Frugal Frump to Fab - The Journey Continues

Adora-Bell-Dearheart

Hi all, going to follow/join in- I've a hen do coming up and feel such a (round) frumpy scruff next to the other girls who are all having a full on tan/hair and nails spa day before the night do! Going to scroll back through this fabulous thread for tips as just can afford the £99 for the spa and don't want to ruin the photos by breaking the lens!

sweetcheeks33

Welcome Adora, everyone is lovely here you will really like this thread

I continue with the wardrobe edit Betty, I am looking to do a second cull this weekend. I have been given some money for my birthday so going to try and spend that wisely on some nice bits.

I managed to get two nice cardigans from oasis in sale down to £10 in black and navy so that's a start. Also I have bought a couple of nice scarfs too.

Now for some plain tops and vests to be renewed which will brighten and create more outfit options.

As for pampering- been so tired the skin cleansing has ground to a halt so need to be back on the waggon tonight so to speak. OH is back shift this week- working late myself tonight but will go for pamper night tomorrow I think with house to myself....

Hope everyone is well...

Kiwisaver_2

I'm still in wardrobe mode too; although mostly just mental notes and browsing rather than buying. I have enjoyed looking at what people have put together on M&S Style Board http://mandsstyleboard.com/contest/leading-ladies


I've survived over two weeks with my first tentative try at the 333 project; albeit that I don't intend to go for three months with what I have chosen and I currently only have 28 items in my collection. I was hoping to get to end of April and then I'll change it up a bit as the weather dictates. At the moment I'm still clinging desperately onto the end of summer for as long as possible - not sure if I should call it a Project 128 or would it be 281.


I want to buy some new things to add in for Autumn / Winter but trying to make sure I make wise choices and tick all the boxes in terms of quality, fit and feel rather than the usual quantity of hardly ever worn, random and un-matching separates.


This means also that I need to find time to go to the shops and try things on, rather than taking a punt on fit and colours of stuff online.

lessonlearned

Good morning Everyone

Lots of positivity here - must be all the lovely sunshine we've been having.;)

Welcome Adora-Bell

You don't need to shell out £99 for a Spa Day. You can give yourself the full on glamour treatment for very little financial outlay.

Why not give yourself the Spa Day treatment at home.

There are loads of home made beauty treatments you can give yourself. Just google and you will find lots of recipes for face masks etc using ingredients you have in the kitchen cupboard.

If not you can buy face masks for around £1.

The other day I felt my skin was looking a bit what I call "end of winter washed-out".

So I first of all exfoliated my skin by adding a bit of bicarb to my cleanser and with a flannel just massaged it into the skin. Then I just slapped some neat honey on and left it for about 30 mins. I used Manuka which is best but any old blended cheap honey will do. Obviously don't apply bi-carb around the eye area. You can can apply neat honey to any crow's feet - in fact it seems to soften them a little. Don't put anything on the eye lids.

The result was lovely clear glowing skin. You can do this quite safely once or twice a week, depending on skin type. If your skin is very sensitive just use bicarb on the T-panel (forehead, nose and chin).

You can give yourself a home manicure and pedicure - I always feel more glamourous knowing my toe nails are painted - even if no-one sees them.;)

You can style your hair yourself - maybe even give yourself a home colour if you feel it needs a lift.

If you really want to do a tan then there are plenty of diy self tanning creams - just make sure you exfoliate well and prep your skin first.

Those gradual self tanning body lotions are good - Dove, Olay etc all do them.

Have you ever tried bronzing powders, great for giving a summer glow - you can use them on your face, shoulders, d!colletage etc for a lovely sun kissed look.

Just set yourself a bit of "me time", nice music, bubble bath, candles, nice body lotions etc - you can even pour yourself a glass of bubbly to give the feel of a full on Spa experience.

Enjoy.

pirateyqueen

Please, please do not use bi-card on your face, it is way to harsh (lemon juice is too FYI). Honey however, is very good as a mask.

lessonlearned

I am a trained beautician and I wouldn't recommend anything that I either wouldn't use myself or that I felt would be too risky for "amateurs" to use.

I am dead set against many of the ingredients used in commercial preparations, especially now that they use nanotechnology to allow chemicals to seep into the epidermis. Once it hits the epidermis then they can get into the bloodstream with who knows what potential for long term damage.

Many of the chemicals used can be carcinogenic.

Bi-carb is fine is very small amounts, taking care to avoid the eyes and any sensitive areas. There is no way it can enter into the bloodstream and if used with care it will not damage the skin. Neat bi-carb would be way too harsh but a tiny amount dissolved in a neutral emulsion would be ok.

I use only the tiniest bit and mix it well with the "Simple" face wash. I have mature delicate skin and I've been fine, with no adverse effects.

All exfoliating products have to be used sparingly and with care, avoiding the eye area and any sensitive areas. The skin on the nose and chin is more robust than the skin on the cheeks and is often prone to comedones and open pores. The skin on the cheeks can be sensitive, same with the neck. The skin around the eyes is the most delicate of all.

