Make-Up Mania/Girl Talk
Makeup Mixing Mania. There is a good article in the August 1999 issue of Allure on makeup mixing. Makeup artists have been doing this for years, but now it is becoming more mainstream with all the focus on famous makeup artists, their techniques, and their makeup lines. But if you have been reading my website, you already know all about makeup mixing and how to do it! Single products to be used on the eyes, lips and cheeks are becoming very popular. Jane has the All-Over Stick, Stila has Convertible Color, and Isabella Rossellini's new makeup line Manifesto makes a cream to be used on the eyes, cheeks and lips. While I am looking forward to trying these products, you can just as easily use any lipstick you have on the eyes, cheeks and lips. With the advent of these products and it becoming common knowledge that makeup artists often use products for uses they were not intended for, maybe the woman who emailed me "Yuck! Lipstick on the cheeks!" will reconsider her opinion.
My makeup pet peeve. I see too many women wearing lipstick, blush, and full eye makeup with splotchy skin and dark circles under their eyes. Please, don't ignore your skin! Wearing only color products when you don't have great skin looks unfinished. The unevenness or dark circles are distracting and detract from the makeup you did do. You don't want to go through all that effort for nothing! If you are limited on time, make your skin the priority and do simpler eye makeup. If you will be skipping foundation, at least apply concealer strategically over any dark circles or imperfections on your skin.
When you have the time, here is what I suggest: Wear foundation unless you are blessed with flawless or nearly flawless skin. For some women their foundation alone will be enough coverage and they won't need concealer. Some will only need concealer. Some will need both. But very few can get away with neither. There are benefits to wearing foundation in addition to evening out your skin tone. All your make-up will go on better than over bare skin, and it will also last longer
TV Trends. I don't watch very much prime time TV, but I tuned into Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210 last week. I really enjoyed seeing all the women made up so beautifully. I noticed that almost all of them were wearing peach or orange-toned lipstick and blush. I guess this is the new "in" color. I was amazed at how flattering these colors are to so many different complexions. They all had a nice, warm glow expect Heather Locklear who looked a little washed out. I also noticed that Tiffany and Tori were sporting frosted eyeshadow. A real rarity with TV makeup. If you are a fan of frost, tune in to Beverly Hills and look at how they use it on these women. I think this is the most flattering use of frost I have seen. It looks like they only use one frosted eyeshadow and they sometimes use it in combination with matte shadows. If frost is applied over the entire eye area, the reflecting shine can be too overwhelming. The frosted shadow is only placed on one area of the eye either to highlight the lid, or a deeper colored frost is used over the eyelid/crease area. You could also use a frost just to highlight the browbone with matte shadows on the lid and crease. It also looks like the shadows were applied lightly with a brush for a soft, sheer effect.
Trendy vs. Timeless and the "new" fall colors. Have you ever noticed that the models in the editorial/instructional pages of the fashion magazines often do not look as good as the models in the advertisements in the magazines and on the cover? (except for the occasional make-up ad for some bizarre current color). The reason is that in most of the ads and on the cover, they usually use classic, matte, neutral, timeless, "pretty" make-up - nothing weird. This type of make-up lets the beauty of the woman show through and always looks better than trendy, funky colors and lots of frost.
In looking at the "new" fall colors in Allure and Glamour and testing the little make-up samples they provided, I realized that these are the exact same frosted shades that were sold in the '80's. The only difference is they are now applied in a more sheer manner, only one strong colored eyeshadow is worn at once instead of a kaleidoscope (thank God), and only one feature tends to be dramatized instead of both eyes and lips at once. Emphasizing only one feature can bring balance to a look that could be too strong otherwise, but it can also backfire and look like you forgot to make up the rest of your face. This new way of wearing these colors is definitely an improvement, but the colors are still nevertheless an '80's throwback, and just not as flattering as the more neutral, matte, softer, more classic make-up of the earlier '90's. The samples in these magazines are great! You can see just how silly and unflattering these eyeshadows and frosted blushes look on you at home, so you don't have to go out and waste your money and time to end up disappointed. I must say that I do welcome the return of the deep plum and wine lipsticks. These are beautiful, flattering colors that were hard to find a few years ago. I also like some of the metallic brown and bronze lipsticks. I am also pleased to see a return to wearing "real" make-up after months of the "barefaced" look.
