My Life as a writer - When I'm not scribbling

When I watch beauty Vlogs on YouTube or read a beauty blog I am always surprised by how many people brand hop.  When I first started wearing make-up as a child it was about what colour you liked - it was the 80's and I was around seven so blue eyeshadow made sense.   Once I hit my teens and my skin started breaking out and becoming more sensitive I tended to go for the products aimed at my age and skin type - Clearasil anyone? But then as I left school and all that baggage behind me I moved on to more luxury brands that matched my skin. I remember experimenting with brands including Clinque and Dior which just didn't work for me, before settling on Lancome, which I used for around ten years.  Ten years is a long time to be loyal to a product and it wasn't just one product either. I used the whole range, from skin car through makeup everything I had was Lancome - why?  Well at the time I started using it, being brand loyal was a bonus. Your skin care and makeup were tail

Okay, I know right now it hardly feels like summer - I'm still wearing jumpers and a coat!  But I do have some summer make up loves that I wanted to share. My first is the Clarins Lip Oil, this has been out for a while but there is a new flavour out now called Red Berry which I'm loving.  I leaves my lips with a light reddish tint, feel gloriously rich when putting it on and last ages.   My lips which can sometimes feel dry especially at the moment as the temperature is all over the place feel moisturised and soft when using this.  one bottle (0.23 fl oz) is lasting me around three months.  At £19 this may seem a bit excessive for a lip balm but it does go a long long, gives a great summer shine and tastes lovely.  The sponge applicator is soft and swipes the product on evenly and doesn't leave a sticky residue. My second Clarins product is the Summer bronzing compact.  I've been using this for the last two months to give a subtle glow, partly to convince my very

Life is hectic, stressful and chaotic, it can play havoc with your skin, your health and your general wellbeing.  Sometimes you just have to say stop and take a little time for yourself to give your body a treat and recharge your batteries for the days/weeks ahead. After going through periods of stress and anxiety I found that taking some time to have a mini pamper session could lift my mood, help my skin and lower my stress levels.  I try at least once a week to give myself a mini pamper session to relax and refocus my mind. This is currently my pamper routine; As we move in to Spring I'm exfoliating my skin with Calcot Manor Body salts, this is refreshing my skin and leaving it feeling smooth after months of being hidden under long sleeves and jumpers. I apply to damp skin using a circular motion starting at the feet and working my way up. CALCOT MANOR SCRUB I then shower off the salts which do leave a bit of oil on the skin, I tend to follow up with Treacle Moon

The clocks have gone forward, the mornings are nights are growing lighter and the weather is supposed to improve - maybe!  To prepare for the change in season I paid a visit to my local Clarins counter.  I love the Clarins team at House of Fraser, they have been amazing with me since I went in for advice last summer.   I have really sensitive skin, I can be fine with a product for a few days and then suddenly my skin reacts to it or I can try something and within seconds my skin reacts.  It can be a bit of a nightmare, I would love to be someone who can pick up any product and use it without a second thought but that's just not the way my skin is.   It's refreshing to find a brand that takes your concerns on board and isn't always looking for the sale which is why Clarins is my go to range of the moment.  Having been in earlier in the year I called my adviser Katherine and booked an appointment to test out foundation and concealer colours.   I attended for my

As we move towards spring, not that it currently feels like it’s anywhere near with all the white snow outside my window, I checked my make box to see what I might need to refresh.   Following a cold but not bitter winter I’m almost out of moisturiser so I booked a facial with the Clarins team to assess my skin needs.   Spring Cleaning my Make Up Kit  As my skin is extremely sensitive to new products sessions like this allow me to talk to a professional about my skin care routine and try products to ensure I have no reaction before I buy.    My advisor was great and we had a lengthy discussion about my skin before she started. For the facial she used One Step Cleanser  Eye Make Up Remover  Hydra Quench Mask Double Serum  Ever Mat Foundation 105 I had been using Multi Active Day and Night Cream for around three weeks by this point and we agreed this was still the right cream for me.   We did however decide that my foundation had become a tad da

Tis the season, for chaffing wind, chapped lips and flushed cheeks from the warmth of the central heating! So, as the weather grows colder, strangely not as cold as you would expect for early December my beauty routine shifts up a notch. I have sensitive skin at the best of times and it really lets me know when it doesn't like a product, in the winter even more so. Generally day to day I work in a office or in my home office.  My day job can put me in the way of dust, water on occasion smoke and other pollutants.  I also go to the gym which is heavily air conditioned and walk my dog in the cold, wind and rain. So by the end of the day my skin is in need of TLC. Currently my brand of choice for skin care is Clarins, I find in the winter especially it soothes and repairs my skin without causing me too much excess oil or sensitivity. This winter my skin routine includes Double Serum  Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs  Toning Lotion with Camomile   Instant Eye Make U

Now, I’ve told you about my makeup journey, I used to use make up as a mask now I tend to use it to enhance my features.   I’m no longer afraid of being seen without make up, but I do prefer to have a paired down routine rather than no makeup at all when I’m nipping out somewhere.   Currently I’m overhauling my makeup bag, chiefly because of my sensitivity I need to know what’s out there that works for me.   Over the last two years or so I’ve altered my diet – I still eat too many cakes and biscuits but I tend to eat a lot more veg, and even grow it myself.   I also try to eat more Organic food products as I find them more palatable and I find I feel better eating more cleanly.   Mind you I still indulge so I’m not a complete saint but I try to find a balance between the two! Anyway, looking at my organic eating I decided I’d try and find something more Organic for my skin.   So I started with Clarins skin care and I’m glad to report I’ve had no reactions to their skin care.