Beauty Tips!

[Meredith Quill]

Give Us Your Beauty Tips Here!

[Fabricationary]

Part of my morning beauty routine is spraying a little hairspray on a bristly brush (like this one), and using it to comb my eyebrows into place for the day.

[Petunia13]

When I wear eyeshadow I put foundation on my eyelids and it helps hold the shadow in place as well as giving it a blank canvas.

[BatmanBeatles]

Before I put on lipstick, I exfoliate my lips with an old toothbrush and petroleum jelly. Then I apply lip balm over that and just before putting on my lipstick, I remove the excess.

 

I never brush or comb my curly hair. I run my fingers through it when it's wet. Then after I towel dry my hair, I apply gel. 

[Athena]

I use HPA Lanolin Lansinoh on my lips at night. It is the best lip moisturizer I've encountered.

[grisgris]

Seche Vite is the best top coat I have ever used. It dries in a flash and provides such a hard, chip-proof finish.

[sunshinelover]

I used to never really care about beauty/makeup other than the basics but I've discovered that now I'm addicted because I started subsribing to Birchbox.  You have to pay, but they send you awesome samples...which usually results in me spending a lot of money lol.  

If anyone wants info on it...please PM me.

 

This is how I found my favorite exfoliator Vasanti: Brighten Up.  It's amazing. 

 

I've recently become really addicted to blush.  One day I looked at my face without it and decided I look terrible.  I still feel weird putting it on though, like I may do it wrong and look like a clown.  Any tips??

Edited November 15, 2014 by sunshinelover

[grisgris]

I have been home for a very long time awaiting and then recovering from hip replacement surgery. I watch a lot of makeup tutorials on YouTube. A British makeup artist, Wayne Goss (he has a website) said that you shouldn't smile and dab your blusher in the "apple" of your cheek. He said that when you aren't smiling, your cheeks go back to their original position and the blusher is now down below your nose. I tried it and it makes sense. He said to sweep the blush in a line starting from your ear and ending at your nose on top of the cheekbone.

 

My problem is finding the right color. I am very fair-skinned and the colors are either way too bright or I'm too timid with my hand in application so I get nothing.

[Princess Sparkle]

It's a classic, but Nars blush in "Orgasm" really is a universally flattering shade. If you want something that's more pink and not as peachy, Nars in "Deep Throat" flatters a lot of people. It is kind of expensive, but if you have a Sephora nearby, they'll give you a sample and apply it for you so you can try it beforehand - they have an awesome return policy too; you can return products even if you've used them. And beauty insiders not only get free samples when you order from them online, but you also get three free samples in the stores - it was years before I realized I could get sample made for me in the stores. They'll even make you perfume samples! (I swear I don't work for Sephora lol - I just really love them).

I'm also a red lipstick fiend, so I guess my first tip is this: if anyone is looking for a bright, long-lasting, true red (which is flattering on a ton of people), Wet n Wild in Stoplight Red is fantastic. I own a ton of red lipsticks -probably way too many - and it's the best one I've found by far.

Oh! And mascaras: Loreal Voluminous is a dupe for Lancôme Hypnose( both owned by Loreal and the formula is the same), but honestly, Jordana Great Lash, which is two bucks at Walgreens, is the mascara that's gotten me the most compliments. And even though it's not waterproof, it stays on very, very well.

Edited November 15, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[BatmanBeatles]

I have been home for a very long time awaiting and then recovering from hip replacement surgery. I watch a lot of makeup tutorials on YouTube. A British makeup artist, Wayne Goss (he has a website) said that you shouldn't smile and dab your blusher in the "apple" of your cheek. He said that when you aren't smiling, your cheeks go back to their original position and the blusher is now down below your nose. I tried it and it makes sense. He said to sweep the blush in a line starting from your ear and ending at your nose on top of the cheekbone.

 

 

What about cream blush?

