Problem: Too often I was finding a makeup product I loved, diving in, using it daily, letting it rumble and romp around in the bottom of my handbag and then, when finding it on its last little concealery/glossy/shadowy legs, being unable to tell which shade it was, because with my wild makeup manhandling, the label, sticker or enamel had fallen away.

Solution: As soon as I know I have fallen for a product, especially those in the foundation or concealer realm, I write down the shade number or name on an email I keep in my drafts folder of my inbox, imaginatively titled MAKEUP SHADES. Sometimes I just Blackberry it to myself when I’m out and about and it strikes me that I DO in fact love this blush and that the label is fast disintegrating, and I add it to the draft later, but I never simply write it down on a Scrap of Paper, because we all know where Scraps of Paper end up, and it’s the same place as bobby pins and 50% of all socks.

Hint: Also very helpful when Significant Others or Lovely Friends go overseas and you want them to buy you something from Sephora or duty-free because you can tell them the brand and shade/number and they have NO EXCUSE not to buy it for you unless they’re an asshole and get home and pretend the store was closed when they got there, but really they were too busy buying t-shirts from H&M to remember your one, minuscule, teeny request.