Top 10 Tagged

The stylish and beautiful Becca aka Smashingbird has tagged me for the Top 10 award, which requires you to list your top 10 beauty products. As you may have already realised, I'm a natural beauty terminally lazy day to day. Even if I feel like it, I very rarely seem to have time to do anything thrilling make-up wise before I head out to do the school run, and am in awe of women who manage to do a full face of make-up as well as get their children ready. Mind you, some appear to claw back the time by not changing out of their night attire. I have yet to plummet far enough into indolence to not get dressed in the morning, so I feel I am one up on the 'pyjama mamas'. Anyway, here's my 'can't do without' products, in no particular order:

1. Clarins UV Plus Day Screen spf 40. It's poncey, it's expensive, it comes in a teeny weeny bottle. Sorry. It's well worth it though. It doesn't bring my face out in spots like a lot of sun-creams do, and it sits happily under moisturiser and make-up. I would recommend getting people to bring it back for you from airports, or buying with Boots Advantage Card points. It does turn up on Ebay cheaper as well, so shop around, as with most of my recommendations to follow. You'd think I'd be thriftier. Huh.

2. nails inc. polishes. These were also on Becca's list, but I couldn't leave them off mine, as I am in complete agreement. They have have every colour you could possibly need, and the top and base coats are the best I've come across for giving a professional manicure finish. They are often given away with Glamour (readable) and InStyle (terrible), and as they are about £12 in the shops, it's well worth buying the magazines for the freebies alone.

3. Johnson's baby shampoo. I have fine hair, but loads of it, and it tangles terribly when I wash it. A hair dresser recommended I use this years before I had any children, and it does help. And 'no more tears' for me when I get it in my eyes!

4. Origins Night-A-Mins eye cream. Expensive, but lasts ages and appears to be working! Luckily a good friend works for Estee Lauder and can get it cheaply for me.

5. Thierry Mugler Angel perfume. Reminds me of Paris with Mr FHCS, where I first sprayed and bought it from Sephora. Now my signature scent, and one of the few 'big' perfumes that doesn't give me a headache. I can't speak for anyone around me though! [CK one is an old favourite and close second, but it reminds me so powerfully of living in Bristol that I can't wear it without a being transported back instantly to my University days. I don't spend all my time pining for student life, but the merest hint of its scent makes my heart lurch]

6. The Body Shop brow and lash gel. Tames my unruly eyebrows!

7. Ditto Tweezerman tweezers. These are also handy for grey hair removal. I do not subscribe to the notion that if you pull one out, 5 more grow. This is nonsense. If you don't pull them out, they will mock you from the mirror in the style of that hair dye advert where one crazy hair waves wildly from the top of a woman's head. Obviously there will come a time when it's grey hair or baldness. Then I shall embrace the dye. At the moment, the couple I have are ruthlessly executed. You blondies are lucky.

8. Shavata arch enhancer pencil. You may be noticing an obsession with my eyebrows. I said I was lazy, I've never claimed not to be vain! This is a weird chunky pencil which you draw under your eyebrow with, and it highlights the arch. It's also excellent as a concealer to hide any stray hairs which are growing back but you haven't yet plucked/waxed/threaded.

9. Origins Calm to your Senses body soufflé. This smells amazing and is extremely luxurious and stupidly priced! I also have loads of other body lotions and potions which I need to use up first, but if I had the choice I'd go for this one. At £22 a pop it's a good thing I have the aforementioned beauty industry friend. [I managed to Google this wrong several times. Clam Soufflé is something else entirely, and unlikely to bring anyone but the local tomcats to your boudoir.]

10. Red lipstick. This is what tells me - and I suppose the world - that I mean business and am upping the glamour stakes. My face in repose is inclined to the pouty, (I had an unfortunate nickname as a teen based on my mouth and its supposed attributes) and when I smile we're talking a Jack Nicholson grin I inherited from my dad, so I don't really wear red during the day. It's a bit too 'look at me' for first thing in the morning (not my best time). I have yet to find the holy grail of red lippies, and have been following recent posts on the subject with interest, but at the moment I tend to combine two. Firstly Revlon's In the Red, which is very matte in texture, then I layer Rimmel's Diva Red over the top, which is far glossier, and wears off more quickly. If you're a fellow pasty brunette (who gets flushed easily) with green eyes and have found a red you love - do let me know!

So, on to listing the ten bloggers whose make up bags I'd like to root around in. Apologies if you've been tagged in this already, I've seen this post around quite a bit recently.

VainGlorySinner
Tea Diary
Blighty Boutique
Fashion's Most Wanted
Firebird
Hippie Boho Reloaded
Missy Vintage
Me and My Shadow
LaSophia
Gem Fatale