Favorite beauty products

[VegasAngel]

Date: 2/4/2007 4:10:19 PM
Author: diamondfan
Vegas, I just went on the Paula B site and ordered a ton of make up...cannot wait to see it!

What did you pick up? I''m so nosy

 

[diamondfan]

I got two of those liners, not the medium brown but the other two, an acne gel, a couple of lipliners, lipsticks, glosses and and a blush. It was really pretty reasonable as far as makeup goes...what else do you like of hers?

 

[Julian]

Ooohh, I am a beauty product junkie!

Of my favorites:

La Mer creme - I use this during the winter. It''s a godsend!
YSL Touche Eclat - amazing concealer
MAC Fix+ spray - to mist and moisturize the face. It also gives you a glow & sets makeup
NARS eyeshadows: I love the smoky Night series! Smoky eyes, pale lip.
Stila eyeshadows in Kitten & Golightly
Bobbi Brown eyeshadows in Taupe, Mahogany & Bone
Chanel Khol eyeliners in Noir, Marine and Ambre. Divine for brown eyes.
MAC fluidline gel eyeliners are also pretty awesome if you set w/powder
Jojoba oil for under my eyes when it''s dry
I love Lancome Juicy Tubes in Sun Bronze & Honey Violet
La Prarie caviar cream for summer
Eucerin SPF 25 for sensitive skin
RCMA pro foundation
MAC mascara in Zoomblack
Shiseido or Shu Uemura eyelash curlers

Those are my beauty must haves!

 

[Lorelei]

Hiya Julian - good to see you!

 

[VegasAngel]

Date: 2/4/2007 11:08:15 PM
Author: diamondfan
I got two of those liners, not the medium brown but the other two, an acne gel, a couple of lipliners, lipsticks, glosses and and a blush. It was really pretty reasonable as far as makeup goes...what else do you like of hers?

Here is what I use from her skincare:

Skin Balancing Cleanser
8% AHA Gel
Extra Strength Blemish fighting Solution
Essential Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF 15 With Antioxidants
Skin Balancing moisture Gel- I only use this when I need it but man this stuff feels so silky & a little goes a long way

Lets see for makeup I of course love her foundation & gel eye liner. Besides those I like the soft shine lipglosses. They arent sticky in the least. What I want to try is the constant color lip paint. Im not a big lipstick wearer per say but I got some samples of her lipsticks and they felt really nice. I really like the skin Revealing Body Lotion with 10% AHA. I use it every few days to help exfoliate. Dont want to use it everyday because I would go through it too fast and it's a tad pricey. I wash my baby with the all over hair & body shampoo. Before I had my daughter it was my bodywash I just use it on her now.

These are some things I do not like. The mascara- Now, it's been a while so maybe she has changed it. It went on too thick and clumpy & for the price the tube was small. Silky Start Sugar Scrub- Smells good, exfoliates nice but it was way too emollient for my skin. I'm sure someone with super dry skin would love it though. Silk Mist Dry Oil Spray- Feels so nice & silky but I couldnt stand the vanilla frangrance, it is very strong. If it was lighter and wore off I wouldnt mind but it stays around all day. Exfoliating Treatment- I bought this to get the dry skin off of my lips. It doesnt work any better than a rubbing a soft tooth brush or wash cloth on my lips. Total waste of money.

I think her prices for the most part are reasonable. What I do is try to stock up when she has free shipping because I hate paying that.

 

[scarleta]

Hello once more: I did speak to marykay rep and will meet with her in the near future.She said I get a make up (complimentary) and can buy staff.Hopefully I don''t end up buying all the products she uses.I only want foundation..to start with.Do you think its acceptable to have her do a make up on me and I know that I m only interested in foundation? Or would you just ask not to give you a make up.Don''t want to waste her time..thanks

 

[lumpkin]

Scarleta, I think it's okay to let her do a full presentation, but I'd say your focus is on foundation and really nothing else. If she wants to give you some samples of make up, it's not terribly expensive for her, and who knows, you might really like the product and buy more when you decide you want to.

Edited to add: I used to have a friend (many years ago) whose mother sold Mary Kay. I really liked it then. Now, I wouldn't mind to try it, but I'm really turned off by the way the product is sold. I just want to go and buy it when I want it, not have to order it, wait for it, and maybe not even be able to see the color before I order, KWIM? I may have to see if I can find a consultant who stocks a lot of product to sell. I'm sure there must be some who do...lots of people use Mary Kay.

 

[Julian]

Hi Lorelei!!!!! Love your avatar!

