I used to use tinted moisturizer a lot, and now I tend to wear medium coverage most of the time. I didn’t use to have such an aggressive testing schedule, so I think that is part of it (medium coverage photographs better in my experience–it is, at least, more reliable!).
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Liquid eye liner!!! Switched to gel eye liner in a pot around 4-5 years ago, and haven’t looked back. Gel can hold up against my unpredictably watery allergy eyes and even sweating doesn’t cause it to get wrecked. It doesn’t transfer up onto my hooded part of my lid thereby ruining my entire makeup look. The only way I’d use a liquid now would be for a special effects type thing.
Which gel eye liner is your favorite? I’ve been battling eye liner issues and have been on the hunt for a really good one.
I have a few a like, like MAC Fluidine or the ones by Colourpop have good ones interspersed throughout their brand. But my all time favorite is one by Essence, in the shade named ‘Midnight In Paris’. It is pitch black, highly pigmented, easy to use and most importantly: this stuff wears like iron! It does NOT bugde, transfer, or flake. Love it!
I was never a big fan of the MAC Fluidline…not black enough.
I definitely need to pick up the Essence one, will add to cart for Ulta!
Also, L.A. Girl has a gel pot that you can get in Brown, Dark Brown and Black and it is SUPER creamy but wears like iron. I get mine from Beautyjoint for about 5 bucks. ??
Thanks, Nancy. About 20x I’ve been ready to pull the lever for another pot of MAC trak black. It’s OK, but I’ve never been crazy about it. I like a gel, and that was the best one I’d found, but still not good enough to make me buy it again. (Dries out so quick! I’ve used 3 or 4 pots for an outrageously short about of time, IMO.)
Will try this one. Voice of experience I listen to! Thanks again!
I love my eyeliners, especially Kat Von tattoo liner, but its crazy that I need a new one every month. So thanks to Nancy, I am going out to buy the gel once again. Going to try the 2 you wrote in about. Thanks honey.
NANCY, I kept this in my inbox because I tried the Essence liner. I have just purchased that and IT IS THE ONLY liner that stays on my waterline all day without smudging. WHO KNEW?. I am so thankful for the recommend. The $100s I have wasted on supposedly better products for nothing! 🙁
Your very welcome, one and all! I am likewise very grateful for those on Makeup Alley who, through touting the one by Essence when Ulta first began selling it, sold me onto it! Some compared it to MAC Blacktrack, but someone called the Essence liner “Armageddon proof”. Been using it ever since!
I agree on the liners, but find that gels in the pot dry out quickly. I use gel pencils and have had great luck with them. No more liquid! My favorite is NYX Slide On. I have every color and the Black Sparkle twice.
Mascara if you can believe it. Idk why but every mascara I’ve used, including waterproof, all smudge on my lower lash line and highlight my undereye circles. Thankfully my lashes are naturally dark and long already. If I want to emphasize them I just use a curler nowadays.
I’m more into looks that emphasize my skin with either highlighter, light contouring, or bronzer. I used to prefer looks that emphasized my eyes.
Lucky!
Cheek contouring products – I only used them on special occasions and/or when I would take the extra time in my routine anyway. These days if I use them, it’s as eyeshadow.
Illuminating primers – I like a more natural, demi-matte finish lately.
Face products: foundation, powder, blush, etc. Just can’t be bothered and hate getting them on my clothes.
