Any dopers have make up that they absolutely swear by (or against)?
In the thread on overhyped products, Maybelline’s mascara got several pluses. I like it, but as I said in the other thread, pretty much all mascara seems the same to me, high end or low.
As for me, I’m loving Bare Escentels Bare Minerals powder. I will never go back to liquid–this just feels so…well, natural. I love it!
My favorite lip gloss was Clinique’s Plump 'n Shine, but I can’t find it anymore. Every time I go by Bloomingdale’s, they’re “out of stock.” Grrr.
I will not buy expensive mascara. Any of the high-end brands I’ve tried have been gooey and sticky, specifically Clinique’s. Crappiest mascara I ever bought
Maybelline’s Great Lash gets points from me. It’s the only brand I’ll buy.
They also make a great eye liner pencil. The one I currently have is pretty worn down, but says “Cool Effects” on the side. It’s soft (nothing worse than a rock-hard eye liner), and easy to use. It’s not one of the skinny little liners; it’s a wider style.
I swear by Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.
I, personally, detest that Maybelline mascara- I always felt it made my lashes look like pointy little sticks (and not in that fashionable pokey stick way :p). On the otherhand, I love, love LOVE L’Oreal’s Lash Architect waterproof mascara and wear it every single day. Now, truthfully, it might be a bit much for most folks for the day-to-day, but it’s definitely good for a nice “goin’ out” mascara. Seriously, it totally makes it look like you’re wearing false lashes! Everyone always asks when I’ve got that stuff on.
I’ve been on a quest for a while for a good bronzer for someone who is medium dark that doesn’t have shimmer and finally settled on two contenders: Sugar Tropic Tan and Mac Sunny By Nature. Right now I’m all about the Mac since I just got it, but both are great. I also love Mac’s Mineralized Skin Finishes- they sporadically come out with them and they are awesome. You can use them as blushes, highlights, shaders, whatever- it just depends on what they look like. These are all the new ones they came out with.
I should say: if you are in any way linked to movies, fashion, makeup, whatever- get yourself a Mac Pro card. I would never spend full price on the Mac stuff I buy because damn, it’s costly, but because I do makeup for people every so often (friends, students, etc.) and got two of them to write me letters noting that, I was able to get a Pro Card and I get 40% off every Mac purchase instantly. It’s amazing. A pan refill eyeshadow runs me $6- that’s cheaper than drugstore stuff!
Oh, and cheap stuff? I love Rimmel’s black liner. Just the cheapie $3 one- better for the lower lash line than any expensive thing I’ve tried.
But, but … I don’t want to look like I’m wearing false eyelashes! I can’t pull that look off. I need a much more subtle look.
Not a dig at you; you look great. It’s just that I couldn’t get away with that. I’m much more a “five minutes and I’m done” kind of make-up girl.
Yup, which is why I qualified that it might just be a once in a while, fancy gussied up night look for some folks. To each their own and all that jazz.
I know I could probably stand to wear a *little *more make-up, and this thread seems like the best place to ask.
I never wear actual lipstick, because I always end up looking like a clown, or a five-year-old playing with Mommy’s lipstick. I usually wear tinted glosses. I also hate the sticky filmy feeling of most lipsticks.
What is a good brand to try? Nothing too expensive, please, I’m on a budget!
Good color recommendations? I prefer pinks and plums. I have very fair skin and dark brown hair.
I just picked up some Ink for Eyes from my reliable favourite, Urban Decay. I got the ‘Binge’ shade. Let me preface this by saying, I SUCK at makeup. And this stuff goes on really easily - it’s very easy to get a precise line, it’s very easy to get a smudged shadow. The colour is lovely.
For lips, I’ve been wearing Revlon Créme de la Chrome a lot. I have four of the colours. It goes on easily, lasts a long time, and has a seriously dramatic finish. The Plum Appeal is stunning if a bit on the gothy side.
In general, I’ve noticed lipstick is a good way to date someone a bit- even the youngest little thing. Lip gloss looks youthful and glowy without looking too overdone.
I suppose it depends what you mean by expensive, but truly, my favorite gloss is Mac’s lipglass- not sticky or too heavy, tons of colors. Oyster Girl is a really pretty, light, neutral color.
If you have a Bath and Body Works near you, their little lip glosses are actually both tasty and not sticky. A little color but not too much. Same with the Victoria’s Secret glosses. Check them out!
I love Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencils, they have great colors and they stay on so well, and I love their eyeshadows and the brand in general. (Right now until August 20 you can get 30% off everything on their site with code FNFF1)
I also really like Clinique Superbalm which is a cross between lip balm and gloss, it’s very moisturizing and shiny and not at all sticky.
For the drug store brands, I use Maybelline Pure foundation and have seen no reason to try the expensive brands, I think it’s good stuff. I also use Neutrogena bronzer, I don’t know the exact name but it’s a powder with squares of different shades in a checkerboard pattern. I don’t use the brush that comes with it because it sucks, but with a bigger, quality make up brush (Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair brushes are soo soft and they’re not made of animal hair, which is important to me) it looks very nice and natural.
