'Glow Up'/ "Princessing" 2024 Thread 1

[Chaiselongueallday]

I've had some success with these in the past. Have realised that over the years I've picked little habits from these that I've been able to sustain so I thought ahead of the new year I would start a thread for 2024...anyone else want to join me?
I'm 46 this year and want to focus on being healthy, happy with my style and attuned to my body and skin. I don't want to waste time worrying about not being good enough. I am including a bit of health and fitness on my list as I feel better in my clothes when I'm toned and generally healthy in body and mind. I'll be doing yoga, walking and mad living room dancing. I'll not be bothering with foundation (unless a very special occasion) this year fed up of wearing a mask..so looking after my skin will be important. I won't be spending on fast fashion ...I've done quite well on this in the past, inspired by this board and capsule wardrobe threads.

I'll think about a more detailed list and post it later.

I've copied some useful info from a previous 'Princessing thread' below for anyone that fancies it and needs inspiration.

*The term "Princessing" was invented back in 2011 by a poster called Blackswan. It was the year of the royal wedding and she proposed that every year you should get ready for a wedding you were attending as if it were your own.

I took that idea and ran with it!

The general idea behind that original thread and all the "Princessing" "Grooming" "Operation Revnovation" threads since has been to make small sustainable changes that help make you feel better. To make this measurable, most people finds it helps to make a list - not too long, no more than 20 items really of the changes you want to make. The original thread had one general list but as no two people have the same priorities I think it's better for everyone to have their own individual list. To anyone in need of inspiration the original list was:

1. 8 glasses of water a day

1. Exfoliating
2. Using some kind of teeth whitener
3. Using some kind of regenerative face cream
4. Intensive nail care (feet and hands)
5. Some kind of eyelash growth serum
6. The Shred / other intensive exercise
7. At least 2 extra fruit & veg
8. Healthy breakfast daily.

10. Hair oil (moroccan hair oil for eg, or kerastase etc) 11. No alcohol during the week 12. Daily vitamins 13. Body brushing 14. At least 2 servings of salmon or other fatty fish per week. 15. One early night once a week. Suggest 9PM. 16. Regular hair removal 17. Give up one naughty favourite item e.g. chocolate/crisps 18. No more fizzy drinks 19. DAILY body moisturising. 20. Warm water with lemon first thing in the a.m.

You don't have to post your list but I would recommend you write it down somewhere for yourself.

Original Princessing thread*

Bought some nice undies today in M&S, and a new lipstick and hair dye. Resisted the urge to buy a cake in Costa, so feeling virtuous.

Haircut today
Bought some Prai serum and cream to use once my current cream is finished
Ordered some lipscrub, it can sit by my toothbrush to use at night

That's enough for now

One thing I've learned this year is that change is a progress, not a quick fix. So, it's OK if we don't keep up with our Princessing every day. Over time we'll one feeling fabulous.

I'm trying not to buy clothes till the summer as I am going to the US and last time I went there I had a very nice shop.

Yesterday I did however buy some Gliss Mirror shine and their 4-in-1 repair. I have the original Gliss (the clear one) and I really like it. I'm quite obsessed with having shiny hair so I'm happy to pay out for it.

Things still going OK.
I had bablights done on Thursday
I've still not had any alcohol despite going on several big parties. I've had no UPFs and no extra sugar, so no sweets, cakes, biscuits or snacks.
I'm following the 30 plants a week way of eating a d that's very easy.

I'm ha ing one cup I'd coffee every other day compared to 6 to 10 a day in November.

Well now I need lip scrub 😄

I meant babylights not bablights obviously!!!

Well now I need lip scrub 😄

I ordered one as soon as I read it 😝

I've got some Sally Hanson hard as nails treatment to try and get some strength into my nail. I've been using the growth one but while it makes them grow faster they are still very weak. Hopefully this will help.

Had a deluxe pedicure at the chiropodist today. Soft shiny feet, I'm going to continue this every 2months, made my next appt already. Tomorrow, I'll paint my toenails and Lumea my legs. I've had a full body scrub in the shower.

I've had my nails 💅 done this week and hairdressers so my roots no longer sparkle silver. Next appts for those are booked in 3 weeks. 👑 Wearing my princess crown with pride 😇

I did a full body scrub and used a nice body lotion after my shower this morning. Planning a face mask tomorrow morning, foot file and moisturising socks.
I weighed myself this morning and I actually lost 2lbs in January which I know isn’t much but I’m happy with it!

