So I’ve been having a rather epic clean out of my bathroom and en-suite today, and part of that was going through my make-up box. I have thrown almost all of it away, some of it I remembered buying when I was still at high school! :eek:
I haven’t worn make-up for about seven years, but I’d like to start wearing it again, probably because I’ve lost some weight and am feeling a bit better about myself.
What I need is a really good foundation, but the thought of going to a department store, with all the different brands, terrifies me. How do you know what brand to go for?
I need some make-up for daily use, which I figure will just be a light foundation, mascara and lip gloss. But then I’d like to be able to glam it up a bit in the evenings, something like a toned down version of rockabilly makeup.
Do different brands suit different looks? Different skin types? Help!
Yes, different brands have different feel to them, and different pigmentation. I can’t wear Clinique, for instance, because their foundation undertones are too pink for my skin tone. And I stay away from Age Defying foundations because I feel smothered in them. You might go through a lot of trial and error before finding a line you love and matches perfectly – and for this reason, it’s one of the few times that I recommend visiting a department store or Sephora vs just buying from the drugstore, because they’ll allow you to test drive foundations, and/or return them.
If you really don’t want to go to the department store, an option is L’oreal True Match foundations. If you go to a larger drugstore, they’ll often have a display that includes a clear plastic sheet with a sample of all of their shades. Just place the sheet against your face and the shade that “disappears” is your match.
You might also give the mineral powders a try. I use them almost exclusively now. I use L’oreal True Match Naturale foundation, though I hate the applicator brush they include because it’s messy. (I use my own brush instead.)
Other than foundation, I don’t really see the need to buy the rest of your makeup from the department store. I wouldn’t buy the cheapest line, but mid-tier lines (L’oreal, Revlon) are perfectly fine, and because they’re less expensive, it’ll allow you to experiment more. For instance, Maybelline Great Lash (in the green and pink container) is still around because it’s widely regarded as the best mascara in any class. (I, personally, prefer their Full n Soft line.)
Thanks, PunditLisa. That L’Oreal True Match thing sounds good, so I will be brave and go to a shopping mall! Boots here in the UK stocks L’Oreal so I will try one of their larger stores.
I actually threw out my green and pink mascara, as I figured it was quite old, but good to know it’s still considered a good option as I’ve always liked it!
I did some research on what good brands were (partially via the book by Paula Begoun, “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me”) and decided to check out Clinique and MAC one day. The Clinique area of the department store cosmetics section was staffed by three women who couldn’t bother to even stop their socializing long enough to say “let us know if you have any questions” to me. No customers there, either. I was in an upscale mall and was not dressed up, but usually I at least get a greeting. The MAC counter was packed, with a few staff members flying around to apply product to customers’ faces, find selections in cases, ring up purchases, and yet in maybe 15-30 seconds of my arrival I got a greeting, an apology for the impending delay, and an encouragement to look around until someone was available. Awesome. (I’m not saying all Clinique staff are like that; I’m saying this particular group made a mistake and the MAC group scored a very happy customer.)
I love their various products, the wide selection of foundation thickness and shades - they specifically mark warm vs cool on the color code, and they’re pale enough for me - and the super-helpful staff no matter what location I go to. Plus I adore their commitment to raising money to assist people with AIDS via their VivaGlam line, no animal testing, and that they encourage recycling their containers by offering a free lipstick if you bring in 6 empties.
Admittedly their advertising and their sales staff have makeup looks geared towards the extremely theatrical, but I’ve never seen that affect how they treat me when I say I only want one or two things, I want a subdued look, etc.; there’s no pressure to buy more/wear more.
But don’t the ones who don’t test on animals just use products/ingredients that have already been tested on animals? There’s no real safe way to get around it…
Well, I appreciate they are benefiting from historical data, but if I have a choice between a company that I know currently engages in animal testing and one that doesn’t, I know which one I’d choose.
That’s better than re-testing known ingredients and their combinations on animals, at least. (Full disclosure: I work in medical research on the human testing side of things, so my work indirectly involves animal testing. Everyone sets their own bar for what they expend attention and various kinds of “investment” on; mine happens to be that medical research for the potential for benefit is fine, but I’d rather avoid it in beauty products.)
Back to beauty products: I’m not MAC-exclusive in my purchasing, but I do try to stick with them for certain things, especially foundation, their Blot Powder, etc. I freaking adore L’Oreal’s Infalliable Lipcolor - it stays on through so much and rarely needs touchups.
