BARE TO SCARE!

My daughter shrieked while my son covered his eyes with his hands. ‘No, it’s a monster,’ he cried. ‘Please. Don’t hurt me.’ I tutted and rolled my eyes. ‘Very funny guys,’ I muttered, but my little girl wouldn’t give up. ‘Are you getting ready for Halloween?’ she demanded. My son laughed. ‘It’s way too early for that,’ I said, getting annoyed now.

I wasn’t wearing a mask and hadn’t dressed up as a witch or a ghoul. It was a Friday and for once, I’d decided to go make-up free. That meant my children could see my blotchy skin, along with open pores on my nose and cheeks, my tiny eyes with blonde, skinny (read non-existent) lashes and equally fair eyebrows. I didn’t look like me.

Usually I wear kohl around my eyes, layers of plumping and volumising mascara, and a bright lipstick. A year-round tan, helped along with a tinted moisturiser and powder give an illusion of flawless skin. Now bare-faced, I was scaring my own children and beginning to think I should book an urgent beauty salon appointment for lash extensions, dyed eyebrows and dermabrasion.

But once the kids had calmed down and stopped with the Halloween jokes, I was glad to go au naturel. It meant my skin could breathe and rejuvenate itself without being buried under layers of cosmetics. Celebrities have already discovered the benefits of daring to bare, with many adopting the 5:2 beauty diet where they go make-up free for two days a week. It gives the skin a break, and can even leave us looking younger, according to experts. Turn to page 60 to find out more – and maybe, like me, you can adopt this new skin-friendly regime. After all it’s just in time for Halloween!

Until next week,

Now make-up FREE, I was SCARING my own CHILDREN and beginning to think I should book an urgent SALON appointment for LASH extensions