Hitting 50 - my experience and indignance!

Buffer

This year I hit 50.  No, I haven't done everything on my mental bucket list.  No, I didn't suddenly put on a couple of stone; I'd already been working at that through my 40s!  No, I don't feel old.  Yes, I still think the 1980s were 20 years ago.

What I do feel, is indignant.  

Indignant that I suddenly got to 50, and the world is insisting on telling me I'm now on the downward slope.  My body is supposedly going to start falling apart, my brain failing.  I'll have less energy.  I'll need to exercise more just to keep my weight stable because my metabolism is going to have a strop.  Just when I feel more like a woman again, now that the kids are officially adults, my body is going to make feeling sexy much more difficult, with gravity affecting skin, boobs, you name it....

Is there an actual magazine for real women?

20 years ago I used to regularly buy women's magazines.  Cosmopolitan, Red, Company, Elle.  I've bought all of these and more on many occasions.  But as I got older I become less and less enamoured by them.

None of them now talk to me.

On my latest summer holiday I thought I'd pick up a magazine to read on the plane.  A quick look through them in the shop told me they hadn't changed in 20 years.  Still as irrelevant to me - in fact more so!

And I wonder whether there's a huge gap in the market here? Are there loads of people like? Or am I just really weird?  You be the judge.  I'll tell you why I don't like them...

7 ways to NOT be late in the mornings

So there are only 7 sleeps until Christmas, and I don't know about you but time is really of the essence right now.  With nativities to attend, presents to wrap, parties to attend (alright, "party", let's not get over excited) and endless chores to get done saving a minute here or there can make a real difference.

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how early you set your alarm, or how prepared you think you are, the universe conspires against you to make you late.  It only takes a split second to miss your train, or bus, or tube and often that will make the difference as to whether you make your meeting, or gets the children to school on time, or make your first pilot-training session... Who knows right?

So how do you save time?

1. Reduce the travelling.  By this I mean, the numerous times you end up charging backwards and forwards through your apartment, or up and down the stairs of your house to fetch lippy, your purse, your phone.  It sounds obvious but have a place for everything that makes sense and always put things back where they live.

2. Pack your handbag the night before. It's like being back at school isn't it? But it works. If you mess about swoping handbags around in a morning you will be a) late and b) annoyed you left something in the other bag.

Original Sprout Miracle De-tangler

This week we are testing Original Sprout's Miracle Detangler. I read another blog post on the product and highlighted it in my monthly Britmums Beauty Round-Up. I was then lucky enough to be offered a bottle to test out on my daughter's completely unruly hair.

 

The quote, from my daughter, on first use on dry hair, when asked by my hubby what she thought half way through the usual hair brushing process, was;

 

"Normally I say ow, ow, ow, but this time I haven't said a single ow yet".

 

Praise indeed. Having received that rave review from a 7 year old, need I go on?

 

Well yes, I ought to really.....

Original Sprout: Shampoo and Conditioner review

Original Sprout's Tahitian Family Collection

The problem with trying out new shampoos is that, if you get it wrong, you look like a scarecrow. Not so with Original Sprout. My hair has never been as glossy nor as healthy looking.

I had been using the John Frieda range for coloured hair. Perfectly suitable, but my hair always felt a little fly-away, and it was difficult to style. Certainly it was difficult to run a brush through it, even after using the John Frieda conditioner.

So it was with great delight that, after two days of trialling the Original Sprout range, my hairbrush glided smoothly through my hair and it felt light, soft and controllable. I kid you not when I say this was an entirely new experience for me!

 

About Original Sprout

Inge Tritt founded the company after struggling to find suitable hair and skin products for her baby's bath time.

"Our founder delighted in her newborn daughter's thick hair. Wanting to use the safest bath products led to her trying natural baby shampoos. To her surprise, all the shampoos wreaked havoc to her daughter's hair and sensitive skin. To remedy the problem Inga created the first of it's kind, ultra moisturizing natural baby bath & styling products. The benefits of being a master stylist with professional experience & a mother with real life experience culminated into Original Sprout, a globally trusted natural family brand."

Boxdelux

It's only in the last couple of years, since Internet shopping really took off, that I heard about subscription boxes.

To start with it was 'fruit and veg' boxes, for those healthy eaters too busy to get to the local supermarket. Then came more refined meals in a box, for those of us watching calories and not trusting our own cooking. 

