#best drugstore moisturizer

[avatar-anna]

Girl Gone Live

this is literally so stupid and so corny, but i don't care i'm here for a good time, not a long time, you know? enjoy!

"Okay, is this working? How do I know this is working?"

You squinted at the screen, feeling older than you actually were as you waited for some sign that the live stream you set up was working. Thankfully, comments started rolling through and the viewer count went up, and then it started to skyrocket, which made you a little nervous.

"I...think it's working! Cool. Well, um, obviously I'm Y/n L/n, and I'm a celebrity makeup artist. I recently did Olivia Rodrigo's makeup for her music video 'Vampire,' and I thought I would kind of walk you through how I achieved that look, I guess."

Before going live, you'd considered making a little script but decided against it. Hearing yourself bumble through the introduction now, though, you kind of wished you had.

No one seemed to be put off by your awkwardness, though. As comments streamed past, you saw some about the music video and Olivia and what it was like to work with her, but there were also a lot about Harry. You weren't necessarily surprised by Harry's fans flooding the comment section because you sometimes appeared in the background of posts from other people on Love on Tour and you'd become known as the tour's makeup artist. Sometimes you posted the looks you did for performances and little videos of you doing makeup before the show. The attention was a little jarring if you thought about it too long, but you decided it could be worse. After all, you were Harry Styles' long-term girlfriend.

But that wasn't what this livestream was about.

Your eyes scanned the comments as they moved a mile a minute, hoping to snag on a question. "Oh! Someone asked how I met Olivia. Um, as some of you may know, I'm currently working as the makeup artist for Love on Tour, and Olivia came to one of the shows, and we just talked for a really long time about makeup, and she asked me to do her makeup for the video a few weeks later."

It was a fun side gig while you were on tour with Harry and his band. You loved touring for the most part, but this was something different and exciting, so you flew back home during a break in the tour to work with Olivia on "Vampire." Harry tagged along, happy to watch you work instead of the other way around for once. He had a grin on his face the whole time as he watched you do your thing, playing assistant, grabbing whatever you needed when you asked, and holding a palette for you while you did Olivia's makeup. Overall, it was a fun shoot for both of you.

You were back on tour now, and since you had a little time to kill, you decided to go live for the first time to talk about makeup. If it went well, you could maybe make it a regular thing, so you hoped people actually watched and were interested.

*.*

Brynn watched her phone intently, pen in hand as she waited for Y/n to name-drop the next product she was using so she could write it down and see if she could afford it later. Not only was Brynn a huge fan of Olivia Rodrigo, but she had been a Harry Styles fan since she was in grade school, and when she got the notification that Y/n was going live, she was one of the first people to join.

"Luxury or drugstore makeup? Good question," Y/n said as she moisturized her face. "Honestly both. I love trying new things and seeing what works for me. When I was starting out, I mostly had MAC in my makeup kit, but now I've branched out a little more and added things here and there. But that's my professional kit, which has all the things I know with certainty will work perfectly for whatever look I'm trying to achieve. My personal one is where I do more experimentation with brands and products and trends. I guess that doesn't really answer the question, so both. I definitely use both.

"And what's cool is that Olivia loves makeup too, so she kind of knew her way around and what products worked best for her," Y/n continued.

She's so cool, Brynn thought as Y/n moved onto explaining how she did Olivia's base makeup. She didn't feel like Y/n was trying to push any particular product on her audience, nor did she hide which products she used. Her explanations were clear and easy to follow, and she even gave alternative products when she used one that was on the pricier side.

"Olivia loves herself a glowy base, and we really played that up because of the song. So to give her that Cullen-esque sparkle, I added some liquid highlighter into her foundation."

Brynn watched intently, wanting to see just how Y/n did it. Then, feeling compelled, she typed a comment. She didn't think Y/n would notice it, or be able to see it at all amongst the thousands of others, but she couldn't help but try to be noticed.

As Y/n blended her foundation in, Y/n smiled. "Someone asked how long it takes to do Harry's makeup on tour. Um...It kind of depends. Sometimes it's hard to actually get him in the chair because he gets so pumped up before he goes onstage. But once he settles enough for me to do it, it goes pretty quick. If he lets me, I get to put a little bit of glowy balm on his cheeks, but that's as creative as I get."

Y/n's smile changed, though Brynn couldn't really say how. It was almost like she was exasperated as she talked about Harry, and Brynn became just a tiny bit jealous that this person on the other side of her screen for knowing him well enough to be exasperated by him. What she wouldn't give to chase Harry Styles around so she could do his makeup. It left Brynn wondering how people even got into these situations.

Y/n finished up her base makeup while she answered more questions about the makeup products she used for the music video and a few about Love on Tour. She talked about her favorite songs and the places she'd been and the people she hung out with before and after shows.

"Oh boy, okay. I'm not a huge fan of bold lip colors on myself, but this is what I used on Olivia," Y/n said as she lined her lips. She'd just finished adding a light, almost haphazard, dusting of shimmer to her eyes, and despite the pixelated live stream feed, Brynn could still see it catch the light. "We wanted this to be the focal point of the whole look because, you know, vampires."

Y/n stopped talking briefly as she applied the lipstick she used for the music video, then shifted from side to side with her hands beneath her chin to show off the finished look. "Not my usual style, but—"

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you."

For a moment, Brynn thought she was dreaming. Mouth dropped open in shock, she watched as Harry Styles appeared onscreen in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. His hair was messy, as if he'd just been sleeping or a storm had just run through it. The video quality wasn't great because it was a live stream, but Brynn couldn't help but think he looked so cute and warm with his sleepy eyes, especially as he stretched his arms above his head, though her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when the waistband of his sweatpants dropped a centimeter. Not even caring that they'd fallen a bit, Harry shuffled forward and sat down next to Y/n and kissed her shoulder. He didn't seem to notice Y/n's phone propped up in front of her, or the look of disbelief and slight horror on her face. Not when she tried to speak to him, and not when he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

And through it all Brynn watched, feeling like she'd entered an alternate dimension.

"You look cute. I like the sparkle," Harry said, tapping his knuckle against Y/n's nose. She still looked like she was in shock, but when he leaned in—leaned in to kiss her, Brynn realized—Y/n seemed to shake off some of her stupor.

"We—We're not alone," she said, gently resting her fingers over Harry's mouth to stop him.

Brynn didn't want to tear her eyes away from Harry and Y/n, but she darted her gaze down to the comment section, which confirmed everything. This was no dream, this was really happening, and everyone who was watching was losing their minds.

"What do you mean, lovie?" Harry asked, brows furrowing, clearly confused by Y/n's odd behavior. He finally looked at the camera, his brows shooting up when he realized that Y/n was live streaming all of this. "Oh."

"Yeah 'oh.'"

"I thought you were on the phone—"

"I wasn't!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know! You didn't tell me. And since when—"

"Harry put a shirt on!"

Brynn watched their bickering in a daze, waiting for the inevitable end of the live stream. To her surprise, though, Harry grinned a little before taking Y/n—and the whole Internet, to be honest—by surprise and kissing her.

"Are you insane?"

Harry merely shrugged. He leaned in again, but Y/n pushed his face back with the palm of her hand. They began to bicker again, but this time, Y/n scrambled for her phone in the process.

"You drive me crazy."

"Now, I know that's not true."

"Harry Edward Styles, I swear to God—"

And just like that, the live stream ended with a wink. Brynn stared down at her phone almost as if she was waiting for Harry and Y/n to reappear on her screen. They didn't, and she was left sitting alone in her bedroom, wondering what the hell had just happened.

[seireiteihellbutterfly]

Bleach Headcanons: Skincare

Who’s the skincare expert and who uses just soap and water?

Jushiro Ukitake:

He doesn’t believe in flashy skincare, thinking it needs to be convenient, gentle and affordable. Think of brands like Cerave, Cetaphil, and La Roche Posay. He’ll probably have a trusted cleanser he’s been using for years (centuries?), a reliable serum, maybe retinoid based (gotta use something anti-aging at this stage) and a good, hydrating moisturizer (illness makes his skin dry and he hates looking that way). 

Byakuya Kuchiki:

Can and will only buy the best of the best. A skincare snob. Even if there’s an amazing drugstore brand, he refuses to use it. SK II, Tatcha, and La Mer are all you’ll find in his bathroom cabinet. Of course he follows the 7 step Korean skincare routine. Cleanse twice, toner, essence, serum, moisturizer eye cream. Adds a sunscreen if he plans on going out. He will not compromise his routine for anything, so be prepared to wait for him as he goes through this process everyday, twice.

Renji Abarai:

He’ll pretend like he doesn’t do any skincare but he has his little stash of items he uses for self-indulgence. He enjoys wearing face masks (thanks to Rukia), which he applies after using a cleanser that’s trending, like from Tula or Drunk Elephant. The man somehow has balanced skin so he’ll use an everyday moisturizer like the Clinique Moisture Surge. 

Kensei Muguruma:

He uses his body wash as face wash, and whatever body moisturizer he has on hand he uses on his face too. What’s the point after all? It’s skin. As long as it’s clean and not cracking, there isn’t a problem. 

Mayuri Kurotsuchi:

He creates his own skincare but it’s kind of questionable. He claims his skin can tolerate quite a lot, so his skincare always has heavy amounts of acids in it; glycolic acid, salicylic acid, ascorbic acid. Top this off with a heavy dosage retinol. Does it work? We may never know from all the makeup he uses on his face. At least he removes all of it before sleeping (?). 

Kisuke Urahara:

He also makes his own concoctions, but in a much less dramatic way than Mayuri. Grows his own ingredients, like oranges for vitamin C, mint for salicylic acid, and carrots for retinol. Think of his products like a  clean, organic skincare line that he wouldn’t sell to anyone unless he’s happy with it himself. He rarely buys commercially available products but the one thing he will spend his money on is sheet masks, they’re convenient and he honestly finds them tedious to make on his own.

Shinji Hirako:

He may not show it, but this man is very self conscious about his appearance. He has a mix of both popular and indie skin care brands. Think Belif, Youth to the People and Drunk Elephant. He probably regularly cleanses and uses a moisturizer, maybe something with vitamin C in it, since he can’t have people seeing the dark circles under his eyes.

