What’s the best advice/tip/recommendation you’ve got from the S&B board?

[TheOGCCL]

I’m always struck by how helpful and nice everyone is on this board (‘frumpiness’ arguments notwithstanding). What’s been the best thing you’ve learned?

That if you want a nice dress under £150 to wear to the office/pub/party, then a black or grey sack with structured side flaps that costs £1000s will be the best choice.

🤣🤣🤣

That I absolutely shouldn’t be wearing jeggings anymore but actually I can wear whatever I like so I absolutely should be…

Only heard about the Liberty Beauty Drop on S&B so happy with that.

Also love Dupe threads as on a budget.

Wouldn’t have bought a Revlon Styler if I hadn’t seen it recommended as was a Babyliss Big Curls gal.

Must be more, currently looking for Tubing lash recommendations and seen Trish McEvoy mentioned a few times so be trying that next.

Hard actually to imagine life without S&B 😂

Glycolic acid. Search the sizzle threads.

Not advice, but a conclusion I arrived at recently. Posted elsewhere but pertinent here:

“It’s only lately (and only through MN) that I’ve begun to comprehend the impoverishment of visual culture (I meant literacy)that’s now seriously afflicting any conversation on fashion and style. It seems to be the case that the majority of MN posters are not accustomed to interpreting stylised editorial photographs of clothes - Tim Walker / Sarah Moon / everything ever between the covers of Vogue. Influencers’ instagrammed ‘mirror reflection selfies’ seem to have stolen people’s brains. So if anyone posts a picture on S&B of, say, a dress, styled with an enormous bow and silly shoes, the whole thread erupts in outraged fury and scorn and vituperative name-calling because they think they would have to wear the whole picture.”

Consequently I am beginning to wonder if MN S&B is too much of a painful waste of time for me. Ages ago someone clearly very elegant and possibly even older than me posted that she now spends as much money on exercise classes as on clothes. It’s certainly made me think about re-allocating some of my scrolling time.

So much really, from the dupes to tights from Amazon and Revlon Onestep.
Mostly feeling I'm not alone trying to look good, on a budget.
I also enjoy the ethical shopping threads.

Dermatica! It's been amazing on my sun spots.

It's reined in my shopping habits (along with COL crisis) by making me think more about buying less items that I like and will last.

...but I have spent that money on a lot of beauty and hair products that turned out to be useless for me.

Surely that depends on which poster is suggesting it 😂😂😂 (but we know who you mean!)

On a serious note, best advice for me would be : SPF 50 always and don't spend money on cleanser or moisturizer. The cheaper ones are just as good.

It's the tips that take me out of my comfort zone that I value the most. I already know what I like so what I find more useful - and also good fun - is hearing new names and seeing new links, even if they're not to my taste.

Persuaded me to switch from skinnier and slim leg trousers to wide leg. So much better.
Learnt how to do a French tuck.
Discovered some cheaper places to buy clothes and got me to go to charity shops more, with some great finds.
Discovered some good value brands like Didriksons, Thought and La Redoute
The thread on what people are wearing in Autumn is useful.

A thing I have noticed is an increase in general sneering and snide comments: I would die rather than wear that! That was fashionable in 1995! Here, this shapeless floral sack for £800 is what you must wear, even if you can't cover your food bills! How dare you want to show off your figure instead of covering it up in expensive sackcloth?

There are very many things I would not wear- I don't like Silk Fred, Roman or Sosander- but the sneering and shaming is unnecessary.

Tretinoin
Revlon hot brush

I've jumped on board plenty of S&B bandwagons but those 2 are enduring and life changing!

Skin & Me subscription
Perfume society subscription

Inkey list vit c and egf serum, I had been on antibiotics for my skin for 8 years with no sign of me being able to stop due to horrible middle age onset acne, and this cleared up my skin in 3 months, an utter revelation that Iam so grateful for.
Other than that i love looking at the dress and jewelry recommendations, my colleague bought one that we saw for her big birthday recently and was delighted
Keep up the magnificent work ladies

I started a thread on M&S expecting to be ravaged and fed to the dogs, but everyone was helpful and kind. The best thing for me was that long list of decent, quality clothing brands. Thanks for that.

The thread that’s now in Classics about building an elegant wardrobe has to be my favourite S&B advice. Sorry I can’t work out how to link it. It was about developing your style and then identifying what you need and researching, planning and budgeting for what you want to buy. I tried it out last Spring and I now have some good wardrobe staples that I return to again and again.
I then fell into my old ways in the Summer sales and ended up with a random selection of ‘bargains’ that I convince myself I will wear everyday but then I don’t because they are going out clothes and what I need are basics. I hope I have learnt my lesson now!

I was treating my adult acne with the help of "the best acne specialist in the country", but things never really changed until I came across the thread on here about the best products against acne - I have tried one of the recommended products and it transformed my skin - thank you so much to whoever posted it! 🌼

I have also discovered some of the brands I love through here and I've got lots of inspiration from the princessing and WAYWT threads. Thank you for being inspirational ladies!

So many things

Skims 2023
Period pants, Wirapa pants 2022
Didriksons parka 2021
Revlon One Step 2020
Korean Italy towels ~2019
Tret from Dermatica (and then subsequently from Skin + Me) ~2018
Long body shop (All Saints, Baukjen, Toast etc) intel, ongoing!
Long body vests from Matalan ~2016
Cleaning my face at night with blue Nivea and a hot muslin ~2014
Cleo Juna bra ~2012
Sorting my bra size out ~2011

I would also agree with Dermatica or the other Skin&Me.
I use Dermatica ( prescription retinol ) and it does improve your skin.
It's not cheap at £20+ a month but my prescription lasts at least 6 weeks and they are happy for you to extend your delivery to suit you.
someone posted their refer a friend code so it gave me ( and others ) our first prescription for £2.90 and from memory a discount the second month.
Here is my code so I can also pass on if interested . For disclosure it gives me a discount also.

https://www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/V3WPNY

I edited because I put weekly !

I was bizarrely invested in the infamous MN Vogue threads that died a sudden death a couple of years ago. It was like an entirely new world of some very vacuous but also some very kind posters. It was very active but stopped suddenly. They’re probably Mumsnet Vogueing elsewhere.

I enjoyed the MN Vogue threads too although I didn't post on them. It was like a glimpse into another world. I don't think they were all wealthy either - they just shared an enthusiasm for high end fashion regardless of whether or not they could afford to buy it.

There was a thread during the pandemic, asking what had happened to them and a few regulars responded, which I think must mean some of them still walk among us <waves if they do> But they said they didn't feel comfortable posting at such a difficult time and they didn't seem to have any intention to return. I had the sense (although this wasn't stated) that there had been some hostility towards them.

I think there are broadly two ways of thinking about the board, one being that it should be a place to come and be challenged and to share high end fashion (to stand out), and one being that it's for people just trying to find something vaguely fashionable to wear (to fit in). They are really different things so I think occasionally there's a clash but hopefully room for everyone.

I've learnt so much from the board, not all relevant to me but really interesting and helps me stay in touch with what's new!

M&S sculpting jeans
Botox