And TuesdayTwirl
Dear friends. Ageing is a privilege denied to many. But you've got to admit, it comes with a few indignities for the older woman.
Wiry hairs on the chin, lines around the mouth and crepey skin on the arms. That's just 3 of them.
I know we're all supposed to be positive and pro-ageing, but if there's a product that claims to eliminate one of the irritants, we're going to try it, aren't we?
Well, I do. I suppose I'm a bit of a sucker, or perhaps someone who lives in perennial hope, because I know each time I buy the product it's probably going to be a dud.
If you're on Instagram or Facebook, you only have to click on one of the ads and it will then follow you everywhere. You then get bombarded with more ads for similar products. This is the algorithm deciding that it knows what you're currently looking for. You can amend your algorithm settings if it drives you crazy.
RULES FOR SCAMMER-FREE SHOPPING
Aa far as buying on these META sites is concerned, I take a few precautions. Scammers are everywhere. Never open the link and buy right away. I always open the link in my own browser. Then I see if there are any reviews. Sometimes I check to see where the company is based. You need to be Sherlock Holmes to find out. Many companies cloak their products in French, trying to appear chic and polished. But the reality is, they're probably Chinese. The shipping info is key.
Anyway, let's crack on and see what I've found. The great thing is that I bought all these myself, so I'm going to give an honest opinion. If beauty influencers have been gifted with products and use affiliate links, they're not going to give a bad review because they want to earn money from your clicks.
"BARCODE LINES" AROUND THE LIPS
Some of us are more susceptible to these. They are not automatically confined to smokers or former smokers.
I have used Miracle Blur by Trinny London in the past, and recently I tried Line Smoother by éline PARIS. This is said to create an invisible mesh effect over the lines and wrinkles.
The reviews on Trustpilot are glowing. 97% of users, the brand says, claim it made their wrinkles look visibly smoother.
Not this user I'm afraid. There are no instructions with the product but AI helpfully describes how to apply it. You must avoid putting it on over oily moisturisers. You apply a tiny amount and gently tap it into the wrinkles. Then you wait for it to dry.
The top pic is the Before. The bottom is the After. There's a tiny improvement. Not enough for me to recommend the product to you. I've tried it several times and the result is always the same.
What really works on barcode lines?
You need to spend some serious money. Laser is one solution. Another is the babyGLOW™ Injectable Booster by Teoxane, available at medi salons. It combines hyaluronic acid, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to deeply hydrate and revitalise the skin.
I tried it, at my own expense. It's a little painful around the lips as it's injected just above them. There was a good improvement. It gave my thin upper lip more volume, which helped to puff out the lines.
The pics were taken a day apart. Unfortunately the improvement only lasted a couple of weeks, although babyGLOW stimulates your own collagen so your skin continues to improve.
I'd recommend it for a special occasion. Don't have it too close to the date as you may bruise. If you want to know where I had it, ask in the comments or by email: isthismutton96@gmail.com
CREPEY SKIN ON THE ARMS
I've used four bottles of Besque Magic Body Oil, a long enough trial to now say that I don't believe it works.
Initially I thought it was great, the reason being it gives a temporary improvement. But when you look at your arms later in the day, the crepiness is just as bad. Using it long-term didn't give a better result.
The product's website claims that 1,022 clinicians, including dermatologists, share Besque Oil on FrontrowMD without compensation. They have lots of pictures of real customers with good results. My problem might be that I've had crepey skin for a few years. Products like Besque tend to refer to the need to use it within a few months of the crepiness appearing, saying it's hormone related. I think that's a bit of a get out clause, personally.
I wonder why the big beauty companies, with their huge laboratories and testing, haven't produced something that would alleviate crepiness. It would make them a lot of money. They probably haven't found anything that works.
COLLAGEN FOR JOINTS
I tried a collagen supplement a few years ago and nothing happened. Having read up on it, I saw that there isn't much data on whether or not it works.
Research suggests that taking collagen by mouth has no effect whatsoever on the collagen in the skin. A 2022 report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that current evidence does not support claims of oral collagen improving skin elasticity or hydration beyond normal dietary protein intake.
