#140 Easy Days

Those products that enable the speediest of skin improvements have recently become my new questing mecca. Every morning I set out to arrive at fresh, radiant, rested, healthy... even when biology and physicality are both hard at work against me. As I stand here, now, at 30, I feel I'd never entertain thoughts of the surgical variety... but we often take those things that come easiest for granted... with me, the fact that I have oily skin of that very typical olive, Mediterranean variety, means I have not yet wrinkled (and that SPF has been a non-negotiable skincare step for at least a decade helps too). But if someone were to tell me that for the price of a designer coat I could do away with all dark circles, forever, or impending forehead wrinkles, or jowls, or double-chins...well, then I'd certainly be tempted. I do like the idea of looking very good for my age, despite reaching a point now when my face and my number of years of earth are beginning to become faithful reflections of one another. It's hard to say why I no longer look like that younger me - I have no new lines, no pigmentation, but yes, I do look more tired, and when one is tired their face loses that plump carefree quality - and can look a bit worn and wan, even if nothing specifically physical has changed. It's a funny thing, something has changed, and perhaps you feel it more than see it. Yes, I think that's it... I feel, older. But still young. Which is nice.

Recent discoveries of the cosmetic kind have, however, helped. I've long been a fan of Sue Devitt's Microaquatic Tinted Moisturiser, but this week I added a new base to the mix. Givenchy Photoperfexion Light Evanescent Fluid Foundation is really rather fabulous. I don't want to think too hard about what may be in it to allow it to so seamlessly and easily disappear into skin, but this is hands-down the most foolproof foundation I've ever used. Child's play. You simply give the tube a wee squeeze and rub the sponge all over the bits you wish to brighten and cover, and with hardly the need to touch it afterward, it's all done. I checked my complexion in 3 different lights (bedroom/bathroom/office toilet), because I was so surprised. Passed the test in each and every locale (and so speedy too!). Their Jelly Blush, however, did not fare so well. It was very wet, felt unpleasantly cold on the cheeks (but it was a very chilly morning), and made a bit of a mess of the rest of my make-up. Did not like it at all. With the good must come bad..

What else... ? Ushvani Coconut and Hibiscus Body Oil - just lovely, barely any scent, simply nourishing and soothing (didn't even tickle my eczema patches). It pains me to say that one of my favourite brands, ESPA, let me down with its Body Smoothing Shower Gel, which caused a bit of a skin flare-up (and despite being told by the ESPA therapist that it would be fine to use over eczema). Oops. I should've known better though.

So, some highs and lows; over and out.

# 135 Funny Face

Funny stuff happens post-bairn. Hair growth fizzles out [barely shaved my legs in 7 weeks]; dry skin becomes suddenly oily again [the t-zone is back to teen-sheen status]; eye bags sprout eye bags for their eye bags, and then, all of a sudden, get used to sleeplessness and disappear, all by themselves [or is it the new 'kinder' mirror we've installed in the bathroom?!]; smooth as a baby's bottom skin develops barnacled patches [back of arms, like silk for 40 weeks, are now more sandpapery] and the hairs on my head are falling out in clumps, as the scalp relinquishes its stronghold on the excess pregnancy strands [I shed a daily hair rug for the bathroom floor. Thank gawd [and Mr Dyson] for my handheld hoover]. So, with new highs and lows comes new opportunities to TEST TEST TEST, and this I have been doing with renewed relish now that the 8-week-old is learning to sleep better at night [hoorah!].

What do I like?

Creme de la Mer The Body Lotion - After trialling oils from Mama Mio, Aromatherapy Associates and Erbaviva [all lovely, nourishing, great-smelling], I went back to this baby which is still half-full as I abandoned it while pregnant. Well, yes, it really is incomparably fab and leaves even awkward skin very soft. The back of arms are already looking & feeling better. I'm just not looking forward to re-purchase time. Ouch.

Origins Never a Dull Moment Scrub – Now, from all that I’ve tried & trialed & tested and learned, I know that rough-grain scrubs are no good for skin [not even the body]. Much better to look for fine Microdermabrasion-style formulas, or chemical exfoliants, such as those found in Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask. But, well, this one breaks the rules. I first purchased it while temping as a counter girl at Selfridges [13 years ago!], and though I’ve not used it in the interim, I was most glad to rediscover it last month. It smells lush & fruity, leaves skin very rosy and perky, and makes light work of rough patches. Best of all, it doesn’t leave skin sore or ‘scrubbed’ feeling.

Sue Devitt Micro-Aquatic Hydrating Marine Minerals Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 – Sue wins no prizes for snappy product names, but she does gain plaudits with this gorgeous, dewy, light base. Many bases claim to moisturise yet somehow highlight dry patches instead – but this is different. It makes skin softer, spongier and smoother. It also gives great glow & wears well throughout the day [tip: pat it into skin that is still slightly ‘moist’ after the application of your morning face cream].

And what just isn’t getting the baby bathed?

Origins Clean Energy Cleanser – There’s nothing glaringly wrong with this – it feels nice enough, smells zingy & contains nice things [olive/kukui/macadamia nut oils], but it just didn’t do anything special either. Skin was a bit shiny at times, dry at others and congestion on the chin was not kept at bay. It is absolutely dandy for removing a thin layer of slap, but if you want a deep, nourishing, purifying or balancing cleanse, there are better suds on the shelves.

The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Tint – There was a time when I used this a lot – before dates with the blokie; before dashing out to buy milk; on trains before meetings... because I believed it gave my lips a gorgeous bitten stain and cheeks a hearty, healthy flush. Now, 8 years in the beauty biz later, I’ve come to realise that this is seriously lacking. It’s watery consistency means the colour is never uniform – in my case, the insides of my lips always pink up more than the outer bits, which makes me look as though I’ve been sucking on home-made Ribena popsicles [not a great look for a 30-year-old professional]. Even after reapplying, layer upon layer, I found it utterly impossible to get an even colour across the entire lip. On cheeks? Even worse. Some bits of skin take, others do not – making the skin look a bit rashy. Consigned to the bin this one [and those fond memories, to the re-visited and corrected annals of time].