Beauty and Fashion Blog

Fashion and beauty is fast paced. You only need to watch the rate women shop, or glance the contents of a girlfriends make up bag, to understand us guys have it easy.

Pull on a pair of jeans, throw on a half ironed t-shirt and off we go. Out-of-bed hair is all the rage these days (or at least it was when I last checked). On the way out of the door we’ll grab some lynx and spray it recklessly to shield the smell of 3 day old pants and socks.

For women, fashion and beauty is a completely different beast. I shudder to think how much the industry is worth. My girlfriend alone probably accounts for about 5% of total makeup sales! And the pressure to look good and wear the latest clothes is insane.

So where do us men come in?

Well, despite having to nod our heads repeatedly and say ‘yes, that looks nice’, we too have to venture into the dark world of fashion on very rare occasions (usually on Birthdays), so it pays to be prepared when purchasing make up for the opposite sex.

Here are a few tips to make the impossible, possible:

• First and foremost, start fishing. By this I don’t mean actually fishing (just so we’re clear)! Start asking questions (without being too obvious) and try to find out what make up your significant other already uses. Quite often women will have their favourite styles and brands, so sticking to this is often a winning formula. A brave man is he who veers off this this path – although this can work equally well.

• Do your homework in-store. Speak to the attractive cosmetics sales ladies. They are trained makeup ninjas and are more than happy to help. But don’t be overly friendly or you might end up with lots of make up and without a girlfriend!!

• Everyone loves a freebie so try getting hold of some free make up samples, especially things like foundation, concealer and mascara. All you need now is a willing volunteer to experiment on. There’s a good chance your friends won’t want you testing products on them. You’re a bloke after all, so what the hell do you know about anything? Your best approach is to give the samples to friends and see what they think about the results.

• And if all else fails, ask your Mum. This is the ultimate boys’ secret weapon. Mum’s are the source of life and knowledge. And if your Mum doesn’t know the answer (this happens extremely rarely) try plan B – a box of chocolates, a bear and some flowers, or if you want to splash the cash, opt for some perfume. It’s a guaranteed winner!

You can do it – you can buy make up successfully and the recipient will forever sing your praises.

For some great makeup tips, fantastic eye makeup and great quality foundation, visit Rimmellondon.com.