MAKEUP - Love/Hate..Dish/Review

MandaBean

MandaBean

Sweet Shoppe Founder
OK..self-explanatory title. I am about to drop a dime or two on some new makeup and being the undecided shopper that I am, I cannot make my mind up. Here's my personal makeup/life history. :)

I LOVE makeup..cannot go out in public without it. I will walk to the mailbox without it and ride in a car without it, but get out at Wal-Mart without it..nope..not likely.

I have fair skin..really fair and really red tinted. Not to the point where my face is red and shiny, but it's sensitive and in red pigmented skin is in my genetics, so it's got some definite red discolorations/undertones.

I am a smoky eyes girl..and I almost always have eyeliner on, unless it's just a simple kind of day and I only wear mascara. However, I rarely ever wear lipstick. I prefer gloss or something super nude colored to anything else. I like my eyes to WHAM! Also, I need a nice cover of foundation on or else I feel naked.

Keep in mind..I don't wear makeup everyday when I'm sitting here designing kits. That's usually why I am never taking pics of myself during the day or on my webcam. :)

OK..now to the makeup history....

I've NEVER ever worn dept. store makeup. It's always makeup that comes from a drug store or Wal-Mart. One reason is..it's more convenient for me and another is..I like to change things up every now and then when I get bored with something and I don't wanna pay TOO much money for something I just wanna try on a whim.

My tastes have kind of changed. I now stick to one type of makeup for awhile. Right now I use L'Oreal's Bare Naturale mineral foundation. It's in the little clear jar and has the brush on top. Now, that makeup alone is around 15$ a jar and I can go through it in a month I would say. Blush, liner, etc., is also just very random products.

OK..now what I am looking for and why....

It's summertime, it's hot and humid in GA and I'm a face sweater. Yeah..that is gross, but we all sweat. I want a really great makeup that I can rely on to not slide off my face during these summer months.

I also want to be able to even out my skin and deminish some/most of the redness without making myself look like a monster.

Another reason I need this wonderful new cosmetics advice is because I am going to Disney World in September and regardless of all the reasons why I shouldn't wear makeup..I'm going to..and that is that. At least some..not a full blown Tammy Faye experience. But yeah..I need some good humidity proof solutions.

OK..now what I have been looking at....

Smashbox. I've looked at it for a few weeks now and I most likely will get some of their Photo Finish primer in the green which deminishes redness and junk. Anyone use this and did it work for you? I've also had their Tinted Moisturizer and foundations on my radar, so any advice on those would be good.

Basically..anything that can be found at Sephora, I have looked into. And yes, I know I can go to the mall and have some crazy lady play with my face, but I don't dig that. I'd rather lose money on crappy makeup that have that happen.

Now..since this is epic..I doubt many of you have even made it this far, but I need some serious feedback in this area. Mineral makeup would be great, liquid foundation would be fine too. I just need some options and who better to give them than you guys, right? :)

THANKS!
 
holy crap that was long :D :D :D :D

anyway.. I use every day minerals. At first I had the wrong shade and was having issues (I'm also pasty) but now we're golden. I too wear makeup all the time when I'm out-- even when it's 100 degrees and I'm doing an 8mile walk with my aunt sweating my face off... It stays where it needs to stay. There's like different.. uh.. pieces I have. The concealer, the foundation & then like the crap hold natural reflection that I use-- that last one helps keep shine down and stuff.. and you can add more without it getting like "Caked" on.. it just kinda goes on and you can't really see it (Similar to the bare minerals mineral veil I guess).. blush.. eyeshadow etc .. all good. I haven't messed around with the eyeshadows much.. but the one I have is def not a wimpy shadow.

Uhm.. with the blush.. one word of advice is to get darker/bolder than you think you need.. because in contrast to the eyeshadow.. it can be a lil wimpy :D :D

There's other crap there.. like that toning down the red tones stuff that you talked about.. just look around, you can order samples and stuff too..
 
I swear by Bare Escentuals. I have never been able to wear make up as I have super sensitive skin. Most make up makes my eyes water and has me breaking out in a funky rash. I have been wearing the BE brand for nearly 1.5 years DAILY!!!! Not once have I had a problem. They have SUPER eye colors too. They even have an awesome smoky eye kit.

I don't have a whole bunch of experience with high humidity but I do have some. I used my make up last year when I was in Grand Rapids in July. I had NO problems what so ever!!! My skin felt dry and not once did I feel like my make up was running down my face.

