Summer Solstice Sensation

whatatwit

LL, your shop manager is missing a trick by not stocking the retro/hippy stuff, a lot more people, especially younger ones and students are looking in charity shops.

Sounds as though you had a lovely day and it's great that your husband is supportive.

It must be catching in my house as my OH and I went shopping yesterday and he bought himself a load of new stuff, he has lost some weight and his trousers and shirts were looking rather large.
I now have a new look skinny husband :eek:

Dawning

Great subject for a thread, it will be very inspirational to others. I like the title too!
Following a divorce and a career change, I've slipped into frump for the past few years, and it's not just about weight, it's the whole package. Sometimes I make an effort but when I do, people are so surprised at how different I look that tells me how awful I must look the rest of the time, :eek:so I must get my act together!

I do find it difficult to do this on a budget. Ten years ago my life was completely different to how it is now, and I didnt need (Or want) to budget and buy wisely. It was much easier to keep looking good with visits to the hairdresser every 6 weeks and beauty salon every 2 weeks for my manicures, pedicures, waxing and facials etc. Can't imagine how much money it used to cost me ! :eek:So I'll read the thread regularly (have subscribed) so I can pick up some tips.

maman

whatatwit wrote: »

LL, your shop manager is missing a trick by not stocking the retro/hippy stuff, a lot more people, especially younger ones and students are looking in charity shops.

That's exactly what I thought. In my area (lots of student houses) the vintage/retro stuff is on a separate rail and sells at a higher price.

Glad you had a good time with the Scope ladies, your outfit sounded really distinctive. Well done:T

I'm trying to think how I can wear a bit more make up without looking like a clown. I have good skin (having never put soap on it since I was 14 and moisturising daily) and in the warmer months I have a bit of colour and just wear mascara and lipstick. This time of the year I start looking really pale. I wouldn't mind if it was 'pale and interesting' but it's more grey and washed out. I occasionally put a bit of powder blusher on my cheeks but that's more an evening thing. Any suggestions as to what I can use to give my skin a lift?

Bronnie

maman wrote: »

I'm trying to think how I can wear a bit more make up without looking like a clown. I have good skin (having never put soap on it since I was 14 and moisturising daily) and in the warmer months I have a bit of colour and just wear mascara and lipstick. This time of the year I start looking really pale. I wouldn't mind if it was 'pale and interesting' but it's more grey and washed out. I occasionally put a bit of powder blusher on my cheeks but that's more an evening thing. Any suggestions as to what I can use to give my skin a lift?

I use a little facial tanner, in the winter. You could try some of the Dove summer glow type stuff. It's very light and gradual, you don't have to worry about looking tangoed! it just gives a healthy fresher outdoorsy glow.

I also use a tinted moisturiser (the number 7 dual Protection one from Boots is highly recommended) and evens out skintone nicely without looking too made-up and gives a nice natural healthy glow. It has SP15 and will also protect skin from central heating and harsh winter weather. It is very economical in use.

http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Dual-Protection-Tinted-Moisturiser-40ml_54963/

It is £11.50 but moneysaving-wise, look out for it on ebay ( check out shades in store first)http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/No7-Dual-Protection-Tinted-Moisturiser-FAIR-RRP-11-/180601040830?pt=UK_Health_Beauty_Skincare_PP&hash=item2a0ca92fbe

buy with Boots points or look out for the Boots voucher deals that are always about, or ask for it as a Christmas present.

HTH

lessonlearned

Hi fellow questees

Apologies for such a long thread

Welcome Bitsy Beans, Whitewing and Dawning

Bitsy Beans - Great purchase for 50p - Gok is very inspirational.

Whatatwit - You and your newly "madeover" husband are going to cut
quite a dash at this rate.

Whitewing - like you I was tempted to wait until I had lost weight before I tried to defrump. I've decided to try a different tack, making the best of what I 've got whilst I lose weight. It's a bit of psychology really, the old if you look good then you feel good kind of thing.

Dawning I've a few words of cheer for you about salon treatments but first I've a terrible confession to make.

Bearing in mind what I'm doing - "Frump to Fab" I have to make the shamefaced confession that I am actually a trained beauty therapist, which makes my decline into frumpdom all the more embarrassing.

How on earth could a beauty therapist allow herself to get into such a state. Technically, there's no excuse - I have the knowledge and experience to make the very best of myself.

In my defence I suffered a truly horrible lifechanging experience which knocked the stuffing out of me. My husband's illness came like a bolt out of the blue and changed our lives completely and forever.

He suffers from a rare and degenerative neurological condition called Cerebellar Ataxia, the symptoms of which are not dissimilar to Motor Neurone Disease. There is no cure.

I have been his sole carer for over 4 years, not too bad at first but getting progressively more difficult over time. Two months ago I accepted that we needed extra help and I now have paid carers who come in for a few hours a week. I have a little more time now and I have decided it's now time for me to get (a part of) my life back.

Anyway, Dawning what I wanted to say to you was this, of course you miss those lovely pampering salon treatments but, apart from treatments involving electrical appliances - C.A.C.I. Lasers, or Chemical Peels etc most salon treatments can be replicated at home for a fraction of the cost. You just don't get the whale music which personally I can do without - you could always get yourself a CD!!!! You can even give yourself a very mild version of a chemical peel - much safer than going for the real thing.

If anyone is interested I am happy to share my beauty recipes with you. I always had a keen interest in aromatherapy and natural products. I have looked at the homemade beauty product thread and there are some really good recipes on there. Just remember that if you are allergic to something that you would put in your mouth then your skin probably won't like it either. A classic example is strawberries.

