RIGHT new resolution starting now - I WILL BE more vain - join me??

[omydarlin]

Anyone want to join me in my New Years Resolution (starting now) to be more vain/groomed/less lazy about feeling and looking great?

I will log on to style and beauty at least twice a week for stylish/beauty/groomy tricks
I will not buy cheap "that'll do " rubbishy clothes any more (well ok but cheap but I have to love them)
I will look after my skin/hair/nails
I will respect my body by giving it lots of water fresh air and healthy food (am doing a weight loss trail thing for work so this should be easier.
I will stop going to work with greasy hair and flaky nail polish or clothes with holes in

It strikes me that I don't care enough about maintaining my appearance - but conversely I do care when I suddenly catch myself in a shop window looking rough as a dog or when husband compliments me out of the blue because I have bothered to blow dry my hair!

Anyone want to join me for a bit of support or any advice how to become vain will be helpful - strikes me being more vain would be a good thing for me!

Ooh, good luck Addicted! How exciting!

I am going to brave the shops today and plan to hit boots for tinted moisturiser, hair doughnut and other necessary bits!

I'm with you lottie on the long term healthiness rather than quick weight loss.

I am not planning in exercise beyond walking yet because I know I won't have time for a while. I am being very impatient however and want my new clothes and make up to arrive NOW!

Does anyone do the oil cleansing method? I am thinking about trying it...

lottie Yes, I'm a big fan of the Mark Sisson stuff - and omg his body! (Disclaimer: for a man in his 70s!) I didn't know you were moving back to the UK - good luck with it all. It's a difficult time of year to make such a big move I think. I know the Jaeger sale gets really good and actually the Hobbs sale looks good - but I cannot honestly justify buying stuff in my current size which I do not intend to be wearing for long iykwim. Summer & next winter I think. Guilt-free!

Well it's half ten here and I'm wearing make-up which ain't too shabby. Not doing anything particularly special, just going to the town hall and a bit of shopping (pants and socks, yes, life really is that exciting Chez Mois) but it's the small things right? Also, am not going to eat crap today.

msbaubles I've not done the oil cleansing before but have used the L'Occitane oil facial wash and liked it.

I cleanse with soap and water.

Good luck addicted.

I'm not feeling very vain at the moment...
I'm wearing dh's robe, my hair's in a bobble and I smell of baby sick.

Must try harder.

Thanks for the Jaeger sale idea alpine and lottie - am just perusing the site!

Lottie I find the quick results of Shred incredibly motivating. It's absolute agonising hell to do, but the payoff is fast enough that it's OK. I did it for my wedding last year. Had c-section at the end of march, got married 3 months later! Could only really start exercising when DS was about 10 weeks, so needed fast results!

I have just weighed myself and was - I have lost over a pound over the Christmas period. I am insufferably smug. And probably hideously dehydrated from all the booze, accounting for the entire weight loss. We were actually so busy that I didn't really go all out on the indulgence. I am starting 30 Day Shred today, so I can get 5 days in before DH goes back to work so I'm well in the swing of it by the time it's a bit harder to squeeze into our hectic day!

Happy I bought a hair doughnut just before Christmas, and although my (almost elbow length - I need a haircut so badly) hair is a bit long for it, I really like the look. Might experiment with it a bit more this week.

Msbaubles I do OCM, it's great. My routine is OCM pretty much every evening, and foaming cleanser in the morning (Olay, or whatever is on offer). I use a clarins night oil after OCM in the evening, and a cheap Olay SPF moisturiser during the day. My skin is much better for it, although laziness and booze over christmas means I have a major blocked pore situation (sorry, TMI!) which I need to find a mask or something to solve. OCM is dead cheap too, compared to the (equally good but far pricer) Liz Earle hot cloth thingie.

Have gone wild and ordered a new jacket from John Lewis clearance, but am a bit scared. It is the most expensive thing I have bought for a long time, and it needs to be absolutely perfect.

I am contemplating these ankle boots to get me through to spring, but am a bit scared of something that isn't a calf length boot. I have a fear of knee high and ankle length, for some reason. Think it's my stumpy legs.
I am also rather liking these knee high ones and am coveting these over the knee boots but I am in no way brave enough to go OTK. I don't think. Am I?

