When Sam Farmer went to buy deodorant for his teenage daughter Emily, he was appalled by what he found. "Rows of pink, phallic cans, sickly sweet and called things like Entice, Tease and Sinful. Some even featuring the Playboy bunny," he says. His son, meanwhile, was offered macho grey bottles of "Total Control" and "Team Force". So infuriated was Farmer by the shameless sexual stereotyping, cheap scents and highly chemical formulas that he decided to design his own unisex products for young people.

A two-year course in cosmetics science later (and having teamed up with former bigwigs at Ren and Kiehl's), he's launched Sam Farmer the brand. The products make no elaborate, unsubstantiated claims. They're neither organic nor unscented (they smell subtly of white tea, which proved equally popular with boys and girls), and don't attempt to be down with the kids. I've had a teen boy and girl testing for the past month, and both are demanding top-ups. It's all fairly priced, from £4 for the very good, low-aluminium deodorant to £8 for a lovely, sulphate-free face wash.

Sali loves… black liners

Topshop Grunge Stick in Unkempt, £7

Technically a shadow stick, but looks brilliant in a smudgy line along upper and lower lashes. It's incredibly easy to apply, too – the softness of the line renders mistakes undetectable.

Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'n' Kohl in Bedroom Black, £19

This is so clever. It combines the true-black, opaque finish of a liquid with the manageability and easy application of a pencil. It looks fantastic with plenty of smoky shadow and a nude gloss.

Lancôme Artliner in Noir, £20

I keep trying hyped-up new eyeliner pens, then feeling disappointed that they're not as good as this. It's the best pen I've found for clean, precision flicks: darkest black, long-lasting and easy to apply.

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