No probs, I'm glad you found stuff you liked.    I love palettes so much.  So... so organized...and colorful....

I generally avoid most colored lip products, since my lips are not thin nor thick enough to really pair too well with any color that isn't a nude.  Lip products (besides scrubs, conditioners and balms) aren't a big part of my daily routine, and when I do wear them I put concealer (won't dry them out if you put a balm under it or use a moisturizing lipstick) on my lips first because I am an idiot who likes to wear warm toned lip colors over my cool toned lips.  XD

MyMakeUpAlley and the MakeUpTalk forums are great places to look for product reviews, and have tons of members.  Word of mouth here is better than in comments sections for brand sites (Clinique) or online stores (Sephora and Ulta) where you typically only see accolades for any product simply because most people won't purchase something online that they don't already like when it comes to make-up. 

If you have little luck with foundation, you could try a tinted moisturizer.  Since the coverage is light, you don't have to apply all over the face.  Applying under the eyes, over the nose and blending that out into the cheeks will give you that even-toned look without lines, and setting it with a translucent powder will keep it there and prevent it from oxidizing and darkening.  You could also try corrector colors, specifically green.  Concealor alone doesn't do much of anything unless it is pasty, but a spot of green color corrector applied under or mixed into foundation/concealer can do wonders.  I have red cheeks as well on pale skin (and red around my nose), and color corrector is the only way I've found of successfully covering it without piling on the foundation.   

The only other advice I can think of is to try for a foundation with matte finish, or a higher brand foundation like Clinique, MAC or Chanel.  Drugstore foundation has always looked god-awful to me, it all seems to dry into the same super light, powdery finish if you apply too much but look pink and shiny and oxidize like crazy no-matter what steps I take to control moisture and oil if I apply it too light.  Just never buy a foundation the first day you look for it if you go for a more expensive brand.  Try it on in store and ask for a sample and then re-check how it looks later in the the day and in natural light to see how it wears and if it oxidizes any, because otherwise you will not get a true color match for your skintone.  Those super bright lights in Sephora's and such pretty much blank your face and make most foundations appear to match it.

OOOH.  Also, Clinique has a line of skin and make-up products called Redness Solutions.  It's all designed specifically to mask and treat redness issues.  Powders, foundations, foundation specifically for wearing over and treating acne break outs, and most it also soothes swelling as well.  A lovely idea, really, for people with rosacea, acne, or redness of any kind.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (09-24-2012 09:20:29 PM)

Anyone else having problems with eyeliners? Whether I use the liquid sort or the pencil sort, it never turns out well. ;/

I pretty much suck at eyeliners as well; partly because I have protruding eyes with lots of visible lid space around the inner corners, so cat eyes, the traditional look when one images liner, does not work for me.  It seems tacky, but thick eyeliner is what actually works best provide I smudge it out at the outer corners.  Look up eye shapes (wide set, close set, hooded, protruding, upturned, deep set, monolid, almond -you can be more than one) and that will help you determine what liner look is appropriate for you in the first place.  Two, acclimate yourself to smudgy pencil liners and eyeshadow(wet or dry)/cream liners applied with an angled eyeliner brush (one kind of brush that works just as well when bought on the cheap!) first, as they do what the basic purpose of most liners should do -thicken the lash line by visually filling in the visible lid space or 'gaps' between your lashes, and are pretty easy to use.

Some other things to consider:

Colorful liners are easier to get used to before strong blacks and liquid liners.  In a way, they are very forgiving.

Dark eyeliners shrink your eyes, peach, pink, white and nude eyeliners are meant to highlight the inner corners of your eye or go along the bottom waterline and widen your eyes and make you appear more awake.  Dark purples, browns and navy blues can be great for a smudged look without the sharp severity of a black liner.

I typically find it easier, when applying liner from the outer edge of the eye to start there and move inward as opposed to the opposite -the thinnest point on the line will thus be outside the eye and than you can easily thicken the line across the lid.

Going across the path you want your eyeliner to take with a light amount of similarly colored eyeshadow will not only help your eyeliner last longer, but act as a path to trace and give you an idea of what a particular line will look like BEFORE you put on that temperamental liner. 

You don't always have to connect the top/bottom lid liners on the inner corner of the eye, but it is strongly suggested you do for the outer corner.

Primers can help "tighten" and smooth the skin on the eye, making application of liner easier.

Don't tug the lid, press the pad of your finger next to the area you want to cover for a bit of pressure, but never tug.  It causes wrinkles and will eff up your application.

For some reason, putting on liner with your mouth open helps you keep from blinking too much.

Do the eye you have trouble with first.  It's easier to match the other eye to the way it looks than to match it with your 'easier' eye. 

Tightlining is supah easy once you get used to the feeling.  Use a soft pencil that isn't too sharp and a liquid.  Run it along your bottom water line and just under your lashes on the upper. If you don't bring this color all the way to the inner corner of your eye and just do the top it adds thickness to your lashes without screaming, "eyeliner." 

Place some tape on the back of your clean hand.  Then use that tape on your eyes to act as "paint guides" for your liner.

If you mess up, give the liner a second to dry and then cover it with heavy concealer/foundation using a BRUSH, and PATTING, so that you don't just smear/mix the liner into the product.

When choosing a liner these are your quality checks:  Good, true to color pigmentation (especially with black liners, which can apply gray, translucent looking or faded), smudges if it is supposed to, stays put if it ain't, smooth, non gloopy for liquid liners, pencil liners that are not hard (bad color payoff and injury risk) but not so soft they crumble when applied to the eye (keep in mind pencils apply easier and smoother on your flat, tight skin of the back of your hand than on your sensitive eyelid), sort of a waxy texture is nice.   Non-irritating and non-flaking. 

