My Beautiful Life: {Abby from One Stiletto At A Time}

Another week, another mad Monday... and what better way to add some cheer to to your day than with another 'My Beautiful Life' post? Today, the ever-so-stylish Abby from One Stiletto At A Time gives us a glimpse into her beautiful life... Abby's beauty insights are spot-on; I couldn't agree more with her tips to wear a good SPF, and to drink plenty of water to ensure smooth, healthy skin. Pop on over to Abby's blog for more stylish updates and beauty reviews.

Beauty is... a way of self expression. We only get one body in life and beauty products allow us to accentuate our good features, diminish some flaws and create a groomed face to face the world with. I love the saying “If you look good, you feel good and if you feel good you do good”. Beauty is all about feeling more confident with oneself.

The best beauty advice I ever received... “Treasure your skin”. Take care of your skin as beautiful, clear, balanced skin is the best investment you can ever make beauty wise. It provides the perfect canvas to play around with trends like bright lips or smokey eyes but beautiful skin never goes out of fashion. Wear SPF, drink plenty water, avoid facial products that contain alcohol and drink green tea (for the detoxing effects).

If I could use only one beauty product for the rest of my life, it would be...  Wow, this is a tough question! I could narrow it down to three, but just one....I guess I would choose mascara. Without it I feel naked. 

In my makeup bag... Confession: I hardly ever use an actual makeup bag; instead I tend to throw everything into the handbag I am using for the day. I also prefer to carry samples of certain things because I have ruined many a good mascara by leaving my handbag in the sun (this also encourages the growth of bacteria so I toss it out after 1 month instead of only every 3 months). Currently, I am using Clarins Instant Definition Mascara in Intense Black. While it is one of the better mascaras I have used, I am still to find the ultimate one that won’t give me racoon eyes by the end of the day.

Revlon Colorstay eyeliner in black is an amazing eyeliner with great staying power and I love that it twists up as you use it so no need for sharpeners. As for lip stuff, I can never make up my mind whether I prefer lipsticks, lip-gloss or just lip balm so tend to carry all three with me and swap throughout the day. Clinique Chubby Stick in 'Woppin' Watermelon' provides the perfect balance between a lip balm and a subtle lipstick. Catrice Lip Appeal in 'Juri is Gaga’rin' is a nice neutral colour that isn't too sticky. I always carry a bright old Hollywood red lipstick for days when I need a pick me up; Chanel Rouge Coco in Gabrielle is perfect for that. I always keep a mini perfume with me - at the moment I am loving Bvlgari Jasmin Noir. I like to keep concealer in my bag for when a spot appears and  to touch up any dark circles. Clinique's Even Better concealer is my new favourite.

Finally two random things I carry is a nail file just in case of nail snags and eye drops, as my eyes tend to get very red by the end of the day from staring at laptop screens or my cellphone. (If a dreaded hormonal spot decides to invade my face midday then eye drops can also help to shrink it and lessen redness).

The 3 most beautiful things in my life at the moment are... Spring blossoms (I'm so excited  for the new season and love how beautiful Spring is), all the pastel colours everywhere (so happy about this trend!) and being able to watch the gorgeous Cape Town sunset every evening (if only someone would translate that into a eyeshadow palette; I'd be sold!).

I love Abby's spot-busting tip, and I'm also a huge fan of Clinique's Chubby Stick in 'Woppin' Watermelon' - if you haven't tried it yet, get your hands on one as soon as you can. Such a pretty, summery hue! And don't forget to visit One Stiletto At A Time to read more about Abby's life, including outfit posts and beauty reviews. You can also follow Abby on Twitter, and you can like her Facebook page, here.