Makeup

[Angalin]

Xray, what sunblock do you use? I have a terrible time with both the SPF moisturizers (except the Dermologica BB-ish cream I mentioned) and with sunblock on its own.

[Isis]

Thanks for the rec. At this point I've spent so much money on stuff that didn't work that £20 on something with good odds of working looks cheap. I'll pick some up.

It might be called barrier repair, sorry.

http://www.dermalogica.com/uk/html/products/barrier-repair-126.html

And it used to come in a clear tube. It looks just like clear jelly. I am annoyed that it is now sold in an opaque tube. :/

I'm sorry if anyone is allergic to SPF moisturisers and feels like they got bad advice. I've used Dermalogica + SPF (skin smoothing cream) since I was 23, only recently switching to Boots + SPF (No7 Protect & Perfect) a couple of years ago with no irritation. My skin is super sensitive/dry and gets all pissed off when I put anything new on it. The whole drive behind all those No& 'scientifically proven' products is that the best way to protect your skin is to protect it from sun damage. Thing is, if you only start protecting it in your mid-late 30's/40's then maybe you've missed the boat anyhow. I don't know, maybe wear a big, floppy hat instead?

Flaky mascara is extremely annoying. Grrr

I am in the market for a new lipstick - anyone want to argue over the best brands? I often get disappointed with colour selections. I want neutral, matt options...

[kairparavel]

It was weird because actual sunblock on my face has never burnt my skin like that.

[Chaldanya]

I am in the market for a new lipstick - anyone want to argue over the best brands? I often get disappointed with colour selections. I want neutral, matt options...

I find the problem with matt lipsticks is that they tend to be heavy and claggy on the lips. I've tried mac, NARS, bourjois, stilla and sephora all of which are too heavy for me. I think I'm going to give a lip stain a go.

N

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

I am in the market for a new lipstick - anyone want to argue over the best brands? I often get disappointed with colour selections. I want neutral, matt options...

Surprisingly enough - at least to me - I got a very nice rosy neutral colour from Calvin Klein. I bought mine from StrawberryNet.com, but now I'd go in to any shop that carries the brand. It is a little heavy-feeling going on, but I just put some moisturiser over the top and I'm good to go.

[Whitestripe]

Kair: sorry! It must suck to have such sensitive skin.

[Elder Sister]

I have similar reactions to SPF. I think I'm going to try the Dermalogica product that Isis is recommending.

I do wear Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 and I do fine with it.

Isis, for lipstick I like MAC neutrals best. There is a color called Jubilee that is wonderful, and I like Honeyflower as well. These are creamy with some sheen. They're actually not mattes. I like Nars for a matte lipstick when I wear a matte, which is not often.

[Rubies & Jade]

most moisturizers & US drugstore sunscreens are chemical based sunscreens which not only can burn sensitive skin, they don't always do a great job of blocking both UVA and UVB rays, they start breaking down as soon as they are in the sun hits them (so you need to reapply every 2 hours) and there is some evidence that some of the chemicals used are unstable and can cause damage themselves to your skin. It also requires a lot of these sunscreens to work (some say 1/4 to 1/2 tsp for your face & neck alone) which is often more than the amount of moisturizer people generally use.

Titanium dioxide has had a lot of bad press lately, even though its a physical block sunscreen (a better form of sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB & lasts longer) a number of studies have shown that it causes free-radical damage. zinc-based sunscreens are better than all of these as far as tending to be gentle on your skin and actually work but most of them have a distinct white cast.

so, if you have trouble finding a suncreen that does burn your skin, try Devita. Some Whole Foods and stores like that carry it but I order it online. Its clear, its gentle, and it works well (its 19% zinc). Other sunscreens with high zinc content are Burnout, Marie Veronique and Eco (I hate Eco, but its a little easier to find than the others and I know other people that like it)

[Xray the Enforcer]

Xray, what sunblock do you use? I have a terrible time with both the SPF moisturizers (except the Dermologica BB-ish cream I mentioned) and with sunblock on its own.

I have switched around a lot, but I think Neutrogena has been the least-gnarly, with possibly Vichy coming in second. It's actually the SPF moisturizers that are worse than the straight-up sunblocks for me. These days I have been just using non-SPF moisturizer and a hat.

Isis -- for neutral lipstick, you might want to look at Nars Dolce Vita.

ETA: I love pretty much everything about Stevie Nicks (minus the drug addiction). I would say a good half of my wardrobe would not look amiss if she were wearing it. Not so much lace, but layers and shit? All over that.

[Ravenhair]

I am in the market for a new lipstick - anyone want to argue over the best brands? I often get disappointed with colour selections. I want neutral, matt options...

I like T.LeClerq for neutral, matte lipsticks. My favorite shade is Indecent (unfortunately, I cannot make the appropriate accent aigu over the first "e.")

[Baitac]

Xray, what sunblock do you use? I have a terrible time with both the SPF moisturizers (except the Dermologica BB-ish cream I mentioned) and with sunblock on its own.

