2008 Rolling Beauty/Fashion Thread

i was thinking abt 2008 thread but then there was so much info on other one, but yeah i guess it's 2008...

1. i'm not great with foundation issues. my standards are the clinique almost makeup, which i have mentioned before, and not exactly inexpensive dior something or other lighter coverage stuff. i think there was talk on the other thread abt mineral makeup foundation, which still intrigues me. and after looking at the dermablend site b/c mandee mentioned the concealer, i'm all like whoa. but mostly i don't like the look of foundation that looks like foundation, at least on me. i feel like a doll or soemthing.

2. i have found these. possibly they're nylons but they're higher thread count (denier?) so they look like tights. really good for spring & fall!

i wld also like to reiterate that my life-with-pro-hairdryer is better and more fulfilling than my previous existence

it was probably time for a revive. the rolling 2007 thread was getting incredibly long.

last weekend, i got the prescriptives custom-blended foundation that i mentioned on the previous thread. i'm really happy with it. it was a splurge ($60), but relatively speaking it's a good deal - the bottle is larger than average, it's quite concentrated, and you get a travel-sized bottle of your formula as well.

which hairdryer did you get, rrrobyn? i'm still lusting after the solano but that's so not gonna happen.

Pro-hairdryer sounds like a worthy investment.

mineral makeup foundation

This was horrible on my skin. Which was a shame as I really wanted it to work and it felt good for the first hour or so I wore it. Many swear by it though so it's worth a try.

Yes I'm looking for a higher denier (believe that's right) and opaqueness. Thigh-highs that are stocking-like run too easily and are too sheer.

Lauren, how heavy is the Prescriptives coverage? I don't mind pricey if it works well.

rrrobyn post hair pics! i wanna see the fancy dryer results.

also i've been really happy with the results of washing my hair only once a week. the bangs and scalp more often cos they get greasy, but rest of it looks much better if i just leave it alone or only use conditioner.

Okay, a quick google revealed some thigh-high tights at at "StockinGirl". My thoughts and questions fly in and out of head and I don't research them well.

These are $30 a pair though. I suppose I could order one pair to see how I like them. But I would really want multiple colors and that seems high.

I don't know much about foundation but I know a bit about stockings. I do love thigh-highs but only with a garter situation...the self-stay-ups do not work for me. Wide variety of stockings and securement methods available at www.stockingirl.com. Some heavier tights and costume-y styles and very tall knit socks avail also at www.sock-dreams.com.

I will say that they're not cheaper than tights or full-body hoisery of the same type...b/c the thigh-high market is kind of a specialty one and the prices reflect that a bit.

i need to get a fragrance. i realized on valentine's day that i don't that my 5 year old bottle of tentation by paloma picasso had leaked out into my cabinet and was now empty. i so rarely wear anything, but i was v. sad.

i got this baby
http://www.folica.com/images/products/11484-001300_l.jpg
it's not cheap but if you have a discount/warehouse-style beauty supply place around, it can be had for like $90 (mine was slightly more expensive b/c eff going to the suburbs for a hairdryer)
i will post pics at some point!

bonita, you can choose the level of coverage: sheer, medium, or full. i got the medium, and i definitely would not want it any heavier.

and count me as another mineral makeup hater. i think this stuff either really works for you, or it really doesn't. it looked and felt so gross on my skin.

After about an hour my skin began to itch horribly. Also the little shiny flecks made my mild acne look hideous.

we hardly ever talk about perfume on the beauty thread. there are only two beauty products i'd say I cannot live without: 1) blush and 2) perfume. LOVE 'EM. I am the kind of girl who has like 10+ fragrances and I'm always rotating between favorites. Right now I am hooked on:

1- Chergui, by Serge Lutens
2- Courtesan, by Worth
3- Perfect Night by Bella Belissima
4- Musc de Java by Le Nereides
5- Premier Figuier by L'Artisan

The first three are really trampy so I feel a bit silly wearing them at work. The last two are really subtle chypres that tend to evaporate after about 2 hours which is a shame, because they are really nice while they last.

I wear Narciso Rodriguez "Her" but used a sample of a D&G on this weekend while away that was really nice too. I might have to check it out next time in the market for a new bottle.

My two can't live withouts are mascara and blush.

i love nars for her. don't have any currently, though. the 3 that i rotate between are bulgari red tea, slatkin's fig and absinthe, and hypnotic poison. i'd like to get mur et musc by l'artisan, but not until i run out of something.

um, i tried using cold cream this morning and it was SO GROSS!! i like couldn't get it off my face??

I've been using Usher for Women a lot but also like Coco Mademoiselle.

I truly don't know anything about fragrance. I might smell ridiculous for all I know.

Can't live without: powder and mascara

there are only two beauty products i'd say I cannot live without: 1) blush and 2) perfume

haha these are two things i never use!
but i want perfume. but i am super picky and find most perfumes weird (i mean not nec on other people but for/on me.)
things i wld like to smell like maybe:
- early summer when it is slightly breezy and wildflowers are everywhere but their scent is not overpowering, at a lake in the middle of nowhere
- spices like ginger and cloves but not in a deep, drowning, red/black way

right now i smell mostly like aveda b/c of my hair
i also smell like 'unscented'
which i think i've talked abt somewhere else - i wld like to smell like the ideal 'unscented' smell - like how spa brand bottled water tastes like the most satisfying kind of nothing, which is exactly what i think water should taste like

Surmounter, try using a toner after you've wiped off the cold cream.

last weekend, i got the prescriptives custom-blended foundation that i mentioned on the previous thread. i'm really happy with it. it was a splurge ($60), but relatively speaking it's a good deal - the bottle is larger than average, it's quite concentrated, and you get a travel-sized bottle of your formula as well.

-- lauren, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 16:22 (40 minutes ago) Link

oh wow, it's gotten pricier since that time i bought some...four years ago! it lasted forever, if that helps! if i ever start wearing foundation again i'll totally get it.

mineral makeup makes my skin look dry and old which is quite a feat because my skin is oily. i do not approve.

cold cream is oil-based, and unless you have extremely dry skin, it's best used as a makeup remover followed by a cleanser.

xpost

You're right Lauren, it's "For Her" not just "Her". I also have Marc Jacobs but don't wear that nearly as much.

perfume-wise i wear Hermes Un Jardin en Mediterranee. it's supposed to be unisex, but it smells like figs to me, which seems kind of girly? i love it, but it was so expensive that mostly i feel like i'm spraying dollas on my wrists.

OK - I can get away with using just concealer but would like recommendations for a good one.

I have a stick on by Maybelline that is actually pretty good although I do have to do touch ups throughout the day which is kind of annoying. What has good staying power?

Also, for undereyes - I'm using Clinique "All About Eyes" which has good coverage but is drying which isn't exactly a good quality in an undereye concealer. Recommendations? I need something to detract from fairly dark circles and shadows caused by deep set eyes.

stick "one" not "on". I'm not sure what a "stick on" concealer would be.

Also, here's a product rave: Urban Decay Primer Potion. It's an eyeshadow base. If I use this at 6:30 am my eyeshadow is still perfect when I go to bed. Seriously. It's magic.

ENBB, I use Dior Skinflash.

I'm just starting to dabble in fragrances, really -- starting around last year. That might seem like a long time but it takes forever to use things up, and then considering that some are seasonal...even longer.

I like several of the Annick Goutal scents, partic "Ce Soir au Jamais." It seems young and simple at first but in fact is neither...it's my personal joke, really, on days that I'm dressed a little too femininely/conservatively.

i switched from dior skinflash to make up forever's lift concealer (http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P12661&categoryId=C13402) because the latter is about half the price, and i'm very satisfied so far.

xpost

ooh and forever has darker shades, too!

it was the dermablend concealer that mandee was recommending (even if you don't have skin issues that dermablend primarily markets to) - i think she said it was fine for undereyes?

annick goutal's mandragore is wonderful, despite the ugly name. eau de hadrien is really nice as well.

Also I bought a tiny bottle of Ysatis by Givenchy just to test it out, and I LOVE IT. It's v heady and lasts forever on me, I can still smell it at the end of the day.

i've heard good things about benefit's concealers, and want to check them out. has anyone tried them?

I've used Dermablend to cover tatoos before and it seemed pretty heavy. The coverage is fantastic though. Hmmmmmm. Maybe I should try it again. That said, the MUFE stuff looke promising too.

what i miss about skinflash is that it's the most blendable thing ever. i've never found another concealer/highlighter with such a great texture. mufe is very good stuff, though.

xpost - bell, i used benefit's boi-ing for a while and liked the coverage, but it suddenly dried up on me with a ton of product left.

dior skinflash is great, but not a lot of coverage at all (which i like, and use a lot, but sometimes i want something a little heavier)

Re the skinflash, does anyone have reservations about not being able to clean the applicator brush? Considering that I'd mostly be using it to dab onto blemishes, I'd like to make sure it gets disinfected routinely.

But maybe I'm being crazy.

it doesn't do much for blemishes, at least on me...

Hmmm so skinflash is for blemishes too? I mostly think of those types of concealers of undereyes and the stick ones for other face stuff.

well it's a "highlighter" and not a cover-up so it's not really great for blemishes. but ive used it elsewhere on my face.

skinflash is more of a highlighter. it's not going to give the kind of coverage that you'd want for blemishes.

xpost

ooh highlighter sounds interesting to me

i've stuck with prespcriptives concealer in a squeeze tube thing for about whoa 10 years - expensive but last forever - i don't really use it under my eyes though. i kinda don't use anything under my eyes. which is why i like the sound of highlighter pen thing

and re: that, yeah i don't like directly applying makeup from tube or whatever directly to my face - bacterias!

i know i've been told to use a toner after cold cream but at the same time, i'd rather just wash my face with something less like butter and not have to use anything after.

lauren, can you get the Prescriptives custom with SPF? Because I need it. I have been using Lancome Teint Parfait or something like that because of the excellent coverage and SPF but the shades are not really right for me and it smells like grandmother.

In summer sometimes I just go with Dr. Houshka tinted moisturizer.

The Bulgari tea line is so great. I have the rose one, but I think I picked it on looks (pink . . . ~pretty) rather because it suits my body chemistry. Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline is my safety play.

Iused to be a major Annick Goutal girl, particularly Ce Soir Ou Jamais! Gotta love a perfume that gives you an ultimatum. You should be dancing! You must have been the Dance Commander!

When I am not being a dirt bag I try to wear mascara (Maybelline Lash Discovery for my short Asian lashes) and lip gloss (Nars Hustler/Orgasm duo). The whole Nars Orgasm line is rowr.

robyn, I just sampled l'artisan's "tea for two" and its VERY clovey - also tried Sugar Lychee by Fresh and was pleasantly surprised (I guess with "Sugar" in the name I expected it to be overly sweet).

If you're at all curious start with an eau de toilette as they are typically cheaper and lighter fragrance than an eau de parfum.

ive been meaning to try annick goutal! I think I'll order a sample right now.

Re Concealer: Dermablend is pretty heavy, but I apply it with a light hand and it looks fantastic! Everyone always compliments me on my skin, too, so it must look at least convincingly natural.

f, it doesn't have an spf. i asked the guy about it, and he said that for spf protection i should buy their new spf 40 product. i didn't, because it's $27 for .5 oz. i just got a tube of neutrogena's age shield spf 70 , which seems to be treating me right. i can also recommend their spf 55 dry touch for use on the face under makeup without oiliness or irritation.

sadly mexoryl, the new(ish) wonder sunscreen ingredient, activates my rosacea something fierce.

have y'all seen this video of brenda dickson (jill from young & the restless circa early 80's) giving fashion and makeup advice? classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5cS07X06VY

hot stuff!!!

i like it when she says:

I like to use a blush... a powder blush.. and I make sure to powder really, really good

i think i still have the same bottle of annick goutal petite cherie I bought with Felicity like 2 years ago. I just can't wear perfume very often because I start to feel claustrophobic with heavy scents. I am almost out and will probably get the same scent though. And maybe try to find something else light.

i don't know if trying to do eyelash extensions myself is a bad idea or not.

I've thought of having mine dyed, actually, because my lashes and brows are actually LIGHTER than my head hair. WHYYYYY?? I am a bloodless colorless zombie.

due to 7 years of smoking i dont have much of a sense of smell. so i fear i smell super perfumey to other people.

OH WELL

I'd really like to get something from l'artisan parfumeur but it's so expensive.. right now all I have is Lanvin Oxygene but don't really wear that.. and will probably get Bulgari Green Tea, I love it

foundation haven't a clue what would stop my skin from breaking out sometimes though taht might be due to drinking a lot of coffee lately. I do use YSL touche eclat pretty often

I used to so love Victoria's Secret Rapture in small doses in high school. my boyfriend when I was 15 used to tell me I smelled like candy.

can we talk about body moisturizer? i know everyone loves the kiehls stuff but it's so expensive.

I'm actually really happy with the various Aveeno kinds, actually. Very very happy. The plain green one is basically completely unscented, and somehow they still feel moist on my skin 16 hours later.

yeah that is the kind Fr. was recommended by his dermatologist for his eczema.

the khiels ultra-moisturizer for my face is the only face moisturizer that I have been happy with.

the regular aveeno is like the hands-down dermatologist favorite if you have any skin sensitivities. i don't like the texture, though. two under $10 body moisturizers that i like: st ives mineral therapy and jergens shea butter.

i think i have the st ives mineral therapy one - it is good - tho i am kind of too lazy to body moisturize regularly. which i feel wld be solved if i bought aveda body moisturizer, haha

here is my head with the new semi-severe bangs and pro-blow-dryer blowdryed & ceramic-brushed hair! which i did in like less than 10 min this morning!
(i am at work and have a cold - pale illness skin is prob a good reason to invest in blush?)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2345/2279487285_b2c969e1b4.jpg

i love the bangs!

gorgeous hair and everything else!

