Fantastic Skincare - we're snail here 🐌

[botemp]

Thread 1 Thread 2 Thread 3 Thread 4 Thread 5 Thread 6

I am very slowly working on consolidating the gathered information from previous threads into easier to read formats but it’s slow going. In order to make use of the below form and join in I would suggest reading thread 1 and at the very least the following info sheets (provided they apply to you):

Basics of an Actives Routine

Where to Start

Anti-Ageing Info sheet

Adult Acne Info Sheet

For those who are taking a peek and wondering what this all about, we mostly discuss a bit of advanced skincare here with a perspective of seeking out the right ingredients (rather than the latest new shiny product and all its empty promises) for our particular skin needs. Distinguishing the acid toners from the actives whilst avoiding the truly unimpressive and harmful ingredients with a hope to achieve a bit of anti-ageing, alleviate irritation and sensitivities with some idle chat in between. Deviations on this thread are mostly my fault.

If you're in need of some advice coming to grips with your skincare routine please don't hesitate to ask, we don't bite, only occasionally sting with a bit of Biologique Recherche P50 now and then . Just make sure to state clearly what your concerns and needs are in as much detail as possible, skincare is highly individual and a random recommendation for a 'good' product will be completely different from one person to the next.

Make sure you've read the earlier threads (or at the very least the first one and the linked docs) so we're not being asked to answer previously raised questions. It takes a lot of time and effort to answer these queries and often the answers can be found in previous threads, but if you still have questions relating specifically to you, use the following form to make life easier on us . Please note, the form is not here to generate a routine for you, sometimes it involves product recommendations but mostly it's there so we can answer a specific question without having to go back and forth endlessly. Also, not everyone will have answers and sometimes we can't answer you at all. We're only a bunch of amateurs that can respond by suggesting what we would do in your place, for any severe conditions please seek out professional help.

Skin type:

Approx age (range):

Primary skin concern:

Routine :

AM :

PM :

Makeup : eg. no/light coverage/medium coverage/heavy coverage

Occasional treatments:

Things I've tried in the past with disastrous results:

Things that are really working well for me now:

Any dietary/health concerns/pregnant:

What I'm willing to spend on a single skincare item: eg. >£10, £10-20, £20-50, £50-100, no limits.

I specifically [want help with/am looking for a product to/am curious about trying]:

---

Ahem, and finally a little note on spending. I'm well aware these threads cause many to reach for their wallets and spend with wild abandon. There can sometimes be a bit of a frenzy surrounding the excitement around a newly discovered product or on the back of great improvements when someone reports back. This is all great, it doesn't however, mean everything that's a sudden miracle for one will be it for you. Usually, it's a light bulb moment for connecting the right skincare ingredient with an individual experiencing a specific problem. Take your time to mull over decisions and question whether it's right for you too. Skincare is highly individual, it's a slow game that should cost mostly in patience, input, education, and perseverance. Please don't make it cost you financially needlessly.

miffy and Bo LVL (length volume lift), first time I've had it done and the jury is out. I have long lashes, (which used to be curly when I was younger but not now) so I always use eyelash curlers before mascara. I also get them dyed but I use mascara for a bit more definition. I haven't used mascara today and I suppose they have some lift but not amazingly so. I'll have Mascara on tomorrow so I'll see what I make of them then. It was expensive (I used a voucher for my birthday) so I doubt it's something I'll continue.

Interesting chat about clothes. Have you read the thread about the Sali Hughes piece bemoaning the lack of decent clothes around? I have to agree, I was in our local large dept store this week with 20% off throughout the store. They have a good range of concessions, mid to high end but I couldn't find a thing I liked.

Awe otyt, I have to say we really are the best at swear words, I mean klootzak literally means ball sack only to be surpassed by our superior terms of endearments which are all faecal related.

Yes, Enid! The worst part is some of the teenage nineties throwback stuff actually looks good on me but I bloody well remember it the first time round as a tween. I have no desire to wear that again. I'm in the major throws of summer clothes panic as the weather looks to be really promising over the next few days/week and I hate wearing obvious A/W clothes when it's clearly really nice weather. Argh! I don't even want basics, those are not impossible to find, sometimes with a bit of alterations (been tying knots into blouses and t-shirts lately around the waist to make up for bulky boxiness, hilariously it's on trend) but I just want some nice 'feel good' clothes iykwim. I'm about to head out for round two, boutiques and higher end this time. Maybe that'll result in something but I'm really hesitant to spend too much money as by this rate if the mysterious unexplained weight loss continues as it has I'll be down another size in two months

otyt, since you're a developer (no idea in what but I'm assuming something techy, and as an aside I totally think Annoyed With Keyboard should be the new AFK ), can't you build me an app? Basically I want a pod of people with similar measurements to mine and you basically select brands and styles you prefer, you all upload pics from the changing room to create a feed, link them to the online info so people can browse and see how it looks like on real people with your measurements and some simple ratings on fit, etc. Throw in a karma system, so many points for first upload of garment, etc. if you want to request someone try something on you've seen online in a store you don't have time or access for you pay in those karma points. Of course you can buy those karma points too. Eventually we'll monetise the whole thing, exploit a bunch of influencers, hint at 'suggested' products to buy as if we're Amazon, and sell ourselves out to the brands and be megabucks rich. So Phase I, two weeks sound okay?

