Fuck this shit. I've decided I'm going retro with my skin care.

[HoneyDragon]

It occurred to me the other day that I like Steam Cream because it's like a cold cream, but lighter.

I used cold cream (Nivea) every night throughout my teens and early twenties.

It's occurred to me that I've only ever adapted my skin care when stuffs been discontinued or because I've got older and you are supposed to change and you age.

In all honesty my skins no different to it was 15 years ago apart from the odd wrinkle.

I picked up some Nivea last week pm in pound,and and I had forgotten his much crap it gets off my face and how nice it leaves my skin.

So I thought back, and I've spent the last 10 years trying to find a cleanser as good as Himalaya cleansing milk, and non have been, not even close. Even Lancôme and Clarins. You could see the grime come off your skin, and it melted make up in seconds (stung the eyes though so used Nivea to remove eye up).

So I've ordered some on Ebay that is imported.

And ditto for Ponds Vanishing Cream. That was so good in the mornings that I could go without make up and it kept my shine free all day. And when I put make up no primer was required.

So I've sourced that too. Up till now never occurred to me to see if they were still been manufactured else where in the world.

I am happy and excited, and can't wait till they come

What other products were really brilliant that you just can't get in the UK anymore?

Hmmmm Australia... I have relatives there...

Channel 4 Shop Secrets: Tricks of the Trade had an episode recently where they did tests on moisturisers. Astral & Nivea were both more effective than the ££££s luxury stuff.

Ten-O-Six used to make my eyes water - but at least I couldn't see my spots.

Astral (I have just sung its praises on another thread) is amazing. Much better consistency than Nivea.

I recently bought some Body Shop Vitamin E because I wanted to go back to 1987, and it still smells fab. I have bought the intense version in deference to my advanced years though.

Bourjois used to do a thing called Blanc de Base which was like a white mousse. I am guessing it was primer before primer was invented. You put it under makeup and it kept your skin smooth and lovely.

I've just re discovered Astral, bloody brilliant stuff.

Astral makes my skin greasy, and doesn't fulfil mum lazy girl criteria.

With Nivea my bed time goes

Smear all over face and eyes.

Remove with toilet paper

Go to bed.

Wake up with lovely soft skin

No *hassled8 that was 4711.

bold fail!

I used to like that purple collagen and elastin gel that St Ives did, in a pump dispenser, in the early 1990s. Even I was not gullible enough to believe that the collagen magically found its way into your epidermis but it smelled nice and looked space age-y. Kept your skin from going oily, too.

I used to put it on before applying tons of make up and going out to chug Castaway and the newly-invented Hooch. Them were the days!

I put sudocrem on as a night cream and it makes my skin lovely.

I used Boots own brand baby lotion (in the orange bottle) to remove makeup .

My much-missed retro beauty products are:

Revlon Flex shampoo and conditioner
and their body lotion in the white bottle with red writing
Woodleigh Green Apple shampoo
Body Shop herbal shower gel
Benetton perfume
Vichy Eau Matinal - it was a sort of mix between a cleaner and a toner, good for freshening your skin up in the morning if you had been sober enough to do the full cleansing thing the night before

Mintyy, you can still get Flex in pound shops, and that fabulous dry skin relief cream they did.

No way!? Just how long have those bottles of gunk been lying around unwanted in dusty warehouses?

I might have to go and hunt one down, just for old times sake.

Where are you getting the vanishing cream from?

I used to covet Colors de Benetton. My friend's sister had it.

I am going to see if the avon book still does the Rich Moisture face cream... used it for years and years then didn't come across an avon lady for a decade or so. My friends 70 year old mum has never used anything else.

1989s/90s Body Shop Banana shampoo and conditioner was the best stuff ever for my hair. I got some a few tests ago from a body shop outlet shop, but it was nothing like the original.

Awww ten 0 six!! totally forgot.
That stuffs the business my cotton wool would come off black after my paper round.

I am with you! Yes to Anne French and Astral, and I use Witch Hazel as a toner too.
Vitapointe for dry hair.

Just had a trip to the past - 10-0-6! I used to use it, also of the "if it stings it's working" school of thought.

I I liked Flex. And Finesse too.

Found a seller on ebay for Ponds, it's still sold in South Africa, so it's imported by a few seller, Amazon have it too.

Anne French milk was great stuff. Followed by bodyshop eye gel, which was basically jelly no?

Can you still get Aapri scrub? Like rubbing sandpaper all over my face.

I loved that apple shampoo.

Body shop was elderflower eye gel, was it not? But yes, jelly really

Ahh, ten-o-six.
And Boots Rosewater and Glycerine in a great big glass bottle - seemed the height of sophistication when I was 14.
Body Shop cucumber cleansing milk, also their honey water. Elderflower eye gel.
(Sinks into nostalgic reverie)

Oh I liked BodyShop honey water that was a real treat

Omg Body Shop cucumber cleansing milk. And rosewater and glycerine. And Aapri scrub - that was the apricot one right ?
Am lost in nostalgia now. I used to spend hours smelling every single one of the Body Shop perfume testers.