Your tips on how to look more Groomed, Glamorous or Polished.

[Curly]

Love this thread.
For the past 2 years I feel that I really let myself go, so I decided at the end of last year it’s time to change that and get back to my old self.
My plans are to -
Lash extensions done every fortnight
Hair cut and coloured every 8 weeks
Stick with my skincare routine morning and night
Get rid of the weight I have piled on so I can wear the clothes in my wardrobe
And lastly invest in some new make up for day time!

determined I want to feel good about myself each day going to work

 

[StillLucilleBluth]

Been reading here as I think I need to kick-start a new post-holiday and post-Covid chapter of eating better, exercising more and drinking more water. I don’t feel groomed or glam or polished, more grey, carby and lazy. Maybe if I write it here it’ll force me to do it… and if anyone has any tips on how to get back on track please share

 

[LaurieLaurie]

Eyebrow and eyelash tint
Short gel nails
Keep on top of your hair

 

[PineappleQueen19]

A little bit of fake tan always makes me feel better & more groomed. Not enough to look tanned, just a bit to liven up my face, even out skin tone and take away the deathly pallor

I either use drops you add to serums/moisturisers (Tan Luxe, Isle of
Paradise, M&S) or a spray like this Ambre Solaire one (it’s for body but works fine).

I run a bit of balm through my brows first so it doesn’t grab there, otherwise just go for it.

 

[Blair-Waldorf]

Olaplex has changed my drab hair. Expensive but worth it I find.
Botox three times a year
Monthly pedicure
Eyebrow wax and tint monthly
Lash tint monthly
Nails fortnightly
Skin peel weekly (Bodyshop drops of youth)
Cleanse, tone and moisturise every night
Lip scrub and balm every night
A good bra - there’s nothing worse than the girls hanging by your belly button
Clean shoes, no scuffs on trainers etc
Classic clothes that don’t go out of style
A nice winter coat
Self care is so important

Absolutely second all of this with the addition of tan. I use st moriz express tan twice a week - I wfh so I put it on after my morning shower then wash it off on my break, I hate sleeping in tan especially in the summer so this is a life saver. I also exercise 5 times a week but if this isn’t for you then at least try and get out for a walk every day. Fresh air is a god send

 

[Flower45]

Start with the hair. You could have a fab outfit but if your hair is messy or greasy that's all you see. Clean, with an up to date cut. Clean lines not sloppy clothes. I also love a tracksuit but it has to match and clean white runners.

 

[Sickofinstacrap]

Ugggghhh I wish so much I could wear tan and have my nails done all the time for me my biggest self care is my hair and my brows, brows every 5 weeks or so and hair every 2 months! There’s something about fresh brows and hair and having your skin looking perfect and fresh pyjamas and a clean house. Bliss!

Also your scent! Perfume when you go out of the house even if I’m in tracksuit I have to wear a nice perfume!

 

[freaknasty]

Moved in with my partner recently, and constant shaving rash from trying to convince him I'm as hairless as a baby... how do I prevent/stop this rash whilst also remaining hairfree?

If your partner is bothered about you having hair then maybe he is the rash you need to get rid of instead!

 

[judgejohndeed]

Can somebody explain Olaplex to me please? I thought it was just one product but there’s different numbered versions! My hair looks okay the day I wash it but the day after it goes so dry and straw like.

I'll give it a go. They're all different products, they're numbered 0-8. 1-2 are only used in salons, you can buy all the others. They repair bonds in your hair which are broken by stuff like bleaching and using heat etc.

I've tried 0, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. For reference: I've got almost bum length wavy hair, fine but lots of it, balayaged so very dry and tangly. I always pay extra to have Olaplex 1 and 2 when I have my colour topped up.

0 is used before 3, you can also use 3 on its own but 0 works like an activator of 3. Those two together are like an intensive at home treatment. I use this every so often, I find it does help, but I can't be arsed sitting for that long (0 is left on for 10 mins and 3 is left on for a minimum 10 mins but my colourist said leave on 'as long as possible, at least 45 minutes')
4 and 5 are the shampoo and conditioner. I bought these summer last year and still haven't finished them, I find them really heavy and they make my hair more tangly tbh. They do smell nice. Not my favourite and I won't be repurchasing.
6 is a bond smoother, you use this on damp hair before you blowdry it. I am OBSESSED with this, it's my go to now. I can really tell the difference if I don't use this.
7 is the bonding oil, 8 is an intensive mask. I like these but to be honest by way of oils I prefer my trusty Ouai oil, and for an intensive mask I'd rather do Philip Kingsley elasticizer or Davines nounou.
9 is a serum and I haven't tried that one.

They are really expensive for what they are tbh. Some people absolutely swear by it. The only one I've repurchased is 6.

 

[orla1989]

Honestly, having greasy hair is a major no no to feel polished. I see greasy hair ALOT when I’m out in town etc , even on women wearing head to toe designer and it’s like why bother. Seriously having clean hair is no. 1 in my books. Love all the tips ye gave

 

[Codiaeum]

Are we keeping this thread to cosmetics and treatments or also clothing?
Because if we're talking clothes as well.... Where on earth do people find clothes these days? Most stuff is appalling, I'm 32 and not showing my butt crack in the office. Or it's made entirely of plastic, which is also a big no for me.

 

[Gossgirl]

Absolutely, it’s the Erika in raspberry

Thank you so much, that is a beautiful bag!

Also - my tip would be body oil after a shower. Makes your skin feel amazing. You can get more expensive oils for a complete bargain price in home sense (tk maxx home store). I have one that genuinely sells for £36 and I think I paid £4.99!

P.s I've bought the bag!

