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What are you most thankful for when it comes to makeup and beauty?
For me, it’s not a product, tip, or technique… for me, I’m thankful that it has given me a sense of self, a direction, and path to take with my life. I’m thankful that I am so fortunate as to be able to do beauty blogging full-time, which means that ultimately, I am most thankful for the beauty enthusiasts–my dearest readers–that deem my words readable and my pictures viewable!
— Christine
Many things! First and foremost: Options. Back in the 70’s when I first began wearing makeup, there really weren’t all that many. Just finding a foundation in a shade even remotely close to ones own was a bedeviled quest! No talk of undertones, very few shades to pick from compared to today. Nevermind finishes or oily/ dry/ combo skin types. And that’s *just* foundation!
And in reading your answer above, which btw is really touching and heartfelt, sheds light on something else we didn’t really have access to until after 2000: Beauty blogs! Before the advent of beauty blogs, one had to go strictly by advertisers along with trial and error. Return policies were not always so generous in years past, either!
Times have certainly changed for the better, at least within our makeup loving community!
Beauty blogs put beauty in the perspective from the average person but prior to the 2000s we didn’t have just what the advertisizer said. We had beauty books like those from Kevin Aucoin and Bobbi Brown. We had magazines that gave tips like we still have today. We had makeover shows like What Not to Wear and countless beauty segments on all talk shows from Oprah to the Today show. There was House of Style. And I guarantee there was beauty video sold from your favorite models or what not. It wasn’t the dark ages before blogs. They teach the same tricks. It is just more convenient and you can bring it up on your phone lol
Yes, Erica, those existed. However, I had zero access to those books at that time for reasons many other readers on this blog are well aware of.
Magazines and such existed too. However, they primarily addressed a different demographic than my own 95% of the time: round eyed, fairer women. Not Latinas who wear NC37-40 and have very hooded eyes and Native American features. LoL.
Oh, and btw, my avatar has an antique filter on it just in case you assume that what you’re seeing is my actual skin color. LoL.
Gee! Calm down girl! She wasn’t attacking you!
As a biracial native, I agree with Nancy!!
I grew up hating my monolids/severely hooded eyes, my up turned almond eyes. My wide flat nose.
All because ALL I saw in beauty magazines was White women with huge round eyes, small noses, small lips etc.
It really messed with my self esteem and my sense of worth! !
I’m not attacking attacking anyone, Im just 100% in agreement with Nancy
Erica, I’m probably one of the oldest posters here and I remember the beauty books back then and even now and most were by makeup artists with their own lines of products (so the books used their brand and their brand only) or, as with Kevyn Aucoin’s early book and books by Way Bandy, no mention at all was made of what products to use to try to replicate some of the techniques shown in the books and the descriptions were so general as to be not very helpful (at least, I didn’t find them so…I find I learn much more from watching an amateur doing a youtube video most of the time). As for articles in magazines, those were generally “sponsored” – beauty editors and reps from the companies would work together to feature a look solely from one company or sometimes a range of products but most of the time, those were not (and are not) genuine “honest reviews”, which explains why beauty editors and those who work for them are blessed with all manner of free products in return for “promoting” them. That’s why I love Temptalia – I don’t think Christine can be “bought”. I may not always share her feelings/ratings but her system for rating is totally honest and transparent. In the same way, I trust Makeupalley because it’s totally user-driven. Again, I may not agree with all the reviewers (we’re all different, have different skin, different colouring, different needs, want different “end results”) but I do set a lot of store by ordinary people’s honest reviews for which they’re not being reimbursed or otherwise compensated for writing a good review of a product.
Temptalia for giving me early access to new products, honest reviews, beautiful looks to copy and a fun bunch of makeup obsessed people like myself ! You Tube for showing me different makeup and hair techniques from all kinds of people. I’m grateful for the mass production of new and innovative beauty products online and in stores. Products that hide my flaws and enhance my best features . Perfumes that make me smell lovely. Skin care devices and treatments.And last but not least beauty magazines to read.
I’m thankful for:
1. being able to afford to buy all this makeup
2. having such a great stash, thanks much to Christine’s hard work
3. being part of the Temptalia community, which means I have a group of fellow makeup junkies to share my passion with
Ooh. That is a good answer. I am thankful for my finances as well. There have been times I had to use watered down dish liquid for shampoo so being able to buy most of what I want when I want is a luxury I don’t want to take for granted. Having just “splurged” on the Wayne Goss set, and realized it wasn’t such a huge splurge at all. I would still use e.l.f. if things turned for the worse.
