(Part 3) Best products from r/beauty

Nail polish can be hard since everyone has different preferences, but you could always get a fun topcoat she could add to her collection (something with different colored flecks, glitter, holo, etc). Or you could get her a display for the nail polish she has?

You can also go to a drug store and just pick a color that reminds you of her! I personally like Sallie Hansen Insta Dri because I don’t have the patience for my nails to dry, but Essie, OPI, and China Glaze are all slightly nicer brands.

But I think no matter what you decide to get her, she’ll be excited about it! It’s very sweet that you’ve noticed something she enjoys and want to show your affection by supporting it 😊

I have this topcoat and think it’s pretty fun:

https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Lights-Silver-Hologram-Drying/dp/B000PZA1MC/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?crid=38KPAJQPIMLBR&keywords=holo+topcoat+nail+polish&qid=1555300084&s=gateway&sprefix=holo+topcoat&sr=8-6

Not sure if this would work with your budget, but there’s this shelf:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01M0EM74V/ref=sspa_mw_detail_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Best of luck! It’ll be great!

Maybe try to dress like you’re young. At the moment, fluffy teddy-bear jacket (I’ve recently bought this one and it’s great!) are what I see a lot of under 25s wearing. Specific clothing websites like PrettyLittleThing and Missguided are popular for under 25 age group (at least in the uk). Also maybe try changing up your hair somehow, I reckon French plaits/ space buns would look lovely with your hair and both are quite young-ish hairstyles. Younger people sometimes put ribbons or glitter in their hair (especially with plaits) so if your going out to something like a club/party/concert you could try that. Also HIGHLIGHTER!! Idk if you’ve already got some but its so easy and cheap and when applied (heavily) to your cheekbone, nose, inner corner of your eye it gives you a distinct young look because generally only this age group puts on highlighter like that. Also contour, looking at your picture with make up on the shape of your face could benefit from a contour line on the lower cheeks. Also eyebrows, you might want to experiment with thickening them out to have a lower brow line, either naturally or with a dark brown eyebrow pencil. The diagram in this article is helpful

More than anything though, be comfortable in your own skin. All these external things can help but accepting your base appearance is so helpful. You’re beautiful and whilst I believe these things are useful as they can help you feel more attractive, attractiveness often comes from an inner confidence and love for yourself x

I do my own gel at home and have been for about 3 years. I purchased something like this on amazon - they work pretty well but not as well as a soaking dish. The soaking dish usually gets my polish to shed right off, but it does dry out my skin so that's the main downfall. For whatever reason, only my right hand fingers get really dry. I think since i'm R hand dominant its the same hand I use for cleaning and I definitely need to wear gloves more for cleaning but still fail to do so :) So it could very well be a majority from the cleaning chemicals, not the soak.

I use 100% acetone (target) to soak off my polish with either method. For the clips, I just a cotton ball with it but actually rip them in half because it fits better and then it's completely saturated in acetone without wasting a ton.

You'll also need regular alcohol rub to clean your nails.

The biggest mistake people make at home & why they pay for them to be done is because they don't prep their nails correctly, causing the gel to peel early & chip. You need to clean it up with rubbing alcohol & be sure to clean your cuticles. Applying gel means precision as far as not getting it on your skin (like when regular polish gets on your skin, it comes off, but with gel, it'll harden and get deformed and those pieces make it highly likely the entire nail will be ruined).

I also rough up the top of my nail after cleaning up the nail bed with my nail file. The rougher surface gives the base more to adhere too. Not super hard or anything, but don't buff your nail top smooth (they do this at salons too)

I also purchased this mega light from amazon so I can do my entire hand, I hate those small lights. This thing is awesome and even came with an extra light but 3 years later I have yet to replace it. Warning though, normal cure time is about 1 min... this one does 90sec + so I pull my hand out early. Over curing will make removal harder.

It definitely takes practice, and can be discouraging at first, but with some practice and looking online for tips you'll get it and save a ton of money!

My favorite gel brand is actually the sally Hansen kind. They've worked the best. I think Orly's line has been the worst for me. I tried 2 red carpet ones once, one of them was supposed to be rose gold but it ended up being normal gold and same with another color I forgot and it made me really mad because it was for a wedding so I had to do my nails 2x... I returned them and haven't purchased from them since because I don't trust what color will turn out. Sally Hansen gel polishes can be found in bundles usually on ebay for a great price, that's how I ended up with literally every color they have lol! They don't have a ton and don't come out with new colors very often but their colors are more than enough for what I need/want

You can find oils at Target, big lots, kroger, walmart depending on your state and store of course.

Try to get extra virgin organic coconut oil, the only oil you really need and if you want, extra virgin organic olive oil. Sunflower oil is good too.

