If you were ever frumpy, how did you revamp yourself?

[EbbyEbs]

I’m not one for nails and heels etc but I do want to look my age rather than looking 10 years older than I am.

What were your “game changers”?

vitamins? Skin care? Hair care … what product or habit changed how you look and feel for the better?

Thanks for the info! Will look into some of these further!

I'm mid re-vamp, and I think losing weight will make the biggest difference for me as it affects my clothing choices (think big over sized jumpers and nothing form fitting).

I've also upped my water intake and started taking care of my skin more, especially at bedtime. It doesn't have to be expensive. Nivea is £5 a pot in Savers and is great, especially the brightening vitamin c ones.

I also agree with a PP about a tinted moisturiser over a heavy foundation. Heavy make up is very aging as it sits in the creases. I use Revolution Super Dewy skin tint and it's really good.

Clothes wise, charity shops or vinted are great for good quality labels.

Good thread! I'm 52 now & I agree without of the advice given already here

I have always been tall & slim but over the past 12 months I have been under a lot of pressure in work & exhausted in the evenings = lots of takeaways & wine & unhealthy eating = weight gain.
I was aware of it happening but sort of ignored it. But it had a knock on effect of making me miserable as clothes were too tight / uncomfortable / unflattering. I found myself only able to wear the same few things over & over.

Anyway I hit a point where I was just sick of it. I cut out all the crap / alcohol / takeaways / unhealthy stuff. I weighed myself & realised I have 2 stone to lose which shocked me into action.

I am 10lbs down now & very motivated. I have a lot of beautiful clothes in my wardrobe which still have tags on them & I want to wear them.

Its so easy to neglect ourselves when life is busy & we're juggling so many things.

I really object to the posters who imply that looking after yourself is shallow or submitting to the patriarcy or making us 'instamums'. How ridiculous.

@NegroniLover

I was also amazed how much cutting alcohol made a difference! I stopped drinking with no diet planned and lost the first 7kg accidentally. The weight just fell off. I guess alcohol (especially wine and beer) is just sugar. After a couple of glasses and lower inhibitions it was harder to make healthy choices and much easier to justify a take away too!

I actually feel so much happier having a beauty routine and spending time on myself. My self esteem has gone from absolutely none existent to really high and I love feeling good about myself. The compliments are nice but I do it for myself!

I cut alcohol out on New Year’s Day, I haven’t touched a drop since. I’ve lost a stone in weight but that’s partly because my appetite went with the alcohol

You seem nice 😂

No bitter at all.

I have no idea what an instaclone is either. Interesting that you feel that people who put effort into their appearance are ‘clones’ of anything rather than people who maybe have a bit more self-respect than you.

Lost weight
Work out with weights
posture exercises
stretching
wear clothes that fit well
Modern hair style and makeup
light touch of botox and fillers
dental work

Gel nails. Mine are always short but in a nice colour.
Tinted moisturiser and mascara.
Regular haircuts
Brows dyed. (I do my own)
I need to lost 6stone though....

Set up a WhatsApp group with friends where we only discuss potential clothes purchases and style ideas. We send photos of clothes we try on and links to things we like and give each other honest feedback.

Three years later we have all elevated our wardrobes and having somebody else's perspective really helped with the frumpy mindset and shaping our styles from the positive view our friends have rather than the mumming it frump view I had of myself.

I was frumpy up till I was about 35. The transformation coincided with getting divorced, but the key changes were losing weight, starting exercising and thinking about what I wore.
I still wear joggers and hoodies a lot, but not really when people will see me.
If I do my hair properly, that also makes a difference. I get my nails gel painted every three weeks.

I’m nearly 40 and often get mistaken for quite a lot younger..
I found a good hairdresser who “gets” me and my hair and go regularly (cut and colour every 8 weeks or so, but even a professional wash and blow dry makes a huge amount of difference).
I try to wear simple clothes that suit me, and I’m moving away from the Boden prints or tunic tops (which do have a slightly middle class mum or social worker circa 2018 type look!) I definitely think looser fitting tops and / or trousers are more current just now.
Ten years ago I was in the tail end of a bad relationship that dragged me down and I looked like 💩.. Now I take care of myself, I’m more content, I’m more confident, and it shows. I think that’s maybe the important bit.

I was hoping someone would tell me! 🤣

Get dental work sorted, good haircut that compliments your face shape, eyebrows threaded and regular facials, take care of hands and nails - all these make a noticeable difference irrespective of your size/clothing style

Collagen! Taking care of my hair. Had my eyebrows microbladed - done very naturally. My eyebrows were non existent before and it's made a huge difference.

The main one is collagen though, huge positive difference to my skin.

Yes collagen is amazing! Can be expensive but absolutely worth it.

Good supportive underwear so everything is held in place.

IT cosmetics CC cream, your skin but better. My nephew says I don’t look dead anymore 😀it’s not cheap at around £32 but it last ages. I use a tiny drop mixed in with my moisturiser with a squirt of maybelline illumination primer. It makes such a difference.

@ZooTropia @Catonamountain

Thank you!

You can also mix cc cream with concealer on your really tired days. Still has the same natural effect but covers the dark areas!

I bought some vitamin C face cleanser and that hydro acid stuff whatever it’s called and I might be imagining it but my skin looks a million times better after just 2 days! I’ve also bought vitamin c and vitamin d tablets as well as spatone with added vitC

Can I ask what collagen you use? I wanted to try it but read only marine collagen works for skin and only when taken in supplements as it won't absorb if used externally, so wasn't sure it would be worth it

Re foundation, I use a tinted moisturiser with spf. I like the Clinique one.

The absolute best advice (from my husband) was to buy a few good quality things that fitted me properly. Not so many that I had a whole new wardrobe and no incentive to lose the weight I wanted to shift, but enough to have a few decent outfits to mix and match. And then to wear them every day and not save them for best.

That made a huge difference to how I looked and felt. It put me in a positive mood which has since helped me to lose 1.5 stone.

The other thing I’d recommend is a decent haircut, maintaining it properly and learning how to blow dry it. I got extensions and they transformed my life - partly with how my hair looks, but if I am honest mostly because you have to blow dry with extensions as wet hair is less able to resist the weight of the extensions. I saved up for an airwrap and having properly blow dried hair all the time makes a huge difference to how I look.

@georgarina ok so in no way promoting and some may hate this but I actually use younique liquid collagen. I used to sell their products but ended up just keeping the account for myself. It is pricey but results are fab!

It's one liquid sachet per day (ideally best taken at night on an empty stomach). Keep the sachets in the fridge - lovely taste to them too, abit like fruit cocktail. I've had great results as have others.

Hello, where do you buy them and how much are they? Thanks.