Frump to Fab - 2025

Duchess2

Well done on your weight loss so far @SandyShores. It’s true what you say healthy eating should become a way of life to maintain. I know all the theory. It’s just the practice I have trouble with!!!!

Good news about not requiring surgery @helensbiggestfan. No wonder you are sleeping better. It’s very easy to try and bury something emotionally, but it always comes bobbing back to the surface when you are not looking.

Have a gorgeous Sunday everyone

helensbiggestfan

Good Afternoon Lovely Ladies. 

How are we all.  I am still a bit up and down, nothing major, just a bit tired and lethargic.  Horrid grey days again, that doesn't help.  A lot of messing about with the solicitor, which is very frustrating but hey ho, that's house purchasing for you.  Will be glad when it's all over.  

Re "dupes". Was reading about good old Nivea Cream being a dupe for Creme De La Mer, the posh stuff beloved by the Hollywood elite.  Well apparently Nivea contains roughly 90% of the same ingredients, the only one missing is some sort of extract of sea kelp or something.  Creme de la Mer is roughly £150 for 30 ml.  Yesterday I bought a 30 ml jar of Nivea for £2.95, original blue pot.  At that price I thought why not.  Lol. I think there is a "lighter" version in a white pot but my post menopausal skin requires the richest creams I can find so I went for the traditional heavier formulation.  

As an aside mum loved the stuff and she had wonderful skin.  Apparently Joan Collins is a fan too.  I did use it as a teenager but stopped for some reason....probably wasnt trendy enough back in the day.  Ha ha.  Anyway I'll give it a whirl.  

One thing I have also been trying is "slugging".  For those who havent heard of it, it's basically slathering your face in Vaseline at nighttime.  You cleanse and moisturise your face as normal. wait for your moisturiser to sink in, then apply a  layer of Vaseline to seal in the moisturiser.  I have done it twice now and each time my skin has felt beautifully soft and really well nourished the next day.  It is of course a bit messy so I do it about 30 minutes or so before going to bed. So far I haven't had any staining on my pillowcase and I'm sure I would have noticed because they are white.  

I am also going to try some perfume dupes online.  I did take a look at the Aldi and Lidl ones but didn't find anything I really liked, in fact the Lidl one which was supposed to be a Chanel dupe smelt like Parma Violets........those sweets we had as kids,  😱😂. 

Duchess2

Hi all. What gloomy weather atm.  Myself and DIL favour the Essence Vault for dupe perfumes. They are very similar to the originals and last a long time. I also like Aldi’s dupe of La vie et Belle. I love perfume and like to have several on the go, depending on my mood that day. If you haven’t paid too much you can afford to have choice. Got lots of moisturiser to use up, but next time I’m in the market might give Nivea a try. Keeeeep fabbing. Dances off to the Strictly theme 🎵 

Willow1983

Hi Helen, glad the house move is ticking along, won’t be long till you in and settled! Interesting about the Lidl dupe smelling of Parma Violets kenzo smells like that and I love it 🥰 will need to have a sniff.

helensbiggestfan

Happy Valentine's Day 💕

JIL

Just letting you know Mark's and spencer have a wellness box for £30. I had a £5 off from the loyalty card they do, so I treated myself. It says over £100 worth of products. Theres some lovely things in it. 

SandyShores

I went for it over the weekend and ordered some cake mascara - Bain & Savon.  With delivery it comes to £12.50 and instructions are use within 6 months of opening.  You add water to a mascara wand or a 'spoolie' (which are £2 a pack in B00ts) to get a good consistency.  Its vegan friendly / contains castor oil so will give it a try.  There was another brand I was considering from River Organics, where you don't add water.  Will try that one next time if this goes well.

An offer also came through from S1endertone for a half price Abs toning belt.  Its something I've thought of previously, I guess that's how the offer found me.  Apparently 20 mins a day to start with, then 2 - 3 times a week, and you can use it sat at your desk - so that's the wfh days sorted then. 

2Scratters

Almost had a disaster yesterday I lost my collapsible lip brush. Superdrug do them and Boots sometimes. It was in my coat pocket along with the lip conditioner. We were at another location when the items absence was noted. Fortunately we were going back to where DS & DGD were. It was on the floor trampled in the sand. To be fair it is black in colour and just looked like a piece of metal. Phew!
Been using up some single use facial wipes, not sure why I actually bought them in the first place. Wearing clothes that have been saved for best are now being used more frequently as each day is a best day. 

2 Scratters xx

Murphybear

SandyShores said:

I went for it over the weekend and ordered some cake mascara - Bain & Savon.  With delivery it comes to £12.50 and instructions are use within 6 months of opening.  You add water to a mascara wand or a 'spoolie' (which are £2 a pack in B00ts) to get a good consistency.  Its vegan friendly / contains castor oil so will give it a try.  There was another brand I was considering from River Organics, where you don't add water.  Will try that one next time if this goes well.

An offer also came through from S1endertone for a half price Abs toning belt.  It’s something I've thought of previously, I guess that's how the offer found me.  Apparently 20 mins a day to start with, then 2 - 3 times a week, and you can use it sat at your desk - so that's the wfh days sorted then. 

I remember that mascara from being a teenager in the 60s.  We used to spit on it, not very hygienic and not recommended  . The trouble was it wasn’t waterproof unlike modern mascaras and it didn’t take long to get panda eyes 

SandyShores

Murphybear said:

I remember that mascara from being a teenager in the 60s.  We used to spit on it, not very hygienic and not recommended  . The trouble was it wasn’t waterproof unlike modern mascaras and it didn’t take long to get panda eyes 

I'm pretty sure my mum used to spit on hers too, I'm glad you said that as I wasn't sure.  Yup, I'm hoping not to have panda eyes, mind you when I was disco-ing as a teenager in the 80s I don't think we had waterproof mascara and I'm sure I used to have panda eyes by the end of the night too.  These days its just for the odd work day, lunch or meal out and I won't be hanging about long enough to get panda eyes ...... hopefully .....  🐼🐼🐼