Skin Specifics

I have long described my skin as 'cranky'. Because, like the rest of me, it is.

When I was younger, it was oily. Super oily with HUGE pores. The only blessing? I never suffered from acne - the occasional hormonal breakout, but never severe. I've always had dark under-eye circles; as a child I often looked like I had twin shiners!

The oil-slick continued until I was 28, when I had a hysterectomy. Then things really changed. I had to re-learn my skin. From oil-slick to desert dry in one easy (!) step. And no more monthly breakouts. Now it was stress that did it; but rather than big blind pimples, it was white heads and the odd blackhead.

As I head for 50, not much has changed, although my pores are finer. I have wrinkles, and in the last 12 months, pigmentation has started to appear in patches. There's a name for it, my sister told me (she has it too), but I've forgotten what it is. The worst is on the middle of my forehead, although I have it on my chin, upper lip (looks like a mo' on a bad day), and my cheeks, around my eyes.

Concerns? Besides the pigmentation and the wrinkles - not a lot. I'm past worrying about the dark circles; I have NEVER found a concealer that works, so I've given that up as a lost cause.

Pigmentation - my sister is being my guinea pig, with no luck as yet. I'll live with it til a miracle happens.

Wrinkles - fact of aging and moving my face. I'll live with those too.

Dryness - now THIS is something I do constant battle with. My bespoke (homemade & cheap) winter moisturiser is working for now, but as it gets colder, who knows. I know that whatever I use has to be lightweight but rich as thick, heavy stuff will make my skin feel 'ick' and look muddy.

I'd also love to find a liquid foundation that matches my skin tone, gives light-to-medium coverage, doesn't run off or vanish into my skin in an hour, and stays true to colour. I've long had this problem - great colour match initially, and then, Boom! it's a totally different shade, and I look like a clown. Or it vanishes - usually in patches. And I look like a clown.

One thing I would like to get done, which is actually not skin-specific, but is vanity-related, is teeth whitening. Not the celebrity blue-white, just a few shades whiter. And maybe, if it was possible, my brows lasered into shape, so I never (or rarely) have to endure waxing again...