Extreme pallor

[Eliza22]

I've always had crap circulation. Years ago, was on medication for it but, it gave me headaches so stopped taking the meds. I'm 53 and have good skin as in, it's not excessively lined and I use tinted moisturiser, blush, lippy (lips are usually purplish, left to their own devices) mascara every day. My problem is that, as I'm ageing, I seem to get even more pale/washed out. It's awful, to the point where I want to put on a bit of blush after my shower, of an evening. (I'd never sleep in makeup but I look like death without it).

Can anyone suggest something to get a bit of life into my complexion? When I do a bit of gentle exfoliation, I get a lovely pink glow but obviously it fades after 5 minutes. Any ideas? I'd not have to be a slave to the blusher brush then.

Thanks in advance x

What about facial massage? Since I started hot cloth cleansing and massaging with facial oil I find I only need blusher when hungover extremely sleep deprived. I use my hands, but the Body Shop do a facial massager rolly thingy. I haven't tried it but it's meant to be very good.

Vigorous exercise, and chanel les beiges pressed powder, which is almost a bronzer, but not quite, and livens up pale skin without looking like you're wearing anything

Something like Benetint might be good - it's a watery liquid you paint on with a little brush and smooth in to give rosy cheeks and because it's not powder/cream it won't clog your pores and might be OK for when you want a bit of colour without proper make-up.

Thanks for the replies. Will look at Benetint next time I'm shopping. This morning, whilst getting DS off to school and seeing DH off to work, I actually put a swipe of lippy on my cheeks (like a cream blush) as DH asked me if I was "tired" yesterday morning!

Would you consider a fake tan?

Iron tonic? Check if you have anemia. Yes to exercise too.

Wear a lighter shade of lippy and brown, not black mascara to avoid too much contrast.

You can get moisturisers which tan very slightly with repeated use.

I don't think you ought to worry about what you look like without make up. I look like the living dead because I am pale and have dark under eye circles.
During the day use a good foundation - Mac, Dior Star and Bobbi Brown all do pale shades and warm up with blusher- B Brown has a new blusher palette out that might suit you , or Clinique and B Brown both do lovely cream blushers.

I also look dead without makeup in the winter, I second benetint pink blush and the Chanel pressed powder.

The problem with fake tan is that even the best look odd when you have absolutely no colour in your skin at all.

The best thing I did was going on the sun bed last spring, got the circulation going, a bit of colour and once the dead look has gone you only need to go once a week and top up with a bit of fake tan.
I am not talking about actually looking tanned here, just not blue, before you all bang on about Orange people

It you can go the other way and embrace how pale you are with Mac cream powder, it's lovely and creamy, that with the benetint might do the job. A long lasting lippy, I can never get mine to stay on but the tints seem to coat if you can avoid licking them off !

Dior Glow Maximiser - brilliant, glow giving primer. Has made a huge difference to my pale, pale winter skin.

Thanks for the suggestions. I was more wondering about a treatment/facial oil to stimulate my circulation. I've makeup products and a highlighter so am quite happy with my face when I've got my "slap" on!

Any ideas?

Don't use a sunbed

I am similar atm, I am just waiting until summer when I look slightly more human!

I wear a light foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix serum) that suits my skin and a Clinique cream blush stick which takes seconds, just a swipe and blend with my fingers. If I'm feeling especially grey I add Soap and Glory 'Glow All Out' powder which might be worth a look? I dust it over my cheeks over the blusher and just a general sweep over the rest of my face too where I'd naturally flush. It's a lovely colour, peachy and glowy without being shimmery, and under a tenner iirc - although I'm tempted by the Chanel one mentioned above!

Oh and iron tablets and Omega 3 tablets too, and lots of water.

Nivea blue pot overnight, massaged in until you look like a grease bomb.

I think you are being unrealistic- sorry!
skin colour fades as we get older.
A ruddy look is not good.
Any redness will only be temporary and then you will turn pale again.
There is nothing you can do that will give you permanent colour- and if you do tan or whatever it will show skin damage- and you don't want that.

Do you dye your hair? Is is to dark a colour maybe for you?

I do the moisturizer with a touch of fake tan, just enough for a wee glow.

Make sure you are wearing the most flattering colours for you

Ditto your hair ( assuming you colour it )

My guess is that you are wearing the wrong colours , it's easeir to get away with this when you are younger

Good point about wearing colours that suit....I'll have a good think/review of that.

I have Glow All Out (Soap & Glory) as my highlighter and LOVE it! Using it most days. Let's hope they don't discontinue

I NEVER tan as I have very sun sensitive skin (as in one holiday as a teen, I spent 2 weeks inside the hotel, covered in natural yoghurt and having daily antihistamine injections!). I have very, very few wrinkles luckily! I don't smoke and do a half hour's run, daily so, that's as much as I can do, I think. Perhaps I AM being too hard on myself.

Yesterday, I bought Trilogy RoseHip Oil to massage into my face. Will give that a go.

If you are pale skinned then you are pale skinned. Rosehip oil is lovely as a moisturiser- but it won't make your skin a different colour!
Just accept you are pale- I do! And let's be grateful for slap. (BTW are you worried about 'someone' seeing you without make up? Wondering why you are so bothered about looking pale after a shower and on the way to bed....

Pinfrocks you're right. I now look so tired without my makeup on that it is a big contrast. It's just the ageing process I guess. Time was, I didn't look that much different, maybe up to mid40's but now, I just feel like it's all catching up with me.

In fairness, like many people, there's been a lot of ongoing stress in the last 3 or 4 years and that, combined with the turning of the years (!) is suddenly having an effect. Also, I've been unwell and started on a lot of medication so, I just need to accept it, I guess.

I second about looking at your hair colour- my skin is too pale for most foundation lines and don't have rosy cheeks. I have quite a slow heartbeat and low blood pressure do always wondering if this contributes. Anyway with my natural hair colour I look lots more drained- for me balyage highlights help.

Bare minerals do a night treatment makeup that you can sleep in.

Balance me radiance oil is v good. I've been ill for the last year and noticed how much colour I lack in my face after seeing Xmas photos where I look ghostly.

The oil has definitely made a difference. I have also tried using fake tan on my face to try and get it to match my body! ive also taken my hair a shade lighter.

I think this time of year is hard as the light is so harsh.

Good point HeyMac about the light at this time of year. Yesterday was cold with blue sky and sunshine and I looked fine. Today I went out for my run in the cold grey overcast morning and I looked like death...all glowy when I got back though. I'm like the ocean....if the sun is out its bright and blue but on a grey day it's charcoal and lifeless.

Have made appt for a few highlights too!

What's Balance Me Radiance Oil?

Ok, found the oil!