Things I use every day.

When I was a teenager, there were days when I refused to go to school without a full face of slap on. Fortunately, the one time I tried foundation back then, it oxidised into a hideous dayglo orange that any passing member of TOWIE would be chuffed to wear. I never wore foundation again until I was about 22 and a lovely lady on the Clinique counter in Boots matched me with their palest shade. It was amazing to be able to go out with a clear looking face with angry red acne scars hidden until I removed my make up or it rained. I still, for some unfathomable reason went out with Rimmel concealer in entirely the wrong shade. Mmm, lovely orange spots.

Fast forward to last year. After trying countless other brands of foundation and failing miserably with them (too orange, too dark, breakouts, etc) I discovered Illamasqua Skin Base. The fabulous artist matched me up with shade SB05 and it was true love. It matched perfectly to my face without having to blend into my neck. It covered slightly darker patches, acne scarring and upon a second application to my eyes, the dark circles under there. No breakouts, nothing. Best. Foundation. Ever.

My gran used to work in Boots and would always complain to me that I looked daft with black mascara on and would often make me try blue mascara. Yes, blue. I looked even more idiotic in blue mascara. I had a drawer full of nasty mascaras of various hues, even purple. I eventually realised that it was the application that was making me look stupid and not the colour. I had eye lashes that looked like fly legs. My mission was to find a mascara that would go on in one coat and not clump. Every time I found this Holiest Grail product, it would invariably be discontinued.

Bah.

Until...

No7 brought out their Lash Adapt mascara. Apparently, you can apply 6 coats without it turning clumpy. I've not gone that far, I'm too scared to. I still have nightmares about my eyelashes turning into fly legs. One coat is sufficient for me. I am afraid that They might discontinue it so there is a stash in a drawer.

Then there's perfume. Like all insecure teens, I was petrified of being labelled 'Smelly'. It didn't matter that I had glasses, braces, uncontrollable frizzy hair in the wrong cut and orange concealer on my acne, it mattered that I did not smell. I got Driclor from my GP (yes, back in the day, it were prescription only. Young people today don't know they're born /oldlady) and White Musk from the Body Shop. Truly, I was a teen of the late 80s/ early 90s. I practically drowned myself in both. I'd get a bath first thing in the morning and again as soon as I came in from school.

I hated the smell of White Musk and it gave me a headache.

Most perfumes gave me a headache, especially Obsession and the aforementioned White Musk. I only wore it because everybody else did then I, well my mother really, decided the headaches weren't worth it and the perfume ended in the bin. I eventually found Lanvin's Arpége that smelled so different and richer to anything I'd ever tried before. I wear it all the time now; even in summer. I don't feel ready to face the world unless I have some on.

Of course, the insecurities I had as a kid aren't the same as the ones I have now as an adult. I can go out of the house with no make up on. I just choose to dress my face up to reflect my mood. I don't hide behind a mask. My mask is the skin I was born with, really.