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(aka "The New Working Girl Blogs") 
Blog #50: Makeup 101, Ala-Bobbie To see all of Bobbie's Family Girl Blogs, click on this link:http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/28818/family-girl-blogs |
There was a blog-question relating to makeup recently, and I wanted to respond, but as I was writing it, I noticed how long my comment was turning out to be, and how involved I got, so I decided to write a new blog altogether.
The blog started with a question, why does one need to wash one's face before putting on makeup.
Well, IMHO...
You clean your face at the start coz you need a clean slate. Makeup isn't like paint - it's not permanent so it gets smudged and ruined at the slightest thing. It is ruined by sweat, the ambient temperature, outside environmental conditions, the natural oils that come out of your face (skin covered with makeup manufacture more oils - it's the body's way of getting rid of the makeup), and by regular activities as well: just try getting through the day and see if you can keep your hands off your face, even if fleetingly (like rubbing an itchy eye coz the lashes are covered by mascara, or blowing your nose, or scratching an itch, or rubbing your temples because you're tired or frustrated, et cetera). And since it's mostly powders, it's not like you can repair sections of your makeup like you would repair the paint job of your car. And besides, getting rid of the makeup the moment you don't need it is the hygienic thing to do, to stop your face from breaking out in acne/pimples, blackheads, et cetera. Plus, you don't go to bed with makeup on otherwise you ruin your pillowcases, etc. And old makeup on the face feels yucky.
As for starting over, say in the afternoon, if it looks okay overall, then there's no need to start over - just touch up the eyes and lips. The eyes and the lips are where the damage mostly happens coz that's where most of the moisture on the face comes from, and where most of the action is. Mascara gunks up, and lipstick gets wiped off/rubbed off. However, if in fixing up your lips or eyes, you inadvertently "damage " your makeup further, it is best to start over from a clean slate - wash the face and then start from scratch. The makeup routine is like in layers, and makeup is the whole, so spot-fixes aren't usually possible.
Anyway, this is my routine. I am not recommending it, per se, and it is definitely not the same with those of other girls:
I usually have a shower in the morning. If I didn't shower, I would, at the very least, wash my face. I have oily skin so I don't use moisturizers much but use astringent lotion to "open" the pores and exfoliate a little bit. "Opening pores" is a myth - it's more like unclogging the pores of the oils and gunk from the makeup, the environment and from your skin itself that clog them. The reason "closed" pores are bad is coz they trap bacteria in with the gunk, and this can cause pimples et cetera, or cause blackheads and whiteheads (ewww), or, in very rare cases, extremely severe infections, or impacted detritus that can even cause cellular and nerve damage (the face has a lot of nerve receptors). Anyway - people with oily skin should always use astringent after every bath/shower/face wash, and before going to bed.
If I just had a shower, I'd use body powder or baby powder everywhere but the face and neck, and if my outfit is sleeveless, I leave off the arms. If I'm wearing a skirt, I leave off the legs, too. (If my outfit's like that, I'd use a touch of baby oil or moisturizer on my arms and legs to make em smoother-looking and shinier.) But if I'm going to be wearing something dark, I leave off the powder altogether.
I towel-dry my hair, and if that's not enough, or if I have the time, I'd blow-dry it but just use the no-heat setting (otherwise my naturally wavy hair frizzes and I'd start looking like an eighties new-wave groupie or something, with hair bigger than Cher's). Wet hair that touches newly-applied makeup, especially when it's not all done yet (even if it's just a few strands) can ruin things. So I dry it and/or clip it back before starting the main part. BTW, blow-dried hair (at least with me) need to be put into the proper do IMMEDIATELY, even before the makeup. Otherwise, it's bad hair day all day!
I inspect the brows and trim the longish strands with the small scissors from my kit. (I have learned my lesson long ago - I don't pluck anymore since it's painful and I tend to over-pluck and ruin my look, so I have the guys in the salon do it for me when I am there, and just satisfy myself with trimming the long or unruly strands a bit).