I just spent 20 minutes looking at the Mac site. The lipglass definitely looks like something I’d like. Oystergirl is pretty, and I like the one called Underage.
$14 isn’t too bad. I just can’t bring myself to spend $20 or more on lip stuff. There’s three stores near me, too, so I can check them out in person.
I do have a lipgloss from B&BW, some mango/pomegranete something. It’s very nice.
I’ve noticed that it seems most youngish people seem to prefer lip glosses to lipsticks. Are lipsticks still pretty popular in general, or are they something of a dying breed?
I mentioned Clinique Superbalm, and that sounds like something you’d like because it’s not sticky and it’s natural-looking. It sounds like we have very similar coloring and I have the shade Lilac which is very pretty, and other ones I want are Apricot and Currant.
I’ve been trying to decide if I should buy some of that. I have so many of their eye pencils though that I’m hesitant to get more eyeliners. How does it compare to the pencils, if you have any?
I have the charcoal Smoke Out pencil, and so far I find it a bit dry on my skin - but if I get the tip damp it goes on smoothly. Compared to that (and bearing in mind that I’m a delicate princess) the Ink for Eyes is much easier for me to apply and get to behave how I want it. Plus it is easy to make it work either as a precise line of eyeliner or as a wash of colour over the whole lid.
I can’t stand lip gloss. I hate the stickiness, I hate my hair getting stuck in it, I hate having to reapply it every friggin’ time I accidentally lick my lips or eat something or whatever. Instead, I go with the ever-reliable Stainiac The Stain for my lips. Subtle colour, nice flush. Goes on even when I’m not wearing makeup.
As for mascara, I swear by Benefit Bad Gal mascara. It absolutely does wonders for my eyes. I’m not a big fan of Great Lash, myself.
For nail polish, it’s OPI or nothing. I love their colours–I think I have every one of their dark reds, since that’s almost all I wear.
I only like Urban Decay for playing makeup–not for everyday. It’s too sparkly for me to wear all the time for that, and I don’t care for a lot of the colours. Only once in a while for me, although I will admit a shameful adoration for Kat Von D’s eyeshadow pallets from Sephora. Such pretty dark colours for a smoky eye! Such a lovely texture! Sigh.
Don’t be scared off if the clerks have extremely heavy, theatrical makeup on. I’m big on very subtle, natural makeup (when I do wear it at all) and have never had a MAC employee try to push a lot of makeup or show any disapproval of my makeup preferences.
The absolutely lightest warm tone (W1)of L’Oreal True Match foundation comes the closest to actually matching my skin coloring. Even it is still a little too dark, but for us paler-than-porcelain types, it’s this or start looking for geisha makeup…
I’m a paler-than-porcelain type, too. I use Clinique’s Stay-True make-up in Stay Ivory. It’s a great match.
My dermatologist recommended Clinique products after I had a nasty acne outbreak years ago. I’ve never had a problem since. (I never had acne as a teen. The occasional zit, but nothing serious)
She also told me to stay away from Avon and Mary Kay, JFTR. I’ve never liked that stuff anyway.
I’ve been buying Avon lately myself. Currently I’m in love with the Mark. brand they carry. I’ve been using their tinted moisturizer and some of their cleanser products, mixed with some of the mineral makeup from their regular line. I’m not much of a makeup person, but since I ordered from them I find I’ve been wearing it more (or maybe I just decided to be more girly…).
Bibliocat Avon also has some nice glosses. You can get the mini glazewear for a buck each and try different colours. (Some they have in the larger size, some they don’t but the small size are perfect purse/pocket size). I have brown sugar and peach fizz, both of which I find are subtle and not sticky.
I love my MAC eyeliner pencil. I don’t wear it very often, but it goes on great. I’m a guy, though, so I don’t know if my opinion counts.
Another thing I’ve learned: if you’re going to wear glitter, don’t get ripped off with the little pot from the makeup section-- the big cheap jar from the scrapbooking store is the same stuff.
Obviously (or maybe not, I guess), when I wear makeup its on a special occasion when I’m deliberately trying to be over-the-top and theatrical. For some reason, whenever I go to a costume party, my costume always seems to involve a lot of eye makeup. No lipstick or blusher, though-- that wouldn’t be masculine.
I have very sensitive eyes. I come from a long line of women with sensitive eyes. My mother jokes she has tried every single brand of mascara manufactured in the last 45 years in an attempt to find one that both didn’t irritate and didn’t flake/smudge/congregate on the lower lashes. I embarked on a similar journey, and the only mascara I’ve ever found that I (and my mother and sister) can wear is this stuff:
It is amazing, and well worth the price. (They sell it at Sephora). If you think your eyes won’t tolerate mascara, try this stuff. It stays on, too. It lasted through my grandfather’s wake, funeral, and rain-soaked burial.
I just spent 20 minutes looking at the Mac site. The lipglass definitely looks like something I’d like. Oystergirl is pretty, and I like the one called Underage.
