Self-care will forever be our favourite hobby but we appreciate that recharging and putting yourself first looks different for everyone. Each week, we'll be asking the celeb lot to share their ideal self-care Sunday routines, the hard-working beauty products they recommend to their friends and which TV show they're currently binging…
This week it's all about Sanam Harrinanan, a social worker from Bedford who heroically won Winter Love Island 2023. Despite entering the show as a Casa Amor bombshell, Sanam and fellow Islander Kai Fagan (a former PE teacher) quickly became #couplegoals and were loved for being genuine, adorable and staying well away from the drama.
So how are the pair doing now since leaving the villa?
"It's going really well actually," Sanam tells heat. "We recently posted about our first holiday together, so that was really cute. We did that around May, but we were finally allowed to post it, it was our first little couple's holiday. We got another one coming up in August, so it's going really cute, to be honest."
Sanam chats to heat about filming secrets, make-up ride-or-dies and her plans for the future...
On Love Island secrets
After years of watching the ITV2 show, which filming secret was most surprising to Sanam?
"I think probably the challenges. On-screen it's around ten minutes, in person, it's a couple of hours to fill. While doing it, I was like, 'So this is how it's all done, this is interesting.' Because obviously, it's a TV show, you've gotta get different angles, everyone's facial expressions, different shots. You don't really think about that when you're watching it. When you're doing a challenge it's not bam bam bam, it's like, 'Let's do this' and then, 'Hold on guys, let's get your reactions' so that was pretty surprising."
On self-care
What does the ultimate self-care Sunday look like for the star?
"Self-care to me is a mixture of things. I love a clean environment and wherever I'm staying has to be clean and tidy. I don't like dirt or dust or things just laying around on the floor. I love cleaning, I have to put stuff away in certain places. I love fresh bedding, love clean clothes. Once it's all done, I literally feel a satisfaction come over me and I feel like my life is all put together, it's amazing. Sometimes my life isn't put together but it makes me feel like that!"
"But then self-care is looking after my well-being as well. Going to the gym, eating healthy and going for walks - me and Kai go for lots of walks. Whenever we go on holiday, we love exploring and we do lots of hiking or walking around. All of that makes me feel really good and healthy.
"Then there is the third element which is the skincare and beauty side of it. Since doing Love Island, I've been doing lots of appearances and events and I wear so much make-up that I wouldn't normally wear, so I've had to up my skincare routine because I do care a lot about my skin and always have. That includes properly cleansing, exfoliating and using face masks."
On skincare
"I used to get spots, not majorly but I would pop them and they would leave scars on my skin. I would try all the drugstore products and I couldn't find anything that worked. I discovered this brand before going on Love Island and I don't hear many people talking about it, let me show you. [Sanam holds up the Facetheory Exaglow Serum] It's still de-branded from Love Island! It's the only product that's really helped clear up my scarring to the point where I'm now really happy to go out make-up free."
www.facetheory.com
"So what I do is wash my face with the Garnier Pure Active 3in1 Clay Mask-Wash-Scrub. Then after washing it off, I'd use the Facetheory Saliatica 2% BHA Exfoliant with a cotton pad to go over my skin and make sure I've got all my make-up off. Then I would go in with the Facetheory Exaglow Serum. I love this serum, it's changed my life, I kid you not."
On stealing beauty products from the villa
"I stole loads! I stole the No7 Future Renew Eye Serum which is so good. I stole an SPF from the villa because I never used to use one but recently I've been reading up on skincare and it's the number one rule. I also stole a Boots Vitamin C Brightening Eye Gel which I use during the day. I put it under my make-up and it's very cooling which I love. I also stole the Benefit The Porefessional Smooth Sip Moisturiser and the Benefit Porefessional Super Setter Spray."
On make-up for filming
"In the day, I don't think many of us wore make-up. At most, I would conceal under my eyes, fill in my brows and put mascara on, because in the day it was just too hot for make-up.
"I remember in Casa Amor, I came in with a full face of make-up on and I instantly regretted it so much. After that day, I was like, "No full face of make-up!"
In the evenings it would be a lot cooler, but not that cool. I think it's all about the setting spray and how you set your powder. A lot of us loved this powder in the villa, Claudia [Fogarty] actually introduced me to it, it's the Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Instant Setting & Blotting Powder. Whenever you're a bit shiny you can pat your face down with this and mattes you back up. It's honestly amazing. We were all using it in the villa."
On genius make-up tips
The girls get ready together every night on the show, so did Sanam learn any juicy tips along the way?
"So before I would sort of prime my face, but Rosie [Seabrook] taught me to put a setting spray prior to putting make-up on. I'm quite lucky that I don't have oily skin and my make-up doesn't tend to rub off, but when I tried it my make-up definitely set a lot better and it was overall clearer and smoother, so I'm loving that tip. At the moment I'm loving the Benefit Porefessional Super Setter Spray"
On budget beauty buys
"Prior to going into the villa, I was always a budget girl, always have been a budget girl. I would always go into drugstores because I wasn't willing to pay £50!
"Haircare is very important to me, my hair needs to feel soft and sleek. I can't have it feeling dry. I took the Pantene Repair & Protect Hair Oil into the villa. I get a lot of questions about my hair, everyone's like 'Your hair is so silky' and this serum is the reason.
www.boots.com
"I style my hair, squirt it into my hand, rub it in and put it all over my hair - it leaves my hair so shiny. It's really affordable and lasts you at least a month, depending on how much you need"
On wise advice
"Growing up I've always been taught, and even in my previous old job for younger people I've supported, I was always advocating that you need to make sure you are your best self before you can do anything else. I live by that. Since coming out of the villa, I am busy, I've got things here, there and everywhere and I'm travelling around. I always make sure I take the time to look after myself, whether that is lighting a candle and watching a movie, going to the gym, healthy eating and cleaning. Whatever it takes me to feel like the best version of myself, I will do that before doing anything else."
On using her platform for good
"I've got a campaign coming up, I don't think I can say who with but it's actually around helping women know more about their bodies with periods and stuff like that. So that's in the process of being finalised.
"I suppose for me, I want to use my platform to even educate or help other people in some sort of way. I recently did charity work for breast cancer and I knew nothing about breast cancer so I educated myself in it. I was then out there saying, 'Make sure you check your boobs, make sure you have a feel and if something doesn't feel right, go to the doctors.' I've learned so much more about my body along the way.
I recently did a campaign for adoption because I used to work in adoption and the aim of that was to recruit more adopters for the children who were waiting the longest to be adopted.
"For me, going forward it is more about just promoting and getting myself involved in campaigns I feel really passionate about and things that are really important for my followers to know about."
Quickfire round:
What show are you currently watching? Love Island, but here and there. I've recently started the series You, I'm very late to it, so no one come for me!
How do you like your cuppa? I love a caramel latte. It has to be milky and it has to be smooth.
Go-to loungewear brand? I normally chill in gym clothes, so Gymshark, because it's really comfy. I've also recently been gifted some lounge stuff from NA-KDand I love it.
Favourite face mask? I love a Simple Sheet Mask, they're so reasonably priced.
Go-to takeaway order? A Domino's pizza, I'm a meat feast girl!
Favourite candle? I love candles that smell like laundry, so fresh and clean.