I really love highlighting blush – something with a lot of sheen but enough color to show up on my skin tone. I have been loving that effect more than separately highlighting and adding blush!
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I always wear perfume! Everyday I wear one of my lovely scents. Alternating depending on my mood. Vanilla, violet, musk, woods, white florals like tuberose, rose, cedar, incense, mint ……….My collection is vast, lol. I love to smell good perfume on others too. Not everyone’s cup of tea.
Me too, but I mostly develop crushes that last weeks to months where I only want to smell one fragrance (on myself, that is) My current passion is Clean Reserve Amber and Saffron, although I’m also having a moment with Chanel Cuir de Russi. Maybe the spring will bring my nose back around to florals.
An almost black waterproof eye-shadow to use as my all-in-one brow product most days! It sticks to any graying, lighter hairs that are showing up more and more lately. Also works for my roots when my white and mousey dark brown (see: salt ‘n pepper!) grow in to a less than comfortable level!
AZ, in general? EVERYTHING.
I use an eyebrow pencil to fill my brows. It seems more use powder bc it gives a more natural look or a pommade or mascara over the old standard pencil. I can never find a color that matches my brows in the other options and many times the pommade brow filler looks so severe and unnatural looking. I have medium brown hair but the colors they offer are too dark imo. I use a taupe pencil and fill in sparse areas. Pencil just works best for me. Powder is too messy. I like natural brows not the overly dramatic Instagram brows!
Color correctors under the eyes. I think these products are still a bit under the radar to people who aren’t active in the online beauty community.
I’d say blush too, at least in my social sphere. It’s easy to sweep something sparkly on your lids, but a lot of women are intimidated by blush.
Really? That’s so interesting. Every woman I know wears blush.
Ray, I agree about lack of bloggers. I am a young looking 52 but the dark circles are awful. I am now in search of the PERFECT corrector for my skintype. Every rep thinks their line is best. sigh. bloggers and vloggers do not seem to have what I do to hide. I am currently using the Nars creamy concealer but it needs more under eyes.
The first thing I’ve learned about my own black circles was to care for my under eyes area by using moisturising and things like that. Than try to use a color corrector, foundation, concelaler and a brightning light powder over it to set, I know it seems like a lot but if you do have dark cicles like I had I’m sore this will do. Also try to sleep enough and drink water. I hope this will help you! Xoxo
Do you have a favorite undereye color corrector? Currently looking for one?
I like NYX’s Dark Circle Concealer. There’s a nice shade range. It’s good coverage without completely changing the contours of your face in that area (which can make your eyes look smaller and take you into the uncanny valley). If you prime the area with an eye cream or moisturizer, the concealer sits nicely without creasing. I use a concealer brush to pick up baaaaaaarely any product and tap it on. Ulta usually has testers out.
Benefit’s Erase Paste is higher coverage but more prone to creasing and looking a bit unnatural. You should at least test it for a shade match at Sephora though in case you can’t find a NYX tester. The have the same shade names, with NYX having an extra very-fair shade.
The Pixi correction concentrate is an okay middle ground. You can wear it alone if you’re fair or light, or layer it under another concealer. I don’t like the Tarte one at all.
Have used Benefit, It, and Eve Pearl. Not Bobbi, never liked her concealers. (And every concealer ever mfgd.) Like EP in light/medium. The 2 sides can tilt/mix for the color you desire. And there are options other than lt/med. Put FAB eye triple duty (it’s colored) on over eye moisture. Let rest. Then the EP, or the EP with a tad of CFX concealer (lt/med P). If no m/u, light layer of Paula’s resist blah blah on whole face, including over the eye layers. Wait…walk dogs. If setting is needed, formerly used MUFE HD. Now using It. I think one of the keys to correctors is to cancel whatever color your circle is. For some, it might be a ‘banana powder.’ For me, it needs to be ‘salmon’ toned. Judith August is too orange. Most concealers and correctors ran WAY too yellow. I think undertone/overtone as well as the color of the circle may be factors.
Sunscreen. I read somewhere that only 20-30% of American women wear sunscreen on daily basis, but I always do. When I was growing up, sunscreen was really gross (heavy, pore-clogging, greasy), so I didn’t start wearing it regularly until I was probably mid-20’s, so I still have some sun damage, but better late than never. And nowadays, sunscreens are so much better formulated both in terms of SPF protection and comfort.
