I don’t know that I can really say that there’s a specific type or shade that I’m really dying for any longer! I wouldn’t even say that that’s because I have everything so much as my mind doesn’t think much about personal wants/needs any more with respect to a specific shade, you know? I don’t have time to wear much beyond what I’m testing, lol!
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Eye cream. One that will be better than Sisley. One that doesn’t irritate my eyes to water. One that will remove my wrinkles and prevent more.
I was only thinking about makeup when I answered this question, but now that I’ve read your response, I realize I’m still hunting for the perfect miracle product that will get rid of laugh lines, brown spots, large pores, and the dark circles and puffiness under my eyes.
shiseido future solutions.
Shiseido future solutions eye cream is amazing.
My perfect lipstick. I have a couple I like, but nothing that I’d hail above all else as my ride or die. I think this might just be because I’m not a huge lipstick person in general (I drink a lot of water at the office and I hate constantly reapplying, but I find the lipsticks that don’t need to be constantly reapplied are uncomfortable to wear). I also struggle with shades – because I’m so fair a lot of things that are touted as a nude pull very dark on me.
Also on the hunt for the perfect mascara – I have a couple I like but I find they all dry out soooo quickly. I wish I could find one that I could get more than a few weeks use out of an actually enjoyed.
I have the same problem at work. I’ve resigned myself to a tinted lip balm for work days, even though I find it terribly boring.
MAC Extended Play mascara is a pretty “wet” one. It’s called extended play because it doesn’t dry quickly so you can go back and reapply and mold the lashes and they won’t get crispy. Because of this I find the formula stays wet in the tube for a long time.
Maybe try Laura Geller LashBoss, especially if you want one that has a slightly wetter formula. It replaced Burberry Cat Lashes that I used to use (that one clumped terribly after a while).
I drink water all day long. I apply my Pat McGrath lipstick in the morning and I don’t have to reapply it until after lunch then it lasts until dinner time. It’s creamy but it sticks to your lips, they don’t bleed, I haven’t used a lip liner with them. I just bought her lust glosses, they’re pretty but nothing special. I also apply them over the lipsticks and they still stay on. I hope you find something that works for you.
I had the hardest time finding my perfect lipsticks because I’m porcelain skinned. (MAC NC10 is too dark on me.) My perfect lipstick shade is Bobbi Brown Nourishing Lip Color in Blush. My other lipsticks are Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Bare, NARS Satin Lipstick in Rosecliff, and NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita (my brightest lipstick). An honorable mention is my Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint in Bare Pink. I really hope this helped you!! I can’t believe how many lipsticks I tried to find good colors for my complexion. I forgot to mention that I’m cool-toned. Best of luck!
An eyeshadow palette full of Earth tones- warm and cool undertones. Greens, olives, browns, golds, reds, oranges, yellows
The perfect light coverage glowy foundation that doesn’t break me out and actually is the right shade for me. Also concealer that doesn’t make my undereyes look dry and powder that sets with out making my undereyes look even more dry.
I am right there with you! I have yet to find a foundation that doesn’t make my skin look worse than it does sans foundation. I too cannot find a concealer than doesn’t crease on me.
I also often am on call at night which leads to The Godfather of dark circles under my eyes. I would be beyond elated to find a color corrector up to the job!!! The natural zombie look really isn’t that sexy in my opinion. Vampire would be better – then I could just ignore it because I couldn’t see my face in the mirror. LoL!!!
I am 58 and use MUFE HD Foundation it almost looks like I don’t have foundation on but it covers everything nicely. Then I use a Mac pot concealer under my eyes I can’t tell you which one it’s rubbed off now but it doesn’t settle in the lines. Then I set it with Elf High Definition Undereye Setting Powder. When I’m finished my makeup I use a setting spray. Usually that’s it for the day, Sometimes later in the day I will take the tiniest dab of moisturizer and go under my eyes if it looks like it is creasing a bit, but most of the time it doesn’t.
Mufe waterbase is excellent, but good old Benzyl salicylate! (Allergy.) Great shade range, less full/more natural coverage. Well worth checking the Mufe products, unless they messed those up, too.
I’m hoping to one day get my hands on the Becca Rose Quartz highlighter. I don’t know if I’m just hyping it up to be more than it really was, but I’ve just heard so much about it and think it would look really nice on me.
It’s available online! Sephora and Becca had it last I saw!
The only thing I can think of would be a lash growth serum that doesn’t hurt my lashline after a week of daily use. But I use organic castor oil now, so no need. Only difference would be application (qtip vs. packaging and applicator) and time (castor oil takes longer).
