You’re beautiful, it’s true 

Ah James Blunt, what a guy. You think I’m kidding? Read the mans Twitter. Hilarious. Alas, this post shall not descend into Blunters banter but it shall be about beauty. 

‘But this is a fitness blog,’ I hear you say. Correct. But the reason I started my journey was to feel better about myself and beauty is another way to acheive this feeling. I like my face and my skin is quite alright. I will have make up free days without ‘The Fear’ but I always feel better with a bit of war paint on. Therefore, this will be mostly about my face and how I go from drab to, well, less drab. 

This is just about what I do. I’m not a professional. If you want make up or beauty treatments see a beauty therapist, such as my wonderful friend, Faye.

All about that base

So before I stick a load of slap on, I make sure that the slap from earlier is well and truly gone. I swear by Clearasil but I have been told off in the past by previously mentioned beauty therapist. I then tone. I’ve been using Espa toner and it’s lovely but if you’re on a budget, it may not be the best for you.  

   
   

 
So once you’re clean it’s time to moisturise. I use a Facial Cream and an Eye Cream. 

    
Once your skin is completely prepped it’s then time t add the make-up base; the primer. I honestly didn’t use primer before because I thought it was an unnecessary gimmick but boy, was I wrong. My Facial Primer reduces any unsightly pores and my Eye Primer ensures that shadows and concealers really stay put. Rest assured I’m not being paid by Urban Decay. It really works. Eye shadow used to crease constantly and now it lasts all day!   

 
  
Can you conceal it? (Think can you feel it)

Next comes the hiding of anything out of place. I love Bare Minerals Stroke of Light for under eye concealing. As for spot concealing, I’m useless. I’ve never been able to do it. I currently use Boi-ing but I’d still say I could do with finding a new one. Any tips would be appreciated. A good brush should be used. I use a Mac 195. 

  
  
  

Build me up Buttercup

So next you want to build on these bases. Get it? Build me up? But it gets better… It was only sung by The Foundations! Perfect. So using a Mac 190 I apply the lovely and light Bobbi Brown Skin foundation. I don’t like heavy make up. Girl got good skin, so this is perfect. Next I highlight my cheek bones with a bit of Coralista or dust some Hoola around. If I’m on a night out I’ll add some cheek highlighter too like High Beam. 

   
 
  
These eyes 

So, until recent years, eyebrows were massively overlooked. Ok since then some people have taken the whole thing too far but well shaped and dressed brows can make your face. First things first get them waxed or threaded professionally. Ok, nobody is symmetrical but having one underplucked brow or completely different shapes suits nobody. I then use Brow Zings to get them into place and fill them in. Mascara wands from eBay are good for combing. Highlight under the brow to lift it. I use ‘Virgin’ from the Urban Decay Naked Palette. 

  
 Then it’s onto the eye shadow.  On a day-to-day basis I’ll go quite light with Sin from the Naked palette. On an evening out I might go more smoky with darker colours, using darker at the outer edges and blending. 

   

 

When it comes to lining, these days I go for a brown colour rather than a dark or black. However, on a night out I will go Black Pencil or Liquid Liner. My favourite day shade is Urban Decay’s Whiskey. 

   
Finally comes the pièce de résistance, mascara. I’ve used They’re Real for quite some time and I really can’t fault it. 

 

  
 Simmer down and pucker up 

Now for the fun part of your face, the lips. I wear pinky shades in the day and darker reds in the evening. I go for a mixture of. Mac and Dior. I line the darker colours with cheaper liners just so they don’t bleed. My favourite shades:

• Mac Diva
• Mac Peach blossom
• Mac Please me
• Mac New Temptations
• Dior Lucky
• Dior True

   
 

Come on, Vogue

That’s it, face done. Now all that’s left is to clean the brushes using Brush Cleaner and to spruce up your Barnet. I am a ghd fanatic and so you’ll find me blowing and styling with one of their products. Special mention also goes out to Batiste dry shampoo on those days where you just don’t have time. 

  
   
    

Et voila

And so that’s it. Drab to less drab but feeling great. Easy peasy. 

  
 

🧳 UNPACKED

Beauty as Self-Care: This was The Gym Era when I realised beauty was part of feeling better about myself – the whole reason I started the fitness journey. I like my face, my skin’s quite alright, and I’ll have make-up free days without fear, but I always feel better with a bit of war paint on.

My Full Routine – Drab to Less Drab:

The Base: Remove old make-up with Clearasil (beauty therapist friend Faye told me off for this choice!), tone with Espa (lovely but pricey), moisturise with Olay facial cream and No7 eye cream.

The Game-Changer: Primer. Thought it was an unnecessary gimmick – I was SO wrong. Urban Decay facial primer reduces pores, eye primer makes shadows actually stay put all day instead of creasing constantly. Not being paid by Urban Decay, it just genuinely works.

Concealing: Bare Minerals Stroke of Light for under eyes. Benefit Boi-ing for spots (but I’m useless at spot concealing – tips appreciated). Mac 195 brush for application.

Foundation & Contour: Bobbi Brown Skin foundation (light, don’t like heavy make-up – got good skin). Mac 190 brush. Benefit Coralista or Hoola for contouring. High Beam highlighter for nights out.

The Eyebrows: Get them professionally waxed or threaded first – nobody is symmetrical, but different shaped brows suit nobody. Benefit Brow Zings to fill and shape. Cheap mascara wands from eBay for combing. Urban Decay Naked Palette’s ‘Virgin’ to highlight under brow.

Eyes: Day-to-day: Sin from Naked palette. Evening: Darker, smokier with blending. Brown liner for day (Urban Decay Whiskey), black pencil or Collection liquid liner for nights out. Benefit They’re Real mascara – can’t fault it.

Lips: Pinky shades day, darker reds evening. Mac and Dior mix. Line darker colours to prevent bleeding. Favourites: Mac Diva, Peach Blossom, Please Me, New Temptations; Dior Lucky, True.

Finishing: Clean brushes with brush cleaner. Style hair with GHD products. Batiste dry shampoo for days without time.

My Go-To Beauty Kit:

• 📦 Pack here: Clearasil cleanser
• 📦 Pack here: Espa toner
• 📦 Pack here: Olay facial cream
• 📦 Pack here: No7 eye cream
• 📦 Pack here: Urban Decay eye primer
• 📦 Pack here: Benefit Boi-ing concealer
• 📦 Pack here: Bobbi Brown Skin foundation
• 📦 Pack here: Benefit Hoola bronzer
• 📦 Pack here: Benefit They’re Real mascara
• 📦 Pack here: Make-up brush cleaner
• 📦 Pack here: GHD hairdryer
• 📦 Pack here: GHD straighteners
• 📦 Pack here: Batiste dry shampoo

Worth Knowing: I’m not a professional – see a beauty therapist for proper treatments. This is just what works for me. Primer genuinely makes a difference (I was sceptical too). Professional brow shaping is worth every penny. And James Blunt’s Twitter is hilarious – go read it.