Thread for people who use make-up/cosmetics

[Janie Jones]

I can always tell. They make your lips bulge so that you see more of the inner 'wet' part than is natural.

Oh dear, this doesn't look at all right at the top of a new page.

[Blue Jam]

I suppose there's also an ageing thing, where people might be self-conscious about their lips getting less full with age.

You're right about how lip filler can be very subtle, I imagine a lot of men have seen more "fake lips" than they realise. I just don't understand why there's a "bigger is better" beauty standard for lips. I guess part of it is fashion, as there are always changing trends in beauty, but it could also be because fuller lips just look more youthful.

Think I've answered my own question here haven't I.

[flotemysost]

I think it's partly wanting to avoid the biological signs of ageing, partly fashion - think about the 1920s trend for thin red lips with only the Cupid's bow and middle of the lower lip defined. These things change over time, and also cosmetic surgery procedures become more advanced too so subtle, natural looks become more achievable (though there's nothing wrong with looking fake either IMHO).

I don't have particularly thin lips but I sometimes wish there was a bit more of them lengthways. Not much I can do about that except giving myself a Glasgow/Chelsea smile, I suppose. I find giving them a scrub with a dry toothbrush before putting on lip balm is a decent quick fix for plumpness/smoothness, though.

[NoOffenceLynn]

Everyone here .
You don't owe the world pretty.

[Marner and Me]

I think it's partly wanting to avoid the biological signs of ageing, partly fashion - think about the 1920s trend for thin red lips with only the Cupid's bow and middle of the lower lip defined. These things change over time, and also cosmetic surgery procedures become more advanced too so subtle, natural looks become more achievable (though there's nothing wrong with looking fake either IMHO).

I don't have particularly thin lips but I sometimes wish there was a bit more of them lengthways. Not much I can do about that except giving myself a Glasgow/Chelsea smile, I suppose. I find giving them a scrub with a dry toothbrush before putting on lip balm is a decent quick fix for plumpness/smoothness, though.

You could go out like The Joker

[Captain Crunch]

I had to upgrade from face cream to face oil when I realised the white flecks all over my top weren't just dandruff (which is galloping) but my dry horrible FACE flaking away.  Some of these oils tell you to wash with it, rub it into your face, spray it on your hair, squirt it round you cuticles ... they stop short of telling you to drink the stuff but give it time. 

[NoOffenceLynn]

I thought l would be over using makeup as a prop that showed how the world would see me, even when masks came in.

It's the opposite though.
Covid the cunt has robbed all of us of something, be that illusion of control or what we want to project to the world

Makeup lets me have a bit of control and comfort.
Covid has taken sleepless nights, money worries, grief sadness and the horror we have all been through. And it shows in those mirrors we catch a glimpse of.

But l'm putting on my makeup, even when I'm not going out that day.
For me, it's my Gameface and nobody can take that away. Not even Covid

[Bob-Kate]

But l'm putting on my makeup, even when I'm not going out that day.
For me, it's my Gameface and nobody can take that away. Not even Covid

Yeah me too, but I don't always bother at the weekend. I love the ritual of cleansing, moisturising, then tidying up the bits I'm not keen on with a bit of make up.

Most of my makeup is Clinique. I got into them a few years ago when I started a full time job after freelancing. Needed some simple stuff I could slap on when I was blearily getting used to early starts and a friend recommended their beyond perfection foundations.

They've got a great loyalty scheme and regularly have offers on. I never pay for mascara, always wait to get it in a deal. I've been really happy with 95% of the products I've tried. Suits my skin and these days there's a good range of shades.

My go to high street brand is Revlon. They've got some decent concealers, powders and that. And if you've got sensitive skin, Weleda do some lovely stuff. I've got quite into using their almond oil as a nighttime moisturiser, it's really helped with my dry skin.