ROBYN. Oh my word, your hair looks GREAT. How are you a blow-drying pro and you've been playing low-maintenance all this time?!

i love the little curls at the bottom, while the top is so sleek. what other hair stuff are you using?

i'm glad everyone likes the bangs! i'm getting used to them.
and haha you know this now means i need to bring this hair dryer with me if i ever go on vacation now, right?? eegh. but i'll admit i didn't really realize how long my hair was and that i yknow needed to take care of it one of these days.

only product in my hair right now is aveda defrizzing stuff (it's in a light blue bottle, can't remember exact name.) shampooing with some gentle mop (modern organics) shampoo that smells like actual pears + aveda sap moss shampoo, and conditioning with aveda scalp treatment stuff that you are actually supposed to massage in! which i like
hair!

i am still in love with devacurl low-poo, btw.

ugh, okay.

so i had a pimple. on my upper lip. and it was ugly, you know, so i had to take care of it, which i like NEVER like to do because it leaves marks or whatever.

well it left this little mark! on my upper lip! it better go away because that is such a pain

this is serious.

Scars are a sad fact of life.

Has any else been reading Jezebel's sephora spy posts?

link

I am stuck using free sample Clinique blush before I get to use Allure beauty pageant contest winner product sample taste test lab coat Nars Orgasm blush.

My favourite perfumes are Van Cleef, Mitsouko and Eau Dynamisante. I'd love to stick with those three, but I seem to spend my life using up perfumes other people have given me. Currently I'm working my way through a bottle of 5th Avenue my grandmother gave me for Christmas. Even though I don't really like it, I can't bring myself to throw it away so I save it for work days.

Oh, the exception to the gift rule is the humungous bottle of Chanel No 5 which my boyf gave me for Christmas - I like that a lot.

l'oréal factory workers went on strike earlier this week, by the way -- the company has responded with some half-stepping -

http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/news/ng.asp?n=83435-l-oreal-cosmetics

Madchen, i do the same thing with honking perfumes that others buy for me, my current work perfume is hugo boss deep red which my brother got me for Christmas, it's not too bad but i'm a Guerlain girl at heart - shalimar, mitsouko, le heure bleu and vol de nuit.

My rosecea is flaring up right now, skin's very inflamed and flaky, Scottish winter is to blame...

Fragrance: Delices de Cartier, after quitting my Chanel No 5 addiction. I purchase all my perfume once a year at the Nordstrom Fragrance Festival. Might as well get a catered lunch out of it, too.

Skincare: Chanel Precision line.

Cosmetics: Chanel mostly, but I found some mineral makeup at Costco, of all places, that actually matches my skin tone, which is a first. (I'm too fair to be medium, and too dark to be fair.)

Infomercials: I'm obsessed with the Bare Minerals one. That CEO has the buggiest eyes I've ever seen, and I can't look away.

I want to try LiftFusion Eye Lift, because time seems to marching all over my eyes. I'm starting to see crepe-ing on the eyelids and nothing has worked, so far, for the undereye circles. Anyone tried this?

Rrobyn: I can't believe you achieved that without a flat-iron, and in 10 minutes! It looks gorgeous.

rrrobyn your hair is amazing!!!!!! i want this blow dryer!

reading that jezebel stuff is making me wish we had ulta. there's one in my parents' town and the hair products are many and affordable. i think there's one on long island? sigh.

Thanks, lauren. I will try the Prescriptives/Neutrogena SPF combo. I'm glad it doesn't irritate. All SPFs make me tear up.

That Brenda Dickson video is the bomb.

I will be making a make-up run this weekend (either Ulta or Sephora) and must form a list. So much better than working.

Needed:

-eyeshadow base
-a heavier tinted moisturizer or new foundation

Wanted:
-That Stila convertible lip/cheek compact
-some fragrance. But I have commitment issues here.

i think there's one on long island?

Yep, probably more than one but there is def one in my parents' town. It's pretty good but probably not worth 1 hr 15 min. on LIRR. ;-)

eyeshadow base - I mentioned upthread but seriously - Urban Decay Potion Primer. It's amazing.

can someone explain to me what a primer does?

UDPP is for eyeshadow. You know how if you wear eyeshadow sometimes it creases or fades etc.? Put this stuff on first and it stays put all day long. Seriously. I get ready between 6:30-7:00 am and get home from class around 10. If I use this and put eye stuff on, it's still perfect when I wash my face before bed.

I guess face primers (like that smashbox stuff) serve a similar purpose for foundation? I'm not sure though because I don't use it.

my sample of annick goutal mandradore just came in! DELIGHTFUL!

My shadow never lasts. I love Urban Decay so will definitely check that out.

I haven't used a face primer although it's on my radar. It's used to even out skin, fill in large pores and other irregularities.

Is there a good online source for fragrance samples?

Filling in pores is a side benefit, I think? I think make-up primer is much like house paint primer: it keeps the surface color from sinking into the substrate, which in this case is your oily skin. After make-up is applied the skin oils start going to work on it, soaking up the pigment and making it lose color. So people with dry/fine skin might not notice a big difference w primer but oily skin, yes.

Of course my preferred solution would be to wash face after lunch and reapply the whole thing anyway, but I never actually do.

But then my skin is so oily in the office, I'm not sure what wd happen to the PRIMER (ie who would the watchers?): by 3pm it's going to be floating on a layer of oil anyway, a very thin, a very unstable tectonic plate, and liable to avalanche right off.

what is it about the lighting in offices that makes me look HORRIFIC no matter what?? at my house I can look totally great and then the minute I step into this fluorescent lighted nightmare my hair looks grab and I look washed out and greasy. IT SUCKS.

Fortunately, we keep our overhead, fluorescents off. We all have lamps at our desks.

I've been thinking I need to bring in a lighted mirror for make-up application while at desk. Necessary, yet seems a bit much.

office lights, dressing room lights, subway lights. i feel hideous in all of these lights. i have just kind of come to accept that i will look awful at work and don't even bother with makeup.

My skin is so much nicer when I don't work in an office. Cold, chapping wind; burning, UV-laden sunbeams; salt water as drying as a very drying thing: my skin was made for these survival conditions.

this thread is KIND OF making me feel like i should wear makeup more. but my skin gets so greasy that makeup would make it worse in the long run. i'd rather look halfway terrible all the time than have so many zits i fear to leave the house without coverage.

My skin is so much nicer when I don't work in an office. Cold, chapping wind; burning, UV-laden sunbeams; salt water as drying as a very drying thing: my skin was made for these survival conditions.

-- Laurel, Tuesday, February 26, 2008 3:05 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

I look so much better when I'm biking all day and swimming/surfing/boating in salty water and not showering.

Not to mention I have way more fun.

Hmmmm . . . taking thread in opposite direction but any recommendations for dry skin? I've yet to find a day cream that I really like. The closest I've found is some oil of olay crap but even with that my face feels dry and tight after sitting in my overly hot office all day long. :-(

Salt does wonders for me.

i have simultaneously greasy skin and very dry skin lately. its so dumb. my chin is FLAKING like ive been making out hard core. SADLY, no making out.

UR DOING IT RONG

my fave thing for my flaky dry skin is doing a papaya enzyme mask--i use the alba botanica one but the more expensive zia one is supposed to be amazing. it's goopy and i put it on a little while before showering, then scrub my face with my hands in the shower and voila less peely skin. because it's a pain in the ass to rinse off, i wouldn't use it any other time than before a shower, though. i like it--it tingles and my face ends up really soft.

manual exfoliators of all kinds suck and sometimes really irritate my skin while leaving it flaky. fuck that.

i still say lush dream cream is the best body lotion for flaky dry skin. i've given it up because it's too expensive and now it's a bitch finding something else that suffices for my nightmare dry skin. i am still on a quest for decent face lotion for dry skin. i'm using beauty without cruelty stuff right now and i might end up buying it again--it's far from perfect, but better than other stuff i've tried in the past few years.

has anyone had that skin discoloration that girlz get from pregnancy or birth control pills (or fuxored hormones like i have) where there's darkened skin around the mouth? how well would concealer work on that? i barely wear any makeup usually, and would it look funny just to use concealer? i've never used concealer at all before, but my skin discoloration is really bugging me.

I'll second Urban Decay Primer Potion, that shit is magic.

Waaay upthread there were questions aboug boi-ing: it has a good consistency for an under-eye concealer, but it only comes in three shades, none of which actually match my skin on their own. :/

I don't know if this would work for everyone, but I feel like drinking at least 4-5 pints of water a day keeps me from feeling dry in the winter.

I just bought some clinique eyeliner gel from sephora and it is so hard to get it to take to my skin. I don't know if I am doing it wrong but I end up having to go over it with my old method of eyeliner (wet eyeshadow) in order to make it show up. Maybe I should take it back but I have never done that before. I also almost bought the fabled black honey lipstick but the next day after trying it on one side of my lips were puffed up so I guess I am allergic to that too.

I want to try that enzyme mask, I've been using scrubby exfoliating things for years but I'm peeling now and having to dab off the flakes with tape in the mornings. So annoying.

has anyone had that skin discoloration that girlz get from pregnancy or birth control pills (or fuxored hormones like i have) where there's darkened skin around the mouth?

Yes, I have that! It never occurred to me it was from hormones.

I usually lightly brush some foundation over my tinted moisturizer there. It helps a bit I suppose.

I am doing a ghetto C-Town facial (St. Ives Apricot Scrub/St. Ives Hydroxy Masque) right now. The guy from the bike store on Hope was the one who recommended it. Great skin; he knows what he's doing.

when i get really oily, it's usually because my skin is dehydrated. i'm much less greasy since i stopped using moisturizers for combination or oily skin.

xpost - st ives apricot is too coarse-grained for me. even the sensitive version leaves me all itchy and red.

I always use st ives apricot scrub at night just because I never use my makeup remover. i scrub the shit out of my eyes which is why my eyes will probably look crazy bad in a couple more years.

I worry about that, Lauren. Maybe I'm over-stimulating my skin myself? Peroxide is the only thing that stops the break-outs, though.

Not loving the Dr Hauschka Normalizing Day Oil, v greasy.

Would you mind sending it over here. I am desperate for moisturizer and my busy posting schedule does not permit me time for Sephora.

I think I got a defective bottle, it leaks out from the pump and leaves ring-around-the-makeup-shelf.

So basically it's really annoying all-around. And it cost too much to be annoying.

Their pumps always break, I find.

Peeling off the ghetto masque now. I love this part.

I also avoid the apricot scrub for what Lauren described. I exfoliate every other day with a washcloth and Cetaphil.

For managing break-outs I put Neutrogena 2% benzoyl peroxide cream on my problem areas each day. It's not that drying and enough to keep things in check.

laurel, if you did get it at sephora, shouldn't you be able to return it? at least that's what i've been led to believe...

carey, clinique will totally take back stuff - esp if you say it just didn't work on your skin and esp if you say it caused irritation of some sort - tho they'll prob try to get you to exchange it for something else. also haha you should be all 'i don't use eye makeup remover - should i?' and they will give you samples. well, they should.

i still haven't found a nice, pore-clearing, flakiness-destroying mask for my skin - french clay seems fine every once in a while though. scrubby things = redness. gonna look for papaya enzyme stuff!

I mail-ordered it from Amazon -- they might take it back, but I'm too disorganized to navigate the site/returns red tape right now.

The masque got in my eyebrows and now it is a quasi depilatory.

Has anyone been to the APC outlet yet?

I miss 'Burg. :(

laurel, if you can get a refund for the hauschka stuff then check out boscia for your next purchase. they have a breakout-clearing kit, in travel-sized bottles, which is a cheaper way to try out the brand.

for breakouts i use an antibiotic foam stuff that is prescribed by my doctor. i can't remember what it's called, it works realllly well though. and one bottle has lasted me over a year.

does apc have women's stuff?

oh the foam stuff is called evoclin. it's great.

Yes. They have very cute and stylish women's stuff.

Most department stores, Sephora and drugstores take makeup returns. My co-worker used to return blush. Concept.

oh, i actually bought it from sephora but I am so weird about taking things back. I should and just get another brand of gel eyeliner but maybe all gel eyeliners are not for me.

Be more Asian and return it. You know you want to.

You pay so much bcz they have a built-in "what if someone returns this" pirce thing.

When I get seriously bad flaking or chapping, I use some magic hand cream (Working Hands) on my face. It's mostly glycerin, and stings a little bit if I'm chapped. But I can put a tiny bit on at night (have to keep away from eyes, makes them puffy) and rinse in the morning and no more flakes. It's too heavy-feeling to use all the time, but good for emergencies.

has anyone ever returned anything to sephora ever before? I wonder if I still need the packaging.

i have, and they're quite liberal about it, but i've had the packaging if nothing else.

I have returned stuff to them before but I think I've had the box. But I have been told they are pretty good at accepting returns, unless it's something that's obviously been used for a while.

wow, a skincare line with an unconditional guarantee? i'm totally trying the working hands cream.

for the papaya exfoliating stuff, i've gotten it at vitacost or vitanet, where it's discounted to about $8 (reg price $12 or so i think?). i'm on my third jar...when i use it several times a week i can REALLY tell a difference in my skin--i still have flakies some, but not nearly as severely. the zia stuff is more like $20 i think, even when discounted. but my friend who has lizardskin like mine swears by it.

those discount websites i mentioned are cheeeesy badly-designed websites, but they have great discounts. i buy a lot of natural skincare and supplements, so for me they're worth dealing with--never had any customer service probs, so their suckiness seems completely limited to the websites.

has anyone had that skin discoloration that girlz get from pregnancy or birth control pills (or fuxored hormones like i have) where there's darkened skin around the mouth?

Yes, I have that! It never occurred to me it was from hormones.

so glad someone else has it. i kinda feel like a freak sometimes.

my hormonal probs came on very suddenly and the first time i saw my mom after she was like "my GOD what happened to your face!". she said it looked like someone had punched me in the mouth. thanks, mom. ever since i've been extremely self-conscious about it, of course. the only ppl who seem to notice, though, are extremely-detail-oriented female healthcare workers (like my mom) or endocrinologists.

still, someday i will figure out how to use concealer.