Alpine - in a bold move I ordered a coat in a size smaller than I was at the time (was 16, bought the 14) to motivate me to be able to wear it by the time the next winter came around. Coat was reduced from £500 to £250 so it was quite an incentive and for once it worked (I won't mention that if I eat so much as one more Lindt tree choc I won't be wearing it for much longer.)

You're damn right about MS's body. It is incredible. I also like his attitude, once you get past the sheer Americanness of it. It's laid-back and IIRC he talks about just aiming to eat Paleo 80% of the time, because no-one's perfect and we all live real lives. I think that's a great philosophy which if followed leads to no peaks and troughs, although I think it's that which is problematic for me. I tend to be an all or nothing type when it comes to looking after myself - am either on an upswing or downswing and crave terribly to just be able to kick along not really thinking about food or exercise but just DOING IT because that's 'who I am'; not because 'oh god, I've just read XXX book or am doing YYY exercise DVD, it's absolutely brilliant!'. I think that's the problem for so many people, we actually have psychological issues with food or with looking after ourselves and it's not as easy as knowing what to do to be healthy.

Gah, anyone have any profound answers??!

Hopefully - that's AMAZING re. the loss over Christmas. Congrats! I haven't dared go near any scales for a week or more... will brave them tomorrow morning and in the meantime attempt to get my arse into bloody gear.

My S&B resolutions so far

Remember to moisturise whole body every day after shower (usually just do this every few days)
Try 30 day shred
Drink more water
Make a bit more effort on days when I'm staying in, don't just lounge in joggers

lottie - if you step over to the Paul McKenna thread in Big/Slim/Whatever etc etc then you will find some like minded souls :)

I'm not going to talk about my own weight loss on this thread I don't think, or not much anyway...

Today isn't going very well, I have had a shower and washed my hair but it is still in a turban on my head and I didn't put handcream on so I'm sitting here picking my fingers. Lovely

Just marking my place. Good job new year not quite here as am looking decidedly unstylish and unkempt.

And dressed366 am following you on twitter . Username ends raa.

Ridinginthemidnightblue I am finding tweeting fun and, hey, I have had a big wardrobe and shoe clearout today ready for a stylish and vain 2012!!! I have made sure everything I am keeping is clean, in good repair and on a hanger. The rest is off to charity.
I also sorted through my make up bag, getting rid of old stuff.
I definitely recommend these tasks. It has made me remember stuff that I haven't worn for ages and also helped me to realise that I don't need to buy lots more stuff, just think more carefully about what to wear!! Attention to detail is what I need.

I wish going through my wardrobe unearthed items I'd forgotten about! Rather, it highlights the fact that I own well under 20 items of clothing in total, and only about half a dozen are stylish and in good repair. Luckily I have a decent, if minimal, make up bag thanks to getting married earlier in the year

Well didn't give birth (although breaking down in the middle of a duel carrageway by myself with intermittent phone signal ment I came very close!), so I've had my hair cut, its gone from waist length to just above armpit length. Its so much lighter and has more bounce, i love it! Hopefully my bbh will do a better job of keeping it smooth and swishy :o

Hopefully can you set aside a little money in 2012 to spend on yourself? A few well chosen items?

Addicted the hair cut sounds fab. Whilst I love my neat little bob, I do envy those with lovely long hair!!

I also have good make up thanks to getting hitched (smashbox - love it). Problem now is everything else! I get bored doing beauty stuff - it's more of a chore than a pampering session as I'd much prefer to read a good book. Thing is, I like the end result and don't want to become any more frazzled-looking. I wouldn't mind doing it if my teeth stayed white, my blackheads stayed away and my legs stayed smooth, but keeping on top of it can be a PITA. Hoping this thread helps!
Need a new bag, but will stick to a changing bag for now (have 10mo DD and planning on ttc pretty soon, so the Peony & Moore Lucia remains on the wishlist). Any recommendations? This plan also makes me reluctant to buy new clothes in case we get lucky quickly.

riding I don't mind the make-up so much as I love the results. I've brought it all downstairs and do it in front of breakfast tv. I'm with you on the boring shaving legs, minge business though. I'm going to try and start filing my nails when my son is in the bath, two birds approach. I go to a beautician once every 5 weeks to get waxed and plucked in to shape, well worth the time and money. Do you really need a changing bag? I never bothered apart from first few weeks when I felt I should. These days I just take a nappy or two (depending on duration) and a slimline box of wipes. Anything else can be bought and if there's a disaster we head for home anyway.

lottie don't waste your money on the mark books, they are terrible. His emails are good and he has a pdf recipe book on his website with a few good things. E.g., I love his primal brownies for when a slice of meat will not hit the spot! I cannot justify a new coat... I have 3 unworn right now due to sales shopping last year. I love coats.

