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Is there a such thing as something being too pigmented?
Is there a such thing as something being too pigmented? What if the color stains your skin after you remove it?
I don’t mind if something stains my skin for a few hours post-removal, but I don’t want anything staining for 24 hours afterward, because then that interferes with what I want to wear the next day. Â When a lipstick stains, it’s typically a good thing, since it really enhances the longevity of the product, but it seems less valuable with other product types.
Thanks to Jessie for today’s question!
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Agreed, if I need to scrub at the product to remove it, it’s far too pigmented. I don’t want to have to remove layers of skin just to get rid of this makeup.
I agree, lipstick is a good thing to stain you unless for some reason you don’t want the color to last very long. My most hated staining products are nail polish (I hate sanding down my nails…also I hate getting the skin on my fingers stained) and eyeshadow…specifically green or teal eyeshadow. Nobody wants their face to be stained greenish!
As for non-staining sort of too pigmented, sometimes I wish blush was a touch more sheer but buildable since the lighting in my bathroom is terrible and sometimes what looks subtle in there turns out to be way too heavy handed in the real world.
I never understand when people complain about a lip product staining, because that’s…what I want it to do, pretty much. But I can see a staining eye color or an over-pigmented blush to be a problem for some people, yeah. However, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think staining is a problem caused by high pigmentation per se–doesn’t it have to do with the ingredients (i.e., dyes) used to get that pigmentation?
I’m a little suspicious of products that are way too pigmented. An eyeshadow that stains your skin for days, can’t be too good for you, can it?
Christine? Am I just paranoid?
I’m not worried about it – I mean things like strawberries and cranberry juice can stain your lips!
I tested the teal Sephora Doe-Eyed eyeliner on my arm and it stained so bad took 3-4 DAYS to wash off completely. I tried like five different types of makeup remover on it plus scrubbed with soap and I still had a big ol’ teal line on my arm. That is too pigmented.
The same thing happened to me with the electric blue Stila sparkle liquid liner! The sparkles themselves washed off, but there was a bright blue stain on my hand for days!
With some blushes (especially indie ones), you wouldn’t know them from eyeshadow. I really prefer a more medium sort of pigmentation with blushes: it can’t be so light it won’t show up, but I don’t have to work too hard to sheer it out, either.
Sometimes. I find that sometimes, if a product is super pigmented, it becomes a bit stiff, or a touch more difficult to blend. And I have issues with something staining my skin if it’s not a lip product.
I hate it when nail polish is too pigmented and I end up having to paint it another (non-staining) color until it goes away.
probably because I just started using them, but I feel like blushes can be too pigmented. when it comes to shadows, liners & lipsticks, the more the better.
I believe there are products out there that are way too pigmented. For instance, I love how the color of Mac’s Contrast eyeshadow looks in the pan. It is a vibrant blue color in the pan. However, when I apply it, it is so pigmented that it looks almost black. Definitely not what I was expecting.
i’m incredibly pale so when it comes to certain products like cheek or lip products, i tend to go towards less pigmented items just for safety reasons to make sure there is less of a chance of me looking like a clown
I feel this way about some of the new Wet n Wild shadows. Not too many of them, but there are one or two where I think the amount of pigment in the formula is lessening the quality of the shadow.
I think a product can be pigmented to the point of being near useless. Especially with products like blushes- if I have to rub my brush on the back of my hand for 5 minutes after dabbing it the pan so I don’t look like a clown, that is just ridiculous.
As for staining, if it doesn’t say its a stain product, it better not stain, as far as I’m concerned.
Yes! A lipstick that stains for hours isn’t something I enjoy. Blushes that need a super light hand can be annoying–same with eyeshadows.
But for my black Asian lashes, yet to find a mascara pigmented black enough! xP
I suppose with some blush products, too much pigmentation can make the blush hard to apply for a natural effect. Usually, this is only a problem the first time, til I realize that I need a light hand but I could see (haven’t experienced it but could see it being a problem) a blush SO pigmented that it’s almost impossible to get a natural looking result with it. But I’ve never encountered anything so pigmented that it didn’t come off with a good makeup remover followed by regular cleansing.
this can happen with blushes ( esp. liquid or gel ones) and lippies as well. I do not like that pigments stay on too long, it’s a sign the product is not formulated 100% OK. Pigments that won’t go way get bound to skin cells and this, to be honest , makes me feel uncomfortable.
It’s completely possible. If a product has too much pigment and is hard to work on the skin it can sit on the face like a big splotch. If you know that something is highly pigmented and will act that way, either mix it with something that will make it easier to work with or add something underneath to make it easier to work with. If a shadow is going to be too hard to work with by itself, I’ll make sure to place a neutral shadow beneath it. It doesn’t effect the color much, it makes it easier to place, though.
Some e/s that Mac make ppl think may be less pigmented.,.. They are mostly my fave!!! I just have to build.. Less room for error
Yes, sometimes blushes can be too pigmented. I struggle with my Marine Life powder as it’s so crazily pigmented, it’s extremely easy to overdo when you’re as pale as I am. :S
the only thing i can think of is blush, having to applying with a really light hand is annoying. i like lancome blusher, because it’s pigmentation is a good medium.
if it stains for longer than i expect it to (ie a powder staining is too much, while a cream isn’t) then i don’t like it! blushes can also be too much, but lip products/eyeshadows? never!
