Q. How much beauty stuff does one bird need for a weekend break in London?

A. Quite a bit, actually.

Unpacking my make-up bag after our weekend trip to London, I decided to take a few snaps to show you how low maintenance I am, how lightly I like to travel.

(Tongue so firmly in cheek am in very real danger of rupturing my mouth.)

Yes, there are two pairs of false eyelashes in that photo. And three hairbrushes.

Less is more, etc.

Now, before you fret yourself silly over the dearth of cleanser or mascara (as you surely will), I better show you what I picked up on the way through Duty Free and in London town itself...

L-R: Eve Lom cleanser, Seche Vite topcoat, MAC Lustre lippie in Surprise Me, Essie Matte About You topcoat, Optrex Eyedew brightening eyedrops, MAC Lipglass in Pink Lemondade, Lancôme Virtuôse mascara. And Liberty bag. And billions of Eve Lom samples!

There. Don't that put your mind right at ease?

By the by, if you're thinking about making purchase of some Eve Lom cleanser, for God's sake get it shipped down from Space:NK in Belfast or get a mate heading to Sterlingland to pick some up for you. 200ml of cleanser (about a year's worth of once-daily usage) costs €120 in Dublin, versus £78 in Liberty of London - I'll update this post when the charge hits my credit card, but that's in or around €88. And while I paid one assistant, another busied herself wrapping my purchase... and stuffing my bag full of Eve Lom samples. 

Without having been asked/begged/grovelled to.

I love London.