Frugal Frump to Fab - 2015

maddiemay

Piratey - My 7 weekly cut and blow dry costs me £34 and the occasional coloured highlights £74, but I tip £5 each time. I pay by card and give my lovely hairdresser a fiver in cash. I don't often go to beautician these days, but always did the 10% rounded up to nearest pound.

IndiePanda - lots of great advice there. I need to apply the "health planning" part of it to myself, I do have a few health problems and I start off finding out all the beneficial foods and buying the appropriate supplements (after blood tests), but generally slip after a couple of weeks. I need to make myself a little chart for the exercises I have been recommended to do too, as I fall off the wagon here also.

Feel free to administer large kicks please ladies:rotfl:

Chanie - I have been guilty of dressing for the lifestyle that I would like to have, rather than the one that I do:( I consider myself a canny shopper though and so have only wasted modest amounts of cash:money::money::D

Rummer - great news you finding the right coat and boots (agree with the others about mirrors though:eek:) As well as lots of information on-line, if you have a local library they often have books on "doing one's colours" and here we can request specific books and they will get them in, if they are in the system, for a charge of 50p (I usually have a trawl through A*azon and make a list from there. If you are not a library member, it is free to join, just need to take in a couple of forms of I/D, then you can get log in details and reserve at home from computer.

maman

chanie wrote: »

Indie I haven't had my colours done professionally, but I've read up on it (and done some online quizzes) and I've worked out I'm an autumn.

Dress for your lifestyle - I was attracted to high fashion, sparkly stuff but that's not my lifestyle. I've focussed on finding nice everyday stuff.

I'd like to get my colours done but to dip a toe in on my own would be a good start. I'll do a bit of googling and check out the library catalogue.


There was a time when I spent all day, every day in a 'uniform' of business clothes. That was mostly jackets with skirts or tailored trousers. More recently the look has softened a little to include shift dresses but I only do some part time work now so that's not how I need to dress most days. I think it's important to spend some money on 'smart casual' rather than slopping about in worn out 'best' clothes IYSWIM.


I don't tip my hairdresser as he's the salon owner and not short of money at all. When those that work for him have done my hair occasionally I tip them as I believe they're on a low wage.

Rummer

Thank you for all being so kind

Maman I am not vegetarian although I have gone through periods of following either a vegetarian or vegan way of life however I am always on the look out for healthy vegetarian meals to enjoy.

In general my life is good, I have a wonderful family and home that makes me happy. Recently I have taken steps to build more things I enjoy into my week as I found my days were becoming repetitive so I am spending more time on hobbies and with friends which has given me some sparkle back.

Yesterday was just an off day and I am back on track today

Rummer

My boots are gorgeous :smileyhea

maman

Rummer wrote: »

Yesterday was just an off day and I am back on track today

Rummer wrote: »

My boots are gorgeous :smileyhea

Glad to hear you sounding much happier. It must be the joyful boots!:rotfl:

indiepanda

chanie wrote: »

Indie, Rummer at work, we have a mirror in a lift that shows up all the blemishes on my face. I asked the Head of Facilities to change the lighting in the lift and he laughed at me!!!
I think we are all used to seeing perfect celebrities, who are airbrushed to perfection, but the reality is that they have blemishes too.

Indie I haven't had my colours done professionally, but I've read up on it (and done some online quizzes) and I've worked out I'm an autumn.


Dress for your lifestyle - I was attracted to high fashion, sparkly stuff but that's not my lifestyle. I've focussed on finding nice everyday stuff.

Fill your life with joyful things - this has been the most important lesson. I now buy clothes and beauty products that I really enjoy using. Today, I'm wearing a plain black jersey top, which in itself isn't anything special, but I know it suits me and looks good.

