Tag: beauty

L I F E | dealing with breakouts in your 40’s

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Breakouts at any age are a bloody pain in the backside but at 49 … I’m like Jeez Mother Nature give us a break !

I can’t actually remember a time when I had spot-free skin. They have plagued me all my life.

I had acne quite late on in life ; during my early twenties. My doctor at the time put me on the pill because it was proven to help with this type of acne [ cystic ] I never got to find out if it did or didn’t help .

The pill played havoc with my hormones and sent me slightly bonkers. My dad said I was like the ‘work of the devil ‘ ! For my sanity and everyone else’s safety I came off them. I decided people could live with spotty Tracey , but Tracey who wanted to kill everyone … maybe not so much!

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S T Y L E | faffing around over lockdown …

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My mum always used to say I was a ‘faffer ‘ who liked nothing better than ‘faffing around’ with skincare and beauty bits .

F A F F E R – to spend your time doing a lot of things that are not important instead of the thing you should be doing . i.e “Tracey please stop faffing around”

I in turn always blamed Mum and her Avon [lady] sample kit. I can still see it now her little suitcase of complete and utter joy. The bundles of sachets of cream and THOSE Lipstick samples. Back in the 80’s lipstick samples were actually miniature lipsticks ; absolutely brilliant for handing out to customers with their monthly catalogue as they could fit through the letterbox. Great to try before you buy AND for my tiny hands to pinch & play with.

I’m not sure why they stopped doing them; in today’s weird ‘social distancing’ climate they would be ideal. Bring them back!

I found these photographs on Pinterest [ below ] can anybody remember them too?

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B E A U T Y | with Rebecca Elsdon Advanced Skincare

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If you’ve been hanging around here for a while with me you will know I love skincare and beauty.

You will also know that I had acne in my early 20’s which has left me with some scarring and hypo-pigmentation. ‘Bug-bears’ I have been trying to improve over the years!

I’ve had lots of treatments from derma roller to TCA peels to lazer but always with the words of a not so tactful therapist lingering in the back of my mind ‘we can’t perform miracles!‘ I’m not daft , a scar is a scar, skin that’s lost pigmentation will never regain it BUT I do believe that with lots of care, with the correct treatments and products you can improve your skins appearance.

So with that in mind and after discovering and talking on Instagram I made an appointment for a consultation with Rebecca Elsdon Advanced Skincare & Aesthetics’s and I couldn’t have been more excited.

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8 0 ‘s M A K E U P | inspired by Stranger Things

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Last Thursday evening I was invited to see ‘Stranger Things’ at the Secret Cinema in London with M.A.C Cosmetics [ part of a paid partnership ] and to attend a couple of Fashion Shows the following day as part of London Fashion Week.

I packed my bags, happy at the prospect of leaving Sheffield for a couple of days and heading down to the ‘big smoke’

London is always fun and I’ve become quite fond of the 2 hour train journey down where all I do is sit, drink coffee, munch on chocolate bars , contemplate life … and read.

Yes folks you heard correctly I am back reading ‘ Feel the Fear and do it anyway‘ … because I was doing all those things !

S E C R E T C I N E M A | stranger things

It’s immersive cinema and in all honesty I wasn’t sure what to expect? We weren’t told were it was. We were Just informed that a taxi would pick us up at the hotel and drop us off . A guide would meet us at the other end and take us across to the secret location. I was intrigued already!

As soon as I entered the ‘cinema’ it felt as though I had been transported back to Hawkins. To be exact 4th July , 1985. If you are not familiar with Stranger Things Hawkins is the town in which the series is set.

Your mobile phone and camera are confiscated as you enter the cinema so there are no photos or instagram moments from the night. It felt very bizarre but I guess it’s so it keeps it intriguing and doesn’t spoil it for anyone else.

It’s actually a grand idea; it makes you feel ‘in the moment‘ . As you are not stopping every few minutes to record something on your phone you can just enjoy the experience.

It really was like being back in 1985 when mobiles didn’t even exist !

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L I F E | my 2019 highlights

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One of the most important lessons  I’ll take from 2019 .

Why not me?

I have always struggled with the assumption that I wasn’t good enough… pretty enough… cool enough… ‘whatever it is’ enough. Or that if I was I would inevitably fall at the last hurdle and feck up whatever it was I was working on.

My lack of self-confidence drove my parents to the brink of despair and I guess over the years I’ve turned down various opportunities because it was easier than trying and failing. I mean come on I could potentially have been a weather girl on bloody Calender News had I followed up the invitation to audition many years ago.

In 2019 I guess something shifted … combined with the loss of my mum a few years before … I gained a new frame of mind.

So back to my revelation.

Back in early autumn I announced excitedly to a few people [including a few influencers] that I had been asked to be a Regional Ambassador for M.A.C.

The look on a couple of their faces was priceless. Maybe it was my age, maybe they thought my following wasn’t large enough … whatever it was it screamed “you? why you??” some people really need to work on their poker faces.

I admit to thinking that myself initially but I always question EVERYTHING. I joked about how they had obviously emailed the wrong person, but it did make me think …

why me?

or rather why NOT me?

A Little Catch Up & Stocking Fillers Under £10…

I feel like I’ve not spoken in absolutely ages; that I’m neglecting the blog somewhat.

It doesn’t help that I’ve spent the last week, laid horizontal anywhere I can, not feeling too great myself. I was even poorly on my birthday . Great timing eh? I appear to have the dreaded lurgy that is sweeping the nation . They are dropping like flies at work. Even Mollie dog is under the weather!

Well I am here to rectify that today, a little snotty with a tickley cough [ that’s driving me bonkers ]  but here.

So how the devil are you … and are we all ready for Christmas ?

Are you fed up of being asked that question yet? I am … and no I’m not [ ready ].

I’ve not even put my tree up ! I have ordered Harry Styles new album but no tree. [Priorities] Yes you heard correctly – my Christmas tree is not up

“Good god woman” I can imagine my mum muttering from above “pull your finger out!” I’ll no doubt be getting struck by lightening if it’s not up in the next few days ! … Continue reading →