Baring it all

I admit it, the thought of going out with no make-up on completely petrifies me.  Not if I'm having a duvet day and need to pop out for a pint of milk, I'm not that bad.  I would however flinch at spending a full day out without a spec of make-up.

I can't believe myself, I know I'm no Kate Moss but come on!  Get a grip! I love make-up but I need to be able to live without it.

I can't remember when it got that bad, it was in the last six months I'm sure.  I haven't become more vein or more insecure I've simply got into a routine that I cannot break free from!

Let's assess the reasons for my compulsive make-up wearing (do not judge).

• I have very bad skin - spots around my mouth, dry everywhere else, uneven complexion
• I started wearing eyebrow pencil and now feel like I am naked without it
• If I wear foundation alone I feel pale
• I have to wear bronzer to match my face to my body
• If I only wear face make-up, my eyes look small
• My hair requires me to wear make-up or I face the fear of being mistaken for a boy

So, I admit, I get up a little earlier to allow time to put my make-u on, I actually quite enjoy the process.  However, after careful self reflection I have made myself a promise... When I go to Australia in three weeks I will bare all and not wear any make-up, once I have a tan and my spots have cleared up!

So often make-up is a mask and an essential but I'm taking a stand and reminding myself why I started wearing it in the first place.  It's fun, expressive and should be enjoyable to apply and wear, just like choosing an outfit!

For now I can't live without my Touche Eclat by YSL or my MAC bronzer but I promise I will bare all again soon.

SOMETIMES BE BRAVE AND BARE ALL (it's good to give your skin a breather!)

Make-up vs Maths

TODAY:  I read something on the internet that I thought I would share with you.  It's a psychology theory that asks the question: Are women that wear lipstick less skilled in Maths than those that don't?To my horror the answer was yes!

This artical from www.psychologytoday.com states that research has proven that women working in male-dominated fields feel intimidated and often play down any stereotypically female traits in order to be take more seriously and gain professional respect from male colleagues.

The research shows that these women are not all together abandoning their gender but they are avoiding typically feminine traits such as wearing lipstick, gossiping and flirting in exchange for a more 'serious', masculine portrayal.

Isn't this just awful?

Wearing a little bit of lippie to work will give you confidence in yourself and confidence earns you respect in your own right.  I'm a true believer in flaunting your femininity and embracing who you are, if you are a girlie girl then be girlie!  You can be clever and have a pretty face... some girls just do have it all.

If men have less respect for women in the work place for acting like women then I would advise their wives at home to start possessing more masculine qualities, I'm sure men wouldn't be so happy with that!

Women have all these incredible assets at their disposal, make-up be a massive one, they should not compromise being a girl and wearing some make-up for themselves in order to be taken more seriously by men.

Do take a look at the article and for goodness sakes stand up for femininity in your workplace!

QUOTE: "GOD MADE MAN STRONGER BUT NOT NECESSARILY MORE INTELLIGENT.  HE GAVE WOMEN INTUITION AND FEMININITY AND USED PROPERLY THAT COMBINATION EASILY JUMBLES THE BRAIN OF ANY MAN I HAVE EVER MET" - Farrah Fawcett

 

Tranny Chic

You may not have heard of the new phenomenon know as 'Tranny Chic'.  I'll be honest, it's quite a niche culture.  

Let me explain the concept to you:

• Tranny Chic is a style of make-up worn my FEMALES
• The idea is to look like a man in drag
• It's increasingly common in the East-London fashion scene
• These females are often good friends with actual drag queens and gay men
• A lot of inspiration is taken from the 'Club Kids' culture 

TODAY - I was on the internet when I saw something referring to Jodie Harsh, the famous London based drag queen that hosts club nights, DJ's and is friends with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Kelly Osbourne.  I looked at the pictures of Jodie and under closer inspection I realised what an art that kind of make-up really is.  There are many girls on the party scene in London right now trying to look just like a drag queen, their make-up is bold and outrageous.

I've always looked at these girls at places like Circus at Soho Revue Bar on a Friday night and wondered if they were confused about their sexuality.  Why would a girl dress up as a guy dressed up as a girl?  The truth is the make up is fascinating when you look in detail.  The key elements seem to be big exaggerated eyebrows, false eyelashes and a lot of colour.

It's so extreme that it would be fair to say it is a kind of mask, worn to protect or hide the person underneath.  I have found the people wearing these masks often have a lot of pain and aren't comfortable or happy with who they are.

The lifestyle that accompanies this specific look is not a particularly healthy one, the 'Club Kid' is often a notorious drug taker and hard party goer, think of the movie Party Animal.

Although I don't in anyways condone the lifestyle of Club Kids I put my hands up and admit I've been a bit narrow minded, if boys can wear this make-up in an attempt to portray an exaggerated version of a female why can't a girl be an exagerated vesion of herself?

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER, DON'T JUDGE A FACE BY IT'S MASK

Life in Plastic, is it really fantastic?

There is so much more we can do to ourselves these days beyond putting on make-up everyday.  Not only are there billions of products that plump, smooth, exfoliate and prepare our faces before we apply our face paint but there are plenty of more permanent fixes available.  Please forgive this post if it seems a little of the point, I promise you you'll see the relevance.

TODAY - I have been reading the beauty section in April's ELLE magazine.  On page 247 (check it out if you have it) there is an article called 'Lipo: Is this a step to far?'  It's not a particularly long piece but it's thought provoking and I have spent a large part of the rest of today considering how far I would go in the quest to look good.

