When you wake up looking like a bag of spanners.....

[Newseeker]

What do you do?

My skincare is shit, make-up looks shit and I feel like shit. Hello 54.

It’s my birthday and I’m looking awful. Using Liquid Gold, Ren bioretinoid, Clinique intense surge and Dermalogica stuff but my face is pimply, red and pissed off. Much like myself.

I bought bareminerals original powder and an expensive kabuki brush and all that buffing is stretching my skin every which way.

Please help, I didn’t used to be this vain but I’m not used to looking this crap.

I'm used to having combo skin but now it’s dry, does menopause affect skin over just one night? I swear I looked much better yesterday 🙁 I feel stupidly insecure. I hate a lot of make-up but I’d like to look like me again and not so red and angry. Any foundation recs? I switched to By Terry Sheer Expert thinking I needed a creamier foundation but it just sits in my lines. Lord knows why I chose bareminerals powder, I blame QVC.

Even the most expensive creams can only do so much.

Find a proper dermatologist who does cosmetic stuff as well and make a consultation appointment.

He or she will sort your skin and make you look like the best version of yourself. I started doing this a couple of years ago and was thinking today it's the best money I've ever spent.

Happy Birthday

You could try Kalme Chameleon Concealer. It’s like a tinted moisturiser, calms redness and is good for your skin.
I then use Max Factor Facefinity Compact if I need extra coverage.
Skin care I’m using Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm and Aurelia Probiotic moisturiser.
I have really sensitive skin so try and use stuff that doesn’t make it sore.

PS happy bday!

AM routine
Wet flannel
Dermalogica ultra calming serum concentrate
Dermalogica skin smoothing cream
Bareminerals powder or YSL fusion cushion

PM routine
Alpha H balancing cleanser
Ren bioretinoid anti wrinkle OR
Kiehls Midnight discovery OR
Alpha H Liquid Gold
OR Clinique Intense Surge cream

My poor old face is dry, red, lots of watery pimples on forehead and cheeks. Cystic spots on chin. My whole face seems to be sagging overnight.

I’m not sure where to go for impartial advice except here.

X posted! Thanks, I’ll try anything at this stage. I’m so sick of wasting money on stuff, might as well keep doing it until I find a winner. It seems everything breaks me out.

Have you looked at Tropic skincare range. I use this and it's lovely. All natural products. X

Might be time to pare your routine back. That’s an awful lot of products you’re using and they don’t seem to be helping. I’m older than you and my every day basics are Olay 30 spf moisturiser then a small amount of Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser.

Ditch the Bare Minerals - it contains bismuth which can cause sensitivity and spots. If you want a mineral foundation, try Mineral Hygienics - 4 ingredients.

Happy birthday.💐

You're putting too much shite on your face. You've drunk the cool aid. Stop it. I use simple wipes, I wash my face with water in the shower, and I use boots protect and perfect moisturiser. My face is fine and surprisingly line free. To the extent my friends ask what moisturiser I Use and comment I have good skin.No discolouration. I'm 49.

Just clean it and moisturise. End of. Stop messing with it with all that crap.

Then use a light reflecting make up. I use Chanel perfection lumiere. Some Georgia Armani liquid concealer under my eyes to brighten and Chanel les beiges powder. Makes you look all soft and dewy and not dry.

And that's it. Honestly stop with all the crap. Get some decent foundation. And you're good to go.

You are using a lot of stuff OP. I'm not surprised your skin isn't looking good. I've ditched the dermalogica and started using Aldi caviar moisturiser and Superdrug vitamin e cleanser that comes with a cleansing cloth. Both really cheap and my skin is looking just fine. I initially started using dermalogica because my skin was awful, spotty and red. I tried the Aldi stuff at the recommendation of a friend and it's great.

Me every day - I'm so grateful for the existence of makeup.

It sounds like you're really overloading your face... Way too much skincare there. It's probably irritating it further putting all of those products on it. Seems like a good idea to strip it back to the basics? Cleanser, toner, moisturiser? & then add in serum etc when you feel it's calmed down.

As a Pp poster said, I highly reccommend tropic skincare. Its all natural & no fuss.

