‘I’m always Checking my reflection’

Sandra Bingham, 37, lives in Bromley, South London, and works in retail.

i spent my teens obsessed with my image. When i had my first boyfriend at 18, he never once saw me without my make-up on. today, my devotion to my looks remains the same. my eyebrows are finely arched, my hair constantly coiffed and i have never left the house without make-up. it took a whole year before i even let my partner see me totally barefaced.

i’m forever checking my reflection in the car or in shop windows. the joke at work is that i’m constantly asking everyone, ‘Does my lipstick look all right?’

lucy and i have two older brothers who are both in their late 40s, and when we all met up for a drink once, the barmaid asked if i’d brought my mum and dad with me, referring to lucy and one of our brothers. Fortunately we have a sense of humour, but i don’t think i would have taken it nearly as well as lucy did.

i accept what lucy says about my appearance being my armour. i do look in the mirror and see a woman who isn’t in possession of the confidence that lucy has. my sister is very happy because she’s so at ease in her own skin.