Rub coconut oil all over your body, feet, hands, legs at night, in the morning, basically use it as a moisturizer. a few drops on your hair before showering (like 30 mins before) does wonders for your hair, NEVER PUT COCONUT OIL ON YOUR FACE! It's comedogenic, it means it clogs your pores.

Olive oil is a great eye make up remover, great for your body too, feet, hands, basically another moisturizer. a few drops on the ENDS of your hair before showering. Only the ends.

Sunflower oil is good too, jojoba, and almond will be a little harder to find but they are great too. Grapeseed oil is good for mild keratosis pilaris.

Target is your best bet for all of these oils! They have castille soap, which is soap made of just a bunch of oils, use that as a body wash. This is it if you dont know what it is, it's really good body wash, again Target has it by the "natural care" section by like acne washes, make up, section, it will not be by the shampoo section, it's very weird how it's hidden. Also, Target has comparable prices to online stuff, only .50 cents to a dollar higher, which is good, since most places are 2 dollars to 4 dollars higher than online.

So yeah, I hope this helps sorry for the crap way it's written.

I'm in the same boat, I've been slowly giving away my nicer stuff and trashing the crap. Here is what I currently use on a regular basis (and it all fits in a small makeup bag):

Chanel Double Perfection foundation. It's a pressed powder and it is AMAZING. I'm acne prone and have quite a bit of scarring and just a light application of this stuff hides it all. I've been using it for about 12 years now, have yet to find anything better. I don't use a concealer because this foundation gets it all. It's a bit pricey but I use it pretty much every single day and one compact lasts me for 6 months.

NARS blush in Angelika. I tried so many cheap drug store blushes and none of them worked, I own several NARS blushes and they are all amazing. Totally worth the price.

Physicians Formula Eyeliner. I can make some amazing cat eyes with this product. It's also fairly waterproof, I've gone swimming with it on and it didn't run. I also own a Stila liner which was more than double the price of this Physicians Formula one and I don't like it nearly as much.

Laura Mercier Brow Pencil

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies

My lip products vary, I'm liking the REVLON Colorburst Lip Butters. I also LOVE NARS lipsticks, I actually own that color (I know it looks awful in the picture but it's quite pretty). The formula is creamy but it stays put and isn't drying. And I don't wear glosses often but when I do I use either Chanel glosses or Smashbox glosses from this set. Neither brand are too sticky which I can't stand.

I haven't worn eye shadow in ages, and when I do it's from a few Sephora brand palettes so that isn't going to help you much. I like MUFE eye shadows though. Great pigmentation.

My brushes, bronzer, and luminizing powder are all Sephora brand so I didn't bother mentioning them either. I don't use primers much but when I do I use Smashbox Photo Finish Light.

Also I'm pale/cool with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and I'm oily and acne prone, if that helps.

I may get down voted for this but oh well. I'm just throwing out some ideas if they can be at all helpful.

It maybe something helpful or it may not but I thought I would share. There are some Japanese who believe in facial massage . It's called Tanaka and it's highly regarded. It maybe helpful?

There's a good thread on Tanaka method here and here that really go into it. You can find her videos on youtube, here is the first one.

It may help reduce swelling? I'm not making any claims but I know other parts of our bodies , a massage can be beneficial to help with swelling.

Compression is also used for swelling in other parts of our body and there are such things as facial compression masks like this.

Then another option maybe to look at getting cooling masks to help with the puffiness or maybe the jade rollers? I use these on my eyes in the morning because I wake up to under eye bags. But some people say rollers help a lot too.

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I started with a pricy one that is actually made for anti aging. It's called 'Tri-enzyme cleanser' by Elemis. The reason for this is because it increases skin turn over and helped my skin to heal scars very fast. However it isn't fully natural. I then went to lush and discussed skincare, everything there is mostly natural. They helped me replace my cleansers and I got to talk to real trained people. I know people assume they just sell girly bath bombs but that isn't true at all.
Also I cannot recommend the mask of magnaminty from lush more!! It heals my breakouts in 4 days! I started my boyfriend on my regime after his beard acne issue and inflammation reduced by half over night. It is strong so only use it once every 3 days.

Moisturising is extremely important. As stated before I recommend 'Sukin Rosehip Oil'. I will link everything below. Use three or so drops (It is a dry highly absorbing oil so you may need more) always massage upwards and remember your neck. This is particularly good due to its close chemistry to primrose which helps with hormonal imbalance. A lot of persistent acne is due to this. Of course there is the standard advice such as manage stress, drink a lot a lot of water etc

Here are some further methods you can try for severe outbreaks:

1. Aloe vera gel + arnica + tea tree oil (all in one gel) with rose hip oil. Mix a blob with a few drops of oil and wear overnight thicky after cleansing.
   You may find incorporating this in your routine increases skin healing rapidly.
   You can do this every night but NEVER in the day, aloe vera can make you burn. Read up on the aloe plant and acne and you will see how highly recommended it is.
   