Good luck girl!!!
 
i'm pretty sure that sephora still has a "foundation finder" that you can do yourself based on what kind of coverage, formulation, etc you need. i'm a big fan of tinted moisturizer, especially in the summer (i'm a big face sweater too!). I will often mix my own b/c i like a high SPF and most tinted moisturizers don't go much above 15.

right now i'm using prescriptives and i don't love it. last was lancome and i was very happy. i want my makeup to breathe and never feel heavy, so mixing my own tinted moisturizer tends to work well.

http://www.makeupalley.com/ has reviews by LOTS of makeup junkies, so you can check overall ratings on brands you're interested in. i've been happy with Lorac and Becca in the past, so i might go that route again. it takes me a good year to go through a bottle of foundation so i have LOTS of time to make up my mind of what to try next :)

have fun shopping at Sephora! I love that place!
 
I wear Bare Essentials and am really happy with it. I have rosesea and it covers up my redness perfectly. If you are iffy on trying it, I'd suggest ordering from qvc.com because they have a 30 day return policy and you can try it out and discover if it's right for you. Personally my favs are-
Prime Time - makes my foundation last longer
foundation - I use Fairly Light, but I sometimes mix fairly light with medium beige
Buki brush
Warmth - I use it as my blush
I use a few different colors as eye shadows, mostly browns, but for a really cool young look, try their foiling shadows. It's too cool for me, but you might like it.

However, I live in Oregon, and it's not hot and humid, so I'm not sure how it lasts in the South.
 
I love Almay Smart Shade makeup. It's a liquid but is very light. i can't even feel it, but i too like to have a little something on me. i have issues with reddish areas on my skin too, but i have acne prone skin. its not near as bad as it was when i was a kid (good god it was awful.). its neat cause it comes out of the tube white but changes to match my skin pretty much exact. i love it. i also use a little powder on top, Almay also. I have sensitive skin so i stick with Almay or Neutrogena. But now i'm curious about this everyday minerals so i may try that.
 
Can't help you. I stopped wearing foundation when Avery was born (over 12 years ago) 'cause I didn't like it rubbing off on my new baby girl. I've tried Bare Escentuals, but it still felt too heavy for me. I like the "naked" skin feeling, despite it being less than perfect. I even like my freckles. :)

I wear only eyeliner (usually plum-ish to play up the green eyes) and mascara (brownish black, volumizing...never waterproof), and I can't do without Lipfinity (Spiritual) 'cause it stays put forever. I've tried a lot of shades, but it's the only one I like...more on the natural side. I don't wear any other stuff.

Good luck with your makeup adventure. It's always a little scary for me to try new things...I have insanely sensitive skin, so anything could happen (and usually does). You guys should have seen the last time I was suckered into getting my eyebrows waxed. It was horrible!
 
I'm with you on so many levels, Bean! :) I wear make-up all the time in public. I swear by Smashbox primer in those hot/sticky/marathon days where I know I'm not going to either want to or have the time to freshen up. Here are some other favs in my "makeup counter":

Eyeshadows- Clinique. Hands down love 'em. Reasonably priced for the amount you get, mine tend to last a really long time. I love Smashbox too, but they don't give you enough....not worth the money.

Mascara- Benefit's Bad Gal Lash. Waterproof- Good ole Cover Girl.

Blush- Lorac "Soul". Looks great on fair-skinned people and lasts absolutely forever. I've had mine for a year and it's no where near gone.

Lips- I'm not really a lipstick gal either, but I love Clinique's Long Last Soft Shine lipstick in Glow Bronze (another good fair-skin color). For gloss, my fav is Murad's Energizing Pomegranate Lip Therapy- a little goes a long way.

Foundation- Because of my fair skin, I have a really hard time with foundation. You know those commercials that say "works with 99% of skin tones"? Yup, I'm the 1%. So....I use a bit more expensive one- Estee Lauder's Equalizer in Pearl. I'd definitely recommend a make-up counter consult for foundation. You don't have to let her put in on your face, just your neck or hand (and you can always return it even if you've used it).

Anytime you want to talk cosmetics, just let me know. :) I have a bit of an addiction and love to "play". I can thank my mom for that one. LOL

Good luck!!
 
krystalhartley said:
You guys should have seen the last time I was suckered into getting my eyebrows waxed. It was horrible!
Click to expand...
Have you ever tried threading? It's much easier on the skin I think. i'm way overdue :blink:.