I use primer prior to the foundation. You put a dab on your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, your forehead and chin (that's five dabs), and you spread them outward with your fingers. You then wait for a few minutes for it to dry.
I then put concealer on the parts of my face that have problems. With me, I use concealer when I just had a pimple or something, otherwise I don't since my face's tone is fairly even and I have few blemishes - the point of the concealer is to hide the uneven colors or the blemishes/beauty marks/freckles on your face. So picking the right shade that matches your NATURAL tone is VERY important.
I then put foundation evenly all over my face. I don't use the sponge or the puff that comes with the compact, but a soft camel brush. I am not too expert at it as my sis is, so my minimum is 2 layers of a medium opacity foundation. Like the concealer, pick a color closest to your skin tone.
I then put highlighter on my cheeks, et cetera, and bronzer at the line of my jaw, the sides of the nose, the cheekbones, et cetera, to emphasize them and give my face some definition, otherwise, my face will look flat. I rarely use bronzer, though, since my foundation is medium opaque so my cheekbones et cetera come out anyway, and my tone is a little dark, to begin with.
I then pencil in my eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil, but I sometimes skip this since my brows are bushy enough as it is, and they've been shaped already at the salon to look real well defined.
I then put light-brown powder on my upper eyelids using a small brush, and sometimes smudge them if I use the oilier L'oreal stuff. I put just a touch (almost nonexistent) on the lower ones.
Then, using either a small pencil or a liquid liner with a fine wet brush, I draw a dark-brown line from the corner of my eye to the outer edge, along the edge of the lid. And then you repeat it for the lower eyelid. The thing nowadays is to make this line wider than usual, and extend it farther than the edge of the eye, to a point, giving you a somewhat cleopatra-ish look. In order to do this properly, you'll need a steady hand and a fine wet brush with long strands.
I then use eyelash curlers to shape my eyelashes into an upward-curving shape, and the lower ones into a downwar-curving shape. I then use the applicator from the mascara bottle to apply liquid mascara with an upward stroke for the tops, and downward for the bottoms. (I sometimes use fake lashes, or have them applied at the salon. There are many applications and kinds - pick one you like. But the salon-applied ones are better coz they last for a while)
I then use lipstick from the lipstick tube, and apply it to my lips. I usually have two tubes - the other one I use a fine brush or toothpick with (similar to the one I use with the liquid liner) to outline the lips, and not ruin the other tube's stick - the stick won't get everywhere, especially the corners, hence this extra step with a brush/stick. Have some tissues on hand to dab at where you "don't stay in the lines." Since the shades I like only come in matt, I usually apply some lip gloss. I don't do the entire lip - just at the front part, usually, to give the illusion of shine. (Sometimes, when I use the cheaper brands of lipstick, some of the lipstick gets on the lip gloss applicator. So I use some of the tissues to clean it off).
Some pointers - (1) Don't use brushes, sponges, applicators, et cetera on several different stuff. Keep separate applicators for each item. Be prepared to buy replacements when needed. Do not let them touch each other even, so the colors don't mix. (2) Some girls prefer to put on their outfits before the makeup. I don't. I prefer to put on my clothes after. I just take precautions. I've ruined many a blouse because I dropped some makeup on em while doing my face. So never again, except, of course, if its a touch-up. (3) Also, have lots of tissues on hand in case of accidents or emergencies. (4) Speaking of tissues - you know that thing that some girls do with lipstick? - the blotting thing with the tissue? It's good to do that before you eat or drink so you don't leave too many lipstick smudges on glasses, softdrink straws, et cetera. But I don't do it otherwise - as someone with a darker complexion, I like having emphasized lips. The only danger is when I give a girlfriend a friendly kiss and leave a mark. That's why hugs and air-kisses are de riguer. But if I'm really giving a kiss (a real one), I'm gonna smudge her/him anyway and blotting won't really help.
