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?

Ha! I thought retro meant not-using. As in not using all the creams and potions and lotions!

Mig- I rediscovered Yves Rocher at Christmas, they have mahoosive % off codes, free gifts etc and the stuff is lovely. Very reasonable too, and lots of natural ingredients that heavy advertisers like Clarins and Decleor would charge 4 times as much for.

I am currently using a Neroli perfume from YR that was totally free, because you bought 2 items and the 3rd (whatever you wanted from the site!) was a gift. It retailed at £29 on the site.

Cosmetics To Go once sent me the same order 4 times, but only charged me once. I called them to let them know and they were very laid back and just said 'oh keep the extra parcels, it will cost us too much to have them sent back'....I didn't know they'd gone bankrupt, I undersand why though!
Agree that Lush was no comparison.

I used to love Anne French cleanser but like others, as I grew older and earning, I thought I needed more sophisticated stuff. Enter Clinique and a ruined complexion from over zealous use of Clarifying Lotion!

My favourite perfumes were Blasé by Max Factor (late 1970's) and Charlie.

I bought atrixa today because of you lot!

Well this just turns out to be my favourite thread EVER. Who knew that retro smells and potions are more evocative and nostalgic even than old TV shows?
Yes yes yes to Cosmetics to Go (how I sighed over everything in their catalogue). I remember when they had a vote for a new name and my disgust that they chose Lush.
I had a little compact of Corn Silk and craved some eye remover in a blue glass bottle because of the gorgeous packaging.
I bought Japanese washing grains aged 13 and my mother said that she had bought something very similar at the same age - clearly a rite of passage.
Saturdays involved a long session in the Body Shop trying out lip glosses. I would secretly use my mother's White Linen perfume to try and scent my stationery when writing to boyfriends (can't do that with email!). How outraged I would be if my dcs used my perfume for anything!
Anyone remember a sticky shiny roll-on lip gloss?

Mmmm badedas. I had a massive need to own a bottle when preggers. Think I had one bath with it - how I wish I'd wallowed in baths with books & badedas now!

Thank you for the Fa information. I will search it out next time I'm in France.

I worked as a Saturday girl in Boots mid to late 70 s and remember lots of these products. One no one else has mentioned is a calamine based lotion for soothing itchy, red skin. It was a great face cream as it made shiny skin matte. It was called Cala something and came in a white plastic bottle with pink writing. Next to it on the shelves was Fullers Earth - to be mixed with glycerin to make a mud pack for the face.

I won some Badedas in a raffle recently and was transported back to the seventies. I always thought the scent was piney, but it's meant to be chestnuts, as in conkers rather than sweet, I believe. Hope it doesn't make my fanjo red, haven't tried it yet.

I went to India last year and Himilaya products are pennies, but great. I have family that go to india regularly, so if you need himilaya stuff again, let me know.

Caladryl? (the calaminey stuff?)

I have gone back to using body shop , vit E cream and body butter!

Oh yes, I had the sticky roll on lipgloss. I'm sure it used to leak in my bag though!

I was sniffing Badedas in Sainsbury's yesterday

I loved Cosmetics to go and I remember the first order I ever made with them back in around 1988 they included a bag of sweetie 'pebbles' and a stick of Poole rock! They did a lovely neroli hair rinse and a fab coconut shampoo and conditioner as well as a one with salt and seaweed in which I loved. Also loved a soap called sandbar and a one which smelt of mint

Lush has lost its way for me

My Ponds Cold Cream arrived and is exactly the same. Smells gorgeous, melts into the skin and instantly matti fiefs it.

Squeeeeeeeeeeee!

Hurry up cleanser!

Although thanks to this thread I keep hovering by the Clean and Clear and Witch Hazel Pore creams in the chemist

I always used GTG sandbar soap, and they did a gorgeous body oil too, can't remember the name of it though.

that roll on lipgloss was Mabelline 'Kissing Potion' and i used so much of it it nearly dripped off me lips!

I was 14/15 back in 1978 and me and my mates all wore a kohl pencil by Miners in a denim blue shade making sure we wore loads all round our eyes including on our inner eyelid bit so our eyes looks titchy! At the time I wore Chique perfume

Smashing!

sergeant, 'eye remover'. Really? [scream]

I was an avid buyer of Cosmetics to Go and used to bring my catalogue into work and we would do one big order from the office.

The stuff was far superior to how it's evolved into Lush. There was a violet bath oil/bubble bath that was gorgeous. A huge bottle of honey hair conditioner that was lovely. I had a round flat disc box that I collected wedge shaped eyeshadows that were deeply pigmented and lipsticks in silver cases.

Body Shop Protein Cream Rinse
Body Shop Passionfruit Cleansing Gel
Body Shop Ice Blue Shampoo
Body Shop Orange Flower Water

Cosmestics to Go Gridelin shampoo - a tub of gorgeous purple jelly

Really do not like body shop now compared with then

Buying astral on the way home to try now

Who remembers kohl before kohl pencils were around? It was either in a little box like cake mascara or in a little metal tin, I really can't remember. Anyway, you got a little spong tipped applicator with it which you'd load up with the black goo and smear it round your eyes. Inside and outside the lower lashes only as I recall. Kohl pencils arrived perhaps a year after?

What do you use the cold cream for? As a make up remover/cleanser?

Ooh what a great thread.

yy to 10-0-6 and black cotton wool balls.

Someone mentioned that two-tone shampoo conditioner combo, I used that, in glowing green and yellow I seem to remember. I think it was called Once - it didn't seem to catch on though did it!

Does anyone remember Fuller's Earth from Boots - basically dried mud in a round cardboard tub - when wet and plastered on it turned you an entertaining shade of horror-movie green?

I was an over-enthusiastic user 'Kissing Gloss' - until one of my boyfriends requested that I desist from using it as we both ended up looking as if we'd been slimed