Makeup & Hair

[malkah]

Thanks for the feedback on the straightener, everyone!

wisewoman, I think the straightener I was looking at supposedly dries your hair/locks the moisture in. *shrugs* I honestly don't know! My problem is, as I said above, it's terribly hard to blow dry my hair straight, and if I let it air dry, the curl is too entrenched to be straightened out. <----Maybe I should just do that.

Your hair looks really cute! And you are lovely, by the way.

Erucenindë, I'd like to try brown mascara, but I haven't been able to find any that's waterproof. Do you know of any brands?

Valiant_Lucy, thanks for the eyeshadow tips! I think you're right, dark colors work much better in eyeshadows. Do you use eyeliner?

[Erucenindë]

wisewoman!! You are so pretty. and that haircut is wonderful on you.

hmm... good question! *tries to think if she's actually seen brown waterproof mascara...* I actually cant think right now if I've seen that or not. I'm guessing you've tried looking at Wal-Mart's "lovely" selection? (assuming you have walmart).

I also remembered, malkah, that there is clear mascara. But if you're looking to wear eyeliner that wouldnt really work.

as for straightener, I'm not sure what you've tried before, but see about getting ahold or trying a Chi straightener, or one that goes up pretty high. then, when you straighten, go over it s l o w l y and several times over that curl part. I know a person who has very very curly hair, and she spends an hour straightening her hair. You just have to make sure you take it slowly, and with patience.

[Valiant_Lucy]

Do you use eyeliner?

Yup! I love my eyeliner. Even if I'm wearing eyeshadow, I'll just put the eyeliner right in my lash line, so it is veryvery subtle but makes it more noticeable. If I'm not wearing eyeshadow, I like to do a more dramatic winged out look. I recently bought a liquid eyeliner by Loreal and am loving it.

EDIT: Yay!! My order from Sephora just arrived. I received this:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.j ... oryId=5823
I just tried the "Bad Gal mascara" by Benefit. It really "plumped" out my lashes.

I also got this, which I tried way last spring and loved it. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.j ... goryId=A47 It has a really light, airy scent. It's not heavy at all. Even my mom who doesn't like perfume at all admitted it smelt nice. It really just smells like a bouquet of flowers!

*sighs happily* I love getting stuff in the mail.

[Destined-To-Reign]

Malkah, the Watermelon color is a fairly middle ground color. It applied about one or two shades darker than my natural lip color, and a little pinker. If your complexion is suited for warm pinks, then I'd suggest it.

Val, thanks for the makeup suggestions. That sounds about what I'd do. I'm not sure about eyeliner, however-I've tried using a friend's, and it made me look like a raccoon. It was a plain black, so maybe a lighter color would be better? I have blonde hair, green eyes, and rather light skin, so I really would like something that would blend in, and not stand out and make people stare. My lashes are a medium color, and not too long, too. I looked pretty much . . . ghastly in my friend's liner.

ww, your picture is lovely! It does indeed look professional, but it's not too stiff or anything. I like it a lot.

[wisewoman]

Thanks everyone for the comments on my haircut

wisewoman, I think the straightener I was looking at supposedly dries your hair/locks the moisture in. *shrugs* I honestly don't know!

I would be skeptical of that. To get the hair hot enough to be straightened, the heat has to be at boiling point or higher. And if water is boiling on your hair follicles... ouch. Lots of damage

I use Maybelline Unstoppable eyeliner and I really like it. It's a pencil liner that is somewhat creamy and easy to apply (but it doesn't wear off throughout the day, which is the usual bane of such formulations). I recommend the Espresso color. It's not as harsh as black and it can be applied very lightly and subtly. You would not look like a raccoon if I got a hold of you, Destined

Oh, and malkah, I use a "black-brown" mascara from L'Oreal (the Voluminous one) and I really like it . I think there is a waterproof version too, but I haven't tried it. Waterproof mascara should only be used when you REALLY need it to be waterproof; it's much too harsh on your lashes for everyday wear.

[Mar In Narnia]

wisewoman, you look great and really professional in that pic! And I don't know how was your hair before, but I think this haircut looks perfect on you

I'm not sure about eyeliner, however-I've tried using a friend's, and it made me look like a raccoon. It was a plain black, so maybe a lighter color would be better? I have blonde hair, green eyes, and rather light skin, so I really would like something that would blend in, and not stand out and make people stare. My lashes are a medium color, and not too long, too. I looked pretty much . . . ghastly in my friend's liner.

DTR, maybe if you tried using a green eyeliner it would look better? I've only tried blue eyeliner but it looked awful in me, so I sticked to the common black one. I don't usually wear make up, but when I do, I only wear a little foundation, eyeliner, mascara and a light lipstick. I like to keep the make up natural.

As for the hair, I have now curly hair. I was born with curly hair, but when I was more or less 8 years old, it became wavy, almost straight and at 17, it became curly again. Pretty weird, actually. But now I'm happy with my curls, thought not with my haircut. I have it with layers and everytime I go to the hairdresser, I get the same haircut. I really need a change, but I don't find modern and different hair cuts for curly hair. I'm think of maybe trying a different hairdresser...