Ichigo Kurosaki:

Essence? Toner? Serums? Isn’t a cleanser just soap? Give him some bar soap and a CeraVe moisturizer. He doesn’t have time to figure this shit out. There’s people that need to be saved and stuff. 

Rose Otoribashi:

Yes, he knows the difference between a toner and an essence. He also thinks essences are a gimmick. Give him a balancing cleanser for his oily skin, and a toner with some salicylic acid in it to further help the oil. Add a vitamin C serum and a lightweight moisturizer and he’s ready to rock. 

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Beauty Playbook: Tips & Tricks To Feel Clean, Confident & Seductive Daily

Some beauty tips and tricks to feel your best daily.

Starting off with some miscellaneous advice: Coconut oil is the most versatile ingredient – for your hair, skin, nails, and even down there. Find your signature scent (apply it to your clothes instead of your skin whenever possible). Sugar scrubs are the answer to most flakiness or bumps on your skin. B vitamins, vitamin D, and omega-3s are essential to healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Hope this helps xx

Hair:

Shampoo your skull, condition the rest: Focus shampoo on your roots and work it through your scalp; concentrate conditioner on the ends and work your way up until you reach the base of your skull - around your upper ear lobe.

Always comb, never brush, your hair when wet: Gently use a wide-tooth comb, from root to tip, on wet hair to prevent breakage.

Use a special towel to dry your hair: My favorite is from Crown Affair (pricey for what it is but worthwhile in the long-term), but a Turbie Twist from the drugstore works infinitely better than a regular towel that weighs down and causes frizzy, damaged hair

Always use a heat protection spray before blow drying or straightening/curling your hair: (Briogeo and Oribe products are my love for all haircare products, including their blowdry creams – also love R +Co. for a heat protection styling mist).

Choose your hair ties wisely: Use seamless or silk hair ties exclusively to prevent breakage or awkward creases on your hair. Wear a silk scrunchie if you prefer. These hair ties from Amazon are my holy grail (only $7 for 100 hair ties!), and they come in a portable ziplock bag.

Skin:

Always use a disposable cloth when washing your face: Regular towels store bacteria and can cause breakouts too easily. These facial wipes from Amazon are my holy grail.

Wear sunscreen daily: Yes, even when you spend all day indoors. UV rays can interact with your skin through windows, too.

Niacinamide, Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid, & Tea Tree Oil are among the few skincare ingredients almost everyone should consider incorporating into their skincare routine.

Learn the correct order to apply the products in your skincare routine: Cleanser, Toner, Serum, Eye Cream, Spot Treatment, Moisturizer, Sunscreen (or Retinol/Skin Oil at night).

Remember: From a dermatologist's perspective, your face starts (or ends) at your nipples. So, ensure you're cleansing, exfoliating, and applying sunscreen daily to your neck, chest, and décolletage to keep your skin smooth, youthful, and well-hydrated.

Vaseline is a great (affordable) alternative to traditional eye creams.

Sugar scrub your facial hair for a more gentle alternative to waxing (Combine sugar, lemon, and water). Laser hair removal, especially under your arms and your arms/legs is life-changing.

Follow up a warm shower with a dry brush and coconut oil for smoother, firmer skin.

Always apply a hydrating lip balm, mask, or Vaseline, hand cream, and moisturizer to your feet before going to sleep.

Layer complementary scents. Ensure the scents of body wash, lotion, and perfume work well together and don't clash.

Makeup:

Learn your skin undertones and educate yourself on color theory (I can share a post on this on the Post+ feed if you want some more educational content on these types of topics – I write about them for a living!).

Test any foundation, concealer, or face powder on your wrists, too.

Don't forget to color-match your bronze and blush: They can appear orange or muddy if you don't find a product with the correct shade or undertones for your skin type.

Invest in products that go on your face, brow products, and eyeliners. Great mascaras and lip products are easy to find at a drugstore or relatively cheap (I suggest Covergirl and d NYX, respectively).

Apply concealer in a triangle; don't dot it around your eyes for better coverage.

If you have oily skin (or it's humid outside), apply powder before your liquid/cream products. Set them again with a light powder to lock the color in.

Apply mascara from tip to base for the best lashes of your life: One coat on the tip, another from middle to tip, and the last coat from base to tip.

In a pinch, use a fragrance-free moisturizer and a q-tip to remove excess makeup (no more raccoon eyes).

Use a light nude or white eyeshadow underneath your brow to make them appear more defined.

Apply face powder under your eyes to help the eyeliner on your waterline last longer.

Create a simple daily makeup routine formula: 1 skin coverage (foundation/concealer), 1 skin color (a favorite blush or bronzer), brows, mascara, an eye-definer (eyeliner or shadow), and a signature "your lips but better" lip shade (1-2 shades deeper or lighter than your natural lip color): This formula provides you the basics, so you never have an excuse not to put yourself together for the day (5-10 minute routine here).

Discover your day-to-night hero product: Always keep a slightly deeper lipstick, a smoky eyeshadow, or liquid liner in your bag to transition your day look into the evening with one portable product.

[rcmclachlan]

Hey R. C., unless I'm confusing you with someone else -- did you used to have a master list of all your favorite (red) lipsticks? Search function is operating as usual, which is to say, not at all, and my go-to fave was recently discontinued 😭 any chance you could help a girl out?

Nope, that was me! But it's been quite some time since I posted about lipstick, so thank you for giving me a reason. For anyone new around here, I wear lipstick every single day. Even when I'm not going to be seeing anyone. It's just part of my face now. So, it's safe to say that I definitely have some opinions when it comes to lipstick.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you have any recs of your own, please leave them in the replies!

R.C.'s Lipstick Recs for 2023

Best in Show: Beauty Bakerie

I haven't made my love and devotion for this brand a secret. 99% of the lipstick I've worn over the last 10 years has been Beauty Bakerie's lip whips. These liquid mattes are the end all be all, as far as I'm concerned. If you apply them correctly and let them dry down (using a hair dryer on the cool shot setting will set your lipstick in record time!), you'll get upwards of 12-15 hours of insanely pigmented wear—even after eating the greasiest of foods, and you won't feel like you're wearing anything at all. My best time was 19 hours before it started flaking.

Best red: Mon Cheri

Best non-red: Gingersnap (my new favorite since I dyed my hair forest green)

Best Non-Liquid Matte: NARS Velvet Matte Pencil

If it's been hours and my Mon Cheri lip whip is starting to disappear around the inside of my mouth, I immediately use my NARS Velvet Matte Pencil in the shade Mysterious Red (a perfect match) to tide me over. The NARS pencil is a beautifully pigmented, long-lasting matte that isn't drying and doesn't tend to bleed or feather.

Best red: Mysterious Red or Cruella

Best non-red: Promiscuous

Best Non-Matte: Smashbox Be Legendary Prime & Plush

I was bopping around Ulta one day (as one does) when I happened to see this on display. It swatched so beautifully on my wrist that I couldn't leave without it. Plus I had some Ulta points, which made the price tag a little easier to bear. It's an incredibly luxurious lipstick, but be careful of how soft it is: it can break easily. This is one you should apply with a brush.

Best red: Bawse

Best High End: Lancome L'Absolu Rouge

I had some Macy's Money to burn and I decided to splurge a little. This isn't a cheap lipstick. At $35, it's one of the priciest lippies I've ever treated myself to (I'm a cheap bitch, what can I say). But, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and what you pay for is a beautifully moisturizing lipstick with incredible color payoff. Also it smells really nice.

Best red: Rouge Badaboum

Best Drugstore Liquid Matte: Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink

Completely out of character for me, but I was actually looking for a bright 80s pink when I decided to give this a whirl. I was so impressed with the color payoff and the staying power that I went back and bought it in a red shade. Be warned: despite its longevity, it's a very sticky matte. I have pretty good luck drying it down with the blow dryer, but it takes time and patience. It will get less sticky the longer you wear it.

Best red: Exhilirator

Best non-red: Romantic

Best Drugstore Non-Liquid Matte: NYX Suede Matte

I used to be crazy about NYX's Full Throttle mattes back in the day, but I think they were discontinued, which is a shame. The Suede Matte isn't quite as long-lasting as the Full Throttle was, but it's a beautifully pigmented and non-drying matte. And for $7.99, you really can't complain. I would wear this with a lip pencil to help prevent feathering.

Best red: Spicy

Best Drugstore Non-Matte: Maybelline Color Sensational Made For All

Okay, I confess: I only bought it because I was in CVS and needed to spend a certain amount of money to use a coupon, but I was pleasantly surprised! I don't really wear this one, but I did think it was beautiful when I put it on. You can be the judge.

Best red: Crimson Race

Best Lipstain: ColourPOP Fresh Kiss Glossy Stain

Lipstick is applied as a layer on top of the lips, but lipstains are meant to be absorbed by the lips so the color lasts longer. I don't tend to wear stains, but I really like how they look on other people. I've only tried a few, but the best one I found was ColourPOP's (with Fenty's Poutsicle coming in at a close second). I'm a sucker for ColourPOP's packaging and they were so cute in Target that I couldn't resist.

Best red: Cherry Up

[bonesandthebees]

I would love some makeup and skincare tips if you're willing :)

-🌼

of course!! (these answers are very general/assuming you're starting from the very beginning. if you want more specific advice lmk just give me more specific questions)

so I've talked about skincare on here before so I'll put that at the bottom of this ask, and I'll start with make up instead this time

makeup takes a learning curve to figure out how to use. there's no getting around that. it took years for me to figure out makeup stuff and I started playing around with it when I was only 12-13ish. don't feel embarrassed if your makeup doesn't turn out how you want. depending on what you're doing, you're basically learning how to paint but, like, really specifically and only on your face. it takes practice and that's ok! if you're embarrassed about people seeing you with makeup on, just do it alone in your room. the only reason I got good at winged eyeliner was because I made myself do makeup every day during the first quarantine era of covid so that I'd have a daily routine established and wouldn't just sit in pajamas in bed all day. I wasn't going out at all, so I made myself do winged eyeliner every time bc I knew no one was gonna see it, and it didn't take long for me to get good at it. so practice when you're alone and wipe it off when you're done. you'll figure it out eventually.

now as far as what kind of makeup to do on your face. well, that depends on what you're trying to achieve with makeup. do you want to cover up acne? do you want to do fun eyeshadow and eyeliner? do you want to enhance your natural features? if you're completely new to makeup I'd recommend starting with the basics of just trying to enhance your natural features. that's usually very simple and easy makeup that'll help you learn the foundations of it all so you can build up from there.

