I feel pretty--NOT! THE COSMETICS THREAD

i mean its not snakeoil if it works and makes you feel good. obv you dont *need* it tho

true

agree

im loving the updates for roxy's reasons too. ive kind of ditched makeup for now but you seem so thrilled by it veg that im getting some hope back.

well then yay! <3

Keep it up, VG! I love reading this stuff. And I think that some day I will again be interested in makeup and hairs. A day when it is less than 100 degrees.

^^^interested in doing my own makeup and hairs, is what I meant there. For now I live vicariously through people in more favorable climes.

My interest in makeup wanes significantly in the summer anyway, and now that I work from home more often than not, I find myself really resenting mascara on the days I go into the office. Why bother??!?! I'm just going to have to wash it off again!

yeah summer is the worst for makeup

cheers to that

Also terrible for hairs, at least my hairs. I don't even know what they look like anymore, because I can't stand to have them touching me in the heat, and they stay in a ponytail bun thing 94/7

yeah until I got my hair cut off on thurs, I had been wearing it in a knot-thing/sad ponytail for at least 3 months becuase it was too fucking hot to deal with it near my face or neck or anywhere

OTM

I'm even letting the layers grow out because that makes it easier to cram into a non-stop ponytail (or butterfly clip when I'm going to work why? because I'm suuuuper professional).

welp, I'm not quite out of the woods yet.

I think the silica powder is causing some kind of irritation? ever since I've been using it over the cc cream, I get a slow itch in the morning building to a prickly itch by the late afternoon. I changed brushes (and I keep them super-clean), and I'm using a sparing amount and tapping off...I used the cc cream on its own last week with no breakouts or itching so I'm thinking it has to be the powder that's doing it. maybe it's *too* drying. I dunno. It controls the oil pretty well but god, wanting to claw my face off is not really the result I had in mind

I discovered that the CC cream works best if I use it in place of moisturizer. Applying it over top of my moisturizer in the mornign seemed to be the cause of a lot of the irritation I had. And then putting the silica over top was just adding crazy-dryness to parts of my face that didn't need it.

So balance has been restored. All I really need is the cc cream during the day and to blot a little here and there -- but the oilyness is not really that much of a factor now with that small change. And if I do use the silica powder, I only use it on my T-zone, not on my cheeks at all.

I never go outside, so this summer thing doesn't affect my makeup or hair very much at all. bathing in luxuriant A/C!

"COVERGIRL is proud to be the official beauty partner of the NFL."

Naturally.

Easy.
Breezy
PFFFRRRRRTTT! TOUCHDOWN!
Covergirl

Ha!

I have been doing the acv and baking soda hair thing for awhile and it's not working for me. It really makes my hair look and feel shitty. It becomes a rough, frizzy, mess and blehk. If I alternate days, on the days I use shampoo, my hair is super luxurious but not sure if that is just because it was so super shitty the day before or if doing acv and baking soda makes it great when I shampoo. But acv and baking soda alone, day after day...mess.

I have made a rosemary and lemon rind infusion. I rinsed my hair with that daily then every other day use acv and have had awesome results. Just haven't had the time to keep that up.

Any success with really all natural shampoos?

iirc you gotta fully commit to the acv/bs thing to get the full benefits - the idea is that shampoo messes with your hair's natural oil and ph level, so if you're alternating to the two methods, the acv/bs can't really do its job of getting those levels back to normal. BUT from what i've read the acv/bs method doesn't work for everyone.

Baking soda only worked for me once I had considerable oiliness built up, and even then it left my hair in a not-great state; it got crispy actually. The no-poo routine I ended up with was 1) rinse really well with warm water every day 2) use only a few drops of argan oil after towel drying but no other products 3) lather scalp with theraneem shampoo once every 4-6 weeks.

Now that my hair is short again and I'm using various styling products, I had to go back to lathering up once or twice a week.

I only alternated after 4 weeks of straight acv and baking soda. Still alternating but ready to just stop using baking soda.

Yes, Jaq, crispy is the perfect word.

was starting to have a lot of breakouts again and my face was feeling really rough...but I didn't want to shell out for more products so i've started using a facecloth each night to remove my makeup and wash my face and voila! no breakouts

feels like a 'well duh' thing to write I know but I was feeling v proud of myself

That's what I think when ppl go on about the 'hot cloth method'
I'm like IT'S CALLED WASHING YOUR FACE!
but good on yer!

