What thing (style or beauty) do you wish you’d done or discovered sooner?

[Del1lahdaydream]

I always insisted on having long hair, even though my hair is fine and gets really straggly, thin and lank once it gets to shoulder length. Although I’d love the kind of thick hair that looks good long, I definitely don’t have it!

Anyway, after over 30 years of wearing my hair in a rubbish looking ponytail because it looked crap down and I refused to go short, I finally took the plunge and got my hair cut to chin length. It looks so much better. For the first time ever my hair looks thick and healthy, and it actually suits me so much more than longer hair, to my surprise.

The other thing is getting a few really dark, sticky out moles removed. I had them done privately and it cost quite a lot but really improved my confidence and I wish I’d spent the money and done it years ago.

Using bronzer as a blush.
Brown honestly looks much better on my face then pink, esspecially because I have some couperosis around my nose which the pink only seems to bring out.

Oh and I recently discovered using an oil based cleanser instead of a foam face wash makes your skin look and feel much better! I received a sample from Shu Uemura and plan to buy this oil cleanser as soon as my Dove face foam wash is running out.

cocodash who was your make up lesson with? I'd love one!

A proper skin routine morning and night instead of just lightly washing face and chucking on nivea. Now I use sacylic acid, glycolic acid, retinol and weekly sheet masks and it's taken years off me. None of it is expensive really but I now know what each ingredient does as opposed to 'buy this magic potion with made up science name advertised by a wrinkle free 22 year old'. Had my teeth whitened and had my colours done so now I know I'm a winter and have a wardrobe of jewel tones which really work for me. Also gave up most wheat, sugar and massively cut down on other carbs so weight is largely under control. Next things to tackle are hair which is awful and wine consumption which is too damn high (although I do love it).

@TipseyTorvey you can add Caudalie products to your skin care regimen to still get a bit of wine grapes... as skincare

@Honeybee85 you're spot on!! My night glycolic acid is caudalie and I must admit the fact it's all wine based made me laugh. Might move to day cream too! :-).

sheshootssheimplores, here's my food diary :

2 scrambled eggs, Greek yog, apple compote (no sugar)

Mid morning snack of cottage cheese and an apple. Lots of coffee I. E. Black with a splash of milk

Lunch is usually lentil and veg soup (massive bowl of) with sliced ham /turkey/cheese or a massive bean and veg salad with feta and tuna.

Dinner is usually bbq, so a steak, pork chop, chicken fillet with a salad and some baby new potatoes. In winter it tends to be casseroles, curry etc but with squash / sweet potato instead of naan and rice.

I'm 5'5 and if I ate 1900 I wouldn't lose. For me it has to be around 1500. Hard at first but you get used to it.

Tightlining is a more recent thing I've discovered but before that it was realising that if you wear the correct size for you, clothes look a lot better than trying to hide under a looser bigger size or trying to squeeze into a smaller size.

@TipseyTorvey I was thinking too of purchasing that one ! Only use eyecream now during the night but at being nearly 34 it’s time to step up my game regarding nightcream!
How is it working out for you? Is it one of the products that made a big difference for you?

Weight training with dumbells and kettlebells. I wish I'd realised how much easier everything would be if I had the muscles to use. Everything from standing upright without an ache in my back to correcting my rounded shoulders from years of computer use has improved since I took it up. I wish I'd told all the cardio bunnies to take a long hike and found weights earlier. It's changed my skin, my body, my mental state and most importantly, my life.

@Honeybee85 I am really impressed by the vino perfect night cream and I am (ahem) a bit older than you. I suspect if I'd started earlier I'd look better so crack on 😂.

@TipseyTorvey allright then I’ll take your advice and order one for myself too . If it doesnt work for me at least I have contributed to keeping France’s vineyards in business (which I think we can agree on is a good thing anyhow).

Curly girl
Botox
Micropigmentation on eyebrows
Teeth whitening

Jamsangwich can you elaborate on how you got started? Beginner's routine?

Oh yes I very much agree on weight and resistance training! It’s great and really sculpts the body and you’re right, improves mental health no end. I’m not in the frame of mind for the gym right now, but when I am I will definitely go back to it.