You will save yourself money, time, and effort if you just stick with more basic, classic, neutral, flattering, timeless colors, and resist the temptation to go out and buy the new "look of the season." If you must have some frost, just try a little on your lips only. Really look at the pictures of models in editorial sections and ask yourself: Do they really look beautiful made up like this? Is this a look that would work for my life? Does this make-up really bring out the color of her eyes or call attention to itself? Sometimes the models can look truly bad in these segments. And these women are models. Imagine how it will look on the rest of us! But we can still get suckered because sometimes these women are so beautiful, that you can put anything on them and they will still look good. If you want to look truly gorgeous, ignore the editorial sections with their 20 year old models and how to achieve the latest trendy "make-up look." Instead, study and imitate the cover looks and the more natural looking make-up you see in the advertisements. Notice that they don't follow trends, they use classic make-up that rarely changes.
Make-up Addictions. I am always fascinated to know just how many lipsticks, eyeshadows, blush or pencils other women collect. I am a lipstick person myself and always own at least 10-20 different colors. Then I mix and layer them to make more shades. I like to wear a different color just about every day. As a teenager, I loved to experiment with eyeshadows more than lipsticks. Since I was doing makeup on other women at the time, I ordered sample blush and eyeshadow trays from La Femme for a little less than $100. The trays had every color they made. I had 18 blushes and 88 eyeshadow plus the ones in my huge tackle box. Now that I am older, boring, more conservative and settled in my tastes, I have only 2 blushes and 5 eyeshadow. I got pretty sick of all those colorful frosted eyeshadows. I wore them all, and often all at once! Hey, I was young and it was the 80's! These days, I do all my experimenting with lipsticks, although I think I still may wear my eye make-up a little darker than most women.
I thought that I had an excessively large lipstick collection until I read the article "Oral Fixation" in the February 1998 issue of Allure. I thought it was so cute how one woman who has about 60 lipsticks, before a date likes to line them up by dozens like "little soldiers" on the living room rug and have a glass of wine as she selects her shade for the evening (Hey, she can afford it. She's a clothing designer). Another woman says she has to carry at least 6 or 7 tubes in her purse "in case my mood swings." I no longer feel self-conscious carrying five at all times.
Tell me about your make-up passions and pleasures. How many do you have in your collection? Does anyone carry 10 or more lipsticks in your purse? Do you carry practically your entire make-up collection with you for touch-ups? Are you searching for the perfect lipstick shade? The perfect red, the perfect plum, the perfect brown, the perfect pink, the perfect nude? I am really interested! Can you never pass by a make-up counter without buying a new, beautiful shade of frosted eyeshadow? are you a pencil junkie? Have a blush to match every lipstick, outfit, and mood?
I don't keep as many lipsticks as you, but also like indulging in them. Typically, I stay with less expensive lines but I do have a Christian Dior lipliner in Chocolat that I love and an Aveda lipstick. Otherwise, it's the cheap but effective stuff. - Cherbella
Stila. Will someone explain to me what I am missing here? I don't understand why so many women on the Internet are so obsessed with Stila. Why do you love these products? I had my make-up done by Stila supervised by their national make-up artist. Yes, I liked the Complete Coverage Foundation, although I was disappointed by the amount of coverage. It was still pretty sheer. And the price wasn't so bad compared to others once I figured out the cost per ounce. I also thought the service was great and very personable. But I didn't think any of the other products were anything special. When I saw the cardboard packaging all I could think was, "What if I drop it in the sink or set in down on a wet counter? Will it fall apart?" Has this happened to anyone? How did the packaging hold up? I see the immense and growing collections of Stila products some women have on the Internet and I wonder, "How can they pay their rent?" Is the appeal to be using products that we think the pros use?
One of my lipsticks recently got soaked when I dropped it into the sink, but once I toweled it off it was as good as new. I generally don't spend a lot of money on cosmetics, but Stila lipsticks are a luxury I enjoy -Luce and Robin look better on me than anything else I've tried, including my own home blends! - Karen
Make-Overs. Almost every time I get my make-up done they don't put on enough make-up for my taste. They spend so much time on it, and then it looks like nothing (especially the eye make-up). I have light skin and dark hair so I can wear more intense make-up than many women can. Even when I tell them I like it more dramatic, they rarely just go for it. The only artist who applied as much as I requested, made my skin flawless, and took the time to shape my lips properly was at Versace. Is my experience unusual? Do they do your make-up too light or too dark? But even if I don't love the look, I always learn something when someone else does my make-up and I am very thankful for these free services. The surprise element is also fun for me. I never know what product they put on me that I may fall in love with. And it is usually not what I came there looking for.
Know of any awesome quality or unique department store products I should check out? I am always looking for something fun to put on my next birthday and Christmas Lists, and unfortunately not very much out there has impressed me so far. Tell me what your favorite picks are!
