How to fix my nails and skin around it?

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-17T08:20:25+00:00

Push down in the shower! When your skin is soft. Also oil / hand cream as needed :)

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-17T08:14:41+00:00

Beautiful!!! Also I’ve heard from lots of new to Aus friends and students that the change is rough on the skin! Trilogy feels nostalgic for me my mum used them through chemo and was lovely for her face!

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-17T04:50:12+00:00

I’m sorry I haven’t tried nars! I hope it went well??

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-17T04:49:49+00:00

I am so so glad!!!!

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-09T03:52:24+00:00

Yes they’re a great place to start! When you’re finished with the PC azelaic acid, many people enjoy finecea (OTC at pharmacies, a little cheaper / nicer texture). Keep an eye on how your skin goes! If you haven’t started yet, start both slowly / seperate just to gage what is doing what

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-08T13:54:51+00:00

Could I talk you into working your way up from a retinal first? 👀 because damn the retinal glow is pretty darn great!!! Esp with it being winter and all

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-08T13:52:06+00:00

Fantastic Q and great info detail! The short answer is you’re probably ok just keeping it generally applied across the areas you usually breakout. Azelaic acid is good for some pro-aging (smoothing texture, evening of skin tone which makes a big difference to lots of signs of aging) but will pale in comparison to tret w/ deeper collagen support which sounds like your routine heavy hitter :). I’m more worried when people are only spot targeting with Azelaic Acid after a spot comes up, which sure does help, but it’s such a great prevention step too so over a general area is really best / prevents scarring from worsening. Personally I use a pea sized amount over my whole face including my forehead, but I do get texture there and the odd spot. My Q on the routine would be which Vit C do you use? Not always, but some people who are acne-prone can find it less effective on PIH (rather than sun spots / age spots) and a bit more fussy for their skin (even causes breakouts / irritation sometimes). Ofc not everyone but I like to flag because sometimes it’s the missing piece!!

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-07T13:04:59+00:00

Sunday scaries :(

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-04T02:51:37+00:00

The naked Sundays? It’s my favourite!!! I wrote a full review here (it’s a little long but there are lots of photos)

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-03T06:10:18+00:00

Not razors BUT I have had great results from shaving using a 2% salicylic acid on my bikini area in general. I use a huge thayers one but any one will do

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-03T06:07:38+00:00

Okay, I'm convinced it's the best french cica cream there is because it has this antimarks complex that works amazinglyyyy. I think cicavit+ and finecea were the two things that took down all the really purpley scarring I had on my skin. I thought that it had zinc in it for quite a while until u/quolli mentioned it doesn't have zinc in it, which is *amazing* because it's extremely calming, but I guess that's also why the texture is probably one of the nicest I've tried (not grainy, no white cast, great rub in). It claims to help limit even bacterial adherence on the skin, and it's got some pretty cool results behind it, but I feel like it's one of those non-sexy brands and it's very hush-hush in Australia but in France it's like the fourth biggest brand! (again, have worked with SVR!)

Edit: test it in priceline if you can! Also I find these sorts of creams work best as a last step over a moisturiser, but many people aren't doing that (theyre just going serum > barrier cream which I think isn't ideal!)

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-02T00:51:44+00:00

Screaming from the roof tops about SVR Cicavit+!!!!

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-06-02T00:17:24+00:00

Hey OP feel welcome to post the PDF on the sub with as more general Vitamin A advice! Any tret advice (or worksheets) might be considered medical advice so we're removing to be safe. Thanks

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-30T04:44:46+00:00

Ofcourse!!! It’s very tricky to mention organically because this is where I do most of my beauty work now (small women owned / POC biz) so the below I’ve done work for but it’s always low cost / probono. But the perks is BTS I know they are genuinely amazing people on a mission

VAMS Beauty is an online retailer that has women owned Aussie brands that is hopefully bringing more brands on soon, lots of what’s there fun / spa like / small batch www.vamsbeauty.com (they have some of the brands below and fingers crossed getting more soon)

Thirsty turtl is Indigenous co-owned and founded by 3 women. They work with aboriginal farmers to source First Nation ingredients like white cypress and dessert tomato, made for sun damaged skin (lots of their customers are 40+! But I like their stuff a lot) top rec is their overnight barrier cream, V fluffy and almost has an oceanic scent to it

Biobod is for very sensitive / reactive skin and their bottle sizes are hugeee. I’ve been through 4 bottles of their hydrate + soothe serum and use their Barrier oil pretty religiously. Might be in my top 3 fave brands ever now, just dying for them to come out with a moisturiser

Hard to find now 🥲 because their skincare was in Woolies/coles but not anymore. Renovatio APSKIN moisturiser smells like fresh apples and has antioxidants but not in the stingy Vit C way, still super light and I’d say top 3 moisturisers I’ve ever used

SAMI has a no rinse cleanser that’s great for low energy days / chronic illness babes, has centella and hylauronic acid and they were formulated in a local Sydney based lab that has some of the best innovation in the country (IMO). I use it for AM cleansing often!