Also 49 with good skin. I agree too many products.
I massage argan oil on my face, then wash it off in the shower, then factor 50 suncream if day time, followed by make-up.
Alcohol free wipe a night, drink lots of water, wear a sun hat, don't smoke.
happy birthday

Too many products.

I'm a bit younger but a while back I went through a terrible skin phase. I stopped everything and used La Roche Posay cicaplast beauty balm. It's really thick and gloopy, you can't apply make up on top for ages, but after a week the difference in my skin was noticeable.

Now, I don't use it every day but will use it as a great for my skin at the weekend.

I agree with PPs. Too much stuff. I'm similar age and only use a nice hot flannel in the morning, no soap, then followed by Olay moisturiser SPF30 mixed with a couple of drops of The Ordinary Rosehip oil. At night, again a nice hot flannel ( no soap or cleanser), followed occasionally by a bit of The Ordinary Retinol 1%. If going out, a bit of pore minimizer, touch éclat, a bit of blusher, mascara, tinted lip balm.

Liz Earle products are great, they offer a cleanse, tone and moisturise combo that’s great, my skin has never been better. I also have regular microdermabrasion to remove the dead skin and refresh my face. You could look at Caci facials depending on your budget?

Op I sympathise completely, I felt the same when I turned 50, like it had all gone to shit overnight. Everyone is different so it's hard to say what would work for you (if I used wipes and Protect and Perfect I'd be a grey, spotty mess) but I think the suggestion upthread to see a dermatologist is a good one.

I've had very good results from The Ordinary. It sorted out more or less all the weird stuff (dry + oily + spotty skin) that was going on for me, but again, everyone is different. I hear they're saying they don't reply to emails to suggest individualised regimens which was (I think) the main thing that helped me figure out what would work for me, so if that's true it is a shame.

I used to do oil cleansing + Neal's Yard frankincense and had done for years when my skin took a turn for the worse. If it helps, the TO regimen of salicyclic acid, buffet, niacinamide, retinoid and argan oil is what sorted mine. Still oil cleansing because it suits my sensitive skin (lots of stuff makes me itch and anything with silicone irritates my eyes) and that seems to be fine.

Have you got a silk pillowcase? They're easily purchased from Amazon (keep leaving them in hotel rooms ) for about £12.

I really notice how creased my skin looks in the morning if I forget to use it.

I would cut out the Liquid gold and see what happens.

Also, are you using a fresh ironed towel every morning?

OP I had this, it was grim. You've developed sensitive skin - you're red and spotty because of the products. It's completely fixable though, and you end up looking better than you have for ages.

Stick all potions 'n' lotions into a drawer. Water and a sponge, or an oil cleanser at most, for a month. Hayfever pill daily. Spots could also be rosacea, talk to doc about Duac, miracle gel you slap on for 3 months to lose redness.

Happy Birthday.

I won't comment on the skincare as others have much more knowledge. But I would ditch the Bare Minerals - my skin is good for my age - thanks purely to luck and good genes I think - and it just looked awful. Seemed to settle in crevices and pores I never knew I had til I put the powder on!

I don't use foundation usually but when I want to look a bit more put together I use a compact thing from HelenB - don't really know what to call it. It's not powder, not liquid but sort of evens out your skin and very easy to apply. A few people have commented on my skin when I've worn it.

Oh I forgot to say I'll be 54 next birthday.

It sounds like the products that you’re using just aren’t suitable for your skin type, or something is causing an allergic reaction. Best to cut your routine to the bare minimum to not trigger your skin further

You sound like you have a sensitive/ reactive skin type currently. This means that you should use a very gentle cleanser (Lush - Ultrabland may help) rather than something harsh. Leave exfoliants/toners for now until your skin recovers more. Buy something like aquaphor or Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream (preferred as it has salicylic acid which will reduce your inflamed areas) that you can apply overnight as a moisture/healing treatment.

There are so many potential products that I could suggest, but it sounds like your skin needs a break. If you really want to discover more about skincare, look around on SkincareAddiction on reddit. They have routines for every skin type.

How's your diet? Are you sleeping, drinking loads of water? Tedious but works.