I've had some therapy wrt the over/bad eating and it all seems to boil down to 'self-harm'. The literal swallowing of feelings. Add in a dash of laziness and fatigue and it's easier to grab a cake than a salad.

Plus my body playing cruel tricks on me. Yesterday I made a beautiful salad for lunch, threw it all up whilst baby jumped on my bladder. 20 minutes later a magnum stayed down. Was it a dirty protest? Do boys really hate salad that much?

I was told the other day by someone I haven't seen in rl for years that my fb profile pic must have been taken a long time ago (yes 3 months ). I'm sorry but nothing is going to convince me that I need a full face of slap, straightened hair and contact lenses to go shopping.

I would love to find something for my hair though. I used to use VO5 "straight hair" which was then renamed "get it straight". Despite the name, it was the only thing that could turn my frizzy mop into beautiful shiny curls and since it has been discontinued i've spent stupid amounts of money trying to find a similar product to no avail. It was like a cross between a gel and a serum, no stickyness, no crunchyness and no grease. If anyone could recommend an alternative I would love them forever

Just remarking my place. So far I've failed miserably :(

Yesterday I couldn't even have a shower because the hot water didn't work . Dry shampoo was a let down.

I want in!

I'm not a full-on glamour type of person but I want to be better than I am now. Definitely in. :)

thefroggy - have you tried Aveda's 'Be Curly'. I have read great things about it for curls.

My solution to the bag/changing bag issue was to buy a gorgeous red leather changing bag from Il Tutto. Once I am finished with it as a changing bag, the whole lining with pockets etc zips out and I'm left with a lovely overnight bag. I also had a small mulberry messenger as my birthday present from DH.

I filed my nails yesterday, and did my cuticles.

Will investigate ali. Usually have a small handbag and a spare nappy and bottle under the buggy, but don't want a naice bag that gets covered in sudocreme and sticky fingers! V of the mulberry messenger.

My Clinque order arrived...it is the most expensive make up I have owned and it is so very worth it. The colours are great on my very pale skin (Shade 1 of the tinted moisturiser and Rose Taffy sheer lipstick) and I haven't reacted to it!

So this morning I do look very together, wearing make up for the first time in six years, hair newly blow dried (although I will need to do my roots soon!) I'm never going to be terribly glam, but I do feel bloody great today!

hopefully thank you for the info, I will be trying it later!

Scarlet DH and I have decided that we are both in absolute dire need of new wardrobes, so are budgeting for a bit of clothing in 2012 (having bought virtually nothing apart from the odd bit of maternity wear for me for the past four years!)

Riding I know what you mean about pampering - I have so little time, and I'd rather be in my workroom sewing myself some new clothes than lying in the bath with a face mask on!

Although, saying that, lying in the bath with a face mask on is exactly what I did last night, and it wasn't all bad. My skin does look a bit better today, less pore blockage.

Ponty it's not even 2012 yet, you've got loads of time to start being vain. And having no hot water is a pretty good excuse

Change bags - I started out with a v sensible nylon change bag, soon abandoned it for small canvas bags with whatever I needed tossed in. I hate the fact that if I'm out for a short time, the change bag is too big, and if I'm out all day, it's too small. I am currently using a big linen bag that I made, which fits in all the change stuff along with the various notepads/make up/toy cars/milk bottles/snacks/camera/phone/knitting projects that I need to see me through the average day. I am slightly contemplating a satchel, but not sure if it's a bit plain and classic for me. Maybe one in a bright colour - am watching a green one on ebay, but would prefer an orange one. I also love big hobo bags, but they are so annoying with their floppiness.