Makeup Choices
 

Now that I am 40 and single, I am trying to pay more attention to my appearance (not sure why I didn't pay more attention before, but whatever, it is what it is). I am finding that the loose powder cover-up and foundation are really natural looking, and feel very light. Now I want the loose powder blush. Here is where I have questions.

Do you like a specific brand more than other?
What color do you use?
Do you only wear one color - or does it depend on your clothes?
How do you pick a color that will look good on you?

Questions about eyeliner too.
Do you line both top and bottom? just one? which one?
Do you only wear one color? or do you change depending on what you are wearing?

Currently, I only use eyeliner, no eyeshadow or mascara. So I do change colors depending on what I am wearing, but I stick to black, brown or blue. I line top and bottom, but I am concerned it is too harsh and maybe not right for me. For blush, I currently switch between 2 colors, one is more neutral while the other is more rosy. I am not sure if this is a good idea or not. Maybe one day, my friend and I will go for makeovers somewhere. That would be a fun thing to do when the kids are at their dad's.

Is there an ULTA in your area? They have the Bare Escentuals, and will do free makeovers for you, if you want to try out the loose powder for a couple different looks.

I wear a more casual look during the day with going just eyeliner, mascara, and a little bit of gold shimmer - works really well with my hazel eyes. I usually line just the bottom.

If I'm going for a more done look, I line both eyes, and then do full eyeshadow set - base, darker color in the crease, and lighter color fading towards the eyebrows. Usually either black or Dark brown eyeliner, and black mascara.

Sephora also carries Bare Escentuals and will also do free makeovers for you. :)

I wear BE. I wear fairly light, but I haven't tried their matte collection. I also wear some liquid foundation, but that is more rarely. I always wear the same foundation color, unless I get more of a tan in the summer - then I switch to light and add bronzer if necessary. Foundation should be chosen based on your skin tone, not what you are wearing!

I hardly ever wear eyeliner - I wear eyeshadow in a neutral color or two, or a color complimenting my outfit. I always use mascara if I'm wearing eyeshadow.

If I decide to wear makeup, my "everyday" look is Makeup Forever concealer, BE foundation, Urban Decay eyeshadow in X, and some mascara. Sometimes I use a pressed powder foundation if I'm in a hurry or skip the eyeshadow, but if I wear foundation I always put on at least a little bit of mascara.

More elaborate makeup for me includes more eyeshadow colors, eyeliner, and blush. :)

*gets comfy and begins to type* lol

Bare Esceuntuals all the way. Virtually all the make up I use is Bare Escentuals. It truly is a breakthrough in the cosmetic industry. For a powder texture, it covers great - and this is coming from someone whose facial skin is so translucent, you can see veins in my cheeks. Before BE, I was using Max Factor's Pan Stick. That stuff's like clown make up. But the powder foundation works just fine for me. Feels nice on the skin too.

I don't switch up my colors. For evening, I just use more liner and shadow. I also sometimes use a black shadow for more drama. And I despise wearing anything on my lips other than Burt's Bee's stuff. But for evening, I'll wear some color.

Here's my collection:
FACE
- bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in 'Fairly Light.'
- Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil Finishing Powder I have this in both 'Hydrating' and 'Illuminating.' This definitely isn't a necessity. I wouldn't bother getting it unless you like having stuff to play with.
- bareMinerals Multi-Tasking Bisque In 'Bisque.' This is an amazing concealer. But you MUST have this brush in order to get the full effect - Bare Escentuals Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush.
- bareMinerals Glee All-Over Face Color This is my favorite product, 2nd to the foundation. The color is gorgeous. I use this mainly as blush. Haven't tried it by itself yet.
EYES
- I use a cheap (Revlon or something,) cream colored shadow to highlight and soften bareMinerals liner shadow in 'Now.' Anyone with green eyes - this shadow is a must-have. Aubergine really makes green eyes look green. And this color is the perfect shade. Super concentrated too so it will really last forever.
- I then line with Cover Girl black liner or a black liquid liner. And finish with Loreal Voluminous mascara in 'Carbon Black.'
LIPS
- I usually just glide on Burt's Bee's version of Chapstick and leave it. But if I need some color, I'll line with 100% Natural Lipliner in 'Eggplant.' Then I mush my lips together and it turns into a soft yet defined, matte shade. I've used this trick forever. Bare Escentuals Lipgloss in 'True' is a nice color too. And Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish from Bare Escentuals in 'Dolly' is fantastic if you don't mind the goopy, glossy feeling.

