When I was a teenager I had a greasy T-zone. It wasn't too drastic but I think my love of pimple-popping started with the squeezing of the many blackheads that adorned my chin and sat in the crease of my nose. These days, my skin is a lot drier and is losing its elasticity and I'm loath to admit it, but I'm knocking on a bit now. I'm hurtling towards the big 5-0 (it's only three years away... EEK) and I'm having to change a few steps in my beauty routine. Well, YOU might call it a routine, for me it's one of those "urgh, I've forgotten to take my make-up off properly - do I really have to do it before I go to bed" type things.
Laying A Foundation...
I used to be a HUGE fan of mineral foundation and would use Bare Minerals Original Foundation or Magic Minerals by Jerome Alexander but I found that they were just sitting on my skin rather than evening it out it so I switched to the Bare Minerals BarePro liquid foundation which is a perfect match to my skin in shade 10. I do still use the minerals foundations occasionally (at weekend or if I'm in a rush and just want to take the shine off my face) but these times are getting less and less. I'm looking to try out a tinted moisturiser for summer so if you have any purse-friendly recommendations, I'd be interested. I've also been trying out a new 'white' foundation but more of that in a minute...
Make-up And Shake Up...
Apart from a blue/pink eye-shadow phase in the 1980's my make-up has always been used to enhance my features rather than look "made up" (if that makes sense). The colour palette I use is what is now known as "nude" so I've actually been on trend for about 30 years - I was just waiting for everyone else to catch up. I've experimented with colour over the years and I might veer off into the purple zone from time to time but prefer a light lid, deep shadow socket and black eyeliner and mascara. My three favourite palettes are
- a Technic MegaMatts or MegaNudes which are £5 each from my local Bodycare
- an Avon matt eye shadow quad in 'Au Nauturale' which was £5.50
- an Urban Decay dupe called Exposed Face from a Groupon deal at around £5
Another recent discovery is eyebrow gel. I'm IN LOVE with this! I have fairly decent eyebrows and keep them in shape with a monthly threading session however the Beautaniq Beauty Fill + Tame gel (from Birchbox) has just enough colour to catch the grey hairs and accentuate my brows without making me look like I've got two slugs above my eyes.
Mascara and eye liner have always, and will always, be black. I occasionally switch over to brown but haven't bought any brown shades for a while now. I'm not precious over which brand I use but Smashbox did a black & white pencil once and I bought in bulk because it was THAT good. I was gutted to find it had been discontinued when I went to repurchase but since I found that a good pencil for the lower eye, a decent liquid for the upper eye and a strong thickening mascara (again from Bodycare but I've recently tried Buxom Blackest Black too) will work for me.
Lipstick has always been a bone of contention for me. I never use to wear it but have recently found myself reaching for a nude colour or lip gloss. I want to try darker colours but don't like the overall effect they have on me. Maybe it's because I've always been an "eyes" girl so it's one or the other to avoid that 'over-done' look. I have a myriad of lip balms though (did you see my Instagram post about this? If you missed it then click here) so I'll usually just slick on a layer of Nivea Hydrocare or Dr PawPaw and be on my way.
Hands Down...
My nail technician bollocked me last time I went to have my nails done (a monthly treat for me - acrylic and gel polish onto my natural nails - no tips) because my hands were so dry and my skin was cracking. It is a direct result of running in the cold weather and not wearing gloves so she advised that I need to use hand cream more. I do have some on my desk at work but I really don't use it as much as I should. I've been relying mainly on normal moisturiser but I guess that isn't cutting it any more. As mentioned above, my skin in general is a lot drier these days so I do try to remember to moisturise well after my shower but probably need to look into an intense hand cream. Again, any recommendations are welcome.
Testing, Testing...
I'm loving my monthly subscription from Birchbox. It might well be geared towards a slightly younger market but it gives me the opportunity to try out products that I wouldn't reach for or would find a bit too expensive to try out. Also, the 'sample' sizes make great additions to my travel bag for holidays.
{If you fancy signing up to Birchbox I have a referral link for you to use. If you use it, you get £5 off your first box and I get a free gift}
I'm A Sucker For An Instagram Advert *insert rolling eyes emoji*
I swear I'm an advertisers dream, especially on Instagram. I'm tempted by almost everything I see on there; jewellery, stationery, shoes, handbags (I think this tells you more about my Instagram feed that you probably need to know) and I recently saw an advert for 'white foundation' that would change pigment to perfectly match with your skin tone. It was a 'special offer' so I duly ordered some TLM Colour Changing Foundation from Diablo Cosmetics and panicked because I presumed it was a scam. Let me tell you - it turned up and I'm a convert! It's a great base for my skin but it's also something I could use after I've been on holiday because it will still match my skin tone. I don't know how it works but it's MAGIC!
Taking It All Off Again...
I was once a soap and water girl but recently used a sample of micellar water from my Birchbox and realised I should be using something extra to help take my make-up off and replenish my skin (you can read more about micellar water here). Now I prefer to use a good toner as well to ensure that I have removed every trace of make-up each night. My recent discovery is rose water toner from Sinivalia which helps balance my skin's pH levels, refines pores and tones the skin without drying it, along with a whole host of other benefits (you can also use it in your bath for aromatherapy benefits).
Now that CBD is legal in the UK, you can get it in lots of different forms including CBD cream, which can be used as part of your routine for its cosmetic abilities. It is mainly intended for people who already use other skincare products and would like add a little extra in their routine when it come to help fighting things like inflammation, acne and eczema.
What Is Everyone Else Using?
I'm always interested in recommendations (hence the earlier requests for you to tell me what you use) so I asked a couple of friends for their top tips.
Jo is 47. She had a child a few years ago and her skin has become very dry and sensitive. The products she can't live without now are her Origins 'Clean Energy' oil based cleanser and her Darphin Intral serum and moisturiser.
Jen revamped her whole skincare regime about three years ago (you can read her blog post about it here) and she's never looked back. She's 49 years old but you'd never believe it!!
Anthea spends more on her skin that her underwear now! She's 50 years old and has noticed that her skin is dry and blotchy. Moisturising her forehead has helped with eye sag too! Her go-to products are Eve Lom cleanser, Dr Sebagh serum repair, Chantecaille Nano Gold Energising eye cream, Omorovicza Balancing moisturiser and Aurelia cell repair night oil. She also recommends using linen face cloths.
Since Lucy turned 40 she's realised that a good serum is something that has become invaluable. She also says that it's not about how much you spend but what it contains. Hyaluronic acid is a must as well as collagen. She's seen a big improvement in the tell-tale sags and dullness that can give away your age.
Please do let me know what your routine is or if you have any recommendation for me. Hit me up in the comments or send me a tweet (@nickieohara).