Biiiiig tip: Just before going home, esp. when it's getting dark out, freshen you makeup before going home or whatever, with more blush, darker or black liquid eyeliner, and darker lipstick. If you don't, you'll look washed out and tired just when it's getting dark out. Just try it if you don't believe me.
Biiiiigest tip of all: before going to bed, don't eave your makeup on - wash your face thoroughly! Otherwise you're asking for trouble, and after a while, you'll have the same complexion as Edward James Olmos, and the cleaning bill for your pillows will skyrocket. If you have oily skin, use astringent right after you wash, otherwise, use some moisturizer.
'Kay. There you go - Makeup 101 ala-Bobbie, in less than twenty steps.
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Comments
Funny...
Funny, many of those points are ones my older daughter has made to me on more than one occasion.
One thing she said - that you only alluded to in your comment about not using a single brush for multiple things... She said don't buy cheep brushes. High quality brushes are softer, put the powders on smoother and last longer.
Thanks for sharing!
Annette
Cool
I use it so rarely (like once a year or two) so it is always a good refresher. The stuff is very expensive for me as I use it so little as it will go bad fairly quickly. Oh yes, throw out old makeup is another tip. Mascara especially.
People tell me I look better with the stuff on but I am just too lazy to do it. Plus my mother never wore it either so I got it from her I guess. I must admit I am lucky to look Okay without it. I think I will let Lady Gaga do all the adventurous stuff.
Kim
Lady Gaga --- and Boy George?
Lady Gaga --- and Boy George? :)
(or maybe Pete Burns)
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Bobbie, I wonder
how many here will follow your advice?
May Your Light Forever Shine
There is one exception.
When it comes to concealer it's actually often best to go a shade LIGHTER than a perfect match. And if you've still got beard shadow like many girls here, you might even want to use some pink or yellow toned concealers depending on your natural skin tone. (redder folks want pink, everyone else yellow). You want something EXTREMELY light to cover up the beard. You might also want to have some concealer that's a bit lighter and some that's a bit darker, to try to reshape your facial structure a bit.
Heh. Makeup's actually quite complex... There's a LOT more I could go into, but won't. For a basics, what's been said is pretty well sufficient.
Abigail Drew.
Also...
It is also worth remembering that your skin color/tone varies by the time of the year (how much sun you get) - more so for some than others. For example, in the winter, I can use a very light shade to cover my vitiligo patches. In the summer (specially by the end) I'm using a medium shade of concealer. Spring and fall require me to blend to get the shade I need.
I guess what I'm saying is that the shades of makeup you need for different things can vary throughout the year. On beard concealing... Depends on a LOT of factors. Before I went through 150 hours of electrolysis, I could shave close, and apply concealer/foundation/etc. and be okay for a few (emphasis on few) hours... But, 8-10 hours after the shave, the "5 o'clock" shadow would show through. (This even caused me trouble back in the '80s when I had to present closed circuit briefs after 10 hours (into a 12 hour watch)... I learned to shave a second time to avoid looking unshaven in front of the Admiral. And, get this - I was a BLONDE back then, as was my dense beard. Light brown/dirty blonde with silver highlights now.)
This has been a worthwhile discussion! I'm glad Bobbie started it.
Annette
A few more tips
Makeup company and product claims are, by default, bulls***. If they say ANYTHING, assume that they are lying. You'll be less disappointed.
In my experience, which is well over twenty years now, makeup doesn't go bad nearly as fast as the makeup companies claim it does. IF stored in cool and dry. Liquids go bad (and dry out too), but solids - eyeshadow, solid or powder blusher, powder - basically don't (unless dropped, whereupon the solid cake(s) shatter). Semisolids like lipstick sometimes do - smell them. Smell ALL of it, actually; anything that has gone bacterially/fungally bad will probably smell 'funny' and not 'good'. In my experience, the more expensive lipsticks last longer than the cheapest, but I don't buy boutique makeup so I dunno. I'm still (occasionally) using some Clarion lipsticks and shadows, which company died out in 1994, and they're older than that.
