The paint shouldn’t blend with the shadow- the paint should be completely dry before you put the shadow on, which will then sit on top of the paint (think: just like if you were painting a wall, you’d let the primer dry completely before doing the next coat). The paint is basically a silicone barrier that sits between your oily eye and the powder. But the paints really do an epic good job of stopping creasing- you really shouldn’t have any problems with that at all.
Urban Decay isn’t a drugstore brand- it’s sort of on par with Nars or Benefit-- sold at counters in department stores or at specialty stores like Sephora. Maybe they can ship to you? If not, the Mac is my favorite anyway.
I am hardly a skincare expert, but I know what I do! Just lately, I’ve been using the Neutrogena Skin ID program and it’s been working really well- plus, for $20 a month, that’s not too bad. You fill out a quiz on their website (www.skinid.com) about your skin, then it picks products that are good for you. It might be worth a shot just once if you’re having issues with clogging. I know my chin in particular was getting all cloggy before I started using the Skin ID stuff and it has totally cleared up in less than a month. Good stuff!
That said, the foundation I suggest to everyone is Makeup Forever HD foundation. Seriously, this stuff is epic. What makes it unique is that it is totally matte, so you’re not going to have that shimmer component that almost all other foundations have (even in small quantities) that will sit on your wrinkles and scream LOOK AT ME! Plus, it doesn’t settle into wrinkles at all. This isn’t an age thing- I’m 24 and even I love this stuff because I, like everyone, have creases around my eyes and mouth when I smile or laugh. And this foundation photographs beautifully (that’s why it’s called HD- it was originally developed for TV folks whose makeup was showing up awfully on HDTV), so that’s one huge plus.
I know it’s expensive, but a little goes a long long long long long way. I had a bottle I used a lot and it took well over a year to use up. And if you go to Sephora, you can get a hefty sample of it to try out (at least a week’s worth) if you just ask. Explain that your skin breaks out so you want to try it out. And while you’re there, try out MUFE skin primers, which are also great!
I don’t do the longwear lipstick thing personally, but I picked up some Mac Longwear ones for a friend and she loved it. Check out more about them here (it also includes an explanation on how to properly apply the lippies, so you’ll get the maximum application.
I always say the main things to do, if nothing else (like, even when I’m exhausted, I try to do this so I look presentable at work and don’t horrify the clients I see, making them question where I’m spending all the money they pay me :p):
[ul]
[li]Curl your lashes and throw on a nice mascara of your liking.[/li][li]Throw some blush on the apples of your cheeks. I’m a big fan of O Glow cheek stain.[/li][li]Do something to your lips- maybe a tinted chapstick, lipgloss, or lipstick- whatever you’re most comfortable with.[/li][/ul]
It’s amazing how much those three small things will completely change your look. If you’ve got a second more, throw a little eyeliner on your top line, but that’s hardly necessary if you’re not into it!
If you want to provide me with a little Facebook stalking, I can do like I did for Ana- what I’d do if I were gussying you up for funsies :D, then I can also suggest what you could do on the day to day.
You should grab a nice moisturizer for sure- definitely one with SPF, since we’d like to keep that pretty skin pretty until you’re so old that your pretty skin will just be eerie. I am a huge fan of Lush’s moisturizers, but it doesn’t appear that they have spf. If you’ve never been to a Lush Store- oh man, find one. It’s amazing. The folks who work there are great and all of the products are made from things you can pronounce. I looove their bath bombs, but that’s not the point. I use the Celestial moisturizer.
If not, Clinique has a good moisturizer, but there are plenty of drug store brands that have SPF and a moisturizer!
To make your eyes bigger, do light shadow on the inner half of your eyelid. Then, when you do your liner, angle it a bit (this will take some practice), so the line is a little thinner on the inner corner than it is on the outer corner. With your mascara, make sure you put extra emphasis on your outer lashes (outer corners), so this will also open up your eyes. You can also try that whole beige, nude, or white liner on your bottom water line trick to open your eyes more! If you show me a picture I can offer a bit more specific info, of course.
Eesh, do you have to use stage makeup? I mean, if you brought your own, could you use that? Ben Nye is literally stage makeup, that stuff isn’t for messing around! For instance, if you picked up some Makeup Forever HD foundation, would they be ok with you using that instead? Honestly, I think it would provide a better look than Ben Nye anyway and it will be better for your skin. Of course, sample that foundation from Sephora to see how you react before you buy.
That said, you could possibly try that Makeup Forever primer I have been suggesting (also at Sephora), but if your skin is sensitive, I’m not sure putting on more product is going to solve the problem. I think if they’d be fine with it, your best bet would be sampling at Sephora until you find something that works for you, then bringing your own- clearly you and Mr. Nye are not friends.
Good advice, but that’s even more than I’d think the average person needs to wear on the day to day-- and I say this as someone who loves to slap on the war paint. Which is funny, because whenever I see Carmindy do makeup, I’m always very . . . yawn-filled by what she does. She’s the only person in the world that can put black eyeshadow on someone and make it look neutral and boring. Of course, she’s just not my style, some folks love her and there ain’t nothing wrong with that!