Moisturizer than I realized it was the number one cause of my acne and over oily skin. Best decision to rid that from my skincare routine
Then, what do you use? A cc cream or a bb cream? I have also acne problems…
I will use a bb cream to get the necessary spf if I’m going outside. It depends on the weather and what my skin needs at the moment. A lot of the time I get enough moisture from my other treatment product. I should restate I don’t use moisturizer in cream /lotion form. If I need moisture I use a well formulated facial mist or a gel formula. Again depends. In summer I’m more oily. I use my cera ve face wash and that’s it. I apply a bb cream during the day bc I need SPF and most facial sunscreens are too greasy. In the winter, I’m oily but less so. I may or may not need additional moisture. Still won’t apply a lotion one since they give me horrible cystic acne. First Aid Beauty oil free mattifying gel is a good “moisturizer”. They key is use a well formulated face wash so you are not stripping the skin and need to add moisture back into the skin or causing your oil glands to flip out and produce extra oil etc. But also I’m currently not using products that are super harsh on the to treat acne like retinols or benzyl peroxide. If I were, I may need more moisture. You have to know your skin. I just know many moisturizers were terrible for me and once I rid my skincare from them, my acne, blackheads etc disappeared.
Liquid liner, cream blush, full coverage foundation. It’s not like I’m less high maintenance, it’s just a different kind of high maintenance.
LOL!
I used to curl my ends with a curling iron, but it took too long to fully dry my hair, and the iron was frying my ends, so I don’t use anymore unless it’s a special occasion. Now I put a leave-in conditioner and hair oil on my ends, and blow dry with a round brush until it’s about 95% dry, then let it air dry, much gentler on the hair.
I had a phase where I wore quite a lot of colored eyeliner, but I don’t think I have reached for it very often in the last years. Wich is a shame, I really like it if I do.
Eyeliners (pencil type). I used to do a line on my upper lash line and soften it by applying eyeshadow all over the moving lid. Obviously not a professional technic ( I do not recall even owning any brushes at high school) but it kind of did a good job at tightlining and kept the liner from moving.
Now I prefer using eyeshadow for lines (just any darker shade from the palette of the day) as it’s faster and more forgiving.
Waaay back in the day I used to wear a lot of black pencil eyeliner on my lower lash line. Wet n Wild 99c, I’m sure lol. Definitely don’t do that at all anymore.
I also used to wear a lot of powder foundation, but other than loose mineral foundation, that doesn’t happen anymore either.
I used to wear a lot of light pink eyeshadows, but I definitely opt for shimmery champagnes now than actual pink. But generally, I prefer something antique gold or pinky copper now!
I’ve really stopped using my BB cream and gone for sunblock instead mot days…
I used to wear lip gloss all the time, but for the last year or two I’ve been all about lipstick. I think that’s about to flip again though…..
For me, it is ingredient driven, rather than a performance issue. I eliminate anything that bothers any body system as well as skin. So, chem sunscreen, aloe, alcohol in products are gone. This actually cuts down a lot of choices, leaving you with fewer quandaries. Cosdna + PC ingredients dictionary + Temptalia = perfect guidelines for choice making.
Why aloe? Paula Choice gives it a rating of good
Aloe can cause acne.
Interesting since it has anti inflammatory properties
Eyeshadow… with a toddler who has time for that! At this point I have to make a conscious effort to actually put some on. The rest of my face takes all of 3 minutes.
I’d say eye and lip liner. I rarely use any or replace them when out. Also contouring in general. I use to do that a lot and now it’s when I feel compelled to bang out my already defined cheek bones more.
I used to contour my cheekbones decades before it became a trend (and so overly complicated!). As I’ve aged, though, my face has lost volume and so my cheekbones are naturally more defined. Occasionally, when I’m going for a polished look, I’ll use a bit of Tom Ford’s Terra to define my cheekbones, but it’s becoming more and more rare to do so.
That’s exactly what I use too. One of the good things about getting older, and there are good things, is that I finally have cheekbones after all these years! Tom Ford’s Terra is perfect for contouring on me. It’s not orange-ish or reddish or yellowy like a lot of bronzers are. I think it must be made for a cool complexion.
I remember when makeup became a real hobby, I really loved pigments. I still use them occasionally but not as much. Usually I’m in a rush in the morning and accident prone, so it can create quite a mess!
I also don’t use bright colors as much when I first started though I’ve started working a little more color back into every day makeup.
Oh yeah. Throwback to my fetus makeup days where I wore colored mascara ALL THE TIME on the lower lashes and tried to highlight my face with the NYX Milk Jumbo Pencil…..yeesh.
