Obligatory Makeup Thread

5 Oct 2013

Ok I will admit that I have a sorrowful lack of education in this area. I know what I like but describing it (here or in My stories) is something I simply can't find the words for. I don't know the terms or how to even describe what I like. I wish I knew more in this area. Here is one look I love:

As for lipstick, red is king, but pinks and even some plums work (as long as they aren't too dark).

6 Oct 2013

I have a mixed bag but the one tried and true is Yves St. Laurent mascara. It is sublime. Every makeup line has something they do well. But my thing is starting with healthy skin underneath. If your skin looks good you can swipe on some mascara and smear on some lipgloss and go.

26 Nov 2013

Quote by Dancing_Doll
Ok - my first recommendation:

NARS blush in Orgasm

Every girl needs this, and it's consistently made the best products lists in InStyle and fashion magazines for ages.

The reason is that this shade works for all skin tones and looks really natural and pretty. It's basically supposed to 'simulate' a soft flush in the cheeks like the type you get after you have an orgasm. The product lasts a long time. Easily available at Sephora (among other places).

It's amazing.

I just got some for my birthday and I love it. It's my favorite blush I've had. It looks so natural

29 Nov 2013

Quote by BlondeBookworm

I just got some for my birthday and I love it. It's my favorite blush I've had. It looks so natural

Yay - glad you like it too. It's definitely my favourite go-to blush. Probably the only one I've continued to repurchase when I run out of it.

The orgasm shade also comes in one of these chunky 'multiple sticks' (you can use it on face, lips, cheeks, body etc). I have one of these in a different shade and I like it for the summer or as something to toss into an overnight bag so you don't have to pack anything else but mascara.

This is a cream though so it has a different feel than a powder blush. I like it during summer months because it feels more blendable, dewy and natural but my skin gets more dry in winter months so I tend to stick to powder because I find that using a 'light touch' is easier to control.

29 Nov 2013

Lemon-aid. By Benefit

Corrects dark circles and brightens eyes

Love it!

Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed.

29 Nov 2013

I really love this stuff. I got it a couple months ago and I can tell it's going to last forever. It's just super pretty. It gives my skin like a light glow. I just dab a little along my cheekbones and brow bones. It's pretty much just a luminizer/highlighter.

1 Dec 2013

I somehow missed this thread. Thanks ladies for all of the posts. I am hopefully going to make use of them in the future.

1 Dec 2013

I've always had some of this mascara on hand and it's my favourite. I've been using it for years. It's not traditional mascara - it's called 'tubing' - basically it's totally waterproof (they use it in the underwater Cirque de Soleil show and it's a favourite among stage performers) and it comes off without any eye makeup remover (so you save both $ and mess). You can even sleep in it if you had to and this stuff doesn't come off or *ever* smudge. Serious!

It's hard to explain, so this video is good to watch for more info. I'd definitely recommend it. You can get it at Sephora, among other places.

Blinc Mascara

6 Jan 2014

I wear bare minerals.
I have never liked the liquid makeup. I know it has probably changed since wearing when I was younger. But I do like the bare minerals.

6 Jan 2014

So I recently got the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. Being a fan of the first two, I was really excited about this one.

As much as I hate to admit it, and as much as I tried playing with different looks with it, this palette was just a bit of a let down. The shades are gorgeous...and rich...and rosy. But, the palette is just boring, for lack of a better word. And it works for me because of my skin tone despite the fact that I have a bit of a yellow undertone, but I think it's the least versatile of the three naked palettes.

Maybe I'll feel differently about it in the spring. As I said, the shades are so rosy. Pretty much all of them...and I guess that's what bores me about it. I don't go for a rosy look every day. I don't have a rosy complexion. And they're blendable and you can do a lot of playing, but they're just so...pinkish.

Out of the three, the first naked palette has always been my favorite. But with the first two, I could always use either palette (or both, as I have before) on a daily basis as you can achieve basically any look with them. I don't get that with the third. I feel like it caters to one specific look, no matter what combinations of the shades you use.

