Lisa, Author at Conversations through the middle

40s Chic – and so I am (!!)

September 6, 2012

It’s that day again, the day when I climb ever further into my 40s. It amazes me just how quickly time passes – and how blinded we are by it. When I look in the mirror I still see a woman in her 20s and I feel no different than I did when I was 18, except perhaps I’m a little bit wiser and a lot more cynical.

One thing I’ve noticed when it comes to beauty, in your teens and 20s it doesn’t matter what make-up you use or even if you have a skincare regime, you look good regardless. A couple of decades later and it does matter, very much so. This is the time that lack of cleansing, moisturising and sun protection comes back to bite you on the bum and when what you put on your face affects not only how you look but the ongoing appearance, even health of your skin.

I’m lucky in that my mam was very conscious of skincare and cosmetics. Her advice and enthusiasm rubbed off on me and I’ve been using moisturiser since I was at least 15 years old, perhaps younger. Her favourite was Nivea then Oil of Ulay (when it was Oil of Ulay). I still can’t pass a Nivea tin without sniffing it and being transported back decades. Oh the power of fragrance memories.

I now have my own favourite skincare products and they have become more sophisticated over the years, each designed to do a different job in holding back the years. Not all of them are expensive, many are natural (I have a soft spot for organic ingredients and plant extracts) and some are luxuries that remain on my wishlist rather than in my bathroom for the majority of the time. In no particular order they are:

A great day or night cream that feels gorgeous even as you’re applying it.
You only need a little and it sinks into the skin very quickly

I’ve been using this for years and it always does the job.
This is as good as some of the more expensive creams I’ve tried and it’s better than a few others

My current favourite eye treatment and one I told you about here

Melvita organic skincare is another of my favourite
brands and its Youthful Skin Serum is lovely under moisturiser

Lovely and light, this is one of my favourite daytime moisturisers. I blogged about it here

I have told you about this before here. It smells fabulous,
it makes a change to using night cream and as it’s an oil, you only need a few drops

Finally, as a sunscreen for your face, I haven’t yet found anything to beat this.
It’s not too sticky, not too thick, absorbs sort of quickly (quicker than other facial sunscreens I’ve tried), and it smells good. I first posted about it here

So just to finish off, I would like to say have a (virtual) piece of cake on me and a refreshing cup of tea (or wine) and let me know about your favourite beauty products in the comment section below. Enjoy the party!

Fashion – comfy jumpers for AW12

September 5, 2012

We’re just on the cusp of summer into autumn and despite the warm Indian Summer days we’re experiencing at the moment there’s a nip in the air first thing in the morning.

I really noticed it when I was walking the dog on the village field earlier, so I was glad I’d worn one of my new jumpers from Primark. I bought several pieces with birthday money from my dad and I must say, I’m impressed. Usually I can’t find anything that fits me in Primark, I find it’s an inexpensive store that suits skinny teenagers and women that lack the, shall we say, fuller figure, I possess.

However, when I was in Newcastle last week I had a look around the MetroCentre branch and there were loads of lovely clothes, not just in the usual neutrals that I’m a fan of, but also in the jewel colours that are going to be big this season. Well, jumpers and me, let’s just say I love cosy clothes and you don’t get much cosier than a woolly jumper.

My favourite (and the one I wore this morning) is a burgundy mix in a loose, hippy chic style, with long arms that come down over your hands and a wide, open, slightly scooped neck. It has two patch pockets on the front and I can just tell I’m going to live in this at home throughout the autumn.

I’ve just been hunting for an image to show you but I can’t find one – and seeing as I’m wearing the jumper at the moment I will have to wait until later to take a photo.

The other two jumpers I bought are a not too chunky, they’re hip length, with flared sleeves. I bought one in black and one in a sort of oatmeal colour; they’re quite smart so should team up well with work trousers or a skirt. Again, I can’t find images of these online so I shall have to demonstrate my fantastic photography skills later today and create my own.

In the meantime, I love the jumper in the image above – it’s loose, sloppy and warm, all the things I love about woollies. It is available from the middle of next month and costs just £12; the other items should all be in store now.

The Fair Isle sweater below reminds me of a style that was very in vogue in the late 70s/ early 80s, but with a more up-to-date- twist (thank goodness). It’s £14 and is due in shops from the middle of this month. The other items shown should be available now.

Have you seen the new collections from Primark? What do you think? What are your favourite pieces? I’d love to hear your recommendations.

Beauty – Yves Rocher BB and FAB skincare tips

September 4, 2012

New from French beauty brand Yves Rocher comes a six-in-one BB cream. Another BB to add to the long list launched in the last couple of years, it contains white tea, which protects the skin, as well as ‘unifying pigments’ to even out skin tone.

Sublime Skin 6 in 1 also smooths and illuminates the skin, while moisturising for a whole 24 hours. I have yet to try it, but it sounds promising. It’s available in light and medium shades, and can be found here.

I love this tip from First Aid Beauty founder, Lilli Gordon. It’s great to hear that beauty gurus are not focused solely on products you apply to the skin, but recognise that diet and external influences also have a part to play in looking good.

“Apricots are a great ingredient to help tackle wrinkles and are packed full of betacarotene to help fight free radicals. I recommend keeping a stash of dried apricots in your handbag as a snack for when you need a sugar hit.”

She also gave me this recipe for a homemade face treatment: “When at home, mash up fresh apricot with lime, honey and a splash of cold milk until it becomes a paste, apply to the skin and wash off after 20 minutes to reveal a perkier complexion.” You can find FAB here.

Interiors – what’s cooking in the kitchen?

September 3, 2012

While I was in Germany last week I visited the largest consumer trade fair in the world, IFA. I can hear you yawning from here, but in fact it was fascinating.

From my point of view I was focused on covering the home appliances section and there were some pretty wonderful things on show.

I’ve chose the following items to share with you because they are unusual, look great or are just weird, however there were so many other appliances being introduced that may look like your usual kitchen kit but are so high tech it’s untrue. I’ll come back to those later, beauty first and all that…

I love this Union Jack design, it fits with all the Olympic joy of this summer.
The Big Ben image is not available, it’s to demonstrate you can have whatever you want on your Stoves cooker.


… and you can have it in any colour…hot pink for hot food

I love the orange (though it looks more yellow here)

Vacuuming is not the most exciting of tasks but you can make it more
sensational with this Sebo Felix 1 cleaner, studded with Swarovski crystal elements.
Fabulous darling…

Or how about one of these colourful cuties…

Perhaps you would prefer this robot to clean your floors.
It reminds me of a bug, especially when it moves around the cabinet…

His friends come in lots of different colours too!