Beauty Hoarders anonymous - take pride in your stride!!!

[Experiment627]

Continuing the good work we made on the last thread! Come join us if you have a stash!

If you want to see that:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3785372-beauty-hoarders-anonymous-you-have-got-to-be-in-it-to-win-it

Thank you so much again Experiment. I'm lucky in that my family are very close and so I have people who went through the same thing and who understand my struggles with it...They listen to me a lot because they think I had it worse. I was extremely shortsighted at the time (I went from around -2 to -13 in around three years) and mum simply couldn't keep up with the change in the glasses I needed so I couldn't see either. I was also very tall and wore the same uniform from 13 to 18. Oh I could cry thinking back. And I will never get over the scars it left. Poverty sucks so much from you. Even when you crawl out of it and make a life for yourself, the effects of it cling on. BUT the one thing I will say, is that I am proud to come through it and proud to do the work I do. I look back and see how far I have come. What once stamped all over my self esteem has become one of the things that lifts it.

@Pomegranatespompom Thank you so much!! Your post made me feel very emotional too. I won't say much more about it but beauty products are a real source of joy to me. I love everything about them (apart from the price lol). And even though I know it's a psychological thing for me to have them, to keep the demons at bay, that I wish I didn't have, i still get so much general happiness from them.

And I get to meet brilliant people like you all on this thread too!🥰

Empties....just a bog standard bottle of Vaseline Advanced Repair Body Lotion. Does the job!!

Pomegranate do you find that with all RE products or just that one? I am wondering whether I just haven’t tried the good REN stuff.

Tea Your posts are having such an impact on me. I’ve had yet another sort out of my stash today (whilst watching the US election results programme in which they say the same things over and over again, and yet I can’t turn it off, I’m gripped) and made a bag of throngs to go to The Hygiene Bank drop off at my local coffee shop before lockdown starts.

I’ve put that seoulista mask on my Christmas list, along with some Rituals Sakura things that I highly rate. I’d normally add some Occitane almond products too, but I am trying to spend a little less this year, but still have products that are really good for my skin and I still highly rate. The occitane almond body cream is £42, and the Rituals one is about £19, so a big difference.

@justilou1 I do! 🤗 I discovered them back in February 2017 (a video in which they destroyed the Lancôme rose powder), and loved them ever since. Thanks to them, I’ve been ‘project panning’ since January 2019, and if I wasn’t so embarrassed of how expired my stash is, I think I would participate in their #teamprojectpan on my social media channels.

@WellTidy @Costacoffeeplease @Pomegranatespompom oh no! 😰 I am so gutted that the REN primer is so meh! I bought it because someone I knew couldn’t stop raving about it. I’ve been saving it for a special event expecting that it would create a miraculous makeup base. Another purchase to regret, it seems! 😭

WellTidy that is fantastic. I put together a box of things too. Oh thank you so much! I am so glad hygiene poverty is getting more sunlight and people are helping out. You're a ⭐️!! And yes...the election has twisted my nerves all day!🥴

I just realised I finished Lacura Caviar night cream last night. Remembered I had flung the empty tub into the laundry basket. I like that one. Cheap but very pleasant to use. Though if you don't like feeling your face tightening slightly I would skip it. I'm moving onto my tub of Ultimate Sleep Cream from M&S tonight that I got in their Formula advent box last year.

REN used to be a favourite of mine...I absolutely LOVED their body cream which was the first of their products I tried. So I bought a few face creams and firming serums from the range thinking I'd love them too. But I didn't see any difference at all. So I've gone off them a little.

When I looked at the instructions on the bottle it said serum, so I don’t know if it is really a primer or not?

I've used the Ren primer and been underwhelmed, put it this way, when I dropped the bottle and lost half of it I wasn't too bothered (had got it cheap on eBay and not paid full price).

Another empty, Medik8 White Balance Brightening Serum. Love this, feels warming and soft when it goes on, and I think it was starting to lighten my pigmentation. A mix of resveratrol and Ascorbic acid, gentle and not irritating.
Am going on to a mini Kiehl’s line reducing serum with vitamin c, first try of it today and it doesn't feel as nice as the Medik8.

I have a Nadine beauty box on the way. It will go under the Christmas tree.

I’ve decided to try to use up a Fresh rose moisturiser before starting on the Lumene minis - it’s older. Significantly older.

However, since starting I’ve remembered that the reason I stopped using it is because it makes my very reactive, sensitive face itch and it’s exceptionally silicony. It also doesn’t do enough in the way of dealing with either dehydration or dryness for me. BUT it was £35 and I’m not binning it, and I’m not putting it on my elbows either. So I need to find a way to use approx 1/3 of a pot of it somewhere in the vicinity of my face. 🤔.

After that I need to move on to an origins mushroom moisturiser (smells like soil) with accompanying very decently sized sample of the anti-redness lotion/toner stuff.

Well done @Costacoffeeplease and enjoy your advents!!
I started the Amazon Beauty one and so far so good!

Have any of you lovely people tried the Danielle Turban hair towels?

Welcome @Pomegranatespompom !!!! We NEVER kick anyone off!!!

@TeatimeAtCloppa I am in awe of your strength. 💜

@WellTidy I have not en-joyed any REN products I have tried. I do not know how they are rated, nor BalanceMe

@TeatimeAtCloppa the M&S Formula Ultimate Sleep Cream is Holy Grail for me - I just applied it over my Inkey List Retinol Serum (which I really like).

@DeciduousPerennial and @Ponks did I miss welcoming you both to the thread? Really hope not!!!