Maybe it'll grow on me. But I probably won't be using the Naked 3 palette very often.

"What is the quality of your intent?" - Thurgood Marshall

4 Feb 2014

I don't wear much makeup, just the pure essentials.

One product I love is the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller

For my eye makeup the Avon Ultimate Mega Makeup Pallet is my hero. It comes with a bunch of different basic shades of eye shadows and lipsticks, along with everyday bush. While I dumped the included brushes in favor for my Mac ones, the pallet is a great gift and lasts a long time.

I finish with some drug store mascara such as Maybellines Falsies and which ever flavor of chapstick/eos I feel like sticking in my purse for the day. For evening I'll go with red lip stick or a shimmering gloss.

Takes me about 5-10 minutes every morning.

24 Feb 2014

OCC Lip Tar in Vintage
DipBrow by Anastasia Beverly Hills
Eyeshadow Warm Palette by Morphe Cosmetics
F&B by MAC
Studio Careblend Powder by MAC
Erase Paste by Benefit

These are my go-to products.

24 Feb 2014

I finally tried some products from the Butter London line of makeup. I know they are more well known for their polishes, but their makeup line is actually pretty amazing as well.

Mainly I was hooked by their new Boho Line for spring because I love neutral make-up and this is such a cool evening look, in my opinion.

Also a HUGE plus for me is that Butter London is cruelty free - never tested on animals. This is not as easy to find as you'd think with most major make-up lines still doing it (some because they sell in the China marketplace where animal testing is still required by law - I know - ridiculous, right??).

So I tried their 'cheeky cream blush' in Honey Pie - I loved this. All you need is a tiny sweep on the apple of your cheek and then blend it out to be as sheer as you want. I also liked the colour - basically a neutral/peachy tone. It also brightened up my complexion - this will definitely be my staple for the summer.

I also tried their tinted lip balms (in Teddy Boy and Mush) - loved them. They're moisturizing but still matte.

And I picked up their Lippy Gloss in 'Wag' - the glosses are nice (brush applicator, which I much prefer to the doe-foot applicators). They are all super sheer washes of colour (ie. they are true glosses - barely any colour - more adding shine and a hint of shimmer). I picked the one in the middle - the peachy hue with the golden shimmer. I figured this will be a good one in the summer as well. Plus I can add a tiny bit over the tinted balms if I want some shine and it doesn't detract from the colour.

Overall, I'm totally liking the BL line! I think their original liquid lipsticks were a miss - the reviews weren't great on those, but these newer products were all solid.

27 Mar 2014

Best Mascara and love the brush

Art can never exist without naked beauty displayed.

3 Apr 2014

I really love this eye make-up look. Neutral, great lashes and just a tiny hint of wings. So clean and pretty.

28 May 2014

This article had some interesting ideas on how to store beauty products at home or on-the-go. I like the idea of using a sunglass case to hold make-up brushes if you're traveling (ie. in an overnight bag or in a purse). And the magazine rack to hold hair straighteners/irons was a good idea as well. The only suggestion that made me cringe was when they suggested beheading your lipsticks. Eek!

24 Life-Changing Ways to Store Your Beauty Products

http://www.marieclaire.com/hair-beauty/beauty-products-and-makeup-storage-hacks

28 May 2014

Quote by Dancing_Doll
The only suggestion that made me cringe was when they suggested beheading your lipsticks. Eek!

This made me cringe, and I didn't even click the link yet. I just can't think of anything that would justify doing that. Lipsticks are small and perfect for travel without being decapitated.

EDIT: I clicked the link. The lipstick thing was ridiculous, and still very unnecessary.

"What is the quality of your intent?" - Thurgood Marshall

28 May 2014

Quote by Dani

This made me cringe, and I didn't even click the link yet. I just can't think of anything that would justify doing that. Lipsticks are small and perfect for travel without being decapitated.

EDIT: I clicked the link. The lipstick thing was ridiculous, and still very unnecessary.

I know - I totally don't see how that would save space or make anything more convenient. Not to mention it would make a mess as they melted down and the container jostled around, upside down in your bag. Blech.

