Lesley from Pamper & Polish

[SpecialSundae]

Do you all have a skincare routine? Are you worried about the effects of ageing on your skin or even specifically having make up problems due skin problems?

I've had a skincare routine for years, but I've stepped it up in the past few months using Elemis Tri-Enzyme regime (although this month I'm using their Skin Bliss capsules and Pro-Collagen day and night creams instead) and the Clarisonic Mia brush. It seems to have made a real difference to the way my skin looks, but I do still have real issues with spots around my jawline at times.

To be honest, my biggest issue is that I absent-mindedly pick at my skin if there's any sort of imperfection, but I really don't know how to solve that.

[FutureMrsAdie]

My skin is quite spot prone and I'm worried I'll get a breakout on my wedding day. I've been using a mineral powder as I was told it won't clog up my pores but as soon as I have a breakout the powder wont cover it and I end up going back to my heavier foundation. Catch 22. I always take my makeup off before bed and I drink about 3 litres of water a day. I use a blemish treatment when I do get a spot. Is there anything else I can do to prevent breakouts? I was going to try using Clearisil or Freederm but I'm not sure if they would dry out my skin. I've had a lotion from the doctor when I was a teenager and it really dried out my skin leaving me with dry patches - not good. Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks,

Lauren

[Pamper & Polish]

Hi SpecialSundae, your skincare regime sounds excellent and the Elemis products are lovely. Spots around the jawline can often be hormonal related- do you find that this can get worse at the 'time of the month'? If this is the case then it is hard to completely stop that superficially. If this was quite a frofound problem, especially around the time of the month, then you could speak to your GP for advice, as this is quite common.

However, continue with what you are doing as this is excellent and also remember not to miss out the jawline and neck area too with your products and Clarisonic brush as these areas also need some TLC! (which are often forgotten and show signs of ageing very quickly). Please try not to pick at any imperfections, as hard as it might be, as you could potentially cause scarring to that area, which is harder to treat & disguise.

[Pamper & Polish]

Hi Lauren, Again, this is quite possibly hormonal, so is harder to treat externally. Nonetheless, a good regime with the right products can make a difference. First of all, I'd be more inclined to recommend you steer away from Clearasil & Freederm as they definately can cause dry patches and other irritations. When you have a problem like this, it is very tempting to scrub the affected area as you think this will 'deep-cleanse' it (we've all done it!), but really, you are often just making the problem worse by e.g over stimulating the skin, skin becomes more oily and irritated, more dry patches appear and it becomes blotchy....Ideally, you should be using products that can stabilise your skin (sorry, dont want to be too technical here) and therefore prevent breakouts.

Mineral make up is good for your skin & indeed the Jane Iredale make up contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide which have anti-inflammatory properties and especially helpful for acne and rosacea-prone skin. It is also anti-bacterial. (as well as lots of other properties). I hope this helps but please PM me if you want to discuss this further-I see you are in Wishaw also, so I could have a look at your skin for you and advise you further. x

[cbaker1985]

Hi,

I have my make up booked through one of the girls at Harvey Nics from the Mac Counter so I know what i'm doing for my make up.

I am however getting to my wits end with my skin. I'm quite fortunate I don't suffer from breakouts or massively dry skin but I have very very very oily skin - to the point there's shine after less than an hour of putting on make up.

I recently thought I'd cracked it after following a review on Make Up Alley, I tried milk of magnesia on my skin lol!! It was working but it seems to have stopped now.

I've tried too many moisturisers to remember, as well as foundations (including mineral), primers, powders, toners, cleansers!

I've not gone into the "high end" skin care market (other than one experience with Clinique which i'm not looking to repeat!) as quite frankly I don't want to waste my money on something that doesn't work.

I also commit the cardinal sin of just using facial wipes at night but by that time my make up has pretty much slid off my face anyway! I don't have a routine of cleanse, tone, moisturise because again I don't want to waste money on something that will just sit in my bathroom for months (or until H2B runs out of his stuff)

Can you offer any other advice at all??

Thanks

xx

[Pamper & Polish]

Hi there! Thanks for your message. Firstly, facial wipes can 'unbalance' the Ph of the skin, so this may be contributing to your oil problem. They are quick & handy, but cleanser can be too You really are best to use a facial wash (soapy) or cleanser (creamy) - (whatever texture you like the feel of best on your skin) to cleanse the skin along with a toner and moisturiser. Never use harsh products that strip your skin of natural oil as you will end up with dry, irritated skin with even more oil than before as your skin tries to repair its protective outer barrier. Please dont avoid using products on your face, especially around the nose area (you may be tempted to avoid this as you feel you do not want to add to the problem) but again, using the right product can make a difference. Do you suffer from open pores and blackheads? It may be an idea to use a cleanser on your skin (all over face & neck) and to then apply a further product to your nose area , specifically to combat that excess oil. I would look for one with anti-septic & a mild exfoliant ingredients to help control oil production.

