"Nobody ever told me" thread

[littlecatfeet]

I was wondering, do you have any personal style/beauty tips that you worked out all by yourself?

I have two:

1. Never ever apply perfume when you're under stress - running late, or angry, or anxious - it seems to cause that horrible reaction that makes perfume unbearable.
2. When you are carrying 'le flab' (as I call it) a silk slip looks a million times better under a dress than shapewear. It slides past your creases and moves naturally. And you're comfortable!

What hard-won or fluke inspirations do you have to share?

Chewing is the answer:
To a better looking face
For more nutritional value food
good posture
Better gut.

Blended food or over cooked food is just there for taste and keeping you full.

🙄

That beauty is derived from exercise, diet, sleep, water and targeted skincare - not make-up.

Tailor your clothes! The different between a shirt that 'mostly fits' and one that has had a few tweaks makes the world of difference. Buy your clothes to fit the largest part of you and then have the rest altered. Even moderately priced clothing can benefit from a little hemming or fitting around the bust/waist.

I understand that tailoring can be expensive but having 5 or 6 well tailored shirts for work, if you're in a professional environment, is better than having 10 ill-fitting ones.

Nude colour underwear! When wearing white or see through clothing. The amount of people who wear a white bra under a white top, deary me.

Any colour knickers (esp big pants!) but white, unless there’s a specific reason your outfit needs white, as, if you accidentally flash them, white looks so granny pants.

For Pete's sake, it isn't "ageist" to say that Converse don't suit anyone over 40! It's just an opinion (and one that holds weight, IMHO). Is it "colourist" to say that certain colours suit lighter or darker skin? Away with ye.

allImaSababa It is ageist to imply that anyone is restricted in their clothing choices due to their age - and I say that as someone who cannot wear Converse due to wide feet

Yes, it was ageist: that one wasn’t a ‘style tip’.

@ImaSababa

For Pete's sake, it isn't "ageist" to say that Converse don't suit anyone over 40! It's just an opinion (and one that holds weight, IMHO). Is it "colourist" to say that certain colours suit lighter or darker skin? Away with ye.

Of course it is 😂

Reaching 40 doesn't turn people into a homogenous group, they aren't all the same size, shape or colouring. Or maybe you mean that it doesn't match the compulsory 'I'm over 40' t shirts that people are forced to wear.

There's no comparison at all to colouring 😂

I also disagree with you about high waisted jeans too.

I buy either nose studs or children's earrings because they have a flat screw on back for comfort, so that I always have a small cubic zirconia stud in and can sleep very comfortably in them.

Like these: link

I think a bigger watch makes my wrist look daintier.

Converse don't look good on anyone over age 40.

That’s not a style tip, that’s just ageist and not true.

The only times I've been complimented on what I'm wearing (and that isn't often) is when it is a colour that particularly suits me.
Also some shops have dire lighting in changing rooms so nothing looks good, take that into consideration,
Put a touch of high lighter or concealer across top lip before adding lipstick to make lip look more pouty.

That the ‘Classic Capsule’ wardrobe is a big lie. Nothing stays classic, fashion always moves on, and beige chinos are awful anyway.

That fashion and being fashionable are an attitude. Different from ‘style’ and ‘looking nice’, being fashionable Is more engaged.

That unless you’re lucky/rich good skincare requires quite a lot of research to find the right products.

Handbags do not make or break an outfit. They are just handbags.

Never wear pink or beige trousers. They look awful from a distance and if tight fitting make you look stark bollock naked.

Never take style advice from randoms on the internet without a massive pinch of salt

I’ve bought a lot of things people have raves about on here only to find out they either look horrific on me (clothes) or don’t do anything at all (beauty).

@ImaSababa

For Pete's sake, it isn't "ageist" to say that Converse don't suit anyone over 40! It's just an opinion (and one that holds weight, IMHO). Is it "colourist" to say that certain colours suit lighter or darker skin? Away with ye.

But why though? What happens to feet on a woman's 40th that means Converse no longer suit her?

I had stopped wearing eyeliner post-fourty as I found it aging, however I recently read a tip that suggested applying it to the upper water line instead of the lash line. Omg, what a game-changer! It's so subtle, yet instantly makes my eyes look bigger and my lashes longer.

*For Pete's sake, it isn't "ageist" to say that Converse don't suit anyone over 40! It's just an opinion (and one that holds weight, IMHO). Is it "colourist" to say that certain colours suit lighter or darker skin? Away with ye.

But why though? What happens to feet on a woman's 40th that means Converse no longer suit her?*

Exactly! Comparing age and skin colour is ridiculous unless skin colour changes or something. Getting older, having older feet, can’t suddenly make something not suit those feet when it suited them before.

What will magically change for me on my 40th birthday that means I will need to bin my collection of converse trainers?

Converse hi-tips which I love, love, love make me look like I'm wearing oversized clown's shoes - they've done that when I was a teen and still do that now that I am over 50. Superga are slightly better but not by much.
So there, I'm an age neutral Converse non-wearer

My best 'style' tip: who you are is not defined by what/what brand you wear. Eat well, drink plenty water, avoid excess in most other things, get outside, be active, surround yourself with people that add value to your life and you'll look great.
Love people, use things, not the other way round.

I have worked out never to take style tips from people who think everyone over 40 looks the same.

if you hate ironing don’t buy stuff that needs expert ironing - may seem obvious but I’ve made this mistake myself and noticed lots of others have too

This one is so true. A lot of people don't iron these days and that's fine, but then they buy clothes which really need ironing before looking presentable. A couple of people I work with do this.

There are lots of fabrics which look ok without ironing, go for those instead.

Use elastic as shoe laces. You can buy it online in any colour, width, length and is an absolute game changer when it comes to wearing hi-tops.

Your feet will literally slide ride in. DH mocked me at first but guess who has now converted to the stretchy side?

We are a "shoes off" house so means you can just kick your shoes off at the front door in seconds.

Converse don't look good on anyone over age 40.

Absolute rubbish

I have worked out never to take style tips from people who think everyone over 40 looks the same.

I think I've just worked that out too!