Best beauty decision you ever made

[Goostacean]

Lockdown is giving me plenty of time to think of what I could change in my beauty regime (which is currently very limited ).

Please inspire me: what was your revolutionary/ life-changing/ beauty-defining decision, product, new habit or whatever?

Laser eye Surgery - 20 years ago

Laser hair removal on bikini line and underarms - 18 years ago - slight regrowth, if on a beach holiday I just epilate or shave the few hairs away.

Nose job - 3 years ago

Other than that I rarely bother. I sorted out my acne by seeing a dermatologist in my mid 40s after trying all kinds of treatments over the years. Currently take Spironolactone and use Epiduo.

I don't wear make up often - face make up tends to clog my pores so I don't bother. Mascara, eyeliner and some lip tint is enough. I feel 'overdone' if too much more. I do tint my own brows when they look to be vanishing..

Soap and water followed by Epiduo at night, Nivea during the day.

Anyone have receding gums and fixed them?

@IceniSky I haven't tried this yet but previously on a thread somebody recommended Gingival Gel from Amazon. They said it helped gums to grow back, but only over real teeth, not over crowns or fillings.

Which Lumeas would anyone recommend? I have fairly light brown hair- would there be any point in me buying one?

Thanks

Just marking my place.
My skin is dreadful

onedaysoonish - I think I have found the toner you mention. It’s £26 for 120ml eek!

I am using pixi glow on days I do not use retinol (I am up to 0.1% 3 days a wk) even then I have to be careful or I can irritate my skin.

Would you say the Paula’s choice is a good pairing.

@Lelivre yes but another top mumsnet tip from the S&B boards is not to put it on a cotton pad and then wipe over your face, but put on the bits you need to treat (T zone etc) with your fingertips. Goes a long way if you do that.

Micro blading
Any one blonde and fair on here who rates highly?

What’s the period of time that they look really dark for?

Thanns

How long do eyelash extensions last, and are they comfortable. I'm constantly rubbing my eyes so a bit wary. Also how much do they cost?

I had eyelash extensions for 11 months last year, they were wonderful but eventually my own eyelashes began to suffer so I reluctantly gave up. £68 for the first set and £35 for a top up every 3 weeks. Money well spent, and i'd give it another go if I have to attend anything where I'd like to look super good. I am allergic to many things but fortunately the eyelash glue was not one of them. You have to be strict with yourself about rubbing your eyes .

Sodamn I'm very blonde anf fair, and as I mentioned earlier, I had them tattooed on, not microbladed. Very happy and there was no bleeding or scabbing, could go outside straight away without scaring people. They were darker about a week, after that looking totally natural.

Can anyone recommend an eyebrow pencil or kit that's long lasting, sort of like tattoo /microblading? My eyebrows are so sparse now it really gets me down having to totally pencil them in every day.

onedaysoonish - thanks so much that’s great.

Another who got a nose job, here! Best decision ever and well worth the expense. I look so so so much better.

I found eyelash extensions a pain.

They looked good - if a bit weird at first, but I was always very cautious about rubbing my eyes - and couldn't wash my face with soap and water as usual.

After a few weeks they started to fall off so I let them go. my own lashes were quite short and damaged. It took a couple of months of just letting them be natural for them to regrow.

I'd try LVL though.

Injectable facial - literally injecting collagen/hyaluronic acid/vitamins into skin - about 15 small injections all over

£200 - lasted 3 months. Knocked 5 years off, skin much less dehydrated looking - all plump looking (doesn't look like filler as all over a tiny bit)

@LaurieFairyCake oooh that sounds interesting. Was there any bruising or downtime after the injections?

No down time but I had to travel across London without make up after. Tiny pin pricks of blood that flaked off when I clotted (invisible after a few minutes)

And no bruising

Dr Krystyna at Blush and Blow in Fulham (she's a dentist)

@LaurieFairyCake do you think it would lessen frown lines?

It works on plumping up dehydration lines so I'm not sure it would do much for deepset lines (I had Botox for the first time for that - worked perfectly)

Botox does not work for established deep lines.

The purpose of Botox is to stop the establishment of lines.

It’s bloody brill but if you have deep established wrinkles - no point.

Using a cleansing oil to wash my face. Really slowed my wrinkles down. Just sad I didn’t start sooner.

Interested in having laser hair removal in my bikini line - the hairs are really running down my thighs as I hit peri menopause 😩 how much did it cost?

@empireants just updating to say you have changed my life!! I finally managed to get hold of the cuccio kit and I tried it for the first time today. It’s brilliant. Utterly brilliant. I need to fine tune my technique and my starting point is dreadful as my nail shape is terrible but the result is actually decent. For a first attempt anyway. The file thingy hasn’t arrived either so that will improve things I think as well I think.
The lash kit also arrived today (feels like Christmas ) but I’m abit too scared to try it.
Now just waiting for the eyelash serum but I’m using my revitalash for now and it works ok.

Sorry sent too soon. I’m so grateful for all these tips. Life changing!