u/CombinationTrick9707

Hello! I'm (44F) heading to Europe (UK/Switzerland/Greece) for a couple weeks and was wondering if there's any otc products I should leave space for in my checked luggage or worthwhile duty free splurges? I currently have sunscreen on my list, however I may be switching brands. I have melasma and dark spots from sun damage and was thinking of grabbing the Eucerin with thiamidol while over there.

Current concerns:
Thinning skin, neck creping, fine lines, sun freckles/melasma, and idk what to call it but the skin on my upper smile area is starting to sag a little...but not the jowls area.

Further details for those that need the whole picture:

Current routine:
AM & PM
Argireline on forehead/11s/crows
Mist face with aloe and rose water mixed with glycerin
Azelaic acid on problem areas
Eflornithine on upper lower lip
Clinique smart eyes (probably gonna stop when I run out)
Cerave renewing night cream mixed with my custom oil blend (I use this day and night)
Gold Bond crepe corrector on neck and chest
Avene Invisible Finish Spf 50+ (AM only and may switch to Beauty of Joseon)

At night twice a week I drop the azelaic acid and use a compounded tret cream (.025 with niacinamide) but plan on building up to 3 x weekly soon.

I also plan to add Timeless 20% Ferulic Acic C&E when I come back in the a.m.

For cleaning I use micellar makeup wipes with a little grape seed oil and either rinse with water for a light day (no makeup) or Elemis Superfood facial wash for a medium day (light makeup) or double cleanse with Elemis cleansing balm followed by the Superfood wash on heavy makeup days (foundation, lashes, etc..)

My custom oil blend is sweet almond + argan + jojoba + rose hip oil + vitamin e + a little frankincense, lavender, bergamot, and sweet orange oil (5 drops each)

I did use Plated for a few months but the results did not justify the cost for me. Saving up for microneedling and possibly some lasering for the spots. Hoping to help skin as much with products first before splurging.

Thanks

Hello,

We leave for our epic Greek adventure in almost 10 days. We're rented an automatic car from Greekstones while we're in Kefalonia. I read that the roads are very windy and steep going down to Myrtos and Assos. Will we be ok in an automatic? Neither of us drive stick. We will only be driving daytime in those areas.

Any other areas to be wear of? I understand we're supposed to use only paved roads for the sake of the rental, but not sure which roads are or aren't paved.

I do not believe the rental will have AWD or 4WD. Just FWD (says most likely a Hyundai i20m or similar). Should we switch to a different car type?

Thank you!

Hello! We're about two weeks away from our big fat Greek trip and getting very excited! We are mainly doing Athens, Kefalonia, Paros, plus an overnight to Delphi/Meteora.

I have three questions on Kefalonia.

The details
We're staying in Argostoli. The first night (Saturday) we're planning on staying local, having dinner in the area exploring the city.

The next day, Sunday, or possibly on the Monday if we're tired, we're aiming to do a road trip across the island. Heading out early, grabbing breakfast, hitting the Castle of Agios Georgios, then making our way to Drogarati Cave for when it opens at 10, then heading to Karavomilos for a quick stop and then Melissani Cave. After that we plan on heading northward and grabbing lunch and having a relaxing afternoon.

1. Would Assos or Fiskardo be better for this? We want to see beautiful sites, maybe browse fun shops, and eat good, and hopefully not too touristy food (ie menus with pictures and high prices for subpar quality).

2. In the late afternoon (4ish) we're planning to head to a beach to relax. We're not sun people so hoping to find somewhere with natural shade but still beautiful. I saw Foki beach recommended for this, which would make sense if we end up at Fiskardo. However I really wanted to check out Myrtos. Is there any natural shade there in the afternoon? Or is that better for a morning visit? Aiming to back at our hotel by 6 if possible to freshen up for dinner.

3. For the third day should we just stay in Argostoli, or are there other sites we should consider?

Thank you for any insight!

I'm almost 45. Overall my 11s and forehead lines don't bother me tremendously when bare faced, but they are starting to become more pronounced and makeup turns into a highlighter for them. Same for crows feet.

I've never really done anything cosmetic beyond RLT and face creams, but I feel like my skin is at that transitional point. I also wonder if I'm just caving into societal pressures versus genuinely doing it for myself. (I'm a performer)

If you were on the fence of getting botox done and did it, please talk me in or out of it.

