Happy Birthday BeautyMecca!

My name is BeautyLover and I'm a Beauty Addict.

I've been in deep for the last 27 years and for the last twelve months, I've been encouraging others to take up the addiction - I'm an enabler, a feeder, I am to beauty what Tom Cruise is to Scientology.

And I am not even a little bit sorry.

Phew, I feel better for that.

Can you believe we've been at this for a whole year? I've met some fabulous people, made some lovely friends and discovered even more amazing products to fuel my addiction... To celebrate making it a whole year without missing a mortgage payment to buy moisturiser, here is a special BeautyLover edition of my old favourite feature, What's in the Bag!

Skincare

I love Estee Lauder's Idealist Skin Refinisher in the morning and Advanced Night Repair in the evening. For my eyes, I use Darphin Stimulskin or Idealist Eye and then I top off the whole thing with Creme de la Mer.

I know none of this is cheap but your skin is REALLY where you cannot afford to skimp. I would rather you bought one pot of Creme de la Mer and then drew on your face with jelly beans and charcoal than spent your cash on pricey cosmetics and no moisturiser. That's not to say that there aren't great and more reasonably priced moisturisers - there are - but this is what I really use, not a plug and (hand up again) I am a Creme addict and my skin has never been better. Remember the dark days after Christmas when my skin fell apart? Ran out of Creme...

Once in a while, I use Bliss Sleeping Peel serum to clear congested skin. It's a miracle worker but make sure you use a sunscreen the week after use as it's a pretty hardcore exfoliant.

To cleanse, I've been fairly steady with REN Mayflower Blossom Facewash in a morning and Origins Clean Energy cleansing oil in the evening with MD Formulations scrub once a week and I"m happy. Don't disregard oil cleansers as just for oily skin, I have combination skin that tends to get red really easily and I find massaging with the Origins product, my skin is soft, plump and not even a wee bit greasy.

Body

Things are about to get a little bit Bliss-y... 

I think body products should just be literally what you love. As long as your skin is moisturised and you like the smell, it does NOT matter what you use. I am obsessed with the scent of Bliss Lemon+Sage so I'm usually rocking the soapy sap, body butter and scrub, completely unapologetically. For more bargainous times, I love Delicious Beauty and Think Happy moisturisers and nothing will ever beat classic green Radox shower gel and bubble bath for me. Ahhh, the memories.

Hair

A fab haircut is JUST as important as a fab skincare routine so find a stylist you love and stick with him. You will be rewarded. I do tend to switch and change a bit with my shampoo and conditioner but I always come back to Fekkai Protein RX moisture mask and Lee Stafford Sleepover Treatment. I've just started using a great new brand from NY hairdresser, Paul Lebracque and never had so many compliments, but more on that later.

For styling, I'm still loyal to Lee. I go through a can of Lee Stafford spray wax every month and can't live without his Oily Roots spray. Sigh, ten minutes extra in bed...

That's your lot for today - sorry if it's overload!

Tomorrow I'll be giving you the good stuff... the make up!!!!!