By Chrissy Iley
I’ve spent many hours at Heathrow recently. It’s almost impossible not to shop when you’ve time to waste. You end up wasting money too.
I used to be a fool for the shoe store in Terminal 3. It seemed to have an eclectic collection from Chloé to high street and back again. But after a recent interview with Bea Johnson author of Zero Waste Home I’ve been on a de-cluttering frenzy and feel more embarrassed than proud of the hundreds of pairs of shoes I already own.
So I’m afraid my hours have now been spent in Swarovski’s crystal shops. They do a very nice wrap around leather crystallized bracelet or three. And make-up and perfume.
Terminal 3 has a massive Jo Malone which I’ve managed to avoid. I spent the whole of 2001 in Pomegranate Noir and feel I can’t go back there.
So unfortunately for me I return on my never ending quest – the perfect mascara. I used to think it was shoes that changed your life, gave you height, changed the way you walked, positioned your rear, affected your ability to teeter or run.
Now I am all about how wide you can open your eyes. The YSL mascara told me I could look like a doll or another promised me I could shock because it was called Shocking. Of course we all love to shock, and didn’t Schiaparelli have a pink that was called Shocking?
I told myself I have four mascaras in my hand luggage alone, why would I need a fifth, so I walked away, went into the Air New Zealand lounge hoping for a trifle, but I was too early for trifle and they were still serving samosas. Obviously I went back to YSL and bought Shocking.
Are people shocked that I do actually look like I have eyelashes? I doubt it. Am I? Yes, slightly, I am.
Ten days later it’s still juicy and lengthening and shiny black and if you’re in Terminal 3 at a loss I would say it beats shoes, Jo Malone and trifle.
I do believe Shocking is the one Anjelica Huston uses. The one she buys in bulk because of her claim, ‘All mascara dries out after two weeks.’
I do now have many mascaras but I no longer store them like sad broken things lying in a drawer. I have no emotional attachment, even if they do transform my life for two weeks.