2007 rolling beauty product thread for girlies and girly-men

I am almost out of eye cream and am looking for a recommendation. I'm looking for one to use at night, for moisturizing/wrinkle-prevention purposes.

clinique's repairwear eye cream works really well for me.

i haven't actually used toner/astringent in many months... i kind of forgot about it!

Surmounter, thanks for the eye cream recommendation. I will check it out!

i'm a big fan of the st. ives scrub but not like hte one everyone thinks of - it's this weird one that's like really smooth and it only has small beads in it

i use it every day - it's soothing but it exfoliates just a touch.

My favorite exfoliant for face is Jafra's Malibu Miracle Mask. The name is stupid, but I've used it since I was in high school and still love it.

Current beauty product obsessions: body butters from The Body Shop and MAC lipstick.

x-post: I can't get too creative with facial products as the skin is very sensitve; had a bad experience with witch oil n 7th grade.

So yes!
xpost - I tried that Neutrogena one, Mary, and guess what, no difference AT ALL :(

i've been using the strivectin eye stuff for the past 3 months, and it's been great. it's a bit pricey ($54, i think?) but very concentrated and about double the amount of the usual small jar. it's going to last at least another six months.

Is there any astringent out there that is uber-sensitive and won't make you break out?

just skip it if you're having so much trouble. i've never read anything that says astringent is a necessity. it can be useful for certain issues, but in your case it sounds like it does more harm than good. the kiehl's calendula stuff is lush, though.

Scrub: a little baking soda mixed with cleanser, also 1x or 2x/week. Zia's Fresh Cleansing Gel is excellent for my (normal, getting-old) skin. Sometimes I just use a washcloth and feel like that's enough exfoliation.

I only wear sunblock in the summer. My skin doesn't like it much, and I cannot believe that UV light exposure is an issue in the winter in the Upper Midwest.

I got some sort of scrub from Kohl's as a free sample, and really liked it, but I dunno if I want to spend $25 on a new bottle.

i use cetaphil daily facial cleanser for normal to oily skin in the evenings. it is clear, not too lotion-y like the regular cetaphil. i find it is good for makeup removal (though i recommend an eye makeup remover first) and not too harsh. then i use a night moisturizer. in the morning after i've been all moisturized for some time is when i use an exfoliating cleanser - i used to use loreal pure zone one because it was v. minty and would help wake me up but they didn't have it when i was at duane reade so i got a neutrogena visibily even foaming cleanser which is a bit less exfoliating but seems nice so far. i worry it might be a tad too creamy, but i guess that's not so bad in the winter. i think i feel exfoliating is better in morning because you're not worrying about getting makeup off AND exfoliating. also, then you feel fresh for the day! i don't know if there's any dermatological merit to this reasoning, though. anyway, i guess i've been lucky with skin lately - i get occasional blemishes, usually pre or post period, but for the most part i'm finally at a point where my skin manages to stay reasonably clear most of the time.

Are there actually any creams that really do visibly reduce that kind of redness on the skin, and aren't some kind of snake oil? I've seen a few that claimed it, and now I can't recall what brand it was (or wether it really works).

I haven't found anything that reduces redness, except by covering it up. If you can find a makeup that is (believe it or not) green to go under your foundation, that neutralizes the red. Mary Kay used to make a green-shaded product for this purpose, but that has been discontinued. I have yet to try this, but there are also yellow tone neutralizers out there that might work.

As for the bumps, that is the purpose of my exfoliating.

yup, i've been on the lookout for ricky's-style places out here. that store is a godsend.

i actually did find the terax yesterday! i stumbled upon a small beauty-supply shop downtown that i never knew existed, and they were selling it for $17! i win.

does the buffy take regular use to see results? i've only used it once, but it may take a while for me since i have Very Special dry skin.

i'm using lush ocean salt for my face lately and though i love the smell, i'm not sure that it's the best exfoliant for my face. i'd been using baking soda/cetaphil before, but NOTHING gets my face completely unflaky. grrr dry skin. i might try their japanese girl soap for that since it seems like it would be more moisturizing as it exfoliates anyway.

lush dream cream is the best body cream ever.

does anyone do makeupalley.com swaps? i just got a lush flying fox shower gel sample, and i'm waiting on some alba botanica stuff and a mac lipstick. it's great fun.

i am not a fan of lush...it all seems way too expensive for what it is. plus their packaging is sometimes really flimsy, and the scents are too strong for me. as far as botanical/"natural" stuff goes, i really like alba. pretty much everything i've tried of theirs is very good. it's not too heavy (they make a nice oil-free moisturizer), and the scents are pretty subtle/restrained.

i mean i can't just lather moisturizer on cuz it'll probably make me break out, but i love the way moisturizer LOOKS = hydrated

any tips?

yeah... i just got the biore oil free which i really like actually. haha guess i'm just fishing for glow tips ; )

That said, I went to Sephora today to spend a gift card and felt like there was nothing there that I wanted. I might try some homemade exfoliant to scrub off the wrinkles.

I feel like a broken record saying this again, but LIZ EARLE IS GREAT! The toner is really gentle - more of a soother - and I've heard numerous stories of people with eczema finding it clears up when they use LE products. All cosmetics companies have to be really careful about making medicinal claims for non-medicinal products, though, so you have to go with hearsay and experiment until you find something that works for you.

I don't have eczema, but I did notice a significant improvement when I started using Liz Earle (not after a week, straight away). And the prices are really good too, and they send you a free sample with every order.

Agreed wrt the Lush Guff. *holds nose*

When I was pregnant I used MASSIVE amounts of oil and cream on my belly cause I PH34R3D stretchmarks. *If* I would get pregnant again, I hope that I will be as obsessive about it.

but... argh! lush! i'm with madchen on that. i'll cross the street to avoid the sickly-sweet fug that emanates from their stores. haven't been impressed with the products i've tried, either (a deep conditioner, hand lotion, tea tree toner), and their bath bombs/fizzes are WAY too old-lady fragrant for my liking.

I got some samples of Kiehl's microdermabrasion treatment and their vitamin c serum (it's called something like "Powerful-Strength Line Reducer Concentrate" or something stupid and inaccurate and clinical-ish) last time I was there and it's great stuff.

In terms of night creams, I've liked the l'oreal revitalift (xpost!) and nivea q-10 ones in the drugstores (I'm pretty sure I have nivea at home right now). I've actually not really had good luck with those on the high end, though I kind of liked the Cryste Marine Cream sample I got last I was in Kiehl's.

What do people think of Kiehl's shampoos? I actually really love the deep conditioner from Kiehl's that I bought because I didn't feel like going into Sephora for Terax (it's the coconut one--it smells like sunscreen and is doing a really nice job), but I've always had "meh" results with their shampoos and conditioners otherwise. I liked the amino acid one okay enough, and the leave-in conditioner is ok from time-to-time but I dunno.

Oh yeah, I love weleda! It's too oily for me to use any of their facial products, but their bath oils are great.

xpost

Clinique's "All About Eyes" is lovely stuff.

Has anyone ever tried "MSM shampoo"?

Hair: mine is very, very straight and not-frizzy plus I never blow-dry and only wash every 3 days so I stick to the John Frieda blonde shampoo and call it good. Getting bored, though, maybe will branch out.

-- leigh

saved my skin that stuff! it's great, or at least it's the only thing my face doesn't protest with irritation about me using.

it's pretty decent for shaving with too.

xposts

I've got long fine wavy hair but loads of it, guess the creme with silk groom was too heavy.

i've been using the mychelle fruity cleanser, which is good but a bit drying. i have the worst time finding a good cleanser for my sensitive, rosacea, dry yet breakout-prone skin... cetaphil = pain, except for the bar soap, funnily enough.

i did get some hippie balm from gaiagarden.com (vancouver reprasent) - which is made for psoriasis but its ingredients made me think it'd be good on dry, sensitive skin - and it is! i also got their derma tincture, which is all about the inside-out approach to skin care. seems to be working. but i've been happy lately too, which is perhaps the best skin treatment for me. want to try that kiehls exfoliator stuff though.

i do love olay moisturizer but i think it's a bit heavy for me. i'm sure they have many different kinds and everything, but olay is like. well it used to be oil of olay. haha

has anyone ever tried that ojon shit? is it as badass as they make it sound on QVC?

I love the regular mint stuff, too! I just thought that since honey is hydrophillic maybe it'd give me a boost. Okay so far tho I do miss the mint oil tingle.

I think I'm addicted to that minty tingle. Oh well, at least it's not drugs.

Laurel, if I had your job, I'd be gnawing my lips, too. And suffering a vast array of papercuts.

i have the cw bigelow lip exfoliant stuff (purchased from one of those new hybrid bath & body works), and it's okay. i've used benefit's and the body shop's versions, too. they're not miracle potions, but they do make a difference if you get really scaly. whenever i pick at chapped lips, they bleed and sting so i prefer to spend the $6 or $7 for something like that.

-- leigh

yes! someone else does this! I had some kind of skin consultation a while back where the lady said that anything that makes your skin feel tight and dry after washing is probably doing bad things (so buy our product!), and I decided it was probably the mildest thing I could use, but kind of wondered if there were some reason one oughtn't.

I love this thread even though so much of it makes no sense to me, as someone who never got into girly things and gets lost every time i try to catch up. Conditioning with yer head down and keeping it off the roots: this is such a good idea!

Also: count me as one who crosses the street to avoid the fug coming from Lush (and from the Body Shop, and from that L'Occitane whatnot shop...).

but olay is like. well it used to be oil of olay. haha

-- surmounter

Is that as unhip as Nivea/Nivea Lotion? ALL I'm bothered about usually is cheap & plenty of it... so my knowledge of more er, advanced products is limited! I'll look into this Biore stuff.

