Any naturally scruffy folk who manage to make themselves look polished for special occasions? HOW?

[ScruffyMcScruffer]

I'm really bad at this. Normally, I don't care. I'm happy to wander scruffily (but cleanly!) through daily life.

But, I would like to know how to look...I don't know, perhaps polished isn't the right word, maybe just sort of more nicely put together and groomed?

I've had a very stressful few years. Cut hair at home when my mum was dying just to get rid of the split ends for her funeral. I wash and moisturise my face with French skincare as they make my skin feel nicer than any other products have ever done. That's it, I don't have any other routines.

I think my skin is fairly good and my hair now as I approach 40 has a few grey strands but not sure if I want to dye it? I quite like the idea but also like my own quite dark hair colour as it's still a bit of a novelty in a way - I had years of highlights before as I used to like being blonde, but definitely don't want those again.

I would like to maybe look better somehow for going out and about to different things we have planned this year.

Where would you start in looking more groomed?

I feel like my whole face looks fresher and more intentionally done when I have had my eyebrows waxed/shaped, regardless of makeup.

For me: dyed eyebrows and properly detangling hair then smoothing with a boar bristle brush, straightening fringe (which I do about twice a year.) proper face scrub and light foundation. Steam/ ironed clothes and find something to wear that doesn't have stains on. None of this comes naturally to me but that and fresh hair makes me scrub up well.

This is a great idea, how do you start with this?

I have never done anything to eyebrows except once got them tinted? It washed out two showers later and felt like a big waste of money

They got a few stray strands plucked with tweezers at some point during the tinting but I don't know what I'd ask for - can you just get a wax and ask for them to be tided up somehow?

I'm naturally a scruff but I'd agree about eyebrows. I also do now spend money on getting a decent haircut. I think the shape matters more than the colour.

I missed the whole 'bag' stage of fashion but I got a nice backpack/daypack from a clothes swap event, and it is actually amazing how much more put together I feel with it.

I never, ever wore lipstick when I was younger but it does make a difference. My go to though is Rose Vaseline. I think I still look a bit more finished with it on. If I do bother with lipstick it's Bare Pop from Clinique which is very subtle.

Tinted moisturiser, blush, and brows all make a massive difference. Annoyingly it does seem to be worth spending the money on them. I also bought a steamer and actually steamed things before wearing them for special events. If you're feeling fancy a blow dry also looks more polished and lasts a few days, and a good hair cut can make you look better for ages.

You just ask for a basic eyebrow shaping, should be fairly cheap and easy. There are variations though so ask if you're not sure!

I am naturally scruffy but have tried to up my game by:

• Not wearing clothes with holes in them
• Ironing stuff
• The odd bit of jewellery
• Expensive tinted moisturiser
• wearing hair down instead of in a scruffy bun

it’s actually made a big difference. I would also like to know what to do with eyebrows as I don’t know where to start.

Get your eyebrows threaded and then just pluck stray hairs as they come in. Hair apply a coloured gloss in the same colour as your hair . It gives an expensive, smooth yet swishy look to your hair. Lasts about a week

Aldi have just started doing a tinted moisturiser spf 30 really good coverage. Less than a fiver. Cream blush. I can not be bothered removing mascara so I just draw a line with with an eye pencil above upper lashes and it looks like I’m wearing mascara.

I dye my eyebrows at home using this then get them threaded in a local shop for a fiver. I find it's a lot more accurate than waxing and the shape they achieve is much better. I do feel much more put together when that's done as well.

Also, ironing clothes makes a bit difference. I'm naturally a bit of a scruff so it's those things that smooth off the rough edges.

Decent nails too, shortish and clean.

What's a coloured gloss?

Get a regular blow dry or, depending on your hair type, a ghd smoothing hot brush thingy. Smooth and shiny hair always makes me feel polished.

I agree with everybody about keeping eyebrows nice and I'd also say teeth, if at all possible (which it isn't always). Plain nicely manicured nails and painted toenails always make me feel smart too.

Have you ever had your hair professionally blowdried? That makes a hell of a difference (and you could try a blonde rinse to make the grey look like highlights 😊)

So sorry to hear about your mum OP.

After lockdown I really needed to take myself in hand. The things I found made a real difference were

• visiting a really good hairdresser (rather than my husband cutting it in the garage with the kitchen scissors). I talked to her about keeping my hair looking better all the time and got lots of tips.
• getting measured for a bra. Made such a difference to how I look in all my clothes.
• buying one really good item of make up (couldn't afford the whole lot). I have a Dior blusher which makes me feel 'smart' every time I get out the compact to put it on.
• I do one maintenance job on myself each day - manicure, pedicure, eyebrows, deep condition hair etc. Even if it makes very little difference in reality I feel like I am on top of myself.

Like others have said, the key things are a good haircut, a manicure, and teeth that are straight & white ideally. Bonus points for fashionability and good posture 🙂

I don't subscribe to any of this but it's what I observe.

https://glazehair.co/products/super-gloss-200ml?variant=40938506354880

Or a cheaper version

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clairol-Colour-Temporary-Caramel-Brownie/dp/B09NHVZCYX/ref=asc_df_B09NHVZCYX/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=570318195058&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17429110964782715354&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046839&hvtargid=pla-1639496231736&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

I use once a week as a deep conditioning treatment and then do nothing else apart from brush and it looks so nice. Normally my hair is fly away with dry ends but this stuff is amazing. I used to straighten/ use loads of product and it didn’t look as good.

I'm exactly the same :)

I agree with the eyebrow advice (get them shaped, and if necessary tinted). If you need it, also get your lip waxed. (I need it, but I may be much older than you.)

Also see whether you can take a person who understands clothes to do some clothes shopping with you. I' very bad at clothes, and can never imagine when I see them hanging up in a shop what they might look like on me. In the past when I was much younger and in a professional job where all the others were super-smart it was easy for me to be smart for work because I wore good suits. My difficulty is with social events and 'smart casual'. If I didn't have anybody to take I would throw myself upon the mercy of the shop assistants in a decent shop, confess that I was useless and ask for their advice. They were normally very helpful.

Happily I now do a completely different job working with students, where jeans and a sweatshirt are perfectly acceptable. In this hot weather, though, my problem is coming up again, as I don't really have those light summer clothes. People keep asking me whether I'm roasting in my sweatshirt and jeans :)

I’m very no make up, wash face, hair and teeth camp.

but partly that’s me thinking as women we are suckered into believing that is what we need to be beautiful, heels etc but men don’t have the same standards expected of them.

You can save thousands
decent hair cut with a decent hair dresser
no need for plucking your eyebrows or shaping them - good grief lots of pain, they grow continuously
nail file and do you nails
wash hair and good moisturiser and nope it doesn’t need to be expensive
same with face
decent bra
nice top even a t shirt
jeans with belt
Decent shoes
earrings if you wear them - I wear my diamond or pearl or sapphire studs - depending on what I’m wearing

decent shoes and a decent bag to put your clobber in

nice smile

@Badbudgeter

Thanks