[AD] Oh hello, here we are at last! Midlifers being listened to rather than dictated to when it comes to skincare. If you’re anything like me, you will have less patience with skincare rather than more – I don’t feel like a woman who has the time or the mental focus to pick out individual ingredients to layer over many stages of a night time routine. I am absolutely content to hand over my skin responsibilities to a brand built exactly to concierge the ingredients list so I can go to bed happy with a one-and-done blended specially for me.
Sister brand to Skin & Me, And Begin does exactly as described above – it’s midlife skincare that can be blended to a specification that suits your complexion best, guided by a dermatology expert. It may even include tretinoin (subject to a consultation), one of the most effective proven skin exfoliators we have. My formulation contains retinol and it’s the first retinol I’ve used over a prolonged period of time that hasn’t caused dry patches (my tell-tale spot is my neck). We’re all chasing similar skin goals in midlife – glow, smoothness and calmness or, in other words, a happy, healthy looking complexion that looks that bit better than it should (for our age, you understand). And Begin formulas differ within certain set parameters (because our goals don’t differ enormously and because the base is efficacious for all skin types) following your goals from an on-line written consultation.
I’ve been using And Begin The Revolution for a month (the picture above is my 59 year old face, no base or foundation) – what I love about it is literally not thinking about it! I put it on in the evening and then forget about it – just sink into Netflix or try to finish that book I feel guilty about not having completed yet. Because The Revolution is a serum in a cream, and a personally adapted formula to boot, everything you need is already there and your skin is just waiting to receive benefits. It’s like a five star hotel for your complexion – you just check in and everything is taken care of. It takes at least three weeks for you to start stroking your skin and wondering if it’s softer than it was (it is), catching yourself in a mirror and musing whether you have always had that glow (you haven’t) and noticing that your foundation is applying like a dream when it rarely ever does.
I’m fussy about glow – and very happy with the current light bounce on my bare skin. The online consultation (via form) is not onerous. It’s asking you about your skin and outcomes you’d like to see without making any assumptions about what you ‘should’ want to see. Unlike one-size-fits-all creams which assume everyone is chasing the goals dictated by the label on the jar. The questions cover everything from where you feel your skin is now in terms of brightness, condition, evenness and pore control to any medications you might be on and any sensitivities you might have. The team at And Begin has done their homework – one of their key learnings is that midlife women are more educated about skincare than any other age group – yes, indeed we are! And that’s the first time I’ve seen it recognized.
The photos above are no foundation or tinted moisturiser (but I’m too vain to do without my mascara!) and no day cream, spf or anything other than The Revolution from the night before, just so you have a benchmark. Once you’ve been through the consultation and it’s been reviewed by a clinician, you’ll receive your bespoke The Revolution and inside the box you’ll find the ingredients selected for you listed so you know precisely what is going onto your face and neck. When it comes to the ingredients, if you’re open to using Tretinoin, that’s an option, as is Retinol and Azelaic Acid, all in a lipid rich hydrating base with potent (and proven) cosmeceutical actives. It’s the dream blend for anyone who just wants to crack on with their lives and not be a slave to the bathroom mirror – better yet, the current offer of a first purchase for £4.99 that gives you four weeks’ worth of The Revolution as an opening offer. It’s well priced anyway at £39.99 but that’s kind of irresistible, no? You can find The Revolution HERE. Please use code BBBLOG.
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