Monday, December 17, 2012

About the face

Are you a cosmetics junkie? What products do you swear by?



I actually use very little. Feel free to consider me totally ignorant, but in my experience, the more I used, the worse results I got.  I think it is mostly genetics anyway. I used to have oily acne-prone skin, that was a bane of my teenage existence, but I suppose oily helps when you get older.

Until a few years ago, I did not use anything other that a makeup with an SPF 15. Then one day, I went for a spa visit and let them convince me that my thinking is a total baloney and that I do need a moisturizer and a separate cleanser. Well, I have ditched the cleanser after I went through the whole tube, but I left the moisturizer.




At night I wash my face with liquid soap(!) and then I apply Sothys Hydroptimale TH3 alternating with Olay Regenerist after I use the container. I swap mostly because it is cheaper but also becasue I have this theory that the skin gets used to the product and then it does less for you (not scientific, just my belief).


That's it. I don't use anything in the morning. I also don;t wash my face but I suppose it gets cleaned in the shower anyway.


When I was a kid, my mother used Dior makeup that she had to buy in a special store where you paid with US dollars (in communistic Poland). The idea that she spent so much money on her foundation impressed me for the rest of my life and I have been using Dior ever since. I have tried different brands, including drug store but always came back. Currently I use Diorskin Forever or Nude.


My mother used the matching loose powder on the top but I usually don;t. In fact, I run out of mine few months ago and never missed it enough to make a purchase.


I do curl my eye lashes everyday and apply mascara.



I tried more expensive brands of mascara (like Diorshow that is very good but smudges) but could not find one that would be significantly better, so Maybelline it is. It does not clump or smudge, that's all I am asking. Very black. I only do my top eyelashes and sometimes I use the pencil on the the bottom if I want to be more dramatic. Very rarely, when I go out I would add some eye shadow in neutral tones. My eyebrows don;t need anything except for being threaded (religiously) every 6 weeks.


I do need some color and I use blush in pink tones (any brand, really) and a lipstick.



Recently, I went through four tubes of Laura Mercier Sheer lipstick in Tender Lips. This says a lot since in the past I could never finish a single tube without buying a new one. They are on a smaller size though.




What do you use? I know I could do something with my undereye dark circles but even my 9 year old has deeply set ones, so I suppose they are also genetic. No concealer ever worked for me without giving me the mask-like appearance 

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That's all folks!

What is your makeup routine?

Do you think I am a fool not to use some more products?

Please share, it would be no fun without you!!!




23 comments:

  1. I used to put very little makeup on. Just eyeliner, curl my lashes and a little tinted lip balm. But as I age, need more coverage and especially the eye area. I have tried both drug store and high end brands and have concluded that paying more doesn't necessarily perform better. I tried many face creams and still stick to Olay Regenerist. Maybelline and Covergirl have the best mascara.

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    1. I agree that Olay Regenerist is the best value out there for the money and so is Maybelline mascara.

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  2. You certainly have great skin, so whatever you're doing is working!

    I have dark circle since childhood too; I use Bobbi Brown's foundation stick after trying many others. I use her cream blush too.

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    1. Thanks Lane, do you use Bobbi Brown's foundation stick for the under eyes area?

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    2. Yes just there-- no other foundation any where else, I'm afraid. Just Clinique Turnaround cream.

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  3. My skincare routine is pretty simple too,everything i use is from Kiehls.Their stuff just works for me,i like that it doesnt smell and it very reasonable priced.Plus i am a sucker for their packaging.

    I love and use diorskin nude,it is so light and flawless.

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    1. I did not find better foundation that Diorskin nude, in the summer I use Forever becasue of higher SPF.
      I never tried Kiehls but I know so many love it.

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  4. I adore Kiehls products as well. The Rosa Artica eye cream has done wonders for the dark circles under my eyes. It has mica to deflect light and makes my eyes look fresh, like I got a really good nights sleep. Your skin always looks great...I think that less is more, and if you don't have to wear eyeshadow...don't! Sleep a few extra minutes instead!!

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    1. Hi Kelley, I have checked it out and may give the Rosa Artica eye cream a try, i would love to get those dark circles a little lighter...

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  5. That's a lovely lip colour on you.
    I splash my face with water in the morning, dry it off then use sunblock, I don't even own a moisturiser. I don't like foundation as I don't like the feeling of it on my fingers so I always brush on Bare Escentauls for colour more than anything.

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    1. Thanks Tabitha, I need some color too, that's why I use blush. I don;t use much but I would not step outside without a foundation, I even brought some on backpacking trip. Lucky you, you skin looks great without it.