Do you find that castor oil actually does anything? I tried it for a couple weeks (which probably isn’t long enough), and didn’t notice any difference. I’m afraid of serums because I’ve read they can affect eye color. I treasure my green eyes more than my lashes, so I won’t go near those serums. But it would be nice to have lashes that aren’t skimpy.
You need months with castor oil
Yes, am starting to see a difference in my eyelashes but it’s slow going. I’m okay with it though – the last lash serum I used (Rodan and Fields) took 5 -6 weeks before I saw anything anyway. I’m just glad my eyes aren’t sore. I’ve also been putting it up in my brow area and stopped because it was like they sprouted overnight. For whatever reason, it seems like the castor oil worked a lot quicker on my brows.
About the change in eye color – I’ve heard 2 things:
1. The color changes but changes back after discontinuing use the product.
2. Dark line or circle in under eye area that goes away after discontinuing use of the product.
I didn’t have that with the R&F I tried (yet?), but I did stop using it at about 2.5 months because I couldn’t take the soreness.
The perfect concealer!
FYI — after literally years of exploration and lots of $ spent, I’ve settled on Cle de Peau. It’s expensive but the tube is lasting forever for me, and it is the best concealer I’ve ever used.
Ditto….I only own about 20, and still am not satisfied. Seriously, a bulging m/u bag and an overflow tin. S.t. do fab triple, primer, corrector, and concealer. No wonder I hate not wearing glasses. Glasses are the best concealer!
I’m not hunting for the perfect anything anymore. I think the last thing I was on the hunt for was an eyeliner that would stay on my oily, watery eyes all day…and I found it with Marc Jacobs Highliner. And being the overboard kind of person that I am when it comes to makeup, I already own seven of them! At this point, I really shouldn’t be buying makeup at all, to be honest. (But it’s just so much fun!)
I’d like to get my hands on the MAC Stylishly Merry eyeshadow from this past Christmas 2017. It sold out so quickly everywhere and I waited too long. It might be out somewhere, so I’m keeping my eyes peeled!
Leah, it really wasn’t that great. It didn’t have much pigment and the sparkle wasn’t nicely bound to the base color. It seemed to just disappear as soon as you put it on.
I am still hunting for a HG eye pencil. Everything smudges on me. I have small eyes and when I blink, the skin under my bottom lashline touch my top lashline. Additionally, I use an eye cream and I think that breaks down eyeliner as well.
I use a tubing mascara and a liquid eyeliner, which works despite the conditions stated above. But eye pencils are wax based…so…sigh.
Have you tried the Marc Jacobs Highliners? They’re waterproof gel eyeliner pencils that stay on amazingly well. I like the matte ones best. (I probably sound like a commercial for them at this point, I talk about them so often!!!)
My eyes are watery and my lids are oily, and these are the first eyeliner pencils I’ve ever tried that truly stay in place. I use the darker shades to tightline my upper lash line (not the waterline) and a light shade right on my bottom waterline. When I apply the color, I’m really careful about blinking after the first minute so it has time to set, and then it stays put all day. The only drawback is they’re pricey.
I might have to give them another try but I remember them smudging terribly on me. Maybe I didn’t let it set? Do you use powder on top of the liner or setting powder under your eyes or anything? With setting powder, bareMinerals’ new micro liner or whatever its called works okay but I feel like it makes my under eye area dry looking. I would love something that I didn’t need to do anything extra.
Will you share which tubing mascara and liquid eyeliner you uSe? I’m on the hunt for those products to work in those conditions. And I second the Marc Jacobs highliner recommendation for eye pencils. I own three of them.
IMO/ymmv Tubing: L’oreal: dreadful. Blinc:not as good as it once was. No. 7 makes a decent DS level product. (Ulta) Catrice made a good one that Ulta no longer carries. Touch in sol stretchex is nice. (Sephora) I like Isehan Heroine make long and curl super waterproof, but that isn’t classic tubing. (Asian oriented sites and stores.) But the mjb liners are terrible on me. Oily waterline? Idk. Read up on the Eyeko on Ulta. Some say the yoga mascara is tubing, but it is a B**** to get off. Eyekos tend to be anti smear/run. I know I forgot s.t.
Have you tried Clinique Lash Power Long Wearing Mascara? It is a wonderful tubing mascara. I really hope this helps you!!!
I’ve heard Givenchy makes an excellent liner. I’ve not tried them but Tarababyz loves them because they wear so beautifully on her lower water line.