Sephora is totally cool about returns; I ordered some eyeshadow from their website once and it came all busted and they let me take it back to the store and exchange it no problem. I've heard they take stuff back if it just didn't work well for you too.

I'm not sure if this has been covered earlier, but what does foundation do? I usually just use Neutrogena moisturizer with SPF + powder. How do you get the right foundation so that your face doesn't appear a different color than your neck?

Experiment until you find the right color. (Best to check the color underneath your jaw in natural light.)

Foundation evens out your skin's tone and texture. If this isn't something you think you need, then don't worry about using it! I didn't for years and years but then age cruelly caught up with me.

what is a normal age to start getting fine lines? and does anything actually help prevent/decrease them? i feel so stupid using stuff to "prevent" lines when, how can i even know if this tiny 30 jar is doing anything?

check it out, only $119.00!!

http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Drugstore/178740?wid=250&hei=250&op_sharpen=1

http://tinyurl.com/2wdmld

taking stuff back to sephora = so easy. i got smashbox cream eyeliner instead.

http://www.lyricsdir.com/lucinda-williams-lines-around-your-eyes-lyrics.html

does anything actually help prevent/decrease them?

Prevention:

Moisturize. Even if you feel like you don't need it.
Sunblock.
No smoking.
Sunglasses outside so you don't squint.

gravity reversal
masslessness
soft-focus filter

ha. i squint all the time. my eyes hate the light. maybe this is way the lines are starting to show up.

ooh that reminds me i need to buy new sunglasses.
i always break them!

x-post

I am also a squinter, mostly because I just don't see well. And I'm also big with the worry lines.

What are some good online clothes shopping places? I know yoox.com and I just ordered these shoes from endless.com:

http://bp1.blogger.com/_TPayjnibEQc/R2Ezcza3QGI/AAAAAAAACIE/sWBiJpigtnk/s1600-h/shoes_iaec1057308.jpg

yes products can prevent fine lines and it's recommended to start using them in your mid 20's! best prevention after I did a lot of research last year: retinols (preferably prescription strength), vitamin C serum (be careful to start slow on this, though, as it really dries out your skin), 30+ SPF on your face everyday, no smoking, drink a lot of water.

my reccos:
- Retinol: Green Cream (start lowest percentage)
- Vitamin C: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic serum (this is pretty pricey, might want to start with like La Roche Posay Active C)
- Sunscreen: Shiseido SPF 50 Face Cream

i'm not exactly budget-minded, but even so i can't get my head around spending so much for skinceuticals.

also, the shiseido sunscreen really dries me out. boo.

i've started using avene's eluage cream at night, which is a retinol/hylauronic acid formula for sensitive skin. so far, so good.

I need a good eye cream. I never feel like they do anything for me except give me eyeboogers overnight. Maybe i am putting it too close to my eye.

i have been using mario badescu cellufirm drops with their hylauronic eye cream on top of it. it feels nice, but i don't see any difference.

i think i'm just being conned.

I just smooth normal moisturizer around my eyes. Maybe this is not enough. Current levels of lines don't worry me too much. I'm 36 though, and not sure if they start appearing more and more rapidly as you approach 40.

i'm 28 and it's pissing me off!

where does drug store vs. name brand come into the whole skin care thing? is it the same as makeup ("it's all the same bla bla") or are more expensive skincare products really worth it? i am not feeling like any eye creams are doing it for me lately. should i spend $$ on a fancy one?

actually everything is feeling really harsh to me lately too (the neutrogena scrub i can understand bc it is a scrub, but even aveeno "skin brightening" wash seems to be leaving my face screaming for moisture). maybe it is just winter?

the avene stuff lauren mentioned is available at duane reade, but i don't think it's cheap! drug store eye cream is usually pretty expensive, actually. the badescu ones are all $18 which is not a bad deal at all for the quantity you get.

the cellufirm drops were about $25, and im not convinced they do anything.

the ingredients are: Collagen, Seamollient, Retinyl Palmitate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Dermonectin, Bladderwrack Extract, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Flagrinol, RNA, Herbal Extract.

what?

hmm i think normal drugstore ones are like $12-20 anyway, so maybe I will try the badescu if you think it is good...

is $119 "tummy firming gel" completely old news or something?

i like their hylauronic eye cream. though i think it can be a little greasy for some people. i think they still have the thing for new customers where you can fill out a survey online about your skin and get a bunch of samples, which i would recommend!

xpost to tza

http://www.mariobadescu.com/questionnaire.aspx

^here

and if tummy firming gel worked, im sure we would have heard about it. crap like that has been around forever, in the same category as creams you put on your boobs to make them grow.

oh man, they jsut gave me products to buy and said nothing about samples and now they have all my info!

on the other hand, i want all this products.

oh no :( maybe they stopped doing that? if you do go to the badescu store you can get lots of samples. the people there are really nice.

yay! i love samples!

you can get avene/vichy/la roche posay at certain cvs stores and the old eckerd (now a rite aid) on manhattan ave in greenpoint, and also at various online stores. prices range from $10 - $40

tracer, $119 tummy firming gel isn't that shocking. skinceuticals serums are around $120 for a small bottle, and la mer facial moisturizer is like double that for a smallish pot. last time i was at the shiseido counter, the associate showed me their $250 anti-aging cream (which apparently sells very well).

i think i saw vichy in the duane reade @ union square. they have a whole fancy island of face products set up now.

oh, i didn't realize. i tend to avoid d.r. if i can help it.

i ran into an old friend last weekend and she was raving about some lady (an ALCHEMIST) in denver who makes FACE POTIONS out of her house - i have an appt for this weekend! my friend's skin looked AMAZING so I'm totes excited (she even went as far to say that the potions changed her life... wowzers).

Ok, I think I asked this on the old thread but am not sure . . .
Are you guys at all concerned with all the chemicals in creams and make-up etc.? While the FDA has the juristiction to monitor cosmetics it pretty much doesn't which is why things like Parabens and Phthalates are in nearly all beauty products in the U.S. but yet banned from all products in the EU.
Obviously, a one time application of a cream isn't dangerous - it's the cumulative effect of the daily application of hundreds of different chemicals that has a lot of scientists/activists/the EU concerned.
What do you all think? Sorry if I sound paranoid but this has come up a lot in the classes I'm taking at the minute and it's pretty alarming that cosmectics here really aren't regulated at all.

i worry about it, though i keep buying stuff.

Yeah, me too. :-( I'm trying to be more conscious of what is in the products I use but it's tough. I tried to buy paraben free hand cream recently and it was near impossible at a regular drug store. I wish there was a good natural company that wasn't horribly expensive. I'm searching but haven't found one yet. I'd love to hear any recommendations if anyone else has found one.

i wonder what the deal is with all of my avene/vichy stuff... those brands are produced in the eu for us distribution.

I kind of use things sparingly, because of that reason. I think using a lot of products is as bad as environmentals damaging your skin. Like I see millionaires on tv who obviously can spend shitloads on products and they still have normal skin problems. Even if I don't follow it totally, I do believe in sleep, diet, genes, and minimal sun exposure.

I really wish rubbing my eyes didn't feel so good.

burt's bees is carried by a lot of drugstores now, and i don't think any of their stuff has parabens. i have their honey and grapeseed oil hand creme now, but i also like the almond creme which is a little heavier.

i want potions

If you ever want to freak yoursef out you can search to find out what's in stuff here. I've been using some olay crap lately that I actually like and just saw that it's rated as a "high hazard" product. YAY!

http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/product.php?prod_id=97792

i wonder what the deal is with all of my avene/vichy stuff... those brands are produced in the eu for us distribution.

If they're produced in the EU then they probably have to follow the EU cosmetics directive. What's really creepy is that a lot of companies who sell to both markets produce stuff here with the banned crap and produce it seperately in the EU without.

i go off and on about the chemicals thing.. it seems pretty easy to switch to natural body care/face care products that are made without synthetic ingredients and are paraben-free but it seems virtually impossible for makeup (or at least, for GOOD make up).

What's really creepy is that a lot of companies who sell to both markets produce stuff here with the banned crap and produce it seperately in the EU without.

that's what i was afraid of!

back to makeup world: i need to buy new foundation this weekend... it's such a hard choice!!

hmm, looks like the avene sends stuff with banned crap in it here. my night cream is apparently a cancer risk!

I guess this just means we'll have to go to Europe more often to engage in body care product spending spreess. I mean, it's in our best interest really. ;-)

damn, my dad was just in paris and asked me what i wanted and i couldn't think of anything! should have told him to get me lots of beauty products!

that would have been fun for him.

I read in article about all those potion makers who make their own skin products with just the active ingrediants and none of the bad stuff that is just used to make it smell nice or to have a longer shelf life. I guess you can order kits on the internet and there are loads of people obsessed with finding the right combinations. La Mer was all down on these people.

most definitely!
xpost

i read an article about that too, yerac. i don't know if it was an industry plant, but it made the whole thing sound really dodgy and the dermatologists they interviewed advised against it.

I bought my mom like $300 worth of SKII like 2 years ago for xmas and Saks still calls me to ask how it is. I used some samples of it but didn't really feel one way or another about it. It kind of smelled like booze.

doesn't it have something to do with sake?

yeah, because i guess they found out that the dudes that made sake had hands like an 8 year old girl because of their contact with it.

Too bad it doesn't give you the liver of an 8-yr-old girl. That might actually be useful.

It's probably more useful still in the girl, on second thought.

taking stuff back to sephora = so easy. i got smashbox cream eyeliner instead.

-- Yerac, Friday, February 29, 2008 10:43 AM (Friday, February 29, 2008 10:43 AM)

I would like to hear about how well that stuff works.

I've never used the smashbox cream liner but I have the MAC cream one and the HIP one and their staying power is great but I do find them a little tricky to apply. Maybe I just need practice.

ooh mario badescu emailed me and would like to send samples! so the key is: fill out the thing, don't order the products they suggest, and two days later get the sample offer.

for anyone with a walgreens near them-- they have a garnier SPF 28 lotion that is pretty nice, normally about $15 and free after rebate.

the smashbox liner went on really nicely, but 2 hours later it's kind of wearing off. Maybe it's my skin or maybe I didn't dry my skin completely before putting it on. I bought a pointed eyeliner brush but am still using my slanted eyeshadow brush which is tons easier to apply eyeliner with.

Smashbox eyeliner makes tons more sense if you splash out on the brush. It's kind of square shaped and you kind of press it onto your eyelid rather than pulling it like you would with normal eyeliner brush. I don't think I've explained that very well. It's sort of like walking it across. Anyway, there is A Knack, definitely.

i find most cream liners get really flaky.

i went to sephora today and got a korres wild rose sampler - $27 for 5 travel sized items that i can't wait to try out: mask, eye cream, cleanser, moisturizer, and "brightening serum"

actually the tube of eye cream is not much smaller than normal ones (.34 oz rather than .5) so the kit seems to be a nice value!

i asked a chick for a foundation sample and she was like 'sure hold on a min' and i was like 'yes!' and then she never came back and i got frustrated and picked up some other foundation that, if i don't like, i will just return since they were too busy to sample me.

i hope the badescu samples come soon! i'm glad i wasn't sending you off on a wild goosechase. they really do send you good samples and care about matching your skin to what fits. i love them and have been sucked into their delightful skincare vortex. the stuff just smells so nice and makes my skin fell so soft. <3 <3 mario <3

i am due for a facial at some point too, if anyone wants to go with me...
they kind of frighten me

oooh i've never had one! maybe i go!

Yeah we were talking about that recently, I could use a facial w extractions. Let's set a date.

i'd love to as well, but extractions are a HUGE NO for me.

Tell me about the extractions aversion. I've never had them.

I also made a trip to Sephora recently and found a nice foundation, Lorac. It was already on my short list after some research. When I described what I was looking for and the girl took me straight to it, I was pleased. It's "build-able" so that means one layer provides the right amount of coverage for me. I wish I had gotten the cover-up though. Oh well, guess I'll just have to go back.

guys, apparently theres an invite only site that has couture sample sales called gilt.com. I dont know how great it is but theyre giving out free invites today at gilt.com/theview

they say the sales are all like 50-70% off.

i sound like spam.

if i didn't have a skin issue (rosacea), i wouldn't care about extractions. however, since i developed one they've moved from the merely uncomfortable to something i have to avoid unless i want damage. i'd probably get broken capillaries.

xpost

can someone explain extractions to me, pls?

it's exactly what it sounds like...they squeeze the stuff out all of your pores.

it's kind of painful.

I think it's also the biggest reason not to get a facial the day of or day before anything important: residual redness. Give a day for it to go down.

i don't really know if there is a point, my pores just clog back up again in 24 hours :(

I know it seems like it, but I can think of at least one v pretty person I met some years ago whose pores seemed so full they were sort of...ROUNDED OVER. I was sitting there dying for her to get a facial or let me do them myself. I would like to never be that girl.

one place i went used an electric current to zap problem areas instead of an extraction tool. that was... interesting.

hm...did it work?

probably not. and it was extremely freaky.

it sounds painful!

it actually hurt less than manual extraction, but the wand made a loud buzzing noise and emitted a visible blue current. i had to shut my eyes, because my first instinct was to run screaming from the chair.

was this at a medispa kind of place? if i had endless supplies of money, i'd definitely try out some laser treatments. but that electric currant device sounds frightening.

electric currant! ha. current.

There's a band name for you.

oooh i like that

The Electric Currants.

