School Run Make-up Essentials

One thing I always want to be on all my platforms (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter - come say Hi) is real. Yes I could do Instamakeup and pout and paint my entire house in Farrow & Ball Drainpipe, there's nothing wrong with that and I'd probably have a hell of a lot more followers. But that's just not me. My house is not Instagramable, it has old features, vom-proof carpet and half-painted rooms (til we fix the plumbing) and though I do sometimes like to trowel it on, my make-up is mostly quick, easy and as flattering as possible with a minimum amount of products.

Since Ned started school my complete inability to remove myself from my bed before 8am (I will grab whichever kid is screaming and retreat back under the duvet) has made me really focus in on what's important to get done in the 50 minutes I have to get everyone up and dressed and out the door*. Do I feel comfortable facing the school mums with no make-up on? No, I'd rather go in my pyjama's and, although I don't go in my pyjama's I do just shove on what I feel like wearing, what's close to hand, and what will fair well lying on the floor desperately re-building the bloody Lego Scooby Doo Mystery Machine while Jim shouts 'build it BUILD IT' or taking Jack to Monkey Music. Mostly this involves Hush joggers and a band t-shirt and I'm ok with that. If you are prone to The Misery you have to know when to give yourself a break and I'm ok with being the least fashionable person at drop-off - as long as I have some make-up on.

3 Ways to Use Cream Shadow Pencils

I use cream eye shadow sticks all the time. They are fast, simple and last all day. Here's three ways you can use them.

Most of these set pretty quickly so you have to be reasonably fast if you want to blend them out but one of the reasons I love these pencils is they last for ages, they don't dry out like cream shadow pots, you can just sharpen them and you are good to go.

Products:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil
Rimmel Scandal'Eyes
No7 Shade and Define
Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colour 
Rosie for Autograph Cream Eye Shadow Stick
Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon

Reviews:
Eye Shadow Pencils Spend or Save
Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colour
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils
Rosie for Autograph Cream Shadow Sticks

Quick and Easy School Run make-up

Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara

I try to keep negative views to a minimum because what might not work for me may be great for someone else but I hate it when good brands do something mediocre. And the new Troublemaker mascara from Urban Decay is mediocre at best.

Regular readers know I was a reluctant convert to the Urban Decay Perversion mascara (which it turns out I reviewed nearly exactly a year ago). I frankly find the make-up business's desire to name products 'sexily' completely wrong and ridiculous - this is not Urban Decay specific, loads of other brands do it, NARS and Too Faced to name but two. I was quite keen to try the Troublemaker mascara despite it announcing itself 'sex proof' (why Urban Decay? Why?) but god is it a big fat disappointment.

Dr Dennis Gross C + Collagen Deep Cream

Some brands I avoid like the plague, not because I've tried them and they don't work for me (Zelens) but because they're expensive and I'm worried they will work. This careful plan came crashing when a friend bought me a ticket for a Caroline Hirons event at Space NK in Kensington where she would be talking about the brand. The talk was great as was the goody bag and in it was a little pot of the C + Collagen Deep Cream. I tried it and now I'm hooked.

Moisturisers. They're a tricky beast. How much actually goes in? Do they make any difference at all. A lot of the time they are a soothing barrier to the outside world, all well and good but not something you should spunk your skincare budget on (that would be the serum). This has weedled it's way into my affections not only for what it does but for what it doesn't do.

For me a morning moisturiser is far harder to get right than a night time one. If I turn tomato red in my bathroom at 10pm I don't mind. If I have a burning face at 8.45am, precisely the time I'm supposed to be leaving to take Ned to school, that is a bad start to the day. So I'm careful. I used to use my Medic8 C Tetra in the mornings to help post-nightime retinol usage but that's on it's last drops so I vary between the Superdrug Naturally Radiant moisturiser (yet to be reviewed on here) and my trusty Origins Make Difference + Cream which is especially lovely in this cold weather. No I sparingly put this on and love it and it was my most missed product during my week away in Birmingham (doing my Level 2 Award in Facial Skincare).

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

This was supposed to be a review of something else but I thought I wouldn't start 2018 on a bad review so instead I'm going to tell you about the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop. Ideally I wouldn't review any product with the word 'Sumptuous' in the title but needs must.

I received this as part of a goodie bag from a Body Shop event with Alessandra Steinherr about 7 months ago. I wouldn't have chosen it for myself, Camomile in any form (especially tea) does nothing for me and though I do love a balm cleanser, this sat unlooked at in my skincare stash for quite a while. In fact it was only when I had a post-baby sensitivity flair-up (again!) that I thought I would give this a go. And I'm glad I did.

I really like that it comes in a tin, slightly annoying to put the lid on if you've got the cleanser on your hands but yay for no plastic and doesn't take up a lot of room in your washbag if you are travelling. Not sure how well this would do if it got really hot though - could leak.