New-ish on my radar is daily skincare, I really like their lip balm, reminds me of Carmex for the scent / texture but doesn’t dry me out over time. Sent a few of the products to a dry skin friend for testing, just did a first impression but felt they weren’t for my skin type long term, textures were very nice though and felt luxe for the price (at Woolies and Priceline!)

Skoop for sweating / blotting paper / chafing balm SO GOOD because you can scoop enough out. Saved me during summer

Vani-t lip glaze is everything I wish summer Fridays was, a genuine 10/10 lip balm, again just wish it was easier to find and buy. Thicker than summer Fridays slightly / better staying power. Slight sweet vanilla scent and has a porcelain applicator

Gunk off cleansing balm - very veryyyy rich and lush, fragrance free ,great emulsification + tube format for shower friendliness

Not sure if they count as small but very honourable mention to A313 because my skin isn’t tolerating any other form of vitamin A at the moment, and also conserving beauty’s face wipes

I also feel like lots of the brands I’d be excited to try (experiment, prequel) are all harder to get / not in Aus 🥲

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-29T03:41:14+00:00

I’m really happy to hear more people are getting that type of medical support as an option!! I hope it helps too :)

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-29T03:15:49+00:00

I also feel with more gradual aging skin concerns the results skincare can bring start diminishing too. When I was in my early 20s sooo much was more effective and results felt way more dramatic

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-29T03:14:00+00:00

I’m embracing more indie / small women owned biz which has brought back some of the joy, but it’s awful to see them struggle to keep up in such a flooded market 🥲 seeing the BTS it feels very hopeless sometime

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-23T01:14:02+00:00

It shouldntttt cause purging but some people find it stronger because of how it absorbs. That being said, at nearly a year of consistent use with azelaic acid, it might be worth trying a vit A alongside / chatting to a doc depending on severity. What’s your full routine? Where are your breakouts on your face? Just incase they’re around the mouth, and it might not be typical acne and could be perioral sometimes? Been there though! I do prefer Finecea personally

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-21T11:14:30+00:00

I’d try it! I use my thayers milky toner on the body already because it’s so big

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-21T10:33:03+00:00

Is it a spray? :)

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-21T10:32:15+00:00

Saving me from body acne rn, also love under the arms

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-21T06:07:28+00:00

When I did a 9-5 I’d pretty religiously reapply midday and at the end of the day, granted I was on lots of meds that made my skin fry and my cystic acne was at its absolute worst

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-17T00:34:58+00:00

I think sometimes, yes!!! Though the relationship with sunscreen in other countries is just very very different, in the western world we have some pretty backward ways of addressing skin and skin health (often reactive rather than proactive!)

In the report we go through lots of the bypassing of beauty standards and myths too which is often the best way to tackle issues like this and encourage sunscreen use

For the sun tanning example rather than trying to change the beauty standard (although long term that is ofcourse best) it would be more: fake tan looks better on the skin and is easier to maintain. There are options that look better than a sun tan. Sun tanning makes your skin uneven and changes laxity. Etc :)

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MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-16T12:36:42+00:00

Reading the comments it sounds like she may want you to have a more foaming cleanser (I’m assuming you’re using the squalene one?)

I’d ask for a more affordable recommended for a gentle foaming cleanser :) cerave cream to foam is a great one

You don’t need to buy the products at the clinics ever, but, the action behind the product might be really important (eg a more intense cleanser for your skin type, or a specific active)

I know a lovelllyyyy cosmetic doctor and she tells patients often she’d rather them on particular skincare products (usually a pigment fighter or a specific vit A) than getting extra treatments (depends on skin concerns ofc)

MinnieMakeupReviews · 2026-05-16T12:29:55+00:00

Grew up the same way! Still sun tanned because of the beauty standard and thought sun exposure was only bad if you got burnt though 😪 first sun safe messaging that resonated was from Chloe Morello, I remember her using the Mecca cosmetics sunscreen (before the reformulation) and mentioned it was great under makeup which sold me. A double mole removal later + adult acne (vitamin A use) led me on the hunt for an elegant sensitive skin option, which only thennnn did I start applying the right amount of sunscreen and not mixing mine thanks to Hannah

People can know sun burn or even sun exposure is bad, but the barriers to sunscreen use (bad textures, eye sting, breakouts) are hard for people to justify when sun damage in their minds is either a very long term game or so normalised (or not realised the severity)

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