[BabyVegas]

With the cold weather upon us, I thought I would share a magical tip for that a makeup artist friend of mine shared with me. My hands get dry very easily and are generally pretty rough. She told me to wash my hands with an exfoliant once a week, then massage in a body oil (I love Kiehl's) followed by a really thick hand cream (I love the Kiehl's Hand Salve or the Neutrogena Swiss Formula). For extra dry hands, this plus the usual moisturizer and cotton gloves trick before bed makes a huge difference.

 

I was always really skeptical about paying for good moisturizer and I thought that Vaseline/Jergens worked just fine. Since I started using the Kiehl's Creme de Corps, the drugstore stuff just seems really sticky and like it doesn't work.

 

Also, my favorite discovery of recent times is The Makeup Dupe List. It's a great place to find drugstore alternatives to the department store stuff. I found my favorite lipstick on that site. 

[Janet Snakehole]

I also love the lasinoh lanolin for lips in winter.

I firmly believe that everyone needs one of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes. Their Vice palettes are also fun if you want a bit more color to play with.

[PRgal]

Hello, my name is PRgal and I'm a Sephoraholic.  I've been a VIB Rouge member since its launch.  I am also a lipstick/lipgloss hoarder and have been, on and off, since high school.  My favourite products are Fresh's Sugar (especially honey (both the gloss and balm), berry and petal), Clinique's Chubby Sticks (eyes and lips) and Smashbox's CC creams and primers. I mostly buy beauty products at Sephora or at Shoppers Drug Mart (love the fact that they don't just carry traditional "drugstore" brands like Maybelline and Covergirl.  I can buy my toilet paper and vitamin pills along with Benefit mascara) because I get points! :)

 

Anyone else a Sephoraholic?

[Petunia13]

I like Sephora ( in fact one of my RoTDs) was for Sephora which its rare to get one for a chain. I feel not all Sephoras are the same.

I started wearing makeup around 13. I think it depends in what your parents and you are comfortable with. I have no tips about redness really sometimes a color corrector helps. Like a hint of green or yellow in liquid base you blend in those spots.

Ditto under eye circles. I feel your pain. I sometimes get those and bags and ugh!

Edited November 27, 2014 by Petunia13

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

A friend gave me a great tip for preventing chipped nail polish. Rough up the nail then wipe the nail with an alcohol pad. Apply a base coat without touching your nail. Apply color and a topcoat. No chips!

[BatmanBeatles]

 

Rough up the nail then wipe the nail with an alcohol pad.

With a nail file?

 

 

Apply a base coat without touching your nail.

How is that possible?

Edited December 11, 2014 by BatmanBeatles

[BatmanBeatles]

Oh that makes sense.

[Chrissytd]

Do any of you know of good growth formulas for nails? I've tried Nailtiques (2 Plus), OPI Nail Envy (Original and Soft/Thin) but none of them worked.

[RedheadZombie]

If you have thin or shorter eyelashes, brush a little powder on your lashes before applying mascara. It gives something for the mascara to grab onto, and results in thicker looking lashes.

[backformore]

anyone have a recommendation for a mascara that does not leave your lashes brittle?   I had used a gel mascara from Avon, but it was discontinued.  I'm looking for something that isn't going to flake off, and also doesn't irritate my eyes. 

[TattleTeeny]

anyone have a recommendation for a mascara that does not leave your lashes brittle?   I had used a gel mascara from Avon, but it was discontinued.  I'm looking for something that isn't going to flake off, and also doesn't irritate my eyes. 

I might maybe be able to suggest something, as a crazed maniac with a laundry list of mascara musts. But first, do you prefer thick/viscous coverage, or a thin consistency, and do you like subtle or obvious mascara (nothing wrong with either, though I generally tend to want it to look like I have nothing on them...which sounds like it doesn't make sense, but it does--my eyelashes are long but the ends are light-colored).

[backformore]

Thanks forumfish!

