NSO beauty: Desert island

If you are familiar with Never Shopped Out, a great Australian online shopping resource, you may have noticed they have a new beauty blogger on board--if you are doubly observant, you may also have noticed that it is none other than yours truly. Each fortnight a new beauty posting will be up on NSO as well as up here on this blog. So please click on the link or read on and enjoy!

They say you can often tell a lot about a woman by having a quick peek inside her make-up bag/drawer/cupboard. If one were to cast their eyes upon my stash it would probably reveal a number of things about me including the fact that I am a massive hoarder and probably own enough beauty products to keep myself occupied til about the year 2037.Despite the fact that I honestly NEED everything that I own (and intend to purchase in the near future) if I had to play beauty desert island and pick 4 items which I think should take pride of place in anyone’s beauty regimen (whether you spend 5 minutes or 50 minutes in front of the mirror each day) these would be it:

Sunscreen

This is definitely the number one must, since sun damage from exposure to UV rays is one of the biggest aging factors (second only to stress). I wear at least an SPF 30+ year round, even when indoors—sun damage is cumulative and doesn’t show up until years after the damage has already been done. Get a moisturiser or foundation into your routine which contains a high SPF: I use Shiseido sun protection liquid foundation 30+. (AUD$49.00)

Eye cream

Moisturising the skin around the eye is crucial from the early twenties onwards. Even though your skin may not be dry, dehydration (lack of water, not lack of oil) is one of the first signs of aging, with dehydration lines around the eyes often being confused for wrinkles. I believe prevention is better than cure, so keep the fine skin around your eyes plumped up with an eye cream suitable for your skin type (I use Elizabeth Arden Intervene eye, AUD$52.00), and remember to tap the cream lightly around the eye socket, never on the actual eye lid.

Lipstick/gloss/balm

Some kind of lip product must be on my lips at all times to guard against dryness and to protect from the wind and sun. Two lippies that are always in my handbag are MAC Jubilee lipstick (AUD$35.00) and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula lip butter.

Mascara

Oh so obvious and clichéd, but my teeny lashes are so spindly they are virtually invisible without this most wondrous item. With the infinite range of mascaras now on the market you can find one to suit almost any look you desire, but if you like them long and thick like I do, I highly recommend Max Factor Masterpiece MAX —I’ve tried Diorshow, I’ve tried Lancome Hypnose, I’ve tried Chanel Inimitable, and this one trumps the lot at around half the price.

Images: Never Shopped Out