That’s said very nicely Katherine. I am the only makeup junkie in my family and group of friends, so it is lovely to share my passion here too.
I agree with the others, Katherine T. I too am sort of alone in my makeup “junkie-ness” (I do have another friend who loves skin care and makeup but in a much more restrained way). And having Christine’s reviewing expertise and also the “friends” here makes me thankful for this site,and it’s what I was getting at the other day when I post in the “Survey” question about just how much I enjoy those questions and reading everyone’s responses. It’s like a little window into others’ lives and sort of brings us closer together.
I totally agree Mariella, I feel like we have created an online family here. I love reading what everyone thinks and what they are doing on weekends. It is always interesting to read.
Great answer! Couldn’t say it any better!
Being able to fake great skin! Seriously, I have struggled with adult acne and melasma patches for nearly 20 years, so being able to camouflage imperfections and have a near flawless base is something I am very grateful for.
So sweet, Christine <3
Definitely the liberty in self-expression that it offers. I can play characters and I can have fun and at the end of the day it washes off, ready to help me transform myself the next day.
Sounds silly, really, but the fact that two Sephora stores opened fairly near to me (used to be that the only one was an hour’s drive away) and the fact that a lot of previously unavailable brands have landed “in store” at these 2 locations (not all, but a few). And most of all, I’m thankful for this site and MUA, both of which alert me to new products and help me avoid spending my hard earned dollars on sub-standard products. I’ve said before that the double edged sword of both of these sites has cost me a fortune (because I see new, good products and then buy them) but also saved me a fortune because I’m able to learn about what’s good and worth buying, and what’s average and what is downright crummy.
This is tough. I’ve struggled with body image issues in the past and I can say that having had an eating disorder, it never completely goes away. ‘Beauty’ in the wider sense of the word is not entirely positive for me, or at least its associations have not been positive.
Now, makeup and skincare are different. I love the self care aspect of it, just taking time to focus on myself and tune out everything else that’s on my mind. Putting on makeup is almost meditative for me; and showers and baths are pure bliss. During periods when I’ve been depressed, I basically lost interest in makeup and clothes and looking put together. It all seemed so pointless. So when I hear snide comments being made about women who wear makeup just to go to the grocery store, it really bothers me. I hate the assumption that wearing makeup is a sign of insecurity and lack of self confidence – to me, it’s the opposite. It feels empowering. It also puts me in a different frame of mind, weirdly more capable. Like, if I have a pile of work to do, I know I’m going to be less productive in my PJs with my hair in a messy bun, no makeup, etc than if I put on some lipstick (and a bra) and combed my hair.
Most of all, I love the online community (on this blog and others and Makeup Alley) and all the lovely people I’ve gotten the chance to interact with through our shared interest in beauty. It’s something I am very grateful for!
I know the ED struggle. When I was thirteen, makeup was definitely part of my recovery process. Now, I’m the same way as you–I can barely do work of any kind, whether for school or running errands or my job, if I haven’t spent time putting myself together! Amazing what fifteen minutes of basic makeup can do some days. I’m grateful that the makeup community provides a constructive platform for everyone and their story, yours included, and I’m grateful that we’ve made it through all of our bad days!!!
Temptalia is my home page.
Always open.
I am most thankful for the online community that has sprung up around beauty.
Thankful for the sense of self that allows me to indulge in this “hobby” — an activity that is very fun to me, and leaves me more empowered.
Thankful for the wherewithal to curate a nice collection of products that I have dialed in.
Thankful for the courage to finally start posting here and to learn so much from the sharing and about what works and what doesn’t with all of you. The stretch into a wide array and bolder eye colors came directly from here, and it has made me very happy.
To have this site that I truly trust is no small thing in this day and age. Thanks, Christine.
I am thankful that I’m in a position in life (finally) where I can afford to indulge in makeup and skincare, and spend more money on a product that I ever could have growing up or in my 20s and 30s. And I concur with everyone here – having trusted beauty bloggers has helped with curating makeup I otherwise would never have tried, whether because I was unaware of certain brands or because they weren’t available near me to try. We are in a great place in the beauty community, because reviews are easy to find now, and we can even see what products look like on people with our coloring (dark hair and pale skin, blonde with tan skin, dark skin and dark hair, etc.).
I’m most thankful for the light hearted vibe it always brings when days are tough. I can always turn to blogs and YouTube to escape it for a few minutes and just look at pretty shades.
I am thankful for
– Temptalia and other blogs and online resources, but especially this one.