I totally appreciate the fact that you dont want to spend a lot of money on a product that doesnt suit- I've been there myself and got to the stage where I would never buy a skincare product unless I could use a tester first...and this really is ideal if you can get one. It is a minefield when it comes to skincare as there are so many products available to you. It would be a worthwhile investment to speak to a skincare specialist and get some advice and product recommendations...and samples! This could end up being cheaper for you in the long run as you wouldnt be buying random products that end up sitting in the bathroom cupboard!

I was going to highly recommend a primer under your foundation, but I see that you have tried these- which ones have you tried? Did you use the correct one for your problem? Did you apply the primer sparingly? Have you had your make up trial yet? If not, discuss this with your Mua and Im sure she will be able to apply a primer and foundation in the MAC range specifically for that problem. Please PM me if you would like any further advice or information on skincare & Environ products. I hope this helps! x

[Pretty_Wrong]

Hi,

I have my make up booked through one of the girls at Harvey Nics from the Mac Counter so I know what i'm doing for my make up.

I am however getting to my wits end with my skin. I'm quite fortunate I don't suffer from breakouts or massively dry skin but I have very very very oily skin - to the point there's shine after less than an hour of putting on make up.

I recently thought I'd cracked it after following a review on Make Up Alley, I tried milk of magnesia on my skin lol!! It was working but it seems to have stopped now.

I've tried too many moisturisers to remember, as well as foundations (including mineral), primers, powders, toners, cleansers!

I've not gone into the "high end" skin care market (other than one experience with Clinique which i'm not looking to repeat!) as quite frankly I don't want to waste my money on something that doesn't work.

I also commit the cardinal sin of just using facial wipes at night but by that time my make up has pretty much slid off my face anyway! I don't have a routine of cleanse, tone, moisturise because again I don't want to waste money on something that will just sit in my bathroom for months (or until H2B runs out of his stuff)

Can you offer any other advice at all??

Thanks

xx

I don't want to tread on the toes of the experts, but your skin sounds A LOT like mine and it turns out that my main problem is dehydration! If your skin is dehydrated it tends to overproduce oils to compensate, hence the shine.

I've been using Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish for a while and it has really helped (although I've just run out and am using the Soap and Glory Perfect Pore hot cloth cleanser). And I bought an Origins overnight mask at the weekend, have used it twice and am already noticing a reduction in shine. I also use a light Vitamin E moisturiser with SPF during the day.

I've been recommended the Soap and Glory Fab Pore peel to help with refining my pores, so will be picking that up over the next day or two, and I have a facial booked with Origins on Saturday which should further help things!

[Miss Budget DIY]

I have to second what Pretty_Wrong has said. I also used to have really oily skin and makeup would never stay on. I would use only products for oily skin but nothing seemed to work and then I heard from my facialist that my skin might actually be dehydrated?! I didnt have dry patches or anything?

I stopped using products for oily skin and switched to normal/combination, using hrydation masks once a week and up-ed my daily water intake. I have noticed a big difference and I hardly ever have to reapply my make up.

x

[louisa67]

Hi, I'm a budget bride and doing my own hair and make-up. Generally I never wear liquid foundation and am still in two minds whether I will or not as I hate looking made up, but my worry is the bags under my eyes - how to conceal them rather than draw attention to them. Any suggestions? Thanks x

[cbaker1985]

Thank you so much for your replies!! I'm going to bookmark this!!

I'll try your recommendations. Drinking water is a bit difficult as I work in a call centre so if I drink too much water I might annoy a few folk lol!! Can you buy Liz Earle in boots, or know where I can get testers??

I dont have particularly large pores, or blackheads. Primer wise I've tried 2 loreal, gosh, Rimmel, bourjouis, mac prep & prime ( though not consistently) urban decay razor sharp finishing powder, and one of their all night sprays. I am tempted to try NARS as their smudge proof eye base is still holding my eye shadow and I applied it at 0730 this morning. Has anyone got experience with it as a primer?

