[dozydelilah]

right i,m 35, with normal skin i suppose, if not on the dehydrated side!! I also inheritted my mothers dark under eye circles!! my dressing table is empty, i need to start looking after my skin. i know shame on me for just starting now.... but hey better late than never!!! the onset of crows feet have made me do this so if you girls who know your stuff could help, i woould be eternaly grateful.....
Note.... i haven.t a clue!! i know i need a good cleanser, iv heard a lot about cleansing oils, shu umera or somthing??? then do i need toner?? do i need daytime and night time moisturisers, and what about serums and primers??? spf,s??? consealers??? foundation???? what order do all these go on??? oh sweet jeasus i never realised there was so much to do.. please dont tell me to go to a makeup counter. i end up buying a rake of stuff that i have no idea how to use, why im using it, what goes where!!!
seriously they can sell me anything, i get in a daize....
all i do now is slap on whatever moisturiser is at hand, body moisturiser or anything!!! then slap on foundation over it, usualy while im in the car on the way to work.. so you can emagine how it turns out!!
so quick and handy as possible but the right stuff in the right place would be brilliant...

[dollybird2]

I have the dark circles too And dry skin. I find the L'oreal cleanser and toner are great for keeping any spots at bay. Dermalogica have a great moisturiser - active moist I think it is called? Light and effective.
The garnier eye roll in is brilliant for minimising dark circles, and the tinted one is great under foundation.
Also find, as I age, that a minerals powder foundation is more effective on my skin than liquid foundation. Loving Bare Escentuals at the min.

[dellas1979]

Well, not to sound too lousy, but skin of your age (Im near to your age so I take this advice too) need lots of moisturisation and protection (environment and sun).

I have combination skin (oily on my forehead, nose and chin - makes a T shape, hence the beauty term T zone!) - I have found in my 30s especially that I get more spots (they are angrier and take longer to heal) that I ever did in my teens and 20s. Fabulous!

The best moisturiser to use, albeit its about e125, is creme de la mer (available in BTs cork and dublin). It is like liquid gold for dehydrated skin. I would use it every second or third day at night. Thats enough. Even older skin would use it every day/every second day. It will last you 6-8 months at least.

For everyother day, the Elizabeth Arden moisturiser with SPF sun protection 15 is utterly brilliant. It is e34 and available in BTs or Debenhams.

For me its the moisturisation that is more important than cleansing/toning, I use an all in one cleansing "water" from clarins, which is great.

If you cant get time to get to shops, the Liz Earle (do an internet search) skin collection is utterly brilliant as well. Really good quality and they deliver to Ireland fairly promptly.

[Dotcomdolly]

They sell Liz Earle starter kit on Aer Lingus flights now.

[E.T.]

I'm in my early 30's and find Clarins very good - I use the cleanser for normal to dry skin (massage on, wash off with warm water and facecloth), hydrating serum, hydraquench moisturiser for normal to dry skin, and I use their eye mask as a moisturiser under my eyes for little dehydration lines. The girls at Clarins counters are usually very helpful and don't try the hard sell on you. Vichy is very good too, and would be a fair bit cheaper than Clarins.

[biddywiddy]

+1 for Liz Earle. I think this would be a great place for you to start. Check the website - they usually have some kind of offer if you buy some products together. I stocked up on their cleanser, toner and moisturiser this week and got a free eye product (which I gave to my mum to try!). The products are good quality and don't break the bank. The Cleanse & Polish cleanser alone is great! They also have a 'superskin' range for very dry skin, and you can buy small versions of the products to try them out. I don't work for Liz Earle, btw!

I also like Clarins products, though they can be pricey. I got a set with moisturiser etc in it in the sales last January in a local chemist - much cheaper than buying the products separately. I used to use alot of Dermalogica - Active Moist is lovely (I just got a bit tired of it) and I still use the Daily Microfoliant a couple of times a week. It's probably best to go to a salon for a 'face mapping' if you are considering Dermalogica products. They prescribe the products most suitable for your skin. I tried the precleanse on my own and it was disasterous, so,eh, be careful!

And sun protection is so so important. I'm in my late 20s and I use La Roche Posay Anthelios factor 50 every day, even when the sun isn't shining. It's about €20 for a bottle and I go through 2 a year.