Upping Sticks: What I'm Taking With Me

By the time you read this, I'll hopefully have emptied the last of the moving boxes and have figured out the quickest route from our new flat to (a) the nearest Ikea, and (b) Westfield shopping centre.

Himself has only gone and landed a shiny new superjob in London, you see, and while it was tough to choose between hanging out in Laois on my tod or living 18 minutes from Oxford Street, so far I think I've made the right decision.

I wasn't quite so sure when we were parceling up every stick and stitch that we own, though. Packing (and unpacking, as it turns out) is a mayjah pain in the hoop. And even though I'd whittled down my collection of beauty products considerably in advance of the move, it still took Himself's sister and I several hours to box up The Bare Essentials for transport.

I've got all the usual suspects that I bang on about all the time with me, like Eve Lom cleanser, Moroccanoil treatment, my MAC 187 brush, CDLM lip balm, Lancome Virtuose mascara, Origins Modern Friction, but here are a few of the other products I just couldn't bear to be parted from!

L'Onglex nail polish remover - I stocked up before we came over to London so stock levels should be ok for a while. Fingers crossed it'll be stocked in the UK before I run out!

Voya Lazy Days kit - This seaweed bath in a box is the only detox I'd bother my arse doing.

My nail polish collection (um, yes, all of it) - One storage unit with drawers choc-full of nail polish and associated accoutrements made it over in one piece. I cannot tell you how relieved I was to see it being unloaded in perfect nick.

Assorted muslin cloths - I'm going to follow Kirstie's instructions to deep clean them and hopefully give them a new lease of live. Just as soon as I find them again.

Liz Earle Brightening Treatment - This has been a Godsend. It's great for quickly giving some semblance of life to dull skin that's stressed out and suffering sleep deprivation.

Aveda Green Science Line Minimizer - There are three parallel lines on my forehead that I swear have deepened into furrows since my birthday a few weeks ago. This is, I think, helping them to eff off.