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?

Getting my eyeliner permanently tattooed. Best thing I have done beauty wise. And loosing weight. Product wise trying the beloved the ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution.

I have quite a few!

• Philips Lumea IPL machine. It hasn't completely eradicated all hair but has stopped it growing in most areas and drastically reduced it in others so, even though I still need to shave, it's not a chore and doesn't need to be done very ofted.

• Careprost (generic Latisse) gives me lovely long lashes.

• Regaine solution regrew my brows in areas where I'd previously overplucked!

• Tinting my own lashes and brows. I used Refectocil tint.

• Lash lifts (also known as LVL). I also do my own at home. The combination of this, having long lashes from Careprost and tinting them means I don't need mascara. On the rare occasion I do wear mascara, I look like I'm wearing false eyelashes!

• SNS/dip powder nails. Used to get these done in a nail salon but now do them myself at home with just as good results (I use the Cuccio range). I don't have false nails, just the dip powder on my natural nails and it lasts a good month without any chipping or lifting. It makes my nails feel really strong and stops them from breaking.

• Retinol products. I started using these in my 20s and they are incredible for anti-aging and fighting spots (that I thought I'd stop getting after I left my teenage years behind!). I love Satin Naturel Organic Retinol Serum.

• Going vegan years ago. I was already vegetarian and cut out dairy products and eggs. I was shocked at the drastic improvement in my skin that came weeks later: acne cleared up and just looked healthier and more glowing. Other people I know who are also vegan have noticed similar improvements. I often get mistaken for being about 5-10 years younger than I am.

ultrasun spf 50 anti pigmentation is brilliant, I use it as moisturiser too

@danuta22 another vote for this product here.

@empireants do you mean the mens regain just applied to eyebrows or a specific eyebrow product? Mine are so thin now but used to be monobrow 20 years ago!

@empireants can I ask where you get Latisse from please? How long does it take before you start seeing results?

@2kool4skool yes the men's Regaine Extra Strength Scalp Solution (comes as liquid in a little bottle - I think the foam would be a nightmare to use on the face!). I got the idea from reading these posts and seeing her incredible before and after photos!

www.reddit.com/r/MakeupAddiction/comments/2hh458/all_hail_roagine_taken_about_a_year_apart_same/

www.reddit.com/r/MakeupAddiction/comments/cna8ec/about_5_years_ago_i_made_a_post_about_using/

I've now been applying the Regaine (which has the active wonder ingredient Minoxidil) on my eyebrows every evening with a little brush for the past 4/5 months. I've seen really good growth and my eyebrows look a lot better - I no longer need to use brow pencil! I then dye them myself using Refectocil tint and hold them in place using brow soap as this holds a lot better than brow gel.

Hope it works as well for you as it has for me. It sounds promising as it works best if you used to have fuller brows.

@BemidjiMinnesota what retinol product are you using please?

My fake tan application tip is this. Game changer!

Daily spf since the age of 18.

Slapping on a light moisturizer straight out of the shower without patting my face dry first. Skin a lot less dry.

Recently baby Botox.

@LucyRipley I've been buying Careprost (generic Latisse) from www.alldaychemist.com for years and have never had any problems. I think they ship from India so it takes a couple of weeks to arrive. I normally buy 3 or 6 bottles at a time to save on the postage cost.

It takes about 3-4 months to first see results - which are excellent by the way and well worth the wait. My lashes are very long! One little bottle lasts for ages so it's great value. I've been using my current bottle every night for over 5 months and there's still some left.

@empireants thanks so much - have ordered 3 bottles :-)

empireants Great post thanks!

Forgot to add my led light mask. Amazing.

@OneFootintheRave I use The Ordinary Granactive Retionoid 2% in Squalane.

For my face I apply it after a hydrating toner, then apply the rest of my skin care. On my décolleté I apply hydrating toner, the retinol, then Nivea from the blue pot. It's making a huge difference to my crepey chest.

Thanks for the advice @BemidjiMinnesota. I live in a hot country too and although I have been careful with SPF, at 51 my neck and décolleté are getting a little creepy!

Lose weight

Grow hair

Instant youth

Being a few pounds heavier than prob deemed best for my height keeps my face young and my boobs great.
paradise tan drops, way better than clarins ones.
gentle exfoliating face wash eg liz earle or aldi pink clay.
need microblading but worried about it looking orange when it fades.

@empireants you have made my day! May I ask where you get the LVL from. Also with the nails how did you learn? I bought a red carpet dipping nails kit but the results were dreadful unfortunately. I’d like to give it another go. I have ordered the eyelash serum as well. You really have made my day!

Tempted with careprost but isn’t there a risk of eye colour changing. I think this is what put me off before.

I’m going to try the lash lift at home first.

Just bought a Lumea thanks to this thread!

Finding mumsnet was my best beauty decision. It honestly feels like one of the only places where you get reviews on things that aren't paid for or have some sort of other interest behind them. Now I'm using tretinoin, I've found cerave, the amazing paula's choice 2% BHA and I get ID'd 9 out of 10 times I buy wine in the supermarket (I'm 33). Thank you ladies on mumsnet!

Ombre tattoo brows - mine were super light and also fine and sparse, so no point even dying them. I must have spent years drawing them on every morning. Now I can go out without make up and not look like an alien.

Chemical peels (Paula's BHA) made a massive difference to my skin.

And fillers. Just a ml and you look fresh and youthful.

Hoping the Philips lumea I've just bought is my game changer.
I've only done one session so far though so it's too soon to tell.
I keep looking down at my legs and hoping to see something happening

onedaysoonish What is the colour of the bottle please? I can see brown and blue 2% Paula’s Choice. Thanks!

Hi @Lelivre - rather unhelpfully it's neither. It's dark grey almost black - it says exfoliate down the side and it's 2% BHA liquid exfoliant - salicylic acid