Bud, I also agree that those OT's are annoying; I think what happens is that people feel chummy in decorating, and won't venture out of that comfort zone and post in the proper forum.
I would like all OT's to go in the conversations side, which is for any off topic subject.

It's funny how different people's perspectives are. I stopped checking out this forum, unless doing a specific search, because I felt it was inhabited by younger women. I'm over here now to do a search on DHC. I am 62. To me, if you are in your 30s, you are still pretty much a spring chicken. You see what I mean by perspective? Ironically, I probably care more about cosmetics and skin care products now than I ever did in my 30s. Why? Because nothing works for me anymore. My once combination skin is now dry and flakey. I've had skin cancers removed twice. Cosmetics that give decent coverage (over freckles and age spots) also lay in fine lines and wrinkles like a beacon that says "here I am, come look at me." Oil based lipsticks feather outside lip lines giving one a clown-like appearance and any mascara that gives volume to thinning eyelashes ends up creating raccoon eyes within a few hours. I've tried so many different foundations and mascaras that I could stock a department store. And, although, I have strong fingernails, one now has such bad ridges (fingernail wrinkles) that it keeps splitting on the end and constantly snags my clothing. My hair has always been fine and thin, only now, it is more so. It used to be very dark brown and still is for the most part--just not the part I see. I have a silver streak in the front and silver on the temples. I don't color it because no color seems right and with all the greying being in the front (around my face), I would have to re-color it on a very frequent basis. So, if this really is an "old ladies" forum, I'd like to hear from the old ladies. What cosmetics or beauty care products do you feel have really made a difference or worked well for you?

LOL,pauline13...sorry to hear about your troubles.I dont feel like a spring chicken at 30...even my mom joked I'm knocking on the door.

You could try just using lipliner (instead of lipstick) and adding a touch of gloss to it for shine and smoothness.I used to wear lipstick too,but found I liked this better cuz it doesnt feather off.Also,looks a bit more natural.
Trying water-proof mascera could help with the raccoon problem (I hate that too!)
What moisterizer do you use? cetaphil is a good gentle one for dry skin. (I have opposite problem with oil!)
For nails,have you tried buffing them? Then maybe using something like hard as nails (sally hanson) to coat them? Or just get fake ones :)
Cant help ya with the foundation though...I need one that is not at all moisterizing,and I cant use that powder bare minerals stuff.
When you look for a base,do you look for one that is moisterizing?
I have always heard for older women less is more.I'm starting to notice that myself as I get older. I cant away with lots of eyeliner or blush anymore.I feel I look younger and prettier wearing less make up.

For Pauline13 and everyone - I don't get over here very often, but have found it useful. I'm going to be 69 Monday, and have incredibly dry skin - nothing seems to help, even the stuff the dermatologist recommends! The only thing that seems to keep my skin from peeling is baby oil. I put in on after cleaning my face with the mildest stuff I can find, leave the oil on for maybe five minutes, and then blot gently. Then I use a powder compact. For special occasions, I may use a foundation on the center area of my face, and blend it out towards the edges of my face, then use the powder. Yes - as we age, less is more. One of the things I've found that opens my face is being sure to keep my brows colored with pencil. They're beginning to loose color, and look splotchy. Your eyebrows are a frame for your eyes and face. I do use a waterproof mascara, lightly, and am careful about the blush. I well remember my mother and mother-in-law with their rouged cheeks! I'm still playing with the eyeshadow. It's hard to find something inexpensive that doesn't "shimmer". Expensive cosmetics are simply not in my budget. I do find that using the eyeshadow as a liner under my eyes is better than using mascara on the lower lashes, or a regular eyeliner. I have a really fine lip brush that I use for that. If you can't find a fine lip brush, try an artist's brush with a really fine point. If the brush handle is too long, just chop it off! A good quality brush will last for many years. I've pretty much given up on all the anti-aging stuff. None of it seems to help much, and often makes me itch or get red! Maybe I'm too old for anti-aging! I do use a Buff Puff, made by 3M, about twice a week, and that does the exfoliating bit better than anything I've tried. Cheap too! I order them through Drugstore.com because they can be hard to find in stores. So much for my story. I f we want this to be an active forum, we"re going to have to be active!

Elsie

Here are the things that I'm liking as an "over the hill" type...

Lip liner, the kind that is in a pencil that you sharpen. The twist-up ones are nice and soft, but I find they don't hold the lipstick in as well. I line the lips but not quite to the corners, use a close shade of lipstick, blot, put on a touch of lip gloss (Revlon).

