So here it is – my first EVER blog! All about one of my few real passions – beauty!
Did I train in make-up artistry with Jemma Kidd? No.
Have I ever worked at the Dior counter in Selfridges? No.
Do I work professionally in the beauty industry? No – so why am I writing a blog about beauty then?
Well, ever since I was shoved on stage as a three-year-old to sing and dance doing my make-up has become a bit of an obsession!
I have always been enthralled with how something so simple as a brush of bronzing powder or a slick of new red lipstick can actually change how you feel about yourself. How a fresh head of highlights can make you walk with a spring in your step – a friend of mine commented just yesterday "My 10-year-old daughter is like a different person when she's got her hair in a bun – she's so confident!" – and it's true 9 times out of 10 – how we look really affects how we feel – even from such a young age. And as I am production editor for South West Wales Media and I get to work on our Swansea Life glossy magazine I get to indulge my passion at least once a month in work these days too!
I am obsessed with the newest products on the market and the freshest make-up look off the catwalks and have always "practised" my love for all things make-up and beauty on my dear friends and family! On nights out, on girlie holidays I have them queued out of the door ready to "make them over".
My friends and dear sister have even trusted me to do their make-up on the most special day of their lives (see picture gallery) – and thankfully they are all beautiful so my job was easy!
I am inspired by lots of celebs and models but I also take inspiration from the gorgeous women I work with, socialise with and see living around me in Swansea.
So I will be seeking out their best-kept beauty secrets and sharing them with you!
I will be finding out just how that girl from the second floor gets her hair so soft and shiny and how the woman from accounts gets her red lipstick to stay perfectly in place from 9am to 5pm.
I'll be seeking out how to get the same results you would from a Dior eye cream but on a Swansea budget – and testing out the latest beauty deals and trends on offer in Swansea and letting you know whether they are worth it or not!
Next week what's in my make-up bag!!
TOP TIP: To dry freshly painted nails quickly run your hands under freezing cold water
Follow me on Twitter for more beauty tips and facts - @bbygrove