28 May 2014

I've done a lot of stage work and the only thing that worked well under those fricking lights was the old, hard cake make-up. I spent a lot of time in touch-up though. You sweat like a faucet out there.

Probably not right for most here though.

I personally think the adage, "Less is more" works best for me. A hint of color, a touch of perfume (Opium from Yves St. Laurent drives me wild), lower heels, a dress that "Moves" with her and simple hair.

I like subtle. If it takes her hours to get ready that's a waist of time to me. I always appreciate whatever she did and tell her it's wonderful, but I don't think she needs to.

Just me.

My 2 cents

I am always a gentleman.

28 May 2014

Work makeup: Lip gloss, right now Cover Girl in #txtme Red. Non-work makeup: Lip gloss, same colour. Going out makeup: Lip gloss, light application of L'Oreal Perfecting Base, light application of blush, maaaaybe some eye shadow and mascara. Perfume, all cases: Estee Lauder Pleasures.

Yes, I know, I'm a piker in the world of makeup use and application.

Want to spend some time wallowing in a Recommended Read? Pick one! Or two! Or seven!

Drill Day - Tension
Double Oxer - Beribboned And Bowed - Blood Lust - Losing It - My Favourite Word

29 May 2014

I've been using this palette a lot lately:

29 May 2014

I've been using this palette a lot lately:

Lorac Unzipped

4 Jun 2014

Last weekend I had a friend who is a make-up artist play around with my face for fun before going out. She has the best make-up collection ever. Anyway she got me to try a stronger lip. My default has always been neutral gloss with emphasis on my eyes. But - I loved what she did with some of the fun/bold lip colours with lipsticks she had by Lime Crime (a popular indie brand out of L.A. that a lot of the celeb set like Katy Perry and Adele have been picking up on).

They have some really 'out there' colours which I am definitely not going to be brave enough for anytime soon, but they have some very wearable lipstick shades that really do last forever on the lip and go on really nice. I bought Coquette and Geradium (which she used on me) and I absolutely love them. Coquette is nude (ok, fine, I went for a safe bet) but Geradium is like a borderline neon pink/coral shade. I've even used this over gloss when I just want a more sheer pop of colour but when I used it full strength going out at night, I didn't even have to reapply it, which I thought was pretty cool.

This week I'm recovering from a minor car accident and got into some online shopping yesterday (I blame the drugs!), so I picked up a few other colours - especially their reds - because I don't even own *any* red lipstick! And my make-up artist friend did a red lip and nude eye and I really liked how it looked for a change.

Something like this: http://rodeo.net/killercolours/2012/06/04/glamour-101/

Anyway, their Velvetine collection is raved about online and always sold out (goes on liquid, dries matte, with a true velvet texture), so I'm trying Red Velvet and also Retrofuturist (pin-up red) and Glamour101 (hollywood starlet red). I also love that they leave a lip-stain so you have that popsicle-lip look after removal - throw gloss on top of that and you get another way to wear the colours.

Rachel (Sprite) is trying them too - I was chatting with her yesterday. They have a real fantasy concept with their brand - I'm sure some of the styles/colours would really appeal to the cosplay, fantasy, doll-philes of the world. But for the rest of us, there are quality colours that are fun but still day-to-day wearable. And they are vegan and cruelty-free.

So... yeah - interesting brand. They've been around since '08, so they might not be new to most people but just incase. There's tons of swatches online for those that want to check into specific colours and their Facebook page is a good starting point.

Here's some of the lippies and general spirit of the brand:

5 Jun 2014

Quote by Dancing_Doll
Last weekend I had a friend who is a make-up artist play around with my face for fun before going out. She has the best make-up collection ever. Anyway she got me to try a stronger lip. My default has always been neutral gloss with emphasis on my eyes. But - I loved what she did with some of the fun/bold lip colours with lipsticks she had by Lime Crime (a popular indie brand out of L.A. that a lot of the celeb set like Katy Perry and Adele have been picking up on).