– almost endless ways to explore and experiment — colors, brands, finishes, techniques etc — and that it all just washes off so every day is a blank slate to play some more
– how makeup has added to my confidence
I’m thankful that the Internet offers great websites with great resources on makeup and beauty. There are so many products out there… but with all the reviews available, I almost never get a dupe.
I have so much to be thankful for and not the least of which is this blog and the wonderful following who exchange freely here. I have learned so much from like minded people and have found followers with my same skin tone, problems and willingness to share.
In the early 2000’s I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Any diagnosis of cancer is traumatic, life changing and scary. I had a 5 year old daughter and was concerned that I was going to die and leave her alone. I had many other challenges at the time, not the least of which was an unfaithful husband. Following my 3 surgeries and chemotherapy I really just let myself go. I would barely shower little own put on makeup. I was clinically depressed and struggling with body issues. As the years passed and my daughter grew up I was never able to make myself snap out of it. When my daughter graduated from high school she discovered beauty bloggers and YT. She had only ever worn lip gloss but suddenly she had this whole world open up to her. Now granted, it isn’t world peace but it did add an additional level of bonding between us and little by little I came out of my depression. Today, I am so thankful that not only have I lived through the experience, I have a new found love of makeup and a stronger than ever bond with my daughter. We can shop for makeup for hours and we send each other links and YT videos. I want to thank all of you here for your part in supporting this wonderful hobby that allows us to explore our creative sides. Thank you, Christine for providing this forum for us.
Deborah S., you are a survivor and very brave. I am just happy that you did make through your horrible ordeal and came out on the other side with the help of your daughter getting into makeup deep. Although, I believe you are stronger than you know, and would have found a way somehow. Traumatic events such as yours, or my own, build resilience and a keener sense of ones self worth. Breast cancer is especially devastating. It took my Mom away from me nearly 10 years ago. I’m just happy that you are here!
I am grateful to Temptalia and other makeup info blogs. I also appreciate and are thankful for all the choices of makeup we have at our disposal now a days. It’s fo great!
Thank you , Nancy. I am so sorry for the loss of your mother. It is a horrible disease and takes the lives of so many wonderful women. I don’t know if I was strong or whether I was stubborn but some part of me must have been willing to fight because it really was a fight. It is hard for me to believe but it has been 16 years and I can remember telling my oncologist that I needed him to keep me alive until my daughter was done with high school. She was in kindergarten at the time. She graduated in 2012 and will graduate from University in May 2017. I told my oncologist that now I want to live to see my grandbabies so keep doing what we’re doing! Thank you for your kind words and I hope that you have a wonderful, happy and safe Thanksgiving.
My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer five years ago. Now, he and I go to Sephora together. It’s definitely a sight to see–a thin-skinned man with a cane and a chubby pixie-cut girl–but talking about makeup is a huge bonding experience for us! Chemo has shot his memory to pieces, but when he remembers the words “color corrector” his whole face lights up! It’s so cool to have a creative outlet like beauty to explore side-by-side with my dad to give us both some confidence in our abilities. Your story is so important, Deborah–thanks for sharing, for inspiring a conversation. So proud of you for fighting, even on those days where showering is a struggle!!! Keep it up, beautiful lady ?
What a wonderful relationship you have with your Dad. I know you are thankful for the opportunity to spend time with him and to share in this wonderfully creative hobby. The memories that you are making will be with you always. Thank you for sharing your story. I will keep your father in my thoughts and prayers.
This is such an inspirational post. Bless you, Deborah S., for going through hell and coming out the other side. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Thank you, Rachel. I read your responses all of the time and love your profile picture. You are one of the inspirations that I mention in my post as we both have super pale faces! I wish I had your beautiful skin and eyes! This is such a wonderful and supportive community and I feel blessed to have found it. Take care and I hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
You’re too sweet.
You are a gift
Thank you, Donna. I didn’t feel much like it before but honestly, cancer taught me so much. It changes you in intrinsic ways. You are never that naïve person who thinks they will live forever, again. For me it was a matter of just trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other and going forward but it is exhausting dealing with both the physical and emotional challenges. I hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving.
What a brave, courageous person you are Deborah!
Thank you, Genevieve. I think that I am a lot braver and stronger now but it took walking through the fire to get there! You and I have similar skin tones so I am always interested in any suggestions, likes, etc. that you post. I love your hair color. I had strawberry blond hair and then after chemo when it grew in it was grey. I decided to leave it as I didn’t want to subject myself to all the chemicals involved in coloring hair but I do miss it sometimes. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Thank you Deborah – you never know, one day you might decide to go back to being a strawberry blond.