I have also found that the drugstore 'firming' lotions (like seriously, the generic brands) have a really nice feel and seem to work great for moisturizing (not sure about the firming but it can't hurt). I was also recently reminded about how good plain vaseline is if you can handle the icky feel of it for a bit!

-- N.i.c.o.l.e (pl...) (webmail), January 22nd, 2007 3:47 PM. (Ex Leon) (later) (link)

The website does rotate stuff out pretty regularly, but you can find a lot of stuff in-stores that isn't online.

As for the smell...I basically LOVE IT, I get all excited when I am like three stores down and can smell it. I have known people who couldn't go within 20 feet of a Sephora without getting sick from the smell, though, so I think it's just a person's relative tolerance to smells.

Moisturizer for combination people: I use Imperialis by Lush and REALLY like it, it has really evened my skin out. But not really cheap. :/ (although you get a TON for $20) I think lavender is the key ingredient?

What do people recommend for under-eye concealers? I get really bad circles all the time. :( I've tried looking at Benefit's stuff but it's really overwhelming.

It's fifty bucks--but such entertainment! You put this stuff on, and the puffs and wrinks just sorta stop being there.

I'd stay away from Kiehl's hair stuff, but their high end moisturizers are terrific.

My gf is all about this new Shisheido skin regimen, but my skin is unimpressed.

btw--The new Paul Smith men's cologne will make you have sex with anything you put it on--Jude Law, Rosie O'Donnell, a doorknob, the stuff is amazing.

xpost - my foundation irritates that area, unfortunately.

i want something like clinique almost makeup, which i wore for years but my skin doesn't really like (but it has physical sunblock (titanium dioxide, so i wear it in summer usually. or i wear revlon skinlights, which also has physical sunblock (am sensitive to the chemical kind, it seems.)) i use prescriptives camoflauge cream for cover up, though i don't think it's creamy enough for under eyes but i haven't ever used makeup under my eyes! hm.
i'm like half-girly, half-hippie re: makeup.

http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580/1d/pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/159909/300.jpg

i also bought the "tonga" blush from cargo and it looks good, a nice color for my skin tone.

http://images.shopping.msn.com/img/2512/59/0/34303.jpg

plz to recommend shampoo/conditioner for bleached hair.

Hi M.A.C, you're still king!

all this limited edition business though - not cool

I'm still happily rockin' the oil cleaning method and no-poo. Baking soda is my new best friend. Also, hemp blotting papers.

I recently started a MAC obsession. I just ordered an eyeshadow quad this morning. This is going to make me very poor but their eye products are just so good!

x-post

OK, due to medications I am on, I sweat uh A LOT. Has anyone found a good solution for summer sweaty-oily faces?

I've been using the OCM for about a month now. Jessie, I've had nearly zero greasy face problems using this and I'm a big sweater living in a hot ass place. I "wash" with a mixture of olive/castor/almond oil at night and then just rinse with water at all other times.

i'm in love with maybelline define-a-lash. it's gives really good length and definition, perfect for daytime use. for a more glam effect, i still like the very pricey ysl faux cils.

MsMiz, I'm glad to know it's working okay for you in that humid hot climate!

ENBB you should check out ebay. they have all the cool discontinued colors. seems the ebay peeps buy them up and sell them later in 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon quanities for cheap. its all you really need of the more outrageous colors.

i recently bought their face primer which i LOVE. my skin usually goes patchy and flaky looking when i wear powder type foundations but not with this primer stuff. also i bought a lip gelee which rocks.

xpost, yeah me too!

For awhile I thought my acne was diminshing but recently I think that's stopped. It hasn't gotten any worse though which is more than I can say for soap. And not being super shiny face is nice too. In general my skin feels much, much better.

I've been finding that the breakouts I get clear up quicker with the oil, but they haven't stopped. Damn hormones.

i havent bought makeup in ages!

but i will admit i tried that OJON shit they peddle on QVC and it is actually really great on my long hair!! it looks so FUCKING SHINY!

Also big props to Wella Color Charm Demi-Permanent hair color... it is actually staying in longer than 6 shampoos unlike most demi-perms. And $4/tube, YAY

which OJON did you get? styling or conditioner/poo?

im so crazy tempted to get this. talk me out of it.

http://www.hsn.com/cnt/prod/default.aspx?webp_id=2772531&web_id=2772531&sf=bs&attr=3099&prev=hp!sf!3099#

Don't get it. Home shopping network hair extensions. . there madness lies.

put your mouse down and back away from the weave.

jesus, what's next? the jessica simpson trout pout at-home restalyne kit?

sunny - i got the deep conditioning weekly treatment thing. LOVELY.

and i am saying TRY the jess simpson faux hair. let us know how it looks!

Has anyone here ever actually gotten a weave? I'm curious.

I did. It was dreadful. I have superfine hair, but 900 tons of it, but I wanted it long, and ... it wasn't good. Could have been because of the chick that did it (who has proven her incompetence in just about every other aspect of hairdressing in the time I've known her), but all I could feel was the knots where she'd sewn the hair in, couldn't run my hands through my hair anymore, the braids she'd made to sew the extensions to got really loose (which she said was supposed to happen) and yeah, it was bad news bears. I had to go back and have her take them out a week later.

i briefly contemplated fake hair a few years ago, but it would have been like 12 hours and almost 1k to do it at a place that i trusted.

!!!!

Yeah considering I have very thick, long hair I haven't considered it. But even if I wanted I think I'd shy away b/c of how involved it is. I'm a wash and go girl and can't imagine basically having architecture on my hair.

couldn't run my hands through my hair anymore

This would be a deal killer for me.

It was for me, too. Like I said, it could very well have just been the chick who did it, she's pretty fucking useless, but I just hated it.

i had a fairly short bob at the time and wanted to go really long (like, to the middle of my back), so it would have been loads of hair. also, this was in the uk which partially explains the insane price. it may be less for a good quality job here.

xposts

Sunny, I bought my first pigment samples off ebay last week and love them. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to apply them without the powder falling all over my face!

x-post i only want it for fun, not to fool people with on a daily basis. people are probably going to notice i have 50% more hair.

ENBB, theyre tricky but beautiful!

how do you apply it? i got some a while back, but it's so messy that i never wear it.

If anyone figures it out, let me know. One of the ones I got is green brown and it's the prettiest color ever.

are these for eyes? Lips?

it's a powder. i guess you could use it anywhere, but i tried it as eyeshadow and even with holding a tissue under the top lid as i applied it i still got a noticeable amount on the upper part of my face.

wet brush?

According to the MAC people, you can use it in lipgloss or nailpolish too but I think it's mainly for use on the eyes. I already use a primer and it still doesn't stick very well. I read somewhere online that it adheres very well to MAC paints so I see myself spending even more money in the near future. Oy. For now if I'm using the pigments I just do that and then rewash my face!!

Wet brush helps a bit but it's still messy. I figure practice should help and they're so pretty that I'm willing to keep giving it a try!

http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?ngextredir=1&CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15114&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1519

^^^ That's them, btw.

http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?ngextredir=1&CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15114&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1519

http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?ngextredir=1&CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15114&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1519

OK, I'm officially useless at this point in the afternoon on 4 hours sleep and not nearly enough coffee. Time to go home.

I have a friend who was a makeup artist for MAC - if I remember tonight, I'll ask her if she has any tips for the pigments.

ENBB, have seen this?

'you', that is.

i just use my finger (no brush) and bend over the sink. not very precise, i know.

Ladies, I'm getting ready to make an order from Sephora and want recommendations for lip stuff. I only use cover girl gloss right now which is too gloopy and generally not good. I want something that looks light/natural, is easy to wear (not to messy) but will polish me up a bit.

ideas?

Currently enjoying Her Glossiness from Benefit but it is a bit goopy. Like sticky. The color "didn't hear it from me" is a perfect near-nude pink for me, though, so I'm going with it. I have also liked the Stila lip glaze v v much but the stupid built-in brush where you twist and it pushes gloss into the bristles is stupid and wastes product. Also you can never get out the last bit. But apart from that I loved the product & the colors.

C.O. Bigelow's makes tinted lip moisturizer that isn't sticky or heavy feeling. Not carried by Sephora, tho. :/

the stila lip glaze is good but the sephora knock off version is just as good and less than half the price (if they still make it). i just wear kiehl's lip balm (which comes in tints now), and lip venom if i feel like i'm bored and want my lips to go numb.

I hate hate HATE Kiehl's lip balm and I also hate the Rose stuff in a tin -- whatever is in those kinds of products makes my lips WORSE. On the other hand some people (like Yerac) can only use those b/c of different sensitivities so go figure.

I have some Benefit VIP lip glossese and they are pretty light and not too goopy...

Will look into these recommendations. Yeah one thing I don't like is anything tingly. Just makes me feeling like I'm wearing carmex.

I'm getting some Bare Essentials foundation/powder too. Trying to make myself look a little more grown-up. *sigh*

that shit is awesome seriously.

i used to use the rose balm but those fucking tins! if it is at ALL hot out the lip balm will melt and then ooze out of the tin, all over your purse. it's disgusting, so i stopped buying it.

Sam, is there a Sephora or something similar near you that you can go check products out in person? It's hard to buy this stuff without seeing it in person.

Yes, at the fancy rich mall. But it's kind of far and I hate shopping brick and mortar.

are the b&b hair powders worth the amt they cost? i'm no longer light-haired so baby powder doesn't really work as great anymore.

I am intrigued by these hair powders.

not to complicate your decision, but i tried loose mineral makeup and absolutely hated it. i'd recommend checking it out in person if you can before buying a set.

as for lip gloss, i'm loyal to lancome's juicy tubes and mac's lipglass.

xxpost - i think that they are. you don't need much. i had mine for like a year and a half.

xpost to Sam - Okay, that makes sense.

