ELF just had a great deal.  Buy 25 dollars worth of products (and since their products average about 1.00-3.00, I picked out a TON of stuff) and get a whole extra make-up set for 3.00, including bag, blusher/bronzer, three eyeshadows, a full brush set, eye primer, mascara, liner, a sharpener and more.  I figured it would be a great way to give the brand a try -and all for the price of a single high-end product. 

I got the shimmering facial whips, lippies, gloss, lip scrub, shadow, and a bunch of cream liners.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (10-08-2012 02:18:02 PM)

Found this on Pinterest. Paintbrushes that substitute for MAC brushes.

I think as long as you are moisturizing before you apply, cleansing daily, and then using mask once a week and exfoliating once a week you are golden.  You can try using blotting papers throughout the day to pick up excess oil to keep it from caking your foundation/clogging your pores.   I also really like peels, but that's just because I think they are fun. Derp.

I found this beauty vlogger and so far her channel is interesting, she's pretty lively in her reviews which is a plus: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePinkLadyJ

I rarely leave the house without putting my face on lol.
When I do the bare minimum it's usually just foundation, blush, a neutral eyeshadow and some mascara, but I usually put on some heavy cat's-eye eyeliner and lipstick, too. My mum always said you can go cheap on everything except foundation. As long as you have a good/reliable one, it's worth a $30-or so splurge every few months.

WAHAHA

I have mastered you, Urban DecaySmoked palette! 

You thought you would best me with your bold, dark, shimmery shades?

Foolish fool!

I practiced!

NOW WHERE IS MY STREET CORNER

LOL, drunk makeup posting is the best.

Meanwhile, this is my most recent makeup look. The eyebrows are good because I learned how to fill them in better, and I concede to the fact that slightly thick eyebrows frame makeup better for me. I had purple lipstick on, but it was late, and I'd eaten/drunken it off by then. I couldn't reapply because it rolled out of my purse, never to be seen again. *sadface*

Raven Nightshade wrote:

Hey, Living Social has a deal going right now where for $12, you get $25 to spend at Coastal Scents.

So, neither Gio nor I ever posted a THANK YOU FOR THE HEADS-UP. We totally got the two big palettes with that deal-- 252 eyeshadows, 66 lip colors.


....and haven't even tried them....

Well, to be honest, I like makeup and I've read a few books and such on it but I don't really know that much about it. I can put on liquid eyeliner straight, but so far the only look I ever really go to any trouble with is slapping on some red eyeshadow, shading it in the crease, and adding mascara and white eyeliner on my waterline-- in addition to my normal plain black eyeliner that I wear every day of course. I've been stuck doing this for ages and I'm kinda sick of it, but every time I go to put makeup on, it's the easiest thing I can think of and I really, really like red

I wouldn't even know where to start; I feel kinda like I've lost my sense of play with this stuff. I guess what I'm saying is HALP

I'd recommend you start fucking around with browns.  They are wearable, neutral and all around safe as fuck, but you can use them to learn techniques and looks that can be applied to bolder colors.  You want to learn how to blend, how to smudge, how to line, highlight and contour before you try a seven-color smokey eye.  :3  Or not.  Fuck what other people think.  Make-up is bought with yo money u do wat u want.

My biggest recommendation for blogs and tutorials is that you find at least one that is done by a chick that looks like you.  I also tend to trust the advice of "guru's" who don't rely soley on black, winged eyeliner for boldness or sexiness or on false lashes for drama.  These are the peeps who can provide versatile techniques that can address different eye shapes, eye colors, brow shapes and lash.... profiles?  THERE IS NOT A WORD LIKE I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A WORD.

I recommend PixiWoo for just the sheer number of looks and styles they have tutorials on (plus, they are pro make-up artists and have TONS of experience and British accent-ness).  However, they use a lot of high end product, so to bridge the gap I'll also recommend Emily Noel, who uses high-end and drugstore brands and spends a lot of time comparing and contrasting them and finding low-cost dupes for high-end product.  Also, both are of adults.  No haul videos (Eh, Emily did one, but she buys hauls for the specific purpose of reviewing the product, so I see it more as a preview of future videos and her advising her subscribers about new products that are released, and not some weird expression of hoarding*), no ten minutes of blahblah, they both tend to be pretty straightforward.  Emily is a bit more talkative, but she has a career background in broadcast so she's good at staying on topic and being concise and informative.  Also both recs have good sound and video quality and both recs give tutorials on full face looks, not just eye looks. 