'natural' makeup routines that you read about online are probably going to consist of some kind of tinted moisturizer, maybe some concealer, maybe mascara, and probably a bit of blush. it depends on how much you want to do. if you're going for something with more coverage to cover up acne, look for foundation instead of tinted moisturizer.

if you're just starting out you're probably going to want to go for drugstore makeup instead of the expensive stuff. maybelline anti-age rewind multi-use concealer has been my go to concealer for years now. elf as a whole is a really low-priced and generally well recommended makeup brand with a lot of variety to what they sell. for whichever product you're trying to get, tbh just google 'best drugstore brand [insert product here]' and you'll find a ton of magazine articles pop up with recommendations.

last tips for now. here's what you don't need when you're just starting out: primer (you are probably not going to be doing heavy daily makeup right off the bat it's not worth it in that case). look, I know everyone talks about primer being amazing. but I basically never use foundation or tinted moisturizer, I just use concealer. so it's very unnecessary for me. later on you might find you need it, but at the start I promise you don't

hope that helps with some makeup stuff! skincare info below!

okay so for skincare, I've found that it's easiest to build a routine one step at a time. don't feel like you have to rush into everything all at once. first get into the habit of washing your face every morning and night if you don't already. make sure you have a good facial cleanser that's suited to your skin type (please don't use body soap for your face). cetaphil and cerave are both very highly rated drugstore skincare brands that have a lot of options for face cleansers for all skin types (oily, dry, sensitive, etc). then you need a moisturizer. again, I recommend either cetaphil or cerave to start off with bc of their low price point and how highly rated their products are. I use cetaphil daily face cleanser and cetaphil's daily oil free moisturizer with spf 35. definitely try to get one with spf in it because sun protection is the other essential part of a bare bones skincare routine. when looking for a face moisturizer, try to go for ones that say they're non-comedogenic which means they won't clog your pores. oil-free is probably preferable too especially if you have acne.

after you have the basics you can get into other stuff! this stuff is going to depend on what skin issues you have. there are a whole lot of serums out there you can look into (niacinamide I think is one of the best serums for most skin types and you can get a bottle of it from both good molecules or the ordinary for like $6). different serums are formulated to target different things, so again try to google stuff to see what might be most helpful for you. skincare brands besides cetaphil and cerave that I think are good to start out with is the ordinary (high quality at a very low price) and good molecules. neutrogena also has some pretty good products, and I really love elf's eye cream. but if you're really unsure where to start, the ordinary has an online quiz you can take on your site which will recommend products to you based off what you say your skin issues are, so even if you don't end up buying anything from them that can give you an idea of what products to start looking at.

[bunny584]

me and my girlfriends two year anniversary is coming up, she's been into makeup as of recent and I was wondering if there are any good yet affordable brands that you like to use or would recommend for others?

And while we're at it, what's the nicest thing anyone has ever gotten you for an anniversary? What's the worst?

Much love as always girly, hope you've been doing well

Hi little love, happy almost two year anniversary 🥹💕 I love anniversaries almost as much as I love weddings. It’s so warm and mushy and full of love. Proud of you two love birds.

My favorite anniversary gift was a weekend charter to Nantucket. We stayed in the most GORGEOUS East Coast, Blue Blood home on Nantucket Island. Played on the yachts. Watched the sailing races (it was during Figawi weekend) and spent entirely too much time in the bedroom 😅

Worst anniversary gift: he forgot. And I broke up with him. Fair exchange of gifts, yes? (The relationship was a disaster anyway).

Okay, time for girl talk 💋

First and foremost, I’d be a bad bestie if I didn’t hammer home that the underlying skin is the MOST important makeup base. The skincare: retinoid, AHA, moisturizer, SUNSCREEN. And Botox because plastic surgeon and wrinkles are against our religion 🙂‍↕️

Most days I love a good no-makeup-makeup look. So mascara, skin tint (with SPF), a little lippy (balm/mask). I splurge on skin base stuff (Chanel, YSL). So you can dupe everything else.

Best Mascara: Maybelline lash sensational IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST. I look like I’m about to take off the airport runway and it doesn’t clump.

Best lip: Morphe is an excellent dupe brand for expensive liquid and cream lipsticks/stains. You’ll be kissing it off anyway. Don’t waste your money on expensive stuff.

Eyeshadow palettes: COLOURPOP. Omg. For less than 10 bucks there are incredible shades, high pigment, very rich colors. Obsessed.

Blush: literally any strawberry drugstore pigment is fine enough

Happy gift shopping baby 🤍

[mashriqiyyah]

If we want to promote the boycott of is-not-reali products, we need to give substitutes and options for it.

Now, I also remember sisters asking me for my skincare/haircare routines, and I wanted to give a detailed article on that, but now it ain't about the time.

So, here, I'll try to compile these two topics.

Skincare that's effective without using any israeli/american product.

First of all, I don't have a skincare routine. I don't follow any step by step process. But, I do use products that help me keep my skin clean and hydrated.

And the most important advice I'll give to sisters is not to go for "skincare brands" that give pea sized products in bag size money. These industries are mostly scam. Always go for drugstore products. Those that are created for medicinal purposes oriented towards genuinely healing the skin problems. And if you don't have any active skin problems, don't expose your face to various products for achieving "perfect skin". There's nothing like that. Normal skins have occasional pimples, pigmentations, dark spots and uneven texture.

Anyway.

If you're going for drugstore products...

Go for phrama companies like Cipla and Reddy's Laboratories.

I personally use Reddy's Venusia Max moisturizer as my skin gets extremely dry often. If you have dry n normal (combination) skin you can use it. And if you have oily skin, go for squalane based moisturizers from Derma Co.

Next in line, if you want to use any serums, vit C is best for skins and there's a product by Cipla "Rivella Vit C and HA Serum" it's soothing, and effective. Alhamdulillah.

As a face cleanser or what you call as face wash, there are very brilliant new company products from DeConstruct that I love love love because they are so gentle on face and keep your pH balance and moisture intact (great substitute for Dove soap)

Then there's one more important aspect on skincare that's protection from UV...so you'll need a sunscreen. Go for Regaliz Truederma SPF 50. It's efficient. Alhamdulillah. Or Minimalist Suncreen spf 60 + Niacinamide incase you wanna go economically minimalistic. Derma Co Zinc Sunscreen is good too (one that comes in orange coloured pack)

Now, these four things are more than enough to keep your skin good.

Cleanser, Serum, Moisturizer, Sunblock.

Apart from that if you still wanna have some extra products...not from drugstore but excellent Indian brands...then Go for Pilgrim or Minimalist. They have best the ranges in every product.

And then comes Haircare...

Boycott Garnier. Boycott Loreal Paris. Boycott Head n Shoulders.

Go for St. Botanica. The Shampoos are sooooo great. Allahummaabaarik. SLS, Paraben Free, Actually formulated for cleaning dirt from hairs and reduce hair problems. Conditioners too are effective and they actually work as they advertise. If not St. Botanica, mamaearth would be good...but I didn't see it's results as best as St. Botanica.

For lipbalms though, you can go for Mamaearth. The shades are subtle and help keep your lips hydrated and avoid pigmentations. Stop using Ponds, Vaseline, Nivea. .PLEASE!!!! Their lipbalms do nothing but make your lips darker and greasy.

Makeup, I don't use tbh. But few years back, I had gotten a lipstick from MyGlamm and a Foundation of Biotique. They were good. You can go for it.

Bodywashes, Feet scrubs - Bodywise

Hair removal gels/creams - Sirona

Perfumes - Ajmal / Maison De Fouzdar are best. No doubt.

I'm sharing this post not to promote any sort of "self care" in this situation....but as an essential need of substitutes. Infact these substitutes are way better and effective than the Israeli American products we've been wasting our money on.

I have tried to mention most of the things used by women because that's the biggest market for Israeli products.

If you are an Indian, promote Indian brands 'cause we gotta "make in India" ;)

For that we need to use only that which is "made in India"

Go ahead...you can add anything else I might've missed. And yes...If any Mother's seeing this, let us know baby products that are made in India.

- Umm Taimiyyah 🕊️

[rubensmuse]

i got this tiny bougie tin of shea butter balm from the drugstore & she's my best friend now. functional product and also aesthetic as fuck. i feel like a fancy lady in her boudoir touching up her powder every time i pull it out to furiously moisturize my chapped as fuck lips

[pure-ablution]

How I improved my hair thickness & length

Using products for my hair type and learning how to properly apply them

I spent probably a total of about 2 years experimenting with haircare products and application techniques before I found a routine that really worked for me. I figured out my hair type, researched products and ingredients, and went through a long trial-and-error phase, making notes of what worked and what really didn’t. Now, I wash my hair religiously three times a week—any more frequently and my hair over-produces oil to compensate, any less and it ends up lank and lifeless—and I use a mixture of professional-grade products, homemade remedies, and drugstore treatments from abroad. I learnt that my hair craves moisture, doesn’t mind silicones, and although it’s sensitive to proteins, it still needs a protein treatment every now and again for structure, or else it becomes so soft and floppy that I can’t style it at all. I have to foam up my shampoo before I use it and I have to shampoo three times to properly wash it, I brush through my conditioner until it’s thick and foamy and I use the ‘squish to condish’ method for better hydration and absorption, and I make sure to use products created with my hair type in mind for best results.

Only washing in cold, soft water

I adore my hot baths so this was initially a difficult adjustment, but it’s one that made a huge difference to my hair’s shine, softness, and overall health. I wash my hair three times a week in cold (not lukewarm, not freezing) water, and then, if I’m feeling particularly brave or want super-shiny hair, I do a final rinse with ice water. You have to be careful with this last step because you don’t want your scalp itself to be too cold—a cold head can lead to all kinds of health complications—so I try to keep my towels warming whilst I shower, and it’s really not as torturous as it sounds. My university town has pretty hard water and my hometown has the hardest, chalkiest water known to man, and the only thing that really works for me is the ShowerStick. I’ve tried other water softening attachments but they’re just not as effective; the ShowerStick isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing little gadget in the world but it really does work and it’ll be my mainstay for uni and until I can convince my father to install a proper water-softening system in the house. If my hair is really struggling with the water or it’s adjusting after a period back home, then I also sometimes use the Dream Filter from Colour Wow—it’s not enough on its own to combat hard water but it’s a good boost for difficult days.

