Please help my face

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Early forties and face is a disaster. Lots of sun damage (I know, I’ve always worn sunscreen and not a sunbather but evidently not enough and now paying the price), blotchy and just generally crap, it seems to have just started in last few years since I had kids and gets worse. Anyway, it’s making me really self conscious. Have started using retinol and a decent moisturiser (previous skincare was simple moisturiser since I was a teen) but I need some make up help to try and make me look less awful now the damage has been done.

Ive only ever worn a little bit of rimmel concealer under my eyes and a tiny bit of mascara. I’ve recently tried liquid concealers after doing a bit of research. Have tried three different brands. Every time I think I’ve got a match and put it on and try to blend it in and then later in the day I can see patches of orange…I’ve also tried a bb cream and a tinted moisturiser and the same happens.
Please can someone recommend something I can put on my face to just make it look less awful and blotchy but also not bright orange!? I have no confidence with make up and don’t feel like i have a face that suits it if that makes sense. I think if I went full on foundation it would just give people who have to look at me a huge shock. I just feel really silly either way tbh.
Any advice readily welcomed x

Have you had a look at balms and tinted serums rather than concealer and / or foundation?

I rarely wear make up, not that I am gorgeous or anything but I csn't be bothered wearing it and found it just looked like stuff on my fave rather than helping me look good, if that makes sense?

I use Clarins Instant Snooth Perfecting Touch whichnis s primer rather than foundation, so it won't gove you the heavy coverage ypu might feel.you need but slmost blurs your skin with a tint of colour to give you a healthy glow, andvthe Beauty Pie Superluminous under eye cream/ concealer that brightens rather than cakes over your skin.

I you are willing to risk the heavier coverage you might find the glowy sort of products are better than expected?

Also, Palmers Cocoa butter on a night (early evening so it has time to sink into your skin and not smear all.over your pillows!) And vitamin D, folic acid and iron.

Good luck, hope you fell better about yourself op x

Concealers have never really worked for me and I’ve tried lots of different formulations at different price points, including ones that have been very well reviewed. I know they work well for some people. If foundation is too cakey or patchy on you (that could be because of the condition of your skin, rather than the foundation), you could try a tinted moisturizer, a bb cream, or as the pp said, a serum.

I’m a few years older than you and use Origins GinZing most days. I put some Mac Mineral foundation lightly on when I want more coverage for the evenings. I’ve also successfully used a light Number 7 foundation - Hydraluminous- for years. I used to throw a lot of money at foundations but a Chanel one I used was discontinued and I found the Number 7 was as good as the alternatives.

In my early 40s, as a new mum my skin went through an awful phase. It looked like I’d been burned. I realized that I was allergic to an ingredient of an expensive moisturizer I was using and that this and general fatigue/ stress was impacting my skin in a way that any foundation couldn’t help. I pared everything back completely and now use Cerave Hydrating Cleanser (my whole family use it) an unperfumed hyaluronic acid serum, with niacinamide (v cheap), and currently a Fresh moisturizer- but unperfumed cheap moisturizers have also been fine. I occasionally use a gentle lactic or azelaic acid for exfoliation. I use a gentle retinol with bakuchiol a few times a week. My skin has been very unreactive for years now and I have always had rosacea so that’s an additional consideration .

I’m not pretending I look younger than I did in my early 40s but my skin is definitely in better condition. on the surface. I’d consider if you are reacting to something and also make sure you are looking after yourself, diet with good fats and veg, hydration etc.

@totalnamechanger @FleaDog Thank you so much for both taking the time to reply. Have taken on board what you have both said and agree. I am going to take a look into the products you suggest when I hopefully get some child-free time this evening.
I’m definitely not a make up person in that it’s not really my look (if that makes sense) and just feel I’ll look ridiculous. Make up counters in shops scare me and I feel really intimated by the people that work there! I’ve always had pretty good skin so been lucky in that I haven’t had to really worry. However, it can be sensitive and this is the issue I’ve had with sun cream on my face…my eyes seem to react to anything that goes within two inches of them and water and I think the tears maybe just rub off what I put on. Same for make up etc. It can also be quite dry so I think maybe that’s why make up doesn’t sink in properly or something.
I eat well, exercise etc (probably should do more but with young children it’s hard) but I definitely feel like all of a sudden my face has caught up with me. Think I’m perimenopausal tbh so also worrying about everything. Am definitely a lesson to all young people to wear suncream and a hat every day of the year.
Anyway, as I say, I will get googling later on! Thank you x

What’s your budget? If you can afford lumecca treatment I would 100% recommend it will completely remove the sun spots.

vit c supplements for brightness
zinc supplements for pigmentation and uneven tone

look for both in skincare. Again depending on budget dr murad vit c barrier cream is nice.

turmeric overnight face mask you can get on amazon for about £15. Excellent product and you leave it to set while you sleep.

@ChicJoker thank you. I’ve never heard of lumecca so will look into it. Tbh, I don’t have much money atm but I’m prepared to make this a priority! I literally have never had to worry about my skin and now feel like it’s all going wrong, I feel really silly. I’m prepared to try anything so making a note of all of this and will work my way through it and hopefully find something that helps me. Failing that, if it gets much worse I might just buy a mask, haha

If sunscreen irritates you, you can try a zinc based barrier one instead. They are sometimes called mineral sunscreens. You should notice they smell less- or at least less chemically. I use one from a local dermatologist but they’ll be loads on the boots website too.

The Origins product I mentioned above is factor 40 (it smells of oranges so I’m not sure if that’s ok for you) so great for every day when you’re not out in the sun too much but use a separate mineral/ zinc one for holidays and summer days. The types of days you put sun-cream on your kids.

Op, don't be afraid to go to Clarins or other brands you are considering and ask fior tester pots - that's what got me using the primer! X

My friend had really bad sun damage on her face and booked a course of microdermabrasion and it worked wonders some local beauty colleges do it a lot more cheaply but remember to tell them about the retinol use.