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If you had to choose one type of makeup product that you could never wear again, what would it be?


If you had to choose one type of makeup product that you could never wear again, what would it be? (Like foundation, blush, lipstick, etc.)

Face primer 😉 Is that cheating? Because I almost never wear that, so I wouldn’t miss it at all!

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Kristen Avatar

Lipstick. I don’t really care about. I’ve been trying to get more into it, but I could live without it and just use chapstick or lipgloss LOL.

Nikki Avatar

I completely concur. I’ve tried to love lipsticks myself, but I just can’t seem to fall in love with them. All formulas seem to dry out my lips, so I just stick to my true love – lip gloss. It gives me color, shine, and moisture in one! Can’t beat that! 🙂

Carla Avatar

I don’t think I’d ever go back to pencil eyeliner.
While I love the fact that it’s so easy to apply, I found (notice past tense) that I kept having to go back over the line repeatedly, to get the depth of color I wanted.
I get more satisfying results with cake liner, Inglot Duraline, and my Sonia Kashuk bent liner brush.

erin Avatar

bronzer. I’m so pale that any bronzer ends up looking orange, or overly dark on me. Plus i have no need to contour my face and i love my paleness.

Sophia B. Avatar

It’s really interesting you mention your love for your paleness because it seems like people in the beauty industry encourage everyone to wear sunscreen and limit exposure, but then people seem to compensate with fake tan. I can’t count how many times I’ve watched a youtube tutorial and the guru apologizes for how pale and therefore dead looking and scary her bare face is, and that she needs to bring more color back into it with her make up.
I am of the same mind as you; I’m pale, though not the fairest of the fair, and I have no intention of burying myself in bronzer to make it look otherwise. Just a thought! 🙂

Carla Avatar

I agree, Sophia B. I’m NW15, and when I was young I didn’t even try to tan, because I thought it would be bad for my skin, it’s just too darned hot here in Texas to intentionally bake in the sun, and I didn’t see what the problem was with having very light skin. I got all kinds of negative remarks, ranging from “You need to get some SUN!” to “[insert name of friend] has such a nice tan, and you’re so PALE!”
Now I’m 50, and my peers comment wistfully on “that creamy skin” of mine, which is still even-toned and has very few lines.
Back to topic: One of the few product types I’ve never worn, and don’t expect to, is bronzer. I also don’t need or use lip plumpers.

Veronica Avatar

I remember my mother telling me that the tanned look came in when she was a teenager, and it’s just sort of stuck since then. Who knows why – maybe it’s implies the luxurious, carefree lifestyle that used to be reflected by fair skin? I’m quite fair, and I’ve always avoided the sun because my “tan” requires a prior burn and still only gets me to a NC/W15. I think bronzer is a great product for women who like that look and have trouble getting there, but I use it sparingly. I like using it sometimes, but I also have no problem utilizing my paleness, either. 🙂

xamyx Avatar

The idea behind wearing sunscreen is to protect skin from sun-damage, not to “maintain” paleness for the sake of being pale (although “tanning” is actually damage). However, we (as a society) believe that tans denote wealth (ie, people who have money can afford vacations to exotic locales), which is why the idea became fashionable in the later part of the 20th century. Ironically, prior to that, it was the exact opposite, and in some cultures, it still is, with the idea wealthier people can afford to employ others to do the menial work on the outside. We also associate tans with a “healthy glow”, although we now know the negative results of tanning, but we still like the aesthetic.

I happen to be fairly light, as well, and have no desire to faux-tan, so when I use the term “we” it’s in the loosest sense of the word. I also have extremely neutral skintone, so I will use bronzers to add a bit of warmth, as I have to be very careful with blush; any shade is exaggerated, and if too pink/red, I’ll just look sun/wind-burned (tarte Exposed reads as Pepto-pink on me!).

Linda Avatar

Ha I was going to say primer, because I actually can’t wear it thanks to milia!!

I’ll say liquid liner. It only looks good on the top lid and I’m not a fan of eyeliner on my top lid- it makes me feel like my eyelashes are less visible.

Clio Avatar

I, too, never wear face primer. Eyeshadow primer is a different story. I’d probably pick bronzer. My face doesn’t “need” it, it’s pure vanity, and I can get most of the highlight/contouring I need done with a really good blush.

xamyx Avatar

Blush; I have more than enough contour/highlight products (for definition), as well as bronzers (if I want/need some color) to have a variety of “looks”. I also tend to stick to more “natural” shades of blush, so it’s definitely something that would be sorely missed.

Lipstick would be another one, as long as I had tinted lip balm, or gloss. Again, this is a product I don’t use often, and when I do, I end up using a tinted balm later in the day.

courtney Avatar

foundation…if I could have perfect skin haha but yeah being pale its hard to get a good match plus I have sensitive skin so I could totally live without it

Elena Avatar

Yup face primer is not a necessity, I broke out badly thanks to the revlon photoready one so now I’m just skipping it…I dunno why did I dive in, gah I’m so mad at me haha.

Veronica Avatar

Hmm…I’d have to say foundation. While I love experimenting with a different base, the reality is that I have fairly good skin, so foundation isn’t often necessary. A touch of concealer here and there is more than enough to even out my skin tone if needed.