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  6. I agree with both your theories, that is mostly genetics and that the skin gets used to the same treatment and you have to give it a "shock" by switching to another one from tome to time.
    I am very minimalist too, I used to be a cosmetic junky in my twenties (I was sooo afraid of premature wrinkles) but as I grew older I find that less is more. Plus I don't have the patience to spend hours in the bathroom.
    If you don't wash your face with a specific product in the morning, I teally recommend a toner, it really makes a difference. I use the Caudalie toning lotion which is very gentle and refreshing. My go to mosturizing cream is Clinique Moisture Surge (I tried many and I always go back to Clinique). For the undereye area I use another Caudalie product, Premier Cru. This is expensive but I think it is really worth it, it really lights up the area while mosturizing (again, I tried many but this is the best one).
    If you like Dior for makeup, I really recommend their "Rosy Glow" in petal. It's a pink blush that gives you an immediate "bonne mine" effect like you have been running outside. I almost never use foundation but my special occasion one is YSL Teint Radiance (I tried Dior nude but it has too much coverage for me). I also use their "Shocking" mascara for the evening but for everyday wear I swear by Fiberwig, the only mascara that doesn't give racoon eyes and it only needs warm water to be removed.

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    1. Hi Ema, I will check out the products you recommend, thank you! But I have to tell you, I don;t want to look like I have been running outside, I get very red for a long time, everybody in the office can always tell that I have been running even after an hour, lol.
      Oh and I have never been able to find non-waterproof mascara that does not give me racoon eyes, so I definitely have to check out Fiberwig.

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  7. I wear quite a bit of make-up and recently started doing a bright lip too. I love Jane Iredale - the pure pressed base is wonderful (so great that I stopped using liquid foundation) as is the smooth affair primer. I recently started using the Philosophy Miracle Worker products and like them a lot. The moisturizer is amazing and the retinol pads are very good and not harsh.

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    1. I never did a bright lip until recently but now I cannot go without it. And I noticed that if are going to have your pictures taken, use even brighter, it looks so much better.
      Sometimes I like to use pressed powder in the afternoon because my face gets shiny.

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  8. You do not need a lot of makeup- you have a lovely complexion. Laura Mercier was my favorite lip stick, but I stopped buying it, because it is so soft that I was going through a tube every few weeks, which was prohibitively costly. I love her colors, but I have never had that experience with any other brand.

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    1. Thank you KnitYarns! You are right, I go through Laura Mercier quite quickly but I love it. I want to try Medieval by Lipstick Queen, so many people rave about it but I never saw it in store and I like to try lipstick before I buy.

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  9. I think you are wise to use what works for you and ignore the advertising that encourages you to buy more. A natural look is best anyway and your skin is lovely.

    I don't wear a lot of makeup but it is all Jane Iredale because I don't like the idea of toxic chemicals on my face and the products are excellent. My skincare used to Perricone M.D. but I recently switched to Obagi for face although I've stayed with Sisley for hands and body. I cannot curl my lashes because they are already long and upswept, curling them looks ridiculous.

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    1. Another one for Jane Iredale, I have to check it out..
      Lucky you with upswept eyelashes, mine are rather straight and need mascara because although long and pretty thick they are white at the ends.

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  10. YSL Touche Eclat is a good concealer for undereye circles but I've stopped needing this after discovering Dr.Ci:Labo skincare on a trip to Tokyo. Their Moisture-Collagen-Eye and Aqua-Collagen Gel for Super Sensitive Skin have transformed my skin. To even out my skintone, Sisley Phyto Teint Eclat provides the most natural-looking coverage I've used so far. It's pricey but a bottle lasts me a year, so it's like buying a drugstore brand in the end.

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    1. Hi Marie, thanks for recommendation, I never heard of the Dr.CiLabo, off to google it. You are also right that sometimes a good product lasts longer and ends up being not as expensive as it seems, this is my experience too.

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  11. Hi there, great post.

    For skincare I use Philosophy. I've used it for a long time and even if I switch I always end up going back to it. I love Hope in a jar, it also comes in SPF and oil free versions. I usually use the standard version, but just recently switched to the dry skin one for the winter and I like it.

    Also for under eye coverage I use Bobbi Brown corrector and conceler. I have used them all (I have horrible circles) and I think this is the best. It doesn't erase them 100% but it's the best I've found so far. I also use their skin foundation, I used Dior before but the color never seemed to match me right and Bobbi Brown just seems to be working for me. They have also just come out with a BB cream, I guess that's the new rage now.

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  12. I agree that it's mostly genetics. I've never worn any makeup except bright lipstick. Oh, well, a few times in my life I've gone superglam and piled on the glitter eyeshadow! In the morning I just put on moisturizer and lipstick and I'm done. As I age into my 40's I've been wearing brighter lipstick. In my 30's I tended to wear more subdued colors. I like Fresh's lipsticks.

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