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In a previous post you mentioned you only reapply lipstick a couple times a day. How do you get it so last so long? Do you use a sealer? I find myself reappling regular lipstick many times a day so I like the longwear lipsticks, but there are some longwear colors that make my lips appear wrinkly. Any suggestions?
My lipstick doesn’t disappear unless I eat/drink for the most part! I mean, it’ll fade a little as the day goes on, but it usually takes about 8 hours before I see a difference!
Longwearing lipsticks tend to be drying, which is probably why you see your lips getting “wrinkly.” My only advice is putting a heavy balm on beforehand (like 5-10 minutes), let it sink in, then wipe it off with your hand before you apply the longwearing product.
Can you recommend some good face painting products for Halloween? Thx!
Ben Nye and Kryolan… theatrical brands are awesome 🙂
And where might we find these?
I’d probably go to the manufacturer’s website (bennye.com or kryolan.com) and look for a store that carries it near you!
I am looking for foundation to match my Indian skin tone. I prefer compact/2 in 1 foundations over the liquid foundations. The liquid foundations tend to make my skin feel oily after a couple of hours. Do you have any suggestions?
Hey Neena! I’m Indian, too. Although Indian skintones can be dark, pink toned (South Indians) as well as very light and super yellow toned (Bengalis, etc.) MAC has been able to accommodate my skin tone for the most part (I am a NC42) but for a better fit, try Prescriptives Custom Blend. One of my favorite blogs, Anu’s, has a lot of foundation entries.
http://www.indianmakeupdiva.com/
My concealer (I use Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer)always gathers into the fine lines under my eyes, even though I set it with powder. Do you have any suggestions how I could keep it from doing that? I’ve tried using more powder as well as a lighter concealer, but it still happened. Thanks in advance!
(I might come up with another question; I just have to make up my mind 😉 )
Have you tried using a primer? You might want to use a primer beneath it, or let your moisturizer dry longer.
do you use only MAC products for face color (concealer, foundation, powder)? what are your favorite finishes? what other brands do you like?
I only use MAC currently, because I generally only use foundation, which is Studio Fix Fluid. I rarely use concealer, but if I do, I prefer Kanebo, but I reach for whatever I’m testing 🙂
I only like matte or semi matte finishes for foundation or powders! I’ve reviewed different foundations on the blog, an those are other ones I’ve liked, but SFF is still my favorite.
thanks sweetie 🙂
1. When I wear gloss with my lipstick, they always end up migrating to just the outer part of my lips so that the inner portion has no color left on it. If I just wear lipstick alone this doesn’t really happen. What can I do to prevent/stop this?
2. What would you recommend makeup wise for a pirate costume for Halloween? I’m trying to be more “pirate captain” rather than “pirate wench” haha and I’m not really sure what to go with. I was thinking maybe a gold or smokey eye with red lips and bronzer or a pinup look but I love hearing inspiration and ideas from other people. Thanks!!
You might want to try wearing liner, it might help it budge less! I don’t really know any other tips to offer 🙁 I haven’t personally encountered that problem! I hope others have advice to chime in with!
I think a bronzy eye would be great. Maybe a really bronzy, gold-sheen kind of look, since pirates are sunkissed!
here is good pirate look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2M57Df1Uqk
Thank you!!
Hey! I just want to say i love reading your website and you are sooo pretty! But my question would be, what is your facvorite mascara? Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! I adore MAC Plushlash mascara. It’s my favorite. Chanel Exceptionnel is good, but it’s quite pricey.
Thank you i will defiently pick up the plushlash next time i am at mac! Thank you! 🙂
O yeah! haha one more thing! i just remembered, i just ran out of primer and i wanted to know what your favorite was? I just used my whole smashbox oil-free light primer, and will prob. buy again but just wondering what you perferred that i should give a try! Thanks again!
