An Introduction

Confessions of a Beauty No-Hoper

Hello. I hope the title of this blog doesn’t immediately put you off by implying that I am some kind of morose, self-proclaimed ugly duckling with a hatred for magazine photoshopping and the cosmetics industry,whilst harbouring deeply rooted insecurities and low self-esteem.

At the same time, please don’t mistake me for a vain,self-obsessed attention seeker either. I’m not here to parade myface/products/opinions around for praise or recognition.

I am just a girl who loves make-up. I love lotions and potions and I love how good they can make me feel. I’d be lying if I said Iwasn’t influenced by magazines, and glossy packaging. I don’t, however, believe the self-generated hype surrounding lots of new products, or the shameless gender-stereotyping and almost condescending marketing angles that are sent in an effort to dupe us. I don’t believe in made up secret ingredients like “pro-retinol-oxy-plasmaderm” or “flangelberry extract, silk particles and crushed pearl”.

Yes, I’m interested in new product launches, I’m excited by new things that buzz around the beauty blogger community, and I especially enjoy a good honest review about something. I love to play with my make-up and cosmetics, and I’m still on the quest for my perfect foundation. I’m not heavily into fakery, but I don’t think I could ever really cut it as a ‘natural’ beauty. Leave the house without make-up? Take your smug ‘flawless dewy glow’ and get out of my facespace, you lucky swine.

Yes, I love make-up. I’m always buying it, playing with it, experimenting with it, and more often than I’d like, failing with it. For example, I was late in plucking my eyebrows as a teenager. Maybe 14? 15? Theywere quite bushy.  When I finally took the plunge, I waaaaaay overdid it. They were about three hairs thick. I looked very very startled and I got very very ridiculed at school.

Fast forward 10 years and I’m still learning what suits me and what sits well on my face. I can’t seem to outgrow hormones and I have just about every skin complaint going. It’s changing constantly, and usually for the worse.

• Combination – swings between very dry and very oily. 
• Acne that has somehow been getting steadily more problematic/visible/painful and angry since teenagedom. 
• Extremely dark under-eye circles. 
• And now, wrinkles.

Yes, really.

[ Sob.]

Beauty products are a fixation with me. I spend way too much money on them and I can barely fit any more goodies in my drawers, cupboards, bags (or various other stashes). I’ve tried budget, luxury, minerals and organic. I’ve even tried prescribed topical creams after wailing to the doctor about my ever-worsening skin! I know what you’re thinking – it’s probably the make up!

I have brands I like, products I don’t, and love discovering new ones. I like learning new tips and finding new tools and ideas. 

So why ‘confessions of a beauty no-hoper’ then, if I love beauty so damn much? Well, the problem is this: I’m just not that good at it. Sigh.

I’ve been meaning to do this blog for a long time. I want to talk about products I love and hate, try out new things, review them, and maybe even get some tips or advice. I really want to discover things that are right for me,and that become firm favourites, and vent my excitement when I do!

I know this post has been very wordy, but please come back,as I hope to post regularly about all the aforementioned.

Sticky Kisses!