I don't wear makeup. hate the feeling of stuff on my face. I did try Bare Minerals but I could still feel it on my face.

I'm a sweater too. Always meant to try those blotting paper things but never got around to it. Has anyone tried those?
 
Well I live in humidity central and wear make-up every day. I hate to feel like I've got it on though so I love the mineral makeup (foundation, powder, eye shadow, blush and bronzer). I get mine from a Florida based woman who makes it herself.
http://amazingmineralsmakeup.com/
She has very competitive prices with some of the other mineral companies and she always sends a little something extra with the order.

As far as eyeliner...I have stayed tried and true to my Mary Kay for many years.
 
Probably not much help here. I have worn Mary Kay for the last 13 years and have never ventured outside of that. I am all around happy with it, so I don't go looking for anything else.
I have heard lots of great things about Bare Essentials though. Good luck!
 
I'm really no help. I've only worn foundation once. I do like to wear powder, eye makeup, blush and a light lipstick (when I wear makeup).

One hint on Sephora though, if you buy something, keep the original packaging. If you don't like it, they'll exchange it or return it for you.

I can't wear Sephora brand eye makeup at all. My eyes will burn and run all day long. I love Nars brand for eyemakeup:thumbup:
 
Funny that you guys, and Lauren, mentioned Everyday Minerals. I was on the disney boards a few weeks ago reading a very long makeup thread and lots of people suggested them. So, I went over and ordered a sample kit. They send them for free, you just pay shipping. I got the 'mint' concealer stuff for redness, the veil or w/e it's called, and 3 shades of foundation. I also bought the little brush and a finishing powder.

This is great, but the samples are so tiny and the brush is so tiny..I used it today and I felt like it was SUCH a daunting task to apply it. I need a big fat brush and I didn't have one.

I was also concerned about buying the Sephora liquid photo finish for the redness and then applying the minerals makeup over the top of it? Would that even work or would it be too sticky and not apply evenly? Ugh..how frustraing!! I so wish I was naturally foxy so I wouldn't have to go to these great lengths!
 
Manda, primers meld into the skin, so applying mineral foundations (or any foundation for that matter) actually becomes easier so long as you haven't gone overboard with the primer.
 
Oh, I love the mineral makeup, I think it works great. I have been using Loreal's mineral foundation and I love it. I would definitely go mineral, the liquid stuff is not all that great and tends to sweat off and make you look all streaky and such.

Good luck with your make-up search, :)
 
I have just got my fist set of Smashbox products a week ago and so far I totally love it :wub: Can't wait to get some more... :)
 
I always wear makeup too... but I'm pale but not pasty (I do tan lightly in the summer, sunblock or no sunblock, and have never really burned...).
I'm not sure I can help you, because I buy all my stuff from a friend who sells Mary Kay cosmetics. I like that because I don't even need to leave my house to shop, she comes to ME, and I can try on everything I want, also if I buy something and decide a month later I don't like it, I can return it and get a full refund - even two years later, if there is ANY product left, even a little bit and you want to return it, you get a full refund! I love their medium coverage foundation... it never cracks, falls off, feels slimy, feels heavy, or anything, and I've tried a lot that do. It just feels like I have put mositurizor on my face!

I hope you find what you're looking for!!!
 
I always starts with Mac´s strobe cream before adding their foundation or sunshine powders. LOVE the strobe cream, I actually don´t wear foundation that much after discovering it :)
I swear to MAC!
 
I've been wearing Bare Minerals/Bare Escentuals for about......9 or 10 years now, since I was in High School.

I'm not a big make up wearer (too high maintenance for me) but I do have the starter kits with all the various amazing foundation goodies. Their big fat brushes make application a dream! The great thing about BE is that the stuff is so pure and you need so little, it all lasts forever!

I almost always wear black eye liner. I've had the same black from them for at least 5 years, with NO signs of it running out! Lol! And if you like a stronger look, just dip the brush in water and you've got instant liquid liner :)

I got my foundation set at an Ulta, and they have an awesome return policy too. Their BE girl wasn't in, so I picked a starter kit on my own, but it was much too dark. I brought it back and exchanged it with zero problems!
 
I always used Mary Kay foundation (and actually used it at Disney in Sept) but I bought some of the minerals stuff from E.L.F. everything is a dollar there! It's not the coverage I like tho (I hate my freckles to show) so I am wanting to try Bare Essentials or the Everyday Minerals but will have to wait until I can spend extra money again. I did go to order the free trial from EM but their shipping is way too high for it to be considered free! LOL!

