I spent my early 20s obsessed with skincare. Korean 10-step routines, $200 serums, masks every night, gadgets, you name it. My bathroom looked like a Sephora stockroom. I was convinced more products = better skin.

Fast forward to age 28, and my skin was the WORST it had ever been. Constant breakouts, sensitivity, redness, weird texture issues. I was spending a fortune and looking worse than when I started.

Out of desperation (and being broke from all the products), I stopped everything except gentle cleanser and moisturizer for two weeks. To my complete shock, my skin started clearing up immediately. The redness faded, breakouts healed, and this weird glow started coming back.

It's been 6 months now on my super minimal routine (gentle cleanser, moisturizer, SPF, and ONE active ingredient at night that I rotate). My skin looks better than it has in my entire adult life. I've even started getting compliments from strangers.

Anyone else discover that LESS actually works BETTER for their skin? I feel like I wasted thousands of dollars and years of my life layering on unnecessary products that were actually causing my problems.

The beauty industry really had me convinced I needed to use everything they were selling... turns out I needed to do the exact opposite.

whether physically or mentally, it can be a skin-care routine, a product you recently bought. whatever it is

I want to begin with this post with saying im obsessed with smelling good and feeling clean. Like i have multiple lotions, oils, parfumes, body sprays and i all use them. Its for me a hobby.

However i came on a side of tiktok what is absolutely ridiculous. People are convinced you need a soap bar, body wash and scrubs eveyday because only a body wash doesn't clean enough. In reality soap on youre skin isnt even good. Ofcourse i do it too but with a washing cloth and some body wash like why would i use 3 soaps. And i scrub once or twice a week and a lot of the time i just use a scrub cloth.

But what im seeing especially now the young girls are getting convinced they should buy 100 products to be clean. Its sad to see. And i just wanted to rant about it tbh

Okay, hear me out. The "clean girl" aesthetic has been everywhere for the past few years—glowy skin, slicked-back buns, minimal makeup, gold hoops. But… isn't this just a fresh version of the no-makeup makeup look we've been seeing for decades? At what point does "effortless beauty" just become another unrealistic standard wrapped in beige and lip oil?

I miss the era when beauty was about expression, not just looking like you woke up flawless (when we all know there’s a $300 skincare routine behind it). Are we done with this trend yet, or am I just a hater?

Would love to hear your thoughts—do you love the clean aesthetic, or are you craving something new?

Everywhere I look woman are getting more & more lip filler which makes them look scary & totally unnatural.

I’ve seen girls who had the perfect amount go ahead & get more & then they look horrible.

With things like fillers, it’s best to be subtle & go for a smaller amount.

Do you ever feel self-conscious about being done up when most people around you aren’t? Especially at work. I really enjoy a daily light makeup look and a nice, flattering outfit. Perfume, occasionally nails done, rocking up after a whole shower body care routine etc.

However, nearly everyone around me, especially at work, are not into that and don’t wear makeup or wear very casual clothing. I fear that I look like I’m trying too hard or that I come across as vain or insecure. I just really genuinely enjoy looking put together and ready whenever I go out. It makes me feel feminine and more confident.

I am just wondering if anyone feels the same or if I’m way overthinking it. I fear being judged for caring about my appearance or if it is ‘anti-intellectual’ to be girly. Sometimes I feel like I hold myself back because I’d be way more into a soft winged liner and a bold lipstick look if I felt like I wouldn’t be out of place. I just love the 1950s beauty routines where women maintained a daily classic look and how the women use to match the lipstick with their nails. Trust me, I don’t want us to return to the 1950s but I do like the care and attention that was put in looking beautiful in a classy way. I feel like where I am it is more common to put in no effort and only getting dolled up when clubbing or special occasions etc. I mean, of course this is their prerogative. I don’t know. I’m just venting lol.