Nailtiques is just great to keep nails from splitting. It dries very hard on your nail, better than Sally H. I've struggled for years with splitting nails, and my nails have never looked better since I started using Nailtiques. They have 2-3 forumlations depending on your need.

I always put on my foundation with fingers, but I like using a sponge better now(the triangle wedge ones). Unfortunately they absorb a lot of foundation, so I re-use them which I'm sure is a no-no.

Cetaphil makes a very gentle skin cleanser, economical too.

To Elsie, Pauline and all of the other older gals, I hear what you are saying. I am in my mid fifties and I never cared about beauty stuff like I do now. It didn't need to be a priority like it seems to be now. No matter what our ages we want to look our best. We all have challenges that we sometimes have to be creative to meet. I noticed in the drugstore there are some new foundation products for more mature skin. I can't remember if it's Cover Girl or Loreal. I have a feeling that there will be many more. The baby boomers are aging, girls!!! My skin hasn't reached a dry stage yet, it's more oily. If it were dry, I would consider Ponds Cold Cream. I know plenty of people who use this and like it. I now tint my eyebrows when they seem too light. It makes a lot of difference. The tint is not that expensive at Sally's Beauty Supply. A good inexpensive brand of matte eyeshadow is Physician's Formula neutral matte quads. They're great. Some people take fish oil suppliments, eat more antioxident containing fruits and vegetables, use olive oil and drink lots of water. Dr.Perricone has written a book and recommends a simple eating plan for healthier skin. I tried his diet for 3 days and it really did make a difference. I would like to try to stay on it indefinately, but I'll see. You may want to check his book out of the library. It could be really helpful.

My aunt is in her fifties and just had permanent make-up done~her eyebrows and eyeliner. It looks great on her.When I get older I'm considering having this done too.

coolmama, a friend of mine is considering the permanent make up. I have seen pictures of women that have had it done but haven't seen anyone in person. My thought is what happens if you want to change the color of your lip color for instance?

I am 64 and I'm always looking for new products for makeup, moisturizers and nail colors...some things never change!! lol! Lately, I have been using just a lipliner and a touch of gloss, I like the look. I just sent for eye shadow from HSN- Signature Club A. I don't like the shimmery shadows either. I use Bare Escentuals makeup plus I use other kinds also. One thing I have always had in my favor, is that I look younger than my age so I'm thankful about that!!

I don't post here too often but I do check on here every so often.

I'm 41, and rarely post here because I've never been fashion-conscious and my skin is so oily I wear makeup maybe three times a year. I do enjoy reading the other posts and occasionally will offer an opinion. Most of the time I don't know enough about the topic to have anything to say, such as the post about those croc shoes. I didn't know what they were until I read that. I have learned a lot by reading the posts, so I'll keep checking this forum.

Good, Irislover!

Pauline13, you might want to take a supplement called biotin which is one of the B vitamins. I read about it here on this forum maybe a year ago.

I was already taking Centrum Silver multivitamins, but after I added 500 mcg a day of biotin my nail strength noticeably improved and the ridges have lessened.

My nails and hair grow a bit faster now too.

Our thyroid hormone levels may drop over time -- this can be checked with a simple blood test. Low thyroid can cause "beauty" problems such as dry skin, thinning hair, and weight gain, plus low energy and feeling chilly.

My thyroid level was low, but a tiny pill daily brought mine into the normal range.

This forum may not move too quickly, but I check in every now and then and have gotten some good ideas.

Iris, glad you enjoy the talk; I too come here and like reading what products people are finding out.

I wish I could find a make-up forum with more people participating but I've tried some others that are even slower than this one. I use one that's pretty good at a health oriented forum...you can usually get a few people to answer. Then there's one at a make up review site but it's more like a chat room format that I don't care for at all!
This forum will usually get you at least one result. I've learn a couple things here!

Elsie - I thought I was the only one that still uses a BuffPuff!LOL! You're right, it works better than anything I've ever used too for exfoliating. I love it!

Physician's Formula has just come out with eyeshadow that is matte. I'm 60 and it works very well for me without any glimmer or shine, and it doesn't settle into the wrinkles too badly!

For dry skin:

I found shea butter soap at the dollar store in the "ethnic beauty products" section.

I love it, love it, love love love it!

Anything I find with shea butter has got to come home with me!

At the same dollar store, for $1 a jar, you can get vitamin E lotion, aloe vera lotion, & sometimes a jar with a combination of both.

soothing, enriching, & heavenly.