More recently it has been Beauty boxes. A great way to sample a selection of new beauty products, with the lovely advantage of a) the contents each month genuinely being a surprise and b) actually getting mail through the door, which, regardless of email, Twitter and Facebook, we all still get a kick out of. 

But what if you fancy trying more than just beauty products? What if you want a bit of beauty and a bit of luxury foods and, well, just a bit of a luxury surprise. 

Boxdelux has it covered. The June box arrived in a gorgeous black box, tissue paper-lined, with the following surprises:

Revitalash sample – worth £30

Ultrasun lip balm – worth £6

Ultrasun Factor 30 15ml – worth £2.85 (£19 per 100ml)

Aden Cosmetics Nail varnish – 3 pots in varying colours – all 3 are worth £7.50

Aden Cosmetics Lip Gloss - £6

Nakd Bar x 2 – 85p each so worth £1.70

We Are Tea tea bags x 2 – worth £2 together

Propercorn (varying flavours) – worth £1

Pampering facials: treat yourself at Pure

I have experienced an hour and a half of pure lush.

From the relaxing back massage, to the repeated application of cream after cream gently onto my face, to the head massage and the slightly weird and smelly, but incredibly relaxing, mud pack that bubbled away under my back as I lay there. It was all gorgeous.

Why should I bother with a facial?

Some of you lucky readers will have pure, silky, smooth, alabaster skin. Flawless and wrinkle-free; yours will be the faces that I glower jealously at, if I pass you on the street, for my skin, after nearly 40 years, is suffering.

How to define your eye make-up easily

I am probably the last person in the world to discover this make-up trick. On the slight chance that there are women out there like me, that missed out on the teenage years of girlie make-up experimentation due to being busy with something else (my teenage years were all about the dance classes), here's a fabulous trick I have discovered this week.

Whatever type of eye shadow applicator you use; be it the cotton bud style, or a brush; simply wetting it slightly, under a running tap, will enable you to pick up powder on the brush and position the powder so precisely that even a make-up ignoramus like me can manage to use shadow to create a neat line along the lash, eye-liner style.

I am a tactile make-up applicator. In that I mean I have always preferred to solely use my fingers. In reality this means that I have been walking around for years with the loosely smudged casual style. Now I actually am able to create a dark edge and use a different shade loosely brushed over the lid with a drier brush and blend the lot with my fingers if I wish.

And how did I suddenly acquire this knowledge? I asked for a beauty book for my birthday and duly received Jemma Kidd's Make-Up Masterclass: Beauty bible of professional techniques and wearable looks. It's a beautiful hardback full of pictures to show you step by step how to create different looks and is packed with useful information on skin type and how to pick the right colours for your skin tone. It is, most importantly, not in the least bit patronising, which for me, an ageing novice, is refreshingly unassuming.

So thank you Jemma. Thank you. I now stand half a chance.

Call for posts! Britmums Christmas beauty round-up

Calling all Britmums bloggers!
Written a post about beauty, be it reviewing your favourite products, recommending Christmas beauty must-haves, or talking winter skin care?
Want to be included on the Britmums blog Christmas beauty round-up?
Email me, tweet me or facebook me using the lovely coffee cup icons over on the right.  Or if you are on the mobile web, and can't see those lovely coffee cups, then a) get back to a PC to enjoy the full website, and b) share your links with me via Twitter @ymummyreally or by adding your links to the comments below.
You have until Saturday 29th December (deadline extended!) to point me to your posts.  Get writing!
PS. I am writing these posts using the Android App this week. I can't believe I am now a regular raver of Apps.  I still don't have a tablet though, so if anyone fancies sending me one... Feel free.

Blogging about beauty but over 30? Is it allowed?

I have been thinking a lot about the beauty element of this blog recently.  I have had occasion to nosy around on the web for other beauty blogs as part of my role as Britmumsbeauty round-up editor and I have noticed that Google search appears to have a liking for beauty blogs written by youngsters.  

When I say youngsters here I specifically mean anyone under 25 years old and that don’t have children.  The blogs that come up at the top of search engines including the words beauty and blog are all by women who appear to be industry experts, buying new beauty products on a daily basis, testing them all out, and dare I say it, enjoying the fact that they don’t actually need any make up (they are all under 25 years old with youth on their side after all), so if it goes wrong, or doesn’t suit their skin, it really doesn’t matter as they haven’t spent that much on it anyway, and their youth appears to provide them with a free pass to experiment with make-up styles happily without people pointing and staring in the street.