Since we''re talking about Mary Kay, I have to say I was impressed with the quality. I bought a bunch of eyeshadows to help out a colleague who was selling Mary Kay at the time.

I still own the Onyx duo and Fig. I also bought about 20 other colors to help my friend with her sales: Midnight, Storm, Goldenrod, Crystal, Cranberry & etc. I ended up giving them to my 16-year-old cousin, who loves them!

They last on the lids for most of the day, but not *all* day like MAC, NARS or Stila eyeshadows do. Tip: using a base like a MAC paint will make the eyeshadow stay put and stay vibrant FOREVER! Once or twice after a 16 hour day out and about, I looked into the mirror when I got home and it was still fresh! I recommend all the MAC paints, but especially the neutrals like Bare Canvas or Untitled.

 

[justjulia]

Am I the only person here that uses Merle Norman and loves it? I know it''s old school, but I really do like most of their stuff.

 

[Giada]

I have a few holy grails that I use every day:

Anastasia Brow Kit - it comes with a brow powder that is fantastic
Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit for eye area
MAC Studio Fix powder foundation
MAC Fluidline Gel liner in BlackTrack, smudged with Stila Ebony shadow to soften
L 'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
Nars Orgasm blush
A vast assortment of MAC liners and lip glosses...Poco Pink over Spice is my favorite combination

My biggest obsession is Rosebud Salve lip balm. I literally have them stashed everywhere...one upstairs, one downstairs, one in my purse and one in my drawer at work. I cannot live with out it!

 

[JCJD]

Date: 2/5/2007 5:17:34 PM
Author: Julian
They last on the lids for most of the day, but not *all* day like MAC, NARS or Stila eyeshadows do. Tip: using a base like a MAC paint will make the eyeshadow stay put and stay vibrant FOREVER! Once or twice after a 16 hour day out and about, I looked into the mirror when I got home and it was still fresh! I recommend all the MAC paints, but especially the neutrals like Bare Canvas or Untitled.

MK also has an eye primer which helps the shadow stay on. I teach a 3 hour lab Tues and Thurs mornings (8:30am) and wear full eye shadow on those days. With the primer, it lasts until 11 at night, no problem. Lots of other places have primers or eye shadow bases too. My sister loves her MAC primer.

Julian - I LOVE Onyx!! I just bought the Double Espresso duo, Cinnabar, Hazelnut, Moonstone, and Sheer Pink too. They''re all great colors!

lumpkin - I''m sure if you look around you''ll be able to find a consultant who stocks product. Also, see if the consultant keeps samples on hand so you can try out the colors on your own before buying a whole pot of it.

 

[Swedeabroad]

I love beauty products and my favorites are:

-Laura Mercier oil free foundation
--Burt Bees lip balm
-Chanel eye brow kit (with 3 shades and brush)
-Nars mogombo eye shadow
-Pout illuminator (mix it with my normal foundation to get a bronze look)
-Isadora terracotta powder nr 44
-Givenchy intense chocolate eye shadow 51
-Clarins Mat Express
-Clarins beauty flash balm
-Boots mango jojoba shower gel
-Clarins body lift
-La Mer hand lotion
-DDF spf 30
-Pout Bubblegum lip plumper
-Shu Uemura basic mascara
-La Prairie sand beige foundation



I love Shiseidos UV White skincare range which I buy in Japan. The products are wonderful and really protects my skin from the harmful UV rays as I live in a harsh climate. La Prairie is also great for my skin and I can''t live without these products:

-Anti -Aging complex cream
-The smart cream spf 15
-Cleansing foam
-Cellular day /night cream

 

[Gypsy]

I lost mine... but Laura Mercier Apricot Eye Shadow primer... it gives your lids and brow a neutral base... brightens your eyes when worn alone or with eye shadow... and makes even so-so eye shadow products stay and last until you take them off. Love it.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

How timely, we are doing an article on spring makeup. Do you realize how quickly these products go bad? I am embarrassed to say some of my makeup is YEARS old. I don''t really use the old stuff (often) and should just throw it out!

Mascara – 3 months
Powder eye shadow – 9 to 18 months
Cream eye shadow – 6 to 12 months
Foundation – 6 to 8 months
Blush – 6 to 8 months
Lipstick – 6 to 8 months
Powder – 8 to 12 months

 

[lumpkin]

Date: 2/6/2007 4:26:05 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
How timely, we are doing an article on spring makeup. Do you realize how quickly these products go bad? I am embarrassed to say some of my makeup is YEARS old. I don''t really use the old stuff (often) and should just throw it out!