*throes not throws, although most of the things I've been trying on could definitely pass for throws...

Hi everyone

I've been lurking through the last few threads but have popped up to humbly ask for a couple of body and make-up recommendations..

I'm looking for a good, non-fraganced body lotion for dry skin. I've been faithful to Clinique's Deep Comfort body butter, which I love, for years but am trying to investigate potentially cheaper back-ups/alternatives as I go through it so quickly when it gets warmer.

I'm also looking for a (holy grail) foundation with enough coverage to minimise redness, but without giving that slightly 'flat' look I find I get from full coverage ones. My skin's quite good at the moment apart from the red cheeks so ideally I'd like it to show through a little. (I know an alternative could be a concealer on the rosier parts, but I've never found a concealer that I've got on with; they all seem to sit on top of and dry out my already dry skin.)

Any recommendations much appreciated!

Thanks for SS bo. Ive just ordered biore brightening spf (pink one) on the back of that review you linked. Only £6.66 on Amazon (coming from Japan so will be several weeks)

bo he also called me liefje or schattig which I think are pretty bland.
I can't spell it but one of my favourite words was the word for men's speedo style pants, literally "ball squeezers".

I'm a web developer (have yet to get around to app). App sounds amazing, you sound exactly like the clients at work "moon on a stick within the month, please".

Thank you for the SS Bo I think I have my SPF sorted now thanks to bioderma but I'm also interested in the Biore bright milk. But anything pinky toned can look very odd on my sallow skin so I'll wait for JDSTER's review as to how pinky white it is before deciding.

Mintleaves I'm a bit slack at using body moisturiser so not much help there, foundation wise I find IT cosmetics CC cream very good - it covers well but still looks natural. If you're in the UK it's only available on QVC and is not cheap though there's a 30 day money back guarantee if you don't like it. The Ordinary have just launched a full coverage foundation, I'm still on a waiting list for mine but Olli has received hers and likes it, she posted some photos up thread. It's MUCH cheaper than the IT cosmetics and has a vastly better range of shades available but you'll have to wait a while for it, I ordered ages ago and still no sign of it being despatched . There's a Lancôme one (Teint idole?) that seems to be very well liked here, but I've not tried it myself.

I agree about the terrible choice of clothes in the shops at the moment, I keep finding tops I like at first glance only to find on closer inspection that they have bits cut out of them, odd looking embroidery or strange flouncy additions. Luckily for me I'm very cold blooded & there's probably about three days a year where I'm warm enough to wear summer clothes, so I'm not really in need of anything.

user I really like Biore watery essence SPF which I've been using for a few months now. I shall compare and contrast and of course feedback

Hi mintleaves (were you the one with the adorable puppy, Jeeves?). I like Kiehl's Creme de Corps (which also comes in butter form) but I'm expecting it's the same price or more expensive than Clinique. LRP Lipikar may be an alternative, it does contain mineral oil, I don't know if that's an issue. EPP will sell the 2x400ml bottles offers quite cheaply I expect.

Not from personal use, but the Nars Sheer Glow may be something to look into? It's name is somewhat unrepresentative, it's quite heavy coverage which you can build up but not dead flat. The new Armani Power Fabric may also be worth looking into. Sali Hughes is probably a good one to consult since she's super dry herself, think she loves that spendy Suqqu foundation in a jar and a Guerlain one. Parure Gold, I think?

That's a great price, JDSTER. Will be very curious to know how you get on with that one. I was actually thinking of combining the lift and extensions since the last time I did extensions I constantly had to curl my own lashes to keep them all neatly in line as the extensions kept weighing my own down (my lashes don't grow straight but do a crisscross thing of their own). Probably sounds like more faff than actual results though.

I did see the SH thread but initially thought it was a zombie thread since it's not the first time SH has written pretty much exactly that (pretty sure it was in reference to M&S but it may also have been on the radio show). The thread then moved way too quickly before devolving into constant back and forth about COS, I've stopped defending COS for quite some time on MN now, if people don't want to convinced by it, so be it.