You know, to be honest, I don’t often use a primer. I’ve been trying to test out some different ones lately. Smashbox’s primer is quite nice! I also like MAC’s for a less silicone-y feel.
hey christine,
so, i HATE pigments but when they were first introduced i bought 4 colors. i think i read something on specktra that there are certain batches that are harmful or only used on certain parts of the body….for instance i bought ‘teal’ and supposedly it’s only supposed to be used on cheeks or body….who the hell is going to put teal on their cheeks?
but anyhow, do you know anythign about that?
Yes, older batches of colors like Teal, Fuchsia, and Golden Lemon weren’t eye safe, but all current and new batches are. I think it’s as of 2006 batches that are eye safe.
Basically, pigments were originally PRO products–designed to be used in a professional atmosphere, e.g. photoshoots. That’s why you might see Teal pigment on body parts rather than eyes.
I ended up re-buying those colors when they had eye safe versions.
WHATS THE BEST PINK BLUSH OUT THERE?
THANKSSS!
Well, if you one that’s readily available, you could try Well Dressed or Dollymix. My favorite pink blush is probably Don’t Be Shy, which is no longer available in stores.
do you think beiges de chanel will work for warm skin tones? and what do you think is the best mac foundation for oily/acne prone skin? and what is your favorite brand of eyeshadows?
Yes, definitely! I am warm toned, and I think Beiges de Chanel works on me 🙂
I think SFF liquid is great for oilier skin, because it is a matte finish foundation. Also, MSF natural 🙂
MAC is my favorite.
Hey Christine! This might be kinda a long post so I apologize in advance 🙂
I’m suuper jealous that you can go out with just foundation — I have these terrible dark circles, from both genes and lack of sleep, that I have to hide every day. Is there a particular concealer that would be good for that? I also have an incredibly oily nose but no problems elsewhere, so I usually only wear foundation on my nose (I know it sounds totally weird…), but I was wondering if there was a type that would be ok for a super shiny nose.
I was also wondering whether you think CCBs or Blushcremes are better for a nice dewy cheek colour (in terms of staying power, texture, and whatnot).
I’m thinking of getting a nice brown liner, so I was wondering whether you think there’s a significant difference between Spare Change (the pearlglide) and Rich Ground (the fluidline).
In addition, I’ve dabbled in most MAC products while staying away from pigments. I’ve seen you use products like pigments and paints as bases, but can you use them as just plain shadows themselves? And if so, how would you go about preventing creasing/fallout?
Okay, last question I swear! I’m thinking about making the leap to more expensive makeup brushes, but I’m still trying to save money, so I was wondering whether you think that the “mini” versions of some of the MAC brushes (like the 181 instead of the 182 and the 188 instead of the 187) work as well as the big versions.
Thanks sooo much! Again, sorry for the humongous post. Keep up the amazing work, Christine!
Hey Miss Fred! 🙂 Happy weekend!
My best advice for dark circles is this:
1) Gently pat the area underneath your eyes with your ring fingers to help increase blood circulation.
2) Apply foundation (in your skintone) underneath your eye.
3) Apply concealer on top — choose a concealer that works with the discoloration of your undereye circles. If they’re looking dark (like purplish or gray), try a yellow-based concealer. If they’re browner, try a blue-based concealer. Dab on the concealer lightly, then gently pat it into your foundation (or skin, if you skip the foundation step).
4) Set with translucent powder to minimize the concealer migrating, settling, or fading.
Some products I recommend for concealers are YSL Touche Eclat and Kanebo’s Pen-Type Concealer. Benefit’s Powderflage is a silky powder that’s designed to help reflect light and minimize the *appearance* of dark circles. You can use this to set the concealer!
Generally, if you have oily skin, you want to look for a foundation that has a matte or semi-matte finish. Stay away from anything that says glowy or dewy.
Either CCBs or Blushcremes will work just as well as the other. Darker colors always last longer because they have more of a stain effect, but one way to maximize your creams is by setting them with powder (whether it’s translucent or using a powder blush). For dewy cheeks, it’s more a matter of the finish of the CCB or Blushcreme — whether there’s a slight sheen or shimmer to it.
