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?

Another one here for 50SPF every day. Makes the world of difference.

• Drinking loads of water. Makes a huge difference to my skin!
• Tinting my eyelashes. I do them myself with dye from Amazon
• Getting my hair highlighted more often. Feel a million times more put together
• Gradual tanning. I like James Read at the moment but use the cheaper Dove tan most of the time

Lots of exercise is a big one since I carry lots of weight round my face, but that’s not one I’m achieving at the moment!

@ajs88 Could you tell me which fake tan you use please? I'm also a redhead and am so pale I'm fluorescent.... I've been googling fake tans but don't have a clue and don't want to spend a fortune on loads of disasters.

@roarfeckingroar thinking about giving up alcohol and wondering if it would help my skin which is quite dry. Did you find it made a difference? Need an incentive!

Spf50 users - which products do you recommend? Thank you

@Livingoffcoffee have you tried going to a different threader who might give you a better shape? Mine gives me a lovely arch shape, while my brows try to grow in a straight line normally. Try to find an Asian salon that does threading if you have one near you, they always do the best brows.

Niacinamide from The Ordinary is good for reducing the appearance of pores. It's a bit harsh at first so dilute it with a plain serum and only use 1-2 x a week at first until your skin acclimatises.

@Coffeeandbeans I cycle through a few:
Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF50/PA+++
Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++
SuperGoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

The SuperGoop is very spendy but feels so lovely on. I have sensitive skin and am allergic to loads of sunscreen, but all of these work well for me.

I like the Biore SPF, it's super light.

Biore watery SPF 50 or Frezyderm for me, which is also a fab primer.

Cutting my hair off.
Moisturising my neck since I started using it in my teens.
Gradual fake tan.
Taking my make up off every night! I was a total slob in my 20s.

I often use aussie roll-on sunscreen though the roller ball packaging has been a bit defective at times

Basically anything with 50 or 50 plus on it seems to work. Aldi and Lidl do cheap 50 plus stuff which I’m using at the moment. It took some time to get into the habit but it feels like brushing my teeth or applying deodorant now - I do it even in winter

In certain countries there’s a much bigger culture of sun protection and it definitely shows - a lot of very elegant ladies with great skin from Japan or South Korea aren’t shy about a culture of wearing “floppy old lady hats and sunglasses and long-sleeved everything” in their 20s.

I had to un-follow CH, I couldn't keep up with whats good for the skin, she tried everything, raved about so much that I couldn't grasp what would be good for my skin, I can't afford to use 200 products a week on my skin. Try your own stuff and if it works for you great, if not move on. I used to look at her skin, love it, spend a fortune on stuff then when she said she has botox I was just for fuck sake aaarrrggh! Don't get me wrong I want botox, but that is why so many people have skin that looks great, not because they're double cleansing!

Stopped wearing foundation. I just wear moisturiser & sometimes a luminiser. I still do mascara & lipstick etc. but I feel fresher now without the foundation. Took me a while to get used to it but I like it. Also got brow feathering/micro-blading.

Getting my teeth straightened and whitened in my mid-30s

Having a mole removed from my face by a proper cosmetic surgeon (expensive but zero scarring)

Using sunscreen for years and years

Brow and lash tinting

Having a generally healthy diet since childhood (very little sugar, lots of fruit and veg, healthy fats)

Losing all interest in booze in my mid-30s

The most significant thing though is the daily stuff that has to be maintained - I’m not doing well currently, but look (and feel) so much better when exercising regularly (cardio and strength), drinking plenty of water and avoiding any sugary foods (currently eat them on top of the healthy stuff)

Eyelash extensions. Actually do them myself. Super easy and they last around 2/3 weeks before needing redoing.
Actually doing my eyebrows . They are fairly sparse and I never bothered but it does make a huge difference.
Retinols, vit c serums and an electric bristle cleaning brush thing for face washes.. made a huge difference!

My mum took me to an Estée Lauder demo at our local village hall when I was in my very late teens, early 20s, I ended up buying some facial wash, toner and moisturiser. I've been using Estée Lauder pretty much for the last 30 years and my facial skin is lovely. I don't have many wrinkles, no crows feet or major issues. My skin still looks good for my age (rest of me is knackered tho)

The first time i did that original keratin treatment transformed my hair..they discontinued it and it never worked as well.

Lumea home laser device.. i hummed and harred and i wish wish wish i got it earlier.

Shaving my face instead of painful threadding or waxing. No, it doesnt grow back stubbly or thicker and my skin feels super soft afterwards.

Getting dental treatments.. i know some will think this an essential health thing but bear with me. NHS dental treatments in my area cover the very very basic. I paid privately for an implant in a cosmetic only area supposedly, paid for the best crowns i could get and get my teeth cleaned religiously every 6 months. Flossing and interdental brush have been a revelation. A beautiful, pain free smile makes you more attractive. I started enjoying wearing lipstick because i was confident with my teeth whereas before i didnt want to draw attention to them.

Somethings we put thibgs off due to initial high cost but if we really examin how much time, money and energy we already spend to manage or tame the 'problem' it works out same or better a deal.

Next on the list is eye laser surgery.

Correction Sometimes we put things off oops!

@Coffeeandbeans

Superdrug solait spf 50 if you have dry skin, you need a mineral sunblock with no moisturiser if you have oily skin which I do so I use ultrasun spf 50 for the face which is 10 x the cost of Superdrug.

Superdrug’s own label products are cruelty free too, as is ultrasun.

Anyone else had disappointing results from the Lumea? I've been using regularly for nearly 2 years, and the hair has definitely got lighter and patchier, but no miracle result like most people talk about. Still having to do regular hair removal. I have white skin and dark hair so thought it would work a treat

@Beermoney I was just going to say laser eye surgery! Go for it, it's absolutely life changing and I wish I'd done it years ago

Lunes has worked for me. In fact I can't recall the last time I needed to use it. I've got quite dark hair tho and the darker your hair the better it works I believe

Tropic sun drops
Tropic ABC skincare routine
Tropic lip love balm

Infact Tropic everything if I had the money but these are my can't live withouts!

Also a regular home manicure (without polish, I can't stand polish) and good hand cream.

Stopping using foaming face wash. Bye bye spots I was using it to get rid of

Spf 50 every day.

Philip Kingsley elasticiser - although I honestly think the argan copy from Superdrug is almost as good.

Hair extensions, just a few tape ones. Life changing after years of thin damaged hair. Not looking so good in lockdown with no maintenance though!