The Sephora near me is almost an hour drive away (at the Mall of America), so I rarely go. I do find the selection a bit overwhelming.

Ooooh, I LOVE MAC lip glass. I think my mother thinks it is too sticky, though. YMMV...

yes plz tell me more about b&b hair powder!

Also, I have a MAC lustre glass in Decorative which is one of my favorite things ever. But I think that's a lot more intense of a color/product than Sam is looking for. It's not sticky, but the color is really dark and it's very shimmery.

basically i can go without shampooing but my fringe gets greasy as all get out from forehead sweat/oils so i end up having to wash them (and effectively more of my hair) every day because they look gross, i can't use the baby powder any more because it'll turn my hair greyish...ugh. maybe i'll get some.

like i said, i think that it was worth it. when my hair was long i was prone to oilier roots but dry ends so the stuff was a godsend. it's been completely reformulated since i used it, supposedly to make it easier to use. with the old bottle you were supposed to squeeze in the middle and thus pouff the powder out in a gentle gust, but it took me several attempts and a lot of wasted product before i got the hang of it.

I bought the tiny travel size of the b&b hair powder for light colored hair. While it lasted (and it wasn't long), it was pretty great. But when I go to the salon, and drop big bucks on haircut and oon things marketed to curly hair, I can barely afford the powder.

I've been wanting to get a manicure for YEARS. I can actually more or less pinpoint it: when I was a few months pregnant with Ophelia. I still haven't. Why? Various reasons, really. I am afraid the woman will laugh/mock my rubbish nails, taht I am not "'worthy", won't have the discipline to go every two weeks, that I am losing "time" (how long does it actually take to have yr nails done?). I know these are pathetic reasons, but someone needs to push me inside the beauty parlor. Come on, please, push me! Tell me I need a manicure (and my eyebrows too?).

It looks like those hair powders are mainly cornstarch, tapioca starch, oat powder, fragrance, and mineral colors. I wonder if something like powdered cinnamon/cloves/nutmeg would work, mixed with oat flour.

Go get a manicure Nath! One where they massage your hands and coat them in soothing oils and dip them in nice warm paraffin wax.

i kind of feel that way about pedicures, my feet are nasty and i don't want anyone else to have to touch them!

i just haven't had the money/time so i have foregone the dream of wearing open-toed shoes this summer

Go get a manicure Nathalie! I have been putting it off, too, as if it is something to dread. (My husband gave me money for my birthday - in February - to use for spa treatments. I was thinking manicure, pedicure and a massage... but I just keep putting it off. So go do it and don't be a lame-o like me!)

I just cut my nails. Does it seem silly to go now? I don't know anything about manicures. Can they *stick* on some nails? Yes, I know they can, but should I? I wanna have pretty nails. My friend says it's shameful that I don't have nice nails since I work in jewellery. She's probably right.

Ah fek, my feet are even worse! A disaster area I don't want ANYONE (inc myself) to see. :-(

I justified never getting a pedicure by telling myself it will make it hard to walk all the time again.

I bit my nails until last year when I got engaged and suddenly people were looking at my hands! The only way I can keep from biting them is to make sure they look nice so I try to get a manicure every two weeks. In the summer I get pedicures ever 3-4 weeks and they're AWESOME. Seriously, I think everyone should to it now and again becuase it feels heavenly. Also, if I don't get them then my feet just look gross.

stick on nails seem like wayyy more trouble than they're worth. i think "nice nails" don't nec. have to be long, the can just be short and neat.

at my old job there was lots of pressure to have manicured nails all the time, and we were given a summer dress code that specified we were NOT to wear open toed shoes unless we were pedicured. but nobody seems to care here so i've stopped bothering.

Woah, really?? What kind of place was that?

I agree with BL on the short nails thing. I really don't like long nails that much. Mine are still short but neat and nicely shaped now.

i have never in my life had long nails. how do you type with them? when they'd grow even a little bit my piano teacher would yell at me that they were making clicking noises on the keys and make me cut them.

I used to get Acrylic nails. They were fun, until you had to take them off.

Lauren, why did you hate the mineral foundations so much?

jessie were you saying the bare essentials stuff is awesome?

pedicures are wonderful and will work miracles. get one, if you can.

xp--i don't know if i could handle having long nails--i get really annoyed if they have any length at all.

lots of ppl seem to think the bare essentials stuff is awesome.

i'd considered trying the b&b powder, but i've heard that the dark hair stuff can get all over the place, rub off on pillows, etc, so it doesn't seem worth it.

has anyone tried ecco bella eye shadows? i'm trying for hippienatural skin/beauty products because of sensitivities.

i'm going to try eye makeup anew, though eye makeup frequently migrates under my eyes, where it makes me look hung over. i have hopes for playing with shadows rather than greasy eyeliners and runny mascaras though.

you get used to it re: typing etc with longer nails. my nails get kind of long sometimes not out of like any desire to get a manicure (i haven't had one since my sister's wedding months ago, and before then probably not in years) or even because my hands are well-kept, i just forget about cutting them or filing them. which results in hilarious random filing to keep things in check until i inevitably break one of them spectacularly and have to hack off all of them. i've been doing better at it after being shamed for being "white trash hands" by jimmy the mod last time i was in nyc!

but, yeah, you just get used to it! as long as we're not talking like the 2- or 3-inch long acrylic extensions.

Fake nails are a pain if you work in a shop, particularly, because they make it hard to pick up money off the counter. For me, the main reason for getting a manicure is not my nails, but my cuticles. I just can't be bothered doing all that orange stick crap myself, and would much rather throw money at the problem.

Hey Julia! :)

I've still never felt that eye makeup does much with glasses. Maybe I'll try some subtle shadow.

yeah my cuticles have gotten to the point where they are actually causing me pain. i got some burt's bees cream for them and i'm trying to remember to keep putting it on.

right now my nails are beyond white trash, i've been painting all weekend and they are dirty and ragged and speckled with bits or primer.

what i REALLY want tho is a haircut. and a facial. i can afford neither this month.

I bit my nails until last year when I got engaged and suddenly people were looking at my hands!

this is me now! i made a half-hearted attempt to grow out my nails, but got nervous while watching a soccer game and bye-bye nails.

will a manicure help me? i've had one in my life, and it wasn't bad at all! the pedicure, though. my feet are uber ticklish, and i was worried i was going to kick the poor girl in the face the entire time she was in the foot region. i persevered, however.

My feet are way too callused. I'd be embarrassed for someone to handle them.

Molly, I've found manicures help keep me from nail-biting.

i never had a problem with the hair powder rubbing off. it wasn't actually black, although again i have to say that i only used the previous version.

sam, i thought that the coverage i got with mineral makeup was either too heavy or too sheer. applied with the brush it was too little and when i used a damp sponge it wasn't as natural-looking as my liquid foundation. i also really had to mix to get a good color match.

jessie were you saying the bare essentials stuff is awesome?

-- sunny successor, Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:00 PM (Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:00 PM) Bookmark Link

Yeah I am a huge fan. I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, tho. I think the fact my skin tends toward oily (in the summer at least... :/) is why it works well for me, makes everything more matte or something and holds on tight. The coverage is on the sheer side, as Lauren said, but it'll cover up things that aren't really dark/red well enough. I get one giant zit every month (no joke) and the bare essentials + liquid foundation on the spot is enough to tone it down without making it look like I caked on a bunch of concealer.

Yeah I think I'm going to try it b/c the sheer is what I'm looking for. I don't use any foundation now and it seems like it might be a good transition.

cuticles aren't so hard to deal with! just push them down with a washcloth after you have a shower. or even in the shower. i kinda love orange sticks. i remember once when i was younger i looked at a boyfriend's cuticles and was agast and insisted that they be dealt with. i consider this a lesson learned. let boys, hell, let other people, just figure out how to deal with their own cuticles. i use cuticle cream sometimes though, some sally hansen kind. but would like one that smells like something awesome. but i also think aren't cuticle creams just a scam anyway? probably. whatever.

discovered (via shefinds.com) that maybelline wet shine nailpolish doesn't have a huge amt of chemicals in it. but i think i've used it before and it doesn't last v long. will try again. also, OPI apparently is taking out a bunch of chemicals too (e.g., formeldahyde). but plain old nail buffing works quite well for everyday. my nails are not super short but they are functional short with white tips. filed to a point. haha no they are round.

seems i'm still allergic to everything i put on my lips except straight-up lanolin :( haha but have been eating cherries a lot this summer and keep thinking of that kids in the hall line "i wore sausages in a link around my neck and rubbed cherries on my lips to feel pretty"

and i wonder why the hell some kind of cherry extract lipstain does not exist. ah well i wld prob react to it anyway :( :( <-- sad lips

This thread is probably the place to say that I am gagging to wash my hair as soon as I get home from work. It's not HORRIBLY horribly dirty but my shampoo is SO YUM and not floral or fruity AT ALL which are the two qualities I hate most in personal care products. I forget what brand but it's in minimalist rectangular translucent bottles and is called something like "green grass" or "green herb".

I just bought a Low Poo shampoo for curly hair that smells awesome.

I did not realize that dark hair people should not talcum their hair. I tried this recently and was wondering how it could possibly be a beauty secret since it looked like i was going to be in a play about our forefathers.

The same thing happened to me, Car, and I have much lighter hair! I don't understand how it works, maybe I just used way too much? I think if you use only just enough, the powder turns more or less translucent when it gets saturated w/ your scalp oil (YUMMY) so it disappears.

you have to really work it in good. Also helpful if you don't put it on the layers right on top.

oh hey i want a nice talcum powder that is not baby powder - recommend them to me svp

also that is not full of additives that will destroy me

See I thought you were supposed to put the powder in and then BRUSH IT OUT, and it all got stuck somewhere along the length of mah hayuh. I guess you don't brush, just work it in?