Spare Change is black-brown, Rich Ground is a warm brown and not as dark. All of the pearlglides are essentially black-based; each shade sort of has blackness to it.
You can totally use pigments as eyeshadows. I rarely do, because I find they work as best for me as bases, but if you want to use them as shadows…
a) Apply them wet (spritz your brush with Fix+ or water)
b) Apply them over a good base (like UDPP, Paint Pots, etc.)
I don’t think the 181 is as good as the 182. The 188 could work in place with the 187 if you don’t intend to use the 187 for foundation or applying powers really. I recently purchased the 188, and it is a good bit smaller than the 187. I like to use it for creme blushes and highlighters.
HTH!
Thanks so much for your help Christine! And sorry about the huuuge post, lol :-/
You’re welcome! I’m happy to answer 🙂
Urban Decay or MAC eyeshadows?!
Thank-you =] xx
MAC! To be honest, I haven’t tried enough UD shadows to make a fair comparison. They’re both great brands, though.
How about UD Deluxe eyeshadow vs MAC?
Thank-you for replying =] x
I don’t have a lot of experience with UD shadows, so I pick MAC!
AWSOME!!
I THINK ITS GREAT YOUR HELPING US OUT!
I’m thinking about getting the face holiday brush set (Actually for a few years now! But they always end up selling out!) and I’ve heard that they are different in quality. The SE is machine cut instead of hand cut, there is less hairs in the SE brushes and the the SE brush handles are plastic instead of wood? Is this all true? What other differences/similarities do you see? I have the 190 and 266 in the full size and I use them everyday! Please let me know!
I’m going to chime in here.. I got all the holiday sets from 2006, and they’re really good quality, and still going strong!! They are machine made, but I prefer the shorter handles from doing make up on myself.
I think they’re still wood, though… I don’t remember them feeling plasticky. The quality is only reduced, but it’s not like they’re terrible! They’re good quality for the price. You’re talking about a $49 brush set when one of the full-sized versions of the brush costs $42 on its own (the 187). They are great for people on a budget or for brushes (like the 187) that you may not use all the time.
How do you decide what colour of blush and lippie will go with your eye shadow?
From doing so many looks, I’ve just realized certain blushes look better with certain eye colors. Like peaches and bronzy blushes look better with green shadow!
Know any highlighters that don’t have shimmer? Or at least very little?
You could try one of the shaping powders at MAC PRO. They’re satin, so they have a very, very subtle amount of shimmer.
Christine,
I just want to asked you, I have my right eyes more puff than my left one.
my eyes colour was brown, could you give me inspiration for my eyes make up.
thank you
Hi Classic,
I’m not sure what you’re asking in the first question, could you clarify it for me?
My eyes are hazel, so they’re both brown and green, so you can really just go through any looks I have for brown eyes 🙂
But I really like golds and bronzes as well as greens for brown eyes.
How’s Magellan doing these days? Haven’t seen him here in temptalia.com lately.
A few months ago when we did a reader feedback survey, Magellan Says was the mosthated column on Temptalia, so that is why he’s no longer on the blog!
He’s doing fine, acts like a puppy. We imagine he must be in some mild discomfort these days, because he’s finally developed an appreciation for pillowed things (like his bed, which he never used to like). But you wouldn’t really know it 🙂 He still acts like a happy puppy all the time. Thanks for asking!
I would love if you could do swatches of Electric Eel and Cool Heat and Shimmermoss and Gulf Stream. I wanna see how similar they are so I know if I should buy Shimmermoss and Electric Eel.
Hey! I can’t commit to doing comparison swatches unfortunately, but all of those are swatched somewhere in the archives.
To be honest, none of them are similar. Shimmermoss is pretty much teal and shimmery, which makes it different from Cool Heat (blue-based teal) and Gulf Stream (green-based teal). Electric Eel is a bright matte blue – so it’s brighter and bluer than Cool Heat. I mean, if you don’t wear these kinds of colors a lot, Cool Heat and Gulf Stream should get you through. If you were deciding between Shimmermoss and Electric Eel – probably Electric Eel, since it’s so blue.
