Make me beautiful

[LoopyLoz]

I'm going back to work next week and since having my ds 11 months ago and - as i'm sure all you mums can understand - have let myself go slightly!

In need of some wonderful beauty tips, good mascara etc...

Help me, I can't go back to work looking like I've not slept for 11 months not had a hair cut!

Get a decent haircut firstly

Don't you worry Mama, I'm booked in for tomorrow at 3, woo!

Could you swing along to a MAC counter?

For £25, which you get back in products, they will teach you how to do a new make-up look, and they are all trained make-up artists at MAC, not just scary orange ladies.

If you go and say 'I have ten minutes every morning, and need to look like me, only less tired and generally a bit more foxy', they will show you how to do that and then tell you which products you need.

If you can't face that, you need:

Lancome mascara
Eyelash curlers
Chanel Vitalumiere foundation
Cream blush to give your deathly no-sleep pallor a rosy glow

Anything more will just be gilding the lily, I promise!

Woo thank you. One more tip, how do I disguise the SLEEPLESS EYES??

I have permanent black circles if I have 10 hours sleep or 10 minutes, so I daily use (and don't even go to work) a good under eye concealer and powder to go all over the face to even out skin tone, etc. Eyelash curlers and mascara are also a daily thing recently for me 'cause they make me feel more glam, followed by lipgloss. Haircut booked in every 6 weeks (early Sat am so hubby around for kiddies) is my only extravagence (sp??) but means that I don't, often, have bad hair days!

Cheaper but very reliable and convenient make up:

Boots 17 triple eyeshadow compact in Orion (ie beiges, suit everyone) incs applicator so handy for handbag. Put the lightest shade all over, middle one in the middle dark one along the lashes, then blend a bit with a finger. Wet the thin end of the applicator to get more of an eyeliner effect from the darkest shade.

Maybelline mascara, in the garish pink and green tube - astonishing results given the price.

Serum is good for slapping on as soon as you wake up, to perk your face up a bit.

this one is brilliant (and a little goes a long way, I've only ever had the tiny pots from special offer sets); otherwise Boots Time Delay or Olay Regenrist are both pretty good.

Clinique long and pretty is the only mascara I will use; it just makes you look natural but a bit better iykwim.

Boots No7 do a decent-ish under eye concealer thing.

Make-up remover wipes for when you're just too knackered. I find a whole one unnecessary if I'm not wearing foundation so I tear off half at a time.

Use factor 15+ suncream as a moisturiser.

Regenerist on special offer at Boots.