This week I'm recovering from a minor car accident and got into some online shopping yesterday (I blame the drugs!), so I picked up a few other colours - especially their reds - because I don't even own *any* red lipstick! And my make-up artist friend did a red lip and nude eye and I really liked how it looked for a change.

Welcome to the dark side. evil5

The nude eye/bold lip was my first choice when I delved into the world of lipstick, and now it's kinda my trademark. Hands down my favorite look.

I've actually heard of Lime Crime. I'll have to really check them out, but you know I'm one of those MAC snobs. Embarassed

"What is the quality of your intent?" - Thurgood Marshall

5 Jun 2014

I'm so clumsy with make up. Especially with eyeliner. I create a dreadful mess all the time. crybaby

but my favourite lipstick is this red one.

6 Jun 2014

Quote by Dancing_Doll
Last weekend I had a friend who is a make-up artist play around with my face for fun before going out. She has the best make-up collection ever. Anyway she got me to try a stronger lip. My default has always been neutral gloss with emphasis on my eyes. But - I loved what she did with some of the fun/bold lip colours with lipsticks she had by Lime Crime (a popular indie brand out of L.A. that a lot of the celeb set like Katy Perry and Adele have been picking up on).

I love the look of the suedeberry, looks like I have something new to go buy Embarassed

6 Jun 2014

Quote by Dirty_D

I love the look of the suedeberry, looks like I have something new to go buy

I have the Red Velvet and let me say... wowww, does it last forever! It goes on liquid (super opaque in one swipe and a little goes a long way - no pencil required and no bleeding or feathering) and then dries matte. The Red Velvet looks exactly like red rose petals. Once it's dry (30 seconds or so), this does not move or smudge. Like... at all. You can kiss an envelope, press white tissue into your lips, drink coffee, eat, shower - I think you could probably swim underwater and it wouldn't come off. I went out and had dinner, drinks, danced and came home, without any touch-ups and I still had perfect red lips. Totally bizarre product. The only way I could remove it was with face-cleanser and some scrubbing. I can see why it always sells out. The Velvetines are the line that all the bloggers rave about as being totally unique in their make-up collections - even though I think I'm more partial to the lipsticks just because they're more versatile (ie. you can wear them full strength opaque or make them more sheer with gloss and layer and play around with them more). But if you like opaque perfect lips - the Velvetines are pretty amazing and very unique. I'm totally happy with Red Velvet.

I also like that they're a cruelty-free brand. I'm trying to phase out anything that isn't - which isn't as easy as you'd think. Little known fact - if a company sells in China, they are not cruelty-free. Unfortunately the laws there *require* animal testing to go to market and it's a big revenue opportunity so a lot of big-name 'cruelty-free' companies have reverted back... basically any drugstore, luxury or department store brand... even MAC. sad

And... in the nailpolish world - Essie tests on animals, and I think OPI is 'iffy' - their stance seems to go back and forth. The smaller companies and indie brands seem the way to go with nearly everything from household products to beauty... at least until China gets their act together.

10 Jun 2014

Quote by Dancing_Doll
Last weekend I had a friend who is a make-up artist play around with my face for fun before going out. She has the best make-up collection ever. Anyway she got me to try a stronger lip. My default has always been neutral gloss with emphasis on my eyes. But - I loved what she did with some of the fun/bold lip colours with lipsticks she had by Lime Crime (a popular indie brand out of L.A. that a lot of the celeb set like Katy Perry and Adele have been picking up on).

They have some really 'out there' colours which I am definitely not going to be brave enough for anytime soon, but they have some very wearable lipstick shades that really do last forever on the lip and go on really nice. I bought Coquette and Geradium (which she used on me) and I absolutely love them. Coquette is nude (ok, fine, I went for a safe bet) but Geradium is like a borderline neon pink/coral shade. I've even used this over gloss when I just want a more sheer pop of colour but when I used it full strength going out at night, I didn't even have to reapply it, which I thought was pretty cool.
...