I, on the other hand, am fast approaching 40 years old and only started using make-up AT ALL 6 years ago when I returned to work after having my first daughter.

At fast-approaching-40, and an accountant, society seems to dictate that I am not allowed to make any make-up mistakes.  If I decide to try bright cerise lipstick, I probably shouldn’t do it the day I have an important meeting with my boss as I’ll get some really weird looks and, sorry but this is true, will have folk thinking a little less of my professionalism if I can’t even get basic make-up right.

So where does this leave those of us who desperately want to work out what suits us, at a time in our life where we are really starting to need the help, but missed the teenage-girls testing stage?

Are we even allowed to have an opinion on beauty products, having had so little testing time?  

Can we afford to switch products once we find something that works just to ‘try’ something else? Or will our fast-approaching-40 skin be too quick to punish us if we veer away from the few products we have discovered?

So what do you think? If we are ‘outside’ the beauty industry AND fast-approaching-40, can we talk about beauty products and express our opinions on them? And if we can, in the form of a blog, then where are all the fast-approaching-40 beauty bloggers hiding? 

Come on Google – find them for me! Or if you have one, or have a view on the subject, tell me in the comments below.

The BritMums beauty round-up: Collecting the best BritMums beauty blog posts each month

You may or may not be aware that I am lucky enough to write for the BritMums Blog.

I'm still not entirely sure how it happened.  One minute I was sending a light hearted tweet to the BritMums team suggesting that, of all the great round-ups that they regularly publish, they didn't appear to do a monthly round-up of beauty-related blog posts.  As a parenting and beauty blogger I was interested in what other mums were blogging about on the beauty front.  Were they blogging on this subject? Or once you have children, does it really all turn to talk of nappies to the exclusion of skin care or hair fashions?

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on whether I'm having a productive writing day, the response that came back was; "Great idea, we'll set you up to start it next month".  Hmmmmm. What had I gotten myself into?

My reaction was a simultaneous "oh, pants" and "brilliant!"  And today my third beauty round-up, Shedding the pounds, goes live on the BritMums blog.

I now have to remember to bookmark the great blog posts I come across that provide skincare, make-up, haircare or other beauty advice.  It's an added pressure, but the great advantage is that I'm discovering some great tips and making new friends.  I am so pleased that the Britmums team had faith in me as I'm really enjoying myself.  Thank you!

This month it's all about weight loss.  Enjoy it and let me know what you think and what sort of beauty posts you'd like me to look out for.
 
Those of you who want to contact me, share your own beauty tips, or pass on your advice on how to be a yummy mummy, are welcome to comment below, or to join me on one of the many social networks I tend to roam in these days.  Sign up to follow via Google+, Twitter, Facebook or RSS feed via the feed reader of your choice (click the links here, or pick a coffee cup over on the right to click*)

If you're a BritMums blogger and you'd like your beauty posts featured in the monthly round-up, please comment below to let me know who you are, and sign up to follow via Google+, Twitter, Facebook or RSS feed via the feed reader of your choice (click the links here, or pick a coffee cup over on the right to click*) so you don't miss the monthly reminder to send me your links.  


*I am somewhat over excited by my new coffee cup social media icons. :-)

Nails Nails Nails... Have you discovered Shellac?

I've just had my nails done.  I usually get a manicure with a standard nail polish, but this time my persuasive beautician convinced me to try Shellac. 

According to Shellacnails.com "Shellac Nails TM last up to 14 days without losing shine or shimmer. They are hard and do not scratch or smudge. When it comes time to take them off the nail, it is as easy as 1, 2, 3 and it does not damage the nail itself."

Since I usually manage to chip nail polish within hours of having them done, I was intrigued to see if this new polish would work as well as they promised.  There was an impressive selection of colours to choose from, and I have a thing for coral at the moment, so coral it was.

The final colour is a little more bubblegum than I expected, but I am still thrilled with the look.  They are super shiny and so far, 17 hours later, still un-chipped.

I particularly liked that they were dry as soon as she'd finished doing them.  There is NO drying time involved.  No waiting around, or desperately trying to get your money out of your purse without smudging them. 