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.  It's pretty much you painting on your face, and all the tips are great to know, but you only gain skill through doing it. 


As for what liner looks good with what eyeshape/eyeshadow look, I HAVE NO CLUE. 

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (09-26-2012 08:02:09 PM)

I love that blog!

And Wet n Wild pallets are GREAT. (I'm loving all the WnW love on this thread.)  Even if only because their intense pigmentation gives you the opportunity to try out different colors and find your compliments without burning a hole in your wallet.  They also depot easily, are labeled for beginners, and they have tons of color MATTES OMG.  Since I do hear they have fallout problems, I suggest a make-up setting spray rather than a primer.  Primer makes it last longer, but don't do no shit for fallout. 

Someone told me you can mix your powder eyeshadow with primer to make a great faux-cream shadow or liner.  Anyone know anything about this?  I know you can mix your moisturizer and concealer but hrm. 


We should do swaps, yous gaiz.  Even just samples.  I have SO MANY samples I'm never going to use; perfumes, primers, cleanser, foundation, hair product, anti-aging.  I even have a deluxe sample of NARS tinted moisturizer that I've only used a smidge of once and didn't care for I'd be glad to give/trade.

Apparently WnW has made a concerted effort to improve their products and their rap.  I still assert that their nail polishes trump many higher brand polishes and come in shades that get me so complimented in public by women I don't know -the SECRET GOAL OF MAKE-UP.

Neato, I adore DIY make-up tutorials on Youtube, especially the ones that help find uses for old/almost used up products. 

This video may be helpful for people wanting a bit of an update on the quality and kinds of eyeshadow WnW is producing somewhat lately:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuGt9p5SE-A  She is an ambassador, but she is also brutally honest.  If she sounds like a news anchor that is because she is XD

White and Electric Blue Eyeliners!  I use the white on my waterline to make my eyes look SUPER SPARKLY in a way that's hard to describe (as in, you don't see/think "make-up") and doubles as a highlighter.  Electric blue eyeliner looks awesomesauce no-matter how you wear it... it gets you noticed even if it's just a short swipe on the outer corner of the eye. 

Actually, I love just a colored liner on a nuetral/nude base (shimmer or matte) rather than spending a lot of time blending shadows.  It's such a cool, precise use of color -bold without being overwhelming, and so much easier to work with than a black liner.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (09-28-2012 02:59:54 PM)

Okay, some nice advice in here. Now I want to go out and by some makeup, but it's kind of late over here.

And yeah, my eyes aren't very big, so I guess black eyeliner might make them look a little beady. Uh, or something. To be honest though, it will probably take a while to digest all of OTL's post, because this stuff is confusing to me, but I guess getting some white eyeliner might be an idea!

White eyeliner just wants to love you.  Swears, a good foundation, under eye concealor and white liner, then just brush your brows with a spoolie brush and you'll be amazed how bright and gorgeous ya look.  And no one will know it's make-up mwahahahaha


LEX, RAVEN, I WANT PICS because you both sound way more experienced with colors and liners.

this is a grid of my fave makeup looks for my eye, sorry I could not find any good quality of the ones with colors---BUT--that will help me in the future!

Normally I do a cat eye, and in the third photo I did a really tough 60s crease with both lids lined as well as false eyelashes. The last photo has a gradient of silver, purple and then black.

I use a primer on my lids always, unless I want the look to be soft. In some cases if I want the eyeshadow to have a sheen to it, I will use chapstick (not joking).  I tend to fill in my brows despite the fact that they are full, sometimes I like a really dramatic eyebrow, I have them light right now but a good arch can take you places. What else...I do use a medium eyeshadow brush as well as the sponge included in eyeshadow kits to blend. I also use an eyeliner brush for the application of my gel liner and to smudge liquid liner. The second photo was my attempt at doing a new eye shape and so it's a very elongated cat eye with pounds of black eyeshadow, there is a slight hint of silver just in the corner but other than that, it's black, on top of black, with three layers of eyeliner. I melted my eyeliner pencil under a lighter, and then went over that with the gel liner and then I applied my falsies and then I did another layer of liquid eyeliner. Oh! Normally I do brush a very light champagne or shimmery white under my brow bone to give definition, but I have to be super careful or else I come off looking like a drag queen, and that's not a problem at all, BUT for school, I'll do the highlight and then gently use my index finger to pat away excess and to make it seem more subtle.
Stuff used in the grid: Brown/Gold shadow from a palette from the Icing (it was a knock off of Urban Decay)
Sephora Eyeshadow in Summit
And the rest was literally Wet N Wild.
Gel Liner by Maybelline
Liquid Liner NYC
Mascara also maybelline (I use the Falsies Volum Express, and I use two different formulas one for lengthening and one for volume)
False Eyelashes by Ardell (two layers in the 60s look)

Ooh Raven, you are brave, I could not get rid of my eyebrows...I'd go into shock.

Last edited by lex (09-29-2012 01:25:15 AM)

^ not weird at all, thank you for the compliment

The second picture, I was a bit apprehensive about the shaping of the eye there because I have almond eyes and the model I was using for inspiration, has a completely different eye shape, but I tried it anyway and ended up loving it.

I've had good results with Nuetragena make-up cleansing wipes.  They pull off all me make-ups, are soft and flexible enough for my eyes/lashes, don't irritate my eyes and leave my skin feeling nice and clean, not rubbed raw and oily.  Also dey cheap and come in a box.  SO ORGANIZED.

AUGH GODDAMNIT WHY DO I NOT GET PAID TILL FRIDAY