What has made a real difference to your style and beauty?

[Darkdiamond]

Just that really? What have you done that has really worked or that you can't go without? A product or habit or anything that you think has really helped you to look better. I am just in a bit of a rut and want some inspiration! Thanks!

L'Oréal Paris Hair Serum Elvive Extraordinary Oil Miracle, Intense Nourishment, Up to 6x more Shine, up to 230° heat protection, suitable for all hair types, 100ml : Amazon.co.uk: Beauty

I had my colours done and now I only buy from my palette (soft autumn).
I was sceptical but it's been transformative for my clothes, make up and jewelry.

Cutting out bread. My tummy is more comfortable and less bloated, and joint pain has hugely reduced.

Getting a colour analysis and only wearing clothes in those colours. Amazing what a difference it makes to wear charcoal or navy suits for work instead of black!

Wearing nicer fabrics - cashmere, silk, cotton, linen. Clothes seem to hang far better and are much more comfortable

Less clothing but focus on quality .
wearing the colours that suit my skin tone
Being fit - mainly walking and strength training . When one is in good shape clothes look better.
vitamin C serum
A West African herbal tablet that my Nigerian work colleague introduced me to called Jobelyn . Great antioxidant and has so many other benefits .
Facial scrub once a week

Loads

Ages ago - nose job and teeth straightening

Now - keeping slim (I hate this to be the case but its true for me), getting into skincare and using actives religiously, currentbody led mask and ziip halo (use both of these daily)

Ton of other stuff but that'll do for now

Braces, as a teen. After years of being bullied for my wonky teeth, it was weird how much better people treated me, just because I looked more like their version of "normal".

Laser hair removal! I have very fair skin and very dark hair, so it is quite a contrast.

I have had a mixture of laser treatment, antibiotics, Skinoren and Ivermectin to try to reduce the redness of my rosacea. It is paler, but I'm still persevering with that.

Lastly, my style... erm, I went into farming. My clothes are now dark, practical colours that hide the dirt a bit better! Clothes and boots are made more for comfort and practicality than fashion. Farming also had a dramatic increase on my fitness levels and muscle tone!

I have Japanese conditioning on the list to deal with my hair, laser eye surgery and perhaps teeth whitening in the future.

Keratin blow dry. Makes life so much easier!

Getting brows tattooed on. Went to a consultant who is amazing and does all the kinds of brows. I didn't want to look like I was wearing makeup when I wasn't. The end result is surprisingly natural. And yes you could tell if you stared, but not noticeable usually.

I would like to give a vote to that hair oil. I was using the Kerastase Elixir one - costs a fortune and made my hair so lank. Bought the L’Oréal one on offer and it’s amazing!

This Nip + Fab Peptide Oil. My face is glowing. I'm not on commission, it's just been such a dream on my skin. One bottle has lasted me months. I use it alongside just my usual Lidl moisturiser. Smells gorgeous. The pipette thing makes me feel like a scientist. Big fan.

Peptide Fix Finishing Oil 2% 30ml

But also, getting out of the dieting yo yo shit and binning of diet culture totally. I'm at peace with my body and I'm treating her well by nourishing her with varied and delicious food without guilt, and moving in ways that I enjoy, that make me feel fitter and stronger not smaller and punished.

Oh and buying clothes I love for the body I have right now, not an imaginary body I wish I had. Buying clothes mindfully too so I wear them repeatedly in different ways and not just wearing the same as everyone else.

A couple of things… One was dealing with perioral dermatitis that cropped up during perimenopause. I used Elidel (Pimecrolimus) which is a topical immunosuppressant. I also jumped straight into fighting severe/very fast hair loss medically. Went to a specialist dermatologist who diagnosed me with both androgenic alopecia and telogen effluvium. I was prescribed oral minoxidil and spironolactone. The spironolactone affects hormone production and it totally cleared up the remaining perioral dermatitis.
I have always been a rabid spf user (Aus) and that won’t change. I also use Tretinoin. I started about 20 years ago on 0.025% and in the last few years I have jumped up to 0.05% and it’s made a big difference. I use less than the recommended pea-sized amount. (Maybe half of that?) I put a milky toner on my face and dot the tretinoin on the aging areas - marionette area, jowls, orbital area, crows feet, between upper lip and nose, and then rub it over the face from those areas. Then a thicker, balmy moisturiser at night. My skin is good. Very few wrinkles, and my skin tone is very even. I do have a hideous sun hat and spf parasol for walking on hot days. (Great to embarrass the teenagers)
Of course I would love to say I drink lots of water, eat healthily etc but that needs to improve.

@MajorProcrastination agree with your whole post! Love it! I love that peptide oil too, put it on just before i go to bed, it is wonderful.

I also don't drink alcohol anymore. I mean i might on a very special occasion but it just doesn't do anything for me anymore sadly.

And clothing wise, i am a one in one out woman. I have one rail of clothes ( and a shelf of jumpers). I do have another rail up in the attic but it doesn't have much on it. I like to be able to see everything I have :)

I would like to try micro-needling but am a bit scared!

Keratin treatment - saves me hours and £££ trying to control my frizzy hair.

loosing weight and feeling comfortable in my clothes

moving to sheer make up products and going for the ‘make up no make up’ look

shark hot brush - I’m hopeless at styling but this massively helps

Adding to my sparse brows with brow tattoo. I found it really painful but would 100% do it again. Has made a huge difference to my face

Styling my hair and doing my make up every day - I feel so much better when I do - takes less than 20 minutes.
Olaplex hair oil
Morrocan oil Frizz Shield Spray - great product and smells incredible
Tan Luxe facial tanning drops
Cream blush - Trinny, Charlotte Tilbury or Zoeva
The what three words describe your style thing - I worked mine out to be Classic, Modern, Glamour - when I shop, I try to stick to that 😬
Taking the time to accessorise

I've just placed this in my Amazon basket. £26 on there at the moment.

Intermittent fasting - I am less bloated and it is excellent for keeping my weight stable.

Eating more whole foods and really restricting the amount of UPFs I eat. That has made a radical difference not only to my skin and how I look but also how I feel. I still have the occasional junk food but it's the exception rather than the rule. I really notice now how rubbish I feel if I eat too much junk nowadays which keeps me on track.

Keratin hair treatment every six months and a good haircut every two months so all I need to do is brush it in the morning and I'm done. My hair is naturally a thick frizzball so this keeps it in check.

Consistent skincare routine that includes SPF in the mornings. I think being consistent with it is more important than which products you use.

Jewellery every day.

Clothing wise it has been buying less and ruthlessly getting rid of anything that makes me feel rubbish, frumpy or isn't comfortable.

I also got rid of all pattern in my wardrobe. It's such a personal one but I realised patterned prints on my clothes really weren't doing it for me and I now stick to block colours only. It makes it easier to mix and match items so I can make more outfit combinations out of fewer clothes. Patterns look great on some people but not me!

Same for me, except mine was in 2019. Made a huge difference to what I wear and I’m a lot more confident, and now get compliments. For the record, I’m a pear shape, autumn, who wears size 12-14 tops, and 18 trousers, so I ‘m no skinny model.

Posture. I have a friend who looks so much younger than her age and she said if you walk tall it takes ten years off you. I agree!

Tooth whitening.

i love this one as well.

Running. I've been doing it for 20 years now and looking at the photos of when I started, I look younger now! Obviously my face has changed but my body shape, posture, energy levels and general attitude make me appear younger.

Teeth whitening.

Moisturising gel rather than traditional moisturiser. My face is awkwardly very dry but spot prone due to medication and other emollients were just clogging pores and causing bumps everywhere. A gel version doesn’t and my skin is clear and smooth.

No alcohol.

Buying nicer brands on Vinted.

Committing to getting better sleep, and spending about 3 months focusing on a wind-down routine (just mild stretching, bath, getting off screens earlier, etc) so I got into the habit.
best thing I’ve ever done for my mental health and looks.
I invested in a “hatch” alarm thing that cues me when to wind down; I set it on ocean and nature sounds, and it helps a ton, although it’s not really necessary

Thin, toned body from doing barre/pilates religiously. Clothes look so much better.

RF microneedling. Smaller pores.

Staying on top of haircuts, balayage, eyebrow threading, manicures and pedicures. Look more ‘polished’.

Being happy and comfortable in my own skin. Confidence is the best outfit.

😊

Agree about the colour assessment. There's a big gap between what I like and what other people think makes me look well.

Like @redboxerclub, Mounjaro. I'm close to goal now and it's changed my life completely. Totally understood what @DriveVerySlowlyPastNumber23IWantThemToSeeMyHat (stunning user name!) was saying.

I've ordered those Korean things, so thank you @SparrowFeet