How to be groomed?

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Basically I look like a scruff! I don't have any set routine so forget sometimes to do my eyebrows until the are hideous werewolflike messy and my nails are ignored. My skin is atrocious too. I just never seem to be able to look groomed and pretty!!

Do you have a daily / weekly / monthly grooming routine?

How much time do you spend on your looks?

I am thinking that professional help might be needed! Tempted by HD Brows but they would look wrong if the rest of me is well a mess.

I have just never been organised about all this beauty stuff. It is like everyone else was taken into a secret "how to be groomed" lesson that I missed out on. Come to think of it, I missed the "how to style your hair" and "how to dress so you don't look like you got dressed in the dark.... in your Nan's wardrobe" lessons too!

My absolute-must-do stuff (which is supplemented by lots of other stuff most of the time!) is as follows:

Eyebrows-keep tweezers by the sink and pluck out obvious strays when you spot them.

Hot cloth cleanse, tone, serum and moisturise every night, tone and moisturise every morning.

Exfoliate in every shower while conditioner's in (quick scrub only!).

Concealer on under eye circles, mascara, tinted lip balm that can easily be reapplied without a mirror.

Everything else is a luxury IMO-though I am very vain and can always be persuaded to spend time and effort on beautification

Oh sorry-plus moisturiser on arms and legs after every shower too.

www.amazon.co.uk/Leighton-Denny-Quatro-Nail-Buffer/dp/B003H7DGZO/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1329937512&sr=8-10

Voila! Fantastic product

I look groomed but (because I've 3 kids under 3) I am really queen of the shortcuts. I have got some good tips here (poundland turban!) so thought I'd share mine even though they reveal what a secret skank I am

No time to moisturise after shower so I slap on baby oil while my skin is still damp.

I only wash my hair twice a week and use dry shampoo (batiste) in between. Amazing stuff. But it might be killing my hair so at the weekend I use a deep conditioner.

Keep it all low maintenance eg shoulder length hair I can just blast with a hair dryer, short nails with clear polish won't show any chips immediately if I just move my hands very fast

Put clothes out for me and the DCs the night before

Makeup bag in the kitchen, while DCs are eating I can do my face. I keep to a bare minimum of good products - Lauder foundation, a really lovely blusher/highlighter from By Terry (that makes me look like I've even slept), YSL eyeliner and benefit 'they're real' mascara. All takes 2-3 minutes and lasts all day.

Lipsticks kept with my keys, put it on as I'm locking the door behind us.

At night I use Eve Lom cleanser which also exfoliates, and a decleor balm. I'd rather spend more money on fewer products as the time I have to use them is SO limited right now.

I used to spend hours getting ready but now if I added it all up it would be less than 10 minutes a day. I do sometimes miss it though!

drywhite - that's exactly what I meant too though I've tried the leighton denny one and whilst slightly better, now I'm only maintaining the smoothness I find the pack of 4 buffers I get from poundland do exactly the same job. Don't over buff though - that could be contributing to your weakened nails - just use the number 4 side if you feel the need. Though having commented on your nail envy thread I don't think you'll have that problem anymore

untamed - nothing skanky about your routine and baby oil is brilliant!

I'm quite princessy but also quite lazy - I always think, oh I'll just do my eyebrows and lady garden myself. I've never had a bikini wax.

But despite that lazy, DIY approach, I do like to make an effort:

Shower every day, wash hair every other day (the wonder of dry shampoo!)

Hair is either in hot rollers, styled with a hot brush or put in some kind of way like an ultra high bun using a donut or that foam roll thing to do a cheat French pleat. I've been doing these so often now and there's tons of great videos on You Tube - hair takes about fifteen minutes from wet to styled.

Make up - primer, powder, shadow/blending shadow if feeling adventurous, fake lash mascara, blusher, lip gloss

Clothes - I don't tend to buy anything that requires ironing, so cute blouses with big pussy bows or peter pan collars, everything is high waisted (pencil skirts and wide leg trousers) - accentuate the positive! Or ultra slobby in massive jumpers.

But! Always dress anything up with earrings or necklaces or hair bands - those ones with feathers are gorgeous! I'm a big fan of massive, sloppy jumpers and tight jeans, hair up with big long drop earrings - they just add a touch of glamor without being chavvy. Much love for cheap fashion jewelry - currently loving a gold metal wide Egyptian necklace thing.