Got any questions? Want to find a salon near you?  Go to the Shellac Nails 'frequently asked questions' page here.

Will they look like this in two weeks? I'll let you know!

Buy Shellac products with Amazon today and save!

Are you a Yummy Mummy?

I'm delighted to be over at Wriggly Rascals today, talking, as ever, about what we mean by a yummy mummy.

Struggling to find time for yourself?  Wondering how to fit in the manicures now you've got a baby on the way? Wondering if you even need to bother?

Pop on over to my post now and see what I have to say .about staying yummy.

Mum of two, Alison, is struggling with this very subject.  Click here if you have some yummy advice that would help another mum. 

Or feel free to share your yummy advice with me @ymummyreally and the Wriggly Rascals team on twitter.


About Wriggly Rascals

Wriggly Rascals was set up by Shona Motherwell, a frustrated mum of twins Mhairi and Archie, to get mums together to share pregnancy, baby and toddler advice via quick surveys to get the facts about what other mums do.  Our mums pass on loads of great tips to mums who have asked for help.  I f you would like some advice, get in touch at www.wrigglyrascals.com

Before and After: Make-up in 5 minutes with Clarins

How to do your make-up in 5 minutes with Clarins.

I am trying to get over my fear of having my photograph taken.  It tends to reveal too many flaws for my liking, so I have photo album after photo album at home, we are up to number 46 now, with very few photographs of me in them.

So I decided to face my fear directly.

This is me before and after my make-up session this morning.

I have realised that the first is possibly the most embarrassing and poor photograph of me ever.  So if I can publish this post I will have faced up to my fears! I am such a wimp.  I get pretty red cheeks and a red nose now in the morning.  I am reliably informed it's because I'm 'getting on a bit'.  Nice.

Here's me less than 5 minutes later having popped on a little bit of Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Day Lotion (SPF 15) rubbed on as if I was rubbing on suncream - with not much grace or sophistication; some Clarins SKin Illusion Foundation (SPF10), rubbed in with fingers like the moisturiser, there's no messing with brushes in this house; some Clarins Concealer, a quick dab with the brush then rubbed in gently with fingers again; a tiny tiny bit of eye shadow near the top lashes, mostly done with my finger; a quick brush of mascara, literally two upward strokes and a final splash of lip gloss, Clarins lip gloss of course, received from a good friend for Christmas.
 

It makes a subtle difference, and it took me next to no time at all. It has to be easy, as I'm clueless at this beauty thing really!

Many may say I didn't slap on enough!  But I never want make-up to look like make-up.  I prefer it if no-one can even tell I'm wearing make-up as long as they also think I look surprisingly healthy despite an age increasing approaching 40.

 

It's all Clarins, and I save up specifically for that, purely because it's the lovely lady at our local Boots Clarins counter that introduced me to make-up for the first time 4 years ago.  I don't trust any other products!

And don't look too closely at the moustache will you!  I'm dealing with that - honest!  Check out my post on my venture into Electrolysis here.

Oh, and I should say, that this is NOT a sponsored post.  I haven't received any freebies or benefits from Clarins whatsoever for writing this post.  I just love the products.

Will electrolysis stop me being a scummy mummy?

Avoiding being a scummy mummy would, for me, be a full time job.  My scummy confessions include;

1. Leaving hairs on my toes to grow too long before noticing I am turning into a hobbit and dealing with them with the nail scissors.
2. Not bothering to brush my hair, but throwing it into a scrunchie for the school run.
3. Only bothering with actual make-up on an official 'work' day or if I'm going out on a rare night out.
4. Leaving my roots far far too long before recolouring and thus generally looking a little like Cruella D'Evil.
5. Leaving the washing up in the hope that a washing up fairy will come and do it.  This is despite having a dishwasher as it appears that most of the children's crockery and cutlery we own is annoyingly NOT dishwasher safe.  (Are you listening, designers?  What were you thinking?!)

But my biggest confession and the one I get most embarrassed by; so I'm not sure how telling you will help, but hey, I've started so I'll finish; is that I have more and more hairs growing out of my chin and upper lip and instead of actually getting them properly waxed off I've just happily been snipping them with scissors for years.