Cream Blush. I'm just curious, do any of you actually use this stuff? I have only found one in my life that was easy to apply and looked good. It was Revlon Natural Wonder and the whole line is extinct! Cream blush is supposed to be making a comeback. I'd like to know if it is catching on or if it just something older women like. Have you found a brand that goes on well? What skin types does cream blush actually work well with?
I use Clinique's creme blush -I love creme blush because it blends so much more smoothly. Powder blush on my face always ends up looking cakey or streaky after a little while. Lancome used to make a great creme blush also, but it got discontinued (or they began adding powder to it). Anyway, the formula changed and it didn't work for me anymore, so I scouted out another source and ended up with Clinique.[ I'm 51] - C.A.A
On your site you mentioned whether anyone knew if they have used/liked creme blush. Well, I have and I liked it (it looks VERY natural). I think the brand was H2O. But, I like Bonne Bell gel blush in a sheer red color much better, it blends well, looks completely real, and is easy to put concealer over. - Bobbi
Count me in as another creme blush fan. I have oily skin, and I've *never* looked good
in powder blush. With or without foundation underneath, it just sits on top of my skin and
looks phony, no matter how perfect the hue. Since I have a hard time
finding creme blush in the color that looks best on me (tangerine orange with just the
barest hint of pink), I use lipstick. Just three or four quick dots, blend, and I'm done.
I definitely agree with you that lipsticks can be used anywhere on your face: they
come in such a wide range of hues and in intense shades so you don't need to use much to
get a subtle splash of color. - Fiona
Freckles. I'm tired of all the make-up artists saying how cute freckles are, let them show through. I'm quite sick of mine after 30 years of letting them show. So then why have I never seen a fashion magazine cover with a model with freckles? I just saw a make-up editorial with a model with freckles like mine. Wow, progress! But it was weird, like looking in a mirror. I even had one sales associate lecture me saying I shouldn't be trying to cover my freckles with foundation, that is not what it is for. I noticed that she did not have a single dot on her face. Do you like your freckles? Are you indifferent & ignore them? Or are you sick of them and everyone else who doesn't have them telling you how cute they are?
On a related topic, I just read a make-up artist's comment in one of my magazines that dark under eye circles are sexy. Now this is just too much. So why do cosmetics companies sell concealer and why do we buy it? Maybe I'd feel the same way if mine were just an occasional occurrence from lack of sleep, but they are permanent. All my life people have asked me if I stayed up late when I wasn't wearing concealer. I bet if this make-up artist comes out with her own make-up line she will definitely include a concealer and will be extolling it's virtues. I couldn't believe that even Cindy Crawford made the same comment in her book. That's when I knew Cindy was going to be of no help to me. Back on the rack it went! It just bothers me to hear her say that when I have never seen a picture of her with dark circles showing. She had creative control when she made her exercise video and I highly doubt she didn't choose to have her skin flawlessly made up.
I once did see Cindy Crawford with dark circles under her eyes. She was on Howard Stern on the E channel. Apparently that show is taped very early in the morning. In any case - it was far from sexy. - Wendi
I think this is related to the current phenomenon in the world of make-up of requiring a slew of expensive products to achieve a completely bare-faced look. When the natural look gets taken this far, I just don't see the point in wearing make-up at all. Why should I spend money on products that won't make me look any different or prettier? I'll just skip it and save my money, thank you. I think the cosmetic companies just want to make sure we will give them our money no matter what the trend. So they come out with totally sheer foundations, and we buy them. I am also completely baffled at how this look can coexist in the same magazines along with bright blue, green, purple, or silver frosted eyeshadows and bright fuchsia, purple, and stone colored lipstick. What is going on? It is like we can't make up our minds.
The Conspicuous Consumer. Did you see the article "The Annual Report" in the May 1998 issue of Allure? It showed what cosmetics and skin care items one woman used in a year. She used 348 units of 52 products costing $7,986 a year! This figure did not even include "trips to the spa, dermatologist and other out of house regimens." In looking at the pictures of all the products, I can't believe she has enough skin on her body to use up so many containers of lotions and creams. This is what buying into all the skin care advertisers' claims can do to you (If all these creams and serums work, then why does she still need to go to the dermatologist? I think all these products she's using are creating or exacerbating her skin problems). Maybe as a Publicist she can afford to spend $665.50 a month on cosmetics, but I doubt it isn't causing her financial difficulty in some way. If my husband and I continue on our current spending course, our combined sundries expenditures for all of 1998 (which includes all make-up, skin care and toiletries) will be $750. I still think this is too high, and I am looking for ways to cut it down. I think it is the bulk of sunscreens I use making it higher than I'd like.