Oh and oops! This is the O Glow cheek stuff I was talking about in my reply to StuffLikeThatThere.
It’s really neat, it blends with various skin colors, adding just a hint of color. The product comes out clear, but as you rub it, it develops a bit of color. Very nice!
I don’t want to be mean here, and I don’t know how to say it with any less offense. But your brows look like the grinch. I hate this plucked eyebrow look that seems to be the vogue.
Believe it or not, I am trying to be helpful from a male point of view. I apoligize if you think I am threadshitting, but oftentimes the male ideal is not the female ideal.
I’ll make a point of getting an SPF moisturizer. I do moisturize, but I know I need the SPF. I had never heard of Lush - it looks like the nearest store is an hour away (I live in the boonies). I do get up that way sometimes, though, so I’ll have to look in next time I’m there. It sounds like I’d like it.
Sadly, they insist. I’ve tried. Everyone wears the pancake. Everyone even wears the same shade. sob They are totally inflexible on that point. (Unless you’re African-American, because they’re not actually insane.) Sweet Adelines are very big on uniformity on stage. We are also all required to wear the same horrible orangey-red lipstick. I’m sure there are people on whom that color is just lovely, but I ain’t one of 'em. It looks neon orange on me. I’ve done what I can by putting a dark lip color on underneath. It does help a bit.
I actually wondered about the MUFE primer when I went back and read the other thread. I’m not super-super-sensitive and since I do have redness, I may try the green tint primer (once I get over the fact that it’s, um, green). All the comments are saying that it’s very light, which is encouraging. If I do well with it, I’ll try it under the pancake as see if that helps.
I really do appreciate your specific suggestions. I grew up in an extremely conservative religious family and community. My mother, for example, has never, ever worn makeup. When I was allowed to try it, the only instruction I got was to not look trampy. Net result is that I’ve had no instruction and been afraid to try anything. I’m 35, and I just tried eyeliner about four months ago. I’m gettin’ all crazy!
Not to mention, it’s way more than a “Five Minute Face.” It’s 15-20 minutes, for a person skilled with makeup.
Not to hijack the thread from the OP, but IMHO a real “Five Minute Face” uses a maximum of 3-4 products selected to play up good features and minimize bad ones. For example, I have mild rosacea and small eyes, so my “Five Minute Face” is powder foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick. My sister has perfect skin but very light-colored eyelashes, so hers is mascara, blush, and lip gloss.
My brows? What picture are you basing this off of? The one in the picture gallary? I’m confused.
And, regardless, like Hazel points out, not all women are doing their makeup, wearing their hair, or plucking their brows a certain way to impress men. I do what makes me happy and what I enjoy. You’re of course more than welcome to post your picture so we can discuss your look if you’d like.
PS: I messaged you on Facebook- it wont let me see your pics without adding you!
I don’t disagree with you, of course. In fact, my suggest for what is an absolute must (and therefore a 5 minute face) is just a few things. It would take me about 5 minutes to do that Carmindy face, but I have a lot of makeup experience and all that. I could see it taking the average person 10-15.
I should actually note- if it is the picture gallary one in the purple shirt, that’s because I had gone to Mac at my lunch hour and the girl there threw a dark brown pencil on my eyes. My eyebrows every day look more like this (that was out hiking Saturday)– that’s cleaned up by threading, but more or less my natural shape. Sorry if the natural shape of the hair on my face offends you. Since you like thicker brows, all I could do to appease you would be to draw those bastards in, which I sincerely doubt you’d be into
But if you could keep your body hate to yourself, that’d be great. I don’t care what you want to say about me, but I started this thread to answer questions for folks in a non intimidating manner. People are going to be afraid to ask for advice if they know a person (who clearly isn’t into the “made up” look. . . but reading a makeup thread. . .) is in here judging things like the natural shape of something on their face.
At some point I want to be able to get into shooting models ala glam shots and normal portraits, being a male of the species I was curious if there was anymore info regarding makeup thats not hollywood related.
Diosa, what do you use when you want to create a natural and polished “my face but better” look? It seems like everyone has a different conception of this, and I was curious as to how you would create it.
Different for everybody, but for me it involves (and again, I’m more into makeup than most, so there’s that) what I mentioned in the other thread. This is my made up every day look, if that makes sense-- so, some days, I wear nothing, some days I wear what I mentioned earlier in this thread, and some days I wear this- all are different variations on natural:
That’s the same thing I’m wearing in the picture above that I linked to when pointing out my brows.
That all takes about 5 minutes for me to do, but I’ve got it down to a science.
Plus, it doesn’t settle into wrinkles at all. This isn’t an age thing- I’m 24 and even I love this stuff because I, like everyone, have creases around my eyes and mouth when I smile or laugh. And this foundation photographs beautifully (that’s why it’s called HD- it was originally developed for TV folks whose makeup was showing up awfully on HDTV), so that’s one huge plus.
I am a huge fan of 
