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!

blobtobetter if you like 50s style the curvy look is ideal for you treat yourself to something glam hot and I swear you will feel loads better. Just keep looking after yourself - we'll all get there one day soon.

Well done Vain club sterling efforts so far!

cheerful total agreement from me. Last year I did the same with my very glamorous sister, but I felt just odd in the clothes she put me in, not like me at all!

I also love vintage style, but real vintage clothes just don't fit me, I would live in tea dresses very happily, but I do also need clothes I can charge around woods in!

Well I have managed to shower, do my hair and apply minimal make up for three days in a row! Not necessarily in the morning but baby steps! The challenge will come when I have to start getting the kids back to school!!

I tried the sock bun yesterday with disastrous results, maybe I'm too impatient my hair is too long. I will try again when I have more time.

I have achieved hair and nice clothes (Brora cashmere dress, coral snood and slouchy grey boots) this morning, but no make up due to DS2 losing the will to live - I am out walking with him nodding off in the pram now.

Buggy and BTB my sister dresses vintage full time. She is bonkers, but it really suits her v hourglass figure. She has a good vintage for beginners guide on her blog with ideas for starting out with vintage shapes etc.

Totally agree with you Cheerful about sticking with your own style. I am hoping that House of Colour style consultation day in a couple of weeks will help crystallise mine. I have a handful of friends who dress really well, but I could only steal the style of perhaps one or two without looking and feeling frumpy or overdressed.

Hope - your sister's vintage website is fascinating. I could sit and read it all afternoon unfortunately I have 5 7year olds arriving shortly for a party. Groan.
Good news here - painted toe nails, dressed showered and walked round park all before breakfast. Feeling v smug!!
BTW - fellow vainers - what's the opinion of CBE or House of Colour makeovers... worth the money??

Smugly WW

I bought the Colour Me Beautiful book and quite like it - I am a clear cool and like the colours that apparently suit me. Not that I actually wear them but I aim to get out of black.

HOPEFULLY love your sister's blog I noticed she bought a petticoat from Midhurst - love trying on hats in the antique shops there!

Well today I have had a home manicure got me face on and decentish hair and working the snow leopard print top/scarf look today. However I am so cold that i am wearing a very unflattering waterfall cardigan - it's so lovely and warm - I meant to throw it with all my others but couldn't bring myself to sorry mumsnetters! From 3 will be attempting some yoga then off to Tesco of Terror to stock up on pringles, crackers, cheese & mince pies healthy nutritious foods for the New Year .

As we are talking books - I thought this week could be (duh duh duuuuhhhh)

Book Recommendation Week

Books for Guidance and Help for Those of us Who Want to Become More Vain in 2012

Colour Me Beautiful Book is this the one ?

Nicky Hambleton Jones Book- was browsing through this last night quite inspirational really - lots of grooming tips

Beauty Bible - A classic?

If anyone wants to post their fave bits from their fave tomes please feel free!!

Wisteria I really rate getting your colours done. It not only tells you all your best colours, but actually limits your wardrobe to a palette in which everything matches with everything else (really useful to help with looking stylish without any thought whatsoever). And I would go with House of Colour over Colour me Beautiful - the training is more intensive, and they go into more detail about which colours in your swatch book are best on you, how to combine them and how to use the swatch book for shopping. With Colour me Beautiful you are draped, given your palette and a bit of explanation and sent on your way. They're both definitely good, but I think HoC has the edge. I have had both, so have decided I am qualified to decide . Also the CMB consultant I saw diagnosed me wrong - I was always dubious about a few of the colours, but am entirely confident with my new HoC analysis - that problem was unique to the consultant I saw with CMB rather than the system (and the fact that I have bonkers skin tone, to the point that more than one person has suggested I volunteer myself for HoC to do training with, as I am almost impossible to analyse correctly!). I am going back to do the HoC style analysis in a couple of weeks, and I think it will add loads more info to the colour analysis I had a couple of months ago.

Oh, and for anyone who is interested in such things, HoC has me as a Blue Autumn , which is basically the saturated/bright/spring end of autumn.

Hello everyone... :)

I've been doing ok, argan oiled my hair at the weekend, it feels lovely and soft afterwards.

My book about the tuplar method arrived and I started doing it last night.

I've ordered some nice black pumps to encourage walking to school.

Managed to put some make up on this morning before going to trafford. And i've bought a lovely dark green beaded scarf.

And finally, dh bought me a tin of smellies from lush but I wasn't keen so I swapped it for loads of nice scrub bars and tonight i'll try the body mud.
Cleaning the bath afterwards might spoil the pampering though.

HappyHippyChic my hair's almost waist length when straight, the first time I sock bunned it didn't work, but it's been fine since.

I'm doing well today, went to the Tate in make up, sock burned hair (because of the wind!) and the lovely scarf my friend bought for me. Well, clothes too but they were just old ones as my new ones haven't arrived yet!

Love your sister's vintage blog hopefully one of my friends runs a vintage shop, but I am just not the right shape!

you're all doing so well! I'm trying, but tomorrow will be the real challenge as DH is back at work, and DD has just learnt to crawl and be clingy in the same week!

I started my diet today - nothing but fruit juice, water, fruit and veg have passed my lips! It might not sound very ground breaking, but for me it's like cold turkey.

I started back at work today, so I thought I did quite well by babylissing my hair and put make up on. Just got all sweaty so my make up looked rubbish and I'm in desperate need of a hair cut, so my BBH efforts went to waste really. That and the massive grey jumper with black jeans covered in dog hair.

ladies can i join?!i am 26, lone parent to 1 dd who is 2.7!since having her and ex leaving when she was 16 weeks old I have let myself go. I need hair advice (desperately needs a colour and cut) my skin isnt good and my style is 'alternative' but want flattering clothes that compliment me!oh i'm 5'11 a 14-16 (im aiming to be a 12) and have an hourglass shape. Help!

natasha - I have just ordered the Julie Tuplar book for my Kindle and I'm reading it now. I have weight to lose which clouds the issue but I do have a diastasis as well. My waist is a whole dress size bigger than the rest of me, which is not helpful when trying to buy clothes!

