Need ideas for organising wardrobe, make up and skin care

Fusspot

Hi, I would like to get myself organised with things, set up some kind of plan and stick with it if I can. I am almost 53, living on my own in a one bedroomed flat, have two cats, I work full time in a Jobcentre. What I want to do is try and make a plan of the following:

A basic wardrobe, with a set of clothes for work and another set of clothes for outside work, including weekends, days off and nights out.

A simple skin care regime, I have very sensitive skin and eczema.

A good basic make up regime. I like good products and only use a few basics but don't want to spend the earth, yet not too cheap either.

I don't have a huge budget but just about manage on what I earn. Does anyone have any ideas?

lexbubbles

Ok first up The Body Shop have a whole range of Aloe Vera skincare which I've found to be very good for sensitive skin.

They aren't *too* expensive and if you shop online TBS frequently have offers like "40% off on a certain spend". I've never in my life paid full price for anything from TBS. Their current offer is buy-2-get-2-free, which equates to "pretty much half price"

They also have a pomegranate range for anti-ageing purposes, and you may wish to mix and match. I'd recommend the eye roll-on, I always have terrible bags and it perks everything up considerably.

Make-up wise TBS also have a good loose powder (just called "loose face powder" in the foundation tab online) and I'm particularly fond of their "all-in-one cheek colour" although you might not find it to your tastes. Due to its solid nature I have more luck applying it with my fingers rather than a brush

If you wear BB cream at all, their Tea Tree BB cream is lovely. It's lighter than most, so perfect for that smoothing-everything-out-pre-foundation thing, with bonus blemish reduction!

I don't really wear foundation so can't sing any praises on that front. I just use the BB and powder/blush.


Makeup products I use daily and would be perfectly happy not owning anything else:
TBS tea tree bb cream
TBS loose face powder
TBS blush
Barry M 'wink' eyeliner pen
L'oreal lengthening mascara
Lush honey trap lip balm
L'oreal infallible lipstick shade 112 unending kiss (a nice dusky rose)

asparagus1968

have a good wardrobe clearout, give away/sell/throw the not loved/worn stuff.
google/ have a look on Pinterest for "capsule wardrobe" then copy it according to your budget, even sainsburys clothes seem good quality/wash well etc.
choose 3-4 neutrals to mix and match ,then a couple of items with a colour you love.


I'm 46, I use No.7 tinted moisturiser with SPF, rimmel face powder,mabelline mascara,natural collection eyeshadows and eye pencils. any make of coloured lip balm, or Vaseline tinted lip balm.


Sign up to Pinterest too and set up your own pages, it's nearly as addictive as MSE!!

maddiemay

For the clothes google project 333 and have a look at how some of the participants make it work for them

The bare bones is that you have 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear and shoes, plus underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing to wear for 30 days (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

I have far too many clothes for my lifestyle now that I don't go to work and keep meaning to try this, I think if I cheated a little and called the range of clothing and shoes that I need for cycling and dog walking workout wear I might be able to manage it:(

ETA - this should read for 3 months not 30 days, sorry.

Edwardia

I would suggest trying colours and neutrals in your wardrobe and then in shops, to pick out those which suit you.

Then you can use neutral palette for work and accessories in the colours which suit you, to jazz it up a bit. Evenings and weekends you could wear more clothes in the colours.

My money-saving tip would be to buy clothes in natural fibres from chainstores and get good accessories in sales - I've gotten some awesome bargains, like 75% off.

Charity shops aren't as good as they once were because ppl eBay stuff.

I would hesitate to recommend skincare products and makeup to someone with really sensitive skin. Clinique mascaras are hypoallergenic and yet make my eyes stream, for example. Trial and error and maybe blagging sample sizes ?

asparagus1968

I would hesitate to recommend skincare products and makeup to someone with really sensitive skin.


sorry, good point!

HPoirot

I second the Aloe range from TBS, they are the gentlest products I have found on the market.

Clothes-wise, I think you need to look closely at what types of clothes that you wear most often, those you feel most comfortable in, and those that are flattering on you, including colours. Then get a few of each to build up a capsule wardrobe.

I did this recently, got rid of a lot of stuff that I had found pretty initially but would never wear. I ended up buying the same jumper in 3 different colours but have never been happier with my clothes (realised I have a penchant for a subtle amount of glitter in my knitwear - never grew out of it - and when I found the jumper in a shop I just went for all 3 colours) . It also means I stick to the same general style, which is easier to accessorise or even to just throw on in a hurry, whichever way you look at it.

What was the most important for me though was taking a long hard look at what I liked wearing and then stick to the general style.

Fusspot

Thanks for your replies. Can I just ask regarding the Body Shop Aloe range, which of the products do you use? There is a cleanser and a face wash, which is the better of the two? I am currently using Liz Earle cleanser with the muslin cloth which seems OK at the moment, I might get the Body Shop aloe moisturiser though as I have ran out of the Liz Earle one I had and may try a different moisturiser with the cleanser, depending on how long the cleanser lasts, if it doesn't last long I may move onto the Aloe one. I have some Nivea Soft that my friend gave me but there is perfume in it and I find it a bit irritating.

lexbubbles

Fusspot wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. Can I just ask regarding the Body Shop Aloe range, which of the products do you use? There is a cleanser and a face wash, which is the better of the two? I am currently using Liz Earle cleanser with the muslin cloth which seems OK at the moment, I might get the Body Shop aloe moisturiser though as I have ran out of the Liz Earle one I had and may try a different moisturiser with the cleanser, depending on how long the cleanser lasts, if it doesn't last long I may move onto the Aloe one. I have some Nivea Soft that my friend gave me but there is perfume in it and I find it a bit irritating.

Hi fusspot. My skin isn't *that* sensitive, just sometimes red and patchy and the aloe calms that right down. Unfortunately can't say I've used the cleanser or face wash (I have the seaweed cleanser, which will almost certainly be too harsh for you?)

BUT I do have the aloe toner which is wonderful, and an aloe calming night cream. Normally I use the tea tree night cream because I still have the skin of a hormonal teenager, but sometimes I use the aloe one to calm the redness and it's really soothing. I assume the day moisturiser is just a lighter version of same.

HPoirot

Fusspot wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. Can I just ask regarding the Body Shop Aloe range, which of the products do you use? There is a cleanser and a face wash, which is the better of the two? I am currently using Liz Earle cleanser with the muslin cloth which seems OK at the moment, I might get the Body Shop aloe moisturiser though as I have ran out of the Liz Earle one I had and may try a different moisturiser with the cleanser, depending on how long the cleanser lasts, if it doesn't last long I may move onto the Aloe one. I have some Nivea Soft that my friend gave me but there is perfume in it and I find it a bit irritating.

I use the facewash daily and am a great fan, I currently have 8 of them stashed away. Lovely, gentle and leaves no residue like some other 'sensitive' face washes. Having said that, I also use a cream cleanser to take makeup off - my HG Boots Botanics Organic one is out of stock at the moment and I was considering getting either Aloe or Vitamin E. I have never been convinced that a facewash would take all my makeup off.

WRT Nivea Soft, it does have alcohol in it which would irritate and in the long run dehydrate skin too.