saxophone — Blog — Hannah Castleman

I’m turning 30 this year. I used to dream about what my life would be like when I was 30. I knew I wouldn’t be married or have children, I hoped that I would live in New York (still hoping) or London (had a wonderful time living there in my mid-20s but happy to be out of it) and I wanted to have a steady career that I worked damn hard at and loved.

I used to think about my work space a lot. I feel like I’ve finally created an environment that’s conducive to getting things done but doesn’t feel oppressive or pressurised in anyway. It’s organised, but not sparse and super tidy. I like to keep meaningful items and things collected from my travels around the office, and if I see something in a magazine I’ll tear it out and put it on my wall. I like structure, but I also like the freedom of not having a specific colour scheme or decorative theme.

Having said all of that, I’m typing this on my sofa so I’m still not used to having dedicated writing place, but I’ll get there.

All photos were taken by the amazing Anna Harding from Hello Ding.

Wearing a second hand grey sweater from Beyond Retro, navy corduroy skirt from Uniqlo and tortoiseshell glasses by Ray-Ban. The chair was bought by my dad from Habitat in 1980; it looks like it wouldn’t be comfortable but it works perfectly as a desk chair.

My locker is by Mustard. I purchased it from Trouva, an amazing online store that sells pieces from beautiful independent boutiques. it’s my favourite item I have bought for myself - it really ties my entire office together. I like to swap the pictures and postcards on the locker around. I love keeping photos of my family and boyfriend on there to remind me why I do what I do - to make them proud.

Old magazines, crystals and a delicious candle from The Box Of.

The figure of Leslie Knope was a present from my brother last Christmas. She now oversees all of my work, which just feels right. The Ben & Jerry’s print is actually a napkin from a Ben & Jerry’s shop in the US that my parents had framed over 25 years ago - the frame is completely broken but the napkin is still very much a piece of art.

Much to the joy of my neighbours, I also practice saxophone in my office.

I had my last tour date of the 2017/2018 season with The Spitfire Sisters on January 10th, and I'm missing it already.

There are so many aspects of touring I love. Meeting people in venues and cities we haven't played before, long car journeys to theatres listening to the past (ahem, music from the 90s), and hanging out with the band in amazing places. The house we stayed in for our tour date in Cornwall had a hot tub. Living the dream.

One of my favourite things, however, is the 20 minutes we have between soundcheck and curtain up to do our makeup and get changed.

Getting ready at Hall for Cornwall at the beginning of January. Please note the difficulty with my false eyelashes - I have to apply them twice. Still learning!

I used to hate this part of the evening. I used to panic. I could never get my false eyelashes on. One eyeliner wing would be oversized and dramatic and the other would be practically non-existent; the more I would try to even it up, the more abstract they would become. My lipstick couldn't be contained by any amount of lipliner or cotton bud tidying up. Essentially, it always looked like I had broken into my mother's make up bag and gone wild.

Everything changed after I gave up my full time job at a coffee roastery and started temping between gigs. I only did this for about a year - I've been performing and teaching full time for just over a year now - but I had a lot of time where I'd finish one task and be waiting for the next one to appear. I decided that I would seize these moments to do my research on how to take a more organised approach to skincare and makeup.

One essential resource that I go back to again and again is the website Into The Gloss. I've been a fan of Into The Gloss for years, all because of founder Emily Weiss's appearance on The Hills - I am a sucker for those 'Whatever Happened To Those Teenagers From Those Shows You Watched When You Were A Teenager' kind of tv show. Reading Into The Gloss was a big part of my temping life. Before I began religiously reading their Top Shelf articles and product reviews, the idea of wearing makeup everyday was crazy to me. I had to desire to do any kind of skin care, and I really wasn't prepared to spend money on products that I had no idea if they would work on my skin. Every so often I would go crazy and spend £14 on some false eyelashes - £14!!! - and immediately regret it because we all know Eylure make the best false eyelashes and they are a third of the price.

At the Glossier showroom in London last November.

So when Into The Gloss sent out an email that said Glossier were launching in the UK, they already had my trust. They're more expensive than drugstore products, but not by much, and they work. As soon as I could, I invested in their Phase 1 Skin Set, which includes Milky Jelly Cleanser (the only face wash I have ever used that doesn't dry my skin out), Priming Moisturiser, and Balm Dotcom in Birthday. I purchased Boy Brow at the Glossier Showroom in London in November, and over Christmas my Glossier collection expanded with Glossier You and Super Pure Serum. Seriously, I'm a woman who uses serum now.

Phase 1 Skin Set. Look at that packaging! I'm all about branding.

Aside from my clear Glossier addiction, I have really started to expand my make up bag in other ways. After a bizarre bout of Impetigo a couple of years ago I purchased bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Foundation. For me this was a pricey purchase, but I keep going back to it because it lasts a good amount of time and it is the only foundation I've ever used that doesn't dry out my skin. I get on a lot better with powders than I do creams, and this gets rid of any shine which is especially important for when I'm on stage sweating it out under the lights.

I'm a sucker for free samples and I've just worked my way through quite a few from REN, including the Revitalising Night Cream which is amazing, and has made my face so ridiculously soft that I can't stop touching it, which I know is against Skin Care rule 101. I'm thinking of investing but it is a little bit more than I want/can afford to spend right now so I'm looking for recommendations. I normally swear by E45 in the winter but it's a bit heavy for the warmer months, but you can't argue with the price.

I'm always looking for ideas about what to try next, so send me any suggestions.

By the way, if you fancy 10% off Glossier send me a message and I'll send you a code. (This is not an advert and I am not affiliated with Glossier in any way, I just genuinely love their products.)

Sometimes there's a wig involved in getting ready.