I had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with my grand children – so much love. And I think you are a most inspiring person.
This was a wonderful post to read. You’re incredibly brave and an inspiration to all of us <3
Thank you, Emily. Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.
I’m grateful for the confidence that makeup has given me while I try to manage my health! I’ve had some medical changes this past year and they’ve led to some significant weight gain and lower self-esteem. Makeup is a way for me to appreciate my face and my features, enjoy the way I look in the mirror, and not hate walking in crowds as I learn how to navigate my body’s new normal. Along with this, I’m grateful for the quality emerging in the drugstore because a chronically ill student’s budget can’t take Sephora prices!!!
I’ve lived with (not suffered from – very important) multiple chronic illnesses since I was 10; I’m now 42. Approach your life leading with what you can control, adjusting to accept what you cannot and taking small, controlled moments to indulge yourself in a literal moment of woe so you can live your life as a positive force. What got me past the self-pity was the knowledge that others have it significantly worse than me. I’m functional, living, educated, employed and loved. I have an amazing life and my chronic illness has made me the strong person I am, not a broken individual. Keep your mindset positive even when it isn’t easy – if that’s make-up, then do it – and walk. Even when you don’t want to, walk. It’s something, it’s proactive and it’s a choice you can control. Best wishes.
Powerful message Lea! Walk on girl!
Thank you Denise. After all these years I can only hope to help someone else get through it and not give in to the easy path. The small victories are huge and I was lucky enough as a child to know a boy younger than I with muscular dystrophy and a life expectancy of 12 years old. He was the happiest, most amazingly influence on my life. I’m grateful to say he’s in his mid-thirties today. I could never and can never feel self pity, beyond a momentary lapse, because of him. I am truly thankful for Jake and hope Sarah finds hers.
Tangible: Eyeshadow primer! If only it had been around 20 years sooner. It’s a godsend.
Intangible: The creative outlet. The ability to wear who I am on the inside on my outside. Makeup is beautiful, artistic, and I find the ritual of it calming.
I am most grateful for that fact that I can bring out my features with makeup even though I have hooded eyes. I can’t stand the Instagram look. I hope that I am not showing my age but I feel that they have overstretched the boundaries and don’t know how to emphasize their natural looks. Everything is ‘ painter’s’ looks and not natural. Enough of my ranting – you get the point.
I am thankful for the advancement in concealers that gives high pigment and low creasing. Perhaps that is a tie with eyebrow products that are Arizona summer proof. I over tweazed it 8o’s style.
I’m thankful to be able to afford what I want, when I want and to have been able to find amazing products to give me the best skin of my life. I’m also thankful for the store/brand MUAs that I’ve gotten to know through the years that ensures I never miss out on things that I want, get delux samples (like the amazing Tom Ford manager that sent me a 4 oz “sample” perfume because I had mentioned I wished Soleil Blanc came in a purse size). These men and women are genuinely lovely and excel at the customer service aspects of their jobs and I truly appreciate them. I have also said this before, but I appreciate the dedication and detail behind Temptalia in putting out consistent, thoughtful content throughout the year and to the members of the community for being a positive and engaging community. There are fewer and fewer places online that don’t devolve into judgement and snark. Regardless if you are edgy, drugstore, luxury or a combination, there’s no judgement here and that’s something to be thankful for.
For me, I am thankful that makeup gives me the ability to put my best foot forward and to feel confident when I do.
Like all of mmy comments on here, this will most likely be a long comment 😛
I celebrate thanksgiving in October (Canadian here!!) But i’m so grateful to makeup.
I have Depression, Anxiety, Borderline, and ADHD. I also have a disease in my right leg that makes it super hard to walk without a cane. So most of the time, I never felt “beautiful” I always thought I was some weird looking alien thing ahaha.
I was bullied into wearing makeup, I was told I needed to pluck my thick brows, I needed to wear eye shadow a certain way to down play my upturned almond eyes. etc.
So I spent from grade 6 to 11 HATING my mixed race features.
I am racially ambiguous looking. I have strangers come up to me all the time and ask “where I’m from” and that really messed with my sense of who I am.
But, then in 2009 I found Karen, from Makeup and Beauty blog. And then in 2012 I found Christine of Temptalia. And I learned makeup can be FUN. I can feel GOOD about myself with makeup. I don’t need to use it to hide. I can use it to express!!
