IndieAna- In Search of the HolyGrail

 A more invasive treatment I actually have been doing for a while now is microneedling. I began with a dermaroller and worked my way up to a microneedle dermapen. I have what I assume is a dupe of the Dr Pen M8, it looks like the original but I bought it from Aliexpress so if it is a dupe it's an exact one. A derma pen comes complete with removable needle heads which I also buy the replacements from Aliexpress. Buying from this Chinese online store comes with risk, but I've found a seller that I trust so am not concerned. Anyway, I digress... I mostly microneedle at 1mm, which because it is over 0.5 mm it's classed as medical microneedling and is recommended to be done every 4-6 weeks. I do it monthly. For this depth I prefer to use a 16 pin needle head. The needle pricks in the skin promote scarless healing and encourages natural collagen building and improves texture and tone of the skin. Pores can appear reduced along with fine lines. I have been medically microneedling ...

 Well, I did a thing! Yes, I inserted some threads for the first time into my face. Although there are many places I would have liked to try and treat first, I began with my upper cheek region. Why? Because if you imagine threads as being scaffolding for the skin, one of the places where sagging begins is from the cheekbones down. Beauty DIY should be slow and steady, there is no rush. I started out with inserting 20 threads, 10 each side in a mesh pattern to create optimum structure. My experience with the threads wasn't as daunting as I had expected. I made sure to insert each needle bevel up which is the ideal position to penetrate the skin, beginning at a 30 degree angle then proceeding more flush to the skin upon inserting. You can numb before the procedure but I opted to do without and only felt discomfort when in the wrong plane, when in the correct position the needle glides through the skin with no pain whatsoever. Sometimes it can be frustrating when it seems like you can...

Thread lift procedurds have been gaining traction of late because they are minimally invasive with little to no down time, most common side effects being bruising and swelling. Threads are passed into the skin via a needle. The ideal placement being in the skin's subcutaneous layer. When in this plane there is no pain more so if too deep and less so if too shallow.  Depending on the thread and placement noticeable lifting may occur, however the real "magic" happens over time when the body creates collagen to break down the dissolvable suture, making for a more natural looking lift while tightening the skin. This lasts for approximately 6 months. Sound good? I think so, however it takes a lot of threads to create the collagen needed to really make a difference. At an average rate of $120 a thread or $2500 for your face in office per treatment that's a cost that I just cannot justify. So I have made the decision to insert these threads myself. Choosing thread size and t...

  Well, long long time since my last blog post which was in 2019, eek! I have just found that over time although I still enjoy makeup, and skincare is a must, I have had no desire to share makeup posts. To be honest, at the age of 47 I no longer feel that I am as confident about sharing so many face-of-the-day selfies, and skincare doesn't seem to wow me as much now that I have so many signs of aging (I am a frugal gal who prefers more budget friendly buys). Don't get me wrong, I want to age gracefully, I don't need to look decades younger I just want to look good for my age. The following photos are without makeup or filter and show the many signs of aging I have. There are so many procedures I would like to have done to tighten my skin, lessen wrinkles, help my aging under eye area and don't get me started on my neck....and so on! But I have one thing that prevents me from doing these things and that's my bank balance which just doesn't have the funds to cough...

I know I posted a lipstick declutter just over 2 weeks ago, but I only have enough lipsticks for a couple of more updates. Being so close to finishing this try-on lipstick declutter makes me eager to finalise my lipstick collection. NYX Lipstick Suede in Life's a Beach This is not a shade for me, definitely decluttering. NYX Liquid Suede in Run the World This is such a fun purple, but I don't think it suits me at all, so I will be decluttering this one also. Lime Crime Liquid Lipstick in True Love Unfortunately this shade was not true love for me. I will be removing it from my collection. Amuse Matte Lips This lipstick doesn't have a shade name. It is far from matte. I quite like the shade, but the formula is just too creamy so I will be decluttering it. Give Me Glow Liquid Lipstick in Fireside Flirting This is a hard one because it's a formula I love and the shade is so easy to wear, but it's so old, I really have to...

The Block Party palette from Juvia's place was a Black Friday purchase, it came heavily discounted in a pack with the Saffron eye shadow palette. I am getting the feeling that it will be Black Friday time again by the time I get through all of the eye shadow palettes that I bought from the last one! I love the look of this palette, the graphics are pretty cool along with the holographic packaging. Opening reveals some very colourful eye shadows. I like myself some colour on the lids, so I was looking forward to "digging in". Here are the swatches. All shades are pigmented, the only one I can't see myself using is the first shade. The matte white is a little chalky, but it's just not a shade that I would reach for anyway. I had fun playing with these shades. For such pigmented mattes, they performed very well, blending quite easily with the shimmers applying well, too, Here's the looks that I created. I wanted to go a littl...

This is my 3rd last lipstick declutter update, I can't believe that this series is nearly finished. I'll show you what I will be keeping. NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Apple Crisp As much as I think this is a gorgeous red, I just know I won't reach for it because it is glossy, so will quickly say goodbye before I change my mind. ColourPop Lippie Stix in Frenchie I love the shade, enjoy the formula, yes, keeping! Mirenensse Mattfinity Lip Rouge in Tokyo This is a nice shade, but I don't need it in my collection. MAC Huggable Lipcolour in Love Feeling Although this is an orange shade, I find it wearable and it's such a nice formula, so it's staying in my stash. Ulta3 Lipstick in Cherry Wine Another red shade that is quite nice, but I'm going to declutter it because I don't need it. ColourPop Ultra Satin Lip in London Fog I love the Ultra Satin formula and this shade is stunning, so I will be keepi...