You can't tell what it looks like on YOU until you've applied it.
Experiment with a new look, new technique, or whatever, BEFORE you need to use it. LONG before. Monday morning at 7AM is not the time to be experimenting (assuming you need it for the day job).
If it didn't work/didn't look like you wanted, save it anyway; you might change your look in a few years, or you might meet someone else who could use it. Solids and semisolids only!
Q-tips/cotton swabs are also really good for erasing minor mistakes, as they are much more precise than a tissue.
'Makeup remover' is either soap or oil, basically. Oil works better around the eyes than soap, but both work. A great way to get makeup off is to go throw yourself in the shower and soap your face really well, then use your hands to rub it all off. (then wash your hands, then wash your you)
With oily skin, don't use moisturizing soap. One grandmother used Dove, which claims it isn't soap but a 'moisturizing bar'. Eyugh. That sort of thing makes me feel I've been buttered.
If plucking eyebrow hairs, or doing the adolescent/Ellen thing of squeezing out skin-oil pockets before they grow large, infect, inflame, and/or oxidize into blackheads - I thought I'd grow out of this eventually, but not yet; maybe when I get my AARP membership - do it BEFORE you have to go out. Preferably the day before. I keep not doing this, and going out with my eyeshadow-area looking asymmetrical because one side is more red than the other.
Bathroom lighting isn't the same spectrum as sunlight. Fluorescent or CF really isn't the same spectrum as sunlight. Neither is sunlight the same as fluorescent. Your makeup will not look the same in different spectrum lighting. A cleverness would be to either have different lights plus a sun-facing window, or one of those dial-a-filter makeup mirrors like Mom used to have (that I did NOT pinch when she got rid of it, for some stupid reason I can't remember now).
In case of, have a spare. A spare EVERYTHING. It is totally the s***s to realize you have no mascara to go out with, because yours just died/ran out/rotted. Or that you just dropped the loose powder on the floor - BTW, avoid this; it's worse than glitter.
Speaking of: glitter never goes away. Once you apply it once, you'll be finding it for a decade.
Also, loose powder dusted off goes... everywhere. And then it lands, and then it makes funny-colored dust. On everything. If you're being paranoid stealthy, you might also want to get obsessive-compulsive about cleaning your makeup application area.
Makeup companies get some of their jollies by discontinuing colors; if you find a shade that works perfectly for you, buy several of them, and cache them. Possibly in the freezer, possibly in a cool & dry & dark location.
Makeup will permanently stain towels and washcloths. A trick I learned is to get some that aren't white, like brown and dark green. These may stain, but who could tell? If you've already bungled and ruined some, use only the ruined ones from now on. This could save you a berating from a spouse.
Clothing sometimes should be put on before makeup, and sometimes afterward. I have to keep a mental file of which tops/dresses are in the 'before' category, because sometimes you need to really scrape some garments over your face to put them on - which f***s your makeup AND your garment if you've already done your makeup.
Bathrooms tend to get hot and wet. You also tend to get hot and wet (shower, post-shower, blow dryer, frustration, time pressure). You might want to have a 'makeup station' somewhere else, like your bedroom. Or, for all I care, the parlor. If you do it in the bathroom (I do), then consider budgeting in some extra time, or something to do in the middle of the makeup (like shoes, or purse-review), to get out of there and let yourself cool off. This is one reason it can take me over an hour to get ready - I'm spending 20min of it in front of a fan reading.
If you have 'alternative hair', i.e. more than one color of wig - or you change your hair color - your makeup will need to change as well. What looks good with midnight black hair does not look good with platinum blonde. More subtle changes of hair color still require (more subtle) changes of makeup.
The younger you are, the more you can get away with. Be careful with trends.