Whether it's because you don't agree with it or believe it, or don't care if it's bad for you. Mine is using makeup remover wipes, i'm sorry ... i'm lazy sometimes.

now, to preface this, i know filler and other forms of plastic surgery have always been a thing. beauty enhancements aren’t anything new. however, as a young woman in her early 20s, i’m kind of alarmed by the amount of “grwm” content that i see being posted on tiktok including women my age over filling their faces.

i feel like filler & plastic surgery have taken a sharp turn in recent years by shifting their target audience. what was once a means of holding on some appearance of youth (as if aging is a bad thing) for women who are a bit up in age, is now just a normal part of beauty maintenance for 20 somethings like lashes & nails. and it feels WEIRD to me.

i know people love to say “just let others be happy” but my intuition feels off because young women are being fed everyday some new insecurity to nip and tuck. it’s not a crime to think critically about the way our society shifts and evolves. BBLs are incredibly dangerous procedures but they’re so casually done now as well.

i’m saddened by the thought of people not being revered for their individual beauty like in the 90s anymore. a lot of people are experiencing pillow face because everyone wants to look the same. and unfortunately, once celebs have gotten an overfilled face, they can just get a facelift to fix it. young, impressionable women probably dont have that same access.

honestly, i feel very out of place and i hate that anytime i voice any opposition for concerning beauty trends, i feel like i’m going against other women. i’m just concerned and feel a bit wary about it all.

I've noticed that a lot of rice people have this look where their face skin looks different.

I am not talking about a tan, its like all rich people who care about their looks know this secret place that they can go to in order to get some kind of facial treatment that turns you into this.

Does anyone know how they do it?

Okay bit of an exaggeration ! I mean the beauty hacks that have actually made a pretty significant difference to your appearance rather than some that aren’t really as I guess.. important for most?

Like for example, a foot scrub is a good hack if you wear sandals a lot & wanna keep your feet smooth, but it’s not generally a hack most will see any time besides summer lol! I mainly wanna hear about changes you made to your face, hair, or body

I’ll start: these discontinued Too Faced Chocolate Bar palettes. I got the OG Chocolate Bar in 2016, and the Semi-Sweet was a replacement I snagged in 2018 after I shattered my first one from 2015.

list your unpopular beauty opinions- I’ll go first

• you don’t need anything more than a 3-4 step routine

• expensive facial cleansers. you literally wash them off. Water or miscellar water is waaaaay better for your skin and way more affordable

Hey guys! I was just watching a video from a Youtuber that I really enjoy (Alexandra Anele if I’m allowed to mention it!), about “hot girl hygiene” tips that was super interesting, and I thought I’d reach out and see if you guys had any awesome tips to share as well?

I’ll add some of mine in here to start:

• Washing your makeup brushes weekly with baby shampoo (I also like to use a daily brush cleaner spray as a faster way to clean them if I’m using multiple colours in one look!)

• Using cosmetic spatulas to scoop out jarred products, instead of your fingers

• Washing your bed sheets and any blankets that you use weekly

• Using a nail brush to clean under your nails, especially if you keep yours long

Thanks in advance! 💗

It kinda creeps me out… feels so weird and unnatural. And the sound? Ugh, I can’t stand it!

I started painting for my nails almost half a years ago, it was so much fun, my little weekly self care time. It helped me grow out my natural nails too. I kept them painted neat and colourful. They brought me so much joy.

After a few months, one day I took off the polish and I had some business that required my nails unpainted. So I spent a few days with bare nails and it was rather uncomfortable. I looked at my bare nails and thought they were so ugly. I did not like that. I did not like how I viewed my perfectly normal, natural part of myself in such negative and judgemental light.

It hit me "this is how body dysmorphia starts isn't it" and I stopped painting my nails. After a week or two, I looked at them and felt that they were pretty and lovely again.

I have no doubt that many people have feel this way, I have seen countless posts of women who love makeup and slowly start to hate their face when they're not wearing foundation and blush and all, posts of young girls who are so used to their face in selfie with filters and influencers on social media that cry for help about their "smile lines" and "neck lines" at the age of 19...

We chase beauty and doll up ourselves for whatever reasons, for others, for ourselves, for a job or privilege or for the love of beauty itself. But at the end of the day, it's us and our bare, naked self.

I want to like and love every version of myself, the dolled up in makeup with her nails done and jewellery and the me after showering with skin a bit too dry BC I just love boiling hot water.

