I reckon I’ve had more make-up free days in the past few weeks than any other time in my adult life. 

 

I’ve always loved make up and wear it most days. It’s part of my identity and I wear it for me, not for anyone else. I like the way it changes my appearance. 

I actually find the process of applying it quite meditative. My full routine takes me about twelve minutes and that’s the full works: foundation, eye make-up, lipstick, the lot. I play around with colour on my eyes but mainly stick with the same application process. 

 

I have a 3-minute version and a 5-minute version too – it depends on what I’m doing that day. This is what I’m sticking to more and more these days – very light, just a couple of products yet still adding a bit of definition to my features. 

If I were going ‘out out’ in the evening, then I’d make my eye makeup more dramatic.  

For other occasions when I need it be long lasting then I’ll take more time and apply it, in layers, so it lasts all day without needing to be reapplied. 

Whether you love it, hate it or fall somewhere in between, there’s no denying the fact that make-up can help some of us feel more confident. 

 

I often find, though, that many women would like to wear make-up but aren’t sure how to apply it. They feel intimidated by the store assistants and don’t want to ask for advice or sit on a stool in the middle of a busy store while they have several layers applied – a primer for this, a primer for that, etc. 

One of these things was to update my make up video tutorials and online course as, although the content is still totally relevant, I look different and that makes them look old. The main difference is my hair – I recorded most of the videos before I embraced the seenager highlights. 

 

Also, and this is REALLY interesting, my skin looks so much smoother and radiant now than it did a few years ago. I put this down to a change in my skin care routine and using the lovely Tropic products. A few years ago, I wouldn’t even put the bin out without a full face on whereas now I’m happy to share selfies on my social media of my make up free fizzog. 

 

More so these past few weeks of lockdown and I’ve been showing up on camera with my 3 minutes make up routine on instead of my full face – which takes me 12 minutes by the way. 

 

My first true love was make up. I have always been interested in make-up from a very early age. I once went to brownies with a black eye that I’d created from my mum’s purple eyeshadow. Brown owl humoured me, and I felt so proud that I’d fooled her with my applications skills. 

 

I’m ashamed to say that I got pulled up for shoplifting make up in Woolworths when I was at primary school. My dad used to take me and sister into town on a Saturday morning, we’d go to the library and then the, market for fruit and veg; this particularly time was when we were allowed to look around the shops on our own while dad did the market run. 

How different do I look without the finishing touch of eyebrows that frame my face? I think without them I look a bit odd and unfinished. 

 

I also think my eyebrows are an indicator of my age if they are left au naturel. Why is this? You may also be in the same boat – many of us are.... 

 

Eyebrows have their own styles and follow trends in fashion -I have over plucked them in the past and they have just simply stopped growing. I get the odd stragglers that need plucking out but they are distinctly lacking in length. The outer third of my eyebrows just don’t grow any more. (Apparently, this can also be an indicator of thyroid issues – not in my case though.)  

 

Therefore, my pale insignificant eyebrows hark back to days when it was fashionable to have them relatively thin, this in turn gives away my age. Have a look around, there will be women with sparse over plucked eyebrows and they will probably be in their late 40’s and early 50’s. 

 

Another eyebrow age giveaway is the fact that they start to grow longer and thicker! (Possibly with the odd grey one sneaking in.) If this is happening to you, you might want to think about getting them trimmed with a pair of nail scissors next time you are having a tidy up with the tweezers. Brush them upwards first and notice how long they are – you might be surprised. 

How do I choose foundation? 

 

There are so many different types of foundation to choose from where do you start? 

 

3 Main Things to consider: 

 

1) Price - how much are you prepared to pay? 

 

This will determine where you start your search and the brands you might look at. E.G if you don't want to spend more than £15 there is no point going to the 'scary lady' counters. Also, bear in mind however helpful the sales assistants are their job is to SELL. They are probably going to recommend all kinds of complementary products that you 'need' to make your foundation last longer, appear smoother etc. These things might be nice to haves but aren't essential. 

 

2) Coverage - light or heavy? Matte or dewy? 

 

Try a tiny bit of tester on the back of your hand and see how it covers your skin. How smoothly does it glide? As a generally rule the heavier coverage foundations don't glide as smoothly as the lighter ones and will have more 'stickability'. Check the finish in the light to see if the finish is matte or dewy - dewy will generally appear a lighter finish. Does it need a powder to set it? This is adding another step into your routine.