UM HI this img represents AN ELECTRIC JOLT OF BLACK CURRANT:

http://www.gngnb.com/Images/BD-AglianicoLabel.jpg

Done and...DONE.

now i want an electric currant botanical facial

it was as a regular salon-spa place, albeit a well-regarded one. stuff like that makes me wonder if there should be more oversight/regulation. the whole "cosemceutical" thing makes me a bit nervous.

oh, to whoever was asking about dry skin stuff (enbb?): i got a bunch of samples of la roche posay's nutritic cream (5% version for extra dry skin) over the weekend and have been using it with really good results. it's heavy, but it feels nice on and seems to have calmed down my skin (which was really dehydrated and tight due to a combination of prescription rosacea stuff and a mostly oil-free moisturizer). i've been wearing it over avene's soothing serum and have been skipping the foundation. i'm afraid this stuff would be too much under makeup.

guys i think i had my first omg a wrinkle moment yesterday night

it is next to my left eye

most eye creams make my eyes puff up and turn red but i know this was talked abt on 2007 rolling beauty thread - maybe avene or la roche posay?
nothing will stop time tho
yet
except maybe LASER CURRANTS

at least it is a laugh-related 'fine line' i think

are extractions = squeezing really hard until stuff comes out?

Yes. But in a special way that's supposedly less damaging than anything you can do yourself (because they're specially trained, you see) and specially directed NOT to push the uh "stuff" further down, ie they squeeze IN and UP.

Or UNDER and UP. Or however you want to think about it.

they steam your face and then put kleenex around their fingers and then squeeze with expertise squeezing technique. i hear that some places have a pore-squeezing device machine.
i had it done once and it made my face red. my pores are not up for the challenge. that story about the 'rounded pores' tho, yeah, there is a candidate, i mean, at least for steaming and some kind of exfoliation.

xpostes

what i really want for beauty purposes is a sauna of my own

i just want my skin to be refreshed and glowing or something. this extraction business sounds scary.

For me it's necessary -- normally I use a mask or a strip or do my own but I HAVE to do it every so often.

I can think of at least one v pretty person I met some years ago whose pores seemed so full they were sort of...ROUNDED OVER.

*shudder*

skin is some crazy stuff

if i did a phd it wld be abt skin
and lasers
and laser robots

rrrob please invent tiny robots with laser guns that will go in and vacuum my pores out

ooh there is a new sephora spy up and it is all about acne!

Do they want mine?

when I was a teenager, I think I used a bobby pin for extractions. the tip is nicely rounded.

I bought the most amazing bag at Ross yesterday. It's a shiny black-patent medium shoulder bag with chain links connecting the handles. Sounds pretty basic (and honestly I don't need anymore black bags) but the shininess and hardware make it so hot.

I will be in love with it at least until this weekend when I buy the mock-croc bag I saw at Target which looks like those enormous Birkin bags.

i wish target was more convenient for me.

Target is a lovely, lovely place. Treat it like Ikea or something and make one big trip every month or two.

got the primer potion that enbb recommended upthread, by the way. it really works!

ok someone give me some haircut recommendations. i like it long, but i just don't have the time to dry it in the morning and make it not look puffy. i've been trying to grow it out most of the year but i think i need to chop it off for the spring rainy season.

or maybe i just need to get rrrobyn's magical hairdryer...
i dont know. my hair either looks puffy or frizzy or stringy every day.

try the deva curl low-poo. it does wonders for puffiness.

what does not do wonders for puffiness is the new john frieda volume reducing serum that i recently bought (it was on sale). i can't believe that at this point i haven't learned my lesson with jf products - basically, none of them work.

i actually haven't been washing my hair AT ALL. well, once a week. i will look into the devacurl!

Maybe you could try a texturizing balm. Their make your hair more "piece-y", less puffy but not flat. Frederic Fekkai lightweight texturizing balm was really good. Also "Slept in" texture creme by ShortSexyHair. There's another one too but you can look for anything called "lightweight teturizing" gel-looking things.

lauren, I am still going to try the custom blend. My goodness, LA dries out your skin.

maybe you should try the la roche posay nutritic cream.

bell, deva curl is great because you can wash more often to get rid of dirt/product buildup, but it doesn't strip your hair (which leads to puffiness).

hahaha target just opened across from work. gonna be dangerous for the wallet.

i might try the devacurl, but it looks like it is about $30, while not washing my hair is free! but i need to try something different obviously. still, i kind of want a shorter haircut.

i seem to wash my hair either every other day or every third day. i'm going to start jogging when all the freakin snow melts, so this might have to change or maybe just more straight-up hair rinsing. which i guess means more hair drying... and even with the radass hairdryer it's still a thing to do. gonna see how long this long hairs lasts once the summer heat hits.

where does one by deva curl? do you have to go to a salon? i may have to call them and ask the canadian question

i want texturizing balm now!
you guys are gonna make me into a product diva with all this new info

I have some Redken mousse for lift at the roots that I haven't used yet because I haven't blow-dried my hair in like a month. I am LOVING dry shampoo, though -- rubbing it into the roots actually lasts for 2 or 3 days and adds a ton of volume.

the devacurl low-poo is $14 at the place by my house and about the same at ricky's (maybe a bit more).

oh, i think you were looking at the 32oz mega-bottle price. for me, that would be about a year's supply.

ok that's much more reasonable! not much more than the redken stuff that i don't really like.

I must find the bumble and bumble colored dry shampoo. I haven't seen it anywhere.

Lately I've been washing every 5 days or so just b/c I don't have the time. The blow drying, rolling, straightening afterwards is just to much. But it's looking skanky today. In need of a wash, far too much product buildup etc.

That UD primer potion. . .I like the feel of it definitely but wish it didn't have a wand applicator. I end up dotting some on and then use my fingers.

I'm sure I've said elsewhere but I'm just using cornstarch. I have medium-brownish hair but even still, I do have to rub it in pretty well to keep it from looking powdered...but the effects are great. And cheap. And totally additive-free.

I use regular baby powder in a pinch (usually before bed when I know I won't have time to wash in the a.m.) but I have dark, dark brown hair and something colored would be ideal.

i got my sister the bumble and bumble powder once when she was going on an outward bound trip, and she wasn't very impressed. i've never tried it myself though.

hmm i have tons of cornstarch in the cabinet but hair too dark for it i think. i have always wanted to dry one of those powdery shampoo things. i always end up washing every day bc when i sleep, my hair ends up a ridiculous mess or gets greasy (probably a result of product used to tame hair that might be frizzed from washing every day... it's a vicious cycle).

i liked it quite a bit. as i've probably said too many times, the kind that's available now is a complete reformulation. they got a lot of complaints about the packaging being too difficult to use, too concentrated, etc.

at any rate, it wouldn't be of much use to me now. i used it way back when i had very long hair and would only wash it 2 days out of 7 (note: i still bathed daily).

I wouldn't recommend things that call themselves "dry shampoo" and are liquid or gel. I've used those and my hair just became a greasy, stringy base.

I have shoulder-length hair and prefer to wash it only every five days or so. After being washed it takes a couple of days for it to look good again. But I also use a metric ton of product so come day four I'm reaching for a headband or doing a lot of back combing.

base=mess. Must remember to not talk to people while I type.

i've tried a few "style refresher" sprays - jonathan and an herbal essences one - and they seem to just make your hair kinda filmy.

The great thing about the corn starch is that it not only de-greases my hair when I apply it and then brush it through, but the amount that stays on the scalp and roots keeps absorbing over the next couple of days, so it doesn't get any noticeably oilier. I haven't longevity-tested this to see how long it works, I think the longest I've gone is three days of cornstarch after 2-3 days of normal hair. So...5-6 days w/o washing? Might be a little excessive but it sure backcombs AWESOMELY when it's been starched.

but it sure backcombs AWESOMELY when it's been starched.

I will definitely try corn starch then.

But I stand with 5-6 days not washing not being excessive at all.

wait why are you guys backcombing your hair?
are you secret country music stars?

winter seems to be working hard at destroying any beauty that i might have
i feel like i really should've said screw it and worn a giant scarf around my whole face on all the bitterly cold windy days

More Ronnie Spector for me. Well only the weekends. During the week just a little more volume at the crown.

The first 2 or 3 days after washing, some mousse, round comb, hot dryer, hair spray, will do okay. After that I need a bit of tease. And it looks better too.

For more body, esp in up-dos! I'm not v good at it, but then my fine-ish hair usually slides right out of tangles and won't stay ratted. Cornstarch is the only way.

Rrrrrobyn, a good steam over hot water and a tiny drop of lavender oil will clear your winter dryness right up. Did you find/try Julia's papaya stuff yet?

Have to rep for baking soda - I rinse every day in the shower, but only shampoo once a week (or less). When it starts looking greasy, sprinkle a little baking soda at the roots, then rinse out in the shower. The alkalinity of the soda saponifies some of the oils, feels slippery on rinsing so helps detangle, tames static due to + ion activity, and absorbs odors. You don't want to use it as a leave-in dry shampoo though, I think the lower alkalinity would be irritating eventually.

i have to get my hair wet and blowdry every morning, but i just haven't been washing it. my hair gets crazy looking when i sleep! maybe i should be sleeping in a hat or something, because drying it is so time consuming (and probably damaging my hair a lot).

See, Jaq, I don't want to have to wet it. :) Cornstarch saves my style.

i usually sleep with a ponytail/pigtails or suffer the tangled consequences

i haven't had a chance to go find papaya stuff yet!
steaming is bad for the rosacea :( as is icey water/wind. yet a moderate sauna seems to work really well! i don't know why that's different but i guess b/c it's less about steam, more about a dryer (but not super dry) heat. so really what i need is a sauna of my own.

ooh if you have a backyard you should build a finnish-style sauna. walking through the cold to the warm sauna is the best feeling, next to outdoor hot tubs in the winter.

Gotcha Laurel! I still wonder how a darkish spice powder like ground cinnamon would be as a dry shampoo, though probably way too much oil in them. Cocoa powder maybe, it's defatted.

Oh hmmmm. No steam. Maybe a cool compress then? With like cucumber and yoghrt and maybe honey? First a good peel-off mask that will take like 3434639^9344390 dead skin cells with it, and then slather on the yogurt gel and watch some home organization shows while it sinks in.

Clearly I'm describing my perfect Sunday in here somewhere.

i do not have a backyard :/
i'm srsly building a sauna when i do though, no matter how ramshackle

xpost
my skins hates pretty much everything, and i've tried all these seemingly nice homemade masks and non-homemade masks that are good for other people and they do nothing for me. but that is okay! the truth is that my skin is telling me a number of important things about my life and i am not listening to it. my skin, too serious and profound sometimes.

my skin just wants me to be happy

My skin wants me to die.

ahaha! nooo!

i never understood why the fuck amz was powdering her head last summer. thanks ilx.

:D No, srsly, you'd think I would have learned that skin cannot be willed into submission but I keep smoking and...and...ummmmm...yep, that's about the unhealthiest thing I do.

does this work even if you have very fine, very thin hair?

I really would love to not wash my hair but after one day it gets so greasy and clumpy, parts of my scalp seem to show through and my hair retains smells so much. I have been having good luck with just washing it every other day and then just rubbing conditioner in and rinsing between days. I would love to have body in my hair. If I don't sleep on it wet, it just comes out looking so lifeless.

this smashbox cream eyeliner does not last at all, i really need to figure out a way for it to hold. I brushed eyeshadow powder over it but then that flew off and i got to work and realized I looked like a chimney sweeper.

rrobyn, the papaya mask might be too much if you have rosacea. it's tingly, and seems to bother ppl with especially sensitive skin. i just got a new container of it and could send you a tiny sample if you wanted to try it...

i keep looking at eyeshadows and eyeliners and whatever on ebay and then not really wearing any makeup but lipstick, ever. a friend taught me how to put false eyelashes on, but the glue makes my eyes itch. maybe i'll stick to obsessing about skincare. and contemplating that eyelash dye stuff...did anyone try that?

ok because "fashion" is in this thread title...let's talk about spring shopping (on a budget, for me anyways).

i have been hitting UES consignment stores and having little luck. i have found 1 skirt, which is tweed and wintery. i can't believe how much they charge for pit-stained prada D: banana republic has some cute dresses but i want to wait for a sale. i got a great black dress from century 21 (uknit? i didn't try it on there but it fits perfectly) and a couple things from h&m today...

my friend told me about a place near grand central you can get cheap designer stuff if you can manage crowds/midtown. i will ask the name tomorrow.

i can't really handle crowds. i can handle century 21 about once a year and never really find much. i like the one in bay ridge much better.

also i have a weird complex of only being able to buy clothes that are on sale. i blame growing up in an outlet town.

I can't pay full price either. I only shop in the Garment District. Has anyone been to the APC outlet?

Sally's Beauty Supply is so cheap.

I'm doing a Clairol Professional Radiance Color Infuser + Clairol Professional Radiance Colorgloss translucent deposit-only color (50% Dark Natural Brown 2N, 50% Clear Shine) = ~$10 home single-process dye job. Also a 32 oz. bottle of TRESemmé conditioner (as seen on Bravo Television's Project Runway) for $3.79.

lauren, thank you for the Neutrogena SPF recommendation. I couldn't find SPF 70 but the Neutrogena SPF 45 and tinted SPF 30 seem like a good start. << may be a good foundation substitute. A partly used Maxim card is on the way (when I locate it).