Avoiding tension on my hair

To avoid follicular damage and breakage—and so to stimulate and maintain growth—it’s important to avoid any kind of tension on the hair, especially at the crown and ends. I enjoy wearing ponytails and other styles that cause tension on my strands but I only wear them now when I’m going out, and I make sure to minimise the amount of time I have them in by doing my hair as late as possible and taking it back out as soon as I get home. Most of the time, I alternate between gentle claw clip styles, banana clips, and a firm (but not too tight) single plait down my back secured with a silk scrunchie. None of these styles are completely non-damaging, if I wore them all the time then I’d likely still see breakage, but by alternating between them (and also varying my parting) then I can change where the tension on my scalp lies and mitigate damage as much as possible.

Strengthening masks and treatments

My hair is very fine and prone to breakage, so I use strengthening masks and treatments to bolster it and increase elasticity where I can. Although my hair is almost virgin—I use depositing masks and zero-lift glazes for colour—I use products intended for colour-treated hair and find that they help tremendously with my hair’s overall strength and texture. I alternate between Olaplex and K18 on an almost-weekly basis, and I use the K-Pak cuticle sealer from Joico immediately after colour treatments. I include a hair mask with almost every wash—my favourites are the Alchemy mask from Oribe, the wheat germ mask from Salerm, and the Fino mask from Shiseido—and I like to add liquid hair treatments, like L’Oréal’s lamellar Wonder Water, Lador’s Fill-Up ampoules, and Salerm’s revitalising ampoules, to boost shine and strengthen my hair’s cuticle and cortex.

Oiling my scalp and hair ends

When I began oiling my scalp, it was a huge turning point for my hair’s growth rate. I’d always had hair that grew quickly but oiling truly made it grow like a weed. I’ve already made a post for my scalp oil recipe, it’s a complex recipe and it’s tailored specifically to my scalp and hair but the ingredients are all linked to hair growth and scalp health and it’s the result of a lot of research and experimentation. I’m not wholly convinced that scalp oiling works for everyone, I think it only really works if you have the natural hair density to support it, and I’ve heard mixed anecdotal reports but it’s worked wonders for my hair and scalp. I oil my scalp twice a week: I brush my hair beforehand and never whilst the oil is in, I warm up the oil to a gentle temperature, I use a little dropper and take my time parting my hair so that my scalp is lightly covered and not soaked in oil, and I wrap my hair up in clingfilm and cover with a steam cap for 2 hours (no longer) before I use a gentle scrub and cold water to wash everything out. This is the method that works best for me and it ensures that the oil can work at its best and be rinsed out without any residue.

I oil my ends using Shu Uemura’s essence absolue every single night. My hair ends are quite dry by nature and I’ve found that nightly oiling makes a huge difference to my hair’s softness and the rate at which I get split ends. I’ve experimented with lots of different oils, both commercial and homemade formulations, and Shu Uemura’s oil is the best I’ve found for my hair; it’s light, hydrating, and makes my hair soft but never weighs it down or makes it greasy. After I’ve brushed my hair at night, I use between a half and full pump and spread it across my fingers on both hands before I start plaiting my hair, and then use the excess on my ends after I tie the plait off. If I’m oiling my ends after a wash, then I oil twice: once when my hair is 50% dry, and again when it’s about 95% dry.

Regular scalp massage

Scalp massage is so important for hair growth and scalp health; it stimulates blood flow and circulation to the scalp, and can help to encourage clear and healthy follicles. I massage my scalp twice a day for at least five minutes, using my hands, and I use a silicone scalp massager when shampooing. I follow the ‘scalp over skull’ method for my twice-daily manual massages, and although I make sure to massage my whole scalp, I found that my hair’s growth rate increased quite significantly when I began to focus my massage on specific acupoints for circulation and hair health.

Homemade rinses

I love my homemade rinses and I never wash my hair without including a rinse. I have my rinses on a schedule in accordance with my washdays—onion juice on Mondays, ACV on Wednesdays, and watercress & rosemary on Fridays—and I try to use the freshest, cleanest locally-grown produce I possibly can. I use homegrown onions and rosemary, and watercress that I collect from the banks of the river near me, and I’m quite seriously considering making my own apple cider vinegar although I haven’t started that endeavour quite yet. With the rinses, I pour slowly and I’m careful that my whole head is covered, I make sure that my hair is treated from roots to ends, and I rinse out thoroughly with cold water once it’s worked its magic.

Never leaving my hair to air dry

I used to think that air-drying was the healthiest thing I could do for my hair, but it turned out that leaving my hair to air-dry—especially if I went to bed with wet hair, or went outside—was causing terrible dandruff and scalp sensitivity, and blocking my hair growth. I have low-porosity hair, which means that my hair’s outer cuticle is very smooth and tightly sealed, and so it takes a long time to absorb water and then an even longer time to dry again. Leaving stagnant water trapped inside my hair strand was weakening my hair and causing breakage, and when my scalp was damp, it was breeding bacteria and fungal issues (kind of like athlete’s foot for your scalp, which sounds so disgusting!) and blocking my follicles. Now, I squeeze out as much excess water from my hair as possible with microfibre towels, and then blow-dry with my Dyson hairdryer with the ‘gentle air’ attachment and the settings turned to the lowest temperature and gentlest flow. I make sure to baby my hair while it’s wet and in its most vulnerable state—I only comb out tangles with my fingers, a wet brush, or a wide-toothed comb—but I don’t use heat protectant when blow-drying my hair because I find that it’s just not needed when I’m drying it so gently and from a safe distance (6 inches). In fact, I found that heat protectant caused unnecessary build-up when I’m not using high heat and intense tools, and my hair is much healthier and happier now with less damage and and cleaner scalp.

Microfibre and silk for protection

I use only the gentlest fabrics on my hair to ensure that the cuticle lays flat and there’s no risk of damage—I use microfibre towels, and silk satin for practically everything else. Silk satin is the hair’s favourite fabric; it’s smoothing and almost nourishing, and I have silk scrunchies, pillowcases, and bonnets for when I’m sleeping at night. Non-silk satin works in the same way, in that it’s a smooth fabric that protects the hair’s cuticle, but because it’s usually made from synthetic fibres it isn’t breathable, and so your scalp can’t receive proper airflow and is at risk of fungal infection and clogged follicles. Buy the best silk satin that you can afford—mulberry silk is better than other kinds for the purpose of haircare, since it has fine, long fibres and a natural elasticity that lends it to a smooth satin weave, and the closer you can get to 30 momme, the better (any heavier and the silk will have a crisper texture that won’t soften the hair, and any lighter and it won’t offer enough support)—but there’s no need to waste money on ready-made products when you can buy higher quality fabrics and sew the products yourself. Pillowcases, scrunchies, and bonnets are all easy sewing projects and you’ll be able to put your money towards a higher fabric quality instead of paying another brand’s markups and production costs.

Prioritising scalp health

It sounds a bit of a cliché but I really do try to treat my scalp as an extension of my face. The scalp is skin just like the face and body, and I focus on ensuring that my scalp is hydrated, clear of dead skin and infection, and receiving a healthy blood flow. I avoid targeting aerosols at my scalp and use hypochlorous acid over dry shampoo, I exfoliate with gentle scrubs and use a glycolic acid toner once a week, I make sure to brush out products at the end of the day and treat my scalp with rose hydrosol to hydrate and restore pH (scalp pH should be mildly acidic, between 4.5 and 5.5 pH, and I test my hydrosols for this!), and I use oils and massage to stimulate blood flow. Although I don’t use the exact same routine for my scalp as I would for my face or body—no heavy body butters or moisturisers, for example—I try to apply the same philosophy I have for my skin to my scalp, and this way I don’t neglect it or treat it too harshly. The scalp is to hair what soil is to crops, and if you can maintain a nourished and healthy scalp then your hair will grow fast and strong.

Heatless or infrared styling

I love having styled hair and I could never have brush-and-go hair. My bouncy curls and blowouts are a signature of mine and a huge part of my look and identity, and I achieve them almost wholly through heatless styling. I’ve experimented a lot and I’ll probably continue to experiment (Victoria Casalino on TikTok is an inspiration to me and a driving force behind many an impulsive buy) but most of the time nowadays I use silk heatless curlers in various sizes to create and maintain my curls. If a style I have in mind calls for heat styling then I try to keep it to infrared styling; infrared hair tools penetrate deeper and heat the hair more evenly from the inside out, so less heat is used and there’s less risk of burning and damaging the outer cuticle. I really like the infrared thermal brush from Bondi Boost—it creates a blowout style without the same level of tension and heat damage as a traditional blowout, and my hair feels smooth and supple after using it. Of course, sometimes I do use traditional hot tools and I always make sure to drench my hair in a high-quality heat protectant whenever using hot tools, infrared or otherwise, but I try to minimise heat styling as much as I possibly can; I’d estimate that I use heatless styling techniques almost every day, infrared styling 2–3 times each month, and traditional hot tools less than once a month, and only ever for special occasions.

A healthy diet with supplements

Diet is absolutely key for hair growth; malnutrition causes excess hair shedding and in extreme cases permanent hair loss, and I myself experienced increased shedding and overall thinner hair density when I was losing weight. Currently, I try to eat a balanced diet of fresh, local, seasonal produce with an emphasis on fruit and vegetables, fats, and proteins, and my hair definitely thanks me for it. Alongside a balanced diet, I also take supplements specifically for hair health: collagen alone hugely helped with growing my baby hairs, zinc strengthens my hair significantly, and I drink a blend of bamboo, nettle, and horsetail tea every day for an extra dose of silicone.

Laser and high frequency treatments

Taking to high-tech devices isn’t something I’d suggest for a first step when it comes to haircare, but laser and HF helped so so much when I felt as though my hair’s health had plateaued. Laser is much more effective than LED therapy for hair growth, and after researching my options I bought the Hairmax Ultima 12 when it was on sale. It’s like a comb and can be used on the whole scalp or just to spot-treat, and I use it three times weekly for the 8 minutes recommend. I also bought a high-frequency comb that uses both argon and neon gases, and I use this on the days when I’m not using the Hairmax—it can dry my scalp out a bit, so I make sure to apply hydrosol afterwards, but I’ve found that it helps a lot with keeping my scalp clean and clear. There isn’t a huge amount of formal research on either laser therapy or high frequency therapy for hair growth, although there’s a little bit more on the former than on the latter, but I looked at the technology and anecdotal reports and decided to try a combination of the two. It definitely worked for me and was a huge leap forward for my hair’s density and growth rate, but I’d be hesitant to say that it would work in exactly the same way for everyone; one technology might work better than the other for you, or you might find that it simply doesn’t work at all, or has unwanted effects.