Mascara – 3 months
Powder eye shadow – 9 to 18 months
Cream eye shadow – 6 to 12 months
Foundation – 6 to 8 months
Blush – 6 to 8 months
Lipstick – 6 to 8 months
Powder – 8 to 12 months

Oh, no! Only my new bare minerals and my new mascara are okay! Gosh I spent a fortune on that blush. Guess I''ll have to find a cheaper brand.....

 

[diamondfan]

I toss mascara more often because of bacteria. Powders and lipsticks I keep til they smell rancid. You can tell when a lipstick is bad, it smells and has a sticky texture. I have had some for years and they are still fine. Certain brands, and certain colors and formulas, seem to go bad more quickly.

I just had the Mary Kay lady here, got a nice foundation, the shadow base, some awesome shadows (same ones mentioned above) and a couple nice lipsticks, shell and pink shimmer, and a couple nice liners, chocolate and neutral. There was no pressure and I flat out said I did not need skincare, it never even came up. She came to my house, and had stock in all but one item. It was so easy. Just FYI, I buy tons on line at Sephora and from dept. stores, but just wanted to share my situation.

 

[poptart]

Reading all of your recommendations, I was wondering if any of you had tried the Bella Luce products. They are spa products with facials, etc. I was seriously considering buying myself a couple things, but don''t want to spend all that money if the products aren''t very good.

*M*

 

[diamondfan]

lumpkin, blushes and pressed powders and eye shadows that are pressed do NOT tend to go bad like that. I have tons of stuff that is years old and it is fine...mascara is really the worst in terms of bacteria...so some people get inexpensive ones and toss them every few months...

 

[Tacori E-ring]

lumpkin, the expert my editor interviewed said old blush could cause break outs. I am in the same boat as you. I seriously have lipstick from HIGHSCHOOL! Not that I really wear it but for some reason I always forget to throw it out. DF is right, old mascara can cause the most problems but I just thought people might find this information helpful. BE has an experation date on them. I think they last for a little over a year.

 

[Rosebud8506]

I use Clinique foundation and the superbalanced powder. I''ve been using it pretty much since I was a teenager, its the best!

For eyes, I like MAC eyeshadow. Body Shop makes a really great eyeliner pencil in a charcoal color that smudges well, and its pretty cheap, I think only 5 or 6 bucks.

I use NARS blush too in Orgasm, a girl at Sephora turned me on to that, it has a nice pink/peach shimmer to it.

Mascara I loved Max Factor 2000 Calorie, but I can''t find it anywhere anymore, do they no longer make that brand??? I know there was some problem with the company, maybe they did go under?

 

[lumpkin]

I am so glad everyone is sharing their favorite products and tips. There is so much here to go through and kind of find things that lots of people like and I think I''m going to try one new product every week or so as a reward for sticking to my nutrition plan....I don''t know if that will work, but it''s certainly a good excuse to get new make up!

Ellen and Tacori -- Every blush and eye shadow I own is pressed powder. I don''t really like the creams -- guess I got used to powder a long time ago, and I can get the effect I want with a good brush and powder. I''m glad they tend to last a little longer. As for break outs, I have never noticed any with my old blush, AS LONG AS I am meticulous about washing my make up off at night. Sometimes I''m lazy and don''t. It seems to make my skin extremely dry when I do that, rather than breaking out. My main break outs happen right before my period and on my chin. Yuck!!! But I do throw my mascara out regularly. I did know about the 3 month rule. Still my eyeshadow and blush are years old. I think I really should toss them and get new. I''m fortunate that I really only wear one color of blush rather than a drawer full. The foundation gets used up before it gets old, thankfully, along with loose powder.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shared on this thread. I am having a lot of fun looking through them all.

 

[diamondfan]

one things that is vital is buying good quality brushes and then cleaning them properly. dirty tools like blush brushes can also cause breakouts. same with dirty foundation sponges. Of course if something is totally old and nasty toss it, but for the most part it is liquids and creams that go bad first, and unless you used an eyeliner or shadow when you have an eye infection, in which case I say toss it, anything pressed like that should be fine longer. A lot of companies now put dates on things, my things expire long before I can use them up, and I think it is a way for them to get you to buy it sooner, again, of course things can go rancid but most products, if stored properly, last longer than that...again, mascara is the only one I would toss, and I would never sample mascara at a store, even with a disposable wand, because someone with an infection could put the dirty wand back in the tube!