Rolling ILX 2008 beauty PSA, direct from sunny Los Angeles, California:

PLEASE REMEMBER TO USE SUNSCREEN ON YOUR NECK

:)

felicity, how is that tinted SPF30? is it really thick/dark or is it a universal color?

i was under the impression that the APC outlet only had men's stuff, which i since found out was wrong. i need to check it out sometime! also where in the garment district do you shop? i'm not at all familiar with that part of town.

i've had tremendous luck in the past at both the woodbury commons outlets and the riverhead ones (specifically the barney's outlet) but they are so damn far. century 21 is hit or miss, but always good for socks and tiny bras.

i can't deal with century 21. to me, both locations are as bad as the other. i'd be up for an outlet mall trip sometime.

bay ridge is pretty horrendous for clothes but i find their shoe selection to be much better and less picked over.

and i would love to make an excuse to go to woodbury commons again. but i think i would spend too much money. actually, i know i would. maybe when we finally get those $600 tax refunds!

i didn't even realize there was an outlet mall in riverhead. prisons, yes, but i had no idea about good discount shopping.

omg outlet trip = WANT

i need new clothing and shoes soooo badly right now. even though i can't really afford it, i have to buy some stuff soon.

felicity, how is that tinted SPF30? is it really thick/dark or is it a universal color?

teeny, the Neutrogena tinted SPF 30 is really lightly tinted. This is a grrrrreat find as my complexion is k-hard to match. Also addresses the neck/jaw dichotomoy (as queried by Virginia Plain upthread). The coverage is not as good as the Dr. Hauschka's tinted moisterizer but since it is less than 1/4 the price (after Sav-On buy-one-get-a-product-of equal-or-lesser-value-free) I say it is a "do."

I still covet Neutrogena SPF 70. I am terrified of the sun here so wear my c. '03 trucker hats (if not a hoody) proudly. Current darling: "I <3 M&M's."

where in the garment district do you shop?

bell, in NYC the garment district is in the low West 30s I believe? It is nowhere as good as L.A. but there are occasionally good sample sales. You can find them in Time Out and an email list called "Nysale.com" or similar that I think teeny may have actually told us IIRC.

The Garment District in downtown L.A. is mostly cheap sweatshop crap but there is one incredible store that sells what I assume are samples or overstock from Seven for All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, Rebecca Taylor, James Pearse, Blue Cult, Streets Ahead, G-Star Raw, Dondup. Everything is $19 or $29. If anyone ever comes here I will lead you there.

Thrift: I've had great luck finding cheap unworn last season's Agnes b. at Tokio 7 on E. 7th Street. Agnes b. is pretty much all I wear for work. It wears like iron, and I really beat on it. There is another consignment store on E. 9th or E. 10th whose name I can never remember. Virginia Plain or Yerac will know.

The INAs on Thompson St. in SoHo and Spring Street in NoLiTa have been very good for special occasion wear.

My best recent thrifting has been in-kind trades at Beacon's Closet.

OUTLET BULLETIN STOP PRESS

bell labs OMG, WHEN YOU GO TO VEGAS YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE DESIGNER OUTLET IN PRIMM. http://www.fashionoutletlasvegas.com/

It is like a Woodbury Common with all designer stuff that is always completely deserted. It is located in a town called Primm on the Cali border, about a 45 minute-drive on the California border. They also now run a shuttle from some of the Strip Hotels. (note: closing time is 8 p.m.) It may not look like much from the web site but they have Nieman's Last Call, Miss Sixty and some of the no-name stores sell Fendi and other names.

Now I'm really envious. The Venetian is my favorite hotel in Vegas.

My sister recommended Neutrogena foundation and she is always on the mark in these matters.

tokio 7 used to be my jam in college, but since i can no longer wear a size 0 or 2 i haven't found much lately. those outlets in vegas sound amazing, but i'm not sure if i'll have time. depending on how much work i can blow off!

Felicity... Any good recommendations for men's stuff in downtown LA?

What's the spring fashion forecast? I haven't been inside a store in forever. Seems like the last thing I want to do on my days off is jostle with crowds and search through overpriced clothes.

Watercolor prints.

ET it depends how you like to dress. Santee Alley is the Canal Street of LA. It is knockoff nirvana. The quality is terrible but it's worth a trip for the prime street food if nothing else.

The New Mart downtown has sample sales once a month. I have only been to women's but those were killer.

http://www.newmart.net/samplesales.htm

last week i tried out the nars orgasm blush (which i think someone else mentioned). so pretty! trying to figure out creative ways to use up the blush i have so i can justify getting it. ways that don't make me look like a hooker, that is.

I'd do an outlet trip. With summer coming on, though, I'm about to start feeling really guilty about buying anything I could have made for less...ie tons of sundresses and wrap or A-line skirts. (I skate by my guilt in winter b/c the cold-weather clothes are SO much more construction work).

http://www.expresstrails.com/

my new physical therapist's office is across the street from a sephora, and i am supposed to go twice a week. this is gonna be a disaster, i can tell!

i really do feel like i should be wearing some kind of coverage, but i need something really minimal and not oily. natural-looking is the most important thing. maybe a tinted moisturizer? i don't know...

i just don't know what is causing these bumps around my mouth. they aren't like zits, just small red bumps. i have been fighting them for months. changing my facewash/moisturizer seemed to help for a little bit, but they're back. so i am just at the point of wanting to give up and wear cover-up.

(colette, sorry for calling you teeny!)

bell, go see a derm if your health plan allows it. i was puzzled for months as to why my skin was acting up.

bell, I don't know who all has been involved with convos about sodium lauryl sulfate-free products (I know Jaq and Lauren have but forgot who else), but could the bumps be a reaction to chemicals in yr toothpaste?

My mom once had recurring red itchy bumps all around her mouth for like 18 mos and it took AGES to narrow down that she was having a lot of dental work (braces and stuff) and it was a reaction to the powder on the latex gloves the dentist wore.

yes i know lauren and jaq recommended that toothpaste, which i should give a try. and i could go see a derm, does anyone have one they love? the last woman i saw i picked at random, and i was mildly creeped out about all of the botox ads up all over her office.

i mean, i guess they all do that these days. but do they really have to shove it down your throat like that?

the eye center i go to has botox pamphlets in the waiting room, which surprised me. it's an ues park avenue office, but still.... seemed odd to me.

that is very strange from an eye doctor. the UES is a weird place. it seems like ever other doctor's office i walk by is a cosmetic surgeon.

for a while i had some irritation around my mouth and so i used SLS free AND non-mint toothpaste. it's a bitch to find a toothpaste that isn't mint (or some flavor that's bracing and fresh but bad for irritated skin), but it's possible. tom's has one that's apricot or something, which seems odd, but hey, whatever can help. i used lush vanilla salt toothpaste but they don't seem to make it anymore.

i avoid mint in lip balms too, which is a bit easier to do. i like the burt's bees honey lip balm lately. alba botanica's coconut cream lip balm is wonderful smelling and tasting but a bit waxy, so i just use it before bed.

oh hey re: breakouts around mouth - do you drink out of cans? might be aluminum/nickel/metal reaction?

oh! not regularly but i DID have a can of soda yesterday. interesting!

Holy crap, that would be a new record in sensitivity. And I thought my base metal allergies were annoying!

After all these years I finally figured out how to blow dry hair straight: use the redirector nozzle.

mint and mentholated lip balms are my kryptonite.

i still have never figured out how to blowdry the back of my hair straight!

I always feel like Hermione in Prisoner of Azkaban when she timetravels and is horrified by seeing the back of her hair for the first time.

My arms won't do it. It's some combo of redirector, cool button, mirrors and large round brush.

btw the Kate Nash record is good

large round brush is key
i still haven't delved far enough into blow-drying to figure out exactly when you're supposed to use the cool setting

At the end.

but whyyy

i have also been told to do final rinse in shower with tepid/cool water
this has to do with the all-important hair cuticle, i'm just going to assume

yup. seals the cuticle, supposedly.

lol before i understood/cared remotely abt hairdrying, i pretty much only used my old hair dryer for its cool setting to cool myself off in summertime

all cuticles: sealed

thanks for the review, felicity. i'll see if i can find some in a deal. and thanks for the vegas mall tip-- we're doing a roadtrip right around there in a few weeks, and it could be a fun detour!

i just bought a crazy dress. it's coral and is a 60's maxi dress that's kind of grecian but subtly so. i bought it thinking i can wear it to a summer daytime nontraditional wedding in london, but am i mad?

Are you and toby still in Chicago?

yep, for another 4 months or so, and then on to boston...ah the life of an academic!

i'm into coral. that dress sounds nice for a daytime nontraditional wedding :-)

Cool . . . I'll be in town picking up my dog in April. Windy City beauty FAP?

I like the Grecian goddess dresses, too.

definitely, i would love to have a beauty FAP and hopefully by april it will actually resemble spring...fingers crossed!

Inspired by Laurel's constarch trick, I decided that Mitchum for Her Deoderant Gel Shower Fresh Scent might make a good stand-in for texturing gel in a pinch.

^^^not recommended

My dental hygienist said that Hydrogen Peroxide rinse is not good for teeth whitening because it wears down the gums. According to her, baking soda toothpaste is the best thing.

I caved in and bought some No7 Protect and Perfect serum in spite of the excruciating advert. My goodness, this stuff is good!

Did you get the whole raynge? (wtf @ the end, as if the advert wasn't bad enough)

No, I'm sticking to Liz Earle's Superskin as my main moisturiser.

any opinions on mdskincare? they have an "instant beautification area eyepatch"

arrrrr!!

uh

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa69/djrobotmonster/lores_HamburgerDressfront.jpg

wowww

That is the most horrible dress over. Crochet stitches are crap for garments.

I must say I love love the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Every time I go to the restroom I marvel and coo over my eyelids. Thanks for the recommendation, ILX Beauties.

I've yet to commit to a fragrance yet and this is bothering me. I've been thinking Coco Mademoiselle but want to wear some others around first. Too many fragrances. I think I'm more of a "green" girl. Any fave greens here?

Burger dress = "OMG that is so gross, my waist looks totally TINY today. Quick, hand me that dress that fills it in, I can't go out like this."

The onion slices should have been used to create an empire waist. Perhaps a french fries fringe on the hem as well.

i like "green" fragrances, too. rather obviously, bulgari and elizabeth arden both make good green tea scents. pucci relaunched vivara, which you might like (the bottle is amazing). it's kind of a green-y chypre.

also, eau de sud and eau d'hadrien by annick goutal.

and mandragore!

I am looking for samples now. . .

i need to find a new fragrance, most of mine are on v. low levels. i have been using plum nectar by satu and i like it but it is very strong. might need something a bit lighter, esp if warmer months are coming. i have been eyeing valentino's rock n rose, but i'm worried about grandma comparisons (even though it is not quite rosewater, it still has floral tones).

I want to make another order of Imps' Ears to the Black Phoenix place. Maybe I'll do that today as they take FOREVER to get them out.

I just ordered a half-dozen samples from the The Perfumed Court, including some Lauren suggested. I am looking forward to new fragrance fun.

I've done so little work today it is shameful.

another great one: un jardin sur le nil by hermes. i just spritzed myself at sephora.

Who uses blotting papers? What's your oiliest spot? I know that's kind of gross but I am grossly fascinated by them. I'm always surprised by how oily my cheeks can get during the day. Has to be the makeup.

Second on the Bulgari green thé line.

I use blotters but only because Sephora.com screwed up once and sent me some by mistake. They are actually "green tea" kind, whatever that means. LOL

Still in search of good makeup remover pads/cloths. I don't like most of them which are basically paper towels soaked in soap. Bioré made a good one but they are too $$$$.

It's not my makeup, my face is incredibly oily when I wake up unless I've actually been cold all night. As soon as my body wants to sweat AT ALL, my skin freaks out. I have some "Hollywood" ones that're, like, a very thin absorbent plastic film? I'm sure they're not paper, and they don't leave any powder behind.

i am not crazy about the blotters, though i do have some clean & clear "morning burst" ones that i think may also be green tea! they are those weird plastic ones, though. i like the oldschool kind that were like rice paper or whatever, but never find them anymore.

i am actually not a huge fan of the bulgari green thé.

also sometimes i think i get oilier without makeup on. i don't know how this happens.

Ditto what Tehresa says. I have the Clean & Clear plastic-y ones which I'm not crazy about. I like the powdery-paper ones you can find in Chinatown but I haven't looked for them in awhile.

My skin also seems oilier with makeup. Probably shouldn't wear it but oh well.

i have the clean & clear ones, which work well, but i'm going to switch to boscia's green tea blotting linens when i run out as they're not plastic. the body shop used to sell paper ones (which left powder on your face - ew) and might still, but i haven't been in there in ages.

i have to say, my skin has improved a hundredfold since i stopped wearing foundation every day. just undereye concealer and a bit of blush now, and physician's formula organic powder if shine develops.

oooh my badescu samples came! 8 of them! i've never been so excited about skin care!

Yeah I gave up on base. I am pretty much down to: tinted SPF (Neutrogena) + mascara (Maybelline Lash Discovery) + lip gloss (Nars Orgasm/Hustler duo) + blush (Tarte cheek stain in Flush).

The bits of douchery I maintain are the Chanel brow compact and my hair texturizer.

Samples are so awesome. I always beg for extras at Sephora.

hopefully i can get skin in top shape and move to tinted moisturizer. i don't know how dark neutrogenas tinted moisturizers are, but their foundations are all too dark/yellow for me. any other recs? i am mostly worried that pores are too big and that my super long days will leave me looking like a hot mess with only a tinted moisturizer, though.

i am totally living on samples right now. still haven't decided on a foundation, so i'm really glad that laura mercier i got was a sample and not a full bottle bc it is WAY too heavy/matte/full coverage. my friend, who always looks amazing, recommends the laura mercier tinted moisturizer. anyone else used it? hmm what to sample next?!

Can I sample someone else's skin, pls?

Buffalo Bill to thread.

Maybe a facial? I always heard there were some good deals in Burg, never got to try.

The Neutrogena foundation may not be representative. Their tinted SPF is really, really, really light. Dr. Hauschka's is more saturated, but the shade is only plausible if you (a) live in a sunny climate or (b) don't mind looking like you just came back from beach vacation.

ever since i read this thread i look at my pores and worry , "do they look 'rounded' and 'full'"?

i don't think so, but WHO KNOWS?!?! my nose and forehead have looked better, really. i pretty much give up on makeup once warm weather comes, but i am about to get a haircut. that's beauty related, right?

tips/ideas/photos for
flat
straight
thin
brown hair?

currently: mid-neck length shapeless bob

ps hi, name is amanda, regular on chicago thread, all around reasonable person. hi.