   
2. Homemade tumeric facemask
   Mix:
   

• 1 teaspoon cooking tumeric (yes the yellow stuff)
  
• 1 tablespoon chickpea flour
  
• 1 tablespoon full fat yoghurt
  
• 2 teaspoons honey
  
• splash milk to thin just enough to spread
  
  You can do this using the simplified version with just the tumeric, yoghurt and honey but it will be runny. Tumeric will not stain you due to the fat in the yoghurt. It is antibacterial and the lactic acid in the yoghurt helps skin renewal.
  I had cystic acne and had to use this every day (had to look good for my job) and had the best skin. Added bonus is that it gets rid of dark circles too!
  
  Although it sounds overwhelming you will find as your skin gets better you will need to do less and less to the point where other than cleansing and moisturising you will just need one mask per one to two weeks for general upkeep.
  
  

1. Elemis cleanser (doubled in price unfortunately!): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00175W3HK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_95BdBbP9KHPDB
   
   
2. Sukin Rosehip oil:
   Sukin Organic Rosehip Oil 25ml https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003VJVS4O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_K7BdBb5MA19W8
   
   
3. Lush mask of mangaminty:
   https://uk.lush.com/products/cleansers/mask-magnaminty-self-preserving
   
   
4. Lush cleansers:
   https://uk.lush.com/products/cleansers-scrubs
   
   
5. Aloe vera gel + Arcania + Tea tree oil:
   https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dr-organic-aloe-vera-gel-with-tea-tree-60092520?skuid=092520
   
   Please be aware that tea tree oil allergies are common and to always patch test your new products!
   
   As for deodorant commercial deodorants contain aluminium. This can cause oestrogen production which can lead to breast cancer (possibly) and hormonal issues (acne is one). Why I mentioned it is that you have lymph nodes there, the issue is this passes through and cycles through your lympathic system. The main concern is that it literally stops you sweating by plugging up the sweat glands. While cancer causation is inconclusive, it's widely agreed blocking this process and spraying chemicals there can have systemic (whole body effects).
   I personally just shower more and wipe there with a damp cloth. Then again as a girl I don't sweat so bad.
   
   Sorry I went on a bit, it's an area I'm pretty passionate about and have researched a lot.
   Hope this helped!

https://www.amazon.com/Allkeys-Portable-Handheld-Rechargeable-Operated/dp/B07PGGS7WK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=spray+bottle+fan&qid=1557949250&s=gateway&sr=8-3

That's a more expensive one, but there is one that has a button thing to operate it manually. Honestly, really nifty little gadgets! I also found it helped so much if I kept bottles of water in the fridge for really hot days.

As for the waxing thing, I cannot express enough how big I got with both my pregnancies. Even midwives thought I was carrying twins until they read my notes! And shaving was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It took way longer and was easier in the shower (bonus cos it helps with your muscles to squat and bend around in the shower I thought hahaha), but with perseverance I managed. I know not everyone can though! Would your SO be willing to help you shave? Mine wasn't because he was too worried he'd cut me (🙄) but some of my friends got their partners to help them with shaving.

Oh, I also froze grapes and melon balls to help keep hydrated and cool when it got hot! Sorry I know that's not what your post is about, but I get excited hahahaha

What you want is pure, unadulterated food grade mineral oil. Some people like to use baby oil, but it contains fragrance and tocopherol (vitamin e), both of which can be irritating to the skin. The mineral oil you find in the laxatives section of your pharmacy also have tocopherol.

I bought this stuff and it works great. Love it. Works great as a makeup remover.

Come join us over at /r/skincareaddiction if you are interested in learning more. :) I posted a good article about the benefits of using mineral oil for skincare earlier this morning.

I tint my own brows at home with this stuff and it works well for my needs. I have light brow hairs but I also have sparse brows. I purposely leave it on for a couple minutes longer than suggested for the purpose of staining my skin a little. Afterward, it looks as if I have perfectly filled in brows. The staining of the skin only last a couple days which I'm fine with. But afterward I just have nicer looking natural looking brows for the next couple weeks or more.

The trick with my technique is that when applying the tint, you gotta stay within the lines of the brow. What I mean is, apply it as perfectly shaped as possible. As if you were painting on solid perfectly shaped brows. Wherever the tint touches, it gets colored so you need to be neat and tidy.