Makeup

[Rubies & Jade]

for those of you who mentioned coconut oil, try it on your hair if you haven't already. It works fabulously, both as a pre-shampoo treatment if you have dry hair and for a leave-in conditioner afterwards. It works way better for me than any of the commercial leave-in products.

And for one single product to slow down aging? a good sunscreen. do your research and find out what the difference is between physical & chemical sunscreens and go from there. Environmental working Group's page rating sunscreens is a good place to start.

[Florina Laufeyson]

I know a couple of blokes who use makeup on a daily basis. :)

Anyway, im at the age that going out without makeup is bad juju. Some...blemishes and wrinkly things are beginning to show.

I dont really care what brands i use unless it irritates my skin or something.

For foundations i usually use Revlon. Im exceedingly fair so i need the lightest shade available. Powders, same story. (but i tend to use Cover Girl)

Eyeshadows, i use greys and blacks mostly. Dont have a specific brand.

Eyeliners are always black. I prefer the liquid eyeliners because pencils have a tendency to smudge on me. D:

I dont use blushes.

I have to use exfoliating washes every day and i use Oxy on my skin because i have a tendency to break out like mad just because my skin is HELLA weird. (Seriously, my skin is wacky.)

I have to use foundations with an SPF because my skin literally screams in sunlight. [/vampire] I want to try Sephora's products but they are kinda expensive.

[Elder Sister]

Kari, you have my word that when I'm in your neck of the woods, we'll go shopping. :)

[Sci-2]

Oh come on, I can't be the only one who's heard of BB can I?

BB == b-boy?

eta: just had boy

[Fragile Bird]

I am quite fair and have used Clinique's foundation in the shade Ivory for over 20 years, though lately I have been experimenting with other brands. I really like Smashbox's stuff, including their concealer, primer and powder.

Jade - I will try the cocnut oil in my hair this weekend!

Kair, be brave, pick up a palette of colours and experiment with something other than blue! Try it, you'll like it! :) Unless you have a skin problem like the oily skin mentioned by a couple of people up thread, you would be safe with any decent name brand. I use Clinique, Smashbox, Lancome, Revlon, and others, and picked up a Dior fall palette in my recent travels. Makeup does get infected with bacteria - I had to pitch out some stuff 2 months ago when my eyes reacted to something I put on, and to be safe threw out the mascara, the eye shadow and the liner. I always sharpen pencils every time I use them, and buy a pack of sponge eye shadow applicators to regularly change them with my eye shadow. The usual culprit is mascara - I buy new mascara several times a year.

Sephora has a great selection to choose from. And in Canada, I assume they do so in the States too, there are regularly make-up specials at stores like The Bay and Sears. If there is something on offer I like I will stock up on lipstick or cream and get the bonus gift with purchase. And speaking of lipstick, I buy better brands like Clinique and MAC and Dior because they go on so smoothly, last a long time, and taste ok on my lips. I have bought cheaper lipsticks because a colour caught my eye, and have had to throw them out because I couldn't stand the feel on my lips or the off-taste they had.

Keeping the brushes in the bathroom shouldn't cause harm. You can lengthen the life of razors by drying them off after use and keeping them out of the bathroom, but that gets awkward, unless you have something like a storage cupboard or closet right outside the bathroom.

[Angalin]

http://www.allure.co.../best-of-beauty

Sadly, the only dry skin moisturizer mentioned is one with SPF included. I have thrown out a lot of products like that, as some chemical SPFs burn my skin. :(

Look up pictures of Madonna - these days she always wears gloves, because her hands are aging badly and there is very little you can do for your hands once they start to age. And she's only in her early 50s.

Madonna has also chosen to have very low body fat, which shows up in her hands and would show in her face if she didn't do various things to it. I think it's true that as you get older, you choose between a fuller body and younger-looking face and a thinner body with older face. Ageing is unkind. :(

I work in a Class 100/ISO Class 5 bay in a Class 1000/ISO Class 6 clean room. It's temp and humidity controlled (68C/45%) and makeup, perfume and a plethora of other things are forbidden.

I now picture you as Uma Thurman in Gattaca instead of Cate Blanchett in anything.

Does anyone use Dermalogica products? (I'll read the thread and get up to speed)

Yes, and love them. Wish they made a heavier face cream, although their sheer tint moisture SPF 15 is very good.