Hi amanda. I like lauren's (relatively new) do. Do you have a before pic or approximation?

the best tinted moisturizer i've ever come across is from tesco's skin wisdom line. the beauty balm (clarins beauty flash balm at about 1/6 of the price) was great, too. i REALLY miss that stuff.

i don't think my pores are rounded or full, more like weird caverns on my face (i feel like they've gotten larger in the past year or so).

oh yah i mentioned this to laurel but i also need a haircut desperately and can't figure out what to do. thinking of revisiting the "fringe" bang but it's sooo trendy... and i've just gotten the bangs kind of grown out... i kind of want a change, even though my (as laurel called it) "aeon flux" cut generally works very well. must do something in the next week or so, though...

hi amanda :)
what is your face shape? can you pull off a short do? flat/fine hair is easier to make more voluminous if short, iirc.

this is several months ago...it looks exactly the same right now, only longer and shittier
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2143176399_d665ec6e25.jpg

that is also my face

oh man you should totally put that in the animated gifs thread and ZS should make christmas tree and your head switch back and forth!!

haha only if there were flashing words like "eat my shazam" or something

there could be! there could be.

do it do it do it

one moment please...

i wish i had hair recommendations but i always just leave that to the experts with hair vision. i wld say only that your hair should be fun!

this afternoon i bought doc martens for the first time in 8 years! these are not very punk but they're pretty.

here is what they look like:

http://www.dmf-omfus.com/IMG_0642.JPG

more views:

http://www.onlineshoes.com/productpage.asp?gen=w&pcid=105746

those rock!

i wish my hair were fun
mostly it is like a sad little blanket lying on my head

those are cute shoes. i was just noticing that brogues are back. i was never without a pair in high school. or college, really, now that i think about it.

Amanda you hair looks similar in texture/color to dar1a's, and she is always rocking an awesome cut that is kind of an edgy graduated bob-ish sort of thing. Hard to describe, but looks fantastic. Come to DC and we can set you up with her French haircutting dude.

yes, please

but only for a day because i do not want to live there.

photo?

Hi Beauts. I use Prescriptives foundation (Virtual Skin) and I'm a Blue/Red, but I've been using the damn stuff for ten years or more and I now need, much more than I did ten years ago, a shimmery light reflecting foundation kinda deal. Generally foundations look orange on me. Anyone got any recs for a light reflecting foundation for a blue/red person?

^^Ms. Badass

omg those Docs are great.

ljub, what is Blue/Red?

Prescriptives do this system where you get 'diagnosed' as a skin colour type. Are you in the US? There the system seems to be called Colorprint.

Badass? What, this? I tell you, I wore a damn inch of Beauty Flash Balm that day since I worked till two in the damn morning the night before. But I digress.

yes ^^this. <3 those clothes. I have a Badass nameplate necklace myself, will throw up a pic when I get a chance.

My skin is sallow but when I do wear foundation I like Lancôme Color Ideal. If you are lucky enough to match your skin color it wears like velvet and has SPF 15.

i mentioned this way upthread, but if you like prescriptives foundations then give the custom blended stuff a try. i'm pretty satisfied with it (and i'm a fellow blue/red).

Yes I keep meaning to try the custom blend. Guess I can mix in the SPF myself.

I like light, fresh, citrus-y fragrances. Any recs for me? I would smell like grapefruit all day if I could. The last perfume I bought (around 2-3 years ago) was Yuzu Rouge by 06130. Maybe I should shower with Kiehl's grapefruit wash and hope the scent lingers?

you should try guerlain's aqua allegoria pamplemousse. sephora carries it.

^^
cutest name!

I'm going to get it just to have an excuse to say, Oh, I'm wearing Aqua Allegoria Pamplemouse:)

they have one called kiwi tutti, too.

aw man...if I would have seen this thread before I would have totally have thrown "eat my shazam" on it. If only I too could roll with the 2008 beauty/fashion thread...

I'm thinking about trying l'artisan parfumeur poivre piquant, it sounds like I'd like it..
I did buy this fragrance Mintea at Sephora.. it's cool I think.. at first smelled like green tea + celery? I dig it. have a little the vert bulgari sample though, maybe that suits me better.

Q thanks for kind words about my haircut. the current one is a little different than usual for me b/c gets in my eyes a bit on the one side. I liked it when first cut, then every time I wash it I have a bit of a nervous breakdown trying to style it right, then a day or two after it looks good again and I remember I like it? anyway, my hair is nearly totally straight but it's very thick too, don't know if that makes a difference except if I wear it longer it gets too heavy and goes flat..

I don't think we can get Prescriptives custom blend in the UK :-( Tried to check their website on this point but there only seems to be a US site. I'm hoping that maybe some other brands have colours that are 'blue/red friendly' and have the light-reflecting stuff.

hopefully i can get skin in top shape and move to tinted moisturizer.

Yes my skin is my bane. I still don't think I've gotten the coverage right. Currently I'm mixing in tinted moisturizer with Lorac buildable foundation. I really think the latter is too yellow but the Sephora-bot insisted it was the best match for my skin tone. Hmm. Unrelated, do they take returns without the original packaging?

Hair. . .I usually leave this to my stylist. She knows better. Eight months or so ago we cut six inches off. Now I have a shoulder-length cut, short layers on top, long side bangs. I used to part on the side but am trying to train it to only part on the side for a couple of inches and then no part over the crown (this is the part I back comb a touch.)

Things I don't like about my hair: The ends, despite my best efforts, flip up causing my boyfriend to call me "Jackie Onassis"; I saw a news lady on CNN with my hair and I wanted to cry.

I love talking about hair and make-up. What a joyful break from actual work.

If I had a boyfriend who called me Jackie Onassis I would know I was doing something right!! The flip is my ideal hairstyle, actually, but it's too long now. Thinking of chopping it to shoulders again for spring.

<i>the best tinted moisturizer i've ever come across is from tesco's skin wisdom line. the beauty balm (clarins beauty flash balm at about 1/6 of the price) was great, too. i REALLY miss that stuff.</i>

I'll post some to you if you want L.

really? that would be FANTASTIC!

bonita, sephora will take returns. of course, i could have saved so many $$ over the past few years had i known that and that they are supposed to give you samples before 'sephora spy' came out. if your skin is anything like mine, the lorac probably is too yellow. i have never been able to find a good match with their products (also too yellow: stila foundations).

what is tesco? is this a uk thing?

If I had a boyfriend who called me Jackie Onassis I would know I was doing something right!! The flip is my ideal hairstyle, actually, but it's too long now. Thinking of chopping it to shoulders again for spring.

-- Laurel, Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:11 AM (Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:11 AM) Bookmark Link

would you settle for catherine deneuve? i <3 your hair.

yes, tesco is a uk-based evil supermarket monolith. they had a "holisitic" beauty guru do a line for them, which features the aforementioned tinted moisturizer and budget versions of beauty flash balm and eve lom cleansing balm.

Tesco have a supermarket in LA called Fresh & Easy, which sell a lot of Tesco's things. I am going to check it out -- maybe they have skin wisdom.

It is so scary here. THE HANDS. I am going to mix SPF into everything that ever touches my skin.

bonita, sephora will take returns. of course, . . .the lorac probably is too yellow. i have never been able to find a good match with their products (also too yellow: stila foundations).

I just didn't know if I needed the box. (I actually wanted to return this Benetint lipgloss thing but as I'm getting confirmation on Lorac yellow maybe I should return it too.)

Re the hands felicity, my friend just gave me a present of La Source Hand Recovery scrub by Crabtree and Evelyn (don't know if that's in the US or not). It's lovely, very linen-y and very effective.

amanda, i had the same dilemma a few weeks ago and ended up with bangs for the first time in 10 years (i don't think i've seen you since i did it). i was pretty happy, since my hair is so straight and fine and stupid that there aren't a lot of options.

also, we should really really have a beauty FAP when felicity is here, and you should come. i don't know if this would involve shopping or sitting in my living room helping drink booze up before we move and playing with stuff, but either way sounds fun.

Thanks ljub. I wish my friends were that effective. Are they as nuts about SPF over there as we are here?

xpost felicity - No, it's not so spf-focused over here. Is it? Or maybe it is and I'm just not paying attention.

colette! YES!

clarins beauty flash balm

I have this but have never really been certain what to do with it or what it's supposed to do. I really don't see much of anything when I use it. Maybe I'm applying it incorrectly?

The flip is my ideal hairstyle, actually.

Me too!

i keep interpreting beauty flash balm as
beauty flash bomb!
like the makeup gun in that ep of the simpsons
xpost

Clarins beauty flash balm/bomb just kind of tightens your face up. It doesn't make me look 'amazing' from a base of 'decent', but it can arrange 'decent' from a base of 'haggard'.

My boss put a smear of beauty flash under each eye when we were between long-haul flights and the difference was immediately visible. The stuff is incredible! She has quite deep laughter lines too.

I would never call the boss haggard, obv :)

I should have tried it this morning when i woke up approximately 10 mins before I needed to leave the house. It was a dry shampoo and hair in a headband kind of morning.

My boss put a smear of beauty flash under each eye when we were between long-haul flights and the difference was immediately visible. The stuff is incredible! She has quite deep laughter lines too.

Huh! My undereye circles are my biggest beauty pain in the ass. I'm going to try this!

In the UK they are doing little dinky tubes of it at the moment as part of one of those constant gift pack offers, but you have to buy two of their products ('one of which to be skincare'!) to qualify.

i think there's a special version of beauty flash for the under-eye areae.

I tried it because under-eye bags are my problem too, and I had far too long to spend in an airport and succumbed to the duty free. It's not very good. I would stick with the normal one.

good to know!

Today I have a glam sixties' eye to go with my retro head scarf and flippy hair. I love it but worry maybe it's a bit too much eye make-up for work. I probably always wear too much eye make-up.

I'm also wearing my favorite brown, patent leather ankle boots with sweet buckles on the side. I feel fierce which is good because there are unpleasant meetings ahead.

Tell me about your Thursday look.

i look like shiiiiiit.

Doubtful.

Oh goodness I haven't showered and I am going to my physical wearing a Snoopy shirt and NASCAR gear. Why couldn't you have asked this yesterday when I was rocking my new black agnes b. pencil skirt with the white stripe down the side?

Bare legs today for the first time this year!! Skirt and motorcycle boots incl. I did have to shave in the sink, though.

Generously applied corn starch to roots this morning as I am g-r-e-a-s-y, and backcombed hair into a nice high bun with crazy poufy front. It'll do.

face: dark blush, nars "captiva" sheer lipstick (burgundy-ish), heavy black mascara.

other: black longsleeved top, black leggings, grey and black pinstriped sleeveless tunic, black wellington-style rain boots.

I have one empire-waisted sweater tunic with little patch pockets, I like to wear it with a giant cocktail ring on one hand and call myself "Lauren".

haha

ps - bare legs! you're going to catch your death! isn't it only in the low 40s?

I dunno but it seemed warm this morning! I am grrrrr tough on cold.

Laurel you'd fit right in in London

other: James Preserved denim jeans (for women), collarless navy blue linen shirt, dark brown cardigan with oversized buttons and collar, brown leather boots

face: stubble, becoming beard; lotion

actually i don't know if the beard is all that becoming

i saw a guy wearing women's jeans the other day and thought of you. that sounds like an insult, but it's totally not.

haha ok

Beards are over ;-p

mine will be off by the time they start playing baseball, i'm just lazy!

look at least i don't wear my beard with a black engineer's cap and vans

i have some tips for people thinking about buying corduroys:

1) marc jacobs corduroys will fall apart in one year or less

2) AA corduroys are apparently tailored to showcase your, um, package

1)Hair as usual - blond chin length slightly A-line bob with bangs.
2)Face - MAC Patina eyeshadow, MAC Shroom eyeshadow, Bad Gal liner, Eyeko Strawberry fat balm for lips.
3)Boring work outfit that could also double as funeral attire - black pants, black tank top, black cardigan, black flats with buttons on them, and a necklace of graduated bright red plastic beads that are jawbreaker sized at their largest.

Also Laurel - bare legs?! It can't be that much warmer in NY. You must be freezing!

i love patina! i wouldn't normally have gone for something so neutral, but the salesguy insisted that i try it and lo - it was good.

What are good, structured corduroys for men Tracer? My b/f loves them but buys hideous disgusting baggy nasty ones. Where should I send him? US or UK will do, he's in US but will be here in the summer.

xpost - Isn't it great? It's definitely one of my favorite eyeshadows ever. I have green eyes and it suits me really well but I feel like it would look good on just about anyone.

face: undereye concealer, lip gloss
hair: in a greasy three-day-dirty ponytail gettin' ready for HAIRCUT
bod: grey slim-cut levis, vintage blue boucle sweater-jacket with white peter pan collar and round buttons (nicely tailored) and a green t shirt underneath that i think may smell faintly of b.o.

waaaay too cold for bare legs here in chicago, at least for me! then again, i don't go barelegged until the last possible moment.

I think all the agnes b. corduroy is on sale. They make mens.

Are Wayfarers back? Or is it just in L.A.

Well I mean I have harness boots on with socks underneath but they're only to mid-calf. And it's freakin warm here today!

face: roses lip salve, smashbox cream eyeliner, mac whatever calorie mascara
hair: brushed w/ bangs
clothes: black uniqlo cashmere sweater, black girl dickies w/the dickies red label removed, black oxford doc martens

I want bangs.

Is agnes b crazy expensive? or am I confusing it/her with something/someone else?

Felicity, the Wayfarer has been back in London since last summer, easy. Next brand up for a buff and a polish: Ferragamo.

Agnes B is crazy expensive in America. Try APC for similar at a discount.