So yah - I highly recommend Bare Escentuals!

Before Ulta, I suggest you hit a Bare Escentuals shop first. I managed an Ulta for 4 years. They just hire in pretty girls off the street whether or not they have experience in cosmetics or cosmetology. You want someone who's knowledgeable about BE's products and their colors. You want to deal with someone who is familiar with proper make up application too. I'm certain BE trains their staff so go there first. Buy maybe one or two things in the shop and make a list of everything else you want to get and the color names. Then hit Ulta and buy at a small discount.

Answers to your questions:

- You want your make up to match. My 'theme' is plum or aubergine. That's one major mistake a lot of women make. They don't match up their lips, eyes and cheeks. Doing just this should guarantee you flattering results. If your eyeshadow is plum, make sure there's no orange tint in your blush, etc.
- Master your everyday look before you attempt something more dramatic. Like I mentioned earlier - I don't change my colors. I just make them more intense if I'm going for evening face. Not that all women have to do this. But I just prefer 'simple.'
- Regarding colors that would look good on you, you're safe with neutrals. Imho, blue, green, etc are for children. Keep it grown up! What you need to decipher is if you're cool, warm, or neutral. I can't really help you there without a bunch of pics. Consider your hair color, eye color, skin undertones, etc. Do you see blue? Red, orange or yellow? All of the above? If you're having a hard time, ask people around you (kids, parents, etc.)
- I lined only on top forever. But now I do bottom as well. The secret to gorgeous eyeliner is SMUDGING - especially for the bottom lid. And you want to do it LIGHTLY. You don't want a stick straight perfect line - unless you're using liquid liner. And that takes a while to master. My favorite smudgers are the tips of clean sponge eye shadow wands (you can use the wand more than once but you don't want one you've already used to apply shadow.)
- Use only black or brown for liner and mascara. If you're blonde, might want to stick with brown. I strictly use black for both. It's been my experience that pencil eyeliners are crap. Mechanical is the way to go. They're much softer and you don't have to worry about scratching your lid with a shred of wood or whatever. I used one pencil eyeliner by Christian Dior that was fantastic. But I'll be damned if I'm going to drop $50 on a pencil again.

Medi - you wear glasses right? You've gotta do your eyes too! Something about a nicely designed eye through glasses --- it's just extra pretty!

If you have any more questions, I'll be more than happy to help you out. Anyone for that matter! This has always been so much fun for me. It's a great feeling when you teach someone how to apply make up properly and from that point on, they're drop dead byootiful :).

*sits back and takes a breath* lol

---------- Post added at 03:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:15 AM ----------

One last bit of advice.

Baby wipes take off eye make up beautifully. The end now.

I generally wear Clinique make up products for all the basics, and then I have a few eyeshadows from other brands, just because I love variety of colours and some brands don't have as many options.

I think I have mastered the art of putting on make-up on myself, never had any complaints and many friends often ask me for tips on how I did this particular look on my eyes or how to apply bronzer.

So, tips for you Medi!

For daytime, I don't apply very much. I like to look natural. I may apply a cream foundation with my moisturizer, to get a sheer look, or just go without. I always apply a little concealer in any red or darker areas, like under the eyes, or nose and cheeks which tend to be more troublesome. Always blend well otherwise you'll look like there are some weird light stains on your face. Only apply as much concealer as necessary, don't go too heavy. Concealer should be applied before foundation, as the foundation will even it out a bit.

After this, one step many ladies skip, is to apply some loose powder, or bronzer, depending on how you like to look. For very pale skins, I thoroughly recommend bronzer. Loose powder should be in a shade the colour of your skin. Bronzer should be a couple of shades darker, and also if you can get one with shimmering particles it can add a lot of brightness to your face. Seriously, I have introduced a few friends to bronzer and it can totally transform your look from tired to a healthy glow. Dip a fat brush in the bronzer and dust off the excess, otherwise you will look like a clown. Brush your cheekbones, then your temples, then your nose and chin, and finally a light dusting all over. Lightly dust your neck and chest, adding a little in your cleavage area if it's on show.