Rrrrob: try plain cornstarch?

no i want pretty girlie powder! made of talc whatever talc actually is (rocks?)

Talc is worse for you than the chemicals that might be in it to make it smell pretty. Go for the cornstarch option.

The prob is talc is really really bad to accidentally inhale, I think? haha xp I am not just paranoid.

i thought i just read the other day that there is a higher rate of ovarian cancer in women who regularly use talc-based powders in their underwear (??? ppl really do this?)...

whoa crazy. i used to use talc baby powder more a long time ago. sometimes it is just nice.

there is talc in my makeup powder but it is pressed, so no serious inhaling of it, if that is what is bad abt talc?

i use lead pencils for eyeshadow though

Talc's tiny tiny fibers are just like asbestos - when you inhale them, they never leave your lungs and cause scarring and reduced lung capacity. The effects are cumulative.

It's the belladonna eyedrops that'll really get ya.

B-b-b-b-ut they make your eyes so SHINY!

i had a feeling abt that - which is why i stopped using it years ago
the scary thing is that it is BABY powder to be used on BABIES!!

i think i am kinda sensitive to cornstarch (surprises). i am prob just okay w/o any of this anyway obv

i just poke myself in the eyes to get that dewy look

Rice flour is also a good alternative.

Not to put in the eyes though.

in my eyes??! stop trying to kill me jaq
haha xpost

With a lead pencil?

ahahaha xxxxp

my pupils are perma-dilated and i hate it. it makes me squint all the time.

!
why are they dilated??

i have no idea, possibly due to medication i'm on.

Yikes, that would be awful. I always try to worm out of having my eyes dilated at the eye doctor.

i thought i just read the other day that there is a higher rate of ovarian cancer in women who regularly use talc-based powders in their underwear (??? ppl really do this?)...

I've read this, too (I have a family history of ovarian cancer, so read about it often). Also avoid talc on baby bottoms. (Really, just avoid talc.)

ah - i guess it's a good excuse to wear sunglasses everywhere though? mysterious
xpost

talc u r outta here ok

lol talc

i'm totally a body powder person (even tho i never own any). every once in a while when i really crave it i'll use some baby powder but that's always a little weird. but they don't make any girly-men body powders, just girly ones, i'm pretty sure, which is disappointing.

I have a weird thing with my skin where it takes forever to dry. Like, FOREVER. So I used to use a lot of baby powder so I didn’t have to stand around naked in the bathroom for 30 minutes every morning. Ive cut it out now though and deal with the soggy. Mostly because its such a bitch to clean up.

And as far as babies are concerned, I think its fairly accepted now that you shouldn't use baby powder on them unless you want to risk messing up their respiratory system.

People yesterday were talking about Bare Essentials so I just wanted to add that Everyday Minerals is also really good and a lot cheaper. I actually prefer it to BE! You can only by it online at everydayminerals.com. Just a heads up - I don't like their brushes that much.

guys, johnson & johnson baby powder isn't made out of talc fwiw

and it comes in "cornstarch". whether thats pure cornstarch or not, i dont know. babies still cant be breathing in those teeny bits of powder though.

wusses

I had no idea you weren't supposed to use powder on babies now.

Also putting powder in your panties surely leads to a host of problems besides ovarian cancer.

wait, not that i put powder in my underwear, it is for the top of my head, but what problems could cornstarch lead to?

Is there any possibility of a yeast infection? I'm so prone to them I don't dare put anything there.

Cornstarch dissolves, where talc is a mineral fiber. You might end up with a slimy thixatropic mess from cornstarch. And yeast might be able to feed on it, since it's a natural starch.

yeah i think i've heard that warning re: cornstarch in the past
i have starch issues in general anyway
oh i just remembered that i used to use a lush powder that was nice, though in that lush way - it was prob cornstarch-based

i looked at the ingredients of j&j baby powder the other day and it said talc as first ingredient! as i recall

i have gone back to clinique almost makeup (spf 15 titanium dioxide, which my skin doesn't react to) and stay-matte sheer pressed powder (translucent). it is a nice combination and the product lasts a long time. maybe one day i will try mineral makeup but i have some fear.

i have j&j lavender baby powder sitting in my medicine shelf right now at my house and the first ingredient is cornstarch. i was surprised to read this.

There's a type of talc that doesn't contain the asbestosform fibers that is still approved for cosmetic use in the US. There's never been a full study done on it, apparently, but it's still on the GRAS list. Like Sara said - something like 75% of ovarian cancer tumors show talc fibers embedded.

i'm another person that wasn't that excited by the bare minerals stuff. i find it settles into my pores and fine lines (which usually aren't visible much at all) and makes me look a bit, i don't know, crunchy or something? however, i think sephora is good about taking returns you've used, so i guess you could order it and send it back if you don't like it.

So I'm on my second day with the bare minerals. hmm. I've never been a foundation wearer mostly b/c I've always had great skin. Typical foundation makes me feel cakey and gross. So far I like this stuff b/c it doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything but I think it might be making my skin look worse. The reflect-y bits seem to highlight my acne (thanks 30s!) and settle into my fine lines like Colette said. Maybe I'm not applying it right.

Also got Urban Decay Lip Envy which is great.

Seems to be very hit or miss with the bare minerals thing. Some people love it and others don't and I don't think it's just aesthetics but also different skin types/complexions.

How did it work for you?

does anyone here use any of the Philosophy skincare lines? I'm thinking of trying one out--any recommendations?

I wish I had a happy new product, between hot weather and sunscreen-wear and hormones, my skin HATES me right now and is breaking out everywhere.

me too Laurel. I was thinking of the Philosophy Makeup Optional line because goddamn I thought I was through with this breakout shit.

I'm up for anything. nothing has helped my breakout skin. The oil thing I did for awhile didn't make it any worse but didn't really make it better. I got lazy and stopped it. Maybe I should do it again. It was moisturizing.

How did it work for you?

:P

Philosphy's 'Purity' is a good facewash.

yes, I've heard very good things about Purity (can I admit that the Philosophy names for their products kind of creep me out?) and Hope in a Jar moisturizer.

There are 2 Hope in A Jar types, it's alittle much for me unless I'm really dry. Yes, horseshoe, I like their products but the branding is off-putting in a New-Agey kind of way.

i got a sample of purity last time i ordered from drugstore.com and it's pretty good! it smells nice too. the branding of philosophy is basically terrifying (i was actually staring at the text on the purity bottle this morning and going like o_O) but i love the 3-in-1 body washes (tho using it for your hair, despite their claims otherwise, is a terrible idea) and the salt scrubs.

My mom sent me some Cinnamon Buns body wash for xmas - smelled completely delicious but I can't use scented stuff ;_;

that is one of their better scents. some of the scents are kind of appalling and smell like bath & body works. i've been using the "empowerment" (UGH) one which is awesome and also makes your skin feel all cold.

I got a sample of Philosophy's Inner Grace perfume from Sephora. Not sure how I feel about it. Kind of smells like deodorant.

The Lush smells has taken over my house :(

-- Jaq, Wednesday, February 28, 2007 9:34 AM

This is still true - it never goes away. Thank god we are moving.

Oho yeah that Philosophy bottle is hippy-dippy all right. On the other hand, they think you shoudln't need three different products to clean, remove cosmetic "residue", and "tone", which I can totally get behind.

this stuff is making my bathroom awesome right now:

http://www.amazon.com/Savon-Liquide-Marseille-World-famous-France/dp/B000FPVMDO

plus i finally managed to find some proper orange-can murray's pomade (rather than nu-nile), in brixton; it's the "super light" variety and man for £1.69 i can't complain! i'd buy it at quadruple the price

I loved the Philosophy 3 in 1 body wash that smelled like margaritas. Yum. (And Ally is right: do NOT use in your hair.) Seconding (or thirding?) the recommendation for the Purity facial wash. I've tried both Hope in a Jar and the When Hope is Not Enough (for older/drier skin) moisturizers and I like them both, but prefer the one for drier skin... but if you are breaking out, that would be a no.

I hate the Philosophy nonsense on the bottle, too, although I kind of like the recipes on the 3-in-1 body washes. (Not that I've ever tried the recipes...)

haha yeah i considered trying the pumpkin pie recipe and then was like "i'm using a recipe from a body wash bottle? really?"

hahahaha philosophy is a way of life. pumpkin pie is love.

I just bought a Low Poo shampoo for curly hair that smells awesome.

i just got this stuff, too, even though my hair isn't curly. I LOVE IT. regular shampoo makes my hair dry and fluffy after washing, which i hate. this just gives a very fresh feeling, and so far it's gentle enough that i can use it every day.

ah what is this stuff and where can you buy it? i happen to be out of shampoo and have curly hair that always looks too fluffy.

devaCurl. i got it at ricky's.

I have found the mascara of my dreams--benefit's "bad gal."

This thread makes me want to go lipstick shopping!

All I wanted to do was keep it out of my mouth, but now...

http://www.cachebeauty.com/wholsale/070066017069.main.jpg

...the tips are curling. Hey, it knocked the layteez dead in 1882.

I really want to try "bad gal". I'm using soemthing by Too Faced right now and it is way too messy and smells like burning plastic.

q! let's go makeup shopping!

i really love benefit's benetint cheek stuff, it's subtle and smells like roses. i lost my bottle of it though and don't wanna shell out $30, i wear makeup like once a month these days.

once a month in a GOOD month. god i've been so lazy at prettying myself. that shampoo sounds great, though!

