I'm a mess from the neck up, can anyone give me a run through what 'regime' I should be doing?

[TinselandGretel]

I've put a lot of effort into losing weight, taking an interest in fashion and sort of reinventing myself and I feel and look much better than I used to. That said I look a mess from the neck up. I wash my face with soap, put on make up and blow dry my hair. That's it.

I think I should be moisturising, but don't know with what or when. Morning before make up? Night before bed? Both?

I should be cleansing presumably too? I am the proud new owner of Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean cleanser (got the Yule Monty box) - how do I use it?

I'm getting wrinkles around my eyes (am 34), should I be using an eye cream? What type and when?

I'm going to buy a Babyliss Big Hair I think if they get reduced in the sales and today I bought a new set of make up basics in Boots with some advice from the No.7 counter ladies which was lovely of them because I told them I can't afford No.7 and they helped me chose from the cheaper range (Boots, I love you and your staff)

Can anyone give me a 'take care of yourself 101' run down of what most women do to look after themselves?

Ok, soap is very drying so I'd never recommend for the face.
Cleanse (small amount- pea sized) morning and night, splash off or wipe (gently) with damp flannel and pat dry.
Apply (1/4 pea size) eye cream with ring finger and gently pat around the eyes.
Apply (1/2 pea size) moisturiser.
Allow to sink in- I normally get dressed, dress dd or do hair in this time.
Makeup wise- I use foundation with real techniques brush
I use erase paste under my eyes, tiny tiny amount as it goes a long way and pat with ring finger again to blend in.
Little bit of blush and bronzer then mascara and eyebrow pencil.
Takes about 3-4 minutes.
Have a cloth or face wipe to wipe hands and fingers on.

You should be exfoliating once or twice a week. Keep the exfoliate in the shower and do it when your conditioner is on. Once at the weekend and once mid week I do. Don't be too harsh, just a gentle massage and rinse off.

I don't always buy into the most expensive products. I just use what suits my skin.

Sorry, I'd say moisturise morning and night (same with eyes) and don't just go for an expensive one straight away. Get something with an SPF for day and something 'hydrating' for night. They say gel for eyes in the Morning will help de puff and a cream at night to smooth lines but I use a cream for both!

Hope that all makes sense and helps!

Thanks, I bought an eye cream today so will start with that but I don't have a moisturiser except for body lotions so will go and get one. I might just start with a cheap one and see how I get one with it. Another trip to Boots!

I bought a new blush today, and a new blusher brush and a new foundation and a brush to apply it with.

When you say exfoliate, what type of product? A scrub? Sorry I know that is probably a dumb question.

No! Not a dumb question at all! Try and go for a 'manufactured' scrub- one that has tiny beads rather than the natural ones which normally have pieces of fruit stones etc.
The thinkin being that the beads gently buff away the dead skin while leaving the new skin soft and smooth. The fruit stones (like apricot scrub for example) are rough and can scratch the new skin underneath the dead skin cells. They can just be too rough.
Yep, another trip to boots! What a shame vitamin e moisturisers are good to start with.

Oh, and with the makeup, start with a little. It's easier to add more than try and remove if you over do it. Blusher on the apples of cheeks, bronzer (lightly) where the sun naturally catches your face.
With the foundation brush, light buffing circles gives a great finish. YouTube has some great tutorials.

If you are a Boots fan the No 7 microdermabrasion scrub is just amazing

Thanks, I'm going to go and have a thorough go through my make up and chuck anything over 12 months old (ie. all of it) and see what I am left with. Then I'm goign to list what I think I need and I'll head back to Boots I may be back with more questions!

I don't have any eyeshadows, do people wear eyeshadow daily or is that a going out thing? I have a new mascara and lip gloss thanks to my Yule Monty box, are they daily items or not?

Yes I'd say lip gloss and mascara are daily items. For eyeshadow I like 'taupe' from Barbara Daly at Tesco. You could definitely wear it every day although personally I choose not to.

I'd say yes to mascara everyday. I don't wear anything on my lips but I should say you can do it everyday! I sometimes use eyeshaddow as a liner iyswim? If I need more definition (piggy eyes ) but otherwise I save it for special occasions.

Oh and a rough rule of thumb is wet products ef mascara won't last as long as powders.

I am pale with pinkish tones in my skin, pale blue/grey eyes and mid brown hair. I was thinking of trying an eyeshadow, was thinking a neutral brownish tone?

Mind you, I have no idea how to apply though and the YouTube vids look very complicated even though they say for beginners.

Get yourself a primer (George at Asda one is cheap and fine) and you may find you don't need foundation too.
Max Factor's Masterpiece cream eyeshadow in Pearl Beige is great stuff. Slick it all over from lash to brow, smudge out any obvious lines a bit and let it dry (cool blast from hair dryer useful for this. It lasts for yonks.
Brown mascara is better than black if you're fairish.
This (and tidy brows) could be all you need by day. Do you get your eyebrows shaped?
I use make up remover wipes because Soap dries me out and I don't have time for cleanser and toner.
Do you have a hair serum? Doesn't have to be expensive.

