Posts
Although in my 30's, I still don't really know the ins and outs of makeup application; this is reaffirmed every time I go and see my sister Cher, who kindly offers helpful tips as she leads me through the aisles of Sephora. We have a standing joke that the only time I purchase makeup is with her.
So tell me, what are your favorites? What can't you live without? I am feeling the need to mix things up a bit, even if it's only for a new mascara and I'd love to hear your input on anything makeup-related...
Labello Lipcare/ Bobbi Brown Creamy Lipcolor in Raisin Berry/ Neutrogena Facial Moisturizer - Lightly Tinted (THE BEST!0/ Maybelline Great Lash Mascara/ Cover Girl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner/ MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder - NW25/ Sonia Kashuk (Target) Eye Palette - Perfectly Neutral/ MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NW20
Looks like you've got it figured out to me. I need to get past the eyeliner and mascara only. some day
ReplyDeleteand WAHOO! on the pregnancy news. Hope you are feeling well (even somewhat)
I think the best makeup is enough rest, enough water, enough exercise, lots of love and a big smile!
ReplyDeleteLip gloss is great to experiment with color :)
ReplyDeleteWishing you a healthy pregnancy.
I'm in the same place that you are, my make-up case is minimally filled, although I have a few more lipsticks. I always make sure I have a red, a neutral, and a berry shade, plus a sheer pinky color for the summer.
ReplyDeleteI love MAC brand, at least once a year (usually in the spring) I go in for a free make-over for a pick me up. They're great about doing only what I ask for and not a full caked on face, plus I've never gotten sales pressure.
here are all my faves:
ReplyDeletehttp://the-mortensen-family.blogspot.com/2010/02/call-it-what-you-want.html
i kinda sorta like makeup, if you can't tell! :)
I LOVE Laura Mercier Tinted Foundation in Nude. If your skin needs a pick-me-up, this is the stuff! I decided to buy this after a recommendation on another blog and it was my best makeup purchase ever. My other must have is Trilogy Rosehip Oil, it is lovely!
ReplyDeleteHey! Well, first thing- don't change your mascara. I've tried many a times and always go back to that same pink and green tube! It's wonderful. My all time favorite and best kept secret for looking awake and bright eyed:) is Bobbi Brown's under eye concealer. It's magical, and I really don't know how I went out with out it before.
ReplyDeleteps- and i don't see any blush? It's key for looking younger I think... bobbi brown also makes a great peachy pink called apricot that's fabulous!
ReplyDeleteYour bag looks a lot like mine! I did finally give up the old green and pink mascara standby, though. I kept complaining that it often ran and gave me racoon eyes, so I splurged on clinique lash power. Love it! It's my fave now. And I'm a big lip gloss fan too - love origins once upon a shine. Many days I go with just mascara and lip gloss!
ReplyDeleteI use Guerlain Terracota Pour Homme on my cheeks and eyes. Yes, it's men's bronzer but I love it and the packaging is oh so chic!
ReplyDeleteI'm not great at makeup either. I recently discovered Bare Essentuals and I love it! I like the sheer look and it's paraben free. My new favorite. :)
ReplyDeleteTranslucent powder by Two Face. It makes your skin look flawless.
ReplyDeletelaura mercier tinted moisturizer. my absolute, #1 favorite ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm still in love with those Cover Girl stay-on-all-day lipcolor thingies. I love the fact that I can apply it in the morning and it's still there when I go to bed at night--it makes me feel more pulled together whenever I look in the mirror.
ReplyDeleteLike someone else mentioned--I love that little pink and green mascara tube! I also insist on roll-on eyeliner (no sharpening sticks here, thanks!) and I wear full foundation almost every day. I like the extra sun protection. And blush is key. I don't wear much eyeshadow anymore (I wear foundations on my eyelids) but makeup to me is foundation, blush, lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara--any time I'm leaving the house. I need to be better at wearing makeup at home, but I'm training for a half-marathon right now so I end up showering at weird times, depending on when I run that day.
Best thing I ever discovered? Jane Iredale mineral powder.
ReplyDeletePhilosophy skincare products (& their concealer) are my favorites. Gotta take care of your skin! I absolutely could not wear any other makeup than bare escentuals. I feel pretty but not overdone, really natural. It is just the best.
ReplyDeleteSince nobody else has mentioned it, I have one word for you: BENEFIT! Love their face makeup, love their special tints and brighteners, bronzers, and great packaging too!