For eyeshadow, use a cream with no shine, glimmer, glitter, silver, or gold:

the reflectiveness/cakiness in powders & the shininess in creams makes people look older.

which is fine if you're 16 years old & your fondest wish is to look older...

I had permanent make-up done several years ago, brows only, & I've loved it.

Changing the color isn't a problem, since eyebrows are pretty much the same color all the time (a good technician will match the color to your natural brows or to the color you want the brows to be), but you can always use eyebrow pencil to "tweak" the color or shape.

Important tip:

When you have permanent make-up applied, stay out of the sun & apply vitamin e *oil*, from a vitamin capsule, as often as you think about it, for a week or 10 days.

Well girls, I've just found this forum today and I can't tell you how many tips I've gleaned. I'm 64 and just retired so I'm having so much fun now that I can take the time to ck forums, spend time on make-up, paint, garden, find new interests - it goes on and on. But - Sylviatexas, when your speaking of permanent make-up, I thought you meant tatooing but you said applied???????

I just found this forum and I do like to talk about beauty and fashion, I'm 35 years old and the mom of two. I found this website because I was specifically looking for gardening/home discussions so naturally *gardenweb* seemed the right place to go. Stumbling upon the other forums like beauty, health and nutrition are like a bonus. Obviously I think a site mainly dedicated to home and garden are going to be busiest on those forums. If I were specifically looking to talk about beauty and fashion I probably wouldn't think a gardenweb site was the place to go ;)

Nice thing about this forum is that it doesn't hound you with emails or surveys forever. Post your questions and there's lots of experience around (or opinions) to get interesting answers. Haven't found anything that reverses the clock but there are a lot of ways to keep from looking so scary, as I'm one of those over the hill gang. I don't really look my age but as DH says, I still look good to him. LOL, his vision is really failing, unfortunately. My vision isn't what it used to be either.

I am 68, (I had to stop and count to be sure :) ) and stopped wearing much makeup when I retired three years ago. My skin is pretty good, relatively smooth and just a few light wrinkles; I think that's because I was always an indoor type person. I used to wear the gamut in makeup, but tried all that again a few weeks ago and found it made me look much older. Now I just curl my lashes, use a light lipstick and a touch of blush, suits me better. My question is: How many of you women have let your hair go naturally grey. I am considering it and have started to let the brown color grow off, but I get more undecided by the day. It's a pain to keep up when you are mostly grey underneath
Thanks for any experiences you can give.

Mary, is your hair light or dark. Those of us with light hair cope with the streaking effect then the grey seems to just blend in more. It makes for a longer period of time between procedures. Like 6 mo. or so. and you can usually do it yourself or have dau. return a favor.

Hi Riverbud,
Thanks for the reply. My hair was almost black when I was younger and has been colored a nice brown shade for several years. I think you're right, the shock of brown to grey, rather than blonde to grey would be greater.
What do you mean about the streaking effect? Does your hairdresser put in highlights or something like that? I will ask mine how this could be handled, although she actively discourages me from making the change.
My mom died at 89, and two weeks before she passed away unexpectedly, she had her hair re-colored her usual muted auburn; swore she would never go grey. I can't even imagine what she would have looked like with white hair.
I still want to try it, after all it can always be dyed back, right?

I definitely agree about the make-up...nothing looks worse than an older woman wearing too much...it really does "AGE" a woman. But heck...too much make-up looks bad on anyone as far as I'm concerned no matter how young. Hair though..gray hair can make a young woman look old. I'll bet that a lighter shade of brown with some highlights throughout it would probably be more flattering as you are aging than a really dark brown. A dark brown hair color can start to look pretty "fake" as you age.

Mary, I think Arkansas is right. The lighter color will start you off on getting use to the different look. Highlights make anyone feel more spiffy. With dark brown your hairdresser must see you often. I'm not surprised that she is discouraging you to go lighter. The roots won't show up as fast. My mom had dark hair that turned this beautiful white that she always received compliments on. I'm a bit of a scrooge and hate to give up the money for a hairdresser so often but even more so, I really hate giving up the time in the shop. And I'm retired so you would think I have more time. Not so.

I just discovered this forum and have a tip I learned from a 76 year old.
When I worked in a pharmacy (now retired) this lady told me her secret. She washes her face with nothing but pure Mineral oil.
I have never seen another person with skin so wrinkle free. I tried it but even at 61 I get pimples from too much oil.
I do buy nothing but handmade soap with emu oil and never have a dryness problem.

