How does one look more polished /high end?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get shiny hair. No fly-aways. No frizz. No split ends. Coconut oil takes care of making hair shiny and taking away frizz.

Cover up any blemishes, get rid of under-eye problems (cucumbers!).

Wear clothes that fit well. Arm holes large enough that people can see your bra from the side? No bueno. Pants that are too short? No bueno. Anything black that's faded? Replace. Hem drooping? No good.

You do NOT have to spend tons of money.

That is a bogus suggestion.

[Anonymous]

I'm the overweight pp. The comments don't bother me because I've been proving them wrong my entire life. I like to eat and I've struggled with my weight my whole life. I've also been well liked my entire life. It stems from confidence, sense of humor and relatability. I think people trust me because I've shown myself to be worthy.

Some women have a polished look but it's all about the labels and they give off a snooty vibe. Yes- I aim to be in clothing that fits appropriately, I wear constume jewelry, a classic bag, my hair and skin are in good condition, but most importantly I try to smile and engage people in conversation. To me, this is polished.

I've been operating this way forever and despite my troubles with weight, it's given me a very fulfilling life. Even now as a private school mom where I expected to get some pushback for my weight, we have been welcomed into social circles full of skinny girls. I think if you are generally enjoyable to be around, weight is a non issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the overweight pp. The comments don't bother me because I've been proving them wrong my entire life. I like to eat and I've struggled with my weight my whole life. I've also been well liked my entire life. It stems from confidence, sense of humor and relatability. I think people trust me because I've shown myself to be worthy.

Some women have a polished look but it's all about the labels and they give off a snooty vibe. Yes- I aim to be in clothing that fits appropriately, I wear constume jewelry, a classic bag, my hair and skin are in good condition, but most importantly I try to smile and engage people in conversation. To me, this is polished.

I've been operating this way forever and despite my troubles with weight, it's given me a very fulfilling life. Even now as a private school mom where I expected to get some pushback for my weight, we have been welcomed into social circles full of skinny girls. I think if you are generally enjoyable to be around, weight is a non issue.

+1000. Tell 'em.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the overweight pp. The comments don't bother me because I've been proving them wrong my entire life. I like to eat and I've struggled with my weight my whole life. I've also been well liked my entire life. It stems from confidence, sense of humor and relatability. I think people trust me because I've shown myself to be worthy.

Some women have a polished look but it's all about the labels and they give off a snooty vibe. Yes- I aim to be in clothing that fits appropriately, I wear constume jewelry, a classic bag, my hair and skin are in good condition, but most importantly I try to smile and engage people in conversation. To me, this is polished.

I've been operating this way forever and despite my troubles with weight, it's given me a very fulfilling life. Even now as a private school mom where I expected to get some pushback for my weight, we have been welcomed into social circles full of skinny girls. I think if you are generally enjoyable to be around, weight is a non issue.

Well said! You're awesome, PP.

[Anonymous]

Agree the Tory Burch Madison Double Zip Robinson is a great looking bag but I don't think it is a high quality bag. The saffiano leather is billed as making it durable. However, I bought one and used it for my everyday bag for about six months. It looks like total crap now so I don't carry it anymore. The leather started rubbing off the handles almost immediately after I bought it. I should have taken it back, but alas.

I replaced with a Michael Kors saffiano leather, which isn't quite as charming as the Robinson but it gets the job done and still looks great after close to a year of use.


+1. I paid $550 for a TB Robinson in saffiano leather and the sealant along the handles was peeling off in strips within a few months. I took it to the store to be resealed, and it took a month and the sealant looked terrible when it came back - not even close to how it looked new. Sloppy and in an off color. Plus it re-peeled again in about a month. That was my first and last Tory Burch bag. High on style, crummy quality. Keep looking around - there are better bags out there with less chi-chi brand names that will hold up longer.

Thank you for this! I wanted a TB bag b/c so trendy but when I looked at it closely, it seemed very cheaply made. The top brands of bags are VERY sturdy and last forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aside from drinking water and using sunscreen, how do you 'get' good skin?

