Lotions and Potions

For those of you who know me, (when I say know I mean have seen me) you would probably be surprised to hear that one of my most recent book acquisitions was one on beauty. More precisely, on Eastern beauty. You’ll be less surprised to hear that the reason for this purchase is not straightforward!

However, it’s not that I’m not interested in beauty and it’s not that I don’t try to look feminine. It’s just that I seem on the whole to fail, or at least don’t manage stereotypical feminine with ease or competence. That’s fine with me though. I’ve gone through the phase of meticulously putting make up on before I leave the house (ok when I say before I leave the house I really mean in the car on the way to college!) Said make up usually managed to stay on my face for about 2 hrs until it seemed to mysteriously vanish. (Admittedly having my face hovering over a Bunsen burner in Chemistry was seemingly not compatible with matt finish foundation).

So I am now of the opinion that femininity is more a state of mind and actually has very little to do with the shade of lipstick you are wearing.

Having said all this it is not as if I have an aversion to looking, or at least trying to look babelike too and I do possess a cupboard full of beautification paraphernalia. Should I so desire I know I could put my hand on something that would tone/ moisturise/ cleanse/ buff/ tan or add sparkle to my skin. I even get marginally excited when Boots send me an email to tell me I can get double clubcard points should I fork out for some obscure beauty product. (However this is probably more an indication of my love of boots clubcard points! – current total £31 than my love of obscure sounding beauty products).

Why the beauty book then? Well I have a plan, not a particularly cunning plan, but a plan all the same. I am going to take inspiration from the ancient east and start making my own skincare products. (Avoiding all the recipes that use lethal ingredients like lead!) Ok, now at this moment even I am sat here trying to figure all this out. Someone who has a cupboard full of lotions and potions to hand which in spite of this she doesn’t use is going to spend hours making lotions and potions from obscure and indeed vial sounding ingredients.

The missing link in all of this is Julie and Julia, a fabulous novel I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending. Which basically follows Julie Powell’s journey through the epic task of cooking every recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cookery. So my idea? Share my experiences as I grate, plup, blend and apply various foul sounding concoctions to my face and body.

It may be entertaining reading, I guess time will tell! But if I don't post anything on here for a while you can probably assume I've had some allergic reaction which has made my eyes swell up so I can't type. Or there is the alternative explanation that my skin has become so wonderful that I have been spotted and will soon be gracing a cover of Vogue minus the need for airbrushing out inperfections!!!!!!