This isn’t a boring comprehensive overview of Mexico’s ‘pristine beaches’ and ‘crystal clear oceans’ (despite there being a lot of that) Mexico’s simple pleasures remain timeless, I however delved deeper and learnt exactly what to do, and more importantly, exactly not what to do when embracing the land of mariachi, tacos and Tequila.
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My cleansing heroes.... and why we should all avoid face wipes like the plague…
Cleansing can be a bit of a bore off. Especially after a long day. Trust me, there’s been many times back in the early days of my career where I’d find myself staggering home in unnecessarily painful shoes (both to look at and to wear,) after getting too excited over the prospect of a free bar, resulting in me getting home and horizontal pretty fast, thanking the HEAVENS for the Simple Wipe (and lots of toast).
Read MoreThe real secret to a complexion that looks like its been airbrushed- and no it doesn’t come in a pot worth £150.
First off, ask yourself what is beauty? What does beauty mean to you? I’ve learnt very quickly from when I first dipped my toes in the industry at 21, that women are self critical about their appearance from any age (aside from childhood) no matter what their appearance. How is this right? Desirability and beauty are your birthright. Fact. You owned love, beauty, self-confidence and the amazing art of not giving a F**** as a child, how do we all come to lose it?
Read MoreA slight look of distress from my model Joanna- kitted out in Finisterre's finest
How to make a beach shoot a success? Start by coming to terms with the severe lack of glamour that's involved.
Mid August saw be drag my team down to my favourite part of the world (Cornwall) to shoot my final high summer story (sob.) I've shot many beach stories over the years. In fact my first location shoot was with a member of Atomic Kitten. (Classy.)
Read MoreSanctuary naturally heated hot tubs at the famous Wilderness lake
Well-derness (see what I did there)
Slightly controversial. I’m getting overwhelmed by wellness. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a bit of a cliche myself. I’m a Fashion and Beauty Director that practices Yoga daily, often seen darting round on appointments with a green juice in one hand, sipping it cautiously because it tastes like something that might have been dragged from the bottom of a bird cage, with an over sized yoga matt swung over my back, with a Vivienne Westwood Climate Revolution T-shirt on. Ok minus the -shirt. But I’m almost there.
Read MoreNo time...? No problem! (ish)
Shooting main fashion every week for a weekly magazine means time is almost never on your side. Ok forget the almost, its never on your side.
This leaves me with three options. Quit and run for the hills (did cross my mind on one or two occasions when I started out), make my shoots look mega boring on a white back drop in a studio each week, or, stretching myself pretty thin, thinking outside the box and traveling to all four corners of the country, or nearly the earth and busting our arses trying to make something really beautiful, yet cost and time effective, without feeling an urge to clone myself.
Read MoreI hate the gym.
I hate the gym. There. I said it. I can't get my head around the fact that people fake run by running on a machine that moves the ground away for you, they fake row, fake cycle. I quite often work 15 hour days so squeezing in exercise can be a challenge, there's a Fitness First right next to my office. There's about five in fact. But I won't step foot on a machine. Why? The secret for keeping healthy for me (get ready for the cliche) is simply doing exercise that I enjoy, that's actually real.
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