Okay you guys, I am going to talk to Carla about lightening up and streaks....actually we talked about streaks once, but I did nothing about it.
Need a cut anyway, so will let you know what happens, if you're interested.

As for having free time after retirement, I can only say I don't know how I had time to work; something's always going on, I went to Europe twice, traveled within the States some, on top of that I have a Schnauzer, a German Shepherd and three cats.....there is a lot of cleaning going on too. :-)
Cya later

Mary, pl post your after pics. We would love to see how they come out.

Mostly for Coolmama,

You've already been taken to task for assuming that this forum is mostly for older women who care more about gardening than their looks. However, I still have to say: puh-lease come into the 21st Century!

Women - regardless of age - are interested in so many things that there are not enough forums (or "fora" if you're into Latin) to possible cover the depth and breadth of our interestes.

I started coming to the forums a couple of years ago, initially through gardening. I never realized that there were so many great discussions - about organic gardening, "greening" your house, pets, medical issues and now - Beauty and Fashion. I'm glad to have found it.

Now, as a women of une certaine age, I'll have you know that I take incredibly good care of myself. Walking, yoga, ballet, meditation, massage - and every darned beauty product that comes down the pike! If it's out there, I've probably tried it. Here's what I've found that works - sunscreen. At least SPF 30, every day, rain or shine, summer or winter. It will save your skin, and it just might save your life. (skin cancer) The retinols actually do have some benefit. Ditto co-enzyme Q-10. And La Prairie makes a wonderful mask that works as a mini-peel. For acne, you can't beat the Murad products. And the best product ever made for deep conditioning hair, Sebastian Potion 7, is no longer available. I'd like to start a one-woman campaign to bring it back. Anyone care to join me? Of course, it might take too much "chops" for the younger members. (okay, now you know I'm just giving you a hard time - lol)

So don't give up on this forum - and never underestimate the power and knowledge of a mature woman!

Well, to those interested in how my going natural wish turned out: I let my hair grow out quite a bit, (until it was disgusting) and this A.M. my stylist cut it, leaving about 2" all over. It is a very cute cut, separating bangs, razored short around the ears, short in back, and I must say I am very pleased.
Here's the deal with the grey. Like most people, the white is mostly around my face and front of head, the back is mostly my natural, very dark, almost black, hair with a little streaking. It has turned out to look like I have just had my dark hair beautifully highlighted, (and for free too). I realize the next cut will reveal more grey around the face and still I think I will like it a lot. The grey is silver, white and not yellow, so that's a relief. My stylist suggested we leave the highlighting decisions for another time, maybe even low lights, if I get really white, as time goes on.
I am glad I tried this and, of course, if it starts to pall, I can always go back to dye....not likely though, at least the way I feel today. Much cheaper and less time consuming.
Sorry Rosebud, my digital camera moved out with one of my daughters, so can't do a pic, at least right now...but would if I could. We'll see about later.
Thanks for your helpful comments and interest.
Mary

Mary, hooray for you! I've never even considered coloring my hair. I like a natural look and my feeling is why spend the money and time trying to make myself look like something I'm not (blonde/brown/red/streaked/sun-bleached/tanned/you-name-it)?

Your new haircut sounds very nice!

Thanks Jenn.
You sound like a woman after my own heart.

Mary: I guess there are 2 of us! :-)

I also need more help now that I am 56. I would like this forum to be more active also.

The problem I am having with this is getting notified that someone has answered my questions. I can't get this to work and I have tried everything. This might be a problem for others and the reason the forum isn't as active as it was before.

Any suggestions on how to get this fixed so I can get notified when someone responds to my questions.
Susie

Well, I don't even see the option to get notified when I previewed my message. Did they take this option away?
I sure can't remember on my own...LOL I need to be notified that there is a response.

Yes, we used to have that option to receive an email of responses, and I did once see a check box to have that choice, but I've never figured out how to make it work either. The Forums just don't get the attention we used to get, so I guess you just have to check back periodically.

Didn't this forum used to be a "you can only post if you are a paying member" type forum? I was thinking that a long time ago I could be a member but I couldn't post anything(read only) but I may be thinking of a different forum..but I just started thinking that maybe a lot of people just went away when they found out they had to pay and haven't bothered to try back again? I really haven't found any beauty forum that's really all that busy or helpful...most have the same few people posting and they are normally very young women.