However, I've been using
Elavate Multi-Collagen Superblend, at my own expense, for five months and I have noticed an improvement in my joints. A big enough improvement to continue buying it.
I have arthritis in my left hand, which was quite painful at times. This summer the pain and throbbing disappeared. I can only credit it to Elavate Collagen. One of my friends swears her hair and nails have improved.
It comes as a powder in different flavours. I use the chocolate flavour and add two teaspoons daily to an M&S instant mocha drink. I mix the powders together with a little milk to form a smooth paste, and top up with hot water.
I don't like Elavate's marketing very much. They bombard you on email and WhatsApp. (They only extracted my mobile number by saying it was needed for the courier). I prefer not to subscribe, so every time I buy it they treat me like a new customer and send me the wretched free gifts which I don't want (a shaker, a whisk that aerates and some vitamin pills which I don't use).
PEACH FUZZ AND HAIRY CHINS
I used to wonder, when I was younger, why older women didn't pull out the long white hairs. Now I know why. Although I see up close very well, being short sighted, sometimes I don't see the hairs until I'm in direct sunlight. I get the odd white hair on my chin and neck. They are extracted ruthlessly with tweezers.
Peach fuzz has become a nuisance, and I see it on women of our age all the time.
I've tried two types of razor to get rid of the peach fuzz, the Hollywood Browzer, which is probably OK for young women but isn't sharp enough for us, and the
Tweezerman Facial Razor, £20, below.
I recently started using a
SonicSmooth Pro device from Michael Todd Beauty, a US company. It's currently priced at £79. It lights up, using LED Light Technology. This is great for diminishing eyesight. It is easily recharged in its USB cradle. I find that the hair doesn't grow back quite so quickly.
I apply a serum first so that the blade glides easily. The blade itself looks like the one in the Tweezerman razor. They send several, and you have to use a fresh one each time. There are also blades which don't remove hair that you can use to exfoliate with.
I find the blade on the SonicSmooth is not quite as sharp as the Tweezerman, and I've nicked myself a couple of times. Not great when it's on your face. So on balance, I prefer the Tweezerman. They have a new product called the Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover which claims to whisk away hairs. I haven't tried it.
GETTING HAIR VOLUME
A complaint I hear all the time from women our age is that their hair is becoming thinner, or more difficult to style. Again this is hormone related. I've discovered a great tool to help with this. It's the Revlon One-Step Volumizer, a large heated brush. It's priced around £35-£49.99, depending on where you buy it.
It didn't have any instructions but I found some videos from influencers on YouTube. I got a good result the first time I used it, which is very good because I'm hopeless and impatient with hair devices.
It's quite big and heavy so no good if you have problems holding anything above your head for any length of time.
I'm pleased that I can finally get the back of my head looking presentable.
I use a couple of clips to section my hair and use a heat protector spray. I start with the bottom hair.
I'm told it's as good as one of the Dyson products but at a fraction of the price. I liked it so much I took it away with me at the weekend. The pic at the top shows the finished result, nice and smooth.
FINALLY: BANISH YELLOWING TEETH
I've been gifted a tooth whitening kit which, unlike others on the market, doesn't make the teeth sensitive. I like the story of the company. The founder. Daniel Smith, was at Jaguar Land Rover for 15 years before setting up
Pure Glow.
Daniel tells me that when we're over 50 our enamel thins with age and our teeth yellow naturally. Most products are peroxide-based and cause sensitivity.
The active in Pure Glow is PAP, which works without the reaction that causes sensitivity. Hydroxyapatite in the formulation helps replenish the surface enamel, and there is xylitol and potassium citrate in there too. The strips are dry-fit so they stay put instead of sliding, and they peel off clean.
I whitened my teeth with trays and moulds from the dentist a few years ago and the pain was excruciating so I only used it twice. I've recently spent a small fortune on my upper teeth (crowns, veneers and an implant) but keeping my lower teeth the same shade as those porcelain beauties is a challenge. I'm looking forward to trying these pain-free strips. I'll let you know what I think.
That's my round-up of products which claim to address some of our beauty issues. If you have another problem that needs help, let me know and I'll get on the case. Don't forget to share in the comments if you have any other solutions, or if you don't think we should bother.
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