After the base for your face is ready, move on to the eyes. In the daytime, I apply only a little black mascara. If you want it to look softer, apply some dark brown mascara. Optionally you could go for an eyeshadow in a light brown nuetral colour, with a little shimmer. Just apply it on the eyelid. Adding to that, you can smudge in some brown ( or even plum if you're feeling brave) eyeliner or cream shadow on the top rim of your eye.

I only apply my blush after I'm done with the eyes. I think it's easier to balance it out once the eyes are done. If you do it before, you may go too light on it. I always brush towards my ears and just under the cheekbones. Always dust the excess off the brush or it will look too heavy. I don't like rosy or light blush colours because I'm so white it makes me look washed out. I go for warmer tones.

So once the eyes are done, for daytime I apply only some pink tinted lipgloss with a little shimmer an I'm ready to go.

If it was night-time, I may apply more foundation, not just with my moisturizer. Though many days, I don't apply it and go bare. That just depends on how even your skin is naturally. If you can get away with it, then do, because it's a lot more flattering than a layer of artificial paint.

I also do a lot more on the eyes. Always try to choose one feature to stand out. If you do heavy eyes, then don't go heavy on the lips. On the eyes, I will sometimes use liquid eyeliner, but then go over it with a dark crea shadow because I like the defined line but with a little smudge around the edges if possible. I don't often line the bottom rim, I think it makes me look old and not that many women can really get away with it. If you must, definitely do it in a smudgy way and not with a hard line. After the liner, I apply some dark brown eyeshadow on the lid. Over that I may apply a shade of colour that I like, to match my outfit or mood. I do this because the dark shadow makes the eyemakeup stand out more, and it also masks the garish brightness of the colour applied over it. I usually apply the colour in the outer corner of the lid and in the center. Sometimes I take the colour and apply it over the edge of the lid and brow, gives it a little movement.

Then I take a white pearly shadow, or an equally light and matching shade, and apply it in the inner corner of my eye, and over the brow area. This gives the eye contrasts of dark and light and makes them pop. Sometimes when I'm feeling daring I apply the white shadow in the inner corner quite obviously, and it looks quite striking. This totally appears to change the shape of your eye. It's also another tip my friends love.

On days when I want to stand out even more, I bring out the glitter. I apply a little on my brow and outer corner of my eyelids, and sometimes also just on the top of my cheekbone, near the eye. This looks quite pretty.

For the lips at night time, I recommend a plummy colour that isn't too deep or dark. I think dark lip colour makes lips look thinner and it makes women look old. After the lipstick, I apply the same lipgloss, or a funkier one with added sparkle.

Blusher for night time, as usual only applied a little more intensely.

Hope that gave you a few ideas, I wish I could come over and play make-over with you ;)

Wow. this is a lot of information! Let me get a cup of coffee and come back to read. Thanks girls!

An FYI, Medi: I do not use BE eyeshadows/eye products because they really severely irritate my eyes. If it's hot outside, the foundation can irritate as well (they contain bismuth and mica) - so I wear BE's Prime Time primer under my foundation most of the time. It eliminates any chance of itchies whatsoever, which is awesome.

I love makeup but I don't wear much anymore. When I do wear it, I usually go for light liner on the lower lid in black-brown or brown (Prestige eyeliners are cheap but good, lots of bang for the buck). As for eyeshadow, I usually go for nudes for day; I find a nude shadow tends to perk up the eye area. Light pink shadow will do the same thing.

My favorite eyeshadows are from MAC Cosmetics. Don't be scared off by the funky colors at the counter; they have lots of normal colors too, and their Paints are awesome:
M·A·C Cosmetics | Paints
http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/...9x397/M1J9.jpg
It's spendy for a tiny tube but it lasts a really really long time because there's so much pigment in the product that you only have to use an eensy bit. It's the same with their regular shadow; I still have MAC shadow from high school :eek:.

Tippler gave you some great tips on how to do your eyes; the MAC Paints are awesome for a smoky eye as the cream shadow blends a bit with the smudged liner and makes it look really really sexy. I use this really sparkly yellow eye shadow I have from MAC as a highlight on my brow bones when I do the smoky eye.