Thanks for the reply. I’ll probably end up getting them both. I love blues and teals. I can’t get enough of those and purples.
Sure thing 🙂 Enjoy!
What shade of precriptives mineral foundation did u use in the post u made featuring that product?
Actually, the shade I used was too dark for me! So I don’t know my actual shade.
Hi, Christine! I hope I’m not off topic.
I have a question about dry foot/foot callus. I’ve tried many methods trying to get rid of dry, rough spots on my feet but nothing really comes out of this. I tried Pumice stone and soaked my feet in hot water. I’m thinking about the callus shaver, but I’m afraid that it’s going to make me bleed. Do you have any suggestion of getting rid of callus/dry spots whatsoever on my feet? THANKS!
My mom, who has dry and cracked heels, swears by the PedEgg! I’ve used it a few times, and it’s pretty gentle on the heels, so you shouldn’t have to worry about bleeding!
Hey,
I don’t know if I am to late on this… but what is your favorite foundation for dewey skin?
Face & Body ! 🙂
How much do you think should be spent on make up per month?
There is no right or wrong amount – it’s about what you can afford and what you want to spend. I have no debt besides school loans (which I consider mandatory debt, and something most people carry on their backs), and I never intend to have credit card debt. So I personally purchase what’s in my budget and what I can afford without missing rent or not being able to pay for gas.
Some ladies can spend without caring at all, and some have to scrimp in other areas so they can make single purchases. I’m just an advocate of living within your means!
Christine,
Your recent posts seem yanked from my “to do” list …
Did you ever see The Crow (2): City of Angels? Mia’s eye makeup has haunted me for years. I’ve finally decided that I need to replicate the look.
She wore red eyeliner, it was beautifully soft and perfectly colored (she’s green eyed).
So I’m looking for the right red eyeliner, preferably pencil or gel pot, not liquid. I need a red that is tipping into the warmish neutral territory; definitely not a cool tone.
I’d like to find a darker burgundy red for the office, and a more pure red for non-office wear.
I’m planning to check out the color and ingredients on the following MAC liners … any other suggestions?
MAC Kohl Power Eye in Raven
MAC Fluidline in Macroviolet and Rich Ground
MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Bordeauxline
Thanks.
Hey Kira! I haven’t seen the movie, but if you’re looking for BRIGHT red, you’ll probably have to look around for a red eyeshadow. I can’t think of any bright red liners off the top of my head. If you wanted something more burgundy, Raven will be nice, though it’s still black-based. I know MAC just put out Danger Zone mineralize trio, which has a bright red that could be used as a liner if applied wet.
Hi Christine,
I was wondering if you had a post that lists all of your ‘dupes’? I find these suggestions really helpful!
I don’t currently, sorry!
Hi, I’m just wondering, are you some sort of makeup artist/beauty editor that gets freebies/cool deals and whatnot? Or do you buy all of your products?
I’m just wondering because I just watched your Makeup Collection video and I’m astounded and really jealous of how much makeup you have LOL.
I bought most of the products featured in the video 🙂 It was several years in the making!
Hey Christine! Thanks for replying to all these comments! I don’t think I’ve ever left one that went unanswered/un-acknowledged by you. I’ve always been curious as to whether or not you actually buy all the stuff you feature in your product photos. If so, do you always keep them? Also, have you ever polled people on how long their makeup routines take? If not, it might be an interesting one to have.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I give a lot of things I receive from PR as well as products I buy (because these days, I purchase more to do blog reviews/photos than for myself) to my friends/family. I just don’t have the space–either in my apartment or on my face–for all of it, LOL.
I have, actually, but it’s been awhile. Maybe it’s time to do it again!
Do you have any tips for an anime look?