ReplyDeletei love bare essentuals, too - it feels so sheer, but somehow covers! - I hate feeling like I have lots of make-up on.
ReplyDeleteI have to ask where you bought your Labello? And please, pretty please don't say France. A friend in high school was an exchange student and for Christmas gave all her friends some of their rose chapstick and it was AWESOME. I've been dying to have it again every since.
ReplyDeletewhatever you are using is working - look how gorgeous you are!
ReplyDeleteMake-up is my language! I love the new Dolce & Gabbana mascara. I no longer have to curl my lashes; it's that good and completely worth the money. I also love Nars Easy Lover gloss b/c the name is hilarious and it is a great shade of pink. So flattering.
ReplyDeleteI, like Cher am a true lover of MAC (she introduced it to me in Maryland, and we always go to the MAC store when I visit her). I have recently tried some new items and I love them...creme blush (applied with a brush), and dazzle glass lip glass in "rags to riches". I love studio fix powder as well. My all time favorite mascara is Mary Kay ultimate mascara in black.
ReplyDeletePS- I really think make-up is essential, especially for women 30+. You can wear it all and still look very natural.
I used that mascara for ages but recently switched to Cover Girl Lash Blast. I love it! I now have strangers ask what kind of mascara I use--on multiple occasions. Even the Nordstrom clerk was impressed!
ReplyDeleteAnd when I'm splurging, Philosophy and Laura Mercier products. Love it.
I'm also becoming a fan of Olay Regenerist moisturizers. Plus, they're often on sale and there are coupons.
I LOVE Nars blush in Orgasm. Looks great on everyone!
ReplyDeleteHot tip of the week... Sephora will soon be opening a store in SLC. Hurray - at last!
ReplyDeleteFashion Place Mall. Spring 2010
Love that sunscreen/moisturizer and MAC concealer--I have both of those! Now, if I could find something to take away the dark circles under my eyes (other than sleep because that's not happening any time soon), I'd be all set!
ReplyDeleteYou are so minimalist - I love it! My absolute faves are:
ReplyDelete- Bobbie Brown lip gloss in Rose Sugar and Ruby
- Benefit Erase Paste
- Benefit High Beam luminescent complexion enhancer
- Benefit Posie Tint (you make put a blob of high beam on the apple of your cheek and a blob of posie tint in the middle of it - jelly roll!) - blend into your cheeks. You are glowing now, and will keep glowing post-partum with trick.
- Bobbie Brown gel eyeliner - practice, practice, practice with a special eyeliner brush and you will look wide awake but not like you are wearing eyeliner!
- Max Factor 200 calorie mascara (I get mine overseas from a London-based friend)
That, and any spf 30 or more moisterizer are pretty much all I need. As for cleaning your face, don't spend on cleansers - mix up some almond oil, castor oil and a few drops of lavender oil. Warm in your hands and spread over your face. Add some sugar for exfoliating. So wonderful and refreshing!
FABULOUS tips. Thank you! I'm totally taking notes. You guys know what you're talkin' about! I thought you would...
ReplyDeleteHSF: You're going to kill me...I think you know the answer to this one. Would you like me to bring one back for you? I've only seen plain...mine is flavorless/odorless. LMK...
The more I'm reading the comments the more I realize I am high maintenance in the makeup dept.! Putting on makeup is one of my favorite self-indulgences and we moms need a few of those right?
ReplyDeleteOn my San Diego trip my friends turned me on to MAC's primer, it goes on under your makeup and it feels weightless. It helps everything stay put and I love it. I'm also a big fan of mineral powders and any makeup that is paraben free!
Since hitting the 30's I've also discovered that powdered blush is a thing of the past- it looks dry and cakey now. I tried a Bobbi
Brown creme blush and am hooked.
I totally agree with Em that 30+ need to wear makeup. A little freshening up goes a LONG way in everyone's life!
I love our makeup store trips! Most memorable was in San Francisco at the Benefit store when I finally convinced you to wear blush. :) Love you!
trendy mauve lipstick by lancome. it looks good on everyone. especially with a little gloss over it.
ReplyDeleteReading this, I couldn't pick just one favorite & I'm going through searching for new makeup myself. So your post inspired me & I posted on it!
ReplyDeletehttp://danigallegos.blogspot.com/2010/04/makeup-natural-beauty.html
I love the new Covergirl/Olay Simply Ageless foundation, it goes on smoothe and gives your skin a glow. At $16 its more than most drugstore brands but less than most department store ones for a lot less.