Having a body that works well for you is an amazing feeling.

@SlinkyDinkyDoo With pleasure! I bought a set of cheap kettlebells from amazon. These are bulky and to be honest, the 2kg is more or less useless, but I wasn't sure I'd take to kettlebells so didn't want to spend £40 on a single weight. I'll be trading up to proper cast iron bells as I can afford it though, but for now these do the job. If you know you love weight training but are new to kettlebells, I'd say to invest in a quality bell right from the start.

www.amazon.co.uk/Confidence-Fitness-20kg-Kettlebell-2kg-4kg-6kg-8kg/dp/B01BER2NFW/ref=sr_1_10?s=gateway&keywords=kettlebells&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1559224988&sr=8-10

To be honest, the 2kg is so light I wouldn't bother buying it but I didn't know that at the time. 4kg has it's uses if I'm feeling feek and weeble, but I mostly use the 6kg at the moment and am considering a move up to the 8kg soon.

Then I found some online workouts on youtube.

HASfit got me started with this 15 minute routine

Then I moved onto their 25 minute extension of this routine as I got fitter . Then I realised I needed to learn a bit more about how to use the kettlebell properly, so found this guy. His technical information is amazing, and there's loads of workout plans for free on his website.

kettlebellsworkouts.com/free-kettlebell-workouts/

I now do a 30 minute kettlebell circuit three to four times a week, and yoga twice a week, and I'm considerably stronger in just a few months. I know I'm a prime candidate for osteoporosis (family history plus medications that cause it) and whilst at 51 I can't build my bone density, I CAN make my body stronger and make falls less likely.

I agree completely on weights - don’t spend on 2kg., A friend of mine who is an athlete, personal trainer and fitness professional always advises that you don’t buy anything less than 4kg and actually she says generally she would advise just go straight to 8kg, because your muscle strength will improve quite dramatically really quite quickly with consistent use so a lot of people find the lower weights become useless almost right away.

Mind you it might depend on whether or not you’ve exercised before or know some basics on movement, keeping core engaged etc - I wouldn’t want you to injure yourself using a weight that’s just too heavy. 4kg or 6kg is achievable for everyone at whatever fitness level - just start with as many reps as you can and make sure your form is good, then add reps until you’re comfortable doing the whole set, then go up on weight.

The chap on the kettlebells website does indeed recommend women start at 8kg, but I can tell you that would have knackered my back if I'd used it right at the start. I needed the lighter weight to help me perfect my technique. When I buy my cast iron bells, I'll get an 8kg and possibly a 12kg. I doubt I'll go much higher!

Properly exfoliating my legs with a brush and using glycolic acid based cream. I had ingrowing hairs and red spots for ages and didn't keep to routines, but I've stuck with this and my legs are so silky smooth! Wish I'd started sooner. I also wish I had the patience to do half of what everyone else does, I'm early thirties and I know I really ought to have more of a regime by this time in my life, rather than simply "wash face and apply moisturiser in the morning"

Yes I know what you mean.

It’s way more important that you feel confident picking up the weight.

I very much agree that if you can afford it you should go straight to the cast iron type, as they’re much easier to use (much smaller and easier to manoeuvre).

@Ninkanunus Gawd yes....these cheap ones are bloody enormous. I can't do halos with them as I almost have to dislocate my neck to manoeuvre them round my head.....Plus I have only just realised they're filled with concrete so if I drop them, they're probably a goner.

You sound experienced - any recommendations for cast iron brands that work for women's hands? Some of those handles look incredibly chunky and hard to hold on to.

Using an apple cider vinegar rinse on my hair after switching to bar shampoo - my hair has never looked better and it completely detangles it.

Also agree with PP that Snag tights are 100% worth it.

Jam I’m not an expert by any means but I used to train quite seriously and I also used to work in fitness/equipment retail.

I used fitness-mad bells. I’ve not had any problems with handles, but I can’t remember whether they increased a lot in girth on the higher weights.

Thanks! I'll check them out, see if I can actually try one in person before buying.