'I'm a beauty editor. Here are 6 products I tell my friends to ditch and the ones to try instead.'

As someone who's job literally revolves around beauty, there's nothing I froth over more than handing out unwarranted skin, hair and makeup advice to anyone that'll listen.

While the postman is a hard nut to crack, my friends love (tolerate) hearing all about the best products I've tested, the insane TikTok trends I've tried (ahem... that time I put lube on my face) and the best techniques I've pilfered from all the industry's experts.

Watch: While you're here, check out this nifty hack for beautifully pout lips. Post continues below.

And if there's one thing I've realised when talking to my friends about beauty, it's that when it comes to what I put on my face, a lot has changed over the past few years.

So, I'm going to share some of the advice I give my friends when they ask me what to use.

It's fun. (Hopefully) useful. And... gasp!... maybe a little pervy.

A note before reading further: Just remember that beauty is very much a 'you do you' space and while a certain product might be a hard no for me, that doesn't mean it isn't someone else's absolute go to. So, y'know — each to their own, yeah?

Below, you'll find six of the products I've ditched — and the ones I've replaced them with. 

Ditch: Full-coverage concealers.
Replace with: Colour correctors.

Okay, so full-coverage concealers just don't work for my skin anymore. In fact, I'm pretty sure they never have. How awkward.

I've always found the whole concealer game really hard? The coverage always looked either too heavy and chalky or the formula just did a really shabby job of covering my undereye area.

But then I finally discovered colour correctors — and for the love of lactic acid. WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG.

These kinds of formulas camouflage and neutralise the undertones of my eye area with ease, making me look fresh and awake. 

A lot of my friends get confused when it comes to colour correctors, so I always suggest Bobbi Brown Corrector Stick, $57. It's so easy to use and works a treat for dark circles.

Ditch: Eyeshadow palettes.
Replace with: Cream eyeshadow.

I'm over eyeshadow palettes. There, I said it. I have been for a while. Specifically, those huge ones with eleven thousand different options. 

It can get overwhelming and time-consuming — and sometimes you just want... simple.

Instead, I like to use creamy formulas that blend effortlessly and are super quick and easy to use.

For my friends who always bang on about how they're not good with eye makeup, I always suggest getting on board individual liquid and cream eye shadows that you can simply swipe and blend with your finger. It's a real cinch and there are so many great individual formulas out there.

The best part? You're not wasting money on a huge palette when you only really use, like, four of the shades.

I have a bunch of favourites, including Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes, $42, Revlon Colorstay Creme Eyeshadow, $14.95 and Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise, $44.

Ditch: Full-coverage foundation
Replace with: Glow-giving formulas.

Obviously this one depends on individual skin types and concerns. But the one thing I'm sure of is that my skin doesn't like being covered in heavy formulas. Not even a tiny bit.

It tends to cling to dry patches, feels like I'm wearing a mask, and doesn't... blend. Quite a few of my friends have a similar skin type as me (dry, b**chy), so I've encouraged them to ditch those heavy, matte formulas for good.

Instead, it's all about luminous, sheer foundation or skin tints. 

If you're looking for some good options, check out Morphe 2 Hint Hint Skin Tint, $28, Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint Foundation, $46 and Ciaté London Dewy Skin Glass Glow Skin Tint, $49.

Ditch: Spot treatments.
Replace with: Red light therapy.

Breakouts when you're an adult suck. And they can be annoyingly hard to treat — especially when you're dealing with a whole host of other issues (hey, fine lines and wrinkles). 

It's a skin concern that's different for everyone, so it can be confusing working out why TF you suddenly have them.

Is it the weather? The products we're using? Hormones? A combo of all three? WHO KNOWS.

A dermatologist, probably.

In any case, whenever a big ol' shiner pops up, chances are you reach for one thing: A spot treatment.

You'll probably pop it on, wait for it to dry out and just... disappear. But more often than not, that monster ends up hanging around for a whole week. And, oh, is that another spot right beside it? Good.

The issue here is that you end up treating what's already on the surface when you should actually be concentrating on preventing breakouts as a whole. 

As an expert once told me, once a pimple is visible, then there's deep infection and inflammation, which is only minimally impacted by skincare. 

So, whenever my friends ask me for the best spot treatment, I tell them to hit the red light therapy. LED masks can be spendy — but there are some really affordable options out there, too. 

I use Omnilux Clear LED Mask — which is a full face mask specifically for breakouts. This treatment goes for 10 minutes. I also use a handy little Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Spot Treatment pen — you hold it over the top of your spot for two minutes. 

Both of these use a combo of blue and red light to target breakouts and make them heal quicker, tackling bacteria and reducing inflammation.

Ditch: Matte lipsticks.
Replace with: Hydrating lip tints and oils.

So many of my friends struggle with the same thing as me: Perpetually dry lips. That's why many of them find matte formulas too drying, and prefer something hydrating.

The good news? These days, you don't have to choose one or the other. There are so many hydrating, nourishing formulas out there that keep your lips moisturised, while offering a hint of colour and shine.

So, yes. I tell them that it's all about hydrating balms and lip oils moving forward.

Some of my favourites include: Clinique Almost Lipstick in Pink Honey, $42, MCoBeauty Lip Oil Hydrating Treatment, $12 and Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss $48.00

Ditch: Heavy hair masks.
Replace with: Hair serums and oils.

Are you a hair mask girl? Because I've recently entered the world of hair serums and oils, and I gotta tell you, it sure beats standing in the shower for ten minutes, waiting to rinse out your hair.

The new generation hair care brands have realised that taking care of your hair shouldn't feel hard or involve 25 steps. And because most of my friends are fellow lazy gals/busy mums who don't have time for the old rinsing, washing, re-rinsing situation, I recommend some of the next generation hair treatments on the market.

Those lightweight leave-in serums and oils honestly make taking care of your hair so much easier. And if it's easier, then you're more likely to actually do it, right?

A couple of my go-tos include Olaplex No. 9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum, $54, and MOROCCANOIL Original Oil Treatment, $74,95.

Want to hear more from Erin Docherty? You can follow her on Instagram.

Okay, I showed you mine - so tell me, what are some products you've ditched and replaced in recent years? Post continues below.

Feature image: Supplied/Canva/Omnilux, Sephora, Charlotte Tilbury.