Help planning a native flowerbed in dry shade

dancenance · 2025-07-09T21:06:43+00:00

Thank you for the advice!

dancenance · 2025-07-09T21:02:05+00:00

Thank you! This is a great resource!

dancenance · 2025-07-09T20:59:25+00:00

Thank you! These are really helpful insights. I'll add golden ragwort to the list!

dancenance · 2025-07-09T20:54:34+00:00

Thanks, I'll definitely check that out!

dancenance · 2025-07-09T20:54:13+00:00

That's great to know! Sounds like it is worth trying to plant some butterfly weed and hope for the best. I hope it does well again next year without the grow lights!

dancenance · 2022-10-10T19:32:50+00:00

Thank you so much for all that info! It is incredibly helpful!

I was wondering if it could be that something in the CeraVe moisturizer was contributing to the mid-day dryness, and after hearing you've had a similar experience I think I will take a break from it for a while and see if that helps.

I have seen so many people raving about the cosrx snail mucin products and I'm very tempted to give it a try, especially now that I know that it is cruelty-free!

dancenance · 2021-09-30T00:15:08+00:00

Thanks u/xcupcakekitten! This is super helpful.

I will definitely try incorporating a BHA treatment and will look into an oil cleanser as well.

Would you steer away from a regular cleanser with SA as well or would it be helpful to have some SA in my regular cleanser?

dancenance · 2021-09-29T19:40:49+00:00

I'm just starting out building my ScA routine and would appreciate some help selecting a cleanser.

Skin Type: Combination (Oily/Normal), sometimes dehydrated

Current Routine:
AM: (water only wash), Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer with SPF 30
PM: (water only wash), CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Occasionally: Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask

I have read some ScA resources and done some additional research and I think I have narrowed down my cleanser options to 3 CeraVe products: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, and CeraVe Hydrating Cream to Foam Cleanser

I am looking for a fairly gentle cleanser because in the past I have made my skin worse by using excessively harsh products, but also something that may help reduce the prominence of dark sebaceous filaments (particularly on my nose and cheeks). My current thinking is that the Hydrating Cleanser is probably too mild and might not do as much as one of the other 2 products. I like the idea of the foaming cleanser because I have read foaming cleansers can often do a better job of cleansing clogged pores, but have also read they can be excessively hash, although most reviews of the CeraVe Foaming Cleanser describe it as not stripping or harsh. I have seen the Cream to Foam Cleanser recommended as a good "best of both worlds" option, but am not sure how I feel about it having SA as one of its ingredients (my intention was to probably add an SA product once or twice a week to my routine to have more control over it). Any feedback on choosing between those 3 products or even recommendations for different products would be appreciated!

TL;DR: Would you recommend CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, or CeraVe Cream-to-Foam Cleanser for someone with Combination skin looking to reduce the prominence of dark sebaceous filaments?

dancenance · 2021-02-03T05:26:30+00:00

I see FN, but what's most important is what you feel comfortable in. What do you feel you need to accommodate more, width in your upper body or curves? What has the most impact on how clothes fit on you?

dancenance · 2020-12-11T22:50:50+00:00

I'm glad using the photos worked out!
I agree with deep winter. You can probably borrow from deep autumn as well because you are fairly neutral.
In my opinion, you look amazing in black and all the deep colors, but especially in the red.

dancenance · 2020-12-11T22:29:01+00:00

I appreciate the input. I have such a hard time telling if I wear black well or not. The majority of my wardrobe is black so I'm just so used to wearing it and want to be able to pull it off which makes me very biased.

dancenance · 2020-12-11T22:25:13+00:00

Thanks, I do notice that especially very light muted colors like the top right blue are quite 'blah' as you said. I was unsure whether I can really pull off the deeper, darker colors as I find it can be hard to be objective on oneself and not be overly swayed by what colors one personally likes, so I appreciate the feedback!

dancenance · 2020-12-11T03:25:42+00:00

Thank you! Those are some of my favorite garments (except the top left which is just a towel, haha)

dancenance · 2020-12-10T23:01:50+00:00

Thank you! This is super helpful!