On a less regrettable note, red lipstick. Even during the holiday season, I’ll go for a deep pink or nude with smoky eyes over a red. They’re just a little loud for me sometimes.
Lipgloss for super shine.
Blue eyeshadow.
Lipgloss. I used to wear them all the time when I was younger, but I started favoring lipsticks a lot more when I hit my late 30s. I was sick of the same basic look I had the whole time I was trying to raise two special needs kids. I wanted to ditch my peachy-pink standard lipglosses and get colors back into my life.
Foundation powder. My skin has gotten dryer as I’ve gotten older and I recently switched from the MAC powder I’ve used FOREVERRRRR to Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. The bummer is that I bought a new MAC powder compact just before I decided it wasn’t working for me. I don’t want to return it because I know they’ll toss it and it seems so wasteful – I’ve literally never even touched it with a finger or brush.
Heavy coverage foundation! Don’t really need it anymore. My skin is better and I’m more accepting of it’s flaws.
Eyeliner. I used to use it all the time but now I never do. I like how my eyes look without all that black rim around them.
Lol. Tweezers!
Haven’t used tweezers in YEARS! Did enough for a lifetime in the 90’s!
Primers. I used to use primers with every foundation but I hated the way most of them felt and broke out my skin.
I swear by an e/s primer but I have given up on facial primers. The results were so so imo and I hate how they feel on my skin
pinky foundation at the drugstore. Now I get color matched or go for colors that are neutral tone.
also use higher spf than just spf 15 .
started using primers too.
Funny bc drugstore foundations are less pink based but are more yellow or neutral leaning now days
I know it’s less of an issue now but I find it hard to get the right match. Like when I went for a Maybelline one, too pinky and I am light neutral.
I find True Match from L’Oreal is fine though.
I ended up buying their Lumi foundation in 1-2N and I love their cushion foundation too!!!:)
Full coverage foundation, powder, primer..my face at 42 is what it is and using heavy products makes me look older and like I am trying too hard. I go for moisture and light vs heavy and matte. I like my freckles and fine lines..I mean, who are we trying to kid? I’ve lived half a lifetime…I don’t want to look 30 (well, I want my body to look 30).
– Tinted sunscreen
– pownder foundation
– liquid blush
– nude eyeliner on the water line
– gel liner
– tinted lip balm
– lip gloss
– nude lipstick
*Now I am all about CC creams, liquid liner, contour and realy bold lipstick (Mattes specially)
I used liquid foundation years ago (10 or more) but switched to MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation and have never used anything else. I purchase extra MAC sponges (like the one included with foundation) because once I clean one it just doesn’t seem the same to me.
I know I’m forgetting something because I’m a bit distracted… but the only things that come to mind are peel-off masks and, before I grew out my real nails, glue-on and acrylic nails. As difficult as it sometimes is for me to do a simple French manicure on my right hand, I have no idea how I was able to shape and form those acrylics!
Nail polish. The only thing I wear is Chanel La Base to give them a tinted protective gloss. It keeps them manicured, and I don’t have to be concerned about chipped polish.
Primer and stick lipstick. The former, because an undercoat of Biore suncreen and a final pass of Boscia’s charcoal spray changed my life, the latter because the liquid lipstick trend exposed me to a type of product I like a lot more. Good feelings all around.
Liquid liner. I still keep it around to use sometimes, but I used to do winged liner nearly every day. Now that I’ve noticed my eyes are aging faster than I’d like and becoming way more hooded, I don’t like winged liner on myself unless I make the wings HUGE. I prefer just doing a bold smoky eye without any liner on my upper lash line.
Not so much a product but a tool. I used to always curl my lashes and had several lash curlers in my arsenal. Now with today’s mascaras, I don’t need them. Plus, my lashes are now so much longer!!! Had no idea of the damage I was doing.
Eye pencils – I just love my eye shadows more.
Lip liner – cannot be bothered
Mascara on my lower lashes – smudges.