Lorrie Avatar

I could easily go with out bronzer. I think its because I didn’t start using bronzer until the last year or so and I’m still try to get it right. As of right now I haven’t found one that has made such an improvement in my look that I can’t live without it.

zainab Avatar

I’d probably say concealer, because I almost never use it. If push really came to shove I could drop lipgloss too, because it annoys me almost every time I use it.

Ann Avatar

If I’m cheating, face primer 🙂
I just don’t see a reason in why I should use one. The less amount of products on my face the better.

If I’m not cheating…I could do without lip gloss. I don’t wear it often so I could live without the shine.

xamyx Avatar

Although I have naturally well-defined features, if I wear a heavier, full-coverage foundation, or one with a matte finish, my face becomes less dimensional. I’m also quite neutral, so adding a bit of a warm contour shade, with a bit of shimmery, pale blush adds both dimension & warmth. I do agree with you, though, about the heavily contrived looks some women do.

Veronica Avatar

I think strong contouring is fine in editorial looks, but in day to day life, it’s too much. Personally, I think contouring for every day should be very subtle and light. It’s taken me awhile to cotton on to it, but it’s creeping into my heavier routines.

Karla Avatar

Hi Christine! I never wear face premier either, my face its not extremely oily, and i dont have any brakeouts so i dont feel like i really need it

Carla Avatar

There’s not really much in the way of makeup that I *won’t* wear.
However, I do avoid creamy concealer under the eyes, because it just doesn’t work well with 50-year-old skin. The same is true of gel blush, which I used to wear successfully when I was in my teens and 20s and had very smooth, nearly flawless skin.

patsyann Avatar

Here is a shocker: it would be mascara! I hate putting it on and I dread taking it off…and it always seems to smudge on me no matter what I use or how I prepare my eyelids (top and bottom areas) for it. I have hooded eyes which have begun to droop over the eyelid so mascara is only more troublesome as time marches on. I like the look of mascara on me, but it is just so much trouble.

Terri Avatar

Boy, this was a tough one!! I guess it would have to be lipliner because at least I can use lipstick to cover my lips. My second would be highlighting products but that just makes me sad. :}

Carla Avatar

I could happily skip highlighter for the rest of my life, too. But I’m not sure that “counts,” since I’ve never been one to wear it. In fact, I don’t even own a dedicated highlighter right now. I *will* use a pale eyeshadow on the inner corner of my eyes and on browbones, but that’s it.

Marieke Avatar

Face highlighter. I’d still need the eyeshadows, but I can skip the luminous cheekbones. I prefer a matte face or a purely natural glow. I own two highlighters (one powder, one cream) and never use them.

Chelle Avatar

Foundation or concealer for sure. I wear them occasionally because they can be fun to apply/work with, but I don’t really NEED them. And plus they’re skin colour… so that’s so damn boring.

Now if you tried to take my coloured eyeshadows from me… well… good luck trying!

grlnxdor Avatar

Lipliner. I own one from Jordana and I never use it. I suppose, though, now that I’ve said “never”, I’ll start having lipstick bleed. I just turned 53 so……..ya know.

Lisa Avatar

Do false lashes count? So often, they are really over-the-top and fake-looking. I’ve tried more natural-looking ones, but then they don’t do much more than a good mascara would. Not worth all the trouble.

But since that’s not strictly makeup, I would probably say lip liner, which I rarely use anyway. And I could, if necessary, do without lipgloss–so many lipstick formulas now have excellent moisture and shine.

But honestly, I feel like I couldn’t stand to give up anything else–I need it!. Okay, I guess I could give up highlighters, but I would be very, very, sad.

Selin Avatar

Wow never thought of lipliner!
I think that explains the situation for me 🙂
I own just one and have maybe used it for twice my entire life (and I’m 30!)

doroffee Avatar

I have not ever used primer in my life :D.
I would choose lipliner. I can do without it, I just have to be careful with my brights and darks (not to wear too bleedy lipsticks, or not to eat with bleedy ones on). Or bronzer, I can always replace it with a matte shadow and a light handed use :).

AMaas Avatar

Powder eyeshadow (loose or pressed). It’s just so messy! I would much rather create defined eyes with a good brow pencil, a long-lasting eyeliner and/or a cream eyeshadow, an eyelash curler and a couple of good mascaras that I can layer to create long, thick lashes. I’d rather spend more time focusing on making my skin look healthy and glowing and then do a strong lip. All that shadow contouring with different brushes, and then trying to use powder eyeshadow as a liner, just ends up all over my cheeks and annoys me.

Lauren Avatar

Liquid eyeliner – I am terrible at applying it. LOL. I’d also say false lashes. I don’t care for the way they look. 😉

If it is something I use regularly and don’t hate, then I guess I could part with bronzer.

Alexis Avatar

Liquid eyeliner for sure! When Urban Decay came out with 24/7 liquid eyeliner, I bought one because it was pretty and I had never tried liquid eyeliner before. I only used it once as I do not have a steady hand and I made a mess of myself.

toti Avatar

bronzer…i hate contouring with orangey colors… i prefer colors like nars Lhasa for contouring……i own a few and i really like them though…but it wouldn’t suck if they were missing…

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