Hi Sonia, I’m not exactly sure what you mean…
Hi,
I was wondering what brushes you use for most of your looks. I see in a lot of the eyeshadow looks you use MAC 129, 239, 249 & 266, but which others are standards I should own? Your blog gives me HUGE inspiration for new looks and quite frankly, I am really scared for my wallet! Thanks!
Those are really the only brushes I use every day, to be honest! The only one that is missing is the 182, which I use to buff my foundation in. I own several 239s – I find having multiple ones is soooo helpful.
Hi Christine – firstly, LOVE your site – am here nearly every day for inspiration. Now for my question. I am attending a wedding this weekend, and as it is the first wedding I’ve attended since I was a little girl (I’m 19 now) I have no idea what kind of makeup look I should do. It is afternoon wedding, followed straight away by cocktails and then the reception. Are there any particular looks on your website that you can reccomend? And any little tips I should bear in mind? Thank you!
Hi Louise!
I’d do a subtle smoky eye if you wanted something that stood out, but not overly so (since it starts in the afternoon!). If you’re being photographed a lot (likely if you’re part of the bridal party vs. a regular guest), you’ll want to stay away from SPF, because it often reflects light (giving you the pasty, ghost effect) from flash photography! Also, keep your lipstick/lipgloss handy for touch ups 😉 Blotting powder is helpful, too.
Did you know that the MAC UK site has this super-cool exclusive set called Charming Garnet? http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT15931&PRODUCT_ID=PROD92630
It looks like something I would love to give to my make-up newbie friend for Christmas! Do you know why MAC likes to torture us non-UK make-up lovers like this?? 🙁
Hey Jenna! A lot of this seems to be permanent/readily available items, you could make your own set!
Since I(sadly)missed out on Dior’s Iridescent Leather quint,can you suggest eye shadow colors(MAC,etc.) that are similar? thanks!
Nylon, Bronze, Woodwinked for sure. They all have the same shimmery-ness of the Dior quint.
Hi Christine. I have been on the fence about buying the MAC holiday brush sets. Do you have any experience with them? I really just want a 239 brush, but can’t decide whether to buy the single brush or the holiday set.
If you just want the 239, buy full size 🙂
Hey – check this out. It’s a make up artist on Facebook… but i think they’ve taken pics of you and used them?!
the link is http://www.facebook.com/album.php?profile&id=48164235852#/photo.php?pid=2047792&id=48164235852
apologies if i’m wrong.
Thanks for letting me know, Steph!
Hey Steph, great looking out. I think you are right. In fact I am 100% sure the pictures were taken from this site. That’s theft of material! One of the looks is definitely from temptalia…see it below
http://www.temptalia.com/looks-subtle-tropical-eye-with-lavender-spring-green-and-teal
christine you should contact this woman!
i have oily skin and when i first put on my eye makeup it beautiful but midway through the day i get oily creases in my eye makeup and i have to keep doing touch up constantly throughout the day. i hate it. i try almost every produce that is “SUPPOSED” to stop your skin from being oily but is doesn’t work. i even heard a makeup artist say put conceler on your eyelids first so that the makeup would not crease but ounce again it doesn’t work. i’ve also stop putting lotion when i lotion my face to stop it from being so oily, but ounce again it doesn’t work. can u please tell me what i can do to fix this problem? 🙁 and if you don’t have an answer, thanx a bunch for trying i must have to keep reapplying my makeup.
Try Mario Badescu 🙂 The Drying products are amazing.
Where can i find Mario Badescu products? i’ve never heard of him b4?
You can get them at http://www.mariobadescu.com. Some Nordstrom’s carry the brand, too!
Oh, and moisturizing doesn’t make your face oily!! You gotta keep it moisturized even if it’s oily. Have you tried using a base like Urban Decay Primer Potion?
thanx! i’ll try it.
Help, I love pink and red lippies but they seem to always turn blue on me…any suggestions of a Nars lipstick that won’t do it? I don’t like browns. Thanks!
I’d try using a base, actually! Like Lip Erase or foundation/concealer.