After sale agnes is 50 to 75 percent off it's about the same as others. They are in London, Chicago, NY, Boston, LA, France and Asia (others?).

here, too, i think. every table of knockoffs on lower 5th had "wayfarers" in multiple colors (i like orange).

xpost

bangs are always so over, but i also have the same haircut i had for the first 15 years of my life. since i have been working in the financial dist. I have all these chichi women asking me where i get my hair cut and I have to tell them "uh, a place called H4ir M3tal."

face: lip smackers barq root beer flavored lip balm (it tastes gooood), smashbox blush, lemon aid under eye concealer, per-fekt skin perfecting gel, rimmel mascara
hair: same ol moppish mess i always have
clothes: red camisole, black hip-length cardigan, dark wash straight legged jeans, grey flats from payless

xpost Yeah. All summer, Ray-Bans were being aggressively pimped to magazines and goodie-bagged all over the place.

Yerac, I feel that - I go to a barbershop to get my hair cut by an ex-catwalk guy (I've sent a few ILXors to him, hi colette) and it's £10 with tip.

Ten pounds - woah. Where does this ex-catwalk guy work, Mr. Toppers?!

i look fucking weird without bangs. i like 'em. oh and i cut my own hair. but thats pretty obvious by looking at me :)

Xpost suzy oh good now I can wear the comedy oversized Wayfarers I got in a gift bag at the Blues Brothers 2000 premiere. My white ones have been on ice since the 80s.

i'm interested in that perfekt stuff, but my skin is so reactive/sensitive now that i'm afraid to try it.

i just bought it a few days ago... i have pretty sensitive skin too so i'll let you know if i get any fucked up reactions.

Ew ew ew ew Mr. Toppers. You'd have to pay me a gazillion pounds to go there. And I'd still say no. The place I go is a proper old-man barbers with tabloids and old Italian cockneys, plus Hairdresser Chris. I have a graduated bob so as a total bonus C. will do a trim on the neck hair between proper cuts for nowt.

Ha! My husband used to work in Centre Point so he was right by the Toppers on T Ct. Rd. and often threatened to get his hair cut there. I have to say that Hairdresser Chris sounds pretty amazing.

Beards are over ;-p

No! I dig a close beard on a man. None of that mountain man stuff Vice hipsters sport though.

Laurel, motorcycle boots sound awesome. I love all boots.

Today:

dress - knee-high boots (not a heel to speak of really. At least 3 inches is my ultimate fave), black and blue print cotton skirt, black cotton sweater, black wooden bead necklace. A little matchy-matchy but I'm feeling Friday-lazy.

make-up - mix of bright lilac and sky-blue Rimmel shadow, pencil liner b/c I was running too late for brush/shadow, usually mascara, lip envy stain with glossy glossy.

I like this run-down of everyone's look; tips and tricks. Hope it doesn't get tiresome.

Oh, re: wayfarers. There was a bit in the recent Glamour (or maybe Allure) about the demise of their trendiness. It was abig with celebs (think Kanye and Solja boy for the bright ones) that apparently is out.

Oh, I forgot my black and blue cocktail ring which I love. But it's too big and is constantly slipping down my finger. So annoying.

today,

face: stila sheer tinted illuminating moisturizer, benefit lemon-aid on eyelids, sephora mono pearl no. 8 eyeshadow (fleshtoned), urban decay liquid liner in oil slick on upper lash line, some random cheapo black kohl eyeliner on lower inner rims, benefit bad gal mascara, benefit boi-ing undereye concealer, urban decay lip gloss in quickie

hair: I got a 60s vidal sassoon-inspired bobthing last time I got my hair cut, but that was two months ago, so now it's more a slightly bob-looking mop with bangs.

clothes: skinny levi's jeans, black t-shirt, blazer

I need new jeans. Thighs wearing out again on both pairs at once. Grrrrr.

I hate buying jeans. I never find any that fit me right.

I usually stick to Levi's or Gap. Maybe that's my problem. Any suggestions for higher-end?

I don't have a full-on apple bottom however it's definitely not a pancake butt. I'm also short which causes issues.

I bought an awesome new bathing suit online, and everything fits except there's not enough coverage in the ah...seat. It's not a weight issue, altho I do need to shape up, it's more of a...I have more ass than this bathing suit does-issue. Unfortunately.

A friend just recommended Adriano Goldschmied jeans for rear coverage, but I see Saks only has six styles and they're all flares, so...perhaps not.

i just rolled out of bed all hungover so all i've got on is sunscreen so i can go walk around the park. i dont look too bad without makeup today either.... weird!

face, hair and clothes are exactly the same as Thurs except on top I am wearing a black Hayden Harnett blouse.

i haven't used this site, but it seems promising for looking for jeans that fit your specific shape:

http://www.zafu.com/

i just gave it a try, and it recommended some really ugly pants that didn't seem to match up with the information i gave. i liked the "high and prominent" option in the describe your butt section, though.

I've seen that site before! It's such a good idea. Unfortunately for me, if you say your thighs are "muscular", they recommend boot-cuts. :)

xp haha yes!

yeah! i like that it distinguishes between high and prominent and full and wide butts. it's an important distinction!

it is!

I wd really really like a site that showed the pair of jeans on a person of the APPROXIMATE figure you've described. They can't have everything, obv, but some categories for basic shape & proportion. Because as long as they show every pair of jeans on the same leggy model, what am I getting out of those pictures?

i am off today so i'm totally bumming still. maybe eventually i'll get it together and go jeans shopping! my favorite pair bit it in like, january, and i've been wearing awful old unstylish ones since then.

that's the standard line, laurel: if you're above a 6-8, then you should wear boot-cut pants/jeans to balance out your oversized body. it's bull pucky.

Oh, I know! But I am not wearin' no boot-cut jeans. Maybe zafu should let you pick your preferred silhouette as part of the sorting process.

this site gave me a random bunch of low waisted things which is total bull!

a boot-cut makes me look worse, actually. it distracts from my lovely high and prominent rear end.

oh you're one of the lucky ones. mine is full and wide.

yeah, t - i tried to enter info that would result in no low-waisted styles and that's basically all i got.

today:

my new docs (LOVE em)
black skirt, bare legs
green "drum fux" shirt bought at liars show
dark green cardigan
hair down - bedhead
no makeup

xpost i'm a big girl and i adore tight jeans - i feel so baggy and unkempt in anything else. i like wearing long/blousy shirts over them because i hate drawing attention to my top half.

Wait is boot-cut awful? I did not know! I cannot/will not do skinny, nor will I do flare, so straight or mildly boot-cut are my only options yes? But straight is so mom-jeansesque?

Don't be silly, JB -- the top half is where the rack is!

i like mildly boot-cut. but i haven't worn jeans in eons.

laurel - that's my point!

perhaps she means midsection, i have the same problem.

it's personal preference. mine is for not-boot-cut. i like certain straight-leg jeans, but you do have to watch it or else it's total mom territory. if you can find a dark rinse with a slim-cut straight leg, then you're in business.

xpost to q

I like tapered jeans, but then my ideal fit is like that ScarJo "runway" shot from a couple of years ago that everyone hates (except not so high-waisted).

perhaps she means midsection, i have the same problem.

midsection too, but i meant boobs. i think they're too big and there's always some creep on the street who feels compelled to comment on them.

I'm off today. have to go pick up some boxes from my office but taking a run to a thrift store first just for fun..

not long ago I bought a brilliant blue cardigan from club monaco w/elbow length sleeve, silver buttons, it's a double breasted cut not one of those 50s style cardigans. been wearing it almost all week. might as well wear it again. also got j brand "love story" jeans (grey) on sale @ barneys coop but don't have the nerve to wear them yet.

I'd really like a nice pair of straight leg dark wash jeans, but not sure where to look. tried j brand immediately felt really really fat in them :(

i'm surprised at how much good stuff i've seen at club monaco and french connection in the past couple of years. they've done a lot of cute mod-y things.

I have come to realize that my preferred style of clothing is very tailored menswearish stuff, which unfortunately is also the stuff that costs more than any other look as best I can tell.

I love menswear style. pinstripes especially.

a dark rinse with a slim-cut straight leg

a+++ where do i find?!?!

french connection I've really liked a lot too, trouble is a lot of empire waist stuff fitted in the shoulders which is absolute worst cut for me.. and their trousers are all too short.. :( I wish they had tall size or something, I have a few great tops from there but most stuff.. proportions are wrong on me

no idea on the jeans? I do like J brand I just had a bug out about not wanting to go up a size & the straight leg I tried were super tight

re menswear style, i really like the look of lindsay lohan's lesbian friend in mean girls when she's gussied up for spring fling.

oh and my thus far report on some of the mario badescu samples:

<3 the hyaluronic eye cream
seaweed cleansing soap is a little weird - hard to rinse off entirely and it leaves little bits of seaweed stuck to your face! toner required! though i like that it's not drying.
seaweed cleansing lotion: good - nothing great or bad, but leaves a nice finish.
azulene calming mask: seemed a bit drying, even though it's not supposed to be

the one dark denim straight leg at levi's, they are always out of in every size and steve shasta cannot hook a sister up with information. Every single dark denim is skinny fit and it is maddening. I had to make do with a bootcut but since it is dark denim it doesn't look so horrible.

I have all this pinstripe suit material in different colors that I want to make something girly with. I am way obsessed with suit material.

Me too! Suits in general, really.

I was really excited when thom browne decided to design a women's line but it is priiicey.

amanda, how did the haircut go?

i can attest to the glory of hairdresser chris. when i hand over $40+ for a basic haircut, i think of him wistfully.

a+++ where do i find?!?!

i wish i knew! i have been have jean issues lately.

i'm getting my hair cut on sunday. time to straighten out the fringe and go totally peggy moffitt, i think.

i need to make a hair appt but i have no clue what to do!!

amanda should get on here and post her haircut pic!

i need my hair cut--my hair gets limp and stringy when it gets beyond a certain length.

Love: Raw or dark indigo denim straight cut always but it is $$$. I tried some APC consigned raw denim at INA which was perfectly nice but I really only like Levi's.

Hate: jeans with the stretch. 90% of women's Levi's seems to have this, to me they are unwearable. I consigned a bunch of Ladies Levi's to Beacon's Closet and they had the green Levi's eco jeans there.

I read somewhere you should always buy jeans as skintight as you can possibly stand in the beginning; they will mold to your body in time.

Today's "look" is Adidas soccer shorts, soccer socks, P.E. class tee and Pumas. Sweat.

i only love jeans with stretch, they feel more comfortable.

My Lee's junior-sized dungarees were perfectly tapered and made of no-stretch, dark-colored, heavy heavy denim. Unfortunately they went out of production and the closest Levi's equiv is lighter weight and slightly stretchy. What's a girl to do?

You rang?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2149/2349782452_d819ce7c51_m.jpg
(not the best image of my visage but it's the best one i have of the hair so far...have not taken any today even though i look less scuzzy today)

cute!!

i wish i could pull something like that off.

me too!

<3 it!

yay for short hair!

thanks! i'm a little nervous about the "omg you cut your hair...(silence)" that will surely ensue when i go back to work (i'm a teacher) but i'll live. i look forward to never using a hairdryer!

And here I was just contemplating using my blow-dryer tonight! For a change! Who am I kidding, I'll probably be running late and just pile it up and stick some pins in it, instead.

PS: Niiiice one, Amanda.

I don't think I've worn light denim since the '80s. NEVERRRR. Yet I do have a pair of mediumish Helmut Lang boot cut jeans that I'm waiting to bust out because the evil jeans overlords might issue one of their occasional decrees. I got some great Levi's Skinny for women in a FL outlet mall, for like $20 and although like Lauren I hate the lycra, here I didn't find it so noticeable. I do not wear jeans that are not Levi's unless there is a very good reason (I don't like deluxe jeans brands that exclusively are about jeans, eg SFAM) but Cheap Monday do great dark washes and are like $65 in America, bit of lycra but nothing to annoy on the scale of other brands. I was totally kvelling about not being able to pick any up due to great Xmas financial nightmare.

My outfit today, howevs:

hair: needs to go see hairdresser Chris, roll on Tuesday (Colette, you may want to consider he's at the barbers one day a week when planning next trip)
face: Kiehl's moisturiser, Kiehl's lip balm #1
clothes: Etnies 'regular sucks' teeshirt in red, Carhartt painter's pants with actual paint on them, argyle Etnies socks.
shoes: beaten-to-shit red Pumas.

I will also be rocking this look tomorrow due to painting my flat.

why does everyone hate lycra in jeans so much? I kind of feel like jeans are too rough without it and that they sometimes chafe or lose shape too quickly.

I'll bite: in bad jeans that wear out, you can see the little rubber strands that make up the 5% Lycra at any pressure point of the jeans, and often it's employed as a way to make cheap fabric look and feel better when after about 10 washes you find the jeans have gone floppy and you have a false economy.

Amen to that.

I find that after a year or so they bag out and look like shit. Apparently your sweat and detergent eat away the lycra so you are left with 95% cotton after a while when you could have had a nicely faded/formed 100%.

There's nothing more depressing than the stacks of Moto jeans in British charity shops where the denim is as thin as an Oxford shirt and the lycra has clearly gone from the arse.

i think floppy is the most accurate word for the jeans i've had with lycra in them. after a while they become extremely disappointing and you're like "why do these jeans look/feel like total shit?" and then you see the threads and you know: LYCRA.

i have a pair of the levi's skinny with a tad of lycra too and basically they look good for ~2 hours and then i have baggy knees and butt. then i have to wash. then they deteriorate. endless shitty cycle.

ughhhhh i hate the baggy butt!

The secret of a good ass slimming effect seems to be in jean pocket size, placement and where they "break" relative to your shape. L's pockets do this in a good place for me; the only other good pocket illusions I found were Iceberg and Seven.

I used to buy Girbaud in the '80s for this very reason. Fuck a Guess?

i actually love guess? jeans. they were all i wore when i was younger - excellent butt-lift.

haha I wonder if my mom is still wearing my handmeup Guess overdyed for her ironic gardening.