Having said all that, though I put on a face pack and use a body scrub once a week (Boots Sanctuary smells like Dune perfume!) I'm very lazy about de-fluffing myself

And I've never been completely sure what toner does.

Oh forgot to say - coconut oil, proper stuff not tainted by anything else, is the nectar of the gods!

For your skin, hair, externally and to eat! And - midwives in Malaysia use it to bind women's torsos after birth and it helps move everything back into place!

Coconutty Imagine a donut ring that separates so it becomes more like a big foam slug, then when you want it to be a donut again you pin back into a ring shape with a press stud.

For a French pleat, wrap in inwards, vertically, from one side and pin it to hell!

betty my post didn't post before

toner restores your ph levels to the optimum level for cell renewal (it takes your skin up to 14hours to restore it on it's own).

Great thread. I never seem to look or feel groomed no matter how hard I try!
I wish I could manage to put on makeup to last all day. I use foundation then powder, eyeshadow, liner (if eyes not too sore) then mascara but generally find by lunchtime the foundation has melted away, the eyeliner migrated up the eye etc. Would love to keep a "made up" look.

Do nails once a week - base coat Nail Magic, Jessica nail varnish in a neutral colour, then Sally Hansen top coat. Lasts well all week. Nail Magic is a brilliant product for nails - mine used to split at the ends but since I've been using Nail Magic they are so much stronger.

Ooooh MrsMartin thanks for the explanation - shall use it from now on

ponks you definately need a primer - it will keep you make up from melting into your face. The barbera daly tesco one is good, as is the gosh cosmetics (superdrug) and the bodyshop. Professional ones are the bare minerals one and smashbox (smashbox also do colour corrective primers which are great if you have a ruddy or sallow skin tone).

This is a fabulous thread and mrsmartin you have become my new style and beauty guru

awwww thank you - means alot especially after the beating I got on the guardian thread

I'm off to bed now and tonight I WILL remove my make up, cleanse tone and moisturise my face and give my nails a quick buff!

ooo I might try Body Shop one as I was persuaded to get their loyalty card thingie.

hmmmm seem to have developed both a ruddy and a sallow skin tone on different parts of face so prob will stay away from the colour corrective ones.

mrsm I got wrists slapped last week when I ventured onto AIBU .never again.i feel for you.staying firmly on SB threads....much friendlier and more fun!

that was on an s&b thread - it has the guardian in the title near the bottom of the s and b talk homepage...I was getting had a go at because skincare hasn't had proper scientific trials and I basically got told if I continued giving advice I could hit upon 'sticky ground'. Think they were just bitter moaning minnies with no sex lives trying to play devils advocate but it wound me up quite abit

Will have a look.may have been same people who gave pastgrace hard time about her (non) reptile TK Maxx Asprey handbag....

Thanks for all the tips ladies. I've been feeling a bit scruffy myself so this is great. I'd like to hijack the thread for a second if I may as I'm not too sure how to start a new thread?

Could anyone give me some advice on my skin? It seems to have changed après DS (not a huge surprise!) and I'm now a bit lost. If it makes a difference in advice, I'm in my mid 30's.

Currently I use a facial exfoliation scrub (clean & clear) in the shower as I have combination skin, but with a tendency to blackheads , then Olay Complete Care with SPF 15 to moisturise, and I occasionally stick in a bit of foundation if I'm feeling pasty so it's like a tinted moisturiser.

And that's it. If I've needed to wear make up (which may be a whole other thread ) it gets taken off with a simple exfoliating wipe and Garnier eye make up remover, and a swipe of usual moisturiser.

I've noticed my eye area getting crinkler, and my skin is now feeling drier so I think something has got to change, but I wander into a beauty area, see the pots and potions and leg it - I'm probably more of a cheapo person and if it can be sourced in my local supermarket so much the better.

Anyone help?

Adore this thread. I've just bought a microfibre turban (DCs in hysterics) and ordered Seche Vite. Thanks all, esp mrsmartin

Did someone mention foundation and powder????!!!!!!

I stopped that about 6 yrs ago because it emphasised my (non existent of course) wrinkles !there are lots of foundations specially made with a matte finish so no powder needed.

For posh I use the fantastic Lancôme tent idole
For everyday Maybelline dream matte mousse
For lazy days when I want quick finish Mac studio fix

Just need to go steady or it looks too thick.i am pale and prob wear it too pale but figure that's better than too dark and you can use bronzed and/ or blusher .