[Shantih]

There are plenty, Mar! Have you tried looking a hair style magazine? If I'm really stuck with what to do with my hair I find flicking through a couple of those good for ideas.

I got my hair cut a bit shorter to regain the the shape, and also got a fringe cut in. This was a pretty risky procedure considering how my hair behaves, but it's taken it quite well -



(ignore the silly faces )

I can just about tie it up, but I need a head band of some sort to keep it all together

[Mar In Narnia]

Shantih, as silly as it may sound, it never occured to me to look in a hair style magazine Thanks for the tip. And also, I love your new hair cut, it looks great on you. I also really like your hair colour

[wisewoman]

Adorable pics, Shantih! Your hair is always so cute

Thanks Mar! Let us know what you decide... and post pics too, if you can!

Two links from me:

How to Apply Liquid Foundation — Interesting, I never use a liquid sponge for liquid foundation. Maybe I should try that. I just use my fingers.

How to Apply Eye Makeup — I haven't watched this one yet but I want to. I'm one of those women who just brush a single color over their lids

[Scarlet_Trefoil]

Ooooo, Wisewoman, the eye makeup video is lovely! I'm trying to move beyond the one-color-sweep look myself (for dressier occasions, anyway ) and this looks very helpful. Besides, I do like Paula's books - didn't know she had videos, though - and she's turned me into an ingredient snob.

~Scarlet

[Daylight]

I've been wanting to post these links:

Busting Acne Myths
Blemishes! Why Me?

That's interesting wisewoman. I've struggled with acne for years... then about 2 years ago it got really bad and I tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it. I went on this really hardcore medication called acutane and now it's really calmed down. I just try to keep my skin clean by washing 1 or 2 times a day. I LOVE Dove soap - it's the best thing ever. It doesn't dry you out at all.

I pretty much wear makeup all the time, lol. I'ts not heavy, but I do wear foundation to cover up some of my acne scars. I always wear a little black eyeliner and mascara. I wear a little eyeshadow, but unless i have somewhere special to go, it's just a creamy, light color.

[Lady4Aslan]

I don't really wear make-up, just a little fountation once in a while to cover up a small breakout. I love long hair though!!!!!! My hair is at my waist and I love coming up with new hair style. If I see a picture I can normally figure out how to do it! Long hair is so much FUN!!!!

[Hathaway Standalone]

Ugh, acne...I haven't had completely clear skin for over six years. I use *thinks* Ziana? The really strong topical meds. It's horrid though because my pores are so large that in places on my face you can see them.

I have big green-blue-gray eyes and olive-toned skin. What color eyeshadow do you girls think would be unexpected and fun to go with that?

[Lady Arwen]

* pops in extremely late *

Malkah, I would suggest talking with a professional about your hair and how best to straighten it. I've found that, with my hair, it is nearly impossible to straighten it while it is dry, and that if I do succeed, it comes out in sections. On the other hand, one of my semi-prof friends did it, and it came out practically perfect. I don't usually straighten my hair, so I didn't ask how she did it, but it may be worth the time/money to talk to a pro if you want to consistently straighten your hair.

* disappears after distributing her 2 cents *

[wisewoman]

Ooooo, Wisewoman, the eye makeup video is lovely!

I'm glad it was helpful to you! I'm an ingredient snob too *high fives*

That's interesting wisewoman. I've struggled with acne for years... then about 2 years ago it got really bad and I tried EVERYTHING to get rid of it. I went on this really hardcore medication called acutane and now it's really calmed down. I just try to keep my skin clean by washing 1 or 2 times a day. I LOVE Dove soap - it's the best thing ever. It doesn't dry you out at all.

Yes, Accutane's pretty hardcore because it works with your hormones. However, it can cause serious birth defects in the baby if you get pregnant while on it .

I do recommend using a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil rather than bar soap on your face, however. The waxy ingredients that hold the bar soap in a bar shape are not good for skin, no matter how many other beneficial ingredients there may be. Cetaphil won't dry you out and it leaves skin feeling so clean, but never stripped or dry. I love it!

Ugh, acne...I haven't had completely clear skin for over six years. I use *thinks* Ziana? The really strong topical meds. It's horrid though because my pores are so large that in places on my face you can see them.

What is the active ingredient in your acne medication? And what percentage is it of the formulation? I'm just curious because I've had fantastic success with benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid (also known as BHA). But BHA gels have to be at the right pH to actually work on your skin (they penetrate down into the pore, unlike all other exfoliants that stay on the surface). BHA is great for making pores as small as they can be. Large pores are genetic and can't be changed or shrunk, but they can be brought to their smallest possible size by the right BHA gel.

I'm not good with picking out eyeshadow colors, sorry . I just use browns myself.

Here's some helpful information about hair: Hair Myths.

[Avra]

Double ugh to acne. I had terrible acne for years --tried everything from Acnefree to *shudders* tomato-lemon-oatmeal home-made facial masks. Nothing worked for me until my mother discovered that the cause for my acne was a hitherto unknown dairy allergies. So, no dairy, no acne.