{Learn} N is for Nails

Alternative Title : If all else fails, I’ve still got my Nails.

It’s time for me to complete another of Lottie’s challenges for her fabulous Finishing School. (It’s never too late to join up). This time N is for Nails! Lottie set the following challenge.

Make time to give yourself a manicure and pedicure. At the very least tidy your nails and the nail bed and add a clear coat of polish, even complete novices with no nail care skills can manage this.  If you need help don’t forget there are lots of great tutorials on You Tube to help you through.  Alternatively, finally get round to booking an appointment in the local nail bar.

This is something I have been doing on a fairly regular basis lately. And Grace is painting her nails too. OK so it’s a different color every day… despite it not being part of school uniform!… but it’s a girl thing so I’m not going to begrudge her.

Here is a pic of one of her colors I tried a little while back. It’s actually sapphire and you can see the hints of blue in real life. Grace neglected to tell me what a bugger it was to remove though. I may try to find a bottle similar to this in a better quality.

Lately I have been sticking to the more serviceable clear polish, using color on “special occasions”. I do really like this one though. So different from my beige and brown.

{Learn} M is for Moisturise

It’s time for me to complete another of Lottie’s challenges for her fabulous Finishing School. (It’s never too late to join up). This week M is for Moisturise! The challenge is to moisturise my face every morning and night. This isn’t too hard as it’s something I do anyway (most of the time).

However, over the last couple of weeks I’ve been thinking long and hard about the moisturiser I have been using. I don’t believe in spending a gazillion dollars on facial products. I believe you can get just a good a result in some of the cheaper brands. But where are all of these products made and under what conditions? What testing, if any, do they do on animals? Who owns these companies?

I found that the iPhone has an app that can help (naturally). It’s called Shop Ethical!. The moisturiser I was using did not score well, in fact it had a bid red X.

So I went shopping for a new one (as I needed a new one anyway) and found Natio. Not only was it easily available in my local chemist, cheap (under $20), had the big green tick of approval from the Shop Ethical! app, but it’s also lovely to put on. It’s so nice I want to use it more than just morning and night (but I don’t).

As you apply it there is the beautiful aromatherapy scent of ylang ylang, orange and lavender that instantly calms you just for those moments it’s absorbed into your skin. And mine is SPF15 which I really need for my fair complexion. I loved it so much I went back and bought their hand cream too.

By the way, this is not a sponsored post, I just love it.

K is for Kit

This year is already flying by so fast. I blinked and see that I am behind again in Lottie’s Finishing School challenges. This doesn’t mean I haven’t been conscious, every day, of all the things already learned in A to J. This challenge came at a perfect time for me too…. so what is the challenge?

K is for Kit … “Find a space which can be yours for your beauty routine. Obviously a dressing table is ideal but it can be anywhere else.  You can use a bathroom counter, a random table, a chest of drawers, a desk, anywhere where you can find a bit of space just for you.“

In our old house we had a really small bathroom that you could barely move in. Cupboard space was limited. I would carry my makeup into the bathroom, when I could be bothered (which was only when going into the office or going out), and then carry it back to the bedroom when done. Now I’m blessed with a bathroom where I have my own cupboards and even my own sink.

So if I have my own space already then why did this challenge come at a perfect time? I have a 12yo daughter!

This is a before shot of my cupboard where you can see things have been knocked over from where she has reached in to raid my make up. I also had some old makeup and lotions & potions that I needed to sort through and throw out.

We don’t have drawers so I have small trays that I use for different purposes like hair accessories, medications, and hair products. This is the after shot which is a lot more organized.

Christmas 09 Hub gave me a makeup caddy which I have now moved closer to the front. The great thing about the caddy is that I know exactly where everything is…. and when it’s missing!

Do you have a special place for your Kit? Or any tips to make your beauty routine easier?