I’m only 17 and I’m using sunscreen already. My grandmother has had several skin cancers removed and that’s NEVER happening to me. I keep trying to get my other friends to use it but no one listens to me…
Lily, good for you, so glad you’re wearing sunscreen!! Yeah, I know, I keep telling my friends and family to wear it, but only a couple do, it’s an uphill battle. Not only are they getting exposed to sun damage/pre-mature aging, but I worry about them getting skin cancer too. But I keep trying…
Ah. I did the same thing when I was your age (wear SPF and advise my friends to wear as well) and also no one listened. Now, at 31, said friends repeatedly question how I managed not to age at all. *shakes head* So they literally didn’t listen.
In Melbourne, Australia, we have had a hole over the ozone layer for decades now and for a long time we have been urged to wear sunscreen. I agree with you about the products in the past being awful – greasy, heavy etc. But now there are so many good sunscreens in daily moisturisers that there is NO excuse not to wear it. I use the QV Daily Moisturiser with SPF 30 in it daily. I have had a cousin who has passed away because of a skin cancer that went really bad on her face. It was awful for her and her family.
I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your cousin. A few months ago, a woman purposely posted pictures of herself on internet with skin cancer to warn others of not wearing sunscreen- she had huge red and black lesions all over her beautiful face. I sent the pictures to my husband, and now he wears sunscreen when he goes out for walks, so it’s a start. I think they should post those pics as giant billboards on a busy freeway, so people get the message. I mean it’s not pretty, but skin cancer isn’t. I’m sure some will think that’s going too far, but if we can prevent more suffering and deaths from skin cancer, I think it’s worth it.
Good for you, Katherine! When I was growing up, in the 60s, sunscreen really did not even exist for most people (I know it did theoretically, but in real life? not so much — really fair people would smear Desitin on their noses at the beach, that’s about it — suntan lotion was for GETTING a tan, not preventing it!). Well, a few sunburns on my back from trips to Florida in the middle of winter to visit my grandfather, and I had a melanoma removed from my back before I was 50, and new moles pop up constantly!
Of course I wear sunscreen now…
I was buying more sunscreen in Sephora yesterday, looking for the portable powders with brush you can pop on your face mid-day to renew your sun protection, and the SA told me that they have to fight with their customers to try to get them to wear sunscreen — that most specifically DON’T want it in their products! Imagine worrying more about photo flashback than about cancer …
Oh Fran, I believe it! For many years, my fave SPF products gave me photo flashback, so in a number of pics, I looked like I had white mask on, but now there’s better formulated products that greatly reduce or eliminate that problem. But it’s worth it. I’m 45, and my skin is still in pretty good shape, friends and family keep asking me what face creams I use, and I give them my usual skincare recs, along with the must-have, sunscreen!!
I use a lot of priming/prepping products that maybe most would skip:
Cream or liquid eyeshadow as a base under a powder eyeshadow
Lash primer
Lip primer
Clear waterproof feather-proof lip liner
Finishing powder
Makeup setting spray
Sunscreen for eyes (also for face, but most people probably wear that)
I think it’s partly because my skin needs it at my age (45), but mostly because I just love building a look and layering products!
Oh yes Pearl, I follow this routine every day too.I even prime my hair, my skin when I shower with a body scrub. I also pre-prep my lips with a sugar scrub. And sunscreen is a must, even though my face cremes and foundation carry an SPF of 30. I guess this is why it takes me forever to get ready in the morning.
Exactly – I need 45 minutes just for my face!
lol, Pearl, at 59 I can relate!
I’ve been using a mascara fan brush on my lower lashes, almost as a lower tightlining technique as I apply my lower mascara. I don’t see anyone really doing this, but it’s awesome if you’re a butterfingers like me and always mess up lower lash mascara.
That’s a cool idea! I’ve been using IT Cosmetics’ tightlining mascara for my lower lashes, because of the super-skinny brush and because it mostly colors the lashes, doesn’t add too much length or volume.
Undereye corrector! It is a MUST for my undereye circles. My favorite right now is L.A. Girl Pro concealer in orange. I used Giorgio Armani Master Corrector in orange then found the L.A. Girl one and it is just as good, if not better, and you save a lot of $$!!
Lipliner and face primer, I guess. I live in Oregon; most women here wear little to no makeup, so it’s hard for me to judge. It seems like almost everything gets skipped here.