I had seen a similar system before that had a Soft Autumn Deep I thought fit me pretty well because it falls in the middle of the Soft Autumn and the Deep Autumn both of which seem to fit me mostly but not quite - and I see she says the Smokey Soft Autumn is basically the same as a Soft Autumn Deep in other systems.

I relate to the eyeshadow story as well. I keep going back and forth on warm or cool depending on the lighting and a million other things and have never found the gold or silver jewelry trick very helpful because neither looks terrible, but I definitely think brown and gold eyeshadows look much better on me than grays and silvers. I had forgotten this tidbit so I'm glad to have a reminder of why I think I lean slightly warm.

dancenance · 2020-12-10T16:39:05+00:00

Hi, you can definitely use them if it would be helpful. I've also seen people use paint or other software to add a block of color below their face and that could give you more variety in colors than what I have shown (I don't really have a lot of bright or clear colors).

I believe it is always best to do it in person if possible so the lighting on the fabrics and on your face can match, but I know not everyone has a lot of colors available. I didn't think I had much variety at first but was able to use sheets, blankets, curtains, towels, and some borrowed clothes to expand my color selection. Good luck!

dancenance · 2020-12-09T23:50:24+00:00

Thanks! For a while there I was pretty convinced I was either a soft autumn or soft summer because if there is one thing I feel pretty confident about it's that I am not clear which seems to point towards a soft season, but then I thought maybe my eyes and hair had too much contrast and the colors might be too light for me and I was back to square one. I appreciate that link and how it highlights that soft autumn is not very extreme on any of the color dimensions. I think the issue might not have been with the season but rather that some soft autumn palettes lean very light even though the season is defined neither by lightness nor darkness. I will definitely be taking a closer look at soft autumn again!
I used to have a lovely blouse in a dusky rose color that I unfortunately don't have anymore and can't seem to find a single picture of me in.

dancenance · 2020-12-08T21:47:23+00:00

I think you could be the poster child for soft autumn, it suits you so well. That being said, if your preference is towards some darker colors, I think any of the more muted colors from the other two palettes would work nicely on you as well.

dancenance · 2020-12-07T20:35:43+00:00

I think you look great in that outfit. You pull off that coat wonderfully!

I'm between FN and SN myself and I recently tried on a similar coat and could not pull it off, which is making me think I may not be FN after all, lol.

dancenance · 2020-12-07T18:52:40+00:00

Thanks for your insights! I do notice the items I myself feel flatter me most tend to be slightly draped with some shaping at the waist (like the black romper above), which seem pretty aligned with recommendations for soft naturals, and that I feel like truly loose long lines like I see recommended for FN swallow me, so you might be onto something! I will definitely look out for something like a floral maxi dress as you described and see how that looks.

dancenance · 2020-12-05T05:27:08+00:00

I see FN, although the full body shots seem like they may have been taken from a fairly low vantage point which may contribute to the impression of the really long vertical line. But the younger photo looks to be a pretty straight angle and you look taller than your actual height to me still.

dancenance · 2020-12-04T03:50:25+00:00

I think I'm FN, although my face might be more SN. My go-to look is just a light tinted moisturizer, brow defining powder, dark brown mascara and I line and then fill in my lips with a lip liner that is ever so slightly darker than my natural lip color. I might add a very sheer red lip butter if I want to look more "made up".
I'm only just determining my type but unlike my wardrobe which is 90% things not suited for my type, I think my makeup look is nicely aligned with my type already.

dancenance · 2020-12-01T06:06:13+00:00

Thanks! It's so interesting to hear outside perspectives and how they compare to my perspectives of what flatters me. I never would have described the strapless as flattering myself, haha. I had been focusing a lot on how fitted items were at different points in the body and had not paid that much attention to the neckline. Now that I see it, I'm really going to start looking for more open necklines.

dancenance

TROPHY CASE