[Blue Jam]

Was in Aldi again today and saw they now do Lacura BB cream! £2.99 a tube. Lightest one was still a bit too dark for me but I thought the less pale-assed Lacura fans here might appreciate a heads-up.

[Blue Jam]

...and while I was at Aldi I picked up some of their new Lacura "Moisture Boost" gel moisturiser and eye cream. Just tried them now and they seem to be very good copies of Clinique's "Moisture Surge" face and eye products. Same texture and same lovely refreshing feeling on the skin. £4.99 each. The Clinique equivalent of the moisturiser costs £37!

Their rip-off of Elizabeth Arden's 8-Hour Cream is apparently a steal too, I should have picked some of that while I was at it:

https://www.you.co.uk/aldi-beauty-products-dupes/

Sorry if it sounds like Lacura is my new religion (sorry, TK Maxx) but seriously inpressed with this stuff. I'm never shopping anywhere else for face cream ever again.

[NoOffenceLynn]

...and while I was at Aldi I picked up some of their new Lacura "Moisture Boost" gel moisturiser and eye cream. Just tried them now and they seem to be very good copies of Clinique's "Moisture Surge" face and eye products. Same texture and same lovely refreshing feeling on the skin. £4.99 each.

Sorry if it sounds like Lacura is my new religion (sorry, TK Maxx) but seriously inpressed with this stuff. I'm never shopping anywhere else for face cream ever again.

Thanks for the tip, have shopping to do today so will check out the eyecream.

[NoOffenceLynn]

My go to high street brand is Revlon. They've got some decent concealers, powders and that. And if you've got sensitive skin, Weleda do some lovely stuff. I've got quite into using their almond oil as a nighttime moisturiser, it's really helped with my dry skin.

Used to suffer from eczema when l was younger and my dermatologist recommend pure almond oil, it's fantastic.

[Blue Jam]

The Moisture Boost, BB cream and knock-off 8-Hour Cream seem to be among their limited editions, so in the Random Crap aisle rather than in with the skincare products. Happy shopping!

[Janie Jones]

Yes there's chancers selling Aldi's 'Miracle Cream' RRP £3.99 on eBay for 2 or 3 times that! Aldi limit supplies to keep the hype going. For those unfamiliar with the classic product it's copying, Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream is a sort of healer/protector cream that retails for over £20.

[Dex Sawash]

My wife buys both Lacura day cream and night cream which is fine since it replaces 2 $60 little jars. I do suspect its the same thing in both jars though.

[Janie Jones]

Anyone tried make-up setting spray? I always assumed this was a pointless waste of money but my daughter gave me a spritz of hers and it really makes a difference, obviously this is for occasions where you have full make up on, but it did seem to keep the look you want in place for longer. I don't think I've ever before looked in the bathroom mirror after a night out and thought, 'Oh! My makeup still looks ok!'  The one I tried was by Too Faced.

I've crawled back to Boots No7 mascara, the one I've got now is called Age Defying, no idea why they are marketing it to the oldies, it's a high-definition mascara that does not give lots of claggy volume, it's good.

I remember reading somewhere the strict makeup guidelines given to 1950s Air Hostesses which included the order never to wear mascara on your bottom lashes. I think there's something in this.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

Anyone tried make-up setting spray?

yes! the elf one has been pretty essential to me lately. doesn't feel gross like you have hairspray on your face like some can

[The Dog]

You're all beautiful on the inside

Not necessarily true. Had a chat with a tapeworm once. Real eye opener.

[Blue Jam]

Got some Touche Eclat in TK Maxx last week. £17. Not a huge discount I know but still bloody good for a real cult beauty product I never thought I'd see reduced anywhere!

Bit of a tip: what with Debenhams going bust, House of Fraser being in trouble, John Lewis closing stores, and airlines and airport shops having no air travellers to sell duty free stuff to, TK Maxx are getting an awful lot of posh make-up in right now and selling it at a huge markdown. Last time I was there I saw a load of Yves Saint Laurent, Clinique and Bare Minerals stuff. I'd never seen Clinique stuff there before now- they would sometimes get the limited edition skincare gift sets in after Christmas, but never the cosmetics. I know I like to eulogise about the place, but this is why.