An eye primer that covers discoloration (i.e. my veins), doesn’t dry out my eyelid, doesn’t emphasize wrinkles, doesn’t get into my eyes and smear my contacts, and makes my eyeshadow last. Does this mythical product exist? Anyone? Bueller?
If it does, then I’d like to know, too!!
Same here, I haven’t found one yet.
When I thought about this question, I realized that I have a lot of products that I am happy using. I still am looking for an eyebrow product to fill in bare spots that does not have red undertones and that stays on all day.
You should try Bobbi Brown’s longwearing eyebrow pencils (twist-ups). They’re amazing!! A nice, cool-tones shade is Espresso. They also have a shade called Gray that a lot of people with brown hair like to use. Right now, I use Benefit Precisely My. Brow in shade 6. It’s the perfect tone and color for me. ABH Granite was far too dark, though it was beautifully cool-toned. MAC Brow Sculpt in Stud is not as cool-toned as the other two pencils, but it’s nice and dark and has a lot of black in it (but is still brown). If this helps, I have porcelain cool-toned skin. I would tell you my shade in MAC, but even NC10 is too dark on me. My brows are very dark brown, almost black, and very ashy. Best of luck on your hunt!
A reef-friendly mineral sunscreen that doesn’t break me out and doesn’t have a terrible white cast. Most mineral sunscreens have a coconut oil or coconut derived base, and that doesn’t work well with my skin.
I know Clinique makes mineral sunscreens. I think Clinique products are supposed to be good for people with acne prone skin.
I’d be happy just to find a foundation match…
It took me >2 yrs, and now the effers reformulated it, downsized it, and made it more expensive. Thanks lots. Foundation is really a bear, esp if you are allergic to chem sunscreens, bec ~80% have it. And almost every ‘cool’ one is too yellow. Not too warm, but too yellow. In a range that is so limited that I take the darkest shade on the cool side…and i’m light medium. You can’t stand by beliefs, when you have a ton of restrictions.
Have you tried any Korean foundation like Missha? They oxidize only a fraction as much as US/Euro brands and often feature mineral sunscreen. Some can be a bit olive, though.
Same here!! Everything is too dark on me and often too orange.
There are a couple of products that I am ever watchful to find. One of course being the perfect cool toned eye shadow palette. I feel like I mention this so much that people must be tired of hearing about it but it is so disappointing that no major brand has put out a cool toned palette that actually includes some unusual shades and not just a matte starter palette.
Secondly, I would love to find a concealer that would cover my hyperpigmentation. I have found several that do an okay job but none that really completely conceal and dry down enough that when I put blush, powder or bronzer on top, they don’t disturb the concealing I just did!!
Finally, a good eye cream that would reduce wrinkles and under eye bags.
Laura Mercier Artist Palette?
Nyx perfect filter gloomy days is much cooler than either Viseart cool 1,2 or Fame. Intragoogle the vid on Courtney/Phyrra’s site. It’s not perfect, but there are blue grays, grays, etc. It is def a drab take on cool, though. No cool jewels or brights at all. It is also cooler than nyx’s own cool matte palette.
A few things…
1. A sunscreen that looks and feels good, so I’ll actually wear it every day. (I do need to try more Japanese and Korean ones.)
2. A mascara that holds curl without flaking into my eyes and irritating them, washes off easily, is reasonably priced, and is not tested on animals.
3. A foundation with light, natural coverage for everyday wear in MY SHADE (no mixing!!) and natural-matte finish which resists sweat, but smoothes and hydrates my skin. Apparently, this combination of features is impossible.
I’m taking suggestions!!! Ha ha
Sunscreen: I love La Roche Posay Anthelios 60. I wear everywhere — face, body — and never break out, it melts in, very high level of protection.
Since this past winter, when my skin became lighter than had been since I don’t know when, I will now be on the hunt for a wintertime foundation that has my olive undertones covered even though lighter in depth, isn’t drying or too matte, but still very long-lasting. Seems like all my foundation matches have been done in autumn or late spring, but not during AZ’s relatively short cooler season! (Dec. – April)
Don’t know if you have tried it Nancy but Karima McKimmie on YT has olive complexion and she uses the Koh Gen Do foundation as she feels it leans more olive. She can make other foundations work but she use to feel that the Koh Gen Do was like her perfect match. You would have to go back to some of her earlier tutorials to find it I think.