To start with it was, obviously, one rogue hair.  I don't like plucking, so the scissors came out and I thought no more about it.  Over the years they appear to have been slowly breeding and now there is a veritable forest threatening.

Regular readers will know that it's only within the last year that I've started getting my eyebrows shaped having never touched them in any way previously, so you can imagine that I'm fairly clueless about this kind of thing.

Three weeks ago I lay on the beautician's table whilst she was shaping those bushy eyebrows and casually asked the question;

"So, do you think I need to do anything about my upper lip then?"

There wasn't even a pause.  No consideration took place.  There was only a gap tiny enough for her to breathe in in.

"Yes"

So there you go.  It's official.  I have a moustache and beard that is obviously obvious to all who see me.  My first thought was; why have none of my so-called friends mentioned this atrocity that I've been cultivating.  My second was: how do I get rid of it?

"So should I arrange a wax then?" I ask

There was a pause this time.  "I'm not sure that's the best option to be honest" she said "Have you considered electrolysis?"

E-what-ysis I thought to myself.  "Er no.  I don't know too much about it.  Could you remind me please?" I said.  I'm paraphrasing.  I probably really said "Huh? No? What?"

Only 2 weeks later and I've had 2 treatments. It's slightly painful, but no more than waxing and I find it pretty manageable.  I've not had a bad reaction (which is a risk apparently) and the hairs are slowly disappearing.

So what's electrolysis?

First port of call for research is probably the British Institute and Association of Electrolysis (BIAE) who confirm that it's the only medically approved form of permanent hair removal.

In layman's terms the beautician pops a small needle into the hair follicle (you hardly feel that), then heats the hair root (you feel it getting hot - very weird sensation), then teases out the hair. (It comes out really easily).

You need regular treatments to start with to ensure that, when the hair tries to regrow, the electrolysis catches it at the correct stage to permanently halt hair growth.

So everywhere then?

Apparently the hardest part for many woman is resisting the temptation to pluck stray hairs in the meantime.  Luckily my scissor happy approach is fine and won't detrimentally impact on the course of treatment.

I'm having it done weekly to start with; it only takes 10 minutes; which will then go to fortnightly, and eventually stop once all the hairs are killed off.  It's costing £12 per treatment at the moment.

I've worked out that regular indefinite waxing would end up being far more expensive, so I'm happy with the price.

I haven't yet plucked up the courage to actually look at any of the equipment she uses though.  I think if I saw the needle it would put me off.  So I go in there, lie down quick and close my eyes!  I am such a wimp!

Potential electrolysis side effects?

Temporary side effects can include redness, soreness and dryness.  There can also be an increased risk of ingrowing hairs.  But as long as these side effects are treated correctly, so long term damage should occur.

Natural Aloe products can be applied to moisturise the area.

Advice to patients include staying out of direct sun for a few days after treatment, and avoiding make-up or other products on the treated area for a couple of days.  So if you can't live without the foundation for a couple of days you may need to seriously consider how to manage that aspect.

Because the hair is treated one at a time, it's not the best solution for large areas; like the back or arms for example.

Always discuss your needs with an appropriately qualified professional.

You can find your nearest BIAE approved beautician here.

This post is inspired by the Yummy Scummy Mummy Meme started by Sonja at The Ramblings of a former Rock N Roll Mum.  I have Sarah, at Mum of Three World to thank for tagging me.  Sorry it took so long ladies and I hope you don't mind the multi-tasking nature of the post!  After all, multi-tasking is a standard state of being for all mums...

5 Quick Beauty Tips - For Busy Women!

I don't know about you, but I never seem to have more than ten minutes in the morning to get myself ready and out of the door.  After five and a half years of being a mummy, I've managed to work out the 'prepare the night before' motto, so it really is mostly about how I manage to shower, dress, make up, dry and style hair, all in those ten minutes!

And yet I can manage it.. just!

Here are my 5 quick tips to looking great, however much time you have!

1. Waxing.  It's not for everyone, but if you can find the time to wax (legs, bikini-line, underarms, wherever!)  regularly, you save the time during the daily morning rush otherwise needed for shaving those parts!  I'll be honest, this is a do-as-I-say tip.  I am too much of a girl to go through the pain regularly, and personally prefer to spend the 2 minutes shaving.  But it eats into hair styling time, and I never get chance to straighten it.  Either, Or folks.  Either, Or.

