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Beauty Spotlight

5 School Run Make Up Tips With ‘Not Such a Model Mum’

I have been a faithful follower of Jess & Caroline’s blog, Not Such a Model Mum since they launched about a year ago. It has grown from strength to strength over the year and become a go to fashion & beauty blog for a vast number of school run mums. With both a career in modelling, you know that their posts on fashion and beauty are written with solid experience and authority – and most importantly without being patronising to us mere mortals!

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Jess and Caroline met in 2003 as they were both signed to the same model agency, and have been friends ever since, despite not liking eachother when they first met!

The strength of their friendship also shines through in the beautiful photos that they use too.

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Fast forward to 2010 and they thought we knew what we were doing – until they had children.

 

Coming back to work after having our kids, we realised how much the fashion industry had changed, and how much social media had changed the landscape of the fashion world. Like it or not, social media is here to stay, and if we wanted to stay part of the fashion world, we would have to embrace the change.

 

They had always spoken about setting something together, and with over three decades of modelling and fashion experience between them, they decided to set up a blog about all the tips they learnt from the fashion professionals, and the idea of NotSuchAModelMum developed from there – a fashion, mother and beauty blog with friendship at the heart.

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THEIR 5 SCHOOL RUN MUM MAKE UP TIPS

Iridescent powder.

This neat little trick both brightens and opens the eyes and adds a little glow to otherwise shattered peepers – it works both on camera and most importantly, in real
life, off camera. Using your finger if you are in a rush, or a brush if you have more than two seconds, grab some MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Powder in the Soft and Gentle colour, or some Benefit High Beam and dab it in the inner eye around the tear duct and up slightly in the inner eye lid.

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The trick here is to blend, blend, blend and blend some more so that only a subtle trace of the iridescence is left. Illuminating and highlighting this area serves to subtly conceal darkness around the eyes and adds a natural radiance that makes you look like you had at least five hours sleep! Blog post is here

 

By terry concealer and foundation stick

Covering under eye bags from sleepless nights and giving dull, tired skin an all over, even glow, these two products literally take a minute to apply and can be done whilst running out the front door with the kids in tow. I carry them with me all the time. In fact, they are, thanks to that catalogue shoot, part of my nappy bag essentials. Nappies; wipes; By Terry Light Expert Click Brush foundation; and By Terry Touch Expert Advanced Concealer.

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Both products have complicated sounding names when they actually do something really simple. They work. Blog post is here.

 

The Eve Lom Rescue Mask

This has been around for ages. In the beauty industry, this longevity is the sign of a great product, and a winner in our book.

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The clay based formula of this particular mask is packed with natural ingredients, from honey to almonds. The Camphor brightens the complexion and draws out toxins. The mask can be used as part of a weekly routine or for emergency breakouts, which, frankly, when dealing with unhygienic children, are part and parcel of our lives! For more, our blog post is here here

Paula’s Choice Intensive Wrinkle Repair Serum

This is a great night time moisturiser, with a little added punch of Retinol. Retinol sounds like a scary chemical, but is , in fact the chemical name for Vitamin A. Just adding Retinol to your skincare routine has been proven to reduce wrinkles, increase collagen, improve skin tone, texture and dark spots.

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All this can be done with minimal effort- just cleanse as always and then add the serum and then slap on your nighttime moisturizer. For more info, our blog post is here

The Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess

This is a bronzer comes in a multitude of colours to suit every skin tone. Blog post is here.

bronzer

Jessica’s Favourites

Hotel : Ham Yard Hotel, London. I am obsessed with Kit Kemp.

Restaurant : Le Gavroche – old school fine dining at its best.

Website : TheBlondeSalad, Southmoltonstreetstyle, thefashionguitar and London’s Little Thinkers on Instagram.

Shop : Anthropologie, anywhere in the world…an Aladdin’s Cave of fun.

Holiday destination : North Germany- stunning, off the beaten track and paradise in the summer.