TattleTeeny- I want a subtle look. I'm over 50, lightskinned, dark blonde hair. My lashes are light, I need a little color or my eyes kind of disappear. Dramatic lashes make me look like I'm trying too hard. I don't like real thick stuff, it gets gloppy on me. I'm pretty low maintenance, wear makeup for work. Some mascaras have been drying up and flaking off on me, I'm looking for something more conditioning, less drying.

Thanks so much!

[DrSparkles]

Hello, my name is PRgal and I'm a Sephoraholic.  I've been a VIB Rouge member since its launch.  I am also a lipstick/lipgloss hoarder and have been, on and off, since high school.  My favourite products are Fresh's Sugar (especially honey (both the gloss and balm), berry and petal), Clinique's Chubby Sticks (eyes and lips) and Smashbox's CC creams and primers. I mostly buy beauty products at Sephora or at Shoppers Drug Mart (love the fact that they don't just carry traditional "drugstore" brands like Maybelline and Covergirl.  I can buy my toilet paper and vitamin pills along with Benefit mascara) because I get points! :)

 

Anyone else a Sephoraholic?

Oh sweet jesus, do I own all of these threads?@  :(  I am a makeup & skincare junkie. Sephora Rogue member 3 years running.

I remember walking down Franklin St in Chapel Hill... late 90s? & there was this new store. I went in & looked around real quick-like & ran outside & called my mom (on one of the original cell phones ;) )  & she came up from FL that weekend! HA!! Hello, my name is Dr Sparkles & I am an addict.

[Betweenyouandme]

I like Ulta, personally. The ones near me are cleaner than the Sephoras. I look at my balance of how much I spent in 2014, and I was shocked. I only get makeup there, not services, accessories, or hair/hygiene stuff. Oh well.

[luckyroll3]

Fellow Sephoraholic here!  I'm a VIB....trying very hard not to become a VIB Rouge, lol!  I just recently became a make-up junkie after discovering the wonders of the original Naked Palette (a couple years ago), Nars Blush, and matte lipsticks and lipstains.  Now I must have and try it all!  And I always have a ton of points because I'm rarely interested in the rewards that are offered.

 

I like Ulta too, but I use that for the drug store stuff.

[PRgal]

We don't have Ulta in Canada (yet), but one of our major drugstore chains is known for having an excellent beauty section with more premium brands (segregated from the drugstore lines, of course) like Stila, Lancome, Clinique and Smashbox.  They also run a small chain of beauty stores.  I go there a lot as well, since I get points.  Once, I only had to pay $25 for a bill worth at least $150.  I pretty much only get beauty products there and at Sephora. :S

[DeLurker]

I never could grow nails until a coworker told me to take Geritol Complete (her daughter the pharmacist recommended it). Now my nails are tough as … well, nails.

After reading your post, I picked up a bottle of this today to give it a try.  I can grow my nails, but the minute I put any polish on them they tear so easy.  Now all I have to do is to remember to actually take the pill!

[MargeGunderson]

Also a Sephora junkie/VIB Rouge! Oddly I had no real interest in makeup as a teenager or in my 20s and 30s. A couple of years ago I was at a conference in Vegas and felt like I was surrounded by senior citizens and early 20-somethings. It made me feel so frumpy - I suppose because I felt closer in age to the senior citizens - that I went to the Sephora next to the Venitian and got a total makeover by a delightful guy named Nick. I bought everything he put on me, and now I have a slight addiction.

The one thing I haven't mastered is eyeliner. It always put on a too thick, squiggly line. My current faves are FAB skincare products and Fresh tinted lip balms. Also, Bite's Agave lip mask.

[luckyroll3]

I just discovered the Fresh lip balms. I love them just the right amount of color for the days I don't want to bother with lipstick.

[emma675]

I need some lip tips! Does anyone else get a gummy line on the inner part of their lips with certain lipsticks or lip glosses? I've noticed Revlon products don't do this to me, but a lot of others do (Laura Mercier, Burt's Bees, Bobbi Brown, etc.). I've tried using less/using more, doing the trick where you get excess off by running my pointer finger through my lips, blotting with tissues, etc., but nothing seems to work. Any tips?