2.  Great Hair Cut.  Invest in a great haircut, and go back and maintain it regularly.  Again, this is one of those tips that simply shifts the task from being a daily flog trying to make a grown-out style look stylish for work, to a trip to the hairdresser every three months.  I'm not great at this one, but I do go for a bob style that I can make look reasonable without any product, just a decent brush and years of blow-drying practise.  If I have a bit of extra time I use Tigi BedHead's After Party Smoothing Cream just to finish the look.

3.  Accessorise.  Adding jewelry always makes you look like you made far more of an effort than it actually takes.  It's the same effect you get adding house plants to a lounge where the incremental effect is far greater than the effort put in (that is unless you kill them like I do.  The plants; not the jewelry) 


Silver, plain, classy styles work well.  Real diamonds aren't necessary; there aren't that many people that can really tell the difference anyway.  Crystal looks good and doesn't have the diamond price tag.  Try Swarovski.com

4.  Multi-task.  If you can brush your teeth whilst rinsing the shampoo off in the shower, then go for it.  If you can get the children to brush their teeth at the same time you do yours, brilliant.  If you can sip coffee whilst popping sandwiches in a lunch.  Great.

5. Moisturise.  Moisturise.  Moisturise.   If you can drink plenty of water and also find a good night cream, and preferably an eye gel to go with it, you can wake up with glowing ready-to-go skin which will save you time having to cover up imperfections.  Using moisturiser just after you bath is effective.  And don't forget that Johnson's baby oil isn't just for babies.  Smoothing a little of the oil on wet legs after bathing locks in the moisture and ensures silky soft pins!

Bonus Tip! Teeth.  As the celebrity teeth whitening craze shows, white teeth give the illusion of health and beauty.  So what's not to like!  Regular twice a day brushing and use of floss and mouthwash will keep them looking good.

You'll need to try harder to keep them white if you like your coffee or red wine, both of which are great at staining anything, not just teeth!  I love both, and have tried numerous whitening toothpastes, as well as considering getting them professionally whitened.  But in the end, I found that chewing on sugar free gum helped the most.  Saliva is the bodies natural soldier against plaque, and chewing gum helps it to get moving. 

With all this time you've saved yourself in the morning, you can enjoy more beauty tips on how to keep your skin fresh and dewy even in the winter.
Click here.

Winter Skin Care

So back to the main purpose of this blog, which was to help all us mummy's be simultaneously yummy.  It's not an easy task at this time of year, when the heating systems are turned on, windows are closed and the falling temperatures outside strip our skin of moisture.  So it's moisture we need, and lots of it.

For the face, I swear by Clarin's Extra Firming Day Cream (and the matching night cream!)  50ml will set you back £46 (Boots.com)

But I have been somewhat ensnared by Clarins products having tried their great samples (Just pop into Boots and ask if you can try out a couple of products. Our local store is usually very accommodating, and they certainly get enough sales from me as a result!)

For other great products at more sensible prices try one of these great offers.  These are products I have in my trusty bathroom cabinet and love, many of which are currently reduced.

For Body:  

• Olay Double Action Nourishing and Regenerating Night Cream for Normal or Dry Skin 50ml £4.79
• 1/2 price Bio Oil (ideal to keep stretch marks at bay, and hydrate dry skin) 60ml £4.49 (Reduced from £8.99)
• Vaseline Intensive Rescue Lotion £1.99  (Reduced from £2.99) 
• E45 Dermatological Cream 350g £6.69
• Nivea Lotion for Dry Skin 250ml £1.99 (reduced from £2.99)

For Hands:  I swear by - 

• Vaseline Health Hand and Nail Conditioning Lotion 75ml £1.73 (Reduced from £2.59)

For Lips:

• Lypsyl Original (for gorgeous pouts) £0.78 (reduced from £1.17)
• Blistex Relief Healing Cream 5g £2.25  (It's £2.85 at Boots at the moment, so try Lloyds Pharmacy to save!)

I get all of my beauty gear from either Boots or the local Pharmacy, Lloyds, so those are the suppliers I've linked to here.

Please note that I am completely independent in my recommendations of goods, services and suppliers, and am not paid to recommend highly any particular product, service or supplier.

Night cream? Day cream? Sunscreen? Beauty flash what?