Feeling quite pleased with January: drank at least two litres of water every day, kept up with skincare including eyelash serum, got my running back up again, ticked off a sight test and a contact lens check and got new glasses.

Plans for February: keep going with the above, start to increase runs so I’m doing 5K three times a week instead of only once a month and eat more fruit and veg (aiming for five a day but it’s embarrassing how few times I’ve actually achieved that). Haircut booked for tomorrow, and I finally got round to doing a manicure and painted my toenails as well.

I've been watching but not actually posted yet.
I've done quite well actually, managed to keep on top of a lot compared to how I normally do.
Yeses:
Daily vitamins (multivit and vitamin d)
Morning and evening skincare routine
Body brushing
Salux cloth
Moisturising
Less biting of nails (not fully got there yet but a lot better than normal)
Lots of water
Lost half a stone
Teeth whitening

To work on:
Less takeaways
Continue with stopping biting my nails!
Paint my nails
Get eyebrows and lashes done
Work on exercise - I just don't seem to have spare time
Linked with not having spare time - reduce mindless scrolling!

Yesterday I had a MASSIVE pamper.

Hair wash, mask, and Glaze treatment
Skin steam, mask, NuFace session then skin care routine
Plucked eyebrows
Removed upper lip hair
IPL chin
IpL bikini, lower legs
shower with coffee scrub, then coconut oil body lotion
pedicure
manicure
teeth whitening and lip scrub (arrived yesterday, it’s good)

All whilst watching “10 years younger” episodes to motivate me

Took all bloody day 😜

Love this!

I tried some perfume today (Liz Earle)
Years ago I liked the 15 (spicy) and 1 (lemony)

Today I tried the 100 and the 20 and another try of 1 as I read it had changed .
They were "awful" . The 20 smelled of nothing then eventually settled on my skin to smell awful
The 15 smells like rubber .(I didn't try this as my senses would be overloaded and I know it smells awaful)

I had a change to my sense of smell and taste with Covid , also menopausal so my skin has changed .

I also tried a Penhalligons trial set and some from Eden.
Hated all of them.

I think I am destined to not ever wear prefume .

Oh and I need to wax my top lip , the mirror in the loo at work is not kind.

I’m on holiday and went to a local salon to have a chin ad lip thread. She also did a nose wax which hurt like hell but felt so good after! I’ve never had that before. My usual therapist threads near the nostril.

I am going on a big holiday to visit family in March and have booked my treatments over two days.
These include:
hair cut and highlights
eyebrows thread and tinted.
classic eyelashes on the outer corner and a few on lower lashes
botox for my vertical anger lines!
manicure and pedicure.
I’m thinking of having a lip blush done.

My eating is going well. I’ve not been on the scales but I’ve still had no alcohol since between Christmas and New Year despite going to loads of events and parties.
ive not had a sweet, cake, biscuit or any upf since before Christmas either. I had hoped the weight would have dropped quite a bit but nothing obvious yet. However this time, I don’t feel like giving up.

i had a bra fitting and got 5 different style bras. Now that has made a huge difference from my ‘let’s have a guess at my size’ bras from Primark.
I’ll just keep on keeping on.

What type of perfume do you like @70isaLimitNotaTarget?
I’m having my hair done today which I’m really looking forward to! Have kept up with exercise this week and am drinking more water.
Need to do a body scrub and face mask over the weekend and still struggling to get into the habit of using body lotion daily (only managing a couple of times a week and my skin feels so dry so definitely needs it!). Anyway, have a good weekend all

Citrus and Spice mainly ,

My 100% favourite smell is Nuxe but only on other people ( I won't wear it)

I bought some Eden dupes but I didn't know what the originals smelled like , I went by Oh that one sounds nice and bought some sample sprays .

Floral Street Rhunarb smelled like candy floss

Molecule 1 - I'm one of the people it smells like nothing

I love Molton Brown Orange and Bergamot shower gel , but the matching cologne was nasty .

<sigh>

I hardly ever get around to these threads but I broke my leg two weeks ago. Now I'm not in constant pain, but facing a few months stuck at home, I thought something decent might as well come of it. I plan to emerge like a butterfly in a few months time...

And I need a focus to prevent me spiralling into depression being so bloody bored.