YES to DC makeup shopping! We are rather fortunate here to have a Sephora and a MAC store practically next store to each other. Also a Kiehl's and a Blue Mercury on the same street, tho I've never gone into the latter for some reason.

i've never gone into blue mercury either? i don't know why. i could use mascara and i need benetint. also y to kiehl's!

I need an eyeliner that doesn't melt and run down my face (making me look like a deranged raccoon) within half an hour of application - does such a thing exist?

ps i haven't seen you in for-freakin-ever so let's do this 4 real

xpost i always use eye shadow applied with a liner brush, really.

i have never found such a thing. i have hope for eyeshadow applied as eyeliner though. as long as it's only my upper lids.

xp

Ding ding ding me too. I wet the brush first for a better line. xp

my new lipstick goal is a wearable orange. like something coral-ish, maybe? I am traditionally a MAC devotee, but got this awesome fushia lippy made by some crazy french-sounding company so maybe I should try that brand again--they have it at Sephora.

I am poor until payday next Friday, tho :(

It's not all that smear-resistant, though, I find. The purposeful eyeliners are better at staying in place, but the problem is that you don't get a good choice of brushes to go with the formula you like. Who has perfect formula PLUS perfect brush? I don't have the time or $ to undertake a full-scale investigation.

I have a Lancome eyeliner that I got in a Gift With Purchase bag, and it actually stays put. I think if you buy them, though, they are $20+, so be prepared. (Maybe go to the counter and try it out beforehand.)

I bought a cheap Sephora brand eyeliner recently and it just sort of moves down under my eyes. I hate it. I love their lip liner, though.

(I only ever use pencil eyeliners and would be at a loss as to what to do with a brush. Maybe I need lessons!)

i am semi-poor this weekend too, and has just gone to gtown last weekend--let's do it next weekend! i can never find lipstick i like, maybe i am due to make RED LIPS my new thing.

lipstick shopping at Sephora is all about NARS

ha, Lauren sounds like she should do the ads for Devacurl up there. Some dude at Beehive recommended the Low Poo since my hair is always like 4 different colors from faded hair dye.

I do the wet brush with eyeshadow as eyeliner, but recently when I work it starts to migrate up and down, so I have to start looking into liquid eyeliner that stays. I need to order some Mac.

I wish I wasn't allergic to Nars.

Basically, if I start to sweat at all, when I open my eyes the top part of my lid near my lash line hits my eyelid and I get a black line there. Thus, why I can no longer use eyeshadow as eyeliner.

http://shinymedia.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/benefit_1.jpg

I am such a sucker for packaging.

I like a very small angle brush better than the tiny straight "eyeliner" brush that comes in kits, but then my idea of eyeliner is always like this:

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/mu-eyes-liquid.jpg

lancome's liquid liners are easy to use and have good staying powder, and if benefit still makes babecakes then that's great as well. the latter is an eyeshadow-looking thing that you apply with a specially-angled, wet brush. it lasts much longer than eyeshadow, though, with a much stronger color. mac's liquid stuff is the longest-lasting thing i've ever encountered, but i don't like the brush so much. not sure if it's on this thread or another, but i've told my story of going out wearing black mac liner and drinking for hours on end and eventually getting sick and sleeping on someone's couch and waking up with perfect-looking eye makeup. the stuff had not budged.

ugh, staying power not powder.

I still don't know how to apply eye makeup. ;_;

i've never gotten beyond the just-smudging-it-around technique. i definitely don't have the coordination to draw straight lines on my eyes.

I bought that stuff Abolene ( i read it was good), because i figure I needed to start using makeup remover instead of rubbing my eyes with white towels. But I guess I have no clue how it worked because for a couple of weeks I was using it as a makeup remover/face wash! in the shower and was always so mad about how it made the tub all slippery and it was hard to wash off. It wasn't until recently when I was going to throw it away that I realized that you are supposed to use it to wipe your makeup off with instead of slathering it on like soap.

i can't apply liquid eyeliner to save my life. my hands are too unsteady or something.

a makeup-savvy friend recently gave me lessons on eyeshadow-as-liner, applied with an angle brush, and i like that. i need to buy some brushes and shadows.

I took me a while to get the hang of it. Just practice at home and wipe it off gently in between with a schmear of moisturizer and a soft tissue -- after a handful of attempts my skin would get sore from cleaning.

i'm not sure if it's still around as it's supposedly limited edition, but revlon makes a makeup eraser pen that i love. it seems to work on everything, including insanely pigmented stuff like nars lipstick.

julia, if you use some of that stuff thats like liquid makeup but its in a compact or stick on your eyelids first you can really mess up as much as you like because all you need to do is swipe once with a qtip (along the top edge of the liner)and you have a perfect line every time.

l'oreal's h.i.p. shadow sticks would be good for that.

You all are overwhelming my dipping-my-toe back into makeup self over here. Actually Julia reminded me of one of the main reasons I stopped wearing make-up a few years ago. A medication I was taking made my hands tremble so badly that I could no longer put on my beloved liquid liner. It all gradually fell away. Hands are steadier now. Should go get some liner.

When I worked in teh same building as InStyle and some other magazines we used to get to crash the beauty sales a few times a year, where everything that had been sent in for magazine consideration would be on sale for between one and five (or so) dollars. I regularly made off with like $150 worth of stuff for the price of dinner, and I'm not even a product junkie.

Sadly altho we are now 6 floors above some cosmetics giant, they do not share.

ok i think phytodéfrisant is made by magic faeriees out of voodoo plant extracts in a wild kingdom of amazement

it is $$ but i washed my hair this morning and used it and it is raining and warm out and my hair is 100x more smooth/calm than it has ever been in such circumstances
i think i will buy shampoo and conditioner too

also: fun to say

I was so excited to find a can of Bed Head's "Control Freak" gel. I'm pretty sure this is the stuff I used to use (recommended by my stylist at the time), but it had disappeared from all the stores I normally bought it from. It's so much better than this cheaper stuff I've been using. (Still, I'm basically trying the impossible: to disguise my graying hair without dyeing it. I need to either accept the gray or dye it. I think I'm going to start dyeing it eventually.)

(I don't mean to imply Bed Head is anything really gourmet, I'm sure it's probably considered pretty bottom of the barrel by more sophisticated hair product users.)

R - you're right that stuff is awesome.

where everything that had been sent in for magazine consideration would be on sale for between one and five (or so) dollars. I regularly made off with like $150 worth of stuff for the price of dinner, and I'm not even a product junkie.

Oh man, I would think I'd died and gone to heaven if I could have access to that sort of thing. Although, we've spoken a lot lately about the dangerous chemicals in cosmetics in my classes lately and I'm completely freaked the fuck out. www.safecosmetics.org. I'm totally paranoid now and have been buying shampoo/lotion/etc. at Whole Foods and although I feel better about using the natural stuff - it's just not as good! Also, the recent lead in lipstick expose has made me question even my MAC lippies which just isn't fair!

I am going to Sephora today! What should I buy in addition to Benefit's Bad Gal mascara? What do we think of Nars lippy?

I hated Bad Gal Mascara - I found it smudged a lot. I just shelled out for Dior Show which is ok but not as amazing as I expected it to be after all the hoopla. I've never used Nars lip stuff so I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts as well.

robyn im going to buy some of that stuff. i have hair that goes frizzo about 7 months of the year - rain, humidity etc. particularly bad in the south. the amazon reviews are really good. thanks for the recommend.

People, help me: I need a mascara, I hate mine. I'm determined to find a drugstore version that works, though, because I refuse to pay $40 a tube for something that dries out/goes bad.

It has to be water-proof and non-flaking (I walk/bike in the rain, and wear contacts). Brush style and thickening vs lengthening vs etc etc are all debatable.

I don't know if you can get it there (Sephora maybe?) but I got a great curling mascara by Collistar. Still going strong after six months with no clumpiness and it makes my lashes nice and glossy too.

Laurel - as I said a couple posts earlier - I just got Dior Show and kind of regret paying so much for it. My holy grail mascara is drugstore - L'Oreal Voluminous (wp formula). I've used it for years and LOVE it. After I finish the dior stuff, I'm going back to it.

i have to say that i have tried so many drugstore brands and they all blow (don't try to convince me abt the maybelleine scene either) - and i've tried all kinds of dept store brands too - mascara is basically my main concession to makeup - and in all that, i have always come back to clinique . i use naturally glossy, which is actually pretty water resistant - riding bike in rain hasn't caused any smudges! their waterproof is prob pretty good but i haven't tried it

ive given up on mascara. if i use it i only use the clear stuff which makes your lashes look darker and glossier.

Hmmm I avoid waterproof because I want it all to come off lickety-split with regular face washy stuff. I was a Great Lash gal for years, then tried a bunch of different drugstore brands, the best of which turned out to be Full and Soft (also Cover Girl, I think???). But I must say I do like the Bad Gal very much--nice rich color, goes on clump-free, and I don't have flaky/smudgy problems so much.

phyto balm is great. it's concentrated, too, so even though it's a bit pricey you won't go through it quickly.

re: bad gal, i like it but l'oreal voluminous in carbon black (not the regular voluminous) is about 1/4 of the price and has the same effect.

People, help me: I need a mascara, I hate mine. I'm determined to find a drugstore version that works

maybelline define-a-lash is very good. less va-va-voom than the l'oreal stuff, but it gives nice, natural-looking length. i haven't tried it yet, but cover girl's lash blast just came out and has an unheard-of 90% approval rating on makeupalley.com.

Yay another vote for voluminous!

Mascara is the one piece of makeup I feel completely naked without. My contacts irritated my right eye today so it's all red and I'm wearing my glasses and I still but on mascara.

the weird thing is that i don't like the regular voluminous, though - just the carbon black, which comes in a different package. the only differance is supposed to be the color, but it really seems like it's a different product. mystery!

i kind of agree with robyn, though, about the supremacy of the higher-end brands. my holy grail mascara is yves st laurent faux cils, which sadly runs about $40 per tube.