The more alternative you are, the more you can get away with. A 50 year old woman in a pastel business suit and fluffed curly hair is kind of limited in what makeup will be considered by observers to be appropriate; the same woman in black leather, dog collar, and blue mohawk can do just about anything makeup-wise.
F*** around with it sometimes. Take a day where you don't have to be somewhere, and try something new. False eyelashes, that shadow color that never worked, pales instead of darks (or darks instead of pales), some magazine tricks, that thing you saw on the 'Net... You can tell OLD women because they've kept the same makeup routine for thirty years; and they look, not so much aged-by-time, as OUTDATED. Don't look outdated; look aged.
Ellen, 22nd level Necromancer of Threads
My makeup routine
This is the usual routine when I have to go somewhere.
1) shower
1a) drown-beat-strangle The Hair into submission
My hair is... unbelievable. It's brown (meh), curly (makes spiral curls on its own) and up to three feet long (measured via tape measure). It tangles instantly and frizzes if I touch it. I have no hair advice except how to detangle hair. My hair has literally strangled a blow-dryer to death. If I f*** with it, it tends to happen at this step. This is because it's weakened and unable to resist.
There are days when I don't bother; which is one reason it can be such a pain when I do. But if I don't - 'oh s*** we have an appointment when?' - that shaves a LOT of time. Picking the right hairstyle helps; buns can last a few days.
1b) soap face & body, scrub
1c) shave whatever needs shaving
If you have to shave your face, do it NOW, while the facial hair is still wet and soft. It works better and hurts less.
2) dry off, cool off, rest
I never have gotten used to putting clothes on when wet.
There's no point in trying to put on a solid deodorant/anti-perspirant when my body's wet.
3) antiperspirant
4) underwear, MAYBE put on clothes first
5) makeup
5a) concealer on top of 'blemishes'
I just dab on a dot, then smear it with my fingers until it basically disappears. Then I hopefully wipe my fingers on a tissue or paper towel; if not, I touch something and stain it and curse.
5b) foundation
I use L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable, usually C2 or a mix between C1 (lightest), C2, and C3. I don't know if this is the bestest ever foundation; what I do know is that it's the closest to my skin color that I've bothered to try. At maybe $10+ per test, I'm not too inclined to experiment and find something better. This stuff works really well, ON ME.
I use a sponge, which one woman I knew (who rarely wears makeup) says are only used by T*s. OTOH what does she know? Mom used a cotton ball, but then Mom was a despair as far as feminine arts went. Don't use your fingers; foundation is extremely covering paint and will stain everything you touch, like the faucet handles and the soap.
Splat on the sponge, rub on face, rub out brush marks. If using another color, splat that on (same sponge) and rub it and blend it.
5c) loose powder, dusted on with brush, dusted off with brush
Note that if I do this with clothes on, the powder also gets on the clothes. I either wear a towel as a bib, or beat the powder off, or don't wear clothes at this stage.
5d) Revlon Colorstay eyeliner.
When I had contacts, I'd use different colors. Now that I'm glasses-bound due to finances, I use black. This stuff is awesome, IMO. Doesn't need a sharpener unless you want a very fine line, and screws out of the barrel (and back in). Especially for the somewhat-smudged eyeliner look, which I go for.
Since it goes on differently when warm than when cold, I'll do under my eyes (requiring the least) first, say left then right, then - as it has warmed up a bit - do the upper line (right then left) a lot thicker. I may, or may not, add a little tail at the outside pointing up. I ALWAYS go thinner towards the inside/proximal/towards-nose end. It is not necessary for me to do the inside corner.
5e) eyeshadow, various
I sort of try to go with what I'll be wearing (or am wearing), what time of day, and what I'm doing (grocery store makeup, even at 11pm, is not clubbing makeup). I often use three or more shades, and not all from the same palette-box or even manufacturer.
General routine is light first, towards the inside and up to the eyebrows; middle shade sort of in between; and darkest on the outer half of the lid itself and a bit of a smear upwards and outwards. Blend-blend-blend. For application, I use those cheap spongy wands, which I probably shouldn't; and smear/blend with either a tissue or my fingers (which need to be washed after this).
