My Makeup Makover - Before & After

As some of you already know I popped into London last Thurs (BTW that's a turn of phrase: it's impossible to 'simply pop into London'. A full suit of American Footballer armour aids one's manoeuvrability in the city centre, but only marginally). It's nice being a tourist in the Smoke, but as I get older and more crochety I find myself getting 'city agitated' after a few hours.

Anyway, whilst in London I ran a few errands, had a yummy noodle lunch and got meself a bit of a makeover! 

 

It's grey, it's been raining and it's the height of summer. How can I cheer myself up? I know, I'll go an see Les Mis!  :)

It's grey, it's raining and it's the height of summer. How can I keep myself dry?  I know, I'll wear some bags covered with Union Jacks!  :)

 

Good ol' Wonkies!  It's a London China Town institution. I've been eating here since I was a little girl. It cheap, the service is umm, gruff, but if you're hungry and in hurry it can't be beat.  And the Duck ho fun soup noodles are ta-hasty!

 

Installed in the makeup hot seat (which as I predicted is hoisted up as far as it will go) inside Selfriges. This is the 'before' shot.  BTW I haven't doctored any of these pics - it's all mother nature or bubbly Mr Pan from here on in!

...and 'after'. (sans photoshop)   No serioulsy, what?!?  Where have my red patches gone!?   Hey Alan [the makeup artist, not my hubster], don't spose you've ever considered settling down in Brighton?  Actually it's a great place in which to to live...aw go on, PLEASE!

Here's Mr Alan Pan (the magic-ian). What he doesn't know is (that in this pic) my hand is fishing around in his pocket for his mobile phone (or other form of ID) so I can stalk him - for any special occasion which requires make up expertise (which is hardly ever, but anyway...)

This shot was his idea OK?  I'm guessing that in this shot he might be encouraging onlookers to buy the a bottle of the product in his left hand? Maybe?

 

What did I learn:

• As we ...er...mature it's more important to pay more attention to your skin care than to your makep up. Turns out my skin is pretty dry and could do with bit of scrub.
• Oriental Ladies should go for bolder brighter eye colours (over paler shimmery colours). That's fine by me!
• Less is more (not to mention more convenient!) Drag queens may wear the most amazing makeup, but they are less likely to have time constraints such as those imposed by having to do the school run or to have stuff to sew (I have no hard evidence for this, I'm lazily falling back on my perceived stereotype of glamorous drag queens).
• If you happen to be in town when Alan is in town I can highly recommend!