Thrilled to be included in Substack’s Top 100 Rising in Fashion & Beauty - and why being an awards judge made me question my own morality
A little recognition goes a long way.
We all have private ambitions, right? Things that we hope to achieve that we know might not really mean much to anyone else, but we think will make us feel good about ourselves.
Well, for me, last year I’d decided - in my head - that I wanted to be an awards judge. At my agency, we’ve managed to place different brand founders and experts into judging roles, and I secretly thought - why not me? This might sound arrogant, but I don’t mean it in that way. I just think there’s no harm in having little secret wishes for yourself.
It’s not like I’m bounding around like some kind of self-important idiot (Do I? Hope not). It’s just about having some subtle self-belief, and inside thoughts, that you’d like certain things to happen to you. Some might call that manifesting. I would say: you work hard, so why wouldn’t good things - or things you want - happen to you?
Anyway, less on the deep and meaningful and back to the point. I wanted to be an awards judge, and the lovely people at Live That Glow read my mind and asked me to participate alongside some well-respected industry faces like Dr Sonia Khorana, Anabel Kingsley and Michael Douglas - so I was more than happy to oblige. It did make me question whether my dismissal of manifestation was a mistake and perhaps it’s something I should adopt more often - a lottery win is next on the cards (joking).
What’s it like to be an awards judge?
A large box of products arrived at my house and the product testing began. I was determined to give every product and every brand its fair shot at winning me over. Being a (13-time winner - ok, I know I’m showing off now, but I’m not that good at much, so let me off) brand founder myself, I know how much it means to win.
Some of the items I needed to test were skincare, and some were more instantly gratifying, like lip products. Either way, I really wanted to trial as best I could and give a fair and considered review. The Live That Glow team had set up the process to ensure rigorous judging across multiple factors - which also helped to guide the process - and was welcomed by me.
Questioning my own morality
This all sounds easy, but I have a busy brain, and I kept finding myself thinking about all the potential ways my impartiality could be swayed - which sent me into a bit of a frenzy. Here were just a few:
Brands I know, or know of the founders or marketing teams - especially the ones I really like - ensuring that didn’t affect my judgement of the product’s performance.
Brands, or owners, I’d heard through the grapevine were a bit annoying - again, important not to let this influence me.
Products I know lots of other people love - not letting that get into my psyche.
Brands with really cool, covetable packaging - I definitely grabbed to try those first, so being hyper-aware of that fact, I made sure to try the other products with the same vigour.
Trying not to be instantly deterred by a smell or texture on first look, and giving the product ample testing time before ruling it out.
I made it all unnecessarily, mentally, exhausting. And of course, my skin broke out due to the constant switch-up of products.
Anyway, I’m pleased to say I did give every product its fair run, and fortunately, the result was based on multiple people feeding in on each product via a well thought-out numbered scale, so I could have probably chilled out a bit and not taken the whole thing quite so seriously - potentially even enjoyed it. I do now have enough skincare to last me the year, so that’s something for sure.
Substack’s Top 100 Rising in Fashion & Beauty
Substack alerted me to the fact I was included in its current Top 100 Rising in Fashion & Beauty list - and I am thrilled. Now let’s not be disheartened by my 89th ranking, no. I’m sat in a list with 99 great people and names like Alessandra Steinherr and Emma Gunavardhana, who I’ve been following my entire beauty career - so for me, that’s quite something. I also follow some of the other Substacks and love their writing, so again, another validating tick.
A little recognition goes a long way. I’ve talked about it before - you don’t get much chance of that being the boss. There’s no appraisal process or promotions - giving yourself a pay rise doesn’t quite feel like a job well done without that accompanying pat on the back from a superior.
Here’s five ways I find validation, in case you fancy a read:
It’s hard work believing in yourself 24/7, no days off (I’m sure I’ve seen that on a social post somewhere, so sorry to whoever said it first and I’m not crediting here). So it’s nice to get some acknowledgment from somewhere. It’s even better when it’s for your hobby and passion like this.
So here’s a little piece of gratitude from me to you - thank you to everyone that subscribes, has read a piece, or engages with my posts when I promote my writing on social - I really do appreciate it. And now, it’s also encouraged me to write about beauty even more - so that’s fun!
With that in mind, I thought you might be interested in the five products I’m still using post-testing for the awards:
Plenaire Violet Paste Blemish Solution
I’m a sucker for nice packaging, which is why I was drawn to this. For full transparency, this wasn’t my first time testing it, as the brand’s founder, Namrata Kamdar, had kindly gifted me some before. I liked it then, and I like it now. It’s not the most user-friendly blemish solution - it shows up on the skin - but the lilac paste looks cool in the bottle it does the job well, so good for use when you’re lounging around at home. plenaire.coMedik8 Blemish SOS
If you don’t live under a rock, then you’ve probably heard of Medik8 - so it’s not hugely surprising that this delivers what it says it does. The clear gel sinks into the skin quickly, which makes it even more appealing. medik8.comMiracle Skin Transformation by Cosmetic Consult
This works well to refine skin after just one use. It suggests using it on the backs of hands, so I did - and was surprised by the instant smoothness. I could definitely do without the extra packaging, though: four sachets of instant-use wipes (handy as hell), housed in a massive thick card box with foam insert (unessential). I see what they’re doing - it does convey professional and quality - but it just seems wasteful. thecosmeticconsult.co.ukOle Henriksen Après Skin Multi-Use Rescue Crème
The Ole Henriksen range is a safe pair of hands for any product, in my experience, and I enjoyed the instant nourishment from this overnight moisturiser. spacenk.comTropic Lip Silk Plumping Ceramide Serum
The real test is how much I’ve used a product since reviewing it - and this hasn’t left my lips since I received it. It’s a lovely texture - not too sticky, but nourishing enough to have impact. If, like me, you get dry, chapped lips, it’s a great overnight product, but it also works to soften lips before liner and lipstick.
tropicskincare.com
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I feel all of this!!