Genetics and lifestyle

Of course, at the end of the day, I also have to take my genetics and my lifestyle into account when it comes to the condition of my hair. I’m lucky with my hair’s genetics—both my parents have thick, dense hair that’s showing no signs of thinning with age, and I’ve always had dense, fast-growing hair since childhood. However, unlike my parents, my hair strands are fine (that is to say, although the number of hairs on my head is very high, the hair strands themselves are thin and fine, not thick and coarse) and delicate, prone to breakage, and I lost quite a lot of hair after a period of extreme stress in my life. My goal was to restore my hair’s health and density after going through a lot of excess shedding and hair loss, and to increase my hair’s growth rate, which was already quick but I wanted it to be quicker. It was a long and difficult journey but I’m not going to pretend that I had terrible hair genetics to begin with; my hair journey was much more a question of restoring and improving my hair rather than totally changing and transforming it.

I also have a very healthy lifestyle now wherein I prioritise lots of sleep, low-impact exercise, and nutrition. My stress levels are very low and my body is hydrated, nourished and in good shape, so my hair is able to grow in the best possible environment. If you have a stressful lifestyle with poor nutrition and little sleep, then no amount of scalp oiling and massage is going to make a truly significant difference to your hair; health for any part of your body starts from the inside, and the things I’ve outlined above were comparatively small improvements and garnishes on top of a huge lifestyle overhaul, and only worked as well as they did for me because I was committed to a holistically healthy lifestyle.

[pollenallergie]

My mind is a minefield right now, so I’ve been hyperfixating on skincare as of late (as I usually do when life gets tough). As a result, I’ve been thinking about what some of current comfort characters’ skincare routines would be (or, more accurately, if they would even have a routine). Since it’s been a while since I’ve written anything substantial, I decided to write down some of the thoughts I’ve been having about their potential skincare routines. So… Enjoy! Hopefully this isn’t too niche; I know not everyone is as obsessed with skincare as I am.

Eddie Munson doesn’t have a skincare routine…

Or, at least, he didn’t have one back when he was younger.

From the ages of twelve to about forty, Eddie’s skincare routine was nonexistent. He hardly ever washed his face and, when he did, it was just with the same bar of Irish Spring that he used for his body. He also hardly ever used lotion, or, rather, he hardly ever used it for its intended purpose (if you catch my drift). Eddie did, however, frequently use sunscreen, but only during the summer months, only because he absolutely hated getting sunburns, and only the shitty kind that’s practically always on sale at the drugstore (I’m looking at you Banana Boat). Also, he only started using sunscreen in his twenties because, prior to that, the only thing that was really available was “sun tan lotion,” which hardly provided any protection at all. In fact, the best form of skincare he did at that time was occasionally putting vaseline on his lips during the winter months. Safe to say, he took horrible care of his skin during his youth.

Now that he’s older, though, he definitely has a skincare routine. Whether he was introduced to the wonders of skincare by his kid(s), you, the powers of the internet, or some combination of those three is up for debate. Point is, he’s now in the know about skincare and, as a result, has even developed a routine of his own. It’s a basic four-step routine, nothing too fancy - just a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, toner, and sunscreen - but Eddie doesn’t feel right leaving the house without having gone through every step of it.

He even has a nighttime skincare routine. Granted, it’s just his daytime routine sans SPF, but he still likes to think that it counts. His nighttime routine once also included an anti-aging/anti-wrinkle cream, but then, one day, you told him about how much you adore the wrinkles he already has (just some creases in his forehead, some crows feet, and some smile lines) and, now, he doesn’t mind the idea of getting new ones quite so much anymore.

Ralph Penbury has a very elaborate skincare routine, one that even rivals that of his sister. Firstly, he starts off his morning by simply washing his face, typically with a gentle cleansing cream. He then moves onto shaving using his favorite, hand-whipped sandalwood shaving foam and silver-plated, double-edged razor. Because he’s rich and also incredibly meticulous, Ralph also uses a straight razor specifically for shaving his neck. Once he’s finished shaving, he applies some sandalwood-scented aftershave balm to help keep his skin moisturized. He then follows this by strategically massaging his face for about ten minutes to help liven up his complexion, which is a trick he learned from his mother’s maid. Next, Ralph applies his favorite skin tonic, one which has witch hazel in it to keep any breakouts at bay. After that, he pats some Special Astringent into his skin to firm it up, which he then follows with the Elizabeth Arden Muscle Oil that he stole from his mother. Next, Ralph applies his favorite moisturizer, his favorite lip salve, and some sun protection; his preferred product is the Novena Sunproof Créme from Helena Rubenstein. Then he applies a thin sheen of powder to even out his skin tone and prevent any unwanted shine. He also applies some deodorizing talcum powder from Yardley to his body. Finally, Ralph finishes his morning routine by dabbing on a Penhaligon’s eau de toilette, likely one scented with bergamot or something woody.

Of course, that’s only for his morning routine.

For his afternoon routine (yes, he has an afternoon routine), re-cleanses his skin by applying his cleansing cream to a cotton pad, which he has dampened with his favorite tonic, and swiping it gently across his skin. He then reapplies his favorite moisturizer and some more Muscle Oil to his face before settling in for his daily afternoon nap. Exactly thirty minutes later he re-emerges from his bed to go pat some more of his tonic into his skin before reapplying his sun protection and his lip salve, and, then, re-powdering his face.

Importantly, he also uses a lavender-scented, coconut oil-based hand cream throughout the day, usually applying it after he washes his hands.

Lastly, his night routine is a bit more simplistic. Ralph begins his nighttime routine by taking a warm bath, during which he washes his body with his favorite bar of moisturizing, lavender-scented soap from Yardley. Then he moisturizes from head to toe with a lavender-scented moisturizer, something he also stole from his mother, before applying his After Shower Powder. Then, he begins to pay particular attention to his face once more by cleansing his skin with his cleansing cream, just as he did during his previous routines. He then follows this by patting some skin tonic and Special Astringent into his skin much like he did during his morning routine. Ralph then applies some more anti-wrinkle cream, lip salve, and moisturizer, putting a bit more than necessary so it’ll soak in overnight. To cap it all off, if his skin has been particularly dry lately, he then applies some of the Orange Skin Food from Elizabeth Arden to help keep his skin well-hydrated while he sleeps.

I love Ralph Penbury with my whole heart, but boy is he extra in just about everything he does. Honestly, that kind of makes me love him more.

Billy Knight’s skincare routine sort of fluctuates with his mental state. When he’s in a more depressive state, skincare becomes entirely irrelevant. However, when he’s in a more manic state, skincare can sometimes become a compulsion, though it typically just becomes irrelevant much like it is during his depressive states. When his moods are more stable, though, he does pretty well at keeping up with a decent routine. Some mornings he’ll use a basic cleanser and follow it up with one of those lotions that’s meant for your face and body, though he really only uses it on his face. Typically, though, he just uses the cleanser in the shower and applies the lotion once he gets out, mostly because he doesn’t like how water always gets everywhere when he washes his face in the sink. Billy also sometimes puts vaseline on his lips before bed, but usually only in the winter when they’re more prone to getting dry and cracked. All three products were acquired at random from the nearest pharmacy.

Tom Grant’s skincare routine is truly tragic. To start, he washes his face in the shower every morning with the same bar of soap he uses for the rest of his body. Coincidentally, that’s also where his skincare routine usually ends. The man almost never puts lotion on and, when he does, he only applies it to driest spots on his body and nowhere else. Tom’s not totally awful when it comes to skincare, though. He does, at least, wear sunscreen, but only during the summer when he knows he’ll be outside for a while, and he reapplies it very infrequently. He’ll also do a face mask with you if you offer him one. But that’s about the full extent of skincare for him.

[hypaalicious]

Shampoo types!

… sorry, I guess I’m on a roll with the hair care stuff, NOW NOBODY CAN SHUT ME UP

So, there’s basically three categories of shampoo on the market.

Every day/general use shampoo

This is the vast majority of shampoos out there. They’re in drugstores, supermarkets, and all easily accessible places. Now, some of the quality will vary; Suave isn’t going to do what Olaplex does, for example. Some have humectants to draw water from the air into your hair, some help keep your dye job from fading as quickly, etc. But what they all have in common is that you can use them daily if you want with no adverse affect on your hair.

Clarifying shampoo

This is a shampoo that has a higher ph that is specifically used to strip your hair of anything undesirable. General use shampoos aren’t strong enough to do this. In my last post, I mentioned that if you use certain products, you will have to clarify your strands often in order to get moisture: this is what I mean. There’s types to remove product build up, some that remove chlorine from your hair after a swim in the pool, others that work to break down hard water deposits in your hair. These should be used sparingly.

Medicated shampoo

These shampoos are for scalp issues, like dandruff or very specific types of temporary hair loss. They contain very strong ingredients to target the problem you have, and should only be used as directed. But you shouldn’t be buying any unless recommended to by your dermatologist! Using medicated shampoos without knowing exactly what the issue is will cause you more problems down the road.

What CAN’T shampoo do?

Add volume to thin hair, have your hair grow faster, make your hair strand thicker, give you curls, eliminate frizz, mend split ends, seal moisture into your hair, add vitamins to your hair. Yeah, most advertising is straight up cap. 🥲

What should I avoid?

Drugstore shampoos generally aren’t the best; a lot of stylists will advise you to stick to salon-quality products. Yeah, they’re more expensive, but a little goes a long way!

Homemade concoctions also should be left alone; correct formulation is very important, and anybody doing psuedo-chemistry in their kitchen won’t really have an idea of how to do that. All-natural, “chemical free” labels are often just a marketing gimmick.

Shampoos really heavy in oils and butters also aren’t doing much but clogging your scalp. The softness you feel is just the residue from the product, not the real state of your hair. It will mask your problems for as long as you use it but leave your hair worse off than how it started, creating a cycle of dependence.