Parenting Tip : “Don’t be afraid to cut corners, and don’t beat yourself up. You are doing great. And make time for a manicure and pedicure- this will make you feel amazing.”

Caroline’s Favourites

Hotel : The Treetop apartments at Chewton Glen.

Restaurant : El Nacional in Barcelona

Website : TKMAXX.COM

Shop : Sign of the Times.a little second hand store in Chelsea with the most incredible designer finds.

Holiday Destination : anywhere that has a kids club!

Parenting tip : Don’t forget to get some time for yourself to get a bit of balance back.

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Sign up to follow the girls here

Have a fab day xx

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Activities Family Life Fashion People Places Products

A Quick Review of 2015

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I hope you had a really Happy Christmas and you are enjoying the family time (and not just biding time till they go back to school..)

Here is a little review of The London Mummy in 2015. These were the posts, pictures and articles most engaged with, by YOU!

 

PEOPLE

A & L Property is growing rapidly. If you have any property management requirements, she is your girl!

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5 Services in London that may help you in the New Year.

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If you are thinking of starting your own, Samantha Bishop has top tips to think about before you even contact a web designer (which should be her by the way – she did TLM!)

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I love my daily emails from Wear & Where… Fashion & Lifestyle Blog from 2 mother’s in London.

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PLACES

We went to The Goat in Chelsea who now have a kids entertainer over Sunday lunch. Win!

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Farm Trips Close To London was popular, especially useful over October half term.

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A Festive Train Ride on board the ‘Orient Express’ at Christmas was magical and very original.

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Pitch & Putt in Wandsworth & Battersea – a gem of a place for when you have a short window of time.

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PRODUCTS

School Run Boots and School Run Trainers were my most popular posts of the whole year! From feedback I have received, I think it worked as we are all too busy to research ourselves so like it when it arrives in our lap!

Useful Baby Items was a very reflective post and actually now I am 8 months on from that post, I think a ‘Part 2’ is in order.

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Personalised Stationary with your own painted picture on it!  Alex’s stationary is going so well, you can now commission her to do a ‘proper’ painting!

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Harriet Hoult’s Art is one to watch. I love the bright colours. I have just the right spot on my kitchen wall… 🙂

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Of course, not forgetting the post I wrote on if you want 3 kids – Time For Number 3! and my ‘reflective’ Birthday post 35 Things I have Learnt in 35 Years.

 

I started a Facebook page in October to post articles and these were the most ‘clicked’ on.

The Key Jar is a jar that you put in 48 questions to pull out whenever you are all together as a family. My 3 year old answered every single one ‘I want to go to a fair’ as he is still slightly young (!) but if you have any 5+ it is a great idea to get them thinking.

This article A Fat Lot of Good Enough was encouraging to those of us who have moments that we aren’t doing as well at parenting as we hope for!

One Question one mother asked her now very successful sons every night…

Maybe a little too late, but this article on Not Over Indulging Your Children is great.

 

 

These were a few of my favourite snaps on my Instagram page

 

 

THANK YOU

  • If you have read The London Mummy from the beginning, thank you for taking a chance on me when I launched in April 2015 and if you have just started following me, hello!

 

  • If you have any recommendations for things to do, places to see or friends who are launching their own business and want a Spotlight, please email me hello@thelondonmummy.com

 

  • It would also be great to hear what you would like to see more (or less) of… TLM is predominantly about supporting small companies like Crane Bump Baby and Muklet

 

 

  • Lastly, please forward this email to any friends who you think might find The London Mummy useful. I don’t plan on world domination (yet) but I have lots of exciting posts planned in 2016 so don’t want anyone to miss out 🙂

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HAVE A WONDERFUL 2016 XXX

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thelondonmummy.com

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nb. A special thank you in particular to Katrina, Julie, Lucy, Emily, Hen, Flora, Laura, Tania, Hannah & Caroline for liking, poking, suggesting, sharing and commenting…