*MY GOD YOU SHOULD SEE THE MAKE-UP COLLECTIONS SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE MY GOD THEY ARE BIBLICAL IN SIZE.

http://www.youtube.com/user/emilynoel83 … e=g-subs-u
http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo?feature=watch

OiTL, your drunkposts are more sensical than mine, so go ahead! But if any of your posts ever consist of "grodsg Ia m drnuk" I will make fun of you and maybe give you an embarrassing title for your efforts

But thank you ladies, both of you, for the suggestions and links! I've been meaning to set aside time to play with makeup, but your encouragement has firmed (stiffened? bonered? ) my resolve! I'm going to set aside some time, maybe Friday, to play with makeup as suggested. It's part of my life plan to be good at everything that I learn how to do this. Now if only I could figure out what to do with hair beyond telling the hairdresser to cut it so that it looks good messy...

Valeli wrote:

So, I've discovered something. I like nail polish. It's a bit odd since I'm a guy, I guess. But whatever. Only two people have noticed thus far anyways. One was my friend, and the other's someone working with me who thought it was neat. So I guess I'm 2/2. To clarify, the polish I've been specifically into is the clear coat stuff that makes your nails shiny, but doesn't color them per se (although back in winter I tried out a few colors on my toe nails, where no one but me would see them. It was fun, but I don't think I'd want to keep that up in summer with sandals. It's more "calling attention to yourself" than I want or would be comfortable with).

First, when I pain my nails I usually end up with at least one or two that has kind of... really really small bubbles. It's a bit hard to explain, I might try to take a screen shot next time if no one understands what I'm talking about. The mini bubbles don't cover the whole nail either, more like 1/3. I'm not sure what's causing this - anyone have any idea? I've tried both using more polish than seems necessary and less than seemed necessary, to no avail. I /think/ I've been pretty good about spreading it on evenly.  I don't know. Any tricks that are obvious, and you probably figured out back when you started messing with nail polish as a kid that I missed out on?

Bubbles are caused by chemicals in the polish evaporating as it dries.  They move up to the surface of the polish and evaporate.  If the polish is too thick and tacky, or you apply a second coat before the first coat dries they become trapped and bubble.

-Using poor quality nail polish or a nail polish that is old and sticky can cause bubbles because they do not apply smoothly and bubbles take too long to rise the surface and become trapped.  You want to avoid touching the surface of the nail with the brush too many times; the fewer the swipes it takes, the better. The quicker you apply each nail, the better. If your polish is tacky you won't be able to do this.
-Rough nail surface.  Buy a four-sided buffer for 99 cents.  One side is specifically for smoothing the surface of the nail.  Then dust it off with a nail brush.  Rough nail surfaces make application less smooth and easy.
-You could be applying your second coat before your first coat is totally dry.  Nomatter what a polish promises, always give it about 20 minutes to dry to the point that you can start handling things again or apply your second coat, and an entire day before your nails are rock-solid, 100 percent dry.

Second - removing polish. For my toe nails, once I did orange. It was fun, and came of easily after I decided I was tired of it. The next time I did green polish. The only difference is that I used one of those UV lights at the salon to dry/seal it. I couldn't get that off right with acetone though. The main color is all gone, but some sort of sickly very pale transparent green has remained on all my nails, and I'm just growing them out and clipping them at this point. It's pretty bad - it looks diseased. If it weren't for the fresh nails coming in, I might actually think I had got some sort of disease from the salon. And toenails grow slooooow. Or mine do, at least. Anyone had anything like this happen? Any tips on getting rid of it beyond wiping down with acetone on a cotton swab?

Avoid this yellowing by always applying a clear base coat polish (not the same as a top coat clear polish, necessarily), especially on toenails.  To treat the yellowness you already have, go over your nails one more time to get any residual nail polish off if you think you need to.  Then wash the nails and mix a little bit of lemon juice with some baking soda.  Smear dat on your nails and let it sit for awhile.  Then gently buffer your nails and wash.  Finish by applying some moisturizer.  The following days keep gently buffing the surface of the nails and moisturize them until they are clear.  ;)

Lastly, how long is nail/toe nail polish "supposed" to last? Every time my toe nails have been done they've lasted close to a month without any chipping or scratching or coming off. I was pretty surprised, especially since I run and hit the ground a lot with my feet. My finger nails are a totally different story though. After like... 2 or 3 days, the edges start to go pale/detach/flake, and chips show up. Is that normal? I don't (think) I'm using particularly awful polish. I'm the opposite of an expert on the matter, but I bought it at an overpriced department store. So while it might not be the best, I doubt it's horrific. I can look up the brand later if anyone thinks that might be relevant. I /think/ it's debborah lippman's hard rock.