The article is written by Avril Mair who describes her experience of getting a the new 'wide-awake liposuction'.  She describes how she hates her chin and how this new Vaser Liposuction as it's formally known is the 'latest and most promising development in this endless quest for far removal'.  As the article goes on, in turns out that she ended up being in a lot of pain with a red scar on her neck which she claims, to my astonishment is worth it.  Even while the swelling is still apparent, at the end of the article she states her neck has been 'tightened, perhaps even transformed.'  She the goes on to say that it will take another month for her to be sure... I'm frankly astonished.

What a joke, the woman's face hasn't even healed and she's convinced that a transformation has taken place.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not against plastic surgery at all, I'm sure it boosts confidence and raises self esteem.  I am however against glamourising surgical procedures being carried out on the face where a bit of make-up know how but have worked wonders.  I understand this woman had a complex about her neck but she failed to weigh up the alternatives and although (credit where credit's due) she did outline the dangers I think overall she depicted a much rosier picture than reality.

We all have insecurities, many of us about our faces but plastic surgery does not need to be the answer and shout not be viewed as a quick fix.  Make-up is a wonderful thing.  There are many tips and tricks to be discovered, a nose can be thinned, a jaw line can be softened even your skin can be transformed with a little know-how and research.

THINK ABOUT YOUR LIFE BEFORE YOU GO UNDER THE KNIFE

Moody Mornings Mean Messy Make-up

My boyfriend has brought it to my attention that when I put on my make-up in the mornings, the style and quantity is often influenced by my mood.  I have to give it to him, he's one observant male!

I have been thinking about myself in the past and have come to the conclusion that as far as I am concerned it may well be true.  I'm quite guilty of going to a party without making enough effort and ending up bleary eyed with smudged make-up.  Note to self: Cheer up before making-up! 

TODAY - I woke up at a reasonable time, did not get ready in a rush and was in quite a good mood owing to the fact that it was a beautiful day and my friend was due to move into my flat with me.

I was a little disappointed to see two brand new spots staring me in the face when I looked in the mirror so this probably had an impact on the thick layer of foundation that was applied.  The beautiful sunshine outside meant I dressed rather spring like today and my girlie make-up reflected this.  The outcome today was, bright day, bright mood = pink, girlie, up-beat make-up.

A FEW WEEKS AGO - The story was not so happy.  I was going through a particularly miserable time feeling unwell with a chesty cough, and run down with a lot of spots (spots are something I suffer badly with by the way, although I'm quite good at covering them).  My make-up that week was a true reflection of my mood each morning, dark and slap-dash.  Although I'm not the kind of person to be moody I think my mood is evident in my make-up and it certainly has an impact on what I do to my face in the morning.

I've been observing members of the public and have noticed a trend.  Precise make-up if often worn by people that seem up-beat and content.  Thick make-up (during the day) is often worn by those who have something to hide and make up that looks a little careless is probably the result of getting out of the wrong side of the bed.

My advice is fight the mood swings and apply your make-up as if you're in the best mood possible, you never know, your glowing face might just turn that bad mood into a good one!

MOODY MAKE-UP IS NOT WORTH GETTING UP FOR

London Fashion Weekend - Middle aged glamour

On Wednesday night I went along to the natural history museum in South Kensington for the opening night of London Fashion Weekend.

We sat down in our front row seats eager to see what the catwalk would offer but of course it was running late, so I found myself looking around at all the guests.

The majority of them were, as you can imagine, wannabe fashionistas wearing all their best clothes for what was probably the highlight of their year.  The make-up was thick and plentiful with a variety of different looks available for me to observe.

Sitting across the catwalk from me were a mother and her daughter.  The mother looked absolutely fantastic, she must have been in her early fifties and had dramatically dark hair which was elegantly swept back from her face, the face itself was exquisite.

As I sat staring at this wonderful looking woman I decided that she was probably not English, her skin tone was too olive and her fashion sense too continental.  She had dark eyes which she had made up using soft browns, black would have been unforgiving on her.  Her eyebrows were beautifully shaped and a soft pencil may well have been used for precision.

What really stood out though was the deep shade of red lipstick she was wearing.  Her lips were so full and perfect, it reminded me how glamourous women can be at that age and how no woman should ever give up taking pride in their appearance.

To create the Hollywood glamour red lips use a good lip liner for definition and a look that lasts.  A matt red is better than a shiny one in this case, Chanel do the best shades.  A deep red is better for anyone over fourty, some like to call it blue-red.

GLAMOUR HAS NO AGE LIMIT

Guyliner

Men wearing make-up has traditionally been associated with homosexuality some would say. Well, not anymore.

TODAY:  I was on the train from Sheffield to London after a long weekend.  There was a couple sitting opposite me, a guy and his girlfriend.  They were sweet to some extent, however two hours of kissing, cooing and generally loving each other was a tad sickening. 

I studied them out of boredom, she was nothing to write home about (badly applied foundation and not enough mascara).  He on the other hand was something to comment on for he, to my shear and utter joy was wearing GUYLINER.  Thats right, eyeliner on a heterosexual male.  Oh happy day!

Please don't misunderstand me, he was not a 'goth' or in anyway resembling Alice Cooper, he was simply wearing a simple black line of khol pencil under his bottom lids.  It looked great in my opinion, a true example of a modern man, comfortable enough with his sexuality to wear make-up and oddly enough all the more masculine looking for it. 

You see what men don't realise is that a little eyeliner won't make you look gay or feminine it will simply enhance you eyes and deepen your skin tone.

Heterosexual men wearing eyeliner is just screaming confident, comfortable with their sexuality and totally 'modern man'.  More men should be embracing it, it's becoming more and more common especially on a night out.

There is even a guyliner pencil on sale now at Superdrug, click here to see it, only £5.09 and click here for the first time users guide!

GUYLINER - COME ON GUYS, LINE THOSE EYES!