It depends on how much money you have to put into it. Here are a few regimens I've done at various points. I do this to face, neck, chest/boobs, arms and hands. Basically everything from the chest up.

Low budget:
Use a moisturizing cleanser and a gentle washcloth at night.
Lightly spray face with a mist of water. Evian and other brands sell it in a can.
When face is still damp apply a drop or two of face oil and spread it all over face and chest. Various brands offer different formulas depending on skin type.
Wait about 30 minutes and apply a retinol lotion
Apply over the counter acne spot treatment and dark spot treatment if needed. I've used Aveda outer peace spot treatment for acne and drugstore hydroquinone for discolorations
Drink one glass of water right before bed and one glass when you wake up

In the morning rinse face with water and pat dry
apply moisturizer and sunscreen

Medium budget:
Use a moisturizing cleanser with a Clarisonic face brush and pat dry
Mist face with water and use face oil on damp skinWait 30 minutes and apply Retin a (you need a prescription for this)
Apply acne spot treatment and prescription strength skin brightening cream to blemishes and discolorations
Apply Latisse to eyelashes and eyebrowsIf you have mature skin, take collagen supplements with a glass of water before bed. If you can, do it again in the morning

In the morning rinse skin with water and pat dry
Apply a vitamin c serum to face, neck, chest, arms and hands
Apply moisturizer and sunscreen

Every once in a while you can give yourself a mild glycolic acid peel at home just be very careful and read a lot about it before you do it because you can accidentally make your skin worse by using too strong a concentration or leaving it on for too long (cause burns, scars, etc)

Big budget:
A dermatologist can use lasers to get rid of blemishes and smooth uneven texture
Derm can also do a deeper glycolic acid peel to even skin tone and smooth complexion
Prescription strength creams like retina a and triluma work faster but are much more expensive than drugstore or department store creams
Fillers for wrinkles and smile lines. I haven't tried it but my sister has and she looked great.
A little botox if you like. I've never tried it but it works for some.
Latisse, etc.
Somebody already posted a pretty good list of the wonders available
Most of this stuff is not covered by insurance, unfortunately.

If you are consistent, your skin will start to look really good within a few months.

Wow, scary. Read up a bit about skin care. The main problem that doctors see in skin care ingredients (particularly Retinol) is that it does not reach the skin layer that it is meant to help. So each time you oil your skin you are preventing the Retinol from doing the job it was meant to do. As for latisse, wow, be careful.

[Anonymous]

Loving these. I need a way to look more polished in the summer. My legs have many scars and keratosis Pilaris flare ups. This makes me look very unpolished and dare I say dirty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm overweight and give off a very polished look. It's all in the way you carry yourself. My make up is always impeccable. I wear high end workout clothing. Large diamond studs (mine are fake from nordstrom but no one would ever know). A little bit of self tanner goes a long way. Understated designer bag.

As for hair, my advice is that if you're a brunette, go dark. Light brown, washed out hair doesn't work for anyone.
Do a deep, rich brown and it will lighten your face and give you a more polished, exotic look.

This is what I call the "fat girl trying to embrace her fatness" look....and I say that as a fat girl. This is such a terrible look. I know you see other chunky ladies doing it so you think it looks good but it actually does not.

No to the work out clothes because you know what? You aren't working out and don't need them. If you were truly working out, you wouldn't be overweight. I know, I know - your perfectly healthy, in good shape, blah, blah, blah. But outwardly fat girls wearing workout gear all the time is saying "comfort and elastic waists because I can't wear normal clothes"

Standard, tailored pieces in neutrals and basic jewel tones. Classic normal scale jewelry.

[Anonymous]

Some of this advice is useful. Some of it makes me think of 1950s self-help manuals.

[Anonymous]

re no makup

I'm 40 and was on maternity leave. While on leave, I did not wear makeup and found myself looking younger and my skin looking much better. I was puzzled because I, for sure, was not sleeping well.