I don't wear mascara; I could never tell that I was wearing any, aside from little black bits falling off and sticking under my eyes. So f*** that.
5f) lipstick - also exceedingly varied. I don't wear lip gloss, because I'm kind of dramatic coloration and I think I look better with color.
Again for no reason I can name, I do the upper lip first, usually left side first. I do have to make sure to get the darker or more vivid colors inside the lips as well; it looks bad to have a dark red lip and a bright-pink 'underside' visible.
Sometimes I'll either want smaller lips or just feel like f***ing with things, and use lip liner. This is a PAIN to get symmetrical, but vital.
Unlike what certain Jim Bridges and other demented T*-hating fags will tell you, your lipliner should almost match your lipstick - a little darker. People wearing black/very-dark-brown lipliner should only be wearing black lipstick; people with black/very-dark-brown lipliner and, say, medium red lipstick are instantly picked out by me and friends as incompetent transvestites. Don't do this; you shame us all.
6) put lipstick in purse so I don't forget to do it later, which I will
7) jewelry
8) if I haven't gotten dressed, now's the time
The drown-beat-strangle hair cycle can take between 15 and 60 minutes, depending on how windy it's been, what I've been doing, and how long it's been since I last went through the ordeal. The longer that takes, the more rest I want as a stage. The makeup above takes about fifteen minutes.
If I don't do the hair, then it's about forty-five minutes including drying time.
Several years ago, I had a friend who had a lot of cash, a love of eating, taste (which I don't have), and a like of me. Also, I tended to eat like I was hungry instead of like I was dieting, which he enjoyed watching. So he'd take me out to eat a lot (he and SO did not get along), often to upscale places. He also had a tendency to be late.
I got to where I'd dress and be ready on time, and then I'd start 'upgrading' things in small increments - changing clothes, upping the heel height, adding more or bigger jewelry or accessories, and doing more and more makeup - extra color, blusher, false eyelashes - and stop when he got there. The nights he was an hour late - more than once - I could look awfully impressive.
Ellen, 22nd level Necromancer of Threads
Trick from theatre. Baby
Trick from theatre.
Baby shampoo. Some used to use acetone (not kidding, but that was a long time ago) to remove stage makeup, but baby shampoo works quite well. It strips better than soap, but isn't as harsh as trying to use regular shampoo (which is designed to strip oil and filth out of hair/keratin)
Makeup _does_ go bad. I have makeup still in my case that's very much bad, even though it's been airtight sealed for years. It just doesn't go bad in 5 years. 10+, yes, it'll go bad if it's been used, then sealed. I haven't done anything with it because I don't do theatre anymore, so I don't have a need to plop down $60 to refill the kit.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Depends on what you mean by 'makeup'
If it's liquid, then I totally agree, though IMO it's worth smelling to check. Solids, not in my experience. Semisolids - like lipstick, creams - it depends on the preservatives they used.
Hadn't thought about the baby shampoo! Great idea, especially for the shower.
Ellen, 22nd level Necromancer of Threads
I have combination skin and I
I have combination skin and I find that if I put on powder on my eyelids after putting on my favorite combination Etude House foundation+sunblock+moisturizer (a.k.a. BB cream), the eyeliner stays longer. On a usual day I would just put on the BB cream, some shimmer powder, and a Revlon liquid pen eyeliner whose container looks like a felt tip pen. Of course all this comes after washing my face with a facial cleanser and non-alcohol based toner. I despire alcohol-based toners because they dry out my skin too much, causing the skin to overcompensate and cause more oil production to prevent moisture loss. After work I remove my makeup with a Revlon remover before using Nature Republic face wash, toner, and sleeping mask. Sometimes, when I'm too tired, I forget to remove my makeup, but I try to avoid such situations. When dilating, I also take the time to do something nice for my face like put on masks.