Rules are there to be broken, is my motto. I live by this and wish to share with you my perspective to give value to you if you are struggling with looking in the mirror.

As we age, we require less make-up, or so we are told. For those of you who know my lifestyle and journey, I write my own rules and stand out from the crowd. I like the fake lash look and the natural look was never me.

But as I get older, I do think we should focus on not following make-up tik-tok trends, and simply do what makes us feel happy, to give ourselves the chance to promote our inner well-being. It is that simple.

Speaking to younger 20-something women, I find I have more in common with them than my own age-group. I use self tan mousse, religiously every week. Every morning without fail, I do hair and make-up.

It used to be - "where are you going like that?"

My response "I do it for myself." 

If you want the natural look, then go for it. I am a strong character who like to play with and use colour, highly pigmented shades and a lot of pink in my outfits. I make a statement. It is self-expression on steroids.

Going natural is fine, when I am about to go to sleep. Otherwise, I do not feel awake without make-up.

Now don't get me wrong. I do of course apply natural looking bronzed mineral make-up with a glow for the beach and more full-coverage in the winter months, with a stronger contouring bronzed chiselled cheekbones. 

In the grey-skies of London, UK the light is so unforgiving for us make-up lovers, who like a pink lip or faux lash look. In Madrid when I was there for a personal appearance, some years back, I noticed how the light was so flattering when taking photos on my i-phone.

But when I was back in the UK I could not replicate the same look, even though the photos I took were a few hours apart.  It was mid-blowing to me. Then and only then did I fully appreciate just how ghastly the UK light is -cloudy grey and shadowy. Not great for photoshoots.

But it made me think - do we -as Brits - ever REALLY get to see how beautiful we all are? We never really get much chance to see our faces and body, in a flattering lighting situations. Is this why we resort to using the filters for our social media posts? Yes, I think so.

In winter months, the UK light is harsh, and we only really get a few photo-friendly lighting summer months. And so we get used to seeing unflattering photos which is mainly down to a simple fact - bad lighting.

When you really take time to process this fact, it can help with managing your well-being.

A friend of mine, Steve, refuses to take photos and he is incredibly attractive. He does not like to look in the mirror. His body is fit and toned, sculpted muscles and ab definition. And yet he cannot see this. It is almost like living in the grey UK gives him pessimistic vibes.

I am often saying to him how great he looks for 53, and he actually looks like a Ken Doll. Fit, handsome, blonde and a body most 20-something guys would give their right arm for!

But I think the UK grey light gets to him, as it does for moist of us who live and work most months here.

As January 2023 is coming to an end, I have an inner yearning and wish I could help others see how beautiful or handsome they are. Most people do not know its just bad lighting which makes them look dull.

So I have made a vow - to use my skill-set on YouTube and social media, to help others achieve their best potential face and body so they can look in the mirror and feel happier.

In my work as the barbie-girl lookalike, I have clocked up a book-full of knowledge which I want to share, about taking good photos and creating good memories to cherish.

I have studied video editing and of course, lighting. I have access to digital assets programs, which help me study and learn the video-making process and editing the final cut. This learning has given me more value as an entertainer to share fell-good vibes with people.

So this Spring, I aim to offer people make-over advice.

Some of the subjects I will talk about filming videos will be for everyone and all ages. You will get to see more of how I work.

I have a home studio set-up with 3-point lighting and do photo shoots in the office-slash-studio. I am convinced that all we need to do to increase our well-being, is to live with GOOD LIGHTING: soft candle light, Hollywood Mirror lights -LED- I use instead of harsh overhead spotlights in the home. Overhead lights at home or out in restaurants cast unflattering shadows over our faces, especially the nose and mouths.

I will film more Barbie-Girl videos, of my outfits, hair and make-up .

And for the guys I will give styling advice too. My friend Steve inspired me to do this.

I will share my skills with you all. As a model and entertainer, I know about studio lighting and make-up application techniques for all ages. I qualified in Bridal Make-Up at the London College of Make-Up back in 2012. I used this skill for my own needs to save money on photoshoots and also as I love the daily ritual of make-up application at 7.30 am each morning before a days work.

So as January 2023 ends and February approaches - the days get lighter for longer. And roll-on SPRINGTIME! Not long to go now. In the meantime, remember, when we leave the house we cannot walk around with studio lighting, but we CAN know one thing: you do not look that bad, its just shadows around our faces. The absence of light on the left and right side of our faces means shadows. That is all. Come Spring and even Summer, the light will reveal how beautiful, we all really are.