I feel like I’m in the same boat here in AZ, Rachel. Most don’t wear anything or else very little, if they bother at all.
I am also in Arizona. If you are talking about me, I start out with it but then it melts!!!
I LOVE living in Oregon, and I’m not trying to put down anyone, but sometimes I get tired of the ultra-casual aesthetic here. People wear jeans and shorts to fancy restaurants, weddings, and funerals. That kind of thing, ya know? It kind of takes the respect out of weddings and funerals/memorial services, and it makes other special events feel less special to me. But to each his or her own. I’ll still dress and wear makeup as I enjoy, even if I do feel a bit out of place.
I totally get what you mean. I live in the northernmost part of CA, and it is the same (coastal Pacific Northwest style is SUPER casual probably BC of all the nature and the outfitting companies that originate here). I hated that at first, but did a 180 when I moved away for a little bit. I ended up hating the pressure of ALWAYS looking polished even if I just wanted to eat out a bit before doing a long drive to go camping or just to pick up my laundry. I would seriously always have a change of clothes so I would always look suitable to the next occasion I have lined up.
Now that I am back, I appreciate the casual makeup-optional trend that seems to persist here.
That is an upside. If I do run to the store or something, I don’t feel pressured for not wearing makeup. As much as I love makeup, even I don’t want to do a full face every time I run to the corner store.
I hear ya. Same here. When I moved here, my Mom *tried* to get me to turn it down a notch, but this is who I am. I couldn’t acclimate, I suppose. But I don’t want to either. If I go out to a nice restaurant, a more formal get-together, a funeral or wedding or my religious meetings, I go pulled together. If others don’t, that’s their choice.
I so agree with you Rachel R. I don’t care how I feel about being dressed . I think these people are so lazy and look so sloppy. This yuppie stuff is crazy.
I don’t think anyone is being lazy or crazy. A lot of women just aren’t into makeup and fashion. For me to assume they’re lazy would be just as bad as someone assuming I’m vain and superficial for wearing makeup. I wasn’t trying to invalidate any one else’s choices or put anyone down. I just wish there settings where I felt more comfortable.
*there were setting
I agree with you Rachel. I live in Melbourne Australia and it is pretty much casual here all the time too. Not a lot of Australian women wear makeup either, and I am sure they don’t moisturise their face enough as well. And it shows.
Makeup can actually protect your skin. I have been wearing foundation all my life, cleanse, moisturise and use sunscreen. My skin is pretty good for my age – 60+.
Ladies don’t feel like that,because I live in NYC, borough of Staten Island and I swear, most the ladies out here don’t bother with makeup at all, but yet they get their hair done all the time. I can’t figure it out? I mean if you get your hair done, you don’t look complete without putting a little makeup on. I feel we all need makeup in our life. Not only do you look so polished and put together, but it makes me feel good too.
I agree Denise – I see ladies who have had their hair done, go to the gym and look good – but alas no makeup to finish their look off. You don’t need to put it on with a trowel – just a little bit to even out your skintones and refresh your look.
Some women just don’t like makeup, or don’t know how to use it. I can’t judge them. I’m the opposite. I wear lots of makeup but can’t do a thing with my hair. lol I’m sure lots of women can’t figure out why I don’t put more effort into styling it every day.
I don’t think women “need” to even their skin, or look refreshed, I think its personal and you cannot criticize women in any way shape or form, (no matter how subtle), for wanting to embrace their natural beauty. Maybe their hair is all they need to feel beautiful.
I hear you. I think it’s because we have so many “earthy” types here. I used to work for a large company, where I was one of maybe 3 women that actually wore makeup. There were a couple of others that did mascara and/or gloss but most didn’t wear any at all.
So true Melissa. I work for the DOE, and most of the women don’t ever wear makeup. Hey its your choice, but everyone could use a little cover-up, foundation and lipstick. Some of them have commented on my so called “made up face” by saying the makeup companies love you because you waste all your money on their poison”. They have often said, they feel makeup is such a waste of their precious SLEEP time. I have to laugh because I look at it as ” feeling good about me time”. LOL
I really like sheer lipsticks and balm-y lip products which is not the flavor of the moment with liquid lipsticks et al!