Huh - I'll have to check if I have the carbon black or the regular - I don't know.

When this Dior Show stuff is gone I'm thinking about buying some Lancome because that's another Mascara I've heard good things about.

What do we think of Nars lippy?

great colors, long-lasting, intense pigment. very matte, though, so you need to use with a bit of balm or else you'll really dry out. right now i have scarlett empress (maroon/burgundy) and trans europe express (deep rosy-coral) in rotation.

I think I've been using Maybelline Full'n'Soft, and I hereby decree that it sucks. Lash Blast & L'Oreal Voluminous are on my radar, thank you!

this thread always makes me sad that i don't really bother with make-up anymore. i've really just given up and i never really knew how to apply it properly so i think i'm better off that way.

RFI: Is it wrong to use just run of the mill hand lotion on your face? I use a Vaseline product and it seems to keep me dewy enough.

i've talked to guys who do this and swear it's fine.

if i ever did that tho, i would look like a pizza, no joke

it totally depends on your skin. i'd break out/have a rosacea attack if i used body lotion on my face, but that's just me.

I've been using Boujois Voloume Gi Amour, which is great, but I'm not sure if you can get Boujois in the States.

My question: is there anything you can get (worldwide, I'm prepared to go mail order) that will do the equivalent skin tone smoothing and glow adding of a fake tan, but for pale skin? Or a really awesome foundation for the same kind of thing. I'm after Dita-Von-Teese/ Nicole-Kidman-In-Moulin-Rouge skin. I'm very pale, but go pink really easily and I would like to be all porcelain-y. Any ideas?

and x-post: Body lotion on the face would def. give me spots. Way too heavy. They're often more perfumed too, which doesn't help.

oh anna that's a tough one

have you looked into shiseido's white lucent stuff?

I'm about to google. (BTW - I am coming over to NY in December! I was going to email you about this, but here will do.)

what is the diff between moisturizing gel and moisterizing emulsion?

HOORAY! email me anyway with details, etc. i can try to take a day or half-day off for shopping.

xpost

emulsion is gonna be liquid, probably.

i really like nars lipsticks, but lauren is right, they're really matte. it almost feels like putting on a lip pencil to me. but that also means it lasts a long time. i like 'gypsy' as a gentle all purpose red.

rrobyn, i also love the naturally glossy mascara. you can build it up if you want more oompf, and the only times it's smeared is when i've gone swimming with goggles-- swimming without goggles actually seems to be ok, weirdly!

even nars lip"gloss" sticks manage to be kind of matte. they go on with a lot of shine, but they settle pretty quickly and the color hangs around for ages.

Will do L.

Sunny - I would guess the emulsion would be creamier - a blend of an oil or gel and a cream - but it could be just marketing.

can't you use the nars and then a light gloss

lauren what kind of moisturizer do you use for face?

quincie - get navy blue nail polish! fun. :) i keep meaning to pick out a fragrance there but i don't know what the hell i'm doing. something v clean, not flowery. although i strangely like v&r's flowerbomb

robyn, right now i'm using avene's hydrance optimale. i have combo oily skin with rosacea problems, and this is one of the few products that ticks all the boxes (sunscreen, antioxidant, gentle, hydrating, not too heavy) for me. it makes me a little oily towards the afternoon, but i handle that with blotting paper.

(clinique's superdefense for combination skin is the other moisturizer that i've liked a lot lately.)

Benefit's High Beam (I think they actually have something now that's less pink than High Beam too?) gives you kind of a dewy look and is fine for pale people. I only use it on my cheekbones, tho.

also, anna - a good primer might work for you. smashbox, maybe?

my girlfriend just gave me some bare essentails (i know i'm spelling it wrong) powder foundation stuff -- i don't usually use foundation actually though.

i'm usually just a concealer/light blush person.

omg and i watched the bare essentials instructional video which is high in entertainment quality -- i think it's supposed to be good for pale/sensitive skin

i bought the new mac mascara - i think it's called plush? - anyway, i am loving it.

it's not much more than drugstore stuff . . . i think roughly $12-14 per tube.

Plushlash! It's gotten good reviews - I may have to try. Is it waterproof?

Not that I know of . . . but maybe they have a waterproof version? It's definitely my new favorite mascara.

macmacmac

i'm a bit of a mac addict esp. since one of my best friends used to work there & we'll pop in occasionally & she'll give me new colors to try.

okay. i just looked & there isn't a waterproof formula but i'm sure with all the rain we've been having i've worn it outside & haven't noticed any kind of disaster.

I don't mind if it doesn't stay on while I'm SWIMMING, but I've got caught on bike in the rain a few times and had mascara NOTICEABLY running into my eyes. Just a reasonable amount of stay-put-ness would be fine. :)

In light rain I've been fine. I have yet to bike in the rain so I can't attest to that BUT I double-checked the price & it's $11. That's pretty low risk, right?

Totally! Or since I just landed on the wrong home keys, "titakkt"!

I have a fuschia Boujois lipstick that I LOVE! Only problem is that the top tends to come off in my bag, which is Very Not Good.

OK so what should I seek out for a sheer petal pinky lip balm sorta thing--not shiny and goopy like gloss, but not anything approaching matte. No shimmer, no glitter--just some dewy moistness. Ideas?

Does Clinique still make Almost Lipstick? I used to like that stuff a whole bunch. Works awesomely dabbed on as cream blush, too.

my favorite product right now: john frieda sheer blonde luminous color glaze. i used it sautrday morning and my hair was glowing in the sun. GLOWING. like chrome if it were blonde maybe?

sunny successor, do you ever find that clear mascara flakes and looks all graywhite with a bit of time? or have i been buying shitty brands? i've tried a couple and they looked great for a while but then started coming off my lashes in a surprisingly unattractive way.

maybe i should try the clinique stuff at some point if it can stay on while SWIMMING.

why is blowdrying own hair so hard to do

clear mascara does that to me too, but it doesn't if you just make sure it's not clumped when you put it on.

if it clumps when you put it on, it will flake later.

i need to get some of that john frieda hair stuff, for brunettes.

am still digging the amazing phyto action of the day
hair is big but not as big as usual (and dried naturally) (bc i did not have time to dry it. also where is my hairdryer hm)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2118/1714537312_5213a6ba99_o.jpg

iphoto is weird

i like ur hair

also thanks lauren for moisturizer suggestion - i have tried avene stuff and it is okay but haven't tried that moisturizer
me n moisturizers don't really get along in general :/

xpost one day i will actually style it and then u will seee
my hairdresser/friend always makes it so glamourous

that's the only avene product i've tried. the others i looked at seemed to be geared more towards dry/very dry skin (a problem that i do NOT have). they make a big deal about being good for sensitive skin, which is what prompted me to try.

(oh - i got to mtl in nov so maybe we can discuss products in person! or even shop for them!)

ya i'm pretty bad with moisturizers too. mine have to be kind of gel based, if you know what i mean, instead of cream based.

and PS i bet your stylist makes ur hair all glam, i would too if i had that kinda hair

julia i buy the really cheap stuff and it doesnt flake. i cant think of a brand name right now though.

ALSO in Australia for years they had this stuff called LASH 2000(? - i think - why cant i remember anything) which was a permanent eyelash dye and ladies, if you used the blue/black, it was like the best mascara ever on your lashes 24/7 never running or smudging or flaking. just thick, dark and beautiful. they banned it a little before i left. i guess some idiot blinded themselves and ruined it for the rest of us.

do any australians know the real name of it? i want to try to track some down on the interwebs

sunny successor, i'd heard of something called 1000 Hours Lash Tint, that was only available in aus/nz i think.

i think eyelash dye kits for home use are banned here, too, although plenty of salons will do it.

rrrobyn yer hair looks similar to mine. i have had it short forever and used a blowdryer to straighten it, but now it's long (4 or 5 inches below my shoulders, for the first time since i was about 15!), and i just don't have the patience or time to dry it. i don't really know what to do! i love the phytodefrisant stuff but it is a bit pricey and my hair is still kind of frizzy. i usually just use biosilk which is cheaper helps a little.

mine is maybe even curlier! i like having it long, but when it's fuller/curlier i feel like my face looks too small and narrow.

julia! that was it! i just found it on their website and ordered some (about $24USD for 12 applications incl. shipping). I might post some before and after pics when it arrives. i guess they didn't get banned afterall.

lauren there seem to be SOME home kits available here but they are very clear about not containing charcol and tar (!) so maybe that was a problem.

Huh. I thought that was illegal in the US too. Maybe it's a state to state thing because I'm pretty certain it's illegal in MA and NY.

i'm tempted, but i'm going to stay away from this as i would probably be the idiot that ruins it for everyone by blinding myself. it's funny, but as soon as something is deemed dangerous then i want to try it. i read about brazilian hair straightening recently, which uses formaldehyde and is toxic to varying levels depending on which brand you use, and my first thought was, "shit. that's got to be really effective."

I read that article too (Allure?) but it scared the crap out of me.

japanese hair straightening is really big back home. a chinese girl i know got it done. it takes about 7 hours. you think chinese girls have straight hair naturally? well the result was STRAIGHT hair. the straightest ive ever seen. id get it done but i cant because ive used bleach on my hair. too processed or something. any naturally curly hair girl would agree with me though, it must be sweet to go swimming and not have to immediately rush to the hairdryer.

i'd call my hair 'wavey' with curly parts
it used to be short for years, so i totally understand where you're at, l

i'd call my skin normal with oily parts and dry parts and sensitive parts aaagh

lol ILLEGAL MAKEUP
i mean scary lol

also, lauren in-person beauty prod talk will be awesome
plus if you are coming in mid-november, we are playing a show nov 16 and i think it's going to be pretty cool (w/ this la band called clipd beaks)

well, i'll be your eyelash tint guinea pig and you'll all be insanely jealous of my lush illegal lashes. well that or ill be blind. either way.

uhhh, is there anything out there that makes your hair thicker or gives it more volume? it's naturally really flat and straight, so when I grow it long, I look like an iron-deficient Ringo Star. Thanks.

