What changes made the biggest difference to your overall appearance?

[AtLeastInHeavenICanSkate]

Inspired by some other threads (NC alert) I’ve decided the time is ripe for an overhaul/glow up. My plan is to make significant changes over a period of time and do a new one each month whilst keeping the old changes- nothing revolutionary but needed and I hope to get long term benefits/results.

at the moment my diet is pretty crap-which will be my next focus - the first was a new hairdo (which is a change and growing on me!), then multi vitamins, then 2L of water each day then a form of exercise each week.

In the short term before as I’m making bigger adjustments I’m hoping to get some advice on what are the likely to be the most significant gains to look like me but better.
I don’t like the feel of acrylics and currently don’t wear any make up.

Get sea and or mountain air as regularly as you can. Get sleep. Laugh x

I feel like I need a miracle.

Losing 4st and having my bob cut into a pixie.

Big effects:
Losing 20+kg and lifting weights
Good hair - professional grey blending/highlights and blow waving it at home

Little pick me ups:
Blush, lip gloss
Self tanning drops (on my legs in summer and my face in winter)

Increasing protein in my diet, cutting processed foods including sugars.

I’ve been on marine and bovine collagen for about two years now and it has made a huge difference to my skin and overall health.

Vit D increase - I have benefited immensely from this and no longer struggle in winter with low mood.

Hair already mentioned in this thread - huge difference.

Make-up - I’ve never been bothered but last year invested in a dark eyeliner which I apply tight to my top lashes at the outer edges, a much lighter brown everywhere else (a barely there brown) which simply defines my eyeshape, and a layer of mascara. My makeup fussy daughter very much approves and say I look put-together and very ‘French’.

I also put tanning drops in my regular moisturiser a few times a week and it helps bring a healthy glow to my skin.

What tanning drops are people using?

Strength training with fat loss has made an enormous difference.
eating more protein min 100g a day. Great for your skin too.
HRT (49)
spf 50
tret

i 100% look better than I did 10 years ago.

clothes fit better and my face has changed shape

Botox (upper 3 areas and my masseters) and fake tan

For me, the biggest difference was losing 2 stone on Weightwatchers, and toning up with exercise and weights.

After that it is managing my hair (keratin treatment), looking after my skin (Tret, Medik8), eyebrow maintenance (shape and tint), maintaining teeth (but need to whiten) and cover up my battered toenails from running with a dark colour and keep nails on hands short and natural.

I am not really into clothes, jewellery and accessories. I have some nice clothes but I believe that if you are a healthy weight, have nice skin and hair, you will look amazing in jeans and a T shirt. I know lots of women who are really well groomed and they would make a bin bag look good.

Teeth! I have spent an inordinate amount of money having my smile improved, including a bit of straightening with Invisalign and a treatment to make them more white. Takes years and years off.
Also some baby Botox. I still have movement in my face but my crows feet are just not pronounced at all now

I'm in the middle of teeth bleaching and am just coming up to the end of the 1st week (the programme is 2 weeks overnight wearing the trays then 1 week wearing them for a couple of hours in the day).
It's already made a big difference to me. I feel a lot more confident. I'm already smiling much more often and it's a "proper" smile, not the tight, closed-lip one I'm used to give to hide my mustard-coloured teeth.
I've got 2 implants to be put in at 1 side of my mouth (I've not long had the bone graft) and I'm really looking forward to that too.

Eta Sorry, @AtLeastInHeavenICanSkate
Just read back and realised you said you'd tried bleaching and it didn't work for you.

Agree with this.
Especially as you get older, teeth that are too perfect and, particularly, too white can look like dentures (anybody who's seen Jurgen Klopp in the Trivago ad will know what I mean).
My mother had full dentures from an early age and got them done privately (this was back in the day when private dentistry was much less common) so they weren't perfectly even and very white.
Even with the bleaching, I suspect mine will look dark cream compared with Katie Price's gnashers, but that's fine by me 😬

One of my New Year’s resolutions was learning to do my nails myself - Invest in a good quality base and top coat and go for gold.

Sleep
hydration
face oil - at 50 creams were not working well and gel a disaster.