[NoOffenceLynn]

Got some Touche Eclat in TK Maxx last week. £17. Not a huge discount I know but still bloody good for a real cult beauty product I never thought I'd see reduced anywhere!

Bit of a tip: what with Debenhams going bust, House of Fraser being in trouble, John Lewis closing stores, and airlines and airport shops having no air travellers to sell duty free stuff to, TK Maxx are getting an awful lot of posh make-up in right now and selling it at a huge markdown. Last time I was there I saw a load of Yves Saint Laurent, Clinique and Bare Minerals stuff. I'd never seen Clinique stuff there before now- they would sometimes get the limited edition skincare gift sets in after Christmas, but never the cosmetics. I know I like to eulogise about the place, but this is why.

Excellent tip, thank you!

And it just reminded me, l recall seeing YSL Paris there last year at half the price, it's my mum favourite perfume and her birthday is coming up so l will definitely be going in for good rummage in the beauty section.
Ahem, purely to look for birthday presents  :)

[Janie Jones]

Bit of a tip: what with Debenhams going bust, House of Fraser being in trouble, John Lewis closing stores, and airlines and airport shops having no air travellers to sell duty free stuff to, TK Maxx are getting an awful lot of posh make-up in right now and selling it at a huge markdown. Last time I was there I saw a load of Yves Saint Laurent, Clinique and Bare Minerals stuff. I'd never seen Clinique stuff there before now- they would sometimes get the limited edition skincare gift sets in after Christmas, but never the cosmetics. I know I like to eulogise about the place, but this is why.

This does not apply to TK Maxx Hatfield Galleria. Maybe because it's some sort of desolate 'outlet' version of the store in a god-forsaken grief-mall? I cycled over there today in happy anticipation of bargains and found the ravaged makeup shelves featuring a couple of damaged Lancôme Christmas gift packs with the Hypnose mascaras missing, some YSL dregs in unwearable colours from 2015 and shedloads of ersatz tat with names like Christian Dionne and Hard Minerals, basically stuff you'd see on the Saturday market in any town. Never mind, it was a pleasant bike ride and I'll maybe have better luck in a 'proper' TK Maxx.

[Blue Jam]

I don't know about Hatfield Galleria but there is definitely a difference between stores in different locations. When I lived in London I noticed my local store in New Cross was decent enough, but despite being huge it didn't have as many of the high-end brands and labels as the central London stores. The one in the City of London was tiny but the Gold Label section took up a sizeable proportion of the space. It's the same in Edinburgh- the one just off Prince's Street has several racks of Gold Label stuff while I can't recall seeing any in the one located between Poundland and B&M in Meadowbank despite it being much larger.

Just look at the "Gold Label" section among the clothes and note whether it is massive or tiny (or nonexistent) and that will tell you what side your bread is buttered.

[Murasaki]

The stuff from Pat McGrath I have tried is absolutely sublime: the foundation is light and sheer, with a huge range of colours and undertones. I bought mine online and it matches perfectly. The eyeshadows are for those who really know what they are doing to create an avante-garde/editorial look, but the formulas are buttery and beautiful. The colour is as true on the skin as it is in the pan. The lipsticks are similarly luxurious in texture and rich in colour. The only thing I wouldn't bother with is the primer, at full price is is £60, comes in a cheap plastic bottle with a label that peels off, and is only OK in performance. The Fenty primer is just as good, and the foundation too.

Pat McGrath is expensive but the sales are really good - the lipsticks that retail for £28 came down to 12, foundation half price etc. The single eyeshadows were also £12. Worth it.

I like the Tarte mascara for every day, not too heavy but definitely helps in the last department, or Rimmel does the job well too.