Sensitive skinned, break-out prone gal here. Face moisturizers I have known and loved: boscia (hella expensive, like 26 bucks for a lil tube, but wonderful; available at Sephora) and kiehl's panthenol something or other cream (less dough per ounce).

Still trying to find the sunscreen and facial exfoliant of my dreams--must be good for super-sensitive skin. Do tell if you have hot tips!

damn - we'll miss your show by just a week or so.

i have several sets of fake lashes. i guess i should experiment with those some more before i turn to the makeup underground.

Also, my hair is pin straight and I envy those with curls. Grass is always greener etc.

everywhere i've seen japanese hair straightening here, it's been over $500 which is not an option for me! but one of my japanese coworkers who has hair down to her butt had it done and it looked stunning.

do you know how long it lasts?

q, neutrogena ultra sheer dry touch spf 55 is what i use during the summer. sunscreen irritates me really easily, but i haven't had a problem with this stuff.

i don't know, but i think it's supposed to be somewhat permanent

I'm really kinda vain about my hair, but I'm also kinda clueless about hair products -- most of the time I use some sort of pliable wax or creme, but then I end up washing my hair more frequently because it ends up feeling greasy. My hair is naturally wavy, but I'd like to try something that adds lots of texture and definition without weighing it down or clumping it up too much. Any tips?

I need a trim, too. Gotta call my girl.

the japanese method is everywhere in nyc. i think you need really thick /strong hair for it to look good, though. two of my friends had it done and in both cases their hair looked so dead and flat.

Oh thanks lauren I will check that out! Sunscreen tends to sting me around my eyes and cheeks. Also feels all heavy and slick and awful!

I seem to recall an eye cream thread a while ago--I supposed I should be using this, but don't have a clue where to start.

i just use clinique almost makeup spf 15 for my sunblock

i use mario badescu oil free moisturizer with spf 17, and it doesn't make me break out

elmo i also hate using products that make me feel greasy. it sounds weird cuz i used to hate it, but i really like gel now. it seems so middle schoolish but if you get the right one, it can do good stuff and it's not greasy.

q, neutrogena ultra sheer dry touch spf 55

lauren, I think you mentioned this on another thread earlier this year when I confessed to my non-sunscreen-wearing ways - I got some and it is A+++++. My unburnt nose thx you!!

ooooooh I just got a tube of the L'Oreal Carbon black Voluminous--tomorrow I will it on one eye and Bad Gal on the other eye. Mascara Championship FITE!

i'm leery of gel because i'm constantly running my hands through my hair -- i almost always push it back off my forehead -- and when the gel sets it makes my hair feel brittle and untouchable. maybe something with less hold would work? i dunno. like I said, clueless about hair products.

Elmo, get some John Mitchell Awapuhi moisture mist and squirt on generously after towel-drying. It's been my standby for years - light hold, can resquirt on dry hair if need be, knocks out static in dry weather, has a very light nice scent.

it's true, that's the downside with gel is the stiffness. BUt see like you, i'm always touching my hair too -- it's a nervous tick/fun habit, and i HAAAAAAATE touching my hair and having my hand be all greasy with wax. big pet peeve.

oooh that sounds good jaq

I use this stuff called SeaPlasma in a pinch if I can't find the awapuhi, but it makes my hair feel like that plastic barbie hair. dnw. It's also pretty much just salt water with fragrance.

http://www.fourseasonsproducts.com/item--Davines-Wizards-No-5-Matt-Pliable-Putty-100ml--++86005

i think that's what my hairstylist uses on me when i get a cut. seems to work really well, although i don't use it on a daily basis.

i am going to the pharmacy and will probably buy lots of products today thanks to this thread

i am reconsidering ordering lash tint from australia thanks to this thread. sunny successor, i totally want to see pictures when you do your lashes!

elmo: i have the same problem with hair product & the two "waxy" items that seem to do okay on me (fine hair) is the wella liquid hair matte finish wax and the aveda hair whip stuff in the blue jar.

as far as lash tinting goes, i have the neutrogena lash tint & it's what i wear when i feel like wearing mascara but don't feel like wearing mascara. it goes on very clean, slightly darkens my lashes & they claim you don't need to wash it out.

i also use mario badescu as a moisturizer. my skin has really shifted in the last couple of years from straight up oily to true combination skin. i have oily parts & patchy, dry parts. it's very strange. this stuff seems to do well in all areas. i use the "moisture magnet" one but might try the aloe.

i love mario badescu stuff. it all smells so nice and is (relatively) cheap. their famous drying lotion is just glorified calamine though.

i've used an eyelash dye kit sold in the UK and wasn't dazzled. i suspect they work best for people with pale lashes, because it didn't seem to make much of a difference even on the pale-ish ends of my lashes. i didn't go blind, though.

julia, they just mailed it. 5-7 days! ironically(?) the place sending it is only a neighborhood or two away from where i used to live

c/d: bvlgari eau parfumée au thé vert

i liked it, but i don't know anything about fragrances. anyone?

I have some of their white tea stuff somewhere, I prefer the green. But it's not one of my favorites.

I have some "molding clay" that is made by Matrix called Dirty Trix. The name: whatevs, but the stuff pretty much rules & is needed in only v. small amounts. Any hair product w/alcohol in it (like gel) will turn yr hairs hard 'n' flaky feeling.

re: elmo's query

i really did like the green tea but not sure what else to try w/same thing going on.. fresh, citrus maybe. something a bit eccentric (and where to find that in dc anyway?) where is suzy?

i used to have the bulgari green tea. i still like it, but i burned myself out on it. i just tried the red tea the other day, and i think that's what i'm going to get next. bulgari black is also great, but i'm not sure if they still make it. some other interesting scents to look for: annick goutal mandragore/eau de hadrien, the new nina by nina ricci, slatkin lime and mimosa, lanvin eclat d'arpege, l'artisan parfumeur mure et musc/fleur d'oranger.

I've had lovely success with Annick Goutal, I have Ce Soir Ou Jamais and I love it. I should try more.

Also have Bulgari pour femme hand lotion at my desk (why?) but it's too uncomplicatedly floral/sweet/femmy for me.

sometimes i like the hard gel feeling if i'm going for that old school matted down and polished look

I use Annick Goutal Petite Cherie. Most perfumes make my throat itchy.

i may investigate this perfume scene

i really haven't worn actual perfume since my early 20s!

lauren, maybe this will be our montreal excursion? e.g., perfum help for robyn and then drinking beer with slocki

yes! that sounds great.

http://www.amazon.com/Sabino-Moisture-Block-3oz/dp/B0007Z630E

anyone heard of/used this stuff? i'm thinking about getting some eventually when my current product runs out. supposed to be good for all types of hair.

does anyone have powder recommendations? powders I own and am unhappy with: Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil (makes my skin look too dry) + Sue Devitt Triple-C Weed Loose Powder (I think this might just be the wrong color for me--does anyone like this brand?).

When I wear it, I wear powder in lieu of foundation. Am I going to have to give in and buy foundation?

what about one of those foundations that turn into a powder?

i have the same trouble with powder making my skin look dry but i did find a MAC powder (loose) that worked really well. I cant recall the name right now though.

it was either this:

http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15108&PRODUCT_ID=PROD1625

or this:

http://www.maccosmetics.com/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY15108&PRODUCT_ID=PROD3182

probably the first one

oh, if that first one is anything like the description, it sounds perfect! thanks, sunny!

I love this thread.

oh it also help A LOT (Maybe more than moisturizer) to put on their primer beforehand.

i just read this on mac shade guide. i had no idea about determine skin undertone colors. now i cant decide if my veins are blue or green:

Decide which of the following descriptions best represents your skin colour:

If your skin looks more Golden Beige, you match with Neutral Cool or NC shades.

If your skin looks more Pink Beige, you match with Neutral Warm or NW shades.

Most skin tones will fall into these two classifications. However, if you are still not certain which classification is right for you, consider the undertones in your skin.

To determine your undertone, take a look at the underside of your forearm:

If your veins look more blue, then you most likely have pinkish undertones. If your veins look more green, then you have more yellow or golden undertones.

determining**

some of my veins look blue and some of them look green! what do I do now, MAC?

mac studiofix (in the compact) is a good compromise. it's pressed, not loose, but it's still pretty light. for loose powder, i love coty airspun. it's really old school and comes in a big round cardboard container. for some reason, it's usually stocked in drugstores near all the nail products. i like the fragrance-free translucent one.

[

clearly, you should go get a MAC makeover and ask them. :)

that is such a good point, Julia.

My veins look kind of black.

lancome's dual finish pressed powder is really nice, but it's heavy. i would wear it to a party kind of thing. every day powders i just use covergirl cuz i use so little.

I love No 7 powder. Will not go for anything else. Also liking CoverGirl Lash Exact Mascara (but I have really long lashes and don't really need mascara to begin with).

As far as hair care... I have climbed atop the Ojon bandwagon. I need a new haircut, tho. My hair is just long and boring right now. Also I am too lazy to go out there and find a new hair stylist. Buh.

my veins also look blue-green in nat light
they are also v v small/flat in comparison to my (male) co-worker's veins

the whole skin-tone thing has always confused me

No 7 powder what is

true to form, i use clinique stay matte sheer pressed powder oil-free invisible matte
which is only half the words they manage to put on the back sticker of teh compact

hahahahahahahahaha

also how much does it suck when you drop your not even half-finished expensive compact makeup on a hard-tile bathroom floor and the powder breaks into 5million pieces but the compact itself is fine
:(

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/captain_mail/root/august/bubble_wrap.jpg

No 7 powder what is

No 7 is a brand made and carried by Boots stores in the UK but you can get it in the States now at some Targets.