Lips I usually go with a tinted gloss of some kind. I really liked L'Oreal HIP's Jelly Balm but they've discontinued it, and so I'll be going back to this stuff: Almost Lipstick > Lip Glosses > Makeup > Clinique The Black Honey shade is my favorite.

I don't wear mascara anymore, but when I did, I swore by Lancome's Defencils. Spendy, especially for mascara, but the sample sizes are just about perfect for how long you should keep your mascara anyway before tossing it. If you can get your hands on a sample of Defencils, go for it.

You should definitely hit up the cosmetics counters in your area and get some makeovers! Just don't go too sparkly. I think that's a mistake a lot of women make--loading up on the shimmer. Shimmer should be used where you need highlight, not all over the place.

OK, I'm not going repeat what the others said about the Bare Escentuals. It's my brand too. I use their brushes as well. Just get the starter kit and you should be good there.

For eyes, if I had to pick only one product, it would be mascara. Absolutely. And only on the upper lashes. My full makeup routine is SPF moisturizer, then powder foundation applied overall with the kabuki brush. Then concealer with the concealer brush. Cream shadow, (I actually use ELF for this), powder shadow applied with a shadow brush (*never* the foam applicator) in the crease. If I'm going out, I'll add eyeliner on the outer third of the top lid. Two coats of mascara, top lashes only. If you're anything but a fairly dark brunette, stick with brown-black for mascara. Black is very harsh on older women. And avoid the full "round the eye" eyeliner in all situations but very dark clubs. It's just too harsh and accents little lines and bags.

I also tend to stick with brownish-neutrals on almost all of my makeup. I use colors sometimes for drama, but even then, I usually just go darker with what I have.

I finish with a rosey blush. I totally avoid any of the "shimmer" blushes/bronzers as they tend to highlight wrinkles and bags.

We should post pics of 'no make up' and 'with make up' lol. Especially us Bare Escentuals gals. Sometimes there's not much of a difference with the person. But other times... holy crap!

I don't have much time, so I will add more later.

I love Bare Escentuals, but have found a cheaper alternative is L'Oreal Bare Natural Powdered Mineral Foundation. It works almost as well, but someday I will try Bare Escentuals again. The one problem I had with their product is, I am very fair, and they didn't have one that looked good on my skin, always too dark and orange looking.

I love Clinique products, but haven't bought any in a long time.

I love lineur intense felt tip eyeliner by L'Oreal, and usually just use it for the top of my lids, unless I am going out dancing. I also use their voluminous volume building mascara.

I use white eyeshadow on the top and corners of my eyes, as this gives you a more rested look. Sometimes I use other things, I will go into more detail later.

I wish we could all get together for a make-over party :) you girls are great! I love all of the information. I did buy myself a BE set from QVC once. That is how I knew I liked the loose powder products. This is what I got LIGHT I was not sure what to do with the mineral veil, but I have been using the concealer and foundation. The brushes are great. and I totally forgot about the lip stuff until I just saw what I got. Oops.

I have to stay away from eyeshadow for now. Until my eyelids get better. I am struggling with extremely dry skin and it gets rather itchy and flaky. I did wear black eyeliner, only on the top, and mascara today. (I am going to try to use a baby wipe to get it off before I rub my eyes!) I wore blush and lipstick too. I am not used to the lack of liner on the bottom, but I think it looked good. All I know is, cute work guy talked to me more today, and even sent me a text after work. :) I found a BE store in a nearby-ish mall and there is an Ulta near it too. I am hoping to go the next time I don't have the kids. Maybe I can drag my girlfriend with me. It is more fun with a friend.

Med if you ever make it to Chicago I'll make sure this is on the agenda... we can stock makeup remover and go to store on Michigan Ave :)


Having good eye makeup remover is key. I really like Almay's eye remove pads that come with baby oil. Target has sample sizes (15 pads for $1) if you want to try those.

I'm with lostgirl, I use the L'Oreal mineral foundation. I've never tried any other brand and I've been very pleased with it.