I did come up empty again today, found some potential things but I'm loathe to spend €150 on a denim skirt. Ugh, I shall have to commence the internet trawling.

The moon, otyt. Puhlease! Like I'd settle for something so paltry, Jupiter sounds more accurate. So we'll just start with a web platform, app can come in Phase II. Now who's going to help crowdfund my sheer desire of outsourcing the of fitting clothes

My favourite Dutch untranslated word is 'mierenneuker' which means ant fucker but is in reference to someone exceptionally anal, overly diligent, and obsessed with (unnecessary) detail nope that doesn't sound like anyone I know, furthest thing from it. In the same vein we also have 'comma fucker' and 'mosquito sifter', technically not insults though, or terms of endearment for that matter. Despite 'schatje' being quite common I do find it sweet to refer to a loved one as 'your treasure'.

Any ideas what I can put on my actual eyelids? Would eye cream be ok? I'm flaking away over here

Bo good luck with that, please post the kickstarter link here when its set up.

I can't imagine him calling me 'my treasure' better that the french mon chou/my cabbage.

I wore eyeliner today and I forgot what a bitch it is to remove, I'm going to look like a panda for ages.

How often do I use BHA?

I've decided I like the vitamin C (am currently using TO MAP) - my skin tone has improved rather a lot int the couple of weeks I've been using it. However it doesn't go very far... I think PPs have commented on this. Any suggestions for alternatives? TO Vit C 23% is currently out of stock...

OTYT - I started with BHA every 2nd night, for about 2 months (as it can be dehydrating I think). Now I use it every night, no problems with dehydration any more either as I use a hydrating serum.

Thanks lego

Mintleaves I use an fragrance free body lotion by a Danish brand called Urtekram but it does smell of the oils that are in it, so it's an acquired smell but it wears off after a while. It find it's really moisturising on my dry bits.

I've now started my first bottle of Toleraine fluide and I sadly love it

My tube of Melano CC serum should arrive in the next week so that will be the next thing I add in. I'd forgotten I'd ordered it, it's been so long.

Interesting lego! V interesting! I found the map v heavy though. What do you think of it?

I've no suggestions for alternatives as I am leaning towards the 23% next.

I'm also waiting on the vit c23% to be restocked which is ab it of a pain as I've other stuff I want to order from there.
Excitingly (my life is very, very sad) I've used up another 5 products just this month, so my monthly review/shopping list is going to be booming.
Might even have used up another one by then.
In other news, I've returned to my old faithful rice bran oil for my 2nd cleanse and I do notice a big difference from the marula oil I was flirting with. The rice bran oil is much 'fatter' and skin laps it up.
I was using up a Darphin Hydraskin thing for the last while on my neck, quite liked having a different texture for neck (don't think it makes a lot of difference but I'm using a lot more product these days doing neck and décolleté) so I've dug out my embrolisse to use there instead, as I don't tend to use it elsewhere.
Am now feeling so virtuous I can feel some kind of shopping insanity coming on...also plotting what I'll be buying in France in a couple of months.
Told you my life was sad. I'll bore off now.

Hi,

I have looked through the first thread and am hoping my question has not been asked already, apologies if it has!

Skin type:* Dry

Approx age (range): Mid 30's

Primary skin concern: Starting to show signs of aging. Crows feet around eyes when I smile, some lines between my eyebrows.

Routine :

AM : Cleanse with an exfoliating cleanser in the shower and then put moisturiser on

PM : Moisturise before bed

Makeup : eg. no/light coverage/medium coverage/heavy coverage Occasional makeup eg nights out, not often in the day. When I do wear it, its light coverage.

Occasional treatments: Very occasional facial.

Things I've tried in the past with disastrous results: Nothing really

Things that are really working well for me now: I need all the help I can get!

Any dietary/health concerns/pregnant: No

What I'm willing to spend on a single skincare item: eg. >£10, £10-20, £20-50, £50-100, no limits. £10-20, though I would spend more if it was worth it.

I specifically [want help with/am looking for a product to/am curious about trying]: Would like to reduce the signs of aging and have less dry skin. My pores are starting to become bigger too.

I am clearly very new to trying to take care of my skin and I would love any advice about which products would be worth a try.
Also any advice about makeup brands to try? Is there a thread for that? I am trying to find a foundation which doesn't accentuate my pores or dry my skin out and look flaky, I am currently using Bare Minerals powder foundation but it doesn't last very long and the coverage isn't great for me, sometimes looks flaky and doesn't go on very evenly over my dryer areas.

I really would appreciate any help to get started please!

Damn I wrote a long reply and accidently deleted it. My phone thumbs have sticking plasters on so can't type it all again but basically hello well , we should be able to help with make up. I buy loads of it and love reading about it and Olli knows lots about make up and is really good at advising. What kind of look do you want to achieve? What colouring are you?

