Frump to Fab - 2025

helensbiggestfan

Spit on mascara......I remember it well.  So unhygienic but we lived  to tell the tale. Lol.  I used to spend my pocket money on good old Miners Make Up courtesy of Woolworths.  Happy days.  

Well hello lovely ladies.  Hope you are all well and feeling fabulous.  Not much news. Still no confirmed date for house move so just treading water really.  

Sandyshores.  Be interested to see how you are getting on with the slender tone.  In a similar vein I have bought myself a new electronic massager like my chiro uses.   Not as good as a massage by a human of course but I am able to use it daily and I think it is helping.  What I really need is some warm sunshine on my bones......my knee is giving my gyp.  

Other than that not much happening.  Could do with a hair cut but am going to leave it a couple of weeks. I think I want to grow it a bit so will allow longer this time so she can restyle it.  

I'm sick of my wardrobe, so fed up with wearing winter clothes and feeling and looking like the Michelin Man, but no point in buying anything now so will wait until the weather improves (and hopefully some weight loss, no joy yet).  Although I did treat myself to a much needed pair of new slippers.  Lol.  

Never mind, spring is on its way.......soon be the equinox and then the clocks go forward.  Nice light evenings.  It's half term here and I always think that once we reach this point then (hopefully) the worst of winter will soon be behind us.  

Oh dear, I'm wishing my life away....I know it's not been a particularly hard winter but it does seem to have dragged on somewhat.  

Hey ho.....just need to keep fabbing.  My skin is liking the new regimes, I can see some improvement and it certainly feels less dry and sensitive so I must be doing something right.  

Persistence pays off - eventually!!! 

SandyShores

helensbiggestfan said:

Sandyshores.  Be interested to see how you are getting on with the slender tone.  In a similar vein I have bought myself a new electronic massager like my chiro uses.   Not as good as a massage by a human of course but I am able to use it daily and I think it is helping.  What I really need is some warm sunshine on my bones......my knee is giving my gyp.  

Well its arrived and I've used it three times now.  They recommend five times a week.  Its fairly simple to use, but comes with picture instructions so I had to watch a few youtube videos to work it out.  But you can just sit down at your desk or I'm now watching tv and you set the time which dictates the time and then increase the intensity.  You are supposed to be able to use it for walking, running and exercising so I'll give it a try but I think it might be a bit distracting.  Its like fingers tickling you, not an unpleasant feeling but I'm not sure how I'd feel about being outside with it on and going off every minute or so   Will let you know how I get on with that in the six weeks they recommend.

I've also got an electric neck and shoulder massager, I haven't used it for a while but once I've finished with the slendertone I'll have a session - mines an Osim like this.  When my PBs come in I'll get one of the chairs (they're £6k+).

Velvetrose1979

Hi  people, 45 year.old.wanna be fabber here....long time lurker of MSE forum and esp this thread but wanted to jump in, hope it's not too late for me to barge in here?

My fabbing/ MSE beauty goals for the rest of this year are:

Lose 10lbs and eat better (cut down on sugar, carbs, Red meat, sweets, biscuits, crisps and junk food food and cut out soda, nitrates and sweeteners )need

Cut down on alcohol (aiming for one large glass of wine two times a week max)

Get my haircut into a new proper style and maintain this at least 4 times a year

Do weekly mini manicure at home (file, buff, cuticles, handcream, base, polish, top coat)

Monthly at home pedicure (trim, file, foot mask, foot cream base, polish, top  coat)

Do weekly at home mini facial (hot cloth cleanse, exfoliate, mask, moisturise with facial oil and do a mini massage)

Exfoliate and moisturise whole body Weekly

Regularly apply handcream throughout the day

Always wear SP F whenever I am going to be outdoors, minimum factor 30

Weekly soak in the bath with lovely scented oil or bubble bath

Monthly at home leg wax with Veet wax strips
Monthly at home bikini wax with Veet wax strips

Totally quit smoking (I'm at around 5 a day now but I vape as well) and switch over to vaping/ gum

Aim to eat five pieces of fruit or veggies daily (I am.hopeless with this, lucky if I make one a lot of the time!)

Stay hydrated / drink water throughout the day

Build a capsule wardrobe full of.pieces I love 

Don't buy any clothes, shoes or accessories that I won't wear and rewear again and again, no matter how.much of a bargain anything seems

Throw out or.donate any items of clothing I don't wear / don't really like

Use up my toiletry and cosmetic items before replacing each item (serum, moisturiser, body lotion etc)

No buying make up.items I won't use, only buying to replace or things I know.I will use multiple times every week

Try and walk for at least 30 minutes every day

Join a (cheap) gym and work out at least twice a week

Save up to get Sculptra injections (anti ageing) as I feel I do.need a bit of a refresh and want to do something more than just creams, plus I have heard the treatment is good.

Buy one of those hot brushes so I can style my own hair as I am hopeless with a hairdryer and brush

Subscribe to one of those prescription strength skincare sites like Dermatica or Skin & Me as you can get prescription retinol which I want to try as apparently it's really good for reversing/ lessening wrinkles , signs of ageing etc...