I just use covergirl powder. It's always worked well for me.

i wld be more sad if i was still in student poverty zone
it's like it was teaching me some kind of lesson but at the same time telling me that money is meant for burning
xpost
to self

I have started wearing blush and it is actually decent and it soaks up my mad oil.

that REALLY sucks rrrobyn, about the pieces. HATE THAT.

okay, best barely-there cheap blush: CoverGirl Natural Glow.

i must have said that before cuz i'm obsessed with this product.

blush - something i prob need sometimes but makes skin unhappy

best blush is when you go for run/fast-walk/ski on a cold day
that is the only colour blush i'd wear
really the only kind of lip colour too
why because it look pretty

It are pretty.

I'm lazy and tend to use my lipstain/gloss/etc as blush, unless the color is, like, RED red and totally unsuitable. Prefer creme blush to powder anyway.

I like the Revlon 'natural mineral whatevs' blush they have.

Makes me feel semi-Gatsby thing.

the funny part of the compact destruction debacle is that it's been like 2 wks and i still haven't made it to the dept store and so i'm still pressing cotton makeup pads (b/c i can't use the germ-harbouring pad that comes with it) into the remains

(ok i just finished a rush of stuff at work and so am releasing on this thread sorry)

I love blush. My latest favorite is MAC Pinch O' Peach which isn't actually peach at all but a lovely pink. You would think that with all I've posted to this thread I wear tons of makeup but I don't, I promise. It's just one of those really girly things I love and covet.

ya i've done that before rrrob, just use the pieces for like WEEKS. it's awful. finally recently got a new powder.

ooo...i have a MAC blush I adore. I think it was from the barbie range.

Anyway, there is one beauty product that i use every day and would choose over all else: Red Earth's "Secret Potion":

http://www.redearth.com/redearth/catalogue/product/SCP.jpg

applied in a crescent moon shape from brow to your cheekbone. it makes your skin look all dewey and shiny and sexy and virginal all at once. like a '70s goddess all Xanaduesque. Also, ive found it really hard to find highlighters or "illuminators" that dont involve glitter or a metallic look. This seems like the only one but I could be wrong. Would recommend A+++++. ps: I havent tried the gold.

My sister bought everything in the Barbie range, and two of the MAC barbies: one to keep mint in mint box and one to "play with." : ( She just turned 21.

i like your sister

i really liked face stockholm powders, they had a color that matched me perfectly (january i think?). i haven't worn powder or foundation for years though, i've made peace with my blotchiness.

I like my sister too, she is at cosmetology school working toward her ultimate life goal of MAC makeup counter employee.

ooooooh sunny! that sounds perfectg!!!!!!!!!! i love things like that

it's not too heavy? how much

see i fuckin wish i could have that life goal

my parents would kill me

xxpok now i really like her.

xxxp: i just wear concealer and the secret potion most days. lazy.

SS - ooohhhhh - nice! I may have to check that out. The Barbie collection had some great blushes but I didn't end up buying any. The holiday collection stuff is up on the website. Have you seen it? I may get one of the eye compacts but that's about it I think.

She plans to make $$$ on the side by doing brazilians. (She didn't really appreciate the MP3 of Genesis' 1985 instrumental "The Brazilian," however.)

xps: its not heavy at all. VERY light. I bought it at ULTA.com for $27 but it last forever. Like a year or more if you use it every day.

ENBB i havent seen it yet! ill check it out. yay!

!
that doing brazilians is a sideline business is i don't know kind of amazing me

am into checking out this secret potion

All she would talk about for like 3 weeks is how easy it is to bruise the anogenital region.

http://www.ulta.com/control/product?FT22=2122233&product_id=VP11126&add_product_id=NULL&add_category_id=&variant_id=2122233&add_amount=&quantity=1

i use the white one for the xanadu look

i also need eyeshadows maybe
am obv leaning towards clinique for that b/c of sensitivities but mac is tempting

i think there are red earth stores in teh mall?

i told my mom i wanted to be a hairdresser and she freaked out and said: "you are too smart for that, amanda. PLUS YOU WENT TO COLLEGE!!!!!!"

:( it really is what i want to be when i grow up.

dang sunny i need to check that out.

i know, i really do wish i could just sell makeup sometimes. i could TOTALLY convince you.

can Indian girls wear blush?

a whole new product to blow money on would be exciting...

my amazing hairdressing has a philosophy degree!
and she has totally philosophized hairdressing as a career
she makes people happy and she is skilled and fabulous and it's not like one has to give up all other identities

xpost

indian girls can totally wear blush - i have seen it in real life on real indian friends and even went to prescriptives counter with friend and they set her up

awesome!

Foundation is something that i have yet to understand. There was an article in Elle or Vogue, where the writer finally started wearing foundation in her mid 30s? and she was astonished by how awake she looked.

I totally have forgotten about pressed compact powder. I think for the last 5 years or so, whenever I feel like my face is dirty or oily I just wash it in a restroom sink at work.

I want to wear more eyeshadow but I feel like it makes my face look huge.

I thought about being a hairdresser at one time, but I hate making small talk with people.

I used to wear foundation when I was much younger and now I have an aversion to it. it didn't really make me look awake. judging by pictures from that era it made me look orange.

Carey, you could be the brooding cranky hairdresser who wouldn't bother me with chatty shit without making me feel badly behaved and awkward that I didn't want to socialize/answer questions.

Laurel's right; I hate feeling like I have to talk to my hairdresser.

"Sit the hell down. You want it shorter? Good, because I can't make it longer. I'll let you know when to look."

That is why it is best getting your hair cut by people who don't speak english but then you have to make huge thumbs up/please razor my hair motions.

ha! I am having a very vivid mental image of please razor my hair motions

i never let myself feel like i HAVE to, but often i LOVE to. rrrob that's cool -- there really is a philosophy! my aunt is a cosmetician/former retail girl, and she could sell you aNYTHING. she's like famous in the family for it.

um, yea foundation is weird to me. it clogs all your pores and you still havn't put on powder or blush! it seems like an unnecessary complexion killer

LOVE to talk to my hairdresser, that is.

it's nice to half mumble half chats while you get your head all spiffed up :-)

you guys should all come to mtl and get yr hair cut with my hairdresser/friend in her loft space beauty salon of awesome (book ahead!)

she understands perfectly both yr hair and yr need to talk/not talk

that sounds niiiice. god i could go for a nice pamper morning now ;)

For me, pampering means not having to make nice to strangers.

:D

i don't really get foundation either, but bought some wet n' wild tinted moisturizer on a whim (and because it's $2.99, of course) and it actually looks good. just enough coverage for me to look more polished, not too matte but not greasy at all, plus it's SPF15. my bargain-basement powder of choice is NYC translucent pressed powder. i discovered it when i realized that the expensive clinique powder i was buying actually looked kind of crappy on me so i went to makeupalley and this one gets great reviews especially considering it costs $2.49.

i've never liked chatting to hair stylists but the girl that's been cutting my hair in chicago is both sarcastic and nice enough that i seem to enjoy having conversations with her. weird.

tinted moisturizer is cool

OK so here are preliminary results from the Benefit Bad Gal vs. L'oreal Black Carbon Voluminous mascaras:

On the left eye: BAD GAL
pros: goes on easily and unclumpily, nice dark dramatic rich coverage, no flakes
cons: spendy; sometimes my moisturizer or sunscreen or whatever seems to melt it down all smudgy under my eyes (note: this effect may actually look good on some ppl; I am not one of them)

On the right eye: BC Voluminous
pros: cheap, not clumpy at all
cons: weak sauce color compared to Bad Gal

Both seem to have survived a rainy walk to work fairly well, with just a wee bit of smudgy apparent only upon close examination. Final test will be how well they come off with my usual Kiehl's cleanser.

Oh and I also bought some Nars Dolce Vita lippy! It looks like nothing at all, only better.

seriously people who are saying they dont get foundation - HATES YOU. i absolutely NEED it or else I look BIZARRE.

same goes for blush.
wish I had some facial features.. my face is just so blah without makeup I could probably pass for a dude.

Dueds Mandee, my sis-in-law is a hairdresser and she makes like $50k a year! In Idaho! (It is an Aveda concept salon tho.)

Drop $$$ on the Aveda hair school and you are SO in that career track.

gah! this thread makes me so happy, but yet so sad because i'm on self-imposed cosmetic lockdown. i've got hundreds of dollars worth of nars/mac eyeshadow gathering dust, basically, because i usually just wear eyeliner. and even though i wear eyeliner pretty much daily, i've still got too many! and i have 3 blushes at the moment (a brick red nars one, a baby pink dior powder puff thing, and an almost neon pink from bobbi brown), but now i want to buy more. my mindless consumer lust has been ignited.

Gah, I have a whole lunchbox full of eyeshadows & lipsticks I use very seldom.

i rationalize this by saying that i don't have a mortgage or anyone to support aside from myself, but that's not the point.

All right, dudes, I bought Maybelline Lash Stylist on my way home (I saw the Voluminous but my second-to-last experimental masc was a L'Oreal and I was feeling skittish). This stuff has a one-sided COMB in place of a round brush. It may be the stupidest idea since putting booties on household pets, but we're going to find out. TOGETHER.

Also, to Lauren: Apparently I didn't buy those divine frames at FF's because I knew I was going to remember that I needed $30 worth of mascara, contact sl'n, and household supplies from Kmart.