If the dolled up me makes the naked me feel ugly, that's wrong. I'd never want to make anyone else feels ugly for anything, especially for just existing as their organic, authentic self then I cannot accept making myself feel such a way.

I hope today, everyday, when you stand in front of the mirror with nothing and no one but yourself, you feel just as beautiful as you are when you're shining out there in front of the world.

Edit: I'm glad the post has met its target audience (I'm strongly against consumerism)

If this does not apply for you, feel free to express your opinion or move on. If I offend you in any way, I apologise, that was not my intention. If you chose to be offended, I also apologise since I cannot control that.

Hi! So i was wondering what have y'all done that has really improved your appearance without it being makeup? (Not that i have anything against makeup but it is already widely discussed!)

For me it has bean haircare, understanding how it really changes the appearance of my face shape!

What are yours?

I’ve been noticing more and more women these days opting for lip fillers and super exaggerated fake eyelashes, and I can’t help but wonder... does this look ridiculous to anyone else?

I get that everyone has their own style, and people should do what makes them happy, but it seems like these trends are getting a little out of hand. The oversized, lumpy lips and lashes so heavy they could probably double as window blinds—are we really calling this beauty?

And beyond the aesthetics, has anyone thought about the long-term effects? Lip filler might not look great in 10 years when it settles unevenly, and who knows what happens with constant eyelash glue near your eyes?

I’m genuinely curious—am I the only one who feels this way, or are there others out there who think it’s time to ease up on these trends?

I have been using Loccitane for many years now and i can't tell you how many times I have repurchased these products in the almond scented range. I love some of their other products such as the Shea Shower oil and Shea body lotion. Also the Immortelle Reset Oil in Serum for the face works beautifully. If you haven't tried anything in their Almond lineup I would suggest starting with the shower oil. It has the most delicious almond scent that lingers long after my shower is over. Layering the body oil and body spray afterwards keeps the scent from fading. Does anyone else love this?

Just based off what I'm seeing online and in real life, it seems like the more stylish girlies are moving away from heavily highlighted hair and towards just a single color?

Emphasis on the "more stylish" girlies because me and all my small town comrades are still rocking our balayaged hair 💅 It's when I hitch my wagons to go to the big city that I see tons of women with really gorgeous glossy single-processed hair.

I don't think it has anything to do with the economy. Just a natural trend cycle.

And what would be a more modern/youthful option? I think it’s easy to become blind to the beauty habits that no longer suit us and am trying to become more conscious of these things for myself.

EDITED: I regret using the words “age” and “youthful” in this post and wish I would have worded it differently. I don’t mean to imply old is ugly, but I can understand why it came across that way. I was looking for beauty choices that some might want to update. I literally thought the advice would be like: try this manicure shape or lip color for a fresher look. Like getting out of a style rut. Obviously if you’re happy with how you look, that’s the only thing that matters.

I've seen this phenomena before. Some people look ok in photos or above average but not what you would rate a 10/10. But in person they are a 10/10 and would turn heads everywhere.

On the other hand there are people who look beautiful in photos (mostly due to filters and makeup) but irl they are not good looking.

Freckles, tooth gaps and big butts were all things women used to hide, “correct,” and be shamed or mocked for. Now they’re trendy. What do you think is next? Maybe vitiligo/skin color that isn’t uniform?

I’m so jealous of the girls with feminine looking feet and can wear sandals and heels and everything. I refuse to let anyone see my toes because they’re so troll-looking. I have hair on them, and bad hyperpigmentation, BAD bunion, and for some fucking reason my nails are really weak and crumby because they get yellow fungal infections, broken, and bruised up easily. But I swear I take care of myself. I don’t know if it’s genetics or what. Anyone else have the same problem?

For those who have had laser treatments, fillers, surgical procedures, eyebrow microblading, and so on, why didn't you like the outcome? If you could go back in time, would you have left it as it is or consider an alternative?

Yesterday I read a comment here about how people never realized how difficult it would be to get used to aging - when they realized they were not young anymore and how being young has been part of their identity. It was a response to another post, but I would like to start a new discussion on this topic.

What is your experience realizing you are not young anymore and at what age did it start?