Summer is on it's way and my skin isn't ready for it.  My beautician, with whom I have a healthy relationship that involves me booking appointments at the last minute around 4 times a year if I'm lucky, tells me I have dry skin on my chin and forehead.  My first thought is that it must be hitting 35 that's done it.  I always thought I had 'combination' skin, with soft cheeks and a T-zone prone to breakouts.  But apparently not.

Using tons of moisturiser at night is apparently not the done thing either.  It brings out those breakouts.

But the qualified beautician points out that using 'a small 20p piece' sized ball of moisturiser every night is definitely the way to go.  I'm afraid I have no idea what size of coin in dimes and nickels is best reflective.  But needless to say, slathering it on like sunscreen isn't the done thing.

So I'm trying.  Along with the ever increasing bedtime list of things to do - brush teeth, wash face, check all doors, move baby monitor upstairs, switch off all electrical appliances (other than the fridge obviously), check doors again, take out contact lens, clean off makeup, check on girls, ensure clean clothes available for the morning....and now slather on appropriate amount (NOT TOO MUCH) of moisturiser......  and we wonder why my hubby has taken to sending me off to bed half an hour before him, so he's got half a chance of getting to sleep without all the hustle and bustle of 'the bedtime list' keeping him awake. 

I have a feeling I'm going to have to set my alarm half an hour before his once Summer starts in earnest.  Afterall, if I've got the brush teeth, wash hair, contact lens' in, day cream, sunscreen, beauty balm, foundation, make-up to do, as well as the kids sunscreen, lip screen, sun hat........ ?

Another Bra trauma! And a few yummy mummy tips...

I'm off to a Hen do this weekend and, though I already know which dress I'd like to wear, I seem to have yet another bra trauma!  My two favourite La Senza bras may both be out of action.  Eeek.   The under wires are attempting an escape from the white bra.  The needle and cotton will have to come out tonight to attempt to reign them back in.  And the nude bra is, all of a sudden, starting to pinch at one side.  Since I've actually lost weight recently, I'm slightly confused by that.

My dress choice will, unfortunately, depend on which bra I can get back in operation, as it's a halterneck dress.  I know. I know.  What is it with me and halterneck clothes?  But they do seem to suit me.  Maybe I should have been around in the 50s for all those halterneck rock n roll dresses!

A few tips for yummy mummies everywhere today;

• Even if you've 'never' before wore make up, try it!  Clarins' True Radiance Foundation is my saviour.  I throw it on just like sun cream (no technical skills required!)  Just that, and a splash of mascara, and I'm transformed from blotchy scary woman to perfectly acceptable woman.
• Even if you rarely get two minutes to yourself like me; try and find an hour every couple of months to go and get pampered.  Even if it's just a manicure!  Suddenly you feel so much more yummy.
• Use 'Nice n Easy' at home to cover those greys.  £5 from your local pharmacy, compared to £50 for a colour and blow dry at most hair salons!

Beauty Treatments in North Derbyshire - Yummy!

I've actually had a rare chance to get myself down to the Beauty Salon!

This week I tried out a new beauty salon. "Pure" is cosy, being housed within Woodlands Fitness Centre, but friendly, and they've had an offer advertised for weeks that I'd been itching to try. The offer, entitled "Strawberries & Cream", consists of a Manicure, Pedicure and Back Massage, all for just £35.

So the second I realised I'd got an afternoon to myself (Girls out with Grandma!), I booked in quick.

I'm so glad I did. It's only when I finally get around to doing these self indulgent things that I realise just how good for your soul it is to treat yourself. Particularly when you have children and their needs always take priority over your own!

Michelle, the friendly beautician, immediately set me at ease with a lovely cuppa (how English am I?!), and we started with the Manicure and a good ol' gossip. By the time I'd had the Pedicure I was full of that post-gossip glow and already pretty relaxed. The back massage nearly sent me off to sleep. Lovely!

And now, of course, I feel all Yummy Mummy again, with my posh fingers and toes. Now where did I leave those strappies?

Pure is at Woodlands Fitness & Leisure Centre on Sheffield Road, and is open 7 days a week (so you can treat those feet after a night dancing on the Saturday.... not that I've done that for a while - woe is me!)

Go to www.woodlandsfitnesscentre.co.uk/pure-at-woodlands-dronfield-c78.html for opening times and contact details.