If you wish to avoid bi-carb then a good alternative is the Asprin Face Mask

About six soluable asprins and a spot of water for a full face, or 3 if you are just doing the T zone. Leave on for 10 mins max. Use no more than once a week.

The science bit.

Asprin contains salicylic acid - in higher strengths it is sometimes used in chemical peels along with or instead of glycolic acid. The aspirin mask is perfectly safe because the amounts of salicylic acid are small. Just don't use more than once a week.

I agree lemon juice can be harsh so wouldn't recommend neat lemon juice on the face but it does have it's uses when combined with other ingredients.

A lot of people use lemon juice on the hair in the summer to lighten and bleach the hair. Personally I wouldn't recommend that either - I would suggest camomile added to the final rinse.

It's all down to common sense.

My guiding rule when using kitchen ingredients for making your own beauty products is

"If you wouldn't put in your stomach, then don't put it on your skin".

Bi-carb is perfectly safe to ingest, it's an old fashioned indigestion remedy - therefore it's safe on the skin - with the usual safety provisos of course.

BTW - there is a thread on here about chemical facial peels. A lot of posters on there buy glycolic acid "blind" from suppliers in the Far East.

Some of it will be ok from reputable suppliers, some won't.

My view - when using Acid extreme care should be taken.

I would not risk buying any skin products from an unknown supplier in the Far East. The market is not regulated enough.

If you make your own then you at least know what's in them and what strength you have used.

pirateyqueen

I've copied this of a well trusted skincare forum. It refers to baking soda but it definitely disputes the "if you can ingest it you can rub it on your face" theory.

"If you remember anything from your high school chemistry class, you'll remember that the pH scale works like this: 1 is acidic, 14 is alkaline. Things are either more acidic or more alkaline based on where they sit on the scale (unless it is 7, in which case it is neutral). As a reference point, your skin is roughly a pH of 4.5-5, blood is 7, an effective AHA or BHA is 3.5-4, baking soda is a 9, and the average WHITE vinegar (5-10% acetic acid) is 2.40-3.40.
pH is so very important in skincare -- too alkaline and the skin barrier is disrupted or damaged, too acidic and you risk burns.

Vinegar and baking soda are household chemicals and they are not safer just because they are not in a bottle in the skincare aisle. Baking soda can be used to scrub stains out of a toilet while vinegar can be used to break down lime build-up on your tub or sink. These are chemicals. They are not safer than your cleanser just because they are only one or two ingredients.

Skin care problems are generally caused by genetics, diet, and mistreatment of the problem to begin with, such as scrubbing dehydrated, acne skin with baking soda, which damages the skincare barrier and makes your face a bacterial breeding ground. Think of your skin barrier as part of your immune system -- it is essential for keeping the bad guys out and the good stuff in, such as moisture. Scrubbing it with a too-alkaline cleanser is increasing moisture loss and decreasing the ability to keep bacteria on your skin in check. Worse, by toning your skin with a product with a pH of 2.4-3.4, you are putting your skin at risk for chemical burns, which at best are uncomfortable and at worst will scar.
Please, please use products that are made specifically for use on skin -- your face is not a toilet bowl or a sink. They are balanced by cosmetic chemists and generally use tried-and-true ingredients for cleansing or moisturizing."

Rummer

:o Does it count as healthy eating and one of my five a day if I have fruit on top of my custard tart :rotfl:

My fridge freezer arrived yesterday and our super healthy shop arrives tonight so I am having a last sneaky blow out today and eating some delicious cake and treats. As of tomorrow I will be healthy eating with a vengeance

I also need to schedule in some exercise. My gorgeous boy wants to feed all the time so it has been hard to go for long walks which up till now had been my main way of trimming down. Plus my weight loss has stalled so I don't think it is enough. I have few fitness DVDs so I need to get them ready. The problem is when my gorgeous boy is sleeping or if he is hanging with his dad I just want to [STRIKE]sleep[/STRIKE] tidy the house :rotfl: that or sit very still! I need to convince myself that what I really want to do is exercise!

Oh and I can't remember the last time makeup or skincare products went near my face. I am so confused as to what happened to my days? When he was born for the first month or two I was well dressed, groomed, ate healthily and exercised. Now three months in I am sleep deprived, eating badly and hardly doing anything other than sitting very still. Time I got some balance back

Adora-Bell-Dearheart

Hi all, thanks for lovely welcome! dress for hen do sorted thanks to power of ebay! Via this lovely site have sent off for free maybelline foundation which I can take with me! Walked the 4 miles to work today so have saved the bus fare and exercised!

Floss

lessonlearned wrote: »

I am a trained beautician and I wouldn't recommend anything that I either wouldn't use myself or that I felt would be too risky for "amateurs" to use. ....

pirateyqueen wrote: »

....Please, please use products that are made specifically for use on skin -- your face is not a toilet bowl or a sink. They are balanced by cosmetic chemists and generally use tried-and-true ingredients for cleansing or moisturizing."

TBH, I'm married to a professional chemist who is quite vocal & at times quite scathing about the products that I use (beauty & household) and I trust his judgement which happens to match LL. I believe it is all down to common sense.