* I didn’t mention dry “shampoo” because it’s not actually shampoo. 😬 It doesn’t clean your hair, it’s just another product that needs to be washed out.

Once again, I’m sharing this in hopes that it helps folks! 🥺 There’s so much that I wish I knew years ago that I’ve just now learned thanks to some professionals spitting game. Demystifying hair care is the wave!

[canyourlawnmowerdothis]

Well now I gotta ask. what DO you use for your skin

ok so i am about to become insane. here is my Current routine after. too long of wading through skinfluencer bullshit. all drugstore brands because one who has the money and two no one needs the expensive shit. and no retinol im fucking 18

i have combination, acne prone skin and excoriation disorder and my goals are to get my dryness and acne under control so im not always walking around with blood under my fingernails etc etc. overall the active ingredients that have been the most helpful are salicylic and hyaluronic acid. the actual info is under the cut because theres Too much

i use the cerave hydrating foaming oil cleanser (water based for classification reasons, it just has oil in it) in the morning. i used to use the cerave normal foaming cleanser but i switched pretty quick because it doesnt dry me out as much

at night i use the neutrogena hydro boost exfoliating cleanser. pretty solid, nothing to complain about and i like the smell but i likely won't repurchase now that i have non-physical exfoliants in my routine because physical ones can lead to irritation

the clearasil stubborn acne control 5 in 1 pads with salicylic acid have been crazy helpful for generally keeping my acne under control. i still have tiny blackheads but thats not something i really give a shit about so no complaints here really

the elf pure skin toner, my newest addition a few days ago, has really exceeded my expectations like i mentioned in the og post. it's marketed as a soothing, hydrating toner but it does have glycolic acid which isnt mentioned which means some people dont end up liking it. i read reviews before buying shit though so im having an awesome time with it, i had two Awful pimples and various active breakouts before starting using it and currently a whole third of my face has No active breakouts which is Insane for me

the new cerave moisturizing gel has been really nice, does its job and the niacinamide has done good work on reducing the appearance of my pores in the relatively short time ive been using it

i use the cetaphil moisturizing cream for dry skin on my cheeks bc theyre dry And in spots over any places ive picked at badly to give it the best chance it can get at healing

ok thats it. hope anyone who stayed this long enjoyed. if anyone ever wants advice dm meeeee im obv not a pro but i have a hyperfixation and nothing but free time

[femmefatalevibe]

Hello! I love your blog and would like to ask for your advice. I want to look like an elegant, expensive woman. However, I am having a hard time applying makeup and setting up a skin care routine. Do you have an tips or resources on how to wear makeup elegantly and care for one's skin (for those new to makeup and skin care)?

What are the basic products needed for a dewy, classy make up look? Do you have any tutorials?

What are the basic products needed for healthy, minimal skin care routine?

Thank you for reading this ask! Have a great day!

Hi love! Sharing some of my tips below:

Skin:

Always use a disposable cloth when washing your face: Regular towels store bacteria and can cause breakouts too easily. These facial wipes from Amazon are my holy grail.

Wear sunscreen daily: Yes, even when you spend all day indoors. UV rays can interact with your skin through windows, too.

Niacinamide, Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid, & Tea Tree Oil are among the few skincare ingredients almost everyone should consider incorporating into their skincare routine.

Learn the correct order to apply the products in your skincare routine: Cleanser, Toner, Serum, Eye Cream, Spot Treatment, Moisturizer, Sunscreen (or Retinol/Skin Oil at night).

Remember: From a dermatologist's perspective, your face starts (or ends) at your nipples. So, ensure you're cleansing, exfoliating, and applying sunscreen daily to your neck, chest, and décolletage to keep your skin smooth, youthful, and well-hydrated.

Vaseline is a great (affordable) alternative to traditional eye creams.

Sugar scrub your facial hair for a more gentle alternative to waxing (Combine sugar, lemon, and water). Laser hair removal, especially under your arms and your arms/legs is life-changing.

Follow up a warm shower with a dry brush and coconut oil for smoother, firmer skin.

Always apply a hydrating lip balm, mask, or Vaseline, hand cream, and moisturizer to your feet before going to sleep.

Layer complementary scents. Ensure the scents of body wash, lotion, and perfume work well together and don't clash.

Makeup:

Learn your skin undertones and educate yourself on color theory (I can create a short ebook/PDF if you want some more educational content on these types of topics – I write about them for a living!).

Test any foundation, concealer, or face powder on your wrists, too.

Don't forget to color-match your bronze and blush: They can appear orange or muddy if you don't find a product with the correct shade or undertones for your skin type.

Invest in products that go on your face, brow products, and eyeliners. Great mascaras and lip products are easy to find at a drugstore or relatively cheap (I suggest Covergirl and NYX, respectively).

Apply concealer in a triangle; don't dot it around your eyes for better coverage.

If you have oily skin (or it's humid outside), apply powder before your liquid/cream products. Set them again with a light powder to lock the color in.

Apply mascara from tip to base for the best lashes of your life: One coat on the tip, another from middle to tip, and the last coat from base to tip.

In a pinch, use a fragrance-free moisturizer and a Q-tip to remove excess makeup (no more raccoon eyes).

Use a light nude or white eyeshadow underneath your brow to make them appear more defined.

Apply face powder under your eyes to help the eyeliner on your waterline last longer.

Create a simple daily makeup routine formula: 1 skin coverage (foundation/concealer), 1 skin color (a favorite blush or bronzer), brows, mascara, an eye-definer (eyeliner or shadow), and a signature "your lips but better" lip shade (1-2 shades deeper or lighter than your natural lip color): This formula provides you the basics, so you never have an excuse not to put yourself together for the day (5-10 minute routine here).

Discover your day-to-night hero product: Always keep a slightly deeper lipstick, a smoky eyeshadow, or liquid liner in your bag to transition your day look into the evening with one portable product.

Hope this helps xx

[moondoll4dg]

Being Beautiful is a Lifestyle

Lesson 1 - Basic Hygiene (stop being musty!)

1. Use a rich body wash in the shower

You need something that’s gonna give you a good lather so you can wash your body easily and quickly. You don’t want to have to keep pumping soap forever. You also want something that smells good so you smell fresh afterwards. I would recommend body washes from Dove, Olay, and Softsoap at the drugstore.

2. Use a loofah or a washcloth

You need something to scrub your skin when it’s very dirty. Even if your skin can’t handle it everyday, I know my skin cannot, it’s helpful to have a loofah or washcloth for when you are particularly dirty and for washing off stubborn deodorant residue.

3. Wash EVERYWHERE

Give your whole body a good wash. Do not forget the back of your neck, your navel, your butt, your feet, behind your ears, and your armpits. If your skin permits it, I would recommend washing your body twice for extra freshness.

4. Dry properly

Immediately after the shower, dry your ears, intimate area, feet, navel, and armpits. Those are areas that you don’t want to leave damp. Where there is water there is life . . .

5. Use a good smelling lotion

The key to being fresh is using a good scent. Lotions from Dove, Nivea, Aveeno, Vaseline, Olay, and Jergens are all good options. They’re moisturizing and you can choose a scent you like. My personal favorite is the Nivea Oil Infused Lotion in Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil.

6. Layer the moisture

During the winter of if you just have dry skin, I’d recommend layering some products after the shower. A lotion then and body oil, body oil then Nivea creme, two layers of lotion, mixing lotion with Vaseline. Whichever you prefer that keeps your moisturized. Body oil or just coconut oil if your skin can handle it is good for making your skin look glowy and beautiful which looks good no matter the season. Experiment and see which products you like. My favorites are Nivea creme, unrefined coconut oil, Palmer’s Moisturizing Body Oil, and if you can find Vaseline/petroleum jelly in a tube so it’s easier to pump out, that’s pretty handy.

7. Stay fresh afterwards

If you struggle with armpit odor, then my best recommendation is to shave your armpits and apply antiperspirant. If you want to stay extra fresh, then use a deodorant on top of that. But the antiperspirant will sit on your skin and prevent sweating. Then, use a body spray or perfume over your body and clothes. Use one that matches the lotion you chose. Floral fragrances go with floral lotions, vanilla ones with vanilla lotions, etc.

TLDR: being physically beautiful includes glowy, radiant skin, smelling amazing, and staying fresh.

[cinemaocd]

I'm very interested in your thoughts on foundations and products for gen x skin. How I miss the days of college when I would just tamp on a thick layer of Studio Fix powder (wrong shade, always), use a lip liner (Twig, always) instead of lipstick and then hit the town living my best life looking like a dry crusty ghoul. Being young really mitigated a lot of make up mistakes. Wait I got off track there...

Oh wow, I'm so flattered you sent this ask. I'm so sorry because...

Get ready...here it comes...

Insanely Detailed Make up Skin Care for Gen X skin Info Dump

So this is for typical post menopausal skin, which is my situation, and pretty much blemish free (I do get the occasional blemish when I do something silly like use lip balm or lipstick as a blush because they have the same effect as a cream blush, but often have pore-clogging ingredients), running normal to dry with a light medium complexion.

I'm a huge believer in skin prep before makeup. If you don't have your skin right, your makeup is always gonna look like makeup and it's probably going to age you rather than make you look younger. For over 50 skin it's all about moisture. All those bougie make up branded prep products are really just adding moisture. Get yourself a tube of Vanicream at the drugstore and slap a bunch on before you do your makeup. It works just as good as Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream or the ilk at a fraction of the cost.

Skin care routine:

Micellar water: Removes makeup with gentle/sensitive formula (walgreens has a good knock off of the bougie French one in the pink bottle). I use it on my eyes in the mornings because over night oil and dirt build up in that area and it effects makeup performance. It does not irritate my eyes which are very sensitive.

Second cleanse: I Wash with vanicream bar soap in the evenings. Costs $5 and was recommended by my derm. A bar lasts months and I use it as a regular soap in the bath as well. It's just very gentle and moisturizing. I have stopped needing body lotion in the winter since using it. In the mornings I don't second cleanse because I don't need it. I just splash my face with warm water and head right into the next step.

Paula's Choice perfecting gel (a little easier to use than the liquid and better packaging but pricier). Amazing all around face acid, gentle enough to use twice a day even on my delicate little face. Improves almost every skin issue while adding moisture. The GOAT tbh. There is nothing at the drugstore to compare to it, sadly.