Good luck Manda!
 
Another BE girl here! I've only been using it since December, but I just today ran out of my foundation - that's 7 months for one jar! I love, love, love it! I live in Houston which is one of the biggest humidity capitals of the US :D I have had no problems here with it running off my face. I love that it feels like I'm not wearing any makeup.

I tried the Everyday Minerals, but I didn't think their coverage was as good as the Bare Essentials.

I agree with Col - go to Ulta to pick up the BE starter kit. It has everything you need: Brushes, 2 colors of foundation, the Mineral Veil (like finishing powder) and a couple face tints (which I use like a blush).
 
Since everyone is saying how long the foundation lasts, I thought I'd pipe in and say my Bare Esentials foundation only lasts around 2-3 months. Because I work nights, I always apply my makeup twice a day and since I have rosesea, I need more coverage. So depending on your needs you might get it to last more or less than someone else.
 
I have to second the nods for Bare Escentuals. I HATE wearing makeup. Mainly because everything I've tried seems too heavy for my face. I love this line because it is like I'm not even wearing makeup when I have it on.

I also have some Smashbox and I love it too. Their eyeliner is awesome!!
 
Hubby works for Revlon so I am a bit biased. I'm not much for make-up like I used to be but I do love my nail polish, eye stuff and Almay mineral make-up. The Almay I wear a lot. Too lazy to spend so much time on the old face like I used to. We used to get a huge order of free stuff to choose from every three months so I have tons of junk I've never even opened.

I just got ProActiv for mother's day (been asking for it) and I've used it a little. Not like I'm supposed to, we've been running like crazy for weeks now, but hopefully I can get on a schedule with that. I have really dry skin, redness and splotches so any of the regular acne treatment stuff just makes it worse. I have tried everything and I do mean EVERYthing and nothing has worked til now. Almost all the redness is gone out of my skin now after just a few uses. I love the stuff. Maybe I'll be one of those before and afters in the ads eventually. :)
 
I suspect that I'll be the only detratctor of BE foundation. IMO, if you're super pale, it's hard to find a match. Before I stopped using it due to allergies, I had to mix Fair (1) with Fairly Light (1.2) to get a neutral base. Then, so it would be light enough, I had to add an entire jar of Chenille (a BE eye color). In the summer, it'd be half a jar of Chenille with a tiny tiny bit of Light (2) to balance out my freckles. I'm not a mad scientist, or even a chemist...it's all too much work for me. Then, the allergies I mentioned. Most women won't notice this...but for me, the Bismuth Oxychloride in the foundation just drives my skin batty. It makes me itch like crazy all the time, and it's only worse once it gets warm.

That said, I can wear BE if I put a primer on first. I like primers, but I'm lazy. One step too many for me, and again, I'm not a chemist/mad scientist. I prefer to just pick up my foundation and go rather than having to make sure I have all the ingredients I need to make my foundation.

Ok, on to what I do use in the mineral world!! My hands down favorite foundation is from Meow Cosmetics. While the owner is a bit...ok, anyway. The product is fantastic. I use the Flawless Feline version because it offers me full coverage of my redness without resorting to Frankenstein's monster colored schtuff. (Sleek/Frisky Chartreux are my go to shade, depending on time of year...I can also wear Sleek Mau year round.) I enjoy the blushes and some of the eye shadows from this company too. Sizzle Bronzer does for me what BE's Warmth is supposed to do. Oh!! Meow's foundation may seem pricey, but you get HUGE container of minerals for the price. Just the jar size when compared to BE is enormous...BE's jar lid ends just below were Meow's jar lid starts. I'm just now finishing off a Munchkin jar (which is smaller and more affordable...it's been eight months.) The full-size jar I have will last at least a year if not longer.

My second choice for foundation is Alima Cosmetics. The only reason this is my second choice is because I have to mix, lol!! Alima's foundation is absolutely wonderful, with a light to medium coverage depending on application method. Kate, the owner, is an absolute doll to work with too!! I like her matte blushes and gossamer eye colors (but she discontinued those :(). The Pearlusters are nice too, but if you like bold eye colors...Alima may not be for you. The colors are quite sheer in all formulas.