Thanks for the recommendation, Deborah! I’m definitely going to go look for her video on Koh Gen Do foundation. I also am going to get a wintertime match done next late December / early January. I’d be good for winter if MAC extended their “C” range to their Pro Longwear and Studio Sculpt foundations. Not the “C” powder, but the Studio Fix shades, which have olive undertones, but peachy/ soft red overtones. Weird combo, but works on me!
Ladies…it is the KGD that just got reformulated! Not that the new one isn’t good. I just don’t trust anyone. Nancy, ordering the sample set of KGD packets was the best thing I ever did, in the foundation dept. The warm side had more shades, the cool side only 3. Maybe they expanded the range. FYR, i’m about NW20, and take KGD 013.
Something that actually works to seal moisture into my baby fine, perpetually dry, color treated, high porosity hair.
Wouldn’t that be grand?!
I’m looking for a mascara that will lengthen, add volume and curl to my sparse, poker-straight, almost non-existent lashes (minus the clumping), but I’m not sure that this product exists. Even after I curl my lashes and apply mascara, it STILL looks like I have no lashes.
I received a deluxe sample of the Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara from Sephora, and the first 2 times I used it I was thrilled. I thought I found my HG mascara because it almost looked like I had false lashes. However, after my initial two uses, it’s like my lashes said “no go” and reverted back to their usual barely there lashes. Not sure what happened or what I may have done differently to get different results subsequently.
It cosmetics superhero mascara is my holy grail! It does all of that! Check it out. I love it.
What happened to Jennifer happened to me with superhero. After 2 uses, it became totally unacceptable. Guess that’s why there’s 4 million mascaras in the Naked City…..
Two things – a better concealer (something that will make my under-eye area look as filled out and luminous as an 8 month old baby’s….I think I’ll be looking for a long time yet) and a foundation that: applies easily and flawlessly every single time, makes my skin look flawless but not like I’m wearing makeup, feels like next to nothing on my skin, contains SPF and lasts all day. Is that really too much to ask??? I’d sort of found it in the “old” Diorskin Forever foundation but then that was discontinued here in Canada and the new version is not nearly so good.
On the hunt for:
Foundation, primer, zinc oxide sunscreen, and spot concealer that won’t cause irritation or breakouts (volatile silicones like cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethiicone are in all the “best” formulations and are irritants for me. And everything else is heavy in silicone which causes acne).
Gel or liquid eyeliner: stays put through sweat, tears, and oil: won’t smudge or contain cyclopentasiloxane.
An easy to remove mascara that is smudge and flake free and can hold a curl.
I would like to see swatches of TERRACOTTA LIGHT DEEP COOL N. 5.
thank you very much
Paola✌??✌??✌??✌??✌
An eye cream that actually works- minimizes fine lines & dark circles without bothering my contact lenses!
A product I’m still searching for (even though it was limited edition and out of stores already) is the Make Up For Ever Star Lit Glitter Palette. I missed out at the Sephora Insider sale (sold out waiting for the coupon to start, darn that central time). Also missed out on the million that came and went on Mercari in between then and now. I could kick myself for missing out! I’m still hoping I come across one some day and not at an upcharge. It’s soo pretty and I really want it!
A medium warm brown pencil or gel eyeliner — not terracotta (UD Torch is too orange-y), not ‘regular’ brown. Something like an amber or a copper that’s not super metallic (On me UD Lucky is too sparkly and too dark under the metallic cast). Closest so far is MAC Rich Ground (dsc) but a bit darker than what I have in mind. NYX Copper (dsc) is ok but doesn’t last even half a day. I’ve been using Duraline with likes of ABH Brick, but it’s not as precise or convenient as I’d like.
Maybe the new line of Mufe artist pencils…I think they are all purpose pencils, like Linda Hallberg’s…has a shade you’d like. Look in person. They are in at my local little Sephora.
Thanks for the tip. I didn’t know MUFE has a new line out. “Wherever Walnut” looks promising. I will get to Sephora this weekend to check it out
Perhaps you would be game for trying to mix your own liner using eyeshadow and mixing medium. Mac and nyx (and probably others) have a mixing medium.
I’d love a follow up post where there’s a list of catagories ppl are looking for, and a place to list our recc’s – is that too much (of a different kind of) work, Christine? Q #2 for you: do you ever review mascaras? …consider this a plea.
I’d love a concealer that really truly covers red and won’t disappear from my nose and chin after an hour (despite priming and powdering).
I want mascara that lengthens and thickens and doesn’t smear. This never used to be a problem – why do my undereyes get mascara shadows every day now? Grrrrr!
Yes, age-reversing skin care. I’ll take the one that puts me back to my mid-40’s, I’m not greedy.