Anyway - something that Whatatwit said the other day struck a cord - "you don't have to pay hundreds of pounds to make your self over".
How true.

This set me thinking. Apart from the haircut which was scheduled anyway this first week has cost me nothing. How cool is that.

Exercise - At home, no gym fees. I've got some basic equipment, a Swiss Ball, a set of handweights and a yoga mat - I think they all came from ASDA and probably cost about £20 all in.
My exercise bike was about £70
I've got about 5 exercise DVDs, three of which were free with the Daily Mail newspaper.

Beauty Treatments - All free, done at home, using mainly kitchen cupboard ingredients.

For those who missed the old Frump to Fab thread my goal is to make small changes each day - until I reach my goal of fabness. To achieve this my plan is

Daily exercise
One Beauty Treatment per day
Make a few simple changes to eating habits, The "d" word is banned from my vocabulary, because the minute I go on a diet I become obsessed with food.

Dawning - you don't mention your hair colour or style. For me, now that I've stopped fighting the inevitable and finally embraced my silver tresses, only needing a few highlights to even out the back of my hair, (I don't have to worry about regrowth - that's white anyway), I now find that I can stretch the time between appointments to about 10 to 12 weeks. I get a family member to just trim the ends if it gets too straggly.

Anyway - progress report

Started the oil cleansing - third day and skin looking and feeling better, no longer sore and itchy

Todays exercise - 3kms on exercise bike (started at 2kms)
10 minutes yoga, 10 minutes Swiss Ball & handweights
Todays treatment - Asprin Face Mask to nose and chin only - deep cleans and helps refine open pores

Tomorrow will try the scales and get out the tapemeasure to check my progress

Asprin Face Mask

For a full face - 6 asprins, crushed to a fine powder and mixed with a little warm water. Avoid eyes and mouth. Leave 10 minutes.

For a half face, i.e. nose/chin 3 asprins is usually enough.

Use no more than once a week,.
The science bit - asprins contain salicylic acid which works on the skin to help clear blackheads and deep clean congested pores. Avoid dry sensitive areas.

Carmen

At last I have found you all, thanks LL for the lead :T I was trawling through the diet section for a couple of days as nothing came up in search. Never mind I'm back and I hope they let this thread stay as it is.
Hello to anyone I have not already 'met'. Like me, I hope you can take the positives from this thread?
Day six for me and apart from a couple of hiccups I have started to feel a lot better in myself. I need to stop feeling I have 'broken' a d**t if I feel like a little something that can be seen as fattening! As LL has said, different mind set is the way to go, everything in moderation.I have walked 5kms so far this week and another 3 tomorrow. I try to walk hilly routes (phew) so it seems further..lol.
Cave, thanks for the matchstick men it cleared things up :rotfl:
I was looking through old/recent photo's and realised I have avoided having my photo taken for about 10 years :eek: wonder why?
The new title is just fine twinny
Keep up the good work everyone.
Carmen xx

lessonlearned

Hey, Carmen - Glad to see you back.

Had a thought - if your birthday is in June and mine is not until July 6th, that makes you the elder twin, heh, heh.

Phew that's some distance you've walked, well done you.

Remembered this from the old thread, posted by Joyfull (who hasn't found us yet - if anyone finds her please let her know where we are).

Anyway, for anyone contemplating whether or not to stop colouring their hair Joyfull put us on to this - https://www.goinggraylookinggreat.com - some beautiful women on there, proving embracing the "Silver Fox" look can be a great way to go.

Off for some much needed beauty sleep.

cave_2

Hi all! Hope everyone's having a good day.

Urgh, it's been a horrible few days, Dad collapsed and was rushed to hospital (he's ok!) and my eating habits have been less than disiplined. Superficially, just tried on some trousers that fit well two months ago, and are now horribly uncomfortable to wear, and my skin is awful.

It's 23:57. By the end of this post it will be Sunday. Bad things behind, good things forward.

Lessonlearned: it's great that you've got help with your husband sorted out; it's so easy to cross the line between wife and full-time carer. My uncle has Motor Neurone, I can go some way to understanding what you're dealing with.

You should post up your beauty treatments as you do them - we can have a DIY Spuce-up-along

C xx

whitewing

cave - sorry to read about your dad's collapse. Is he back from hospital now or staying a while?

LL, any tips for teeth whitening? Not that mine are that bad but it would be an improvement I could make without being affected by anything else (aside from budget).

lessonlearned

Just a quickie to say Hi to Cave, so sorry to hear about your dad (hugs)
Hope he is doing better now, fingers crossed he's home soon. Don't be hard on yourself for slipping back - we all do. Onwards and upwards.

Whitewing - for a really cheap and effective teeth whitener, bicarb of soda, (it's the main ingredient of all those posh toothpastes). Just brush once a day, use it neat. Brush again with toothpaste or use a mouthwash to get rid of the taste (actually it's not too bad). If any sensitivity develops then stop, but you shouldn't have any problems. You should see quite a difference after a week or so. (Don't forget to floss regularly - it's really important). When brushing, brush the gums too, keeps them healthy.

If they are really bad your dentist can supply you with a DIY kit, not cheap though. Beware those DIY kits from shops. Wouldn't recommend you use those without supervision.

PS - that should read Day 8

Have weighed and measured and already done 2kms on bike. Will post later with results, dead busy at the moment.