I love to use lip balm-healing types. I’m very sensitive around my mouth area; one minute my lip is cool, the next minute, it’s reacting and all cracked
I love highlighting blush too. Now I can’t decide between Mac pearl blossom beauty powder and Mac Just a wisp blush. They are so similar. Which one do you prefer? I have nc25-30 skintone.
Probably mascara base. Understandable, since not everyone has sad, sparse lashes like me! ^^;
Eye pencil on the lower waterline.
I probably use a lot more BHA exfoliant than most people. My rosaceaic skin really likes its anti-inflammatory effects.
I’m fanatical about sunscreen.
I use more color than most people I see.
I wear highlighter almost everyday not only because I really like it, but because I own about a million (only a slight exaggeration) and I feel like I should be using them. Also eyeliner, religiously. If I am wearing makeup, I am wearing eyeliner on my upper lashes, period!
Ooh, I agree with the highlighting blush! It gives such an ethereal glow. Also curling my eyelashes.
Skindanavia Setting Spray. MAC Paint Pots. Besame Cosmetics Lipsticks. Embrolyise Matte Primer.
I like a little glitter and sparkle or shimmer. Not a ton of it but I don’t steer away from products that have it. In fact, I would prefer eyeshadow that has shimmer or glitter than a matte one. I like when the light catches a subtle sparkle. And shimmery shadows always seem to blend better. Matte shadows on me always go on very uneven. I haven’t found one yet that I like. If I find there is glitter on my face after applying, I just use scotch tape to remove it. Works great. That way the sparkle stays on my eyes, not my cheeks. 😀
I apply a separate sunscreen every day, come rain or shine, whether I’m staying in or going out. Its like brushing my teeth–I’d never consider not doing it. I think I probably also apply it to more areas, on a daily basis, than the average person does. I cover my face, neck (front and back), ears, shoulders, chest, upper and lower arms, and hands. If I’m not wearing socks, I also cover the tops of my feet. I live in So Cal where we tend to wear lighter clothing and show more skin throughout the year.
As for cosmetics, I always sweep Météorites on my décolletage. I love the subtle, soft-focus shimmer they impart. It also helps unify the appearance of my face, neck, and chest by using a finishing powder all over.
Eileen, I’m like you! I suncscreen the parts of me that are showing (cancer-causing UV rays come right through windows), and use my finishing powder from hairline to neckline — it really unifies my look!
I like buffing my blush and highlighter together so you can’t see where one begins and the other end.
I also take a lot of care preparing my skin before makeup touches it and after makeup leaves it. This may not be unique to this community but it is relative to my peeps.
-I use a lip scrub every morning before I put on my lipstick and/or lipgloss and balm before I go to bed.
-I use an eye primer and face primer every single time I wear makeup
-I use Fix+ to blend/tone down all the powders and then I use a setting spray to lock in the makeup.
-I use L’Occitane Hand Cream and Foot Cream every night before I go to bed
I’m a blush fanatic myself. I would easily give up all my eye shadows before my blushes. And I love them in all different colours, formulas and finishes. Most days I forget primer and I don’t ever contour. I also won’t bother with brows because my bangs cover them and I rarely do eye shadow or liner anymore. But don’t take my blush!!! Concealer, blush and mascara is all I need to survive. I just got the new Becca luminous blushes and used it for the first time today. I already knew I would love them
I don’t know many people in my day to day life who wear makeup, so adding together the makeup I see used most often online and in real life:
-Brow powder. I’m the only one that I know who uses brow powder over pencil/gel/pomade/etc. My eyebrows are naturally very thick and I like their shape, so all I need to do is color in the areas that the hairs grow in really light (the areas that have hair but look bald, basically).
-Lip liner. I use lip liner almost every day, but with liquid lipsticks being the thing right now, I don’t often see other people go for them.
-Light beige eyeliner on my lower waterline, to wake my eyes up without looking sick (which is what light pink on my lower waterline does to me).
finishing powder or mists i drench my face in fix+ … also i like to highlight a lot! … another thing i realized i do is that i take my time on the crease… building color. some people smear the color they want on the crease and that’s it.
I don’t think anyone in my community wears or even knows what highlighter is (then again, when I got my birthday gift in Sephora a few years ago and it included What’s Up, I said “what’s that” when the saleswoman told me it’s a highlighter!). I see older people filling in their brows (poorly) but no one younger does it. I don’t go a day without doing them!
