How to get that polished look

[DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel]

How do I look good all day? Ive got my hair sorted, but my face. uggh. Im 37 and dont like looking in the mirror. I dont like what looks back at me.

Ive never been very good at make-up so dont really know what Im doing. I dont want to look like a clown and certainly dont want it to look like Ive tried too hard. It like to look nice, but natural.

Please can you help? What products (a few cheap or one or two more pricey, but worthwhile) should I look to getting? Any tips or tricks would be appreciated too.

Estes Lauder day wear plus is an amazing moisturiser with a tint. It adapts to your skin tone so you won't look like you are wearing a mask. It makes your face glow. Quite expensive around £30 but you only use a pea size amount as it goes far. It even has an SPF. Can't live without mine.
This is what made me give up on foundation. Just make sure you get the tinted rather than just bog standard moisturiser.
I love benefit too, especially their face scrub. Maybe go to a counter and ask them to give you the natural look?

figure of speech - what sort of underwear do you wear on your face, exactly?

face wise - I've generally found that with no alcohol /stress and a good nights sleep takes about 5 years off my face. Also it looks better /less haggard after exercise /running.

other than that, exfoliation, good cleansing and moisturising and lots of water
which everyone has already said.

polished clothes wise - personally I could do with help here - I look like a bag lady on a day to day basis. :(

and I never bother with nails - maybe i will start an the teeth whitening thing - what products here?

I haven't read the whole thread but think that the best way to look polished, especially if you are fair is to have your eyebrows and lashes tinted. It is usually pretty cheap, about £15/18 in London and lasts for about three weeks. It saves so much time in the morning and means that you never look smudged or flakey.

Just make sure that the first time you get it done you tell the therapist to go easy on the eyebrows.

I have bobbi brown eye shadow pencil that goes on inn seinds& lasts for all day. Instantly polished for beginners!

Wow so many replies.

My hair is sorted. I got it cut and coloured last Tuesday (I can't remember if I said and CBA to scroll up to see) and had lots of compliments about the colour last week. Today I made the effort to actually straighten it properly for the first time in a while and yet again I got loads of compliments again.

I couldnt get any BB cream today so that gives me time to think if I want BB cream or a really good foundation. Not sure where I can get Bobbi Brown stuff from though for the foundation.

I did get some exfoliating face wash today so that's going to be included in morning and evening routines.

Water Im great with at work (I dont drink anything else), its just at home where I need to up my intake levels.

Honeyharris - I've just checked my out-of-date knowledge before answering about the dangers of mineral powder - and found that not only is it perfectly safe, it's exactly the same as any other makeup

I like the smell of olive oil, Smallest, but it's nothing like as "pretty" smelling as Neal's Yard! Back when I could afford such things, I used to love their frankincense products even though they weren't doing any noticeable good. It's the heavy blue glass and the trademark scent ...

Not sure where I can get Bobbi Brown stuff from though for the foundation.

You can buy it from their website. They offer a full refund on all foundations and powders, bought online, if not the right shade. Be better if you could be colour matched in a store though.

The best thing I've ever done is spend the money on HD brow treatment. She made me grow out my eyebrows and I've spent the last year getting them to a normal shape. I go about once every 2-3 months and it makes a huge difference. She's a miracle worker! That and like a lot of other posters I had my skin matched at Mac and bought their foundation. It's made a big difference to the way I look at the end of the day. The other thing they managed to sell me was the painterly eye lid base which gets rid of the redness I have and is possibly the best thing since sliced bread...

Im looking into eyebrow treatments. Thinking of a package deal where I can get my brows and lashes tinted. As long as I dont look obvious Im happy.

The rest comes from fixing in your head that you're actually permanently walking along a red carpet or some such, putting shoulders back, standing tall, moving slower than normal, and the attitude comes through ;-) (Polished people rarely rush!) :-)

This popped into my head today and I must admit I always rush about. Im always trying to get to my destination as quick as possible. Today I thought about it a bit more and tried to 'glide' rather than stomp. That is something Im going to work on too.

Thanks GarlicShake, was getting a bit worried that I'd ruined my face there! (it's not looking the best but think this is just lack of sleep)