I don't wear a lot of makeup - blush and mascara on most days. And clear mascara for my brows; it makes an incredible difference. When I have extra time I use foundation and eyeliner; I love Sephora brand liners. I can't wear eyeshadow - it always rubs off and makes that nasty shadow crease within 2 hours, even when I use a primer. I also use the Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey - it looks good with everything, IMO. I've been wanting to try a different shade because I love the consistency - not as goopy as a gloss but smoother than lipstick.

This thread really is fun. Two people said they used that Clinique lipstick in 'black honey,' which means I need to try it now lol.

Medi - a while ago, I too had an issue with dry eyelids. They were flakey. What I did probably isn't recommended by pro's. If I use lotion (normally I use oil on my skin,) it's Nivea Extra Enriched lotion. Comes in a pump bottle. The main ingredient is mineral oil. I would lightly apply it to my eyelids. Problem is, if any gets in your eye and you wear contacts, you get 'foggy eye' for the rest of the day. Rinsing them off doesn't help much either. And I'm sure getting mineral oil in your eye isn't a good idea - dunno for sure. But that's what got rid of my flakey eyelids.

I used Almay's eye make up remover pads for years too - loved them. Still do, but I find I go through them way too fast. It takes 2-3 to remove my mascara and liner and that's per eye. That's when I switched to baby wipes. They're so much cheaper and it just takes one wipe per eye. But by all means, if you can swing it, go the Almay route!

One quick tip to ensure great application of the powder foundations - make sure your skin is exfoliated and moisturized. And apply foundation maybe 10 minutes after you applied moisturizer, to give it a chance to absorb into skin. I used to always apply foundation right after moisturizer, but you'll find you'll be using less foundation if you just wait those 10 minutes or so.

Yay fun thread. Hope more most soon :).

Since we are on the subject I would like to know what eyeliner you girls like best. Something that actually stays put!!!

I just line my bottom eye when I am going somewhere special, not on a everyday basis. So I would like something that will stay on for a long time and not smudge!

I personally LOVE an eyeliner I found at Victoria's Secret.

It is a brown with little gold shimmer in the eye liner itself - I have hazel eyes, and it just completely brings that out. Pretty good at staying put too.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...tPointPlus.jpg

That's what I use. However the smudge end is useless. It's too soft. Use either a Q-tip or the edge of a sponge tip eye shadow applicator. But I never had any issues with it smearing or creating an 'extra line' on my lid (I line on my lid and under my eye.) Only complaint is you can't tell when you're running low. So I just always keep an extra on hand.

Hey girls! Sounds like the party started without me.

While I can't say I'm a fan of BE, I do have other info to contribute.

My all time favorite mascara is Bourjois Coup de Theatre mascara - it really makes them look long and dark and lovely. I like the fact that it has a primer on one end, too. I typically do both top and bottom lashes, but do bottom lashes first.

As for liners, there are a few I like. Urban Decay has a good 24/7 Pencil liner and comes in some funky colors (along with your basics) However, I have just found Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Marker Eyeliner. Win! I have it in black. I line lids first (top only) and then shadow over, to soften the sharpness of the marker and forgive any mistakes. It has done an excellent job of doing what it claims - STAY ALL DAY!

See, now I can't do my bottom lashes. The mascara just gets on my skin and I look like I did my make up in the dark or something.

I think I figured out what is making the skin by my eyes so dry and itchy. I am pretty sure it's the handsoap at work. So I am going to try not to use it and see if this gets better. Once it gets better, and stays better, I am going for a makeover. I found a BE store in a mall near me, and an Ulta near that same mall.

For now, I am using some Avon makeup. Black eyeliner, powder foundation and cover-up, and blush. For my eyes, I am going lighter on the bottom lid, and still doing the top lid. It does not feel as heavy. Oh - and lipstick, of course. Lipstick just makes it all look better.

You wash your eyes at work?

No. but I wash my hands often. Then the soap is on my hands. No matter how much you dry them, there is still soap residue that can't see. I tend to touch my eyes a lot without even realizing it, pushing the hair away, adjusting my glasses. I can't think of what else would be causing this reaction that gets better on the weekends. It has to be something at work.

If it gets better on the weekends, take some of the soap you use at home to work with you. It might be a pain taking it to the bathroom every time (if keeping it in the bathroom isn't feasible since people will use it up), but it will allow you to see whether the soap really IS the problem.