Fashion and beauty mysteries- what are you too afraid to ask?

[AlwaysSleepingBeauty]

I hope that someone might help with mine... how on earth does one pronounce Space NK please? I was going to ask in the shop, but the man in the blue eyeshadow is too scary

[garlicblocks]

Iaintdunnuffink, I think Patsy Palmer does her makeup beautifully. She's very freckly and quite blotchy, as you'll know if you watch 'Stenders. She doesn't blot out her freckles with makeup, but goes for the classic strategy of choosing a base shade in between the palest of her skin and the freckles. This is usually a pale cream on redheads - like the actual colour of pouring cream.

I'm shocked that makeup sales people don't help!! Do keep asking - some of them actually are good at their jobs Clarins have a lot of good staff, ime. Choose ones that don't seem rushed at the time - and don't be scared to visit lots in one store, like a butterfly on flowers!

Abby - I make a VERY good hand cream/lotion. It costs about £8 for around a litre. You need a tub of aqueous cream, a bottle of almond oil and a bottle of glycerin (all 250ml or whichever that-sort-of-size they have in your chemist.) Stick the cream and glycerin in the food processor with the beaters on. It goes fluffy. Start adding the oil; stop when you like the texture. Use as is (cream) or, to make lotion, add all the oil then dribble in water while beating. Add an aromatherapy oil if you like.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Concentrated hand cream is also very good.

[garlicblocks]

Armpits - I wax mine when I can be bothered once a year with cold wax strips. Takes a minute. I do get 'shadow' though, and have been known to put foundation on them! Before you all laff at me, what do you think those "beautiful pits" deodorants are? Deodorant with foundation mixed in, that's what :)

[garlicblocks]

Does anybody know how to stop a toenail growing in? It's curled & digging in one corner, I don't want it to get any worse. I used to know what to do but have completely forgotten!

[HollaAtMeBaby]

Pull it out and put a tiny pad of folded loo paper under that corner for a day or two. Then cut it straight across (you can round the corner very slightly, just so it's not sharp) and avoid wearing pointy shoes!

[garlicblocks]

Ah! Thank you! Will do, Holla :)

Yeah, it's the 30 years of cute shoes what did it ...

[UnrequitedSkink]

What is the difference between BB cream and foundation pleasey? I could probably google but you lot are so wonderfully knowledgeable and I'm too lazy.

[garlicblocks]

BB cream's supposed to do everything ... except cover your skin. It's basically tinted moisturiser so, if you rely on foundation to disguise blemishes, you'll still need an extra coat of concealer, foundation or powder. BB cream comes in fewer shades than foundation - again, like tinted moisturiser.

I use an old No.7 tinted moisturiser, which has optical brightening properties and does a good job as a base. They've stopped that line now, so I'll probably have to replace it with a BB cream.

For 'undercoat' and perking-up purposes, you still can't beat Clarins Beauty Flash imo. It may be mostly rice water for £20 a tube, but it works!

[lowercase]

For ingrown toenail, cut a V into the nail, the nail stretches over somehow to fill the gap.

For tidy finger and toe nails, cut and file straight across.

After nail painting / drying, a little scrub with the nail brush or soak in the bath removes the mistakes. You can simply rub the excess polish away.

I don't get all the shaving stuff either.
It's a sign of the times and a waste of mine.
My sister used to call me moustache woman.

[auldspinster]

Boots time delay radiance booster is a great beauty flash dupe and is often on offer for around £4.

[CarriedAwayAnnie]

The skin above my top lip is always really sore. I'm not sure if it's excema or because I sneeze a lot (prone to colds, hayfever, always sneeze at dust etc)

It'snot helped by having to have my top lip threaded often.

But it's always red and people just look at it!

What can I do to make it normal again?

[cjbk1]

I've got one for you; dark skin on knees keep your comments about time spent on my knees to yourselves what can I do about it? I use heavy duty prescription moisturisers already and even my own family think they look bruised but its just the dark skin, I'm mixed race but my sister doesn't have it.any ideas? thanks

[pixi2]

Not read all these, but nails,

Hold a file at the very end. Work from each corner to the middle for a curved look.

Painting nails, avoid the cuticle area and leave a tiny space/gap along the sides. It makes the nail look slimmer, the finger longer and stops you getting paint on your skin. Use your dominant hand first, then rest your other hand on the table holding the brush and move your dominant hand so it paints your nails iyswim.

Use a non alcohol deodorant as a lubricant when shaving under your arms. Don't really know if it works anywhere else because I get it all waxed off.

I'm not a sex worker but was a nail tech for awhile.

[pixi2]

Oh, don't buy basic body exfoliation creams.

Mix sea salt and olive oil and use instead. Pay dry ( don't rub) with an old towel as it doubles as a moisturiser once excess water is removed.

[marthamydear]

Does anyone know how to create a natural lift at the root of hair?

I would like to wash hair in eve - leave to dry naturally without hairdryer and straighten in the morning - but I find my hair too flat at the root.

Is there a trick anyone knows? Would some kind of clip work? or bun technique?

The look is similar to a very small beehive. I have bump its (clip) but my hair is too fine to leave in my hair through out the day.

Thanks

[pixi2]

Batiste hair spray do a root lifting one. You will have to use it in the morning.

I'm not the biggest fan of these btw.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

My hairdresser says dry shampoos should be for occasional emergency use only, not every day as they clog your scalp and follicles.

[thenightsky]

Right... I tried the method of putting khol under my top lashes to hide the pink line of flesh. I did it at 7.30am and it was still intact at 8pm!

Result.

thanks lads!

[garlicblocks]

Martha, if you want to wake up with controlled hair you will have to sleep in rollers. It might be more convenient to find styling products that will work quickly for you in the morning. Have you tried Schwarzkopf Osis+ Shine Duster? For mega-lift (but matifying), they also do Osis Dust-It (backcomb in a bottle) and got2b Powder'ful Volumizing Style Powder.

lowercase, I've just done Holla's tease-and-wedge toenail treatment, and will try cutting a tiny V when I can find a suitable implement! Thanks.

[coffeeinbed]

I'm always worried of oil in scrubs clogging the drains.
So I use a japanese wash cloth with shower gel.
Have had it for years, just goes in the wash.
Haven't bought body exfoliator in years and years.

[coffeeinbed]

Don't get me started on floss.
Had nightmares about that as well.
[easily worried]

[coffeeinbed]

Apparently you can cut cake in layers with it as well.
Now, an even layer of cake is not on my top of even my list of worries. I've never knowing refused a wonky one.


But really, oil in scrubs - no!
[goes to check floss disposal habits of the rest of the household]

[coffeeinbed]

knowingly

[garlicblocks]

Bit if the oil's liquid in a cool room, it'll wash down the system OK. Wouldn't be very nice if there was nothing but oil going through the system, but people are chucking detergents down all the time as well. If you worry about it, squirt a dollop of washing up liquid - or shower gel / shampoo - down the plug as you rinse :)

That should be OK, shouldn't it?

You can use interdental brushes instead of floss.