Yeah, those both sound about right.  Your fingernails are thinner and stick out more, and they bend as you mess around doing fingery stuff, so the polish tends to chip, while your toenails are thick, inflexible, short, undisturbed and sheltered from the elements most of the time.  A clear top coat can help prevent chipping, and I always apply some top coat to the underside of my nails as well, to create a near-complete seal.  You don't even need super expensive polish.  Unless you spring the cash for near impervious gel nails (which need to be specially applied and specially removed) a coat of Wet N Wild Megalast polish will last you as long as a coat of OPI.  If you want to be more thorough, you look up reviews for any particular nail polish on department store sites like Sephora or Ulta, or on youtube.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (04-16-2013 10:52:50 PM)

Advice for Riri's Mom, Macy's Brands:

Foundation:
Bobbi Brown cream foundation stick. (Full Coverage)
MAC Studio full coverage cream compact.(Full) [[Keep in mind that cream foundations have full coverage, but can be sheered out if applied with a damp sponge. They are very versatile.]]
Estee Lauder DoubleWear Liquid Foundation. (Full Coverage)
Chanel, Clinique (they have foundations for problem skin and good tinted moisturizers for summer, although their shades tend to run a little on the pink side) and even Urban Decay have some stellar foundations.  If you're going to splurge on one type of product, make it a foundation. 

Make sure you test the product on your face, not hand, and then take a sample home to see how it looks in natural light, if it harms or dries out your skin, and how long it wears or controls oil.  It's rude to take up a sales person's time with a full on consultation and then not buy anything, but save that kind of purchase for an eyeshadow or blush.  Always keep your receipt, as you can return anything for any reason.   Let the sales reps apply any testing product, too, as they will sterilize it before they apply and women do some NASTY things to the make-up sitting exposed in Department Stores.

Keep finishes in mind.  Do you want it natural, dewy, or matte?  This also applies to your setting powder, which should match, but can also be used to matte-up a dewy foundation if you want a bit of variety.  Also note the base -water, or silicone- and make sure it is compatible with your primer and moisturizer.  Never be afraid to ask these questions!

Eyeshadow:  You cannot go wrong with a Naked Pallete from UD (full of gorgeous browns, nuetrals, etc.) which you can get a lot of use out of and comes with a primer. Clinique also has GORGEOUS single eyeshadows in colors that look mature, but beautiful.  MAC and Lancome are known for their quality eyeshadows too.  Avoid Smashbox (only seem to work well wet, overpriced) and Stila eyeshadows (repetitive color selection, poor color payoff).  Lorac's eyeshadows, baked and in their PRO pallet, are beauty incarnate.

Lipstick and Mascara:  Buy at a drugstore.  They are used up/dry out too fast to warrant a high-end purchase unless you really want it, and Lip Butters, Color Wispes, Nuetragena Color Sticks, Elf Matte lipcolors and Mineral Lipsticks are all FANTASTIC.  If you do want high-end, Clinique and Estee Lauder have some wonderful lipsticks AND mascaras.  If you have sparse lashes, look for a dry formula.  Thick lashes?  A wet one.  Want length?  Look for a brush that has densely packed bristles.  Want thickness?  Look for sectioned, gapped bristle placement (or a spiral).  If you buy a bold lipstick, buy a matching or nude colored lip liner to go with it.  As well as a decent lip scrub and lip moisturizer.  No buts! A good lipstick is wasted on dry lips, overly wrinkled lips (a liner applied all over with fill this in much like a primer on your face fills in pores), or from feathering out all around the lips.

I don't think any brand has awful bronzers and blushes, but sunabitch NARS has some gorgeous ones.  Check out NARS Orgasm blush in powder and cream stick format.

Extra:  UD make-up setting spray, butter London nail polish, Clinique or Mac translucent finishing powder, Smashbox photoready primer.  Benefit erase paste under-eye concealer and Boing spot concealer, as well as lemon-aid (it negates red veins and redness around eyes, it is NOT a spot or under-eye concealer!) are all fantastic.  BUY MAKE-UP BRUSHES.  If they have Real Techniques, go for those, if not, buy some Studio Brushes from Elf at Target.  A good quality brush makes make-up magickal.  Start with a good blending sponge, a shadow brush, a blending brush, an angled liner brush, a liquid foundation brush and a large and small powder brush.

Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (08-16-2013 08:22:29 PM)

Heh, my aunt was just applying some makeup, and it sounds like she believes I should be using more makeup too. I can enjoy makeup sometimes, but I don't really bother with it unless I'm in the mood. (Especially with as sunny as it is right now.)

Last edited by Lurv (07-26-2013 04:30:42 AM)