When I was working I used to love wandering around the big Boots at Liverpool Street Station and treating myself to a new mascara or nail varnish – and, if I’d read about something miraculous that would turn me into a supermodel, then I’d have to try that. No wonder I was always broke!
But living with a husband who tells me I’m gorgeous even if I haven’t moisturised, used mascara, or shaved my legs, I’ve become lazy. Being retired, living on a pension and staying at home a great deal without a doubt means I’ve neglected any semblance of a good skincare routine.
Ok on the not-so-frequent occasions I wore makeup, I simply swiped a make-up remover wipe over my skin, cleaned my teeth, and climbed into bed. And while it’s lovely that my husband feels I’m gorgeous and “just Janet” whatever I look like, when I looked in the mirror, I really didn’t like what was looking back at me.
Unboxing my first toil box
So the other day when Postie knocked at the door, I unwrapped the most beautifully wrapped parcel. It turned out to be January’s skincare subscription from TOYL (Time of Your Life) – a monthly subscription box of skin care for the over 40’s, which I’ve never heard of – and I was delighted.
Credit: Janet Gordon
Back when I was working, I had a subscription to Glossy Box, which was great fun but, in reality, I didn’t use most of the products that were sent. I then tried Birch Box, which was more of the same and, once again, there were maybe one or two products every few months that I really loved. The thing they both had in common was that they were packed in gorgeous cardboard boxes – and as I absolutely love tins and boxes – so of course I kept on subscribing.
Anyway back to the TOYL box – the first thing to say is that it wasn’t in a box! Instead, it was beautifully and securely wrapped in tissue paper – what I’d been sent was the January Reset Box – four full-size products from very well-known brands.
There was a Gatineau Plumping/Revival Mask, a Philip Kingsley haircare product, a Votary toner and TOYL’s very first own product: an Uplift candle.
I couldn’t wait to try everything out and I even went to bed early that night simply to use the Plumping Mask. Having scrupulously cleansed my face, I even read the instructions! And went to bed wearing the cream.
I sleep really badly, waking every couple of hours and find it difficult to get back to sleep. But I lit the Uplift candle whilst my husband and I read for an hour or so, listening to Boom Radio, before turning out the light – at which point, Rollo Dog settled down at the end of the bed having wrapped himself in a couple of my shawls. And yes I did blow the candle out before turning the light off.
Readers, I slept through the night!
The next morning even my husband noticed the difference in my skin and having tried out the Votary Apple Toner, he can vouch for the smoothness and brightness of my skin. And, looking in the mirror, I felt so much better.
I actually had a visit to my hairdresser booked (my every couple of months cut and colour) – she’s far more than a hairdresser – she’s a magician and I took the Kingsley Elasticizer conditioner with me. I now have magazine hair.
So who is behind TOYL? Age 61, Karen Davis is the brains behind the products – an ex-beauty PR with over 20 years of experience and an Amazon best-selling author on how to live midlife well. She created TOYL, knowing that the products we used when we were younger just won’t cut it as we age, pass through menopause, and so on.
And because Karen has been in the beauty industry for so long, she’s able to take us “behind the scenes” via YouTube, Facebook and inbox leaflets so that we know how and why products were developed and more importantly exactly how to use them.
I asked Karen how she chooses the products to include. She told me “I choose products to cover a broad spectrum of beauty from hair, body, skincare and make-up but also to go with the seasons. Products are also selected because they contain vital ingredients for over 40s skin health.
“Also, I don’t repeat – for instance, if there was a cleanser in the last box, there won’t be one in the next. And, of course, I test all the products in conjunction with the latest research on midlife skin. Microbiome (the bacteria that live on the surface of your skin and help protect it and regulate oil) is a big subject for now, as will be ‘the Ozempic face’ (potential sagging caused by rapid weight loss).”
I then asked “How old do you find women are before they start neglecting themselves?”, thinking of myself working from home and literally ignoring my skin.
Karen knows the answer in that “it’s not so much about them neglecting themselves, but it’s the changes that midlife, the menopause, and getting older bring that seem to take us by surprise. Surprise that our skin is sagging and that we’re more lined for instance, and we don’t know why because we’ve never needed to know. But skin cell turnover has slowed, collagen has massively decreased and we need products to deal with this.”
To subscribe or not subscribe?
TOYL is a subscription service but individual boxes can be bought as and when wanted and a subscription can be paused or cancelled at any time.
Initially, I thought that the monthly subscription cost of £39.99 was expensive – but when you look at the fact that the products are full size and then factor in the cost of buying products which you don’t use, or are not right for your skin – this has to be a good deal.
You can also get to see the products first, so you can decide if you want to pause. And I’ve checked through my direct debits – cancelled a couple that I really don’t need – and voila I’m now going to subscribe. Watch out for a new me!
Why not check out TOYL’s website here to find out more?
What’s your skincare routine? Have you tried TOYL? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.