Baring All In The Bathroom

Which obviously isn't going to be what it sounds like

A cheap hook to lure you in. But there is a half-truth in that headline, as I am baring my bathroom cabinet as part of The File’s series of Cabinets. And that’s about as naked as it gets. Launched late last year by Carlie Fowler and Amma Champtaloup, The File is an online space dedicated to beauty, in a very natural, open and occasionally quirky way. If you like beauty and interesting people, The File is your new must-read.

What is it about peeking into someone else’s bathroom/makeup bag/washbag that’s irresistible? From Vogue’s regular emptying out of handbags, half of which are crammed with beauty items from baby-wipes to lip balms to fragrance; to Sali Hughes and her intimate bathroom interviews with the great and the good; to Alessandra Steinherr’s Sunday Facials, where her skin is always luminous, (in real life too as it it turns out);to Emily Weiss’s forays on the top shelf of interesting people’s bathroom cabinets, which formed the seeds of Glossier, we’re fascinated by what goes on behind the bathroom door. This week I will be attending Vogue’s 5 Days of Beauty and one of the things they’ve asked me (and other Vogue beauty editors) to do is look into our guest’s makeup bags and discuss the contents, like a concierge or I guess, a personal makeup shopper, if there is such a thing. I can’t wait.

The allure of discovering another person’s skincare or makeup rituals, learning about their haircare, or how they like to bathe, must surely have something to do with the delight in discovering we have things in common. A few days ago I interviewed a famous tv presenter, and was over the moon to find out we both shared a love of Badedas. Why did that make me so happy? It’s about belonging to the same teams - are you a sunscreen 24/7 type of person? Bath or shower girl? Do you double cleanse or barely cleanse? We’re either for you or against you.

But back to The File. I am in good company. Makeup artist Lucia Pica, Frieze London director Eva Langret, model and podcast founder, Jean Campbell, skincare brand founder Irene Forte, designer Margherita Missoni, (possibly my favourite bathroom) are all in there. Sam Smith is in there. I definitely gave my shelves a bit of a tidy up. I edited out my vaginal oestrogen pills, I didn’t think you needed to see my Jolen creme bleach, or the collection of unused gua sha tools. It was an opportunity for a clearout, for sure. I donned a beautiful silk Olivia von Halle robe, and my favourite hair towel (it is an Aquis x @poosh limited-edition leopard hair towel turban which I believe had Kourtney Kardashian’s input, and I’ve had it for years and won’t part with it - you might find one knocking around on ebay).

What were my top hits? You’ll have to read the article in full to find out, and also to see my routine, such as it is (have you tried having a routine when you’re sent hundreds of products to test each year?) but I’ve posted a few images that the wonderful Tom Chapman took, and there are some clues in there.