A Poke around our Beauty Blogger’s Bathroom

Ever since Danielle joined the Sassy blogging team, one question has consumed us… just what is inside her bathroom cupboards? As a self-proclaimed product junkie, she always has the scoop on skin fixes or the latest cool colours, so we asked her if we could take a bit of a snoop around!

So the Sassy girls heard a rumour that I have a bit of a makeup stash and requested a peek into my bathroom cabinet. I totally get it – which girl isn’t curious about what’s in another girl’s toilet?

Before I start though, a disclaimer: my colleagues see me, 5 days a week, with barely a scrap of makeup. They wouldn’t even believe I write for this website, despite my signature. They suggest it could be another Danielle. I’ve been teased for not being acquainted with an invention known as The Hairbrush. My skin and hair have mood swings that tend to the darker, rebellious side. I’d rather have an extra 30 minutes in bed than use my (nonexistent) straightening irons on my hair. There’s no point; it wouldn’t last in this humidity anyway.

Have I killed your impression of me? Before I do, you should know I make an exception for the weekends. Weekends, when I have time on my hands and glitter on my lids, are far more glamorous. When I think about it now, makeup is definitely my crack: it brings out my campier, louder alter ego.

My beauty regime is fairly simple, I use the Dermalogica range of products (essential cleansing, soothing protection spray, soothing booster, sunblock and skin smoothing cream). I don’t think it gets more stripped down that that. It seems to work well for me so I just stick to it. I think almost any cleanser will benefit from being paired with the Clarisonic face brush.  The only indulgence I have is my La Mer eye balm, which is a splurge but really, really works; it’s been 6 months and I’ve not even used up half of it.

Depending on my mood I will slap on a different face mask every other day.  I bought two big tubs of my favourite Eve Lom Rescue Mask in London, thinking that I would not be able to find it in Hong Kong, only to discover two weeks in that they sell it in the Lane Crawford 10 minutes from my place. The Dermalogica multivitamin mask is pretty great too. I was given a three week supply by Eva of Paul Gerrard. If my skin is feeling particularly dry from travelling I use a few drops of the Sarah Chapman Skinesis facial oil under my moisturiser. It has this potent mix of vitamins and essential oils which gives my skin a glow in the morning.

I’m quite particular about dry lips and the Sarah Happ lip scrub smells like chocolate and is such a treat to use.  I don’t know if there is anything like it in Hong Kong but if I ran out I would probably make my own mixture using cocoa powder, olive oil and sugar.

Half the fun of going out is in getting dressed, and most of the fun in getting dressed is in the face paint. I love a smokey eye for nights out and have been using fake lashes since I first discovered them in Shu Uemura. Their lash bars are brilliant – they fit the lashes, trim them for you and even teach you how to apply them.  If you’re a lash virgin go there! They are also much cheaper in Hong Kong than in Europe. While visiting a friend in Taipei I was taken to this nondescript building but inside was the most amazing store. It was like an Aladdin’s cave of fake lashes with lash catalogues and wall to wall boxes – Taiwanese girls really know how to accentuate their eyes.

I absolutely adore Nars products. I am a total fangirl. I also have both of the Nars makeup manuals, even though it cost me 550HKD for ‘Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself’ on Amazon plus express shipping. No, it is not possible for me to wait 14 – 21 days. Their products are highly pigmented, the texture perfect and blendable and the colours completely glorious.  I’ve introduced The Multiple and the Orgasm blush to a few friends and who are now hooked.

So here is my invitation to you to poke around my bathroom cabinet. See anything you like/dislike? Anything you want to know more about? Leave your comments and I’ll do my best to oblige.

For those of you who want the full details, here are Danielle’s product must-haves in full: