What’s your glow up secret?!

[Meh]

Has anyone had laser hair removal? If so; what are you thoughts on it?

Yep. I had excess hair on my face (yey- awesome ) basically like really thick man looking side burns. I got laser when I was 20 and it’s the best thing I ever did. Hands down. I have had over 95% permanent removal, I literally have a few stragglers I take care of. (Note I’ve tested negative twice for PCOS so it’s just been random that I had excess hair. Some folks with PCOS may need more regular top ups) I go for a top up session once a year. I have very pale skin, very dark hair so ideal laser candidate.

After you get it done put plenty of soothing aloe vera gel on, a nice ice pack and plenty of sun cream for weeks after. The day it gets done I don’t plan anything and have a day / night in the house as my skin goes very red and bumpy for 24 hours (hence the ice pack) you can’t get the area wet or out make up on it for a full day.

 

[Ifyoucantbeatemjoinem]

I use eyelure (just the eyelash one to be honest as I always do them too), and get a packet of cheap mascara wands (home bargains etc do them) dye takes quickly to your eyebrows so I started off by putting it on for 1 minute and then wiping it off with cotton wool & cold water and then reapply until you get the shade wanted - I’ve learned mine take about 3-4 minute to get to where I want them And just do it in one go now, I leave it on longer near where they meet (as mine are thinner there), Vaseline or coconut oil around the eyebrow if you have a shaky hand will stop it staining your skin xx

Brilliant. Thanks so much.

 

[Spencerskates]

I’ve had botox once, but I found that it only lasted about 8 weeks on me - one of the few downsides of having a really fast metabolism

Tan definitely makes me feel better, but I can’t always be bothered to do it, definitely going to motivate myself this week while I’m off work.

actually drying and styling my hair, and having my brows tinted and waxed.

m’love having lash extensions but they do my head in after a few weeks

 

[ChloChlo]

I forgot to add for some reason I always feel fabulous even without make up when I have a mass of chop stick curls. I am so envious of women who were born with natural bouncy or ringlet curls. I have very lank, boring hair which is straight but coarse/quite wiry in texture.

I would like to ask if anyone here has successfully had a good perm in the past few years, I got one in the 90s when I was only 13 and it was bloody terrible, judging by what I see on my teenage sons friends hairs they dont seem to have moved along much

 

[Rue Git Le Couer]

Love this thread & just wanted to say thanks for all your tips! Working from home for 7 months has resulted in me letting myself go a bit in terms of make-up, wearing nice clothes, exercise & just general self care. Today I went to Superdrug, treated myself to some bits & feel so much better even just painting my nails.
My husband always says he doesn’t care about how I look but I’ve realised that actually, I do. It’s not about being vain, it’s just about feeling good about yourself & having enough respect for yourself to want to look your best. Still going to wear joggers for my zoom meetings though!

 

[GiftedNotFree]

Love this thread & just wanted to say thanks for all your tips! Working from home for 7 months has resulted in me letting myself go a bit in terms of make-up, wearing nice clothes, exercise & just general self care. Today I went to Superdrug, treated myself to some bits & feel so much better even just painting my nails.
My husband always says he doesn’t care about how I look but I’ve realised that actually, I do. It’s not about being vain, it’s just about feeling good about yourself & having enough respect for yourself to want to look your best. Still going to wear joggers for my zoom meetings though!

Honestly, same. I never thought I’d miss travelling work but I miss it for this reason - having a requirement to keep presentable! I live by myself so have no obligation at all to put make up on etc (that sounds like I’m implying that’s a bad thing, I’m not!). I think part of any physical glow up needs some mental glow up too, so I need to get on top of my exercise game and spending more time outdoors!

 

[Rue Git Le Couer]

Honestly, same. I never thought I’d miss travelling work but I miss it for this reason - having a requirement to keep presentable! I live by myself so have no obligation at all to put make up on etc (that sounds like I’m implying that’s a bad thing, I’m not!). I think part of any physical glow up needs some mental glow up too, so I need to get on top of my exercise game and spending more time outdoors!

Agree! Never thought I would miss going to the office but I actually do miss putting on nice clothes, doing hair, make-up. Thankfully I have a large dog so I do get exercise every day although I tend to find I work longer hours at home than I did in the office so not walking as long as I would like, especially now with the darker nights!

 

[idk2]

Has anyone had laser hair removal? If so; what are you thoughts on it?

Yes. Had my whole body done a year ago and it was the best decision I've ever made in my life.

I was hairy. Light skin and jet black hair do not mix well as you can imagine. From 13 years old, I shaved everyday without fail. One day was my arms, another was my legs, my underarms etc. Two week holidays were hell bc I had to lock myself away and shave my whole body as it grew back so fast - at that age, even stubble used to mortify me even if only I could see it. Always been so hyper conscious of body hair, luckily never had any issues with facial hair.

Now? Hairless. No stubble, no ingrown hairs, no dry skin from excess shaving, no need to worry about my clothing options because I haven't shaved, not spending excess amount of time in the bathroom every week etc. And the results last. Sometimes I might get the odd hair popping up but it takes a second to remove. I have to go in every year for one top up session and it took me 8 full body sessions to be completely hairless but even after 1 session, I saw such a big reduction in hair growth. By the 6th, I stopped worrying about shaving all together as the hair was either so sparse or when it did grow back, friction from my shirts or jumpers on my skin was enough to have it fall off.

HIGHLY recommend plus I've saved a whack on hair removal products since so its really made up the cost.

 

[Beatrix]

Yes. Had my whole body done a year ago and it was the best decision I've ever made in my life.

I was hairy. Light skin and jet black hair do not mix well as you can imagine. From 13 years old, I shaved everyday without fail. One day was my arms, another was my legs, my underarms etc. Two week holidays were hell bc I had to lock myself away and shave my whole body as it grew back so fast - at that age, even stubble used to mortify me even if only I could see it. Always been so hyper conscious of body hair, luckily never had any issues with facial hair.

Now? Hairless. No stubble, no ingrown hairs, no dry skin from excess shaving, no need to worry about my clothing options because I haven't shaved, not spending excess amount of time in the bathroom every week etc. And the results last. Sometimes I might get the odd hair popping up but it takes a second to remove. I have to go in every year for one top up session and it took me 8 full body sessions to be completely hairless but even after 1 session, I saw such a big reduction in hair growth. By the 6th, I stopped worrying about shaving all together as the hair was either so sparse or when it did grow back, friction from my shirts or jumpers on my skin was enough to have it fall off.

HIGHLY recommend plus I've saved a whack on hair removal products since so its really made up the cost.

This sounds amazing! I'm so jealous, I have natural red hair so cannot get laser hair removal - otherwise I'd totally get it done.

 

[Sorry I am not sure]

I’m so happy I’ve found this thread. I’ve been feeling so low in self confidence. Put so much weight on during lockdown and just generally have given up a bit. This has inspired me to try and take care of myself a bit more xx

 

[Lollypad]

I’m so happy I’ve found this thread. I’ve been feeling so low in self confidence. Put so much weight on during lockdown and just generally have given up a bit. This has inspired me to try and take care of myself a bit more xx

I’ve also put on a bit of weight in lockdown and I’m being quite unkind to myself about it (I worked really hard to lose it last year, and have a wedding dress to get in to whenever that’s likely to happen ) but I’ve seen a lot online about this, and we’re not the only ones. More to the point, there is a lot worse going on in the world than if we’ve put on a few pounds, and realistically no one we love (or even like) will give a damn, they just want us to be healthy and happy. So, I feel ya sis, but we need to be kinder to ourselves about it.

 

[Sorry I am not sure]

I’ve also put on a bit of weight in lockdown and I’m being quite unkind to myself about it (I worked really hard to lose it last year, and have a wedding dress to get in to whenever that’s likely to happen ) but I’ve seen a lot online about this, and we’re not the only ones. More to the point, there is a lot worse going on in the world than if we’ve put on a few pounds, and realistically no one we love (or even like) will give a damn, they just want us to be healthy and happy. So, I feel ya sis, but we need to be kinder to ourselves about it.

Love this you are so right xxx

 

[at-the-disco]

Eyebrows! get them done, follow an online tutorial yourself or just fill them in, i honestly feel so much more confident when my eyebrows look good

 

[LaurieLaurie]

Fresh blonde highlights, brows and lashes, nails and sunbeds. Not much

 

[Beansprout]

I like this thread, can't wait to hear what others have to say. Maybe I can try something new and see if it works for me.

I love "spa" days. I do it myself at home to cut costs (saving money is another of my glows). Painting my nails, waxing, and facials always make me feel lighter and happier. For my facial: I have a mud mask that I put on, wash it off, and put honey on for about 30 minutes. Wash that off, then apply coconut oil. I gently dab off the oil after about another 30 minutes, but don't wash it off. Also use coconut oil as my hair conditioner.

Making the bed every morning. It makes me feel like I get more out of the day compared to days that I don't do it.

A clean house and excercise make me happy... A clean house is a privilege with a toddler around, so I really cherish those hours before it's a mess again. Excercise always makes me happy afterwards, a runners high really exists I can attest to it... But somehow it still takes me a few hours to talk myself into doing it.

Natural light is the very top of my glow list. I get sad/down very easily. Over time, I've learnt the things I need to do to pick myself up: being in a bright room with natural light is one of them (even better being outside, but not always practical). The first thing I do when my family is awake is open all the blinds and let in the light. Sunshine or rain, it's still natural light. I cannot be in a windowless room for a long time, my mood will drop.

As far as clothes go: I love dressing up! Kate Middleton used to be my style icon before she started dressing like my grandmother (sorry Kate fans). I have a collection of dresses, bras, and shoes that I can't wear all the time but always make sure to find an occasion.

This blue poppy dress is one of my all time favorites. I don't normally buy what celebrities wear, but this one I had to. It's my favourite dress. The coat is my favourite too, I got a dress maker to make me something similar at half of the cost. When I'm not dressed up, I like skinny jeans. Won't ever see me in anything baggy. Baggy clothes have a dark room effect for me, they make me feel blah.

what do you use to wax? Always wanted to wax at home but don't know where to start!!

Oh that’s odd, but Leeds / the area surrounding I’ll be able to help you out with !


Agreed! Took me 3 goes to find the right girl but she’s literally a MIRACLE worker!!!

i know I'm late to this thread but if you could recommend someone in the Leeds area that would be fab!

 

[Piff paff puff]

Having sensitive skin on my face I switched to Completely natural soaps OMG! what a difference, they lather so much better and feel so luxurious and the bonus is you can use them as shampoo, no need for plastic bottles anymore

 

[1001 others]

I've started taking better care of my skin. Not just with great products, but also taking the time to follow through with a solid routine. It's paying off, as I took a photo back in March and compared it to one I took this week and I can see a noticeable difference. It makes me feel good, too.

 

[DCICassieStuart]

Can I ask if anyone here has used Cerave at all? I seen it mentioned a few times recently on Instagram etc, but given that I don't trust any influencers I'm just wondering if any of us 'normal' people have tried it.

 

[hashbrown123]

Can I ask if anyone here has used Cerave at all? I seen it mentioned a few times recently on Instagram etc, but given that I don't trust any influencers I'm just wondering if any of us 'normal' people have tried it.

I use cerave salicylic acid foaming cleanser, have used the hydrating cleanser, the night time moisturiser and body smoothing cream.
I like the foaming cleanser as it is good for cleaning the face without drying out. Hydrating one doesn’t foam so I wouldn’t buy again. Nighttime moisturiser nothing exciting and same with the smoothing cream. Their products are good but not life changing and plenty other cleansers on the market that are a cheaper price point and probably do the same/more. But still nice nonetheless!

 

[DCICassieStuart]

I use cerave salicylic acid foaming cleanser, have used the hydrating cleanser, the night time moisturiser and body smoothing cream.
I like the foaming cleanser as it is good for cleaning the face without drying out. Hydrating one doesn’t foam so I wouldn’t buy again. Nighttime moisturiser nothing exciting and same with the smoothing cream. Their products are good but not life changing and plenty other cleansers on the market that are a cheaper price point and probably do the same/more. But still nice nonetheless!

Thank you