Make-up call

Christine Cartwright was 18 when she decided to leave her Sheffield home for a new life in the United States. It was the early Sixties and such was the novelty of a teenager embarking on an adventure of this nature, the local paper ran an article about her.

But an even better story was to unfold when Christine made her way to Palm Beach, Florida, where she began working in a beauty salon in Worth Avenue - the exclusive shopping district and haunt of the rich and famous.

"I met a boy whose mother was a hairdresser at a salon. I got a job and went on to do my beautician's course. I worked for ten years as a treatment girl there. I used to work on Jackie Kennedy and Princess Grace.

"We would work in the salon at Palm Beach in the winter, but in summer we'd move to the Long Island salon."

By this point, Christine was dating a man from the Van Cleef jewellery dynasty and was invited to all the best parties, where she mixed with the high society of America in the Sixties.

"It was a very glamorous lifestyle and a lot of fun. I'd be given some jewels to wear to the party, but have to put them back in the safe on the way home!" she recalls. "It was easy for me to fit in because I was from England and a bit of a one-off."

Such a life was a world away from her working-class upbringing in Sheffield. Christine says her parents wanted the best for her and sent her to piano and elocution lessons as well as drama class. Not only did these stand her in good stead during her fledgling career in the States, but they also opened doors for her on her return to England.

"I came back to England because my father was ill," says Christine. "I began looking for a job and decided to join Este Lauder. But I didn't want a job in a store, I wanted to travel. So I joined the company's first special events and promotions team and went round the country, which was a fun experience. After six months, the job of training manager came up and because they knew I had done drama and elocution, they gave me the post."

And now, 30 years on, Christine is still touring the country spreading the word about Este Lauder products and sharing the beauty tips and secrets she has garnered in her long career.

Her busy schedule, which takes her to a different town or city each day of the week, is bringing her to York next Tuesday, when she will host an evening presentation at Fenwick in Coppergate.

With plenty of expert advice and amusing anecdotes, Christine has earned a reputation in the business as a must-see act. Highlight of her 'show' is when she takes off her make-up and reapplies it - without the aid of a mirror.

"Anybody can do the same," she says. "My mother used to say: 'you don't need a mirror for the fork to find your mouth'. And it's true. It's a marvellous thing to do. I do phone-ins on the radio and I have had blind people ring in and I have been able to tell them how to put on lip pencil and mascara and feel glamorous.

"And it certainly gets over the message that if I can do it without a mirror, people can do it with a mirror."

It's no surprise that Christine is evangelical about the need for women to look after their skin.

"Eighty-seven per cent of ageing is premature, caused by UV and environmental pollution," she says. But her approach is down-to-earth and realistic and she tells women how to care for their skin and look good without spending hours in the bathroom or breaking the bank.

"I show women how to put on day make-up in six minutes flat. And I tell them they can get all the products they need for less than the cost of three cups of coffee a week - about £6. I think your face is worth that."

At her masterclass she asks a series of questions to help women judge the type of skin they have, then tailors her advice accordingly. Besides giving the audience beauty tips on how to make the most of their features, she also opens the floor to questions.

"One question I get asked time and again is 'why can I never keep on my lipstick?'" says Christine. "The best advice is to use a lip pencil and block in the lips with it as well. Then put your lipstick over the top. The special waxes in the lip pencil help keep the lipstick on."

Christine, who is 58 and lives with her husband in Ilkley, says helping women make the best of themselves is what motivates her to get through her 13-hour days. "I love it when women come up afterwards and say they really enjoyed it and learned a lot. I think women can relate to me. I don't look bad for my age and I have the same problems they do."

As for the role of glamour today, Christine believes it has never been more important to pay attention to appearance.

She said: "It is every woman's right to feel good about themselves, but it's very easy for them to lose confidence. First impressions are so important. People look at your eyes, your face then your hair. Life expectancy is longer and there is even talk of having to work until you are 70. We only have one skin, so it makes sense to make the best of it."

Christine Cartwright will be at Fenwick, York, on Tuesday from 6pm-9pm. There are a few tickets left for the event, which is in aid of the NSPCC. Tickets cost £5 which includes a champagne reception with canaps and a raffle. To book, call into the Este Lauder department at Fenwick or telephone 01904 643322 x237.

Updated: 11:29 Tuesday, April 15, 2003