Cereve AM moisturizer with SPF. Another drugstore product. Under $15 and Walgreens has a knockoff that's just as good that's even cheaper. My whole family uses this stuff. It works for everyone really. If you want to have good looking skin into old age stay out of the sun and use sunscreen every day, even when it's cloudy, etc.

Vanicream moisturizer (Tube is under $20 and is huge by skincare standards. I buy maybe two a year and just slather it on in the winter). It has a light consistency that soaks in fast and makes layering it over itself easy. This was the moisturizer rec'd by my derm and honestly it's just so great.

Twice a week I end my night routine with the Paula's choice retinol/moisture barrier repair cream. I don't use it daily because it dries out my skin too much. Retinol helps with a host of skin issues, especially if you have acne scars. This formulation is great because it's very occlusive and makes a great last step before bed. You need to be careful not to wear it in the day though because it can make you sunburn. (Also it won't play well with makeup).

Lips: I love the Paula's choice lip balm with spf. My lips get so destroyed in MN winter between wind and UV. It has a slight tint to it that makes it a bit lighter than my lip color which has a plumping effect. (In general paler colors in the middle of the lip will make your lips look fuller). I also use Boodah lip treatment because it's plastic free and it works really well. You can get an unscented one, but it still smells like coconut oil which I like. (Scents in lip balms actually dry out your lips because they cause inflammation. Many lip balms have ingredients that actually GIVE you chapped lips...Burt's Bees I'm looking at you). Also I totally simp for Cereve healing balm. It comes in a small purse sized tube and it's just great for any irritated, cracked angry skin. It even works on diaper rash. Great stuff.

Foundations:

Most of the time liquid foundations are not recommended for older skin because they tend to be drying because the alcohols they use to let the foundation dry down quickly can be drying. For years I formulated my own bb cream by mixing a liquid foundation like MAC Studio fix with MAC Strobe cream. I've tried loads of BB creams but I feel like they never last on me, unless I powder my whole face, which defeats the purpose, my skin just gobbles them up.

I've tried ultralight foundations like MAC face and body, glossier skin tint but because those products are made to be applied and dry instantly they also have loads of alcohols. They are also just better marketed versions of pro air brush foundations, so if you like this category of products, check out air brush foundations. They are usually way cheaper ounce for ounce...

Kosas Revealer: This is ounce for ounce my most expensive foundation but I had a bottle that lasted me a year. It's the closest in texture to the effect I got from mixing studio fix with strobe cream but it comes in a single package with a pump. Applies best with a damp sponge, but I will use a dense brush when I'm in a hurry (The Real Techniques face perfecting brush is a fantastic drugstore foundation brush). Less is more with this as with all foundation. Do thin layers and build up spots where you need more coverage. (Or add in a color corrector or concealer).

Wayne Goss Cream Foundation: I bought this when it launched and I still have so so much left. I apply dots of it with my fingers and spread it with a brush in a stippling motion. It's a fantastic base for a cream blush. It wears like iron when correctly powdered. This is very similar in formulation to RCMA cream foundation which is what Beyonce uses on stage so you know it's bullet proof. It's just mineral oil base with massive amounts of pigment suspended. (This is really the basis of all pro cream foundations going back to the literal grease paint of victorian times) It should never go off. I think I will bequeath my jar of this foundation to my grandchildren should I ever have any. Also doubles as a concealer. (I wish Wayne would put out smaller/cheaper containers of this stuff. Then I could buy a lighter shade for concealing...). The pigment load in these foundations is so high, I actually don't think they are necessary for every day use. It's more coverage than I really need most of the time. I'm not on TV. Camera Ready Cosmetics sells samples of all their cream foundations, so if you want to dip your toe into this world of products without investing I would go there and try the RCMA or the William Tuttle...

Concealers:

I struggled with every concealer I liked being discontinued for a while. I was paying top $ for Lancome Touche Eclat because all of the drugstore knockoffs I adored disappeared. Liquid concealers should be really thin and have moisturizing ingredients. I think it's standard to say avoid them over 50, but products like the Kosas liquid concealer are very good and don't get that dry, cracked look that shape tape and the ilk does on older skin. I've used the Elf camo concealer and I went through many tubes of Maybelline age rewind over the years, but I'm just over them. There may be some newer drugstore alternatives, but I've been living in Bill Tuttle's blissful world of Hi-lite (see below) now long enough that I've stopped paying attention to new products in this category. I don't even use concealer any more...

Color Correctors:

William Tuttle hi-lite: OMG if you have light medium skin this stuff is utter magic. It masks redness and darkness, blending in with the undertone in my skin without flattening me out or making my face too red. I just can't explain it but it even masks my hyperpigmentation spots that absolutely no foundation will cover and many concealers fail with as well. There used to be a maybelline age rewind product that worked but it disappeared and now they only have the one for under eyes. Hi-lite's original purpose was to cover marionette lines for studio lighting which often makes those lines way worse. And it works great for that too, but it's just so amazing as a corrector/concealer for me.If you have a deeper skin tone with more darkness around your eyes, it may not work, but it worth a try. Tuttle has other similar products in different tints that I haven't tried. The jar is under $15 (Jones Road who?) and I have had it over 6 months and it's not even half gone. (Miracle balm is almost $40 a jar and it smells weird after a few months.) Hi-lite'stexture is perfection. You can do light thin layers and spread it out. It just melts in and disappears. Applies beautifully with a finger but a concealer brush is useful because it fits in the jar better. The brand also has a foundation that is $15 a jar as well. Sold at Camera Ready Cosmetics and some pro/specialty stores. William Tuttle is honestly the find of the last five years for me. If you take nothing else away from this post, check out William Tuttle. I lowkey think Bobbi Brown was using this shit as a makeup artist and one day realized it worked great as an overall concealer/color corrector on older skin and decided to make her own version and market it as miracle balm...

Powder:

Despite what Bobbi Brown says in the Miracle Balm ad, powder is a necessary step and actually your friend if you know how to use it. The main thing is to be strategic with placement and actually learn powdering technique that make up pros use and not what you see on on most of youtube.

Controversial take: I bake my under eyes and you should too. Here's why...

Cream products, which are mostly what we're using here, plus moisturizers/sunscreens are going to move around and settle in lines and actually exaggerate them. In the summer they may look shiny when you sweat which isn't great either. Powder will keep it in place and give you that soft focus/glass skin effect. Powder is also blurring. So it's keeping your concealer from settling in under eye wrinkles, acting like the Photoshop healing brush for you face. Another bonus for baking is that if you leave it on while you do your eyeshadow/liner it will keep fallout from sticking. You'll be able to just brush it away. Baking also lightens the color of the skin in the place where it's done. It started in drag as a technique to make highlights pop from the stage. It is so great in the undereye for this reason. No need to get a brightening concealer with bake...

My technique is I apply an eyeshadow base (really like the NYX ultimate shadow/liner primer) from my under eye to brow. Don't skip the undereye! The reason you need a primer is to create a barrier between your eye skin and the powder. (Eye liners and the heavy pigments in dark eyeshadows will absolutely fuck up the skin around your eyes.) Then I color correct with a thin layer of the Hi-lite, then I powder. I use a powder puff or powder sponge (Real techniques makes an awesome powder sponge) and press in the first thin layer. Then I pile it on with a fluffy eyeshadow brush and leave it. I do my eye makeup and brush it away with the fluffy eye brush or a small powder brush. That's it. If you moisturize and prime adequately it is not going to dry out the skin on your eyes. It's all in the prep.

Don't waste money on fancy powders. I bought a massive bottle of RCMA transluscent powder more than 10 years ago and I still have it. I use it every day. I recently bought the William Tuttle powder just because it was cheap and the container was cute. It has a slight pink cast to it, which is really great for the under eye. Coty airspun which is a drugstore classic is great as well. Maybelline fit me is a fantastic "finishing powder" which means it has a little tint and some micas for glow. I use a finishing powder sometimes instead of basic transluscent powder if I want a little more coverage. If you have a lot of acne scarring a finishing powder will be your friend. Wayne Goss and Mel Thompson (RIP) both have amazing tutorials for buffing/finishing techniques. The Wayne Goss Air brush is a god tier brush for this but the RT perfecting brush works great too and is cheap enough that you can have one for creams and one for powders).

Highlight: MAC Strobe cream, strobe cream, strobe cream. Did I mention strobe cream? How I love thee, bougie upscale scented product. Blurring perfection, added moisture, a beautiful soft focus glow that doesn't look like make-up. Mix it with a liquid and foundation and make a bb cream. Throw it on as a last step for a "no makeup" (lol as if) day. You can use it any step in your routine almost and not fuck things up. It's just so great. I use it daily and a bottle will last years. They will pry my strobe cream from my cold dead, gently sparkling hands.

Honorable mention for the Wayne Goss powder highlight which is such a beautiful soft touch glow that doesn't emphasize texture. Absolutely does not look frosty or powdery. Only downside is you have to also buy a powder blush with it, which is a beautiful product, but it adds to the over size and cost of the product. Fantastic highlight for eye shadow as well though...

Contour/blush: I am a big, big fan of cream products for older skin and there such great cream blushes and contours now. One of the best I've discovered is Phytosurgence Skin Spark in Condensate which is a deep burgundy red that works as a contour and blush. It looks like it would be too dark but when it blends out it just works with the underlying redness in my skin to look so incredibly natural. Sometimes I put it on and blend it out and can't tell where my natural flush ends and the phytosurgence begins. Sigma also makes awesome cream blushes, though pricey, they are huge and last forever. I've had a sigma cream blush for over ten years and it's still going strong. The coral shade looks great on everyone. Especially if you are sick or exhausted a coral blush will make you look healthy and awake. If I were gonna do Joe Biden's makeup, I'd use my Bill Tuttle Hi-Lite and sigma coral blush. He might get re-elected.

Eye Shadow:

Controversial Opinion: I wear sparkly/glittery/mettalic eye shadow over 50 and you should too. Here's why...

Life is short. Have fun while you can.

