Beauty is a huge part of my life and has been for as long as I can remember. God, that sounds vain! I don't mean it like that, it's just one of my earliest memories is going with my mum into Dingles of Plymouth (House of Fraser) and watching her have a consultation on the YSL counter. I remember how happy she was afterwards and how the lady seemed like her friend. I thought everyone just went into shops to get their friend to do their make up! My mum's signature scent is Opium, so I think that's why I always remember YSL, she may have visited other counters, but that one always sticks in my mind!
From then I was hooked on cosmetics departments. The products and packaging were exciting and enticing and the ladies looked beautiful but were ALWAYS (contrary to popular opinion) really friendly.
Now don't get me wrong, my mum didn't have me wearing makeup at 4 years old! In fact I wasn't allowed even mascara until I was 16. However when I was 12 I did get taken to the Body Shop (back when it was still owned by Anita Roddick, not L'Oreal) to get my first face wash, toner and moisturiser.
Maybe it was because I was introduced to the world of beauty so early but not allowed make up for so long that I, as I have gotten older, have developed an acute obsession with it.
I will shop for beauty products ANYWHERE, department stores, online, in boutiques like Space NK, on eBay, in supermarkets, Boots, Superdrug.. you name it, if they carry beauty products I will at least look!
Saying that I am selective in what I purchase and like to find out a lot about products before I do buy, even if it's a £6.99 mascara (cos that's a third of an Armani lipstick don't you know). And before the advent of the internet I was a magazine junkie. I would scour many monthly glossies (my fave being Glamour, which I still subscribe to now) for tips, opinions, reviews and also just photos of beautiful looks that I could try and recreate.
Now the internet has become such a prevalent tool in our daily lives I am a viral marketers dream. I am subscribed to over 100 beauty channels on YouTube, with I would say about 40 'Beauty Guru's' videos I watch on a regular basis. (However it is annoying that most are American so they review stuff I can't buy!) I also regularly visit a few key blogs (namely BritishBeautyBlogger, Temptalia.com, beautygeekuk.com, LondonBeautyReview and LondonMakeupGirl). I find that the freedom that vloggers and bloggers have to express their true opinions on products really affects my purchasing decisions. It's nice to know that someone has tried it before and rates a product rather than me spending my money on something which I end up hating and falls to the back of my (very large) make up drawer.
I hoard make up, so having people help me eliminate items from my prospective purchase list is a god send.
Having said that I hoard makeup, there are certain products that I just couldn't live without:
Philosophy's The Present makeup base. Without it my make up goes patchy as I have some dry bits (yuck flaky) and some oily bits (yuck shiny). The Present is like glue for my foundation, it also has Lavender oil in it (be careful some people may get increased sun sensitivity from the use of lavender oil on the skin, I recommend a patch test) which helps keep my spot prone skin a little under control.
Tom Ford Lip Colour in Blush Nude. It's excessively expensive, (£32 for a lipstick, come on now? You can tell I have a problem!) but it is undeniably beautiful. It is a universally flattering, conditioning, long wearing nude that doesn't make me look dead, or older than I am. The packaging is exquisite yet understated and elegant. It ticks all the boxes, except the price one, but I will never be without this lipstick. For years I've never understood women who get in a flap when their lipstick is discontinued. Now I know why. It's because I'd never found THE ONE. That one perfect lippy without whom your world would be a less beautiful place. Typical that I would pick such an expensive one. It was the lipstick I wore to my wedding and will be the lipstick I wear forever.
Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden: On the more price friendly end of the spectrum. Primer Potion gives your eyeshadows bang for their buck. It holds eyeshadows in place, prevents creasing but still allows your colours to blend beautifully. It can turn a £1 into the pigmentation and longevity of a much more expensive item. (Don't get me wrong price doesn't automatically make a product good - see Sleek Makeup - cheap but fantastic, or Chanel nail varnishes - chip like all hell) I like the Eden version as it's a little thicker but thats just personal preference. All the colour ways are fantastic, work on even the oiliest lid and I don't know what I did before Primer Potion.
What are your three indispensable products? Please comment below/
Now everyone has their own signature look, some are simple some are not, some are elegant, some are bright. Mine is Schhhhmokey. I cannot live without a smokey eye. I love them. Any colour smokey, purple, black, brown, green, gold. It doesn't matter, but it has to be smokey, with lots of eyeliner in the water and tight line. But that's just me. What's your signature look?