My oldest would break out in a rash whenever we used sun block on him. That's a huge problem down here obviously. We took him to a dermatologist and we stripped down the blocks (used them with less and less ingredients) until we were left with a cream that contained only the two active ingredients in sunblock. He reacted to that too. Back then, everything was marketed as PABA free. The only thing that worked for him was PABA. Ugh. Gradually he outgrew this. Needless to say he was covered in long sun retardant shirts and hats that covered front and back. Luckily also, he came out olive skinned like me, so he wouldn't burn as badly as his brother (who came out gringo looking like Dad :) ). We were hyper vigilant for both. Have you figured out what the active ingredients on these SPF moisturizers are? Are they the same? Can you also go to a dermatologist and ask for sunblock that has nothing but those ingredients? Maybe it's the other stuff they put in the SPF moisturizers that is affecting you rather than the SPF chemicals themselves. Good luck. BTW, this was 1990, I'm sure gazillion things have changed ingredient wise. It's just that sometimes detective work is necessary. :)

[Angalin]

It might be called barrier repair, sorry.

http://www.dermalogi...repair-126.html

And it used to come in a clear tube. It looks just like clear jelly. I am annoyed that it is now sold in an opaque tube. :/

I'm sorry if anyone is allergic to SPF moisturisers and feels like they got bad advice. I've used Dermalogica + SPF (skin smoothing cream) since I was 23, only recently switching to Boots + SPF (No7 Protect & Perfect) a couple of years ago with no irritation. My skin is super sensitive/dry and gets all pissed off when I put anything new on it. The whole drive behind all those No& 'scientifically proven' products is that the best way to protect your skin is to protect it from sun damage. Thing is, if you only start protecting it in your mid-late 30's/40's then maybe you've missed the boat anyhow. I don't know, maybe wear a big, floppy hat instead?

Flaky mascara is extremely annoying. Grrr

I am in the market for a new lipstick - anyone want to argue over the best brands? I often get disappointed with colour selections. I want neutral, matt options...

-25C with the windchill this morning. I will be buying some of the barrier repair this afternoon, as I need to walk outdoors to stay sane and would, you know, like to have skin left on my face afterwards. ;)

No worries about the SPF-moisturizer advice: it makes complete sense if I can just find one to work. I do have a giant floppy hat, but it (a) blows off because it's a bit small for my giant noggin, and ( B) makes me feel a bit like a short red toadstool.

Lipsticks: currently happy with Lancome and Chanel. MAC lipsticks are a bit too dry for me.

Have you figured out what the active ingredients on these SPF moisturizers are? Are they the same? Can you also go to a dermatologist and ask for sunblock that has nothing but those ingredients? Maybe it's the other stuff they put in the SPF moisturizers that is affecting you rather than the SPF chemicals themselves. Good luck. BTW, this was 1990, I'm sure gazillion things have changed ingredient wise. It's just that sometimes detective work is necessary. :)

I have an idea which ones are most irritating, and they're chemical ones. Zinc works best, as long as I'm prepared to look like a mime at the beach. :P

eta: they might have switched from a clear tube to an opaque one to make it last longer on the shelf.

[Elder Sister]

Angalin, what Chanel colors are you fond of? I have several reds, but they're a bit too hoochie mama for work. :)

[Starkess]

I very rarely wear makeup. I find that times when I wear it regularly, I start to dislike the way I look without it. Which is silly. I'm no Dolly Parton--I think there is such thing as natural beauty, and it makes me a little sad that we're in such a war against it all the time.

Not that I'm anti-makeup. I like to wear it from time to time to add a little extra oomph or something. I find it helps me feel more poised and calm if I have something to deal with like a presentation or board or something. And it is definitely fun to try different products and colors and everything. I just hope I never, ever feel like I can't go out into public looking like myself.

I get crazy dry skin, so I moisturize like crazy. Every time I get out of the shower or wash my hands or anything. I use Neutrogena SPF moisturizer for my face--don't know if it's helping with sun damage at all, but it works fine as a moisturizer and makes me feel a little better about enjoying the sun so much. :)

[Tears of Lys]

Makeup, when used properly, just enhances what's already there. A little shadow to bring out your eye color, some mascara to tease out those light lashes, a bit of a tinted lip... what could be nicer? :D

But a good solid 9-10 hours of sleep is better than any makeup you can buy.

[Melonica Stormborn]

But a good solid 9-10 hours of sleep is better than any makeup you can buy.

Super agree. I look terrible when I only have a few hours of sleep. Sleep and water seem to have a more immediate effect on my skin than anything else. :)

[Kelli Fury]

9-10 hours of sleep and I'm confused and sleepy all day, I doubt I look better. I don't know how people sleep so much

[Melonica Stormborn]

9-10 hours of sleep and I'm confused and sleepy all day, I doubt I look better. I don't know how people sleep so much

Person to person basis? 9-10 hours and I feel great. 11-12 hours, I feel like I have a hangover. Not that I sleep much, I usually get 5-8 hours.

[Isis]

On the topic of sunblock I try to avoid putting it on my skin at all because it itches like crazy and makes me want to scratch my skin off. There is just no way I could put ordinary sunblock on my face. I am itching right now just thinking about that. But thankfully SPF moisturisers don't have the same effect.

Isis -- for neutral lipstick, you might want to look at Nars Dolce Vita.

Hmmm. Interesting. I am looking at that now. Tell me, do you use the actual lipstick or the jumbo crayon thing? I am perversely attracted to jumbo crayons.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to go to Selfridges and STARE HARD at these lipsticks sometime soon. I have to confess that lipsticks are probably the one item I waste money on more than anything else in terms of make up because I often wait until I really NEED a new lipstick and then go and buy one under time pressure then realise I actually despise the colour once I get home. I have so many new, barely touched lipsticks it's ridiculous.

.

ETA:

ES: I see Jubilee and think it could be a goer, but I don't see Honeyflower on the website (no matches when I search), only Honeylove... which does actually look like the kind of thing I'm after.

[Elder Sister]

Isis, Jubilee is a good neutral. It's creamier than a matte. I find the Nars lipsticks a little too dry for me. I am partial to Heatwave and Viva Las Vegas (yeah, I know. Shocker. :)), though.