For eye colors, there are two companies that simply can't be beat, IMO. The first is Pure Luxe. Chris has some simply stunning colors, all with a great color pay-off. Now, I admit to being a no-makeup look kind of girl. I'm a-skeered of them crazy colors...but Chris's colors are simply gorgeous no matter what. She's got some great blushes too (my favorites: Beach Babe, which is technically a bronzer, Blushing Bride, Babydoll, and Beach Bunny.)

The next company: The She Space. Heather's another one with amazing products...at low prices! (Chris's prices are quite low too, woot!) My favorite thing at TSS?? The Pigment Bar!! Choose your base color...add some sparkle, or iridescence, or iridescent sparkle! Custom design your own eye colors, sweet!! She's also selling the "add-ons" separately now so you can mix and such at home. I'm still too lazy to mix, so I just leave that to her!!

I do use some department store products too...mainly MAC for eye color/blush/lippies and Bobbi Brown skin care. Smashbox is a great product too!

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Now playing: Day Tripper - David Cook
via FoxyTunes
 
Let me seee...where to start!

1st off I have TONSSSS of Make-Up...Sephora and I are tight...its like a BFF relationship.

Primer: Gooo with the Smashbox Manda-Its amazing. I haven't tried the green, but I have tried one of thier newer tinted ones, and I loveeed it, in fact I need some more.

Foundation: I used to be a DI HARD BE fan, but since Landen was born I got too lazy to use it and have been using Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I just got sick of mixing my foundation every morning (I am fair skinned and had to mix like Leila was talking about...ANNOYING).
http://www.lauramercier.com/product...rn=Laura+Mercier+Tinted+Moisturizer&ovtac=PPC

Powder: I use BE Mineral Veil sometimes, but I also LOVE LORAC loose powder. I honestly though will go cheap a lot of time and stick with Maybelline Shine Free Loose most of the time, It performs well and I like it OK.

Blush: Ohhh lordy-I bet I have 50 or more...My fav's are NARS or BE...

Shadows: Dang...I'd hate to count but I bet I have over 100 BE colors and a few less of MAC and Stila...

Liner: I loveee BE's shadow liners...I used them wet, I wet them with Visine and then line my eyes...now mind you, I don't do this daily anymore, but when I want a glam look this is my go to combo.

Mascara: I use Dior: Dior Show Mascara...It is hands down the best mascara I have ever tried... I LOVE it!
Prescriptives has a decent drug store brand called Mascara in a Tube...Its not bad, but it runs after a long day.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P175208

Lipgloss/Liner-I love MAC's liner in Spice and can almost use it daily...My fav glosses are MAC Viva Glam VI and Lust...both Your Lip but Better shades that go well with most complexions...For some full on SEXY lips I go with Purr or Pink Poodle...VA VOOM!

OMG-I'm rambling...Anymore questions...feel free to ask...LMBO!
 
On the rare occasion I venture outside my Mabeline eyeliner & mascara, I use Prescriptives mineral powder. I also have a huge collection of assorted lipsticks I never remember to use. :)

I keep meaning to try the Bare Essentials but I'm afraid of getting the wrong color.
 
Wow..thanks for all the help guys! Honestly..I have NO idea what I am going to do other than order some things and trial and error my way to perfection. :)
 
I only wear make up in photos. It's PSE brand and comes in just about any color imaginable...lasts forever and comes off in a snap too :D

Good Luck Bean.
R
 
I have no advice, I never wear makeup. I might slap a little eyeliner and shadow when I go out, but that is all. Maybe I should try some foundation or something?
 
I'm a little late to this discussion but had to reply because a) it sounds like we have nearly identical skin issues and b) I SWEAR by the products I've found to deal with said crazy skin.

I live in New Jersey where today it's supposed to be 109 with the heat index and a healthy dose of nasty humdity. The same was true Saturday when I was outside at an event for most of the afternoon.

My makeup (which, yes, I wear no matter what!) looked fine when I came home out of the crazy heat.

I use MAC Studio Fix powder foundation. It's the only thing that doesn't turn a funky color (IMO) when you get hot or sweat. It's also totally controls shine all day. I usually need to buy it 2 - 3 times a year at most and I wear it every day.

The rest of my makeup is MAC, too, but it's the Studio Fix that I'm an evangelist about. It doesn't feel or look cakey and does a great job of evening out my redness. Like Shannon, I also swear by MAC Spice lip liner. I use it with a little gloss on a casual day and don't feel made-up at all, but still polished.

Have fun shopping!
 
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