[TattleTeeny]

Thanks forumfish!

TattleTeeny- I want a subtle look. I'm over 50, lightskinned, dark blonde hair. My lashes are light, I need a little color or my eyes kind of disappear. Dramatic lashes make me look like I'm trying too hard. I don't like real thick stuff, it gets gloppy on me. I'm pretty low maintenance, wear makeup for work. Some mascaras have been drying up and flaking off on me, I'm looking for something more conditioning, less drying.

Thanks so much!

I would suggest the ELF line. Some people find them too watery--and they can be, which can be annoying while applying -- but that's the price you pay sometimes for flakeless, non-clumpy coverage; I don't even usually need an eyelash comb with this one. And, it's like $3 (!), and available at ordinary drugstores. Also, the Physicians Formula brand works pretty well for me but (and this is weird) a bit better after a few uses, as if the consistency thins out a bit once the seal of the package is opened for a few days? The one I like is in a beige tube with a metallic green leaf for a cap.

Edited February 1, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[ennui]

Lipsmacker update:

"UPDATE Feb. 3: Lip Smackers took to its Facebook page Monday to say that while the Bonne Bell company has been been sold, its new owner Markwins will continue to distribute Lip Smackers both in the United States and internationally. It is unclear, however, if the product will remain the same, as the post calls this new phase a "revamping" of the brand."

[PRgal]

Lipsmacker update:

"UPDATE Feb. 3: Lip Smackers took to its Facebook page Monday to say that while the Bonne Bell company has been been sold, its new owner Markwins will continue to distribute Lip Smackers both in the United States and internationally. It is unclear, however, if the product will remain the same, as the post calls this new phase a "revamping" of the brand."

 

Didn't stop me from buying five tubes!  Because you never know what they're going to look like under new owners.

[tribeca]

Recently at work I have had to open many cardboard boxes.  My area is very cold so already having issue with chapped hands & the cardboard boxes make it worse.  I put lotion and white cotton gloves on at night but still have lots of dry areas & little cuts :(

any advice

Edited February 15, 2015 by tribeca

[Misslindsey]

 

 

Recently at work I have had to open many cardboard boxes.  My area is very cold so already having issue with chapped hands & the cardboard boxes make it worse.  I put lotion and white cotton gloves on at night but still have lots of dry areas & little cuts :(

any advice

Do what you are doing, but instead of lotion try Aquaphor or petroleum jelly. Also, you could try O'Keefe's Working Hands hand cream. It is at most drugstores and it is targeted for dry, cracked skin. I have friends who use super glue on the small cuts that dry hands can come with. They prefer it over liquid bandages, because liquid bandages already have a lot of alcohol in them which does not help dry skin.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Misslindsey

[DeLurker]

Can you wear the fingerless gloves? Figured the bulk of your hand would still be protected, but the uncovered parts would still make it safe to use the box cutter.

I just picked up some cheap ones on clearance at Target a week ago (set of regular knit gloves w/ fingerless over them that you can wear individual or together for $2.49).

There's also yoga gloves - about $10 - that are fingerless and have raised surfaces on Palm for grippiness Seen these at Target and sporting goods store by Gaiam. These might be better with a box cutter.

[DeLurker]

Just read a piece on rubbing castor oil into chapped hands (People's Pharmacy in today's paper where I live).

Also maybe using Vick's Vapor Rub on them - it works for heel cracks. Slather on, put on some gloves so you don't accidentally rub your eyes, ...not the easiest solution, but easy to try.

I've used it on my heels with success, but only name brand has worked for me. Not sure why store generics I have tried did not work.