I had read a book my mum had on colour typing and convinced myself I was a spring.... (not that I actually dressed it - had a hotch potch of different colours which didn't go well together and probably only one item in my entire wardrobe that ended up being right for me). I was quite surprised when the consultant started off comparing winter and autumn colours - apparently my dark brown eyebrows were what led her to think I was more likely to be one of the deeper seasons. I had been fooled by being naturally blonde till my twenties - saw autumns as being brunettes or redheads. Anyway, was obvious very quickly I couldn't be winter - black has never really suited me. Always made me want to go heavy on the blusher, which for someone who is quite content not wearing make-up is an odd reaction.

I had my colours done at the same time as a spring and the consultant showed us our best colours on each other - was really revealing. My best colours included things like rich teals and mosses and they looked really opulent on me, but just looked muddy on her, and her buttercups and clear turquoises which looked fresh on her looked a bit cheap and tacky on me. So, I couldn't deny she'd got it right, even though it was a real surprise at the time - even my mum guessed every season other than autumn when we discussed it afterwards.

I know what you mean about dressing for the lifestyle you have. I have far too many pristine heels in my wardrobe, have accepted I need to buy more flats and "sensible" height heels. I used to be able to drive to work and didn't need to walk much, but commuting by public transport and walking more during the day makes lower heels rather more appealing now.

Maman, definitely agree about the smart casual rather than worn out best. I don't look at my best in really formal wear anyway, and wearing worn out tailoring when I am off duty would just be depressing.

Piratey I do tip my hairdresser but I probably shouldn't really - he used to be employed but runs his own business now. I don't tip the beautician and probably should as they are employed - but then it's a different one almost every time I go so I don't feel I have a relationship with them, whereas I have been going to my hairdresser for eight years now.

lollyfin

Yesterday I wore make up for the first time in ages, some of my nice new to me clothes and some perfume and felt very fabby.
Then I made dinner, still feeling fabby, until I looked in the mirror and realised chopping onions when wearing mascara is not a good idea!
But today Ive got my outfit looked out, make up is organised (I'm not giving up on it just being more careful ) and perfume is waiting and I'm in such a good mood.
Thanks for all your tips I'm working my way through the thread and even looking at new products

maddiemay

Lollyfin - that is such good news, :eek: to the onions though.

On the few rare occasions that I am organised I take my makeup off quickly early evening, before cooking if I can, apply serum or moisturiser and then do a hot cloth cleanse and the works before I go to bed, this is really good in the cold weather when skin benefits from a bit of extra hydration. I would love this to be a daily occurance, but I am a long way from that ATM::(:(

I am trying to keep my nails varnished nicely, I can almost see them growing:rotfl: if they are protected, trouble is I always think I can get another day out of this manicure and then end up with nasty chips in the morning and no time to re-do, only a hasty patch up:eek:

chanie

Lolly well done on the start to fabbing.

Indie I've diagnosed myself to be an autumn too - purely by deducting the other seasons (e.g. I'm warm toned, so that rules out two seasons and I felt the autumn colours suited me better).

Rummer pleased to hear you love your boots.

maman there are lots of colour analysis websites out there. Some of the info is confusing, but I found it relatively easy to work out my colours.

greent

Hello...:hello:. tentatively popping in I've been a SAHM for quite a while and then got 2 very part time jobs this year, so needed to change some of wardrobe for this. I'm also another one who has said about spending out on joyful clothes when I lose weight:o - much of my wardrobe consists of castoffs from my mum (although I have to say that there are some major joy sparking things in there, as well as the 'that'll-do' things - which I have reduced through KonMarie principles


I have been using up some of my stash this year - so the unused body polishes and body lotions/ creams have been gradually being used up - and I can tell a difference. I don't do it everyday, but am good for 3-4 x per week on that - which isn't too bad! My thing being that if I take care of one part of myself then I know it filters through elsewhere - so wearing nice matching underwear, using body lotion when it's not Summer means I probably get my hair cut more (I often go 8-10 months in between cuts!:eek:, attacking my fringe myself in between times), eat better etc. And that has a positive effect on my mental wellbeing too


Am hoping there will be another one of these threads next year, as I appreciate I'm coming in at the tail end of 2015


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