When I divorced aged 50, I grew my hair, went blonde, whitened my teeth and had Botox. For a night out I wore eyelashes and had a spray tan. I looked like a completely different person. If you just want superficial, that’s easy!

Also for you make up will make a massive difference, even just mascara.

Health wise you might want to do the other things but they won’t make a visible difference. I rarely drink alcohol any more and feel better for it. I have given up caffeine, take a multivitamin, drink water. For two years I have been back to the gym after not exercising for ten years.

Definitely making an effort with your clothes and planning what to wear and how to put things together is important. Lots of tips on social media for that.

Weight training - above anything else I would urge any woman to exercise with weights at least 3-4 times a week. I’m in my 70s, so please listen to me: weight training will improve your quality of life more than anything else as you age.

Secondly, and in no particular order…

a good haircut
getting your teeth sorted
wear sun screen, always
take style advice from that French woman on YouTube
commit as much time as possible to stuff that really floats your boat

Eyebrows. I never used to do a thing to them. I was brought up very practically, that these things were frivolous, etc. I started getting threading in my 30s, and the difference it made it to my face was astonishing. Honestly, it knocked years off. I now get them waxed every 4 weeks. I don't bother with tinting them as it fades after two days.

Losing 3 stone recently has made a massive difference. I can see my cheekbones, I don't have to use face slimming filters on my photos (I know..) and can wear loads more outfits without bulging out of them.

I also pay more attention to my hair then I did, getting a trim every 6 weeks, but I do dye the roots at home - the salon charges £90 for root dye and a blow dry, and my roots come back in after 2-3 weeks, so no thanks.

I agree about weight training and one or twice a week isn’t enough; you really need at least 3-4 times a week to progress. Also, hair, teeth and eyebrows make a big difference in appearance. I just started collagen yesterday so will see how that goes.

I’m trying this too OP. Am losing weight (very slowly 😬), started strength training with a PT, had my colours done, and started doing a few treatments which make me feel loads better (regular eyebrow wax, lash lift, builder gel on my nails).

the easiest thing which I think has made a lot of difference to my skin is actually starting to look after it properly. I was really slovenly about this before, often went to bed without washing my face 😳. Now I cleanse before bed, use a BHA exfoliant a few times a week, then retinol and moisture. In the morning I use vitamin c before moisturiser and spf. Can’t believe how much brighter and clearer my skin looks since I started this about 6m ago

Another one saying weights and workouts
I had lost all my weight and kept it off for years but was wibbly wobbly, and couldn’t lose the stubborn bits.
working out has completely changed my shape and vastly reduced things like bingo wings and lower belly fat.
The confidence it has brought me has positively affected every other aspect of my life

TEETH WHITENING!!! Got it as a “stopped smoking” gift for myself at 21 and never looked back. I got loads of compliments and people couldn’t work out what I’d had done. It’s honestly something I would consider getting my kids when they turn 18 because I really think it makes a big impact (and they get their yellow teeth from me).

Also taking better care of my curly hair but I only started that recently and it took a lot of trial and error. My niece actually showed me and she learned everything from tick tok. She was watching me dry my hair and said “no no you are creating so much frizz!!” And I hate to say it but… oh my god I was.

A super cheap and easy one is dying your eyebrows, you can do it at home and it doesn’t cost much at all. A bit of skill to it but if you can apply make up you can definitely do it.

Losing weight, good hair cut, dressing in more fitted good quality clothes. I think we often prioritise comfort over everything but there are comfortable clothes that also look pulled together, losing weight makes this easier. I often look at styles on Pinterest and go sway between boho and quite sharp tailored dressing, but the common denominator is all the models are slim!

I think whatever you do it has to be sustainable for you. If you start Botox you need to be able to keep it up. If you start limiting or cutting out certain things entirely that needs to be sustainable. I know I don't want I do without my weekend wine and olives (or occasionally cheese and crackers) so I don't even try. Likewise if I want a slice of cake or some chocolate I will have it.

I agree on taking up exercise that works for you. I absolutely hate running but I like my exercise bike and weights.

A good haircut and using SPF helps. And wearing clothes that fit well and make you feel good.

When people are talking about strength training and lifting weights, is this at home or going to a gym? How do you go about it?

This is a really inspiring post.

Sustainable long term adjustment for sustainable long term gain.