Charlotte Tilbury, Wayne Goss and Lisa Eldridge have spent a lot of time trying to sell you eyeshadow specifically formulated for older skin and they are amazing. They are also really fucking expensive. Eye shadow is some of the cheapest make-up to produce and the mark up is just coo coo bananas. The difference between $20 a pan eye shadow and $1 a pan eye shadow is the fillers, packaging and marketing. That's it. The main thing to look out for is the way the makeup is pressed and what the kind of sparkles it has in it. You want something that is pressed so that you don't pick up huge amounts of pigment sparkles at a time and get massive fallout which just fucks up the area you've worked so hard to perfect. (Don't get me started on what social media did to eyeshadow formulations to cater to influencers swatching on their arms...). You usually want more pearlescent micas which looks softer, but mettalic eyeshadows give me life and I won't give them up. Some less expensive brands that have good beginner friendly/age friendly formulas are The Balm, Colorpop and Karity. These closely mimic the drugstore formulations of the 80s/early 90s which were pretty low on pigment/micas. (Most drugstore formulations now like Elf or Wet and Wild are too pigmented and fillers are just not great quality so the performance varies).

Another reason for wearing eyeshadow is that it makes you look more trendy and youthful, I think. If you get your undereye sorted, you can make your lids look as textured as dragon scales up close and no one will notice or care in real life. I am huge fan of Pat McGrath and I have three 6 pan palettes and I don't think I'll ever need another PM shadow in my life because they last forever. Not a super beginner friendly formula as it is very pigmented. A little goes a long way with Mother Pat but if you are that person that can't go into Ulta or Sephora without slaying and getting compliments from the staff than Pat McGrath is your friend. You'll never get it too look as amazing as it does on instagram though because that's all in the lighting and using a super good camera lens.

Brushes: Look if you want to do eyeshadow you need brushes. I could do an equally huge info dump just on eye shadow brushes but the most basic kit is three brushes: a bog standard liner brush from anywhere in the world, they sometimes come free with eyeshadow you can even use a water color paint brush which is cheaper but will have a weirdly long handle; a flat paddle fluffy blender like the classic Sigma E27 and a dense round pencil brush like the Sigma E42 blender. Those are synthetic brushes, I prefer natural hair but that's a whole area and those get pricey fast. Sigma brushes are pro quality and they absolutely stand by their shit. I've seen them accept returns at their store without a receipt.

Technique: The best way in my opinion is to start with your darkest color and work to the lighter colors, not the other way around. You don't need transition shades. Most of us have hooded eyes by now and there's no transition zone anyway. That is what transluscent powder and highlighter shades are for! Use your liner brush to apply the darkest shade to your lash line. On the upper lash line extend it past your eyeball upward toward your brow. This will counteract the look of sagging skin at the corner of your eye. On the lower lash line go about a third of the way from the outer corner toward the inner corner and stop. Completely encircling your eyes in dark shades will make them look smaller. Use the pencil brush to blend outward, away from the lashline. You want it diffuse and smokey. Go in with whatever the main shade will be for your lid and you can either apply this with the paddle brush or use your finger for metallic shades. Press lightly and then drag very gently to activate those micas. You will get way better shimmer results with your finger than any brush, I promise. I use my pinky to apply my inner corner highlight. I usually do my brow highlight with a paddle brush. Now flip that paddle brush on it's side so the wide part makes contact with the crease of your eye and blend out the edges. If you've got a good powder/primed base it should blend really easily. That's it. It's like three little steps and I can do a basic eye look in under ten minutes. You've probably heard a lot about "hooded eyes" and needing special brushes, techniques etc., but where you fix hooded eyes is with eyeliner...

Eyeliner:

Controversial Opinion: I wear heavy black eyeliner every day over fifty and you should too. Here's why...

Eyeliner is not only bad ass, it is the biggest bang for your buck in the makeup world. Nothing else is so impactful for the time and money involved. It is also an invaluable tool for reshaping your eyes if you want to look younger...

My favorite eyeliners are pencils that can be sharpened. I have one gel eyeliner I love but pencils are my bread and butter. I have so many and I just keep buying more. They last forever. My oldest piece of makeup is from the last century and it's an eyeliner pencil. Favorite formulations of pencil are: Lancome Creamy water proof, Urban Decay 24/7 and melt. At the drugstore: wet and wild, rimmel kohl, Revlon photo ready kohl and NYX epic wear.

I use Rituel De Fille Black orb gel liner, which I've had for over three years and it hasn't dried up. The key with this is very thin layers because it will get crusty and flake off if you use too much product. It lasts all day, makes a terrific black base and smokes out like butter. Also comes in a spherical jar which is so flipping charming. Love this shit. (Actually really wanna try the new trixie mattel gel liners because they look good and lets face it trixie's entire drag is gel liner based...).

Technique: key technique for older folks is tightlining. I usually tightline my upper water line and the outer third of my lower water line. This emphasizes the eye without getting into issues with sagging skin and makes the lash line fuller which is an area that thins out when you age. The effect is kind of subtle, but the way makeup works is layers and layers of subtle changes. :) Pencils work best, but you can do gel with a good brush. The Wayne Goss #8 has no equal for tightlining. I then tightline the lash line all the way on upper lid and use a pencil brush to smoke it out at the edges. Always blend upward in a straight line toward the tip of your brow. (Beginner tutorials have you hold a tissue there or whatever. I don't think it's necessary, just practice.) If you have very hooded eyes, you may not have any real lid space in which case just skip eyeshadow and tightline. It's all anyone can see when your eyes are open.

Lips:

We are almost done I swear. :D

Not that much difference for ageing but life is too short to buy super cheap lipstick. Any decent drugstore lipstick will run you $10 these days and it's worth it. Bougie designer lipstick is the same shit, in nicer packaging and trendier colors. My favorite formulas are basically all of them but I have a fondness for covergirl, the maybelline matte trance (in the skinnier tube) and revlon anything. A little light colored gloss in the middle of the lip even with no lipstick just takes years off your face, I don't know why. I love the fenty gloss bomb and any of Trixies. Lifter gloss at the drugstore is supposed to be great but I haven't tried it. I'm still finishing that gloss bomb I got when it launched, lol. In general a lighter shade in the middle will make lips look fuller. Lining used to be critical when you get little fine lines around your lips, to prevent lipstick from bleeding but these days lipstick formulas really don't bleed much, I think. A dark "nude" lipliner will make your lips look bigger, but keep it to the outer corners.A MAC lip pencil will probably last you the rest of your life if you don't lose it.

Finishing Spray: Everything I said about liquid foundations using alcohol goes double for finishing spray. It's just different kinds of alcohol with other stuff like micas for shimmer, scent, glycerin and water. No other ingredients are really proven for finishing sprays because there's so much water it's like a homeopathic concentration. I make my own by combing a few tablespoons of whatever finishing spray is cheapest at the drugstore, distilled water and a few drops of glycerin. It helps with that powdered tight feeling and I think it does help it last a bit more. The hardest part about making your own finishing spray is finding a spray bottle you like.

And we are done.

Whew.

That was a lot but it was fun to impart.

[bonesandthebees]

Hello! If you do have any recommendations for skincare I would like them, acne is annoying lmao

OH BOY YES I DO!

okay so all skin has different sensitivities and needs and all that so what works for me might not work for you. there's a lot of different avenues you can go down for acne treatment but I'll try to go through things I know work for most people

this is gonna be long so putting it under a read more

first off, you gotta be washing your face twice a day if you don't already. I use cetaphil daily face wash which you can find in most drugstores, but another drugstore brand I've heard is very good is cervave! both brands have several different kinds of face wash, some that are more specific for acne, some that are hydrating if you have issues with dry skin, and some that are made for sensitive skin if you deal with irritation. I'd go through the different products they have and see what looks like it'd work best for you

most acne-specific face products use salicylic acid since that's a chemical proven to reduce oil and all that, but if you've used salicylic acid stuff and don't notice any improvement, you might want to try benzoyl peroxide acne products! panoxyl is another drugstore brand that carries acne face and body washes with benzoyl peroxide, and I use that for my chest and back acne (jury is still out as to if its actually helping or not. I'm still trying to figure out if salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide works better. do your research on both to see which one will work better for you!)

now if you want to add more than just face wash there is a whole variety of serums out there! my god tier, number one serum that I don't know how I lived without until now is niacinamide. niacinamide has been proven through research trials to be effective in reducing the amount of sebum (oil produced from your pores) your skin produces, and also reduces redness in skin. there are a lot of serums you can get that's a mix of stuff with niacinamide in it, but if you want a serum that's just straight up niacinamide (which I would recommend if you want to test out if it actually benefits you) both good molecules and the ordinary sell bottles of it for $6. the ordinary's serum is 10% niacinamide with 1% zinc, with the zinc there because I guess it's hydrating? good molecules is just 10% niacinamide without any zinc. there really isn't much of a difference between the two products, but for some reason good molecules serum worked way better for my skin than the ordinary's did, although I've known plenty of people who use the ordinary's version and love it.

(note: while both bottles say you can apply these niacinamide serums twice a day, in clinical trials it was shown that 5% niacinamide is what's effective on skin and they have no evidence higher concentrations does anything. so since these are both 10% niacinamide, you might want to just apply it once a day to reduce any risk of irritation)

if you have oily skin you might be hesitant about using moisturizer, but you have to use it bc if you try to dry your skin out your skin will just produce excess oil in response. what you want to look for in a face moisturizer is anything that's oil-free and non-comedogenic, which means it won't clog your pores. ideally, get a moisturizer that has spf in it as well (at least spf 30), that way you don't have to add an extra step to apply sunscreen on your face every day. right now I use cetaphil's daily face moisturizer with spf 35, but before that when I was a teen I used cetaphil's dermacontrol oil absorbing moisturizer with spf 30. the difference is that the dermacontrol is a bit more expensive, but it works to reduce the oil on your face so it's for people who really struggle with oily acne-prone skin. both products are oil-free and non-comedogenic so neither one will clog your pores. which one you use just depends on how oily your skin is

as far as taking care of individual pimples, while I've tried spot treatments with salicylic acid from the ordinary and good molecules, I don't really notice them doing much for me. what DOES make a difference is hydrocolloid pimple patches which dry out the skin and can really help reduce pimples. I like panoxyl's pimple patches, and you can get a pack of 40 for $8-$10

these are just the essentials for me! if you want any more 'special' products like masks or exfoiliants or oils lmk and I'll make a post about those but this is already long enough lol. I linked the products to their brand websites but you can find most of these either in drugstores, on amazon, or in stores like ulta or sephora

hope this helps!