My biggest hurdles are:

1. The financial upkeep, although financially I think I'm at a point where I can afford it
2. Finding a trustworthy injector who has my needs over their wallet at hand

I'm also really interested in micro-needling, but the consult I had for it strongly suggested botox first (60 units for eyebrow/forehead which sounds crazy to me for a subtle approach), and then micro-needling after, and wanted me to buy a six session package with that and lasering in the $$$$ range. That was last year and I was very turned off by it and haven't had the energy to look for a different office. I would be open to lasering as well (melasma, sun freckles, skin tightening, but I'm worried about fat loss as I have a very slender face as it is) but I don't want to be bullied into it by an over eager cosmetic dermatologist.

We will be visiting Athens, Kefalonia, and Paros (with a side trip to Delphi/Meteora). The majority of our flights are carry on only, but I have paid for checked luggage flying from Paros to Athens, and Athens towards our journey home, and I'm packing a folding duffle to bring back some gifts for friends and any fun finds.

Can I find most gift worthy stuff in Paros (probably olive oil cans, dried oregano, thyme honey, some nice soaps, etc.. and maybe some cute dresses for myself)? Unfortunately we will not have any time to go shopping back in Athens as we booked a last minute overnight trip that picks us up from the airport and we wont be back until 7pm before we fly out the next morning at 10:30am.

Alternatively, are there any late open shops to grab stuff like that in Athens (we'll be in the Psyri area)? That was a big thing in Japan (Donki for the win!) but I think Greece, maybe not.

Alternatively, I could add on checked luggage going from Athens to Kefalonia, to Paros, but it's gonna add up $ wise, and plus we really don't want to be dragging extra stuff around the entire journey. But if we end up doing that, are there any regional specific gifts from Paros/Kefalonia/Delphi/Meteora we shouldn't miss?

Appreciate any insight.

My husband (American) and I (expat Brit) are popping over for a *very* quick visit on the way to/from Greece . We only have time for two dinners while there. Where would you go to eat if you only had two nights? We will be staying by Paddington but don't mind travelling a little.

In general we love anything Asian, as well as fusion, unique, or different. Not huge into French/Italian/Spanish. Usually love Mediterranean but we will have our fill of that, and we usually always get in an obligatory fish n chips with family, but not this time. I'm a pescatarian. He's not fussy but can't eat raw sushi.

Most likely one night will be Indian (big fan of Dishoom and Trishna, but would be nice to try something new....not paid by either of them to disclose that). Price hopefully somewhat reasonable for one night, but can be a bit outlandish for the other.

Ta!

I'm at the tail end of my planning for this trip. We are bookending our Greek holiday with Athens. For the first leg we're spending all our time in Athens before heading off to Kefalonia and Paros. For the second leg we land in Athens on May 29th around noon and fly out the 31st in the morning.

I really want to see Delphi, but Meteora also looks incredible, however it looks like way too much for one day.

Our choices are:

1. Day trip from Athens to Delphi (Large, small, or possibly private group trip departing on the 30th and returning same day). Most of these include a stop over in Arachova for lunch.

2. Rent a car upon landing and head straight for Delphi, (approx 2.5 hours. Maybe visit Arachova on the way up? Spend 2 hours, then head to a village (any suggestion on one on the way?) for an overnight stay/dinner. Drive to Meteora in the morning. Get back on the road in the late afternoon.

There is a private tour available but it only leaves at 8am.

If the latter, how easy is the drive and parking for foreigners? I definitely will not be driving in Athens, but if we're grabbing the car from the airport I figure it may be a bit easier.

Alternatively, can anyone recommend a private tour service where we can curate the tour to our needs/specifics? Would prefer not to drive and still seethe sites if possible.

Thank you!

We're spending our honeymoon/one year anniversary in Greece. I'd love to find a nice upscale rooftop restaurant with a romantic vibe that we can enjoy dinner/cocktails and watch the sunset. Heavy preference for great (non-touristy) food. Michelin star would be amazing but not mandatory. We are flexible on budget.

I saw Tudor Hall and GB recommended. GB had nothing available for our dates. Tudor Hall only has 6pm and 9pm for one of our dates. Sunset is around 8:30 so I think 6pm would be way too early. And we're not late eaters. Although maybe could get there early (would have to be 45 minutes to have a cocktail and catch the sunset).

Menu looks amazing at Tudor Hall so may just book that for 9p, but I wanted to see if any locals had better recommendations. Our only full days in Athens fall on Friday/Saturday so it may be challenging. Would love 8pm reservations ideally.

Thank you!