What I find surprising in these comments is how many people say that the women they know don’t wear makeup. I come from a community where everyone wears a full face every day! I’d never dream of leaving my house without makeup!
Most people I know in real life don’t wear highlighter but I wear it almost daily even in the winter!
A powder eyeshadow to tightline! I almost always do it, whatever look I’m going for.
I’m not sure how many use them but I use both face and eye primer. Makes a great base for make up.
I use a sunscreen every day.
a facial moisturizer/spf combination! also a mattifying primer on my t-zone. everyone is all about that dewy skin and I’m just over here with all my mattifying products trying to control my oil slick of a nose! I’m being a little overdramatic but I always wear a mattifying primer on my nose even on no makeup days. also filling in my brows. I work at a camp so literally no one here wears makeup except me!! wait, one other girl wears mascara and that’s it. I stick out like a sore thumb haha! and I can’t wear much color on my face either which is sad bc bright blush is my favorite!!
I use a lot of very shimmery and pearl finished shadows for my looks. I feel most people use much more matte shadows these days.
People I hang out with mostly wear no makeup. I wear close-to-no-makeup but blush and highlighter are high on my list even if I’m not wearing any eye or lip products.
Sunscreen SPF 50, every single day, even if I’m not going outside. Always, always, always.
I use the NYX white (or similar dupe) to as a kind of eye base, seems to bring out the shadow color more.
Bobbi Brown Face Base as a primer. I’ve not found any primer that I really like and this is a heavily vitamined product and works to set my foundation (not quite like primer but close) but also helps hydrate.
I keep a DIY mixture of Aquaphor, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil in a very small container to use throughout my day either on my lips (lightly please) and my under eye since that’s a dry area for me. You need to be careful because it can and will smear eye products so a teeny, tiny amount only is needed.
At work, we all have to wear makeup so there’s not really much that I can think of, except, maybe a corrector. I’ve also been getting better at applying suncreen to any exposed areas, which in Las Vegas, it’s not really an option.
Setting spray. It took me forever to try it. Makes such a great difference.
I’ve heard from friends that they don’t take off before they go to bed because they claim to be way too tired. That’s my biggest pet peeve! L. Because then they’ll wonder why their skin has problems. (They point it out, not me.) I’d say basic skin care routine, lip primer, lip liner, all the prep before the actual make-up. Sunscreen also, on face, neck and declote.
Eye drops. I use allergy whitening eye drops before I apply my makeup and it really makes my eyes pop
I like to do that, too, but the effect only lasts a couple of hours on me, so now I save it for special occasions.
I live in Canada and I wear sunscreen every day, even in winter which is most unusual. When I was in my 30’s I started using retin-a for an acute case of cystic acne and got into habit of wearing sunscreen and I never go without it. Now at 56 my skin looks pretty good. I also use peels from MUAC regularly now. And I couldn’t live without an eyelash curler, I am one quarter Native and my eyelashes have similar qualities to some Asian ladies….poker straight and resistant to curl.
Makeup generally – most women in my age group here in Melbourne don’t wear makeup at all. And some of them really need to so they can even out their skin tones.
I use a primer and wear lots of differently coloured lipsticks too.
Eye shadow
Perfume – I love changing my scent every day..
Mascara base/primer! I’ve tried a few different brands (Clinique, Dior, Chanel, Lancome) and swear by the Lancome cils booster xl. Since I began using it religiously about 6 months ago, I’ve noticed that I don’t have to curl my eyelashes AT ALL because it gives them a beautiful curl/lengthening, my mascara lasts longer and never clumps and applies much more evenly. Also, taking my mascara off at the end of the day is so much easier and I don’t lose any eyelashes in the tedious process. It works with all mascara brands, too 🙂
Sunscreen , sunscreen, sunscreen….. Apart from that, in makeup…Toners, Bb cream which has sunscreen( yes, sunscreen yet again) and under eye concealer
I believe sunscreen. I’m brazilian and round here besides the sun been so intense, woman are terrified to have oily skin
I am a 48 years old and a woman of color. In my circle of friends, I seem to be the only one using a foundation primer, blush or highlighter. I think using a blush or highlighter is critical at my age. I think as you mature, you tend to loose your glow.
Bronzer. I love bronzer especially being naturally tan. I love the warmed up look and I feel like bronzer gives me a healthy glow. I like using it sometimes in place of blush.