[luckyroll3]

Recently at work I have had to open many cardboard boxes.  My area is very cold so already having issue with chapped hands & the cardboard boxes make it worse.  I put lotion and white cotton gloves on at night but still have lots of dry areas & little cuts :(

any advice

Bag Balm! http://www.bagbalm.com

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Whipped cream from Bunny Butt Apothecary. Pricey but magical. I'm a hospital tech and wash my hands literally 100+ times a day. This is the only stuff that makes my hands feel like hands. Also the Let Them Eat Birthday Cake smells delish. http://bunnybuttapothecary.com

[Meredith Quill]

Whipped cream from Bunny Butt Apothecary. Pricey but magical. I'm a hospital tech and wash my hands literally 100+ times a day. This is the only stuff that makes my hands feel like hands. Also the Let Them Eat Birthday Cake smells delish. http://bunnybuttapothecary.com

 

I just ordered some stuff from there, thanks! :)

[Jazzy24]

I know dark lipstick is in so does anyone have some recommendations on what color of dark lipstick would look good on African-American skin? TIA

[DrSparkles]

@ZuluQueenOfDwarves Do you want to share you name to get bunny points (I'm buying too!)?

PS, be warned, searching for 'bunny butt' on Amazon will provide different results!!!

[luckyroll3]

I know dark lipstick is in so does anyone have some recommendations on what color of dark lipstick would look good on African-American skin? TIA

Fellow black girl here.  I don't know what your skin tone is; I'm more of a caramel.  But the dark lipstick that I'm really loving is Nars Train Bleu (it's one of the fat pencils) and for the cheaper version, Sephora's Cream Lip Stain in Dark Berry (which in trying to find the actual name just now, I learned that it was recently discontinued - I knew I should have bought multiples, damnit!).  Both are matte and look awesome.  

 

Looks like my other favorite Sephora dark cream lip stain, Everlasting Burgundy (which I was going to suggest as an alternative) was also discontinued.  Bastards!

Edited March 6, 2015 by luckyroll3

[Misslindsey]

I like Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Black Dahlia. You can make it lighter or darker depending on how much you layer it. They have a ton of other colors as well to check out. I love Lime Crime's Wicked too, but this is coming from an extremely pale girl so I am not sure how much any of this will help.

[luckyroll3]

I also love Lip Tar's Black Dahlia!  OCC also just recently started selling something called Tarred + Feathered that can be used to lighten/darken their Lip Tars and it works on any other lipstick, too.

[DeLurker]

@ZuluQueenOfDwarves Do you want to share you name to get bunny points (I'm buying too!)?

PS, be warned, searching for 'bunny butt' on Amazon will provide different results!!!

I was just coming to ask that because I was going to order some product too and was thinking ZQoD deserves a referral fee from them.

[RedheadZombie]

Recently at work I have had to open many cardboard boxes.  My area is very cold so already having issue with chapped hands & the cardboard boxes make it worse.  I put lotion and white cotton gloves on at night but still have lots of dry areas & little cuts :(

any advice

 

I'll second the udder balm suggestion.  The brand Bag Balm received 4.7/5 stars out of 750 reviews on amazon.

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

I was just coming to ask that because I was going to order some product too and was thinking ZQoD deserves a referral fee from them.

Yes please! And thanks very much!

[Betweenyouandme]

Hi. My father sent me some Thymes dusting powder. Can anyone give me some tips on how to use it? I don't want it to get all over my clothes. I remember my grandmother used to use this, but I've never been around it except for that.

[DeLurker]

Whipped cream from Bunny Butt Apothecary. Pricey but magical. I'm a hospital tech and wash my hands literally 100+ times a day. This is the only stuff that makes my hands feel like hands. Also the Let Them Eat Birthday Cake smells delish. http://bunnybuttapothecary.com

My order came in -the whipped cream in Sucre Bleu, Chai Town & Birthday Cake (for my 14 yo). I love the Sucre Bleu and Chai Town. Nice fragrance but not overwhelming and abrasive. Birthday Cake really smells like cake & is a bit bolder smelling to me, but my daughter loves it even though it makes her want cake!

The cream is very nice - doesn't leave my hands feeling slick or heavily coated. I'll be buying this stuff for presents.