So my plan is:

Food/Nutrition
_

1. Count calories - worried about potential weight gain from sitting on my arse all day, and the impact this could have on my recovery/physio (overweight as it is)

1. Eat high protein, calcium rich foods (to promote leg healing/reduce muscle loss) - no idea if this will help!

1. 7 portions fruit and veg per day

1. Take vitamins (esp Bs, D3 and magnesium), fish oils, anti inflammatory supplement (no idea if it's bollocks, anything to potentially help my leg heal)

1. Pro and prebiotics/ kefhir/kimchi/kimbucha for gut health

1. 2 portions of oily fish per week. One Avocado. Small portion of nuts and seeds with breakast (hard to do all of this on low calories!). I've knocked 300 cals off my usual amount to account for being so sedantry (am usually v active)

1. Was hoping to lose 2 stone before this. Maintaining is now my goal!

1. Drink plenty of water, and one green tea per day

Exercise
_

1. Bought dumbells to do upper body strength training every other day

1. Do 20 minures at least of seated yoga every day

Beauty
_

1. Cutical oil as much as possible
2. Hand cream b4 bed (not great in the day with crutches)
3. Dug out my foreo bear and led face mask. Both unused 🙄. Use both every day
4. Using tret at night, vit c serum in the morning
5. Bought all sorts of creams, serums, face masks to try. Been using these for a week or so. Skin seems brighter but peeling from tret
6. Dug out a load of old hair masks so sticking them on over night
7. Can't really to body scubs/lotions so that's all out for now.
8. Overnight hand mask once a week
9. Teet whitening. Got a kit from my dentist but stopped due to sensitivity. Will give it another go...

Sleep

Is shit. Can't find a comfortable position. A work in progress...

Would love suggestions for:

Gradual fake tan
Facial face tan
For when I emerge!

Thoughts on collagen supplements- I've always thought they were a scam, but considering them - leg making me vulnerable to nonsense?!

Uplifting TV/books/films/podcasts

Positive broken leg stories!

Aa soon as I can get about I'm booking:

Hygienist
Hair cut/toner
Eyebrow shape/lvl
Leg wax!
Pedicure/Podiatrist- who knows what my foot looks like under this bloody cast!
Facial/botox

Sorry to hear about your leg @MrsMaudwatts

Your list sounds epic. I've got back to it as well this past week and have been enjoying doing some weights and remembering to moisturise properly before bed.
I want to get back on tanning too once I've used my Lumea. The best I've tried actually is the Dove one. Doesn't streak like some of the more expensive ones.

For sleep, may I suggest a silk pillowcase? I know it’s not the answer to all sleep related issues, but since I started using one, I haven’t woken up with face creases. I used a cotton one last night and woke up with creases.

Also intrigued to hear from anyone who has tried collagen supplements.

And has anyone found peptides to be any good?

I need to sort out smoothing my skin and I don’t know what to use. It looks like bumpy and like an acne rash but isn’t! It’s not red either. Suggestions welcome.

I’d like to use fake tan but I’m very pale and always end up looking yellow.

I've got less than a hundred days till my birthday - not a Big Birthday but another year older.

I need to buy some summer dresses , just for doddering abiut in when it's hot , so much easier than tops/trousers . My M&S ones are probably 4-5 years old now and starting to look a bit ropey.

Plan to increase my hair conditioning , Elasticiser and Olaplex,
And wax my 'tache

PK Densisty Scalp Mask on - it's a new one to me , I applied this to my scalp and some Elasticizer to my hair then a plastic shower cap so my scalp can sweat attractively to enhance the effect

I'll do a scrub in the showe (and use the scrubby cloth where I cannot reach)
Thats 2 off the List

Got to say, my skin is SO much better in just 3 maybe 2.5 weeks of tret, daily LED facemask, and daily Foreobear!

Not sure the tret has had time to do much - except make me shiny- I usually give up with it at this point but I'm going to keep going.

I've also lost 9 lbs so feeling delighted!! But bloody fed up.

Keeping up with the oily fish, loads of veg, fermented food, vitamins, water. Not done the hand packs as trying tret in hands instead

Still sleeping terribly. Given up on hair stuff as too much of a faff to wash out when I'm reliant on dh to help me out of the shower.

Not sticking do mu h to the exercise. I'm so bored/fed up - I don't feel any more positive for doing it and I usually stay motivated with exercise because it gives me a buzz.

Facing 12 more weeks of this so I need to keep persevering...

Anyway, pleased with face and weightloss!