual products.

FACE MASKS AFTER FOUNDATION

FACe masks used to be a weekly ritual — something you did on a pampering night in — but the creation of the sheet mask that you can use after

your make-up? It sounds ridiculous. PRODUCT: Charlotte Tilbury’s Instant Magic Facial Dry sheet Mask (£18, charlottetilbury.com) is a dry mask that uses revolutionary technology, developed by Canadian brand Nannette de Gaspe, to impregnate vitamins, floral extracts, peptides, oils and butters into your skin. As it’s dry, it can be used over the top of a fully made-up face.

VERDICT: The mask has loops that you hook over your ears so it stays in place. It’s comfortable and feels soft, but you’d never guess it was capable of transforming your skin in 15 minutes. After using it, my skin felt soft, but not greasy, fine lines were smoothed and any dry skin disappeared. My makeup looked fresher, too.

MOISTURISE IN THE SHOWER

I KNOW I should use moisturiser or body lotion daily, but my morning routine is such a scramble, the last thing I want to do when I’ve dried off is to ply my body with cream and wait for it to sink in before getting dressed.

PRODUCT: sanctuary spa Wet skin Moisture Miracle (£8,

boots.com) is a body cream designed to be applied to wet skin. sanctuary is owned by the makers of fake tan brand st Tropez. It claims the cream — applied to wet skin — locks in twice the moisture, up to twice as fast as regular creams.

VERDICT: Apply to wet skin as soon as you turn off the shower. The formulation — thinner than a cream, thicker than a lotion — was easily applied, then I dried myself as usual. No stickiness, soft skin and a subtle perfume.

SERUM TO SEAL IN SUPER SKIN

seRuMs have been hailed as the answer to almost any skincare woe. With a lighter, thinner consistency than creams and higher levels of active ingredients, the idea is that they are the workhorses of any skincare regime.

PRODUCT: u.s. cosmeceutical brand DCL has created Hydra Boost Finishing serum (£98, space

nk.com), a superhydrating hyaluronic acid-based gel applied on top of other treatment products to enhance benefits.

VERDICT: I tried using this over make-up, but it didn’t really work — it felt sticky and, when I tried to rub it in, started to peel off my make-up. However, using it on top of my moisturiser seemed to super-charge its effect, leaving my skin glowing.

SUN TAN LOTION ON TOP OF MAKE-UP

We’Re told we should reapply sun cream every couple of hours for full protection against harmful, ageing rays — impossible if you’ve got a full face of make-up. But that’s where the new sprays come in.

PRODUCT: Try Bioderma’s Hydrabio Moisturising Anti-uv Mist sPF30 (£6.75, landyschemist.

com), La Roche-Posay Anthelios Anti-shine Invisible Fresh Mist spray sPF50 (pictured, £11.90, escentual.com), or Garnier Ambre solaire sensitive Advanced Face Mist sPF50 (£6, boots.com).

VERDICT: I love the idea of these protectors, but there are subtle differences. The Bioderma isn’t an aerosol, so you get more of a spritz — great for a hot day — while the Ambre solaire and La Roche-Posay products gave a matte, weightless finish, which works well over make-up. It isn’t the most effective way of applying protection, but it’s far better than wearing none at all.