What is your usual morning beauty routine?

Shower....cold cream to clean face - yes I know its old fashioned...and I'm not that old....but over years its done what it says on the jar.....a dab of eye cream on bags...then one of those added value face creams for us mature types thats got a bit of a glow to it. Then if gowing out anywhere...spray of perfume and lippy!...ta da...........5mins!

Mine can get a bit complicated!!! Shower, serum (which is supposed to work miracles), moisturise (same) a face primer (Laura Mercer) eyelid primer, foundation, blusher, eyeshadow, one colour, if going out two colours. Finally lipstick. I do this everyday, well not the lipstick, even if I don't go out. I then have to choose what perfume to wear, as I have so many, that can take quite a while.Recently, unfortunately, I have been suffering with a skin allegy, and my eyes were red and puffy, so great distress that no eye makeup allowed, or perfume.

Gosh Hattie sorry about the allergy....can remember getting one ages ago and so went back to drawing board as it were and just used baby soap and water. Luckily it soon cleared up but I dont really experiment....just stick to what I know suits...and I just have one perfume on the go. I would much rather do it that way, use it up whilst fresh than have an expensive perfume go orf!

Coffee, home-made flapjack with it. Read a book. Clean teeth. Shower. Unperfumed moisturiser on face, and sometimes heels if a bit scraggy. If so I apply a pumice stone. From getting out of bed at 6am till dressed takes an hour and a half. The first hour is mainly reading my book. As of last week, sometimes checking to see what's happening on gransnet. I don't like rushing. I actually don't get breakfast no.2 (alias breakfast proper) until about 9.30 as I have work to do till then.
Beauty?? I'm not sure that comes into it. It's more about comfort — you know, feeling clean, ready for a new day and all that. I don't use any make-up. Never have. Even baby oil brings me out in a rash (probably the perfume) so I've always steered clear of everything except the very simplest moisturisers.
I got into the habit of reading and working early when my kids were very young and I studied Open University courses before they woke up. Plus I guess I'm a 'lark' as opposed to an 'owl'.

Any spare flapjack going?

Loads! i make a huge batch and hide the tin so there's always plenty for me and my pals.

Fall out of bed - often later than planned - then shower. If I'm going out I do the whole moisturiser, foundation, lipstick thing, but mostly a quick squirt of deodorant and I'm ready to go. Beauty routines take SO LONG!! I've only recently even started moisturising, just had my first ever manicure last week and don't even get me started about shaving, body butters, eyebrow waxing etc. My lovely MIL keeps trying and buys me fabulous moisturisers to keep me wrinkle free etc and sometimes I do try, but I've never seen any appreciable difference after trying various beauty products.

grannyactivist, I'm always so pleased to find I'm not the odd one out. I've always used moisturiser because I've always had dry skin (positively flakey!) since I was a teenager. The advantage was no spots, and my skin isn't all that wrinkly either so I only use moisturiser for comfort, not for 'beauty' reasons. So moisturiser and deodorant are all I've ever used. The soap and shamppo I use are unperfumed too. I like to be basic. Like you, all the rest of the faff just leaves me cold. I've got far more interesting things to do with my time and, to tell the truth, my attitude never seemed to have made a scrap of difference when it came to 'attracting' friends of either sex so I do wonder why people bother with all the fuss and expense.
Oh, and I cut my own hair if I feel the need. i looked up how to do it on the internet when I got fed up of long. I'm lettingnit grow again now because I got fed up of cutting it!

baggythecrust, yes, me too. I've often just grabbed my hair into a ponytail and lopped off the end. Even when I do go to the hairdresser I only ever get a wet cut. BUT, I have to say that in recent years I have started treating myself to a really expensive shampoo which thickens up my hair and is probably my only 'beauty' extravagance.

Activist, I may come to that! Except I've always hated going to hairdressers since my mum took me when I was a little girl and, when the scissors went 'snicker snack!' behind my right ear, I had to wriggle because it affected a nerve in my bum! My mum and the hairdresser just thought I was being a toe-rag but I wasn't! It was a really uncomfortable feeling. I still have a very sensitive right ear — keeps me awake sometimes when I can hear the blood pumping through it!!!!!

Shower, exfoliating dry bits of body once or twice a week. Then eye serum, face serum, Clarins Super Restorative day cream (at the moment), Clarins moisturising body cream, foot cream, put volumising lotion on (short) hair, blow dry it, put a bit of product in it, add a spritz of Eau Dynamisante all over. Oh, and take Imedeen.

Lastly, apply make-up if I'm going to wear any (all 'no make-up make-up' - tinted moisturiser, sheer cream eye tint, lip balm, etc)

PS how long? Can do it all in half an hour.

Ruddy 'ell townie...and I bet your'e gorgeous!......putting me to shame...but then I often only see the horses next door all day!

No, just vain, I guess!! I do have good skin but who's to tell it wouldn't have been that way anyway because of genes, etc?

Wash hair, shower, moisturise dry bits. Mascara as I have almost invisible eye lashes! Maybe lipstick if going out.
My hair is shoulder length and almost straight it refuses to be put into any other style without endless effort, I decided life is too short to spend hours and money on it, so just keep it clean and in good condition.

I don't think 'beauty' comes into it nowadays. The old conundrum about how to do it without glasses put paid to eye make-up which I used to be so attached to. Now it's shower, moisturise - let it soak in while I dry hair - foundation and a bit of blusher. Mostly no7. Boots sometimes gives out £5 vouchers when you use the advantage card.

I've used all the big 'makes' over the years and the best skin i have ever had is now courtesy of Liz Earle products and a monthly facial must be a good make though e.g. Elemis, Dermalogica, Clarins. eaty lost of fruit, chocoalte and gin which is largely water anyway!

Right! Brace yourselves!

Shower, wash hair, conditioner, dry hair with volumiser, set hair on heated rollers. Do make up:- Moisurise, Beauty Flash Balm, Foundation, cover dark circles with lighter, shade nose, eyeliner, eyelash primer, mascara, eyebrows, lipstick, sealer, powder, dab all over with damp tissue, maybe blusher, perhaps some highlighter, Brush out hair. Get dressed. Good Day one hour, bad day 2 hours. Never go out without done hair and make up. Won't even answer the door.

Cup of coffee taken back to bed with cup of tea for DH, chat for half an hour about yesterday and plans for today, shower, moisturise on face and neck, brush teeth, brush hair and get dressed. Then out for walk and "do" horses

Oh to be a man ...Just a S S and Shampoo as my Dad would say!

My Dad used to say ' just off to push back my ears'. I'm a bit like that; cup of tea, shower, wash hair every other day, blow dry, teeth, slap on body moisturiser, cream on face, breakfast - 10 minutes. If I did a Melanie I'd never get going until lunch time!

LOL Helshea, that's my line, SS&S, but as my hair has gone walkabout, the last S is shave.

Oooh shower, wash hair, clean teeth, deoderant, moisturiser for face then Superdrug Vitamin E cream to arms and legs (best one I've found and completely non-sticky).

Never been a make up sort of person but like nice perfume and am currently wearing one of the Estee Lauder ones.

I've used Liz Earle eye cream in the past but don't think it really helped the bags so don't bother now. Sometimes I like the idea of a few hours spent with someone giving me a facial, massage etc but it seems extremely indulgent!

Back to SS and S - what is it about men and their daily ritual of the first "S".