Xx

[Pamper & Polish]

Hi Pretty_Wrong & Miss Budget DIY, thanks for your comments- Im glad you are getting better results from your products now

[michellel]

Hi Lesley,

I'm worried i'll be too excited to sleep on the night before the wedding and will wake up with puffy red eyes. What's the best thing to do if you wake up looking like crap after a sleepless night lol

[SpecialSundae]

Hi Lesley,

I'm worried i'll be too excited to sleep on the night before the wedding and will wake up with puffy red eyes. What's the best thing to do if you wake up looking like crap after a sleepless night lol

Now's there's a good question!

[Pretty_Wrong]

Thank you so much for your replies!! I'm going to bookmark this!!

I'll try your recommendations. Drinking water is a bit difficult as I work in a call centre so if I drink too much water I might annoy a few folk lol!! Can you buy Liz Earle in boots, or know where I can get testers??

I dont have particularly large pores, or blackheads. Primer wise I've tried 2 loreal, gosh, Rimmel, bourjouis, mac prep & prime ( though not consistently) urban decay razor sharp finishing powder, and one of their all night sprays. I am tempted to try NARS as their smudge proof eye base is still holding my eye shadow and I applied it at 0730 this morning. Has anyone got experience with it as a primer?

Xx

John Lewis sells Liz Earle, or you can order it online or from QVC!

Apparently Smashbox is the best primer, but I'd be keen to hear what others have to say!

[Pamper & Polish]

Hi Lesley,

I'm worried i'll be too excited to sleep on the night before the wedding and will wake up with puffy red eyes. What's the best thing to do if you wake up looking like crap after a sleepless night lol

Hi Michellel, there are a few simple, inexpensive things you can do-
* try not to rub the eyes!
* Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid salty foods.
* Take your middle finger and gently apply pressure along & around the eyebrow and eye socket to stimulate the circulation and lymphatic system. This should help to reduce the swelling.
* When applying an eye gel/ cream- remember not to use too much product as this can cause puffiness in the first instance, due to product overload on the finer skin around the eye area.
* The good old tea bags- take a cold (wet) tea bag, wrap it in a tissue and apply to your closed eyelid for a few minutes until you feel a difference. the tannin in teabags can cause a tightening sensation.
* Take a spoon (desert or teaspoon) place in fridge to cool down and then gently apply to closed eyelids for a few seconds and repeat this until you feel a difference.
These are very simple ideas and maybe you could try some out before the wedding day, to find what works best for you. I hope this helps!

[michellel]

Thanks! I'll give them a trial run next time I'm hung over

[cbaker1985]

Today I took my first step into hydration world and hopefully less oily skin! Bought No 7 new stuff for normal/oily to hydrate! The assistant said to come back in 2 weeks if it's not working..fingers crossed though!! X

[missd]

Today I took my first step into hydration world and hopefully less oily skin! Bought No 7 new stuff for normal/oily to hydrate! The assistant said to come back in 2 weeks if it's not working..fingers crossed though!! X

Oh good, keep us updated, I'd like to know if it works. I'm looking to do something with mine, its driving me crazy just now, never been this bad xx

[Debbie_Dimples]

Hey do you have any info on hd eyebrows?

[Pamper & Polish]

Hi Debbie_Dimples, thanks for your message. I dont do HD Brows myself, but I know they are a 7 step procedure including tinting, waxing, threading, trimming with scissors and tweezing , as well as a consultation and assessment of your brows and what you want to achieve. The correct aftercare is then given and soothing loton and maybe make up is applied to finish. This gives you a very precise eyebrow and should be shaped to suit your face shape. I have seen prices start form £20 upwards and the cost will depend on which area you are in and salon you go to. You should give it a go and see if you like it I hope this helps x

[Debbie_Dimples]

[QUOTE=Pamper & Polish;128323]Hi Debbie_Dimples, thanks for your message. I dont do HD Brows myself, but I know they are a 7 step procedure including tinting, waxing, threading, trimming with scissors and tweezing , as well as a consultation and assessment of your brows and what you want to achieve. The correct aftercare is then given and soothing loton and maybe make up is applied to finish. This gives you a very precise eyebrow and should be shaped to suit your face shape. I have seen prices start form £20 upwards and the cost will depend on which area you are in and salon you go to. You should give it a go and see if you like it I hope this helps x[/QUOTE

Hey, that's great thanks, there's a salon near me doing them for £25 which I thought was pretty decent so gonna give them a try - just a bit worried in case I don't suit the shape but if they do a consultation and do a shape to suit my face then hopefully be alright x