What are your NO-NONSENSE style and grooming tips? With products, if poss...

[HildegardVonBingham]

I'll start:

• If you have fine hair it is often best to get it cut shorter. If it's long it can look straggly and wispy. I have accepted my fate, and my hair looks much fuller and healthier now it's all cut to one blunt length.
• The idea that you have to have your nails 'done' all the time is insane and costly. Just keep them clean, filed, and use cuticle oil. In my view a grown-out manicure or acrylics looks bad.
• This is the most hydrating and natural-looking lip tint on the market. It's sooooo good - you can apply it without looking: https://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1605/4772/makeup/lipsticks/almost-lipstick-in-black-honey-pink-honey-and-nude-honey
• If you use a retinol (and you should), use it in conjunction with a serum and moisturiser so that the skin barrier repairs, and you avoid flakey bits of skin round your nose. Naturally wear SPF!!!
• Better to get clothes a size up and have them tailored and taken in. Even a woman with an amazing body looks like a sausage bursting its casing in too-small clothes.
• Colour theory is real. If you have 'high contrast' you can get away with wearing a lot of make-up. I think that a 'full glam' looks amazing on women with darker skin tones, but as I'm pale and blonde I can't really carry a lot of make-up. The 'bold lip' is a massive scam!
• Gradual tan on the body and tanning drops in your moisturiser can make you look slimmer and better-rested with minimal effort if you are pale.
• Your trousers should be almost too long - this makes your legs look longer.

Would be interested to hear any other NO NONSENSE advice you may have.... for instance I would love to know the best exfoliant to use on the body, and how I can avoid getting disgusting calloused hobbit feet from exercise 🤓

@outerspacepotato hi, can I ask where can I buy the Japanese or Korean Italy towels from?

Brush and floss your teeth. Get them whitened if you can. But only slightly.

good eyebrows

sleeeeep!!!!

Always choose the next day's outfit on the night before. Get everything out and hang it up. Even get your bra, pants and socks/tights out and any jewellery you might want to wear. Saves so much pissing about in the morning.

A good heat protector spray for your hair.
Change your mascara every 2-3 months.
I love a colour coordinated pair of earrings.
Spritz of perfume into the air and flip your hair through it.
Keep your tinted lip balm everywhere - handbag, car, coat pocket, desk. Reapplying it throughout the day keeps you looking pulled together.
A decent makeup compact to touch up my oily nose and forehead in my bag.
Good quality tights.
Its boring but always do your nightly skin routine.
Polish your shoes. Makes such a difference and keeps them looking great for years.

Zinc supplements are fantastic for hardening the nails.

Tinted vaseline reapplied to lips throughout the day - I'm 47 and my lips are the only part of me that hasn't aged a day, they look the same as they did when I was 15.

Body Shop 'Drops of Light' exfoliator for face and hands - takes a layer of skin off - then followed by a really rich moisturiser.

Amazon has them. If you have H Mart, they have them.

If your hair is curly, don’t do the big towel dry. Just squeeze the excess moisture out with a microfibre towel and apply your products. A Brazilian woman with curly tendrils told me this and now I have curly tendrils too,

Hypothetically if I literally do nothing.....where should I start?! I used to wear eye make up & mascara, do my hair, look together. But now I'm a bit of a shambles tbh.....

Get your teeth whitened. I got mine done as a stopping smoking present when I was 20. Get way more compliments now. Not even compliments about my teeth, just general compliments.

Not sure if this is S&B or not but keep a couple of needles threaded with basic colours stuck in the edge of your ironing board so you can tackle any small hemming jobs while you iron. Otherwise you will probably put the item in your wardrobe and then fail to wear it because you don't have time to repair it.

Agree on dealing with heel and soles on shoes and boots in a timely way. Ditto waterproofing them before winter each year. I have just worn a 12 year old pair of leather boots that have been well looked after so they genuinely don't look their age.

I will take from this thread the tip about serum and moisturiser over retinol. I wasn't sure if I could do that so haven't been.

Think about your blind spots - eg ear wax. (Not something that affects me personally but it's not a pretty sight sitting next to someone in a meeting and being greeted with this when looking to the side).

Always carry tissues in case of a runny nose when coming in from the cold/unexpected sneeze.

Wash your smelly parts with actual bar soap.

Uniqlo. That’s my tip. Versatile, stylish, well made.

I am very impressed with the Victoria Beckham lip pencils (and eye ones). Pricey, but definitely a case of getting what you pay for.

Touché eclat is a highlighter, don’t use it as a concealer.

I love having my nails done - it’s my treat to myself. I have some good hand cream too.

Moving to brown mascara from black has been a game changer for me and a good eye cream has helped. Brow wax every 3-4 weeks as I am useless at sorting my own brows out!!

Fashion wise some good boots go with everything. I keep my day to day jewellery on all the time - but there are times when I add new rings etc from the stuff my DM left me.

Lol at No nonsense

Hemming on the ironing
tailoring too big clothes.

fgs

Some great tips, and I agree with all of yours @HildegardVonBingham and most of the rest on this thread as well.

Wearing a bra that has been properly fitted and colours that suit you makes a huge difference.

Does anyone on here know of an organic skincare range that really works on older skin.. I am getting older and probably should use some of the non organic products but i am afraid of chemicals.

I recall that it was originally marketed as both, but could never for the life of me figure out how to use it both ways.

No I hate it too!

They used to give it away in the sets and it used to end up in the bottom of a drawer. No-one liked it, then came along Gen Z.

i do like the Clarins lip oils though.

For feet, the overnight foot balm by Margaret Dabbs is the only thing that’s worked for me.

I like the Make up Forever all in one cream palette as they are quick to use as part of a simple morning make up routine on top of sunscreen. It is also easy to travel with. You can just use your fingers to apply it.

Use a dust of powder over the top if you want to make it last all day.

I really like Green People products including their tinted moisturiser

In the past few years I've really changed my approach to skincare and my skin is now the best it has ever been, I actually have less wrinkles than I did two years ago. I've taken away all chemicals and cleanse with a simple jojoba or sea buckthorn oil. I moisturise with beef tallow and that's it. I only use SPF occasionally - I have found sensible exposure to vitamin D one of the best things for my skin - it also makes me more aware of being careful in the sun naturally.
I do sculpting face massage every day - it's 10 mins and sooo relaxing and has relieved my general anxiety so much, I think I look happier which has also massively helped.

I agree with clean, cared for nails and well fitted clothes.

I stick with my natural hair colour, blow dry it once a week and sleep with it in a silk scarf. I take vitamins every day without fail which helps with my energy levels.

For the first time ever I feel like my self care routine is manageable and I'm able to keep up with it every day which makes a big difference, all these years I had long complicated steps to skincare etc and whenever I was tired/unwell/fed up it would be the thing that dropped.

@waitandwonder what sculpting face routine do you follow please?