Anyone tried the new Nars Cream Compact Foundation? I just got it and love it. The texture is smooth, it's buildable, and it doesn't crumble when I use a foundation brush.

p.s. hardcore devotée of Nars orgasm blush here. A++

I have not but that look interesting. I think that cream/stick foundation is where it's at for me.

I bought a tube of that Maybelline Fit Me foundation stick on a whim and I am surprised at how much I like it. The coverage is really light, so ymmv.

It's one of the most lightweight cream foundations I've tried.

Carl, I've become a devotee of covergirl's simply ageless which is the same sort of thing I guess. Used sparingly its seriously awesome coverage and I don't even need to used concealer with it.

Ah I will check that out. Thanks!

Picked up Simply Ageless at Target the other day. I'm not positive I bought the right color (I swear I am beige color blind because all of the different shades look the same to me and when I elicit help from the pros, they always pick a color that I never would have considered) and when I first put it on, I did not like it. But then I went to teach my class and while I was washing my hands during break I looked in the mirror and was like holy shit! My face looks amazing! Like, I didn't believe it was my face for a second.

I'm still not totally convinced the color is right, but I'm preliminarily sold on the product. I'm maybe going into the office tomorrow, and definitely on Thursday so I'll get to test it out under sunlight and gross, sallow florescents.

Anyway, on that topic, how the hell do you decide what color foundation/powder to buy in drug store makeup?

I just always buy the palest & trick friends into thinking I have "porcelain" skin. Tbh I am pretty pale so usually even the lightest seems dark on me - except in the middle of summer when I can get away with the second shade up!

I caved on my cheapness and paid for a MUA for my cousin's wedding because I didn't want to be the drag doing her own makeup while everyone else was pampered.. then 3/4 bridesmaids did their own! The MUA's makeup was not as good as my own (which I had left at home) and I could've done a better job on my own. All smudged and vanished by the end of the night. Bah!

See, I always thought I was not the lightest but maybe second lightest and the last couple times I've bought face makeup in a store with sales people, they've gone three or four shades from the lightest. I think the lady who sold me the Urban Decay foundation that I liked and then hated (as chronicled in this very thread) went too dark, but otherwise they seem to look okay? Maybe I have been wandering around looking ridiculous all these years.

xp There's no way a MUA could have done better than you could have! You're an expert.

I am no expert, but I had temporary access to the good stuff. Glad I hoarded it while I was there!

Crazy that they took you so many shades from lightest because I would think that your skin tone isn't very far from mine!

I am always the lightest shade, and last year the Estee Lauder counter woman gave me the entire bottle of their supply of my color of Double Wear because they were out of it for purchase (as in the BIG plastic JUG that is probably 8 full ounces). I am still going through it, and I am fearful of when it finally ENDS.

Anyone got any recs for foundation that's sort of in the organic/natural range that is matte and provides good coverage? I am at a loss.

It is this very problem (picking a shade without being able to try it) that sent me to the cosmetics counters at Nordstrom. But that was back in my whorporate career; as an unemployed social work student, I'm gonna have to stick to the drug store stuff for the foreseeable future. Gonna miss that Chanel Vita Aquiluminere in Rose Beige :(

hII are you thinking mineral makeup? I don't any experience with it, but Bare Escentuals seems to be popular.

I did some research on Bare Minerals and they are kinda high on the EWG rating. If I am going to go that high, I'll stay with my toxic Estee Lauder.

Ah gotcha. What about that Dr. Haruska (sp?) brand that you can find at Whole Foods?

Anyway, on that topic, how the hell do you decide what color foundation/powder to buy in drug store makeup?

― carl agatha, Tuesday, September 17, 2013 11:19 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

carl, you know how every foundation has a product/shade number. You can go into Sephora and get them to do a 5 minute analysis of your skin and they will give you a list of your perfect product/shade number for EVERY MAKEUP BRAND AND LINE EVER.

EVER!!!!!

I've been meaning to do this myself. I might see if I can @ lunch tomorrow.

Trip to Sephora going on my to-do list. Hope this works in Canada.

I'm going to Sephora today to get the Pantone color match thingy done.

Fancy!