Whilst the men try to impress with their attempts at facial hair in aid of prostate and testicular cancer for Movember, us ladies at Escentual have been given the challenge of going make up free for October. We’ve teamed up with Breast Cancer Care and a couple of well known faces in the celebrity world to raise as much awareness as we can for this amazing cause (find out about the campaign, what everyone’s been getting up to and ways to get involved here)

Being a bit of a tom-boy meant that it was only around 2 years ago (funnily enough when I started working here…) that I started taking an interest in make-up and cosmetics and I was surprised how reliant I had become on the staples of my make-up bag. Read on to hear if I was brave enough to ‘Dare to Bare’…

Tuesday 8th October

8am

I’m up, dressed, washed, fed and being collected at 8.30am to get into work. I went for my make-up bag and started to line everything up in order of application but had to stop myself before dispensing a little of my primer!  I don’t think I’ve ever been ready this early in the whole time I’ve been working at Escentual! 20 minutes spare you say? More than enough time for a nap.

1pm

I’ve nipped to the toilet a couple of times this morning in between calls and have avoided looking at myself in the mirror or I’ll just wish I looked a bit more human. This tactic is working well so far and it’s only an hour until lunch and I’ll feel a bit less grouchy!

3pm

I’ve just taken in a delivery and one of the regular drivers commented on how different I looked. I’m not sure if he means my new hair cut (I say new, he probably hasn’t seen me since I had it cut last week), the fact that I have a nose so red that it could rival Rudolph or bags under my eyes so large it looks like I’ve never had a good nights sleep in my life.

6pm

Thank the lord that day is over! I didn’t realise how much wearing a little bit of make-up makes me feel so much more confident. I hate to say it, but I do use make-up as a mask and I’m surprised at how down I felt towards the end of the day having to go without it. Tonight I’m going to properly pamper myself, I’m talking face masks and all. Going to the shop just to get a cucumber to slice and put on my eyes is a little too far though!

Wednesday 9th October

8.30am

I could definitely get used to getting up 15 minutes later every day. My cleansing routine seems to take a little more time than it used to as I’m concentrating a lot more on making sure my face is definitely clean. Can’t hide behind my make-up now!

12.30pm

Things have been going well so far today, I can look at myself in the mirror without flinching and I’m prepared with some witty quips if any of the drivers care to comment on my very bare and plain face. Most of them are very lovely though so no need!

4pm

It was all going so well…but then I notice it, like a volcano ready to erupt, a giant spot on my chin that has managed to sneak up on me! It’s painful and unsightly but I’m determined not to let it get me down.

Thursday 10th October

9am

I’ve started work and in between phonecalls I’m trawling through the website looking for a new cleansing regime. This wearing no make-up malarky has made me feel like I also need a change in terms of the products I use. I’m focussing less on things that will help keep my make-up in place and concentrating on products that will really clean my skin and make me it feel fresh and energised. It’s also a great time to look for new skin care because of our French Pharmacy promotion which is running right through until the end of October!

2pm

I’m finding that as I’m ‘daring to bare’ my skin type has changed a little bit. Before I started wearing make-up my skin was normal/combination and I had a lot of problems with the mid afternoon shine (much like a 5 o’clock shadow!). When I started wearing make-up this changed and my skin became dehydrated! Now, I’ve gone back to being normal/combination so time to get my blotting paper at the ready!

6pm

Dare I say it? No mid afternoon shine! I think I just about got away with it today. I’m desperate to go home and cleanse though!

Friday 11th October

8am

I’m off home to Leicestershire straight after work tonight so that extra time I have in the mornings by not putting my make-up on has really helped (I may have spent last night watching catch up television on my laptop with my flat mate instead of packing!)

5.30pm

Half an hour until I go home and this is normally the time I’ll sneak to the loo to check my make-up to see if I need to reapply everything before the long drive home, but of course I’m not wearing any! Feels a bit alien not looking my best when going home to see the folks, which I know is stupid as they’ve seen me more without make-up than they have when I’m wearing any! Although a lot of make-up isn’t really my thing I’m quite proud of myself for going completely cold turkey, especially seeing as I can barely live without my Bobbi Brown concealer on a day to day basis!

All in all, a week of ups and downs, but I’m so glad I took part in this challenge. Not only is this for a great cause but it’s also made me stop and think about my needs for make-up. Do I look better with make-up? Or do I just like to hide behind it? I suppose a bit of both, but at least I know that now!

Get involved girls!