Very open to ideas!
I second this idea! I have learned so much from the readers here. I have found a few HG products from listening to what has worked for others, and I’m very thankful. A problem list with readers answering with suggestions would be a good mine to me. I trust Christine and her readers far more than any sales consultants. I always jump on the discussions involving favorite products. A regular feature would be great!
I also have learned a lot and found products recommended and love reading these posts, they are very valuable!
A beautiful cool toned eyeshadow palette would be sensational. but really I have so much already!
A cruelty free concealer/powder combo that doesn’t crease on my undereyes!! I never realized I had it made with Nars Radiant Creamy concealer until I stopped using it when Nars started testing on animals. I have never been able to replicate its long wear and creaseless appearance. I’m open to suggestions.
I’m still searching for both a foundation and a concealer that is my color. Everything I have ever tried is too dark and often orange.
I’m still waiting for a great eye palette with mauve/purple tones that don’t read completely too warm or too cool.
I’d buy it. Check out the new Mufe artist pencil in worldly mauve.
Undereye concealer. I’m yet to find one that is does not cost an arm and a leg (like NARS creamy, cause I run out of it veeery quickly), covers my terrible underye circles without emphasizing my wrinkles, caking up or drying into a desert in a couple of hours, despite having thick eyecream underneath.
I quite respect Lancome Effacernes Long Tenue, but would not mind a bit more coverage and moisturization, if that’s possible.
An eyelash growth serum that doesn’t irritate my eyes.
A good-quality, reasonably-priced eyeshadow palette of 8-14 shades that is: all cool tones, half or more mattes, not mostly brown. And which does not contain: red, orange, black, chartreuse, or any warm tones masquerading as cool. And which does not have sex joke names in an attempt to be cutesy.
And i’d buy that, too. I think we have to construct an 8 pan from abh.
i find it hard to find blush that I like. i like cool toned and most are warm toned. or they appear cool in the pan but on my warm skin they look orangey. Also a cool pale-pink glossy creamy pigmented lipstick.
You should try Bobbi Brown Blush in Nude Pink. It is a lovely cool-toned blush that goes on cool-tones and remains that way. I love it so much!!! It is also very pigmented and quite blendable. Also, if you’re wondering, it’s isnt brown at all. It’s not bright, so I guess that’s why they call it a nude, but there is no brown in it. It’s just a pale cool pink. I really hope this helps you!!! Also, if you’re looking for a cool pink lipstick, Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Morning After is a lovely cool pink.
And from the color nostalgia dept…once upon a time there was a slate blue mascara, not too blue, not too gray. I think Stehndahl made it. Also, CP should do a true cool palette. Fame is only cool, compared to Fortune. Since this is a universal whine, I don’t see why no one listens.
You just described my lashes — they used to be so much thicker. The best mascara I’ve ever tried for our lash problems is Chanel Inimitable Waterproof. It’s pricey but it lengthens, volumizes, and holds a curl. A close second is CG Waterproof Supersizer. I hope you’re tightlining! It makes a huge difference to darken between the lashes so no skin shows. It really, really helps.
Bronzer that works on my cool undertoned complexion. Everything is too orange. Swatched everything, nothing works. Wish there was one that focused on a realistic tan for cool-tones, instead of “warming you up”. I don’t warm. And orange is my kryptonite.
Same problem. I gave up on bronzers years ago. Now I either substitute blush or I use a smidgen of foundation intended for WOC in a cool shade. It works best if I mix a drop in with my pale shade match to tan it up a little before applying all over. Then I add more to the usual areas.
I don’t wear bronzer because I’m very pale and cool-toned. I’m worried it would look like brown or orange dirt on my face. The only cool-toned bronzers I can think of are Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow and Bobbi Brown bronzer in the lightest shade. I have never tried them on my face, so this isn’t a hearty recommendation. They just looked cool-tones to me, especially the Charlotte Tilbury one. If you’re looking for a contour color, Arna Alayne on YouTube recommends Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Wheat. Again, I haven’t tried it, but it looks very promising. I’m so sorry I don’t have any better suggestions!!! The only ideas I have are to try Clinique’s sculpting palettes or to use a very brown blush to bronze your face. I believe the technique is called dealing and can be quite flattering. Best of luck on your hunt!
I’m still looking for replacents for the brown shades I loved in TF SS chocolate bar. Not too warm, not too cool, not drab, don’t separate into component pigments but stay true to pan.
A greige purple contour that’s blenable, CF, and cheap.