For skincare you might need to be more specific about which products you use, names of the products. So posters, more knowledgable than me, can see what he i grediants are.

Hope that came across as friendly and not bossy btw! Typing with one finger is hard!

Hi Well I have the opposite skin type to you (oily) but I have used the bare minerals powder foundation and agree it didn't give much coverage and was patchy, and it's very powdery so can imagine it would be even worse for dry skin. I think their complexion rescue or the serum foundation would be better if you want to stick with that brand. For skin care check out the 'Where to Start' link on Botemp's first post at the top of the thread and like Enid said an idea of what you use now would be useful so our more experienced posters can give you some more targeted advice

I've tried out some of my new products from Easyparapharmacie now.
LRP redermic r eye cream - no irritation, fine under makeup, but will be weeks if not months I would think before I see results.
LRP cicaplast hand cream. It's a balm rather than a cream but soaks in well and isn't tacky for long. I like it but might need something more heavy duty especially for my cuticles, will give it a fair chance though.
Also got LRP serozinc spray but not sure when/where to use it in my routine, any suggestions welcome

Wilting - yes I find the TO MAP heavy & quite thick, at over £8 it doesn't go very far & seems quite expensive for a product that probably won't last a month. Definitely want an alternative - my skin is liking it though so I don't want to just drop the vit C.

Olli I've just ordered TO 1% retinol, I've made some notes from your previous posts but just wanted to check a couple of things.

Can I still use Vit c in the morning if I've used ret the night before?
Should I ditch SA from my routine completely? Currently use it (with nia) on alternative nights to the 2% retinoid.
Do you use any oils or serums over the top or just moisturiser?

Thank you

I shall entertain you all by confessing that even I ignore my own sensible advice now and then... got the Dr. Dennis Gross alpha beta daily peel pads as a sample with my Cult Beauty order more Surratt stuff, I'm aware I have a problem but the Grisaille contour shade is totally amazing and I finally understand why people actually like contouring, this is the best shade ever anyhow, wasn't paying proper attention, I knew they were glycolic and had alcohol in them but for the one treatment I knew it wouldn't be an issue. I did, however, neglect to see that they were the extra strength ones . My poor face wasn't all that happy but it did seem manageable, and I persevered anyways... the damage wasn't too bad, a little irritable in the morning and one minor pimple that died down with the first swipe of a flannel but it took me until midday to notice that it had removed some hair dye and I had a nice dark shadow around the hairline . I am very impressed with the pads though, I am very glowy as a result, the proper AHA foetus look thing, but for me it would be a once a fortnight/month thing, I don't know how anyone would be able to tolerate those daily but if you have a face resembling something like leather and you have far too much money I suppose it could work.

otyt, well it doesn't appear anyone is interested in joining my pod so your faith in a future Kickstarter venture is really optimistic. I quite like mon chouchou, even if it is a vegetable but find it more suitable for children or pets for whatever reason.

BHA as Lego says, 1-2x a week initially on congested areas only. It can be drying, I'm not familiar with TO one but since that's specifically devised as a spot treatment product I'm expecting it to be somewhat drying.

Lego, I've had to buy my Vit C from Asos the last two times as it was perpetually out of stock. As soon as they do an offer code I stock up now but I am going to be doing the pricing per use on it soon, I'm reordering TO stuff far quicker than anything else and I'm beginning to wonder exactly how economical it truly is.

As a fellow saddo, I shall join in plotting French things to buy yongnian. I've decided my answer to my wardrobe woes is to head to France after browsing Promod, Carven, A.P.C. and Comptoir des Cottoniers online (no physical shops here, unfortunately).

Welcome well, yes more specifics are more helpful. Are you sure you are dry, have you always been dry? It sounds more like combo-dehydrated as dry skin doesn't really have pore issues. Would explain the difficulty with getting on with makeup too. Have you read the info sheets in the OP, I've been working on a new one this past week that's been sitting waiting on a final edit but I'll release it now as it will possibly help you with understanding dry skin vs. dehydrated skin:

Skin Type vs. Skin Conditions Info Sheet

Will probably filter out the dehydration, pigmentation, and rosacea parts into their own sheets at some point but for now, it's a good initial overview (I feel).

Also, random discovery on EPP before I forget again, for those with cuticle issues, came across this that's possibly worth a try.

user
Yes to vit C
SA I would be cautious with, maybe drop it to start then add back in, or use it once or twice a week
Sometimes I use a sleep mask or hydrating spray as well as moisturiser, I tend to use extra serum or oil in the am if I'm dry but it wouldn't do any harm to use as well