So I’m thankful for beauty blogs, and my non European features, for teaching me to love myself!!
On my day’s off I’ll spend up to an hour just applying makeup and relaxing!! It’s the BEST part of my day. Looking into the mirror and telling myself, “I am beautiful”
This is SO ramble-y. But I’m grateful to makeup for giving me my passion back when depression took it!!
I am very thankful that I enjoy beauty products and the way they make me feel – good about myself. I love how they add colour and confidence.
I am also thankful that we have you, Christine, to guide us through the minefield of beauty products to help us choose wisely by your thorough reviews. Thank you to your family as well, who support you in this task. It is always a pleasure to read your blog. Before the internet, there was no way to realistically to assess the varying claims of beauty products and makeup so all consumers were pretty much in the dark. I like the numerous bloggers and youtubers hold the brands to account, so I am thankful for that.
I am thankful that there are so many options and products available at all price points.
I am thankful that I have learnt so much about using various products that have improved my skills in applying makeup that suits me the best.
Aww, we love you too! I’m thankful for the fun and enjoyment that makeup brings to my life. It’s a little escape and me-time as being a mum means I spend most of my time looking after a small child’s needs. It’s a small creative outlet where it doesn’t matter if I make mistakes and indeed delight in trying different looks and colours. I’m thankful for blogs like yours that go the extra mile in reviewing products so that we can make informed decisions on what to buy.
Honestly? YouTube tutorials. I would never have been able to get to the level I’m at right now after wearing makeup for only 4 years if I didn’t have them.
I am thankful for the entire beauty community. Its nice to find people who love makeup just as much as i do.
Definitely for being able to make myself a better version of…. myself :), which in turn boosts my confidence (yeah, I know, it should not depend on makeup, but it does help) For the flawless complexion I’m able to achieve, for being able to look a bit different everyday, depending on what I feel like, for the excitement when I see a new product I like, hoping that it will improve my makeup game even further.
And Christine, I’m thankful that it brought me to your site, you really are a wealth of knowledge (is that a correct expression?), which in turn makes my makeup addiction a bit easier to control.
I’m completely serious when I say you. I haven’t read anyone else’s comments yet because I don’t want to get too embarrassed to tell you how I honestly feel. I will probably end up making a joke instead. Shocking as that may be. But on many levels and in many ways you could never guess you’ve inspired me, taught me, saved me a lot of money and given me confidence when I badly needed it. I wish I was as brave as some of the warrior women here who get stronger by telling their truth. Maybe next Thanksgiving 😉 but on this one I am thankful for you and your friendship so freely given. You ROCK!!!!
I’m thankful for how makeup hides my flaws and working it just right, also some of my wrinkles. I love how it makes me feel good about myself and my look.
Oh wow, what a good question. What am I most grateful for? I guess I would have to say just how much freaking FUN it is 🙂 It started when I was around 10-11 years old, and I would spend half of my allowance on my first lipsticks and nail polishes (Tangee brand – I think the polishes were $0.29 each!). I’d scurry home with my purchases, go up to my room and paint my lips and nails and just enjoy wearing them so much. Of course my parents never let me leave the house wearing lipstick at that age, but my Mom was pretty understanding about letting me experiment with makeup at home because she was quite the beauty junkie herself lol. I’ve always loved makeup and I get just as excited about new products today, almost 50 years later, as I did then.
I am super thankful for the internet! Before the net, I could read about products in magazines, but often not be able to find them. Online, I can find anything in the world! It has exponentially expanded my choices. Then I have Temptalia, Makeup Alley, YouTube, Pinterest, and all the other sites and apps that bring beauty to my fingertips. And…we can post pictures of our stuff and our looks so others can see what we’re talking about.
I’m thankful for the creative outlet that makeup is for me. I have no talent for drawing or painting (stick figures is about all I can do, lol!), yet it allows me to get my hands dirty playing with colors and textures, creating shapes and dimension. I really enjoy that. I’m also thankful for the opportunity that makeup gives me to be a different person every day. The ability to transform myself and be ever-changing is very liberating. It’s also helped a lot with self-confidence.
Skin care for me! Then probably perfume and then makeup. I mean I love it all but I can’t live without skin stuff!
I’ve never been an artsy person, so I’m thankful that I finally have a means of self-expression.
I am thankful that there are a lot of different colors, finishes, etc for all of us to choose from so everyone finds something they love : )
Having great skin to work on and all the available beautiful products to experiment out there. YouTube bloggers to help me learn and apply it and find out about new products and buy more. Lol!