…except for the aforementioned staining rule of course, but i’m talking mainly in application.
I hate too pigmented products that stain and I don’t use them. But there is a particular one I can’t stop using because I love it. MUFE e/s #92. Unless I scrub my lids it’s there the following day, it is red-pink like I’m sick, so I have to use dark eye colors again… Moreover, I was never able to full clear my MAC 239 brush even though I tried right after application. It looks always dirty now.
That’s the one I was going to mention! Yeah, my eyelids are stained for a day after using it too even over a paintpot.
Other than the staining issue, I don’t think a product can be too pigmented. If you think a blush is “too pigmented” it probably isn’t the right product for you, you should pick a lighter.
some eyeshadows (eg the red one from Inglot) are actually super pigmented and stain my lids. kinda a bummer, really.
for the e/s not to stain, i have to do a several layers of product in order to keep the eyeshadow the farthest away from my actual eyelid.
the first time i used and removed this e/s, it looked like i had an eye infection because my lids were RED!
Sometimes if something is too pigmented I find it hard to use, or it’s too easy to overdo it. I find this more with blushers than anything else.
Yes there is. For me it is difficult to apply very pigmented blush. I need to be able to work it with my angled brush and smooth it out evenly. If its too pigmented with a light touch of brush on my face I get a bunch of colour. I had this problem with MAC desert rose. Great blush and great shade, but way too pigmented.
I even sometimes hate lipsticks that are too pigmented. I just wore MAC’s Candy Yum Yum the other night, and no matter how I scrubbed or what remover I used, I had a neon pink ring stained around the outside of my mouth the whole next day!
The NYX Soft Matte Lip Cremes leave a gorgeous stain behind after a couple of hours, but doesn’t leave my lips feeling dry or anything! Love these for summer, so that I won’t have to re-apply a billion times a day!
My too pigmented is probably quite different than others. Too pigmented for me is NYX round lipsticks. I have trouble making them look good because they are so friggen pigmented
I don’t feel that anything can be TOO pigmented. It’s easier to sheer out something pigmented and have it look nice, than to build up layers of product without it being obvious that you piled it on. I’ve never had a shadow stain my lids but I’ve experienced lip products staining and I love it. I prefer my lip products to stain! I want long wear, since I smoke and am always drinking tea or water I need my lips to last.
While I can’t get enough of super-pigmented, bold products, if it stains my skin it’s gone, end of story.
Nope.
Most of the time I like when a lipstick stains, although it can be annoying trying to get rid of stuck-on red lipstick the next morning to go to school or work…I haate when eyeshadows stain, though- especially with a primer. I love my Sugarpill Poison Plum, but I rarely wear it because it leaves my eyelids this really not-cute pink shade.
I’m experiencing this right now with my nails. I was wearing a nice Zoya purple gold and decided to throw some cheaper gold glitter polish on top to do a glitter gradient. Well, I’ve removed everything and now the tops of my nails are stained gold. That glitter traveled through 2 layers of color and a base coat to stain my nails!!
Glitter polish is evil lol
no i don’t think there is such a thing as too pigmented (though often when i use my naked pallete i need to use the lighest hand). i feel like therre’s nothing worse than not pigmented enough..
i hate when lipsticks and lipglosses are so pigmented and bleed over ur lipline they just look un-natural and clownish
Yes, I think there is such a thing as being too pigmented. If it’s an eye shadow and it’s so pigmented I cannot blend it out to get a softer look – that’s not a good choice for me. Like Taylor said, if it needs to really be scrubbed to get it off – that’s too pigmented. Now for those who have said if a lipstick leaves stained lips, I don’t have a problem with that. I like to not put on new lip product constantly. I look specifically for lip stains to wear – so that’s a good thing in my book. I love a lip stain with spf lip balm over it for my daily use. Just balm if I am at home or not caring about lip color when I run out on errands.
Absolutely yes. I think it is one element of some makeup beginners looking overdone and ridiculous. High pigment products are great for the adept but color selection and application has to be flawless. Personally I’d rather medium coverage in makeup, that’s buildable. Much less chance of me looking like a noob.
No with the caveat that it has been properly done that adds proper adhesion and silky texture for an even hold. Its a real trick to deliver that. For years now consumers have been screaming for more pigmentation from their makeup, (hello remember 90s covergirl?!) Now were finally getting what we want and now its too much?! Ill put up with occasional staining here and there for the products we have now.
Nope when it comes to the face. It is extremely rare for me since I am dark complexioned. But in the case of my nails, then yes there are nail polishes that stain my nails and leave it in a awful state. I won’t mention the green nail polish I wore months ago and the stain still haunts me.
Absolutely. Case in point: Lime Crime lipsticks. I think they’re a great idea gone horribly wrong. They focused so much on making them pigmented, they have absolutely no moisturizing quality (quite the opposite; most drying lipsticks ever), and they stain like crazy.