Now that I'm back at work, I don't wear makeup or even wash my face much over the weekends and I think it's helping keep my skin fresh somehow.

also, now I wear very subtle makeup...nothing shiny except maybe a little lip gloss over matt lipstick...maybe.

[Anonymous]

Re skincare - this site has great reviews.

http://www.paulaschoice.com/beautypedia-skin-care-reviews/best-products/

[Anonymous]

wait, what's wrong with Latisse? i started using it 3 months ago and I feel/look so much better.

[Anonymous]

"Good haircut; no scrunchies, claw clips, barrettes or distracting pieces"

Re: this: I have a great haircut. I also have very long hair. If you have long hair, there is a time and a place for all of the above. (I work in healthcare- you can bet my hair is up 90% of the time in one of the above.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aside from drinking water and using sunscreen, how do you 'get' good skin?

It depends on how much money you have to put into it. Here are a few regimens I've done at various points. I do this to face, neck, chest/boobs, arms and hands. Basically everything from the chest up.

Low budget:
Use a moisturizing cleanser and a gentle washcloth at night.
Lightly spray face with a mist of water. Evian and other brands sell it in a can.
When face is still damp apply a drop or two of face oil and spread it all over face and chest. Various brands offer different formulas depending on skin type.
Wait about 30 minutes and apply a retinol lotion
Apply over the counter acne spot treatment and dark spot treatment if needed. I've used Aveda outer peace spot treatment for acne and drugstore hydroquinone for discolorations
Drink one glass of water right before bed and one glass when you wake up

In the morning rinse face with water and pat dry
apply moisturizer and sunscreen

Medium budget:
Use a moisturizing cleanser with a Clarisonic face brush and pat dry
Mist face with water and use face oil on damp skinWait 30 minutes and apply Retin a (you need a prescription for this)
Apply acne spot treatment and prescription strength skin brightening cream to blemishes and discolorations
Apply Latisse to eyelashes and eyebrowsIf you have mature skin, take collagen supplements with a glass of water before bed. If you can, do it again in the morning

In the morning rinse skin with water and pat dry
Apply a vitamin c serum to face, neck, chest, arms and hands
Apply moisturizer and sunscreen

Every once in a while you can give yourself a mild glycolic acid peel at home just be very careful and read a lot about it before you do it because you can accidentally make your skin worse by using too strong a concentration or leaving it on for too long (cause burns, scars, etc)

Big budget:
A dermatologist can use lasers to get rid of blemishes and smooth uneven texture
Derm can also do a deeper glycolic acid peel to even skin tone and smooth complexion
Prescription strength creams like retina a and triluma work faster but are much more expensive than drugstore or department store creams
Fillers for wrinkles and smile lines. I haven't tried it but my sister has and she looked great.
A little botox if you like. I've never tried it but it works for some.
Latisse, etc.
Somebody already posted a pretty good list of the wonders available
Most of this stuff is not covered by insurance, unfortunately.

If you are consistent, your skin will start to look really good within a few months.

Wow, scary. Read up a bit about skin care. The main problem that doctors see in skin care ingredients (particularly Retinol) is that it does not reach the skin layer that it is meant to help. So each time you oil your skin you are preventing the Retinol from doing the job it was meant to do. As for latisse, wow, be careful.

Retinol and retin A cause irritation for some some people. Face oils help with that problem and my skin looks younger and fresher with the oil/retinoid combination. The linked article claims that face oils help skin respond better to retioids and other treatments but everyone's got to decide for herself. At first face oils caused me to get clogged pores but I figured out I was using too much. Just one or two drops is enough. If you don't think face oils will work for you then of course you shouldn't use them. Same with Latisse. It works beautifully for me. I don't wear mascara anymore unless I'm going to a special event. But everyone should do her own research and decide for herself. I have heard of a few cases of blue eyes turning darker with Latisse but I have amber colored eyes so that was not a factor for me. But if it's too scary for you them just use mascara or false lashes for the same effect.

[Anonymous]

pony tails are ok but scrunchies...no no no