Anyway, their Velvetine collection is raved about online and always sold out (goes on liquid, dries matte, with a true velvet texture), so I'm trying Red Velvet and also Retrofuturist (pin-up red) and Glamour101 (hollywood starlet red). I also love that they leave a lip-stain so you have that popsicle-lip look after removal - throw gloss on top of that and you get another way to wear the colours.

I gave them another once-over. I actually saw some lipsticks I may be brave enough to try...but I don't know how I feel about colorful non-matte shades. I only do nudes in the creme/glossier shades and do the bold colors in matte.

The Velvetine line is super appealing because that matte finish looks delicious, but the color is so rich and robust, I don't think I could pull it off with my lips. Most bold colors I can manipulate with lip liners and/or concealers to make them work for me. But you can't do any of that with those Velvetines. It looks so intimidating, especially for my lips. But I wanna try them sooooooooooo bad just to give it a go. crybaby

"What is the quality of your intent?" - Thurgood Marshall

10 Jun 2014

Quote by Dani

I gave them another once-over. I actually saw some lipsticks I may be brave enough to try...but I don't know how I feel about colorful non-matte shades. I only do nudes in the creme/glossier shades and do the bold colors in matte.

The Velvetine line is super appealing because that matte finish looks delicious, but the color is so rich and robust, I don't think I could pull it off with my lips. Most bold colors I can manipulate with lip liners and/or concealers to make them work for me. But you can't do any of that with those Velvetines. It looks so intimidating, especially for my lips. But I wanna try them sooooooooooo bad just to give it a go.

Girl, if I can do it, you can do it! haha

I'm not going to lie - the colour is definitely bold and red. You could probably do a creamy balm or gloss and then just dab lightly but the Velvetines are harder to manipulate than the lipsticks because they are meant to have that liquid to matte finish. They have a new colour coming out called Utopia (I think it's out sometime this month) that's a pink/purple (swatch on hands: http://www.specktra.net/t/150701/lime-crime-lipstick/450 ). I think this one might be too intense for me, but it would probably look great on you.

Of the lipsticks from them that I have, I think Retrofuturist is my fave - it's supposed to be a universally flattering red and I quite like it - it's very wearable for me - and this is coming from a non-red girl. Most of their lipsticks are quite matte as well - they are very long-lasting. I often add a bit of balm because I prefer it that way. Centrifuschia is also amazing and you would definitely be able to pull it off if you don't have anything in that hue - it's a deep hot pink. Geradium is quite matte as well and bright - but again, you can tone it down (or up) depending on whether you're mixing it or combining with balm/gloss etc.

13 Jun 2014

I worked as a beauty advisor at Ulta for a short time just so I could get the discount. I spent more on products than I made, for real. I have such a long list Dani. OMG. Urban Decay is the best eyeshadow hands down. Mascara...my eyelashes are so long it really does not matter, so I buy the cheaper stuff. I have used Lancome forever, but have noticed little to no difference. Eyeshadow is MY thing and Urban Decay rules! Cargo and Anastasia are good too for shadows. Napolean is wonderful for concealer. Too Faced has lovely blush and Benefit, Hoolah, is my favorite bronzer for contouring. Perfume...I could go nuts (and do). Dior Miss Cherie the best, Coco chanel Mademoiselle, Lancome La vie est belle, Escada Cherry in the Air, Gucci Envy. The best skin regime is using pure coconut oil. For cleansing, moisturizing, everything! Makes your skin look and feel super sexy! Been waiting for Victor Rolf/s Flowerbomb to come to the states. I don't have a make up bag; I have a make up room! The absolute best self tanner is called Norvell one hour... something or other. They discontinued it, but if you want to have the most beautiful dark golden color instantly without orange streaks find it on Ebay. It used to retail for 40.00; you can find it for much cheaper on Ebay. Face wash...baking soda and water. Go natural when you can, and it works very well. I make my own sugar scrub with sugar, organic virgin olive oil, essential oils (whichever you like) and sometimes some coconut oil. It works so well and if you shave your legs after using it, you will get the softest shave ever. I could ramble on, but I sound pretty superficial right about now.