@Costacoffeeplease I was told it is a face primer with serum-like properties, so theoretically it should replace the serum-moisturiser-primer steps in the routine 🤔 I don’t like to layer too many products under my makeup, so the Perfect Canvas made me all excited when I heard about it.

@Ponks Medik8 is one of my most favourite brands out there! 👌 I tried the Kiehl’s serum in summer. It made my skin peel off in chunks as if I had a bad sunburn. I hope it will be kind to your skin 🙏

@DeciduousPerennial I’ve had the Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion on my wish list since 2018 👀 It claims to be a great anti-redness solution. Does it also smell of soil though? 😧 As for the fresh brand, I am currently working through a couple of their face masks, and they don’t impress me much either.

@CherryMargo everything I've tried from Medik8 has been good, I like the Crystal Retinal as well. Fingers crossed I won't react to the Kiehls, my face is usually pretty hardy but some vitamin c's can irritate (The Ordinary!).

As for Fresh I like their black tea eye cream, very soothing, but far too expensive. The strawberry face wash smells and feels amazing, I love the sense of the grains melting on the skin, that's definitely worth a try.

I’m using the ordinary vit c at the moment and it is a bit stingy so I’ll only use it 2-3 times a week

@TeatimeAtCloppa You sound like such an amazing person. I hope I won't upset you by saying this, but when you mentioned demons, I just wondered if you'd had any therapy. I experienced childhood trauma and tend to bottle up my feelings but last year I went to see a therapist about a phobia. I was very clear I did not want to go though childhood issues and tbf she didn't't push this but she did say that phobias are caused by anxiety/stress. She encouraged me to listen to a CBT type thing while drifting off to sleep and every day had to think about 3 things which were positive that day however small, ie I had an umbrella so didn't;t get drenched, enjoyed a mince pie etc Apparently encourages positivity rather than negative feelings. I have let the mind training slip recently but am going to start again. I just thought I'd mention in case it was helpful.

@WellTidy I have tried Ren overnight balm, night cream and shower gel/body lotion, I've not been that impressed with any of them tbh. They don't feel very luxurious/aromatic.
I will check if there is a hygiene drop off near me. I'm also a bit obsessed with the election, feel a bit nauseas about it !

@CherryMargo sorry you feel disappointed re the Ren, it might suit your skin type though?

Thank you for the welcome and glad you don't kick people off @Experiment627

@CherryMargo I can’t remember, but when I go upstairs I’ll let you know. I suspect that will be a certain hint of compost to it, which perhaps isn’t surprising given the mushrooms. The moisturiser is very ground-like 😂

@Experiment627 even if you did, I don’t mind because I’ve just barged on in and made myself right at home! 🤣

Does anyone here use Zing organics? I’ve heard good things about them but not used them myself yet

@Costacoffeeplease - I’m using The Ordinary’s Vitamin C (l-Ascorbic) powder. I have been for about 18 months, and I love it. I have just finished my first jar and I use it twice a day. I think this has made the biggest difference to the sun damage on my decolleté. Even the texture has improved. It was permanently red and covered in broken capillaries and they’re almost gone now. I have been mixing it lately with the Hada Labo Alpha Arbutin essence and the Ordinary Niacinamide Powder and I think it may become even more effective. (Of course the trick with these powders is to start slow and work up to avoid irritation and stinging. I can take the full scoop, but I cover a lot of Realestate.)

@Pomegranatespompom in my twenties I became very mentally ill and saw a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist for eating disorders. They were both men and I didn't 'connect' with them. Then I saw a female counsellor and she was fantastic. She was so down to earth and bit by bit I began to recover. Almost without realising it I got my life back on track. I found employment, my first boyfriend at 32! And soon after my husband, house and family! Crazy how poverty and the mental illness it led to had spread its tentacles out into every part of my life.

She focused a lot on the positives and moving forwards with a different mindset but by no means a worse one, as it is not really possible after trauma and mental illness I think to go back to 'normal'. So I live with it and it's a different life but a good life.

I am so happy to hear your positivity is having an impact. Your outlook sounds wonderful Pom. I have no doubt you will keep thriving in your recovery. I firmly believe finding joy in things (like beauty products), which is only a small thing, can do so much for recovery. Thank you so much Pom for your care and compassion, and you Experiment. And everyone.

I’m so glad you found your happiness @TeatimeAtCloppa. I’m so pleased you found people who opened you up to recognizing that you deserve it. (Also from a shit start. Different, but shit.) Funny where you find souls you bump into! X

Isn't it Justilou? I guess women who share a love of beauty maybe try to do it inside as well as out.🤔

I'm so sorry to hear about your shit time too.

Thanks @justilou1

I am en-joying my Amazon advent - and with the empty box I am then putting in a pack of lego cards and Kwicklet then opens the box so a double win - although I may soon run out of Lego cards 😱😱😱😱😱

I've finished another hair product: Redken Touch Control 05, a volumizing texture mousse.

It was quite good, did exactly what it said on the tin and smelled nice.
I do prefer a spray, such as the Oribe maximizer as I then don't get sticky hands from the product.

I would buy this again though.

Finished the sanctuary hand cream 75ml. Wahoooo. Onto the next open one. Soap and glory hand food. Have two of these on the go. One pink packet one snd one pump bottle (on my desk at work). The pink one will be carried everywhere with me from now onwards.

Not in the spirit of the thread but the Liberty beauty crackers are now on line to view....

@TeatimeAtCloppa your post was lovely, so happy to see that you found happiness.

Liberty beauty crackers are showing as out of stock already! They’re so pretty.