What's the one beauty trick / item you never thought you'd try but now can't live without?

[ladybee28]

For me it's sheet masks all the way.

Always looked at them and thought they were a gimmicky waste of time. I judgementally cackled every time I saw one on instagram.

Now I'm running around the house in my charcoal sheet mask looking like Batman every second day – it's made the hugest difference to my skincare of anything I've done in years...

What did you never think you'd try but now swear by?

MayFayner, (great username!), I use the palest colour in the Make Up Revolution bronzer from Superdrug. Cheap as chips and looks just fine

And a question for you - which home tint do you use?

Pale people, I REALLY recommend hourglass ambient powder in dim light. It’s meant to be used all over, but I use it instead of bronzer - really warms and lights up the face. I’m quite light on makeup and hitting pan on the third one. They do a travel size for £20 in space nk.

For me, indispensable is metal lash comb - means you can slather on any mascara but comb out clumps.

Revitalash eyelash conditioner. My lovely boss bought me some for Christmas after I admired her lashes (so long and pretty) and I thought she was very kind but it would never work.

I finally got round to using it in August and I can't believe the difference it has made to my non-existent rabbit lashes. I have stopped having lash extensions it's made such a difference

'Pale people, I REALLY recommend hourglass ambient powder in dim light'

Sounds fab, thanks for the tip!

Eyebrow powder, not pencil for me! My eyebrows are blond and invisible and I used to use pencil but they looked terrible. A makeup artist did them with powder and I've never looked back.

Although I'm seriously considering microblading now.

Acid toner here as well. My skin looks SO CLEAR after application! I’m considering microblading too @GimmeBread (after reading a thread on here and seeing the results) but it is so expensive where I live.

As another pale round faced person, I am terrified of bronzer. How do you use it without looking ridiculous, esp if wearing minimal make up?

My indispensable is Clinique mascara - makes me look smart even if wearing nothing else. And Benefit Hello Flawless powder - great especially for red days as basically a foundation / cover up / general thing to make me look smooth.

A word of warning on Clinique mascara by the way - when they say waterproof, they really really mean it, it is a chore to get off! The non waterproof stuff is removable just with micellar water.

Lip liner. I know how 90s that sounds, but I have three that work with pretty much every lipstick I own. They are all Estee lauder ones - Nude (like it says, nude), Rose (good with pinks and plums) and Spic (good with darner nudes and browns). They're really soft, last for an age and never snap. They make my lipstick look so much more better.

Just a tip on removing waterproof mascara - use oil or something oil based. I have the miniature Eyeko sport waterproof mascara (was recommended it on this board) and it is absolutely fantastic, completely waterproof even if you submerge your face. I remove it with olive oil.

Another one for me is under eye concealer. If you suffer from puffiness or bags (thank you mother!) applying liquid concealer in a triangle to just below your cheekbone and really blending it works way better than just stopping underneath the bag.

I use Tarte Shape Tape which may or may not be a fake. I got mine off eBay for £6 but it looks identical and works a treat!

Ooh wow, just came back here to this glorious little flood of gems!

@hairbearbitch , sheet masks are basically a sheet of cotton, cellulose, or coconut pulp, with holes for your eyes and nose and mouth. They're all infused with bucketfuls of hydrating ingredients like serums and acids or whatever that particular mask is designed for.

You lay it onto your face and the liquid sticks it on, and then you cackle at yourself in the mirror looking like some kind of horror movie serial killer, go and jump out at the dog to give it a fright, and then lie down for 15 minutes while all the yummy gunk soaks in. Then you whip it off and rub in whatever's left over.

I THINK the idea is that the mask locks in the good stuff and stops it from evaporating / drying on top of your skin. Whatever the science behind them is, I'm a BIG FAN.

@marmaladecats I get mine from Amazon - I started out with the Garnier charcoal ones from Boots but then I fell down a K-Beauty hole and now I use the ones by Hada Labo; the Anti-Aging Facial and the Hyaluronic one.

For the eyebrow afficionados among you, you've reinspired me! I've bought a pencil before but wasn't really sure what to do with it... nor was I sure about how to make sure I was getting the colour right. Tips for a beginner to anything more complex than the odd tweeze every now and again?

Magnitone cleansing brush. Total game changer.

Mine is something I never thought I’d retry - eyebrow felt tip pen. Tried one in the past and it looked really fake (and dried up after one or two applications), but was tempted to try another when reading amazing reviews on Yesstyle.com.
The one I bought is the 7 day tattoo pen by Nakeup. Honestly, this has saved me so much time each morning. It really does last days (maybe not 7, but at least 5) unless you scrub at it. I sometimes retouch mine after a shower, washing my face or a gym session, but it’s minimal. It doesn’t look fake (I’ve got the light brown one) and the pen doesn’t dry up. Only thing I’ve found which makes me look done without a full face of other makeup.

Balm cleanser!

Just posted on another thread about Emma Hardie Moringa balm.

I'd tried others eg Eve Lom and they were awful for me, broke me out something chronic.

Emma Hardie one is incredible and now is the one beauty item I can't do without, I have gone cheaper on makeup/moisturiser to be able to justify the cost as it transforms my skin like nothing else I have ever used.

lotta I had always used colorsport/ eyelure or any of those brands you can get in Boots, but they’ve changed the formula in recent years so now I get big tubes of the old-style stuff from Amazon.

It’s this one and I use a bit of dark brown and a bit of black mixed together- black on its own is too dark for my eyebrows.

Gel nails. Mine last for 5 weeks and make them unbelievably strong. So it's not like it's an expensive indulgent

God, these threads cost me so much money. I've just ordered face masks and the NARS liquid, and i'm now looking at the cleansing balm.

FFS ladies.

Botox
Micropigmentation for my eyebrows

Thanks May. I may get some. I love having tinted eyebrows but can't be going to the salon every week!

ELemis cleansing balm. I buy from qvc as I really can't afford expensive things. But this is fantastic. I am old and my dull, oily with dry patches complexion of 5 years ago is so so much better. You only need a bit so last ages. I won't give this up without a fight.

God I love these threads. Just ordered an eyeko mascara, mini ambient dim light powder thing and a Japanese gel eyeliner which was recommended on the eyeliner thread.

My fave tricks are coconut oil as a cleanser, eyebrow pencil (I have a benefit one for very blonde brows) and tightlining - this takes 2 seconds and makes me look and feel much more presentable as my lashes are so fair.

Rosehip oil is good as well. I use it as a serum under an avon night cream. Doesn't clog my skin up. It was recommended by someone for my acne prone skin. The scarring has almost gone now, but it does take a long time?

Ladybee I like sheetmasks too, especially honey ones (dry skin) I like this onee*. Only £1 at the moment. This stockist often has a "buy 10 get 10 free" which is great.