It's worth investing in good skin care, I have mostly Elemis or Murad. Again, all bought on sale so it can be affordable and there is a difference between the stuff I was using from Boots etc and going slightly upmarket. I do think there is a ceiling though, like from what I can, super high-end brands like La Mer and Tatcha do not deliver much more in terms of efficacy despite being exponentially more expensive. Other skincare stuff I like is the slightly more expensive French chemists brands that you can find in Boots, like La Roche Posay, not too pricey compared to Elemis or Murad but works really well.

Is anyone here into makeup tutorials? The right kind can be quite soothing to watch: the hushed tones, the application of colour, the transformation. S'nice.

[flotemysost]

I've been wearing the No7 Factor 50 BB cream every day since it's been vaguely sunny recently, rather than only when it's full on scorching like I used to.

It does make me look a bit like Jude Law in A. I. Artificial Intelligence (i.e. a bit plasticky and Uncanny Valley-ish), but hopefully it's doing the job and my age won't hurtle forward by a thousand years like it normally does every summer. I need to remember that even on overcast days, if you're sitting in a beer garden for hours, you're gonna get sun damage of some sort.

Another thing I've been a fan of recently is this Lip Juicer from the Body Shop:



It genuinely does feel moisturising, rather than just sitting on the surface in the way petroleum-type balms do, and the colour is subtle and matte - I'm not keen on a sticky/glossy look, but this makes them look sort of nicely soft and pillowy.

Is anyone here into makeup tutorials? The right kind can be quite soothing to watch: the hushed tones, the application of colour, the transformation. S'nice.

Yep, I get a lot of these come up in my timeline on social media and I find them relaxing to watch too. Although, as a makeup artistry rookie, I'm sometimes astounded by how much slap gets used in a "natural" look. I never get the contouring around the temples thing, I suppose it's meant to make your forehead look smaller, I dunno.

[Murasaki]

 

Excellent tip, thank you!

And it just reminded me, l recall seeing YSL Paris there last year at half the price, it's my mum favourite perfume and her birthday is coming up so l will definitely be going in for good rummage in the beauty section.
Ahem, purely to look for birthday presents  :)

TK Maxx is great! As with the clothes you have to riffle through a lot of dreck to find the good stuff, but it's definitely there. I found a beautiful blue Nars eye pencil that retails for £21 down to £7, and a Nars single eye-shadow for a fiver. Fenty foundation for £5 less than full price.

[Murasaki]

Yep, I get a lot of these come up in my timeline on social media and I find them relaxing to watch too. Although, as a makeup artistry rookie, I'm sometimes astounded by how much slap gets used in a "natural" look. I never get the contouring around the temples thing, I suppose it's meant to make your forehead look smaller, I dunno.

Hah, not sure myself! I think it's supposed to emphasise the centre of the face as being all luminous and whatnot? I prefer the high concept looks myself, as I feel my day to day look is sorted and if I wear make up to work I don't want to look too out there. It's good for gigs and stuff tho.

[Blue Jam]

Was just wondering about the Scottish epithet "Yer da sells Avon" today and then wondered: Do Avon ladies (and indeed men) still exist? You can buy Avon stuff online now and some of it looks quite smart but I haven't seen any around for years, and I think I last saw an Avon catalogue about 20 years ago.

[chveik]

nvm

[bgmnts]

Had my nails done for the first time last week, it was quite fun. I liked my hands having a bit of colour on them.

[Tokyo van Ramming]

Was just wondering about the Scottish epithet "Yer da sells Avon" today and then wondered: Do Avon ladies (and indeed men) still exist? You can buy Avon stuff online now and some of it looks quite smart but I haven't seen any around for years, and I think I last saw an Avon catalogue about 20 years ago.

Yes, they still exist. One has guilted my Nan into buying something from them every week, which she just collects in a big box and dishes out at Christmas. I got a bottle of Black Suede last year 🥰