There's probably more but think that's enough for now...

tudorfan39

velvetrose - that does sound a lot! It's probably not realistic, focus on quitting smoking and just enjoy life! Life can be swallowed up in the things we think we should be doing. It's fine to have cruddy nails as long as you're living a full life. Please don't think I'm preaching, you just remind me of when I've read too many women's magazines and think I should be 10/10 every day. I mean come on.....? Even on a tuesday?..... surely not! 

sukeyboo

@velvetrose1979 - I agree with @tudorfan39 - that does seem an awful lot but possibly achievable if you are in the right mindset and introduce things gradually. It takes a while to build up a new habit and trying to do all of them at once might be a bit overwhelming. I wanted to keep Sunday evenings for a bit of ‘me time’ paint my nails, do a face mask etc. but it doesn’t happen every week - life just gets in the way sometimes. I’m not a regular poster on here but always read along - I do enjoy hearing what the other fabbers are up to 😀. Have a lovely Sunday everyone x

SandyShores

Lots of good things on the list.  I'm with you on the eating better, cutting down on alcohol, staying hydrated and eating five fruit/veg a day.  I'm using the nutracheck app to keep track of it all and lost 5.5lb so far.  I'm also walking every day, even if its a quick walk around the block while I'm working out what my plans are for the day.  Life does get in the way sometimes, but these are my must-do's, the rest of the things get done when they can

2Scratters

@Velvetrose1979 Welcome aboard, you have been very specific and targeted of where you are going. Good to focus on you.
 I noted your admission of not doing well with fruit and veg perhaps go for 1 a day to start off with. What a good age to catch yourself and make the changes, you will thank yourself later. Using up what we already have will save an absolute fortune and it will be a big shock if you were to add up what has already been spent. Changing your eating is a brilliant start of cleansing our systems and you are working on changing reducing/giving up smoking will bring its own rewards. Like you said about food let that do some work for you and see how your skin changes before you go for any treatments, you may find they could not be needed. You still have age on your side 

I have been consciously trying to use hand cream several times during the day and ensuring I keep my cuticles soft and pushed back. I have been taking multivitamins for about 1 month now and am starting to see and feel the benefits of them. I have a little more go in me and am feeling a little lighter. It could be also helped by us climbing out of winter and having SAD does not help. This lovely sunny time we are experiencing just now is a win and getting the washing out on the line. 

Have a good week all

2 Scratters xx

helensbiggestfan

Hello Lovely Ladies.  

Welcome to Velvet Rose.  A very comprehensive  list there.  Lots of good ideas and goals.  I can recommend Dermatica. I have been using their retinol for about a year now.  I didn't think it was doing much but I compared photos to some taken a year ago and I can definitely see a difference.  

I have also added an estrogen cream to my repertoire (yes the sort you use on your vagina). It's an experiment. I saw it recommended by several you tubers I follow.  I have been using it for about 2 weeks and can definitely see an improvement. I alternate treatments - 1 night retinol and the next night estriol cream.  Then one night off treatments, just some moisturiser.  

I am also still "slugging".  A thick layer of Vaseline at night, applied on top of my treatments.  So the regime is apply treatments, allow about 15 minutes, then the Vaseline layer.  Obviously Vaseline is rather messy but I find if I apply it at least 30 minutes before going to bed it gets fully absorbed and doesn't stain my bed linen. My skin loves it,  it feels much softer and definitely less dry and sensitive.  I also apply Vaseline to my feet, knees and elbows, then finish by rubbing into my nails and cuticles.  It's definite helping my "lizard" skin.  😂

It's really quite shocking how our skin changes with age.  Drying out, becoming more sensitive and developing all sorts of weird rough patches.  It's practically a full time job keeping my skin nourished.  

 I have been busy.  Like many of you I too have felt energised by the lovely weather we have been having, although there's a very cold wind here today, so temperatures  have dropped again.  Still it's nice and bright and sunny which always lifts my spirits.  I don't mind it being colder it's the dark grey days that I find so off putting.  

Have restarted a course of chiro treatments to get me back on track and I am using my various home massagers again, not as good as a human but they help a bit.  And I've started daily stretching again.  Had my haircut yesterday and gave myself a manicure and pedicure.  

Really looking forward to being able to wear some nice spring/summer clothing.  So fed up with the layers of sweaters, boots and big coats....

Good news on the house front........contracts signed, exchange shouldn't be long now. 

helensbiggestfan

Legal completion due Monday 24th March.  Wahoo.  🤞🤞

in the meantime......just continue with the fabbing as best I can.  Still not losing any weight, still a lot of aches and pains.  Hey ho.  Just keep plodding on.  

I have been reviewing my wardrobe.  Spring is just round the corner and I need a serious wardrobe refresh. 

  I have plenty of "hot weather" clothes such as linen trousers and lightweight tops but could definitely do with some "transition"clothes such as fine knitwear for spring and the more chilly summer days.  I have had no luck with the chazzers recently so tried a few websites such as M&S and Woolovers but wasn't overly impressed. In the end I decided to try Amazon. Just bought one to start with, actually looks a nice quality so might order a couple more.  

It's all good here, still rather chilly so will do some drawer sorting and more packing.  

_Dolly_Rocker_

I find that with the CS it's either full of stuff you want or nothing at all. 

It's just your luck sometimes. 

I love popping in as often as I can for a wee wander.