ReplyDeleteMe Too. I don't have a clue what to do with make up but would love an update. And someone to teach me right.
ReplyDeleteWhat great comments! I agree that using makeup well is about improving your features a bit and feeling good about yourself.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen anybody mention brushes...
Investing and caring for quality brushes has made a HUGE difference for me! They vastly improve the precision of where my makeup is applied and how long it lasts b/c my fingers aren't soaking up or smudging the products I smooth on. Brushes also give more control over my look, say if I want to contour my eyelids or my cheeks to make the bone structure more evident.
MAC makes wonderful brushes, and they are my go-to tools. At a lower price point, I've also heard very good things about Sonia Kashuk for Target brushes.
Temptalia.com is a site that has very in-depth reviews of most MAC brushes...look under the Tools tab.
Here is a marvelous eyeliner trick that will give you a soft look and make your eyelashes look really lush:
*Start out by using an eyeshadow primer. It will keep your products in place, especially if your eyeshadow plays that migrating to the crease trick. Primer also masks the veins that show through your lid (read: makes you look less tired). Trust me, this step is a must! Urban Decay makes a great one: Eyeshadow Primer Potion. (Buy it in either a completely nude color--the original--or with a hint of sheen in a pretty champagne color called Sin.) Find it at Sephora and Ulta.
*Apply your eyshadow(s) of choice. If you are only going to wear one shadow, make it Kitten by Stila. It flatters most skin tones, as it's a neutral pinky/beige with a bit of shimmer. Kitten is good as a base under other shadows. A makeup artist trick: sweep it lightly right under the eyebrow arch and/or at the inner corners of the eye to give the skin a pop and a bit of visual lift. (Good highlighting is like magic.) The first week I started using it, no fewer than three people told me how "awake" I looked. No joke. You can brush it over your lid and forego other shadow if you want a natural, pretty look. Get it at Sephora.com or Nordstrom. If your eyelid skin is starting to get crepey, skip the powder products and use liquid with a bit of shimmer to get the same effect: Laura Mercier secret brightener. Get it at Sephora or Nordstrom.
*Using MAC's #266 chisel brush, load up your brush with a dark eye shadow--no specialty liner products needed. Although it's a good classic standby, I recommend venturing away from the usual black for this lining step. A bit of deep-toned color makes your eyecolor stand out. Try navy blue, plum/purple, or foresty greens. Hold the brush so that the line runs along with (parallel to) your lashes. Working with a light touch, place the brush right into the roots of your upper lid lashes and gently wiggle it back and forth. For a thin line and a more natural look, use light strokes and work smack dab against your lash line. To build the color/intensity for a dramatic look, load your brush a bit more and use heavier application built into a thicker stroke above the lash line.
*This technique also works great to set your pencil eyeliners if they tend to migrate. If you wear a pencil liner, apply it and then lightly go over it with the MAC 266 brush dipped in an eyeshadow close in color to your pencil.
*Good makeup application is all about looking like yourself, only better. This technique gives you the definition of traditional liner without the hard-edged line. People will spend less time thinking, "Nice eyeliner" and more time thinking, "Nice eyes". With this trick, you can also apply a nice line under your lower lashes if you want to build your look to a smoky, smudgy eye with nice soft definition.
If you would that would be amazing! Let me know how much they are and I can send you some $$.
ReplyDeletehairyshoefairy@gmail.com
I can't live without Urban Decay's "Big Fatty" Mascara! I have dark hair and eyes so that's the only brand that really makes them pop. I'm also a fan of Clinique's "Quickliner" for eyes.
ReplyDeletePS Love talking about this stuff... lol
you have to try MAC's tinted lip conditioner. they are super great bc they moisturize your lips & give them a tint of color. my favorite is the coral. the color may look intimidating in the pot, but the color is nice & sheer. also laura mercier's foundations are my go-to.
ReplyDeleteI know a magazine beauty editor who turned me on to Cover Girl's Last Blast Length mascara. It's the nearest thing to lash extensions you'll get, without the pesky expense and ridiculous-ness of lash extensions! I'm also a huge fan of Rosebud salve in the Strawberry flavor/tin. Regular Rosebud salve smells like the inside of grandma's handbag.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to go to Sephora - you can get tips on the internet. My favourite is the raquel13 smokey eye tutorial.
ReplyDeleteps - I'm a MAC junkie.
laura mercier tinted moisturizer..it gives a nice dewy natural look.
ReplyDelete