The smart girls’ guide to: grandmothers, advice and all things beauty…
My grandmother, who is 72 years old, and has the most amazing skin by the way, has always told me that if I’m going to do anything, to do it properly. And I live by that motto. In love, work, play, fashion and most importantly beauty, I put 110% into it and never any less. I mean, what’s the point otherwise?

So I give you my lucky 13 tips on beauty passed down to me by my grandmother who I admire and adore…
Just in case you are wondering, why 13? It just so happened that a very good friend of mine hates to leave things on an even number and when my tips only reached 12, I heard her voice in the back of my head squealing not an eeevvvveeeennn numbeeeerrrrrr. So there’s no real reason but that.

1. Make sure you have a good kick ass cleanser. You don’t want one that leaves your skin squeaky clean, but just smooth, soft and most importantly; clean of the daily grime…I like Trilogy Gel Cleanser. It feels like silk on my skin and because it’s all natural, I never feel like anything rough, tough or nasty is getting through.
2. Never leave the house without a swirl of blusher – it lifts your whole face, even when you are having the greyest, dullest day ever. You’re tired, hungover or have been crying all night about the fact that your ex is in a new relationship? As Napolean Perdis says: “"In a rush? Try blush. It's an instant pick-me-up.”
3. Tinting your eyelashes means you never get panda eyes. You can wake up the morning after and still look perfectly acceptable, gorgeous and streak-free of last night’s 3:00am BK mission… (it used to be 5:00am, but I’m getting old).
4. Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse really is the greatest foundation I have tried to date. It leaves your skin super dewy with an airbrushed effect and is sooo easy to apply.
5. Designer names don’t always equal designer skin. Some of my fave brands include Maybelline, Johnson & Johnson, Nivea and Cetaphil. They are cost effective, reliable and leave me with great skin.
6. Smoky eyes and nude lips always work in my opinion. I have never had this look let me down.
7. Bright lips change your whole face. M.A.C always delivers the best of the best matte lipsticks: Morange, Russian Red and Girl About Town are three of my faves. Worn with minimal makeup and slightly flushed cheeks, it works a treat and can transform you from now to wow. (I stole that line from Benefit Cosmetics, check them out at www.benefitcosmetics.com).
8. I know you’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again, water and a good night’s sleep really are the key remedies to tired, drab skin. Ok, ok, and an amazing highlighter! I like Moon Beam by Benefit. It is the perfect addition to cheekbones, contours of the nose and on the outside corners of your eyes.
9. A kick arse vitamin C serum makes all the difference to dull, tired skin. (Can you see a pattern here? I suffer from dull, tired skin – a combination of too many late nights working in front of the damn computer and too many late nights dancing with the girls - maybe or maybe not until the early hours of the morning).
10. Gran has used Avon moisturiser her whole entire life. And I swear the woman has the softest, supplest skin ever. The secret is to regularly use a moisturiser that has sunscreen in it as well as Vitamin A and C.
11. Make sure you take your makeup off before you go to bed. Always. Although, I admit it, my problem with this is that I refuse to tan my face and although naturally olive, I always end up with the ‘eagle’ effect – caramel skin and a much lighter (somewhat pasty face). The answer, use a slow release gradual tan moisturiser like the Nivea Sunkissed Skin Day Cream.
12. Which brings me to my next point, wear sunscreen EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Seriously. At least on your face. Premature frown lines, crows feet and wrinkles are not cool. And since you have the rest of your life to age gracefully, don’t speed the process up via laziness (or whatever other excuse you scrimmage up for not wearing slathering sunscreen on your face), I simply adore Nivea Light Veil for daily use, it is lighter than usual sunscreen, doesn’t smell and moisturises at the same time! Genius!
13. And lucky last, because I don’t like to end on an even number (just another one of my obsessive compulsive tendencies), love who you are, love your skin and love your look. Cliché and cheesy I know, but oh so true.

By Kelly Barriball