Laura Mercier. All their products are high-quality. I love her color sense. And I love the brand’s philosophy, which is not to push you to buy makeup you don’t want or need. The emphasis was always on using only the amount of makeup required to enhance your look. For example, my little sister has flawless skin. When I took her to the LM counter, the SA told her, “Well, you don’t need foundation, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.”
Their great SAs and makeup artist events were where I learned to use makeup. They were patient teaching me technique.
On top of that, her foundations are the only ones I’ve ever been able to wear.
I use different brands for different things. I like Smashbox for foundation, concealer and powder. MAC for my blush. For eyeshadow, you can’t beat Urban Decay. The colors are vibrant and last for hours. Bare Escentuals has a line called “Buxom” which has a great mascara. I like Sephora brand eyeliner and brushes. For lips, I will try different things. I have lipsticks from Victoria’s Secret, MAC and others.
I try to buy exclusively from Sephora because of the rewards points with their VIB card.
Well, based on having worked in the industry for years, the numbers of companies that CURRENTLY test on animals is vanishingly small. Pretty well all of them used to, but almost no one does anymore because of the PR nightmare it would create. MAC certainly doesn’t, Elizabeth Arden doesn’t, Lise Wattier doesn’t - in fact I’ve never seen evidence from a credible source indicating any companies that currently do.
True, but I do think it’s worth pointing out that pretty much everyone is benefiting from animal testing in some way, past or present.
As for brands, I started out using MAC because it was well known but found the foundation a little too heavy for my liking. For foundation, I like Bare Escuntels (sp?), for lip gloss and moisturizer/cleanser/toner, Clinique (their Plump n Shine stays on longer than anything I’ve used), and for eyeliner, Lancome. I tried Bare Escuntels after my mom let me try one of hers and I’ve never looked back. Same with the Lancome – my mom gave me a pencil she didn’t want. I agree it’s annoying to try new stuff because if you don’t like it, it can be an expensive mistake. Seems like most of the stuff I use I’ve lucked into because I’ve managed to get a free product just by chance. So…I guess talking to your female friends/family is good.
MAC is my brand for foundation, concealer, eye shadow, and blush. The only thing I haven’t tried from them yet is mascara and eyeliner, but I’m optimistic.
Ooh! Make up thread! I’m using a Stilla product called One Step that evens out my complexion without any need for foundation. The container calls it a “corrector” whatever that means, but if your skin is generally ok and you don’t like the feel of foundation this stuff might work for you. You can pick it up at Sephora, and they’re great about returns.
What I’m looking for is an eyeliner pencil that works as well as the powder eyeshadow I use at my lash line. Every pencil I’ve tried is either too waxy and won’t blend or too gooey and won’t stay put. I tried Bobbie Brown gel eyeliner and found out I’m not quick enough to blend that stuff before it sets.
My default is a line of shadow first, then eye shadow on top of that which blends it a bit. This takes a while though, and I’m looking to shave time off my routine in the morning.
I do not know if this is true in NZ, because I’ve never shopped for makeup there.
However, in the US, the different brands have different “personalities” for lack of a better word. Some are for women of a certain age, some are for yuppies, some are for women on the bleeding edge of fashion, etc. They market themselves that way, they pick their color palattes that way. So here, I’d say to wander a bit, pick the one you want to look like and start there.
I personally love MAC for lipstick, eyeshadow, and blush. I desperately miss Prescriptives for foundation, but MAC is a very distant second. And I buy mascara from the drugstore from whoever has it on sale because it doesn’t seem to matter that much.
L’Oreal True Match liquid foundation is incredible. It really does match your skin as close as possible without going to a department store. Hypoallergenic/noncomedogenic, so no acne or breakout issues to worry about.
If you have very oily skin or live in a humid climate I think the best tinted moisturizer (spf + moisturizer + foundation) is Neutrogena Glow Sheers.
PunditLisa already mentioned True Match, but it really is worth mentioning a million times over.
ETA: And whatever you do, have two shades, one for late spring/summer and for early fall/winter.
Maybelline Full n Soft and Maybelline Great Lash are both supremely excellent mascaras. Concealer (for blemishes and under eyes) is a total YMMV I think. Ditto blushes and lipsticks. If you’re looking for a nice, neutral lip and don’t like lipsticks, I like tinted lip balm, also by Neutrogena.
