Some are born to glamour, others become glamorous, or how even I yearn for the good old days.

I am not glamorous.

I wish I was, but I am not.   

I can do glamour but it only last 30 minutes or there about, after which my foundation is by my knees and my mascara has  created smudges that any Chinese panda would be proud of .

I get up so early to get to work, that now after 15 years I have given up being glamorous during       office hours and opt for clean and neat instead.

But I love make up, if there is a new product about, I know about it, I can talk knowledgably       about cream foundations, compared to mineral powder or whether one's skin would benefit from a serum or a primer getting ready of a morning.

One of the hardest changes to occur since my enforced thriftiness, is not buying expensive make up  brands. I cannot herald this as one of my greatest triumphs.

I am a product of a generation that believes that Christian Dior, Estee lauder, Chanel, Benefit and Clinique provide the best and whilst I am changing my opinion, it so far has been a slow process and one I am not entirely sure that I will completely win.

I love the indulgence of a beautifully packaged lotion, the desirable little cellophane boxes that house the pots of loveliness. I love the click of an expensive lipstick and the little freebies that are often given away as incentives. I am a make up label whore…..

However, nowadays my purchases have dwindled at the beauty counters of the department store and alternatives had to be found in order for me to be able to join polite society and to save the sanity of small children.

I changed my £23 Christian Dior foundation to a Max Factor for £12, and the Clarins slowly departed W Towers to be replaced with Simple. However, my greatest discovery has been Avon. They have some truly eye watering products that are still too expensive for this newly frugal dame. But those only take up a few of the central pages. The alternatives are endless in this little magazine. I am currently using their Solutions day and night cream with extract of amethyst, my skin looks clear and clean and it does the job. It was on offer when I bought it two pots for £11.

Their bathfoam is just delicious and frequently on offer – four bottles for £3 (I think) – the lavender and white lily are my favourite. Infact I often fill up my hand soap dispenser with these bathfoams and it is a simple and frugal way to still indulge yourself.

The fact is, I still want to feel indulged, I want to luxuriate. So here it is...

 the W Towers home Spa…

Ok there are no superior women walking around ready to massage your aches and pains away, but in this room with the door closed and only mood lights and candles to illuminate the walls, I can feel the cares and the stresses of the day melt away. I do not indulge every evening, but once or twice a month, I close the door and shut out the world for an hour. I may not be King of the World, but in my little domain, this is the one area where the world is most certainly not admitted.

Saying all of this, when Santa came chortling his way down my chimney this year, he did bring some truly superb and thoughtful gifts…

 The truth is whatever Avon come up with, and however Simple package their products, these delightful little tubes, pots and compacts raise my spirits and make me realise that maybe in better times some sins can be revisited.

But, for the time being when these run out then I will be returning to my frugal ways with a  whimsical smile and an eye on the ultimate prize…..financial freedom and a debt free existence. Which, in all honesty will last me a lot longer than any lotion or potion.

Frugally yours

Abigail

X

P.S I started writing this when I got home, but then I popped out for  a drink with a friend, on the way home I stopped at Tesco to the buy the milk and teabags I talked about yesterday and found these 6 rolls reduced to 25p. Bargain. Straight in the freezer and since I buy these anyway normally in bags of 12 (Warburtons has had a downloadable voucher for ages on it’s website) I know that 30 seconds in the microwave and they are ready to be used for a quick lunch.