What pleasantly surprised me was that even though her skin care purchases were excessive, the number of her make-up purchases was not, except for the 12 mascaras. Does she like to be very sanitary or does she keep losing them? There's something wrong if $16 tubes of Bobbi Brown mascara dry up after only one month. By my loose estimate, she spent approximately $610 on 32 make-up items in one year. If she had bought the same amount of low-cost drugstore brand products and still bought expensive foundation and concealer, the total would be approximately $133 (and I even doubled the eyeshadow cost because the Bobbi Brown shadows are highly pigmented so they last longer). That is a savings of $477! It wouldn't make a big dent in her expenses without a major change in her skin care purchases, but it is a good example for those of us on limited budgets to learn from.
See Skin Care for a detailed breakdown of my particular skin care routine and the cost.
My beef about nail polish. While I think nail polish looks very pretty, I'd like to put in a vote for taking polish off the "required" list for good grooming. I feel this is one of the most ridiculously impractical beauty practices women have ever engaged in. I put it up there with foot binding and high heels. Keeping perfectly polished nails (especially long nails) is completely at odds with our modern lifestyles. It is like a denial of the reality of our busy lives and the actual tasks that we must do with our hands. Instead of serving us or empowering us, I feel this practice often restricts our activity and enslaves us to the process. Ask yourself if you wear polish because you want to, or because you feel you have to. Ultimately what make-up products you wear or don't wear is truly up to you. I'd like to see nail polish become more of a special occasion thing. If you quit the polish habit, your nails will be healthier and split and chip less. You will also have more time and money (particularly if you have been getting them done professionally)-for a life.
I just wanted you to know that I have stopped wearing nail polish. I felt like I should wear it, so as not to appear unkempt. But I decided that I actually prefer my nails unpolished, and I'm not going to wear it just to impress people. - Ashalon
Why you will not see hair tips on this web site. It's like in that Pantene commercial where Kelly LeBrock says, "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful." But you are allowed to hate me for this. Many women do. God blessed me with the best hair. I don't have to do a darn thing to it for it to look good. It is thick, shiny, healthy and naturally wavy. I can't complain about the color either. I always get compliments, and often people think I dye my hair because it is so dark and my skin is light. As long as it has a good layered cut to take advantage of the natural curl, I just let it air-dry (with no styling products) and it looks like the magazine covers where they had to work for it. The only time I blow-dry my hair is to fluff it up for a special occasion or when it is cold outside. I can use any shampoo or conditioner. It makes no difference in how my hair behaves. I will do painstaking makeup every day, but I am extremely lazy with my hair. So you see, I missed out on a lot of learning about hair styling by having wash 'n' wear hair. I only know the basics and have nothing to share on this topic. It is like a foreign language to me when I hear women talk about their hair problems, hair products, and the endless styling they have to do.
However, I do have this strange knack for haircutting. I cut my husband's hair and my own. It's really not a money thing, but it sure does help the budget. He was once traumatized by a drunk hairdresser, and I wanted to be in control of how long my layers were and to shape my hair how I like it. Two hairdressers have told me that I do a really good job. With the waves, it is very forgiving. Any unevenness or mistakes don't show. A hairdresser friend of mine just taught me how to do texturizing, so now I'm really having fun! I sure wish I had taken the haircutting portion when I was in beauty school!
Why you will not see anything regarding fragrances on this web site. To my body, perfume is air pollution. I have respiratory allergies and cannot wear perfume, use fragranced products, or be around other people wearing perfume or cologne. It can give me headaches, or cause me difficulty breathing and chest pain. I have had problems in the workplace over this issue because it is a very personal issue for many women. Some women are offended at the idea of giving up their perfume for someone else's health and comfort and won't do it. While working in a very cramped office, I had one boss say to me "It's part of who I am." Please! The cosmetics companies are really ruling our lives when it gets to that point. It is my sincere hope that the wearing of perfume in public places will someday be regulated just like smoking is. To my lungs there is no difference.
Unfortunately, the problem is larger than just perfume, although it is the worst offender. People have no idea how strongly fragranced they can be after they finish their morning shower and hair-styling rituals which can pile on fragrance after fragrance, with each product used. Even if they don't wear perfume, it can take hours for all the fragrances from the lotions, soaps, conditioners, gels, and hairsprays to wear off. I always had the most trouble at work first thing in the morning. I hope that as people learn that fragrances are skin irritants, there will be a greater demand for fragrance-free bath, skin, and hair-care products. Then this will be less of a problem for people like me. I also hope that as more people with my problem speak out (and there are many of us), perfume wearers will become more sensitive to the health of others and will begin to reserve perfume for only private use at home. I don't think perfume is appropriate in the workplace anyway. It is much too sexual.
