To ask for your beauty tips and tricks

[Lifeofthepartay]

I want to start a self care routine. I am pretty bad at the moment, and I don't have the time or inclination to spend lots of time and money on beauty treatments. Can I ask if you have a routine (how often do you do it and how long it takes) for things like mani/pedi at home just like cuticles and a solid colour, eyebrow and lash tint and tidy brows, teeth whitening, hair moisturising, and maybe some sort of at home facial stuff for sensitive skin (no need for fake tan as I am pretty tan already). Any links of products tried and tested would be much appreciated because there is just so many products I don't even know where to start, specially for the below :

1. Eyebrow and eyelash tint
2. Something to encourage eyebrows and lash growth
3. A good clear or neutral nail polish/something that helps growth too, and nice moisturizer for feet/hands
4. A good cleanser/mask/moisturiser or facial stuff

5.Teeth whitening strips? 6.Hair mask or treatment

Thanks in advance

You don’t say anything about how old you are or whether you have any particular skincare concerns, so it’s difficult to advise on specific products. What I will say is that when I wanted to get into skincare myself, about 6 or so years ago, I started looking for YouTube videos from 50+ (in age) content creators and actually found it a lot of fun. I watched a lot of Hot and Flashy and some Dominique Sachse, among others. I don’t really watch much of either anymore, in particular I found Dominique’s chirpy sincerity really started to grate on my nerves. (I’m American so I can say that.) But I really learned a lot, and had some trial and error, and at 58 I’m frequently being told I have really good skin and people can’t believe how old I am. I’m still very heavily “influenceable” 😊 -my current “guilty pleasure” is a 29 year old very blonde LA content creator named Ashley Paige who is also dripping with American sincerity and “mindfulness” with a bonkers luxury handbag habit for someone who by all rights should at her age be too poor for it. Thanks to her I’m now “obsessed” (to use a TikTok word) with Armani eyetint in Cashew, but I’m finding that feeding my constant new product obsession motivates me to get out of bed in the morning and “put a face on”, even if the only sentient beings I see all day are my DH, the dog and the horses in our fields (I live on a farm). I also find I’m generally in a better mood if I know if I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror I won’t be horrified!

I guess what I’m saying is you may have more success if you don’t look at this as a chore - “start self care routine” - to be ticked off your to do list. Self care is a journey, not a destination if you know what I mean. You deserve to look like you care for yourself - for now, start with eating and sleeping as well as you can, getting the best out of your clothes, maybe going to a makeup counter of a brand you can afford and like the look of from your research for some products and tips. Also keep tabs on the S&B forum here - there are always unvarnished reviews of loads of products that might have interested you.

Have fun!!

As regards your specific requests:

1. Eyebrow and eyelash tint - I get mine done as I’m too clumsy and my vision is too poor to do it myself
2. Something to encourage eyebrows and lash growth - I just started using Sweed (on Ashley’s recommendation - see above 😀) but too soon to tell if it’s working
3. A good clear or neutral nail polish/something that helps growth too, and nice moisturizer for feet/hands - I don’t have any advice on this - I get gel pedicures done as again my vision is poor and I can’t reach very well. Just started getting gel manicures too as I got tired of polish chipping after 2 days …
4. A good cleanser/mask/moisturiser or facial stuff - I use M&S pure cleansing balm and mostly Sunday Riley for other skincare (vitamin C, retinol, moisturiser). La Roche Posay SPF 50 EVERY DAY NON NEGOTIABLE. Pixi Glow Tonic in the mornings.
5. Teeth whitening strips? - don’t use myself but would love to see a recommendation.
6. Hair mask or treatment - at the moment I’ve been using ColorWow Money mask, I think it’s doing good.

Hope that helps!

once a month I do a bit of an everything bath. Wax eyebrows (or teen dd does), tint brows and lashes - currently using a mylee one I got on Amazon, it’s quite good. File nails. paint toe nails.

re finger nails, I just got a Nails Inc glow in rosey pink. Looks quite nice and is very robust - a bit of coloured shine.

face wise I really like byoma stuff. I cleanse and use serum/moisturiser twice a day when I brush my teeth so it’s habit now. I pared right back to something really simple after over irritating my skin so a note of caution here about going in too fast. Took my skin a good couple of months to repair itself and now looks clear and a bit bouncy.