I've also been having a great time with my friends (a particularly memorable trip to Berlin) instead of hiding away, monging out to the computer monitor's lists of jobs allegedly available.
I've realised that it's really important not only to keep yourself occupied, but to keep yourself on show! If you literally put yourself out there, then people might go, "Yo, Skim...you're always about! Not complaining, but don't you have a job or something??" To which I respond, "I don't actually! Couldn't keep your ear to the ground for me by any chance? Looking to go to a creative agency, magazine, TV station... If you hear of something, let me know. I'm up for anything." This has got to get the ball rolling...
Unsurprisingly, I have also been immersing myself in the beauty world...my source of comfort and guiltless pleasure...
You know you've got your cleansing routine right when you automatically load your finger up with concealer, peer in the mirror to focus on the usual problem zones and ... have no target to hit! Er...there must be somewhere I need to put this? I can't waste it! Come on, look closer, there's always somewhere to put this magic eraser of a concealer... but I actually think "I don't need it today!! I DON'T BLOODY WELL NEED IT TODAY!!!!!!" And I cannot believe the even tone of my skin. In this spiky cold weather, it's usually constantly flakey around the nose tip and between the brows. It also tends to be dull. Not even rosy from the cold most of the time.
This is the time of year I browse all new products that contain the words 'Dull' 'Dry' 'Repair' 'Rescue' and so on. The way it looks at the moment is, normal. Normal! How fabulous to have normal skin at the moment. It definitely adds to the Bank of Confidence, by making you less distracted by anyone peering into the state of your skin.
Without further ado, I must now share the routine and the products I love.
CLEANSE & REMOVE
To clean make-up off the face and eyes, I favour a creamy cleanser that you remove using a steamy hot muslin cloth. There's a whole selection of them available and these are my favourites as they smell divine and take off my favourite Estée Lauder Double-Wear Eyeliner Pencil in Onyx.
1. pai Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser 100ml £25 - Smells out-of-this-world and it comes with a cloth. You can also get a Trial Size 5ml for £4. www.paiskincare.com
2. Barefoot botanicals Rosa Fina Creamy Face Wash 100ml £13.56 - It's got gorgeous rosa mosqueta oil, calendula, mallow and dead sea salts in it...it's the current fave. www.barefoot-botanicals.com
3. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish 100ml pump starter kit £13 - Lily Allen introduced this to me at school over 10 years ago, and it really helped my highly sensitive spotty skin calm down. It's gone on to win many awards in the beauty industry. www.uk.lizearle.com
4. Eve Lom Cleanser 100ml £48 - Vogue say, "This is probably the best cleanser in the world." I have to say, it's a serious luxury product. A treatment that a modern day Cleopatra would start and finish her day with. www.evelom.com
TONE & EXFOLIATE
I never used to bother with a toner. The last time I dabbled with toner was when I was in my early teens with super-sensitive problem skin that I used to scrub to death, thinking that was how I was going to get rid of my spots. My grandmother took me to the Clinique counter and got me the 3-Step programme. I then bought the 7-Day Scrub Cream to go along with it as I was completely obsessed with trying to scrub out my lumpy skin. What I didn't think about was that the Clarifying Lotion was exfoliating my skin, so along with the scrub, I was ending up with a raw, tight complexion. Annoyed, I gave my 3-Step programme away to a grateful friend. Kept the scrub though! I was put off toner forever after that...until recently. I discovered that my facial skin is sensitive to grainy exfoliators so I stopped using them and my skin became less in need of repair. However I still had visible congestion in the T-Zone. Whilst travelling through an airport in the Summer, I picked up a bottle of Clinique Clarifying Lotion to test. It's a liquid exfoliator that gently refines the pores and skin surface. All beauty junkies know this product.
I'm exceedingly happy to report that the twice daily use of this has made all the difference to my skin's appearance. It's the only strong product I use on my skin, but it keeps my nose, chin and forehead so smooth and kissable that I can't rave about it enough!!! These days, the Clarifying Lotion comes in multiple strengths so no one skin type is left out.
Available Worldwide from £14
TREAT/NOURISH/PROTECT
I've always been a massive fan of Crème de La Mer when I'm feeling rich, or when I have an almighty "F**k It!" moment. Neither of which I've felt or had for a good long while. My "F**k It!" moments these days, stretch as far as a local Japanese dinner or a taxi down the length of Holloway Road if the bus has taken over 15 minutes of the Countdown's promised 7 minutes, and it's too freezing to bear any second longer.
Not being able to afford Crème De La Mer is quite exciting though, as it's an excuse to scour Space NK, Selfridges, Liberty and local Health & Wellbeing stores for something better and cheaper. I read recently that Anya Hindmarch was widely condemned when she was quoted as saying, "I quite like a recession, weirdly". What she meant was that it forces her to dig deep into her creative mind and produce things she didn't know she had in her. In this respect, I totally get it. It makes you go in a different direction and there's a high possibility of you finding something out that ends up being very beneficial indeed.
1. Shu Uemura Depsea Moisturizing Cream 50ml £39 - this is deeply nourishing and normalising. It's silky without being sticky (I hate sticky!), comforting and fresh. It comes with a spatula that allows you to measure out the correct amount without touching it. It lasts a long time too. Melts into skin and a great application base. www.spacenk.com
2. Barefoot botanicals Rosa Fina Secret Essence 15ml £21.56 - this shizz is the bollox. An award-winning wonder product that delivers what it promises. I massage 4 drops of this into my face and neck at night and wake up with better looking skin every day. I also add 1 or 2 drops to my moisturiser in the morning if I've been out late, or need the extra protection against harsh weather. It's a absolute dream and 100% natural. www.barefoot-botanicals.com
PERFECTORS & CORRECTORS
After boasting about my normal skin, I must explain that it doesn't mean that this is the end of the make-up road for me...ho no! This Winter, I cannot step out of the door without my sooty eye make-up, creamy skin, defined brows and balmed lips. By 'creamy', I mean glowy and opaque in texture of all tones. So here, I give you my Winter Favourites for creamy skin:
Make-Up Forever HD Foundation - for flawless, real-looking skin that photographs like perfection. I bought mine from Sephora in the states in April and haven't even gotten halfway through. You need a pea-sized amount, patted and blended from the middle of the face, outwards. Try to leave the top half of your forehead free of make-up for an effortless look. Blend above the brow. www.sephora.com
Chantecaille New Stick Foundation 8.5g £35 with SPF - for a real creamy glow, go one shade lighter than usual. After doing your eye make-up, dab around the eye area, top of cheekbones, around nose (blended up between brows) area and blend blend blend! but enjoy it too! You'll achieve creamy opaque-yet-natural, modelly looking skin. I'd forgo the blush and go for a rosy lip if you crave colour.
Becca Cosmetics Compact Concealer 3g £30 - this compact is made up of two different strengths of your chosen colour. There's the medium coverage on the left and the full coverage on the right. The full coverage is the one I love as it has the ability to cover opaquely and look like skin at the same time. It's great for those with skin-types that leave dark marks once spots have terminated. The collection has every skin colour under the sun. Visit the store in South West London or call for stockists. www.beccacosmetics.com
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