[kairparavel]

When I was wooing MC, my bestie took me to get my hair did with highlights, a mani pedi and a stop at Sephora for makeup exploration. I looked fabulous that day. It was the picture that won MC's heart! And now he knows that his wife hasn't had her hair highlighted in three years and almost never wears makeup. I'm so glad he hasn't sent me back. (I did tear up the receipt)

I was never a pedicure person. The idea of a stranger touching my feet, actually the idea of anyone touching my feet, gave me the heebie jeebies. But now I love them. I usually get some awesome colour. Just a buff manicure though. No polish allowed at work. I did have polish on my nails for the great Canadian vacation in the summer.

I'm currently lost in the Smashbox website.

ETA

Angalin, perhaps a little more like this:http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/imperia/md/content/wdm/forschung/reinraum.jpg

I actually work with one of those thingies he's loading there on the right hand side.

[Belandra Waters]

Never heard of it. Can you tell me some more about it - what's in it that is supposed to be so great?

@ TerraPrime...Hate to burst your bubble but I don't think it means what you're thinkin'....:)

It's a cream that. I think, has been used in Britain(?) for a number of years and has recently been introduced to the North American market. The active ingredients are titanium oxide and octinoxate (so you know it has be good, right?). I have super-sensitive skin so I can't wear just anything. I've mostly used PUR Minerals makeup but this cream...wow! I bought the L'Oreal tinted BB cream, about $25 for a 4 oz tube but you only need a dime-sized dollop. It feels a little heavier than what |'m used to when I first apply it, but that feeling doesn't last too long. It has an illuminating effect, and I think it's a really nice look; very natural, I think.

And the crow's feet are fading! I've never had anything that has worked so quickly! I'm completely sold on it.

[Fragile Bird]

Belandra, I must go out and find me some!

[Elder Sister]

I like the BB creams - honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Angalin, I use Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, and it doesn't burn my skin. I have the same reaction to many SPFs that you do. They give me a chemical burn and are extremely unpleasant. I can use Laura Mercier, but that's about it as far as SPFs go.

[Anubiel]

I wear makeup every day, except in summer when it's too hot. My skin tends to react to most drug store brands, so I've tried lots of different brands to find ones that don't make me break out, itch etc. Also mascara - some of them irritate my eyes, when I tried L'Oreal it looked like I was constantly crying.

These days I wear mostly Chanel make up. Vitalumiere Aqua foundation is light, doesn't clog my pores and has SPF15. I also use their Inimitable intense mascara and the eyeshadows, and a blush. I use a Smashbox primer if I'm going out.

For skincare I used to be addicted to L'Occitane, but since they discontinued the range I used, I switched to Chanel for both cleanser, toner and moisturizer. I use the Hydra Beauty gel in summer and the cream in winter.

Other than that I like Dior and OPI nailpolish (Chanel has some awesome colours, but they wear off too quickly). I recently bought a spray that you use to set the polish, makes it dry in a minute - it's awesome!

I also use a Clarins body lotion and a handcream from L'Occitane. Both contain lots of sheabutter, which is great for my dry skin.

[deleted01]

It's a cream that. I think, has been used in Britain(?) for a number of years and has recently been introduced to the North American market. The active ingredients are titanium oxide and octinoxate (so you know it has be good, right?). I have super-sensitive skin so I can't wear just anything. I've mostly used PUR Minerals makeup but this cream...wow! I bought the L'Oreal tinted BB cream, about $25 for a 4 oz tube but you only need a dime-sized dollop. It feels a little heavier than what |'m used to when I first apply it, but that feeling doesn't last too long. It has an illuminating effect, and I think it's a really nice look; very natural, I think.

And the crow's feet are fading! I've never had anything that has worked so quickly! I'm completely sold on it.

Yeah BB creams seem to have gotten really big recently, I presume they were around before but now they're available from the cheaper brands. I got the Maybelline BB cream because it was 3 for 2, I got my foundation and mascara and so got the BB cream free. I tend to use it under my foundation, as it's not enough coverage for me on its own, but it does help spread my foundation better and give the appearance of a more even skin tone.

I'm not big on moisturisers, I only started using face cream because my grandad's wife gave me some last Christmas. I do have cocoa butter which I use sometimes, as I get small patches of eczema mainly on the inside of my elbows. I also have a Garnier moisturiser that gradually builds up a tan, which I use rarely when I get sick of looking like a ghost. In the shower I wash my face with facial scrub, usually something with tea tree oil or cucumber in it, I use make-up wipes to take my make-up off and then moisturise. I use a supermarket brand for all of these, and they seem to work just fine.

Know what I love? I got a free sample (I love free stuff!) of L'oreal Youth Code Luminize. My skin has never looked so illuminated and lush. It seems to have a slight glittery effect so my skin looks fresh and really nice. Shame it's only a free sample. I'll have to see how expensive it is when I go shopping today.