The thing with Guess? was they got a bad rap in the 90s for overseas human rights violation so a lot of people won't wear em. Levi's had a similar issue back then but their PR are more skilled and they invented the product anyway.

hm, maybe i have not experienced this lycra problem because I rarely wear jeans. and when I do, I have crotch blast before the lycra blast.

Felicity, I didn't know about the Guess? thing!

Crotch blast and Lycra blast are part of the same problem - bad quality fabric.

whoa what is crotch blast exactly???

oh and my thus far report on some of the mario badescu samples:

<3 the hyaluronic eye cream
seaweed cleansing soap is a little weird - hard to rinse off entirely and it leaves little bits of seaweed stuck to your face! toner required! though i like that it's not drying.
seaweed cleansing lotion: good - nothing great or bad, but leaves a nice finish.
azulene calming mask: seemed a bit drying, even though it's not supposed to be

-- tehresa, Friday, March 21, 2008 6:42 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

the hylauronic eyecream is great. the seaweed soap is what i'm currently using but it is a little filmy. it bugged me at first since i'm usually too lazy to use toner, but it just seems to rest over my skin and form kind of a barrier against other things i guess? i know it sounds weird. i think the enzyme cleansing gel is a little cleaner feeling, and the glycolic foaming wash is awesome but you are only supposed to use it a few times a week. did you get a moisturizer, because i love their oil free one w/ spf.

sorry i go on and on about mario badescu...

anyways i picked up, at sephora, the benefit boi-oing concealer, the benetint cheek stain that i love, and black honey lipgloss from clinique which i think has been mentioned here by someone? it's a perfect color for me, and i look stupid in most lip color. i got some sephora mascara on sale for $4 which sucks a lot. oh well, it was on sale. mostly i was enamored with the light-up magnifying mirror in my hotel bathroom, if i ever have a dream house, it will have one of these.

and baggy butt is never my jeans problem. more the opposite. i think this is why i strike out at uniqlo but do well in junior sizes at strawberrys type stores. though often there are too many sparkles on the butt in the styles that fit the best. i can squeeze myself into h&m though. must be the elastic.

hey gals, can we finally answer the question about crotch blast plz

i can't speak to this croth blast nonsense, i am way to preoccupied with the butt blast

and what is with wanting to "slim" your butt area? be proud of that fat ass.

this is completely true ladies, & bell labs will tell you i despise her

what is needed, for the larger booty, is a little elastic to lift and display. jeans should put that out there like a delicious pair of cupcakes, no flattening or minimizing about it!

and deeznuts, many people despise me, but there are certain incontrovertible truths about the way a girl's ass should look in jeans.

my problem is that w/ the elastic they stretch out the butt too much, making it look saggy. i actually would not mind a little rounder booty to to fill that out. i wish i could transplant other parts of me there!

deeznuts that was suzy's term but I think it is when your crotch wears out. I won't tell the other guys you asked.

lol felicity i really do not have any obsession with masculinity but some elements of vanity confound me. like 'seaweed soap' + 'enzyme cleansing gel', for ex.

btw if any mods are out there i request invisibility-to-laurel powers for this thread

deez it is just that we are really interested in having nice skin. it's different for girls. don't mind our vanity, we are just trying to not look like our moms when we are their age.

i mean, a lot of it is about sunblock and avoid weird marks. i think it is a reasonable cause.

bell labs to the truth bombs thread
lol deeznuts i busted you reading this thread lololol

...

I need jeans too. I would love to find a pair of Levi's that works--but there are so many options, and so many possible duds. What is the best type Levi's for moi? I do like a bit of stretch--otherwise jeans tend to look very boyish/shapeless on me--but I'm open to possibilities. Should we plan a NYC jeans-shopping trip?

ENBB, your glasses on the eyeglasses thread are fab. I think that needs mentioning on this thread. I can't find any that shape.

OK I am still completely flummoxed by crotch blast. How on earth does one wear out the crotch on one's jeans? I mean obviously I can think of some rather unusual ways one could go about doing that, but in the course of "normal" wear? Really?

I am going shopping for work clothes and shoes today. Wish me luck.

It was Yerac's term actually...

ljubljana, i wish i knew where to get good "structured" cords. i'm trying out this pair of light gray AA ones now and they fit great, although i am worried about how sturdy they actually are. the lack of rivets is a little worrying. i doubt they'll last a year, honestly.

if i had to guess i'd say levi's or wrangler makes some good sturdy corduroy jeans.

Hello! Am hoping Mrs Hand has not been blown away by gales/hail on her way here - and trying not to get apple-green kitchen paint on my computer...

I've just been reading an article in a journal about an autistic woman's use of humour. She has an obsessional hatred of corduroy trousers and has designed a machine called a ‘corduroytrousersnatcher’ machine to deal with them.

Er, possibly off-topic. A bit.

since i'm on a sample freakout right now, nvperriconemd.com/ces will send you a sample of 'ceramic eye smoother' which is supposed to smooth, lift, and brighten... hmmmmmmmmm.

be careful with perricone if you've got skin that's at all sensitive. their products are "highly active," which translates into burning and irritation for me.

oooh maybe i'll hold off on it for a while til summer when my skin seems more able to handle that kind of stuff. i am just addicted to samples now!

i know; it's fun.

i found a moisturizer that i really like, finally (although, sigh, it's going to be too heavy for warm/hot weather): rosa marqueta moisturizing cream from aubrey organics. it only has about 10 ingredients (and a great rating from that cosmetic safety organization), it's very emollient but not greasy, and it's cheap. yay!

ooooh! exciting :D

bell, the mario badescu moisturizer they sent was the collagen moisturizer. it is nice in that there's v. little fragrance/irritation but it takes a LONG time to absorb.

i used the kiwi scrub post-cleansing last night. between the kiwi seeds and the seaweed flakes and the soapy film, my sink was a disaster by the time all was rinsed off!

yeah, i don't really like the kiwi scrub.
i like this one much better for exfoliating. it leaves skin much cleaner feeling:
http://mariobadescu.com/productDetail.asp?ProductID=204&CatId=1

i'm pretty happy with badescu and i think it has made my skin much nicer, but most dermatologists will tell you just to use cetaphil (unless they have their own line of products they are shilling). i am mostly addicted to the way they smell, i think.

thanks for the sample link, tehresa, i just ordered one. yay for free stuff.

i got bedascu samples a few months ago, and ended up buying the seaweed lotion toner and collagen moisturizer. (and got huge travel-sized bonus samples with my order) i was a little disappointed at how little the moisturizer bottle was, but i only use a tiny bit and it works well. of course, now that i've nailed my winter skin routine (cetaphil plus those two plus 2% salicylic acid stuff for spots plus undereye stuff), it's going to get too hot and i'll be all sweaty and yuk.

ooh i always forget about cetaphil! i used to <3 their combination skin cleanser (the clear gel one, the regular seems a little too lotiony for me). i do really like the badescu seaweed toner and the eye cream. i am about to go to sephora (and maybe jeans looking) because i think it is time i find a tinted moisturizer.

i am giving cornstarch hair a try today... we'll see if it lasts or if i end up a mess in 3 hours!

oh also: what is a non-harsh eye-makeup remover? i have been using lumene but it is really irritating my eyes :(

i use mac's oil-based one.

I found this huge bottle of clinique toner that my mom gave me 2 years ago. I figure I might as well start using toner, but does toner go bad?

i got the laura mercier oil-free tinted moisturizer - actually more coverage than i thought it'd be when i tested a bit at the store! we'll see how it works out. i got the rewards card bonus gift today (which means i spend too much $ there) and they gave me a dior mascara so i guess i will go back later and return the mascara i bought!

today i got the translucent powder and a pumice stone (2 actually, one for my sister, which i may keep if i don't see her tonight) and sample size frederic fekkai shampoo so i won't have to use the kind they have where i am staying. today sean cut my hair for the second time. the first time is always the best. except a really funny thing is in beginner's greek, Peter says it's the second time, which i hardly believe.

ENBB, your glasses on the eyeglasses thread are fab. I think that needs mentioning on this thread. I can't find any that shape.

Hey - thanks! There's a really great opticians/eyeglass store around here where the owners design their own line of frames. They're the first pair of glasses I've had that I truely love.

Makes sense. Too groovy to be mass-produced.

Yerac, I don't think toner goes bad.

I think I want a deep, rich navy blue eyeliner. Do I really though? Could that ever be right?

i want one, too. i was looking at mac's liquidlast in inky. it's a very dark, metallic navy.

Gah, found it on their website - out of stock. I will check it out next time I get out to t'Big City. Does look good though.

I think I want a deep, rich navy blue eyeliner.

Yes get one.

I dunno about Yerac's crotch blast but the inside thighs of all my jeans wear out first, a combination of body type and wearing them to bike in. Really, I just took about five old pairs out of the mending basket and threw 'em away, admitting that nothing can be done to reconstruct the inner legs. They would be...robot jeans, more transplant than original.

That's where mine wear as well. I don't bike so it just must be my bootylicious thighs.

You could put patches there and spearhead a hippie trend.

I tried to patch my favorite pair of Lee's with two halves of a heart in red calico, hoping it would look like a heart from the back. Unfort it just didn't quite work. Curvature of the earth an' all that.

i always wear out the crotch in my jeans.

comes from having fat legs.

hey lauren were you the one who was doing deva no poo or low poo? i have been using low poo and like it so far. although its suprisingly drying! trying to go SLS-free.

yeah, i've been using low-poo. yerac, too, i think. i haven't found it to be drying at all, but i have been using it with the leave-in conditioner:

http://www.curlmart.com/DevaCurl-BLeave-In-p-434.html

yeah, this one salon in brooklyn is all about low-poo and they made me buy some. my overdyed hair loves it

crotch blast and thigh blast is the same to me. although today, i realized my pants had holes in the back of the legs from where i slide in and out of my cramped chair all day.

ok, so who went home for easter and now has renewed enthusiasm for sunscreen/anti-aging stuff as a result of seeing their moms? my horror was made even worse by pulling out photo albums from when i was 12 and i'm not convinced i've done so well since then. you're supposed to hate photos from middle school, it's not fair!

i did find a great pair of jeans in the closet at home. like-new levis 517s from before they were popular, so i bought them at quality farm and fleet. all cotton, very thick and dark. they're from high school so a smidge too tight, but i'm hoping that the combination of denim stretching plus a week of hiking might mean i can get into them.

now has renewed enthusiasm for sunscreen/anti-aging stuff as a result of seeing their moms?

I just have this from seeing my 23 year old sister-in-law. It's terrifying.

now has renewed enthusiasm for sunscreen/anti-aging stuff as a result of seeing their moms?

That is so incredibly sad. My mom is aging but she's much more critical of herself than I would be, I think she's still got beautiful color and skin tone for her age. I think the effect of the connective tissues weakening (ie a slight sagging) is worse than her skin condition, which is still GREAT, and there's really nothing you can do about the former.

Well, non-surgically.

We're an entire family of pasty white Northerners, though, so maybe tanning never really had the appeal for us that it did for others.

i hope i look as good as my mother does when i'm her age. people are usually stunned when they find out how old she actually is.

oh, and she tanned until she was in her late 30s! i'm hoping that there's some positive genetic voodoo going on.

my mom has aged about 15 years over the past 3 due to an extremely stressful situation, but she's always looked great (we used to get "are you two sisters? a lot, or people shocked that she had kids in their 20s) so now she just looks closer to her age. but she is in great shape and sees a personal trainer like four times a week, and i'm extremely jealous of THAT. i need to start working out so badly.

my mom looks ok for her age until you get up close and see how badly sun-damaged her face and hands are. my grandma has better skin! hoping i get those genes instead of mom's. glad you guys have good mom genes.

last time i was home, we were catcalled by some teenage guys ("ladies, hey, how you doin'? lookin' good!"). my mother REALLY wanted to go over and show him her golden buckeye card (which is for ohio senior citizens).

I have always been misidentified as younger than my age and retrospectively I've got to blame that on steam, moisturiser and staying the fuck out of the sun in the summer. My mom on the other hand would look great if she didn't smoke two packs of Marlboro Red 100s a day and lost 40 pounds (she does not exercise, unless you count the walk to and from her car). Although I am thin I have a black velvet cocktail dress of hers from early '60s which would require me to drop five pounds if I were to wear it today.

my grandmother on my father's side has horrible, deformed feet that she's had a lot of surgeries on, from wearing high heels all of her life. so i really avoid uncomfortable shoes.

My mom on the other hand would look great if she didn't smoke two packs of Marlboro Red 100s a day a

Ditto. My mother does not look well for nearly-60. But I hope the fact that I do not smoke and use sunscreen will help.

My mum looks very young for her age but I'm starting to get her snow-white hair. It's encroaching. I must dye but I want different colours for a subtle effect and I'm going to have to pay £££ for those at a salon, don't fancy my chances of getting it right myself with stuff from Boots...

This is a v British post isn't it? MUm, ColoUrs, £ and Boots the Chemist.

It's lovely.

my mom looks fucking great! she's 60 years old and looks probably 7-9 years younger than that. plus it helps that she's slim and beautiful.

my mom looks... tired. that's because she is. definitely looks her age, but i think that's more the result of 3 kids and a sort of co-dependent husband and a series of stressful jobs because she doesn't smoke and rarely drinks. she does get some sun exposure when gardening, but that generally affects her arms and hands more than her face.

Don't get me wrong, my mom looks pretty good despite the smokes and the 40lbs because good bone structure and a perfectly straight nose cancel out a lot of wear and tear.

My look today is less fierce and more woke-up-late. However I am wearing my favorite boots and clear and red crystal cocktail ring.

While doing makeup this morning I realized my eyeshadow shade reminded me of this strange do-all make-up my mother used in the 80s. Rubiglo:

https://www.rubiglo.com/scstore/graphics/urn_earth.jpg

Has anyone ever seen or used this? I remember it being very messy and high pigment. Also the color just wasn't that great. The memory immediately made me wish I had time re-do my eyes.