 

[AFlyOnYourWall]

Hi tattlers,

ever since I hit my 30s a couple of years ago I feel
like my skin has just tanked? I was always prone to dry skin but now I get whiteheads, red inflamed spots and dryness. Not sure if it’s an age thing or if I started experimenting more with different skincare products or some stress during covid etc etc.

anyway so I’m stripping back to basics, sticking to my tried and tested products, lots of water, sleep etc.

but I want to try a facial as a bit of a kickstart? Get rid of congestion, help with dryness, inflammation and maybe even with some fine lines.

can anyone recommend what types of facial to go for?

Can you squeeze the whiteheads and upload a video of it here?! Omg I love it

 

[Farthingwood]

I’m currently in the process of separating from my narcissist husband. Being with him has totally ruined my self confidence that I’d worked so hard to build! Trying to get ‘me’ back. I’m a total novice with beauty stuff… my ‘routine’ is wash face, moisturise with basic Vaseline moisturiser then day to day I use concealer, matte power and blush and that’s it.

where do I start? I’ve no idea about proper skin regimes or what products to buy. I’m never going to be mega glam but just want to look like I have my shit together a bit. Been looking for tips on here think I’m going to get regular gel nails and eyelash and brow tints … maybe Botox but that scares me a bit !

 

[Rocknrolla]

Semi perm eyelashes have been a game changer for me

 

[Very traditional]

Top tip here for anyone who loves a bit of Zara - they give their “seconds” and last seasons stuff to The Red Cross shop. Sometimes things need a fix and sometimes they don’t and they’re just past seasons stuff but if they need anything doing it’s clearly stated on the label. The types of things I’ve had have been - blazer with one button missing, £6.49. Blazer with loose thread on sleeve - £7.49. High waisted office trousers with tiny black mark (pin prick size) on waist band - £5.50, dresses in perfect condition from last season - £7.89. They even have shoes and boots that have been tried on and returned so again brand new, over knee boots £12!! It’s fab for work stuff, I usually mix it up then with things from Tesco, H&M etc.

 

[judgejohndeed]

My best tip for always looking polished is to have treatments that save you time and effort if you can afford them. So for example, if I’m in a mad rush, I will always at the very least have eyebrows and lashes because I have my brows microbladed and a lash lift and tint. Gel nails are great as it lasts ages and doesn’t chip (if done properly) so you can forget about your hands for a fortnight. Tinted lip balm is quick to swipe on if you don’t have time to do lip liner etc. I also have a twisty Chanel thing in my bag, I know you said to look polished but for me if someone smells good they seem more put together. I never go to work without perfume.
Other than that I totally agree about greasy hair, it is my pet peeve and I make no apologies for judging people who turn up to work looking like an egg would fry on their head. I have waist length, thick, wavy hair that takes an age to wash/dry/style and needs doing every other day, so I truly know what a pain it can be, but there’s no excuse for uncleanliness tbh.
Oh and re heels - I personally do wear heels to work and feel better for it, but if you can’t walk in them, just don’t. Buy a nice flat or a small heel instead. Nothing worse than obviously not being able to walk in your shoes.

 

[barryjones]

Been reading here as I think I need to kick-start a new post-holiday and post-Covid chapter of eating better, exercising more and drinking more water. I don’t feel groomed or glam or polished, more grey, carby and lazy. Maybe if I write it here it’ll force me to do it… and if anyone has any tips on how to get back on track please share

I’m with you here.

I’ve been reading about habit stacking. So doing something you enjoy/love whilst doing something you don’t. I’ve been going on the treadmill whilst listening to an audiobook or podcast so I’m sort of killing 2 birds with one stone. I’ve exercised and ‘read’ more of my book.

Re: looking put together on a daily basis- I also always have my nails done, hair styled so that I can just pretty much wake up and go. I have a wardrobe that requires little to no ironing and most things go well together. I have a tan mulberry Bayswater for work that fits my entire life in and looks smart. Makes me look like I have my life together somewhat when the opposite is true.

Always wear perfume too!

 

[judgejohndeed]

How do you remove the gel polish yourself? I’m thinking of doing gel nails at home myself…

There are two ways to do this with acetone.

You can either use clips like these and put some acetone on a piece of cotton wool or lint free material then clip for about 10 minutes. Or a soaking bowl, one like this is ideal as you can put hot water in the base which heats up the acetone and helps the gel slide off quicker.

Please do not file your gel polish off completely - gel polish without a builder gel or acrylic overlay underneath is too thin to be filed off without touching the natural nail. Your colour should only be filed off completely if you have an overlay between your natural nail and the colour. Filing gel polish completely off on natural nails is how people end up damaging their nails. I don't know if you've ever seen someone with what's called 'rings of fire' nails where they're red and sore with rings on the plate, or people who say that gel 'damaged' their nails, but they've almost certainly overfiled their nail bed. For most gel polishes these days you don't even need to file the nail plate with an actual file first, you can use a lower grit buffing block (I use a 220 for prepping the nail and a 120 for shaping, you only need higher grits like 180 or 100 for builder gel/acrylic).

You will need to gently file the top coat off your gels before you soak them to allow the acetone to penetrate the product, but you only need to do this lightly - basically until there is no shine left on the top, once the colour is mattified that's enough. Very very gently.

 

[yogiessexdubs]

This may be an unpopular opinion but .. I work in a 'very corporate' job in London & Dubai. I really do rate the likes of Primark, F&F, Next etc. although you do need to be selective. I haven't been back to the UK for a while (so don't know what stock is like momentarily) but Primark would bring out a suit every so often (I preferred a dress & blazer), & I would buy one of each when they brought them out. The best thing is they washed so well & did not need DRY CLEANING or IRONING!. I really couldn't afford anything more & had to be patient.
I have had beautiful suits from Hobbs etc. (paid by my company) but I honestly rate Primark, Dorothy Perkins, New Look etc. so I would head there.