I have really thick, wavy hair which can get dry easily. I tend to just put some mousse in it so it goes more curly, put some Tigi Bed Head in to smooth it, and go. I try not to blowdry it, but if I'm going out I have to. I'll have to try coconut oil. I usually just use whatever shampoo is on offer. I have Tresemme at the moment.

[Melonica Stormborn]

BB creams sold in Western countries are just "beauty balms", more like tinted moisturizers. What western brands are trying to emulate are the "blemish balms" which come from South Korea. They're a big hit recently because Korean actresses/k-pop singers became more prominent, and these celebs with great skin all use one. It's supposed to make one look youthful and lighten blemishes. Western brands are yet to perfect the formula, hence their attempts are like tinted moisturizers (according to online reviews).

The best BB creams come from Korea but it will be difficult to find a shade suitable for fair skin. I use one from Etude House and it works pretty good (I'm 1/4 Chinese so my complexion is in the middle of yellow and fair and it's easy to acquire Korean cosmetics on this side of the globe).

Aside from that, I mainly just use organic loose powder and lipstick/lip balms. Due to my sensitive skin, I use a lot of dermatologist prescriptions and have to lay off on too much makeup (although I really need some to make my eyes look bigger). I don't discrimate on lipstick brands as long as I like the shade, but I'm very partial to Clinique's Chubby Stick because it helps me with chapped lips. I tried the L'Oreal dupe and while it has better pigmentation, it led to chapped lips (too bad since it has a good mint taste too).

[Whitestripe]

So I was at Target today and I picked up a plethora of beauty products. Yeah, I know, drugstore brand stuff. Anyway, I got a Garnier BB a L'Oreal BB, plus a L'Oreal nightime moisturizer. I figured I'd take one of the BB to the gym and stash it in my locker for post-swim.

I was planning to go to Ulta, but that would have required that I drive to a different mall and fight for a different parking spot. I had my daughter with me, we'd already been out for hours and we were both ready to go home.

[DreamSongs]

I ordered the Philosophy 'miracles' kit, but my oversensitive skin can't do it. I know its going to make your face peel, but mine goes all flaky. Not good when working with the public. I bought this stuff 'gratiae' at the mall the other day--hand and nail kit and a weekly peel and toner. If it works, I'll gladly dump the cash for thier face and eye products.

[Fragile Bird]

Skunkbelly, like you I was out doing some shopping and decided to stop off at a major drug store and see if they had the BB cream, and lo and behold, they had it and L'Oreal stuff was on sale. Got the BB cream, the Infallible eyeliner, the Voluminous Power 24h mascara and the Magic Lumi light infusing primer. And Revlon stuff right beside it was on sale, and got the Revlon Photoready colour correcting primer and Photoready Airbush mousse makeup.

Now what I have to do is pitch out old stuff. I am going to stick a piece of tape on the bottom and write down the purchase date, so I know how old the stuff is in the future.

[Tears of Lys]

All you makeup people might be interested to know that I've got a tube of skin bleach (my freckles ain't cute anymore) and Retin-A.

I'll let you know how it works out. :leaving:

[Eponine]

The best BB creams come from Korea but it will be difficult to find a shade suitable for fair skin. I use one from Etude House and it works pretty good (I'm 1/4 Chinese so my complexion is in the middle of yellow and fair and it's easy to acquire Korean cosmetics on this side of the globe).

I got one from Korea and thought it was funny that my white friends love the stuff and it didn't work for me at all. It seems from pictures of Korean women wearing it though, that they WANT to make their skin tone more pink? Gross.

[Belandra Waters]

Skunkbelly, like you I was out doing some shopping and decided to stop off at a major drug store and see if they had the BB cream, and lo and behold, they had it and L'Oreal stuff was on sale. Got the BB cream, the Infallible eyeliner, the Voluminous Power 24h mascara and the Magic Lumi light infusing primer. And Revlon stuff right beside it was on sale, and got the Revlon Photoready colour correcting primer and Photoready Airbush mousse makeup.

Now what I have to do is pitch out old stuff. I am going to stick a piece of tape on the bottom and write down the purchase date, so I know how old the stuff is in the future.

Fingers crossed....I hope you like it!

[deleted01]

I bought some funky face scrub today, inspired by famous women from the 50's and their flawless skin apparently. It was on offer :D that L'Oreal luminizer stuff is like £20! I can't justify spending that.

I really need some new mascara, I wish the L'Oreal million lashes were on offer. Does anyone know any good websites to get brands at discount prices? I used to use Feel Unique but its not that cheap any more.