Pastel eyeshadows; brighter colored eyeliner.
I have to agree with the liquid and gel eyeliners! I was so used to the whole pencil sharpeners eyeliners. L. I really couldn’t master a steady hand to keep a semi straight line, let alone a straight line! Lmao. But NOW, I CAN’T use anything else and it seems easy and second nature.
I also realized as we get a little bit older you find out easier techniques on how and where to put eyeliner. Like I will do a long line on my top lid and on the bottom, I actually use a wet, thin brush and I use an eyeshadow color, the same as what I’m wearing on my top lash.. and I will press lightly right up to my bottom lash,and then gently drag. I then love the look of a lightly snugged out line. Just enough to give my eyes the right pop. If I go a little too heavy on the top lash, I go over it with the same technique as the bottom and dab on or dust on, depending..powder to get a lighter look on the top lash. It sounds confusing and like it takes a lot of time, but it doesn’t! I’m heat exhausted today, I apologize. L. ?
Setting powder. I know that sounds crazy but I don’t have oily skin ( normal skintype) and now I own great setting sprays, so I try to avoid that extra layer. I think powder looks cakey, even high quality powder. I do own Laura Mercier powder but never use it anymore. Also bb creams. Used to love them, but nowadays I need something that is going to match me exactly, not come in colors like “light” “medium” “dark”, and that’s literally all the colors. Not specific to my color, and no they are not self adjusting. Two of the best I’ve tried dr. Jart and Erborian come in TWO shades….baby pink and orange…haha
Waterproof mascara! Since I’ve stopped using it (and use regular mascara only) my eyelashes have all grown back.
Lipliners and eyeliners! They either hurt going on or they hurt coming off and if they do neither it’s because they smudge.
Matte, semi-matte and long-lasting lipstick. They either make my lips appear even thinner than they are or they’re too drying.
Products with glitter; especially eyeshadow because they irritate my skin and really hurt my eyes.
Urban Decay eyeshadow. Doesn’t matter what finish it’s in…they all make my eyes water and itch.
Lastly, scented makeup. It’s either too heavily fragranced, too artificial smelling, and/or nauseating.
I keep one inexpensive black waterproof mascara for funerals and weddings. It gets pitched every Four months after opening. Any lippies that are matte go to the kids. I keep a neutral and clear lip pencil but seldom use it. I avoid full coverage foundation, opting for billable instead. In general, I prefer pencil eyeliner.
When i was younger i was used to use transparent lipgloss and bold eyeshadows. Now i prefer bold lipsticks and black eye liners
I used to wear setting powder, eyebrow filler, lip glosses, primer with silicones, black eyeliner in my waterline, pink eyeshadows, …
Concealer. I almost never wear it anymore. It makes my dark circles and pimples more noticeable. Occasionally I will use it to cover an age spot, but that’s it. I use bronzer to blend my dark circles more into my face. Products I use less than I used to: lip gloss (I really like pale lipstick better) and eye shadow (only sometimes, usually eyeliner and a coat of mascara is enough.)
I haven’t worn eyeshadow in over a year. I don’t even consider it apart of my “full face” routine anymore. My idea of eye makeup is filling in my brows and lining my eyes with a brown (soft, subtle day look) or black (nice contrasting pop against my skin) eyeliner pencil.
I never buy or wear lipgloss anymore. I should probably start trying to use what I already have, but I just don’t enjoy the texture. Strangly enough, I love sheer and shiny lipsticks, so it’s probably some sort of mental block of forgetting what I own. Since going back to school, I hardly wear eyeliner anymore, except for special occasions or days when I want to appear a bit more polished.
Black eyeliner- I look much better in brown. I also stopped wearing pinkish lipsticks; I’m drawn to them but even though I’m neutral I’m on the warmer side of that fence. All of these dreaded warmer-toned pallettes coming out are perfect for me, but I do have enough to last for the next hundred years, lol!! I can see why the cooler-toned people would like a few pallettes, too!