I was thinking of this from Seventeen in either 'Barely there' or 'In the nude' www.boots.com/en/SEVENTEEN-Trio-Eye-Shadows_927249/

One thing which will make a huge difference is eyebrows.

How are yours?

I don't have any hair products, only hairspray for when I put it in a bun for work.

I really, really need foundation! I never go out without it, I look a mess of uneven skin tone. Currently using Max Factor Colour Adapt in 40 Creamy Ivory, but it gives a matt effect and it seems to highlight and clump in my new, recently aquired wrinkles. It just isn't doing my face any favours at all, hence the overhaul.

I keep them reasonably in check. I have never overplucked, only ever really plucked out the stray ones, never had them shaped but I think they look fairly good and natural.

I have a brow kit (light brown and dark brown plus mini brush) from H&M that I bought when I was pg because I found a lot of my hair fell out and I needed to fill in my brows a bit. So it must be nearly 5 years old and need replacing by now! But, last time I had a night out I used it to define my brows more and it made my face look much better, could easily do that each day.

Don't get a face exfoliator with manufactured beads - they are causing harm to the environment. See this

A gentle rub with a face flannel wrung out in warm water will work well as an exfoliator ( and is cheaper)!

I'd give some of the tutorials on youtube another go, I find them really good for learning what to apply where iyswim, but i have to pick one I like and watch it a few times to get the gist....

Lisa Eldridge is great.

A lot of people really rate pixiwoo although I'm less keen.

S&B threads have been great at teaching me what brands to go for in what products so you could have a read back through the threads

eg. Sleek Palettes- I have this one which is £7.99 in boots and has so many colours it would give you a lot more 'looks' than the seventeen eyeshadow trio you linked, and there are vids on you tube for it.

I have also been introduced to Lily Lilo mineral foundation on Mnet,

Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipsticks

and superdrug hot cloth cleanser which is nicer than my old liz earle one and a third of the price.

Also MUA makeup (only in Superdrug) is so cheap it is ridiculous, and very good for when I want to try stuff out eg. can I carry off a lipstick that colour etc

I would start to cleanse your face with the hot cloth method. Also check beauty blogs like caroline hirons, lisa elderidge and british beauty blogger.
I would recommend threading your eyebrows, and filling them in, tinted moisturiser, mascara, a nice blush (nars do amazing ones) and for the lips something like clinique chubby sticks.

There are lots and lots of you tube videos and practice makes perfect! Have fun!

This blog thelittleblush.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/soap-and-glory-peaches-and-clean.html suggests I can use my Soap& Glory Peaches and Clean cleanser like a hot cloth cleanser. I might try that then?

I like the look of the Sleek palette, seems to be good value for money. I thought I'd just start with the cheapest option and work from there because then if I'm totally crap at applying it then I'll give up!

thelittleblush.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/soap-and-glory-peaches-and-clean.html Sorry, forgot to do the link.

The best advice I can give you is stop using soap on your face today, and start moisturising today, twice a day. All the rest is just fun and experimenting. I love expensive products but some of my long-term favourites are dirt-cheap, eg Astral, Tesco cucumber face wipes, and Max Factor little pots of creamy blush.

I can't believe the difference!!

I used the Peaches & Clean last night and this morning, love it. After a good search I found small freebie pots of Clinique dramatically different moisturiser and Youth surge spf15 day cream, so I use the dramatically last night after cleansing and the youth surge this morning before make up. My skin feels lush!!

Then I used my new foundation (thank you No.7 ladies ) which is a Rimmel Match Perfection compact but I used my new foundation brush rather than the sponge thing they give you. What a difference it makes. It suits my colour perfectly and it gives a dewy but not greasy finish. It looks so much better than what I was using.

I then used my new blusher and brush, it is nice but think I need a lighter shade, looks much better than the iridescent shimmer brick thing I had before though. I've then used my new Soap & Glory mascara and lip gloss (my lips are tingling very weird) and the transformation is complete.

My hair is still a bit of a mess, not really sure what to do with it, it is below shoulder, cut 2 weeks ago in good salon with some layers. I just wash and dry it. Should I be putting something in it?
It looks lovely when just blow dried and then within and hour looks scruffy and lifeless.

Good job I'm not in work today, it took me ages to get ready this morning!

Also, found a good quality Virgin Vie double ended eye make up brush that I bought about 9 years ago and never used. I though I'd wash it with my shampoo and use that if I buy a eye palette, will that be ok?

Its this one here

Try again with the brush link i.ebayimg.com/t/BN-Virgin-Vie-eyeshadow-blender-and-applicator-brush-/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/UXYAAOxyE3pSGf~H/$(KGrHqZHJC!FHljeJR+lBSGf+HNMsg~~60_12.JPG

Or this might work www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BN-Virgin-Vie-eyeshadow-blender-and-applicator-brush-/261272129272