If you open up the Essential Day Spa Forum - I think it is the Skin and Makeup Forum there is a thread devoted to women 55 and older - in other words women who have "hit the wall"! - I am 56 - about to turn 57 and found it quite interesting. Younger readers are now scared. There is also an older thread called "Rosacea - A Cautionary Tale" - well I also have rosacea so have a problem with anti-aging products, acids etc. Both were/are very interesting.

eccentric, Could you tell me where to find the "Essential Day Spa Forum"? The thread devoted to women 55 & older sounds interesting!

Thanks~

Mary7060 - If you go to www.essentialdayspa.com, hit the Forum Button and open the Skin Care and Makeup Forum and scroll through, you will find a thread started by member "Frodo" called 55 and over Skin Care Issues. I just found it - if someone posts there today it will bounce to top, but at moment it is a page or so down. Lots of responses to it! Everything is so true though - especially when menopause hits and people who have looked younger than their age for many years get a nasty shock. I for one am now researching HRT - just about to go into meno I think!

Thanks eccentric! I have added it to my Favorites and will look through it later. Looks like a neat site.

At 64, I of course, am through menopause and never took any hormone therapy. I never had hot flashes like some do. My mother didn't either and I think that is a good indicator of what you can expect. I wasn't too keen on the idea of HRT anyway. I used to wish I would get hot flashes in the winter! :)

Hi mary7060 - I am investigating HRT because I have extremely dry skin (naturally dry - don't use any form of acid etc.) and very thick, wavy dry hair. The thought of skin and hair becoming drier is not a pleasant thought! I have never been warm in my life so am not concerned about hot flashes. I am thinking of just a simple HRT - patch or something - but not anything to help with hot flashes or anxiety etc. Just to help my skin. I think you will enjoy the "55 and over" thread. Well, at least you will understand where the ladies are coming from.

On the contrary, i think this forum is quite practical.

If you want to see a "useless" fashion forum check out the link below.

constructive criticism? I think not...

Here is a link that might be useful: vbs.tv/doesanddonts

I've not been here long, but I have been part of other forums associated with Gardenweb. What I've found is that most people have more experience than me... and I love it. I'm 21, but I'll gurantee I'll be back on this forum to learn from those of us who have had the time and the financial investment to learn about so many different products. I wouldn't want to spend more than $10 on any product unless I had some people I could trust telling me that it was worth it!

Pauline-I was given a facial mosturizing product from avon as a gift. It is wonderful. Talk with your avon rep about the Things you Dew moisturizer from their Mark line (or look online). I have the one for "behaving" skin which just tells me it's pretty balanced, but I'm sure they have one for dry skin too.

It seems that most of you aren't too concerned with your skin and makeup which is perfectly fine. But....if you are, do I have the beauty forum for you. It's called Spectacular Skin YTF Beauty Report. It's a very active forum with lots of posts every day and these gals really, really take their skin care seriously. A few are over the top with it and many have had "stuff" done. Just thought some of you might be interested.

No we are not.

"It seems that most of you aren't too concerned with your skin and makeup"

toeshoes, how did you come to this conclusion ?

Gah, is this forum where all the dang spammers hang out?

Gina, always a lot of them here, compared to other forums; wonder why.

Mitchdesj, sorry I didn't mean to say that everyone on this forum is disinterested in skin care and makeup. I guess there is a full spectrum from the very interested to those who are ho hum about the topic. Anyway YTF Beauty Report is a full throttle, do anything to look better kind of forum. I used to post alot there but don't much anymore. I've just about talked myself silly about skin care at YTF and don't have much more to say but if your interested in skin care it sure is informative. By the way, it took me forever to figure this out but YTF stands for Yes They're Fake. Duh. I thought it stood for You're Totally Fabulous or something. I'm such an idiot!

I don't know, I kind of like this forum. It's not as active as some, sure, but it's not that bad either. I've found some helpful stuff here.

~Polly~

Here is a link that might be useful: GHD Hair Straightener

This is a good forum, though not as active as some. I'm over 55 as well, and am looking to look my best. I also have a ten year old granddaughter who is very interested in fashion and gives me advice about what to wear. Her insights are helpful, though I have to remind her that 1. I am not 15 and so can't wear every new style, 2. I will not be a "slave" to fashion and 3. that no matter how in style it is, if it's not flattering, it's not good for me.

In answer to a query, when one first posts, there is a box to check to receive thread reponses. I wish that it was left checked so that we could undo it if we wanted.

cocooner