My flaky, porey (is that a word) nose :(

[Squitch]

In an effort to make more effort I have started to attempt to wear a bit of makeup every now and again - and today was going to be one of those days. (I am 39 and have wore makeup approximately once a year since I was about 20, so I'm hardly an expert at application)

Without make up my nose looks completely normal. As soon as anything touchs my face though it just looks flaky and you can see every pore magnified to the size of a...well a very big hole.

Is there anything obvious I should be doing? Or anything unobvious? Or am I just expecting too much (i.e. poreless, non flakey 20 year old skin)?

If you have any suggestions thank you and if you don't have any suggestions but are as sympathetic as my hairy arm problem (whipped off with immac - so thanks for the hair removal cream advice) thank you as well!

what do you use - for 1) moisturising and 2) make-up?

might just be a simple case of exfoliating more regularly (for the flaking) and using a decent primer (for the pores) or just switching to a lighter (coverage) make-up such as a tinted moisturiser.

I use a nivea moisturiser (but probably not as often as I should) and I did exfoliate this morning (but again, I rarely do).

I tried a primer a few weeks ago and it filled my pores but the whiteness showed through the top coat I put on. I am useless at all this malarky :(

I did originally put a BB cream on this morning but it looked horrendous and have now got a tinted moisturiser on, which looks ok. Is it just a case of exfoliating and moisturising more frequently then? Can someone text me every morning/evening to remind me to do this?

if you don't moisturise and exfoliate regularly then i think this could be the easy fix

Yep, moisturise and exfoliate and your problem will be solved.

Thanks both, I have always been a splash a bit of water on the face and off we go type. Exfoliating and moisturising here I come!

As an extra ask, what should I be exfoliating with? I have one of those grainy face wash type things, but I seem to recall reading on here that they are a bit of a no no. It sucks getting old

Squitch I think you should try hot cloth cleansing or oil cleansing. Essentially you rub some cleanser into your skin and then using a warm flannel you take it off. The flannel rubbing action is all the exfoliation you should use.

I like doing an oil based cleanser. You can mix your own or use a pot of first pressed coconut oil but I like the Boots botanics range cleansing balm.

Some people don't like the oily cleansers and Liz Earl is a very popular one. I think also boots number 7 do a couple of hot cloth cleansers too.

I hope this doesn't seem complicated. Basically you rub your face twice a day with a cream and then press on a warm flannel!