Riding - how old is your DD? My DS2 is 9 months and has been crawling since just before 6 months! He is clingy and follows me everywhere, even trying to scale my legs while I'm cooking and climb into the dishwasher while I'm loading and unloading. Bless him he is lovely, but getting things done is hard work at the moment! :)

I have been concentrating on my hands so far. I've decided that perhaps one area at a time is the way to go, and try to get into good habits before adding more things.
So,
Hair - already good and in good habits about blowdrying
Skincare - have all the stuff (combination of Liz Earle, Boots P&P and Clinique) just inclined to be slightly lazy at bedtime, especially if I haven't worn make-up that day, but that ends today.
Make-up - use Bobbi Brown. I wear some most days, just foundation, eyebrow fill and brush, blusher, mascara, Carmex or similar on my lips. If I have more time then I add eye shadow and/or liner. I never wear lipstick, I have nice shaped and coloured lips and don't need it - in fact I think it ages me.
Hands - have done a home manicure this weekend, put hand lotion next to all the sinks and some in my bedside drawer, and a nail file in the kitchen and another in the bathroom so there are no excuses!

hopefully your sister's blog is lovely, but mostly I'm in awe of her going to the effort every.single.day! ;)

Yesterday was both a success and a failure. I wore a dress and did my make-up... Then never left the house. Ended the day with ripped tights (brand new on yest.) And baked bean fingerprints, still 'tis what washing-machines were invented for!

Saw a great tip on the other thread, so simple yet so ingenious: lay out 5 days of (work) clothes in advance. That way no 'oh I've got nothing to wear' and pulling out trusty old rags. I'm not working right now but there's no reason why I couldn't do 2 days in advance.

Today is DIY + IKEA, but no jogging bottoms here! Make-up, jeans, knee length boots, Isabella Oliver top, new handbag and smart maternity coat.

I need good make up tips. Something easy to play up my eyes.

I try, but I am rubbish at it. Does anyone know of a decent, easy-to-apply eyeliner that does not end up under your eyes in an hour's time?

Cheerful - have a look at the Lisa Eldridge website. Other posters on other threads have recommended her. At the beginning of the video she looks grim, then a few inches of make up later she looks fabulous. All the products she uses are listed.
Can't believe I"m also booted and suited for work by 730 and I look presentable!!

Thanks for the tip- can't afford some of what she uses but I'll keep my eyes peeled. :)

And am going to call and schedule a brow appt. I always let it go too long!

I'm glad you all approve of my sister's blog! Oh, and Alpine the reason she goes to the effort is (a) she's self employed (and doesn't need to work hard at what she does to make enough to live on), (b) has no children and (c) on the days she doesn't blog she quite often doesn't even bother getting dressed. I'd hate you to think that normal people actually make that much effort every day!

At work - wearing make up
Was showered, dressed and face done by 8.05 this morning ? didn?t get up until 7.30 though! Need recommendations for a moisturising body spray/oil please as I have been doing my cocoa butter every morning (makes skin so smooth and nice) but will have less time on my hands. I commute to work max 20 min train and 25 min walk so wore a hat luckily wasn?t torrential rain to ruin my nice hair but has gone v wavy! DH takes DD to school luckily so I don?t have to worry about other Mums in the playground.

Didn?t manage any accessories apart from my rings this morning either !! Have lots of healthy stuff with me so fingers crossed a good day for the old diet, exercise wise about 45 mins walking to and from station in total |( via a couple of shops) and hope to get to do some Yoga tonight when I get in ( this did not happen yesterday due to a new battery charger thingy I couldn?t get to work for the wii fit board grrr).

On the Princess thread years back (it seems) it mentioned getting to bed early one night a week. Hope to do this tonight as I am awful (12.30am last night!) it is mainly DH fault. I have informed him though once a week (possibly Wednesday ) will be early night for me and he will lump it!

Interested to see the Lisa Eldridge video ? will have a proper read tonight when back from work

Lots of good stuff to report here today...

My big clothes order arrived, I am in love with my jeans, they fit perfectly and look good (Fat Face Fit and Flare ones) so I'm wearing them now. Hair done, no make up as I didn't get chance as it is my first day on my own with the 3DDs after DP's paternity leave!

However, it is a good food day...had a mango smoothie for breakfast, Mexican bean soup for lunch and have made chachouka (a pepper stew that you bake eggs on top of) for dinner. If I get hungry in the afternoon I have healthy not loaded with sugar and butter flapjacks and fruit. Have been drinking lots of water too!

omy - I never have time to do body lotion in the mornings, so I use either Sanctuary 12-hour moisturising shower cream, or Dove Nutrium-something-or-other. I can on that basis get away with not moisturising my body at all, although I do try to sometimes before bed, and at the weekends when there is sometimes a bit more time!

Yes I must get more sleep. DS2 is an awful sleeper though, he wakes 2-3 times during the night, every night. Bleugh.

I am doing reasonably well today. Had to get up early with DSs to take DH to work as he didn't exactly fancy the cycle in the gale/torrential rain, but still managed quick make up and a bit of a messy bun hairstyle (a small step up from a ponytail, anyway) and nice teal top in a colour that suits me with skinny jeans and slouchy boots.

It's DH's birthday on Friday. He wants to make more effort with his appearance/clothes too. What can I buy him? £50-ish to spend.