The Makeup Fairy Returns!

Hi Makeup Fairy!

I never wore much makeup in the past. My first boyfriend did not like it at all when I wore makeup of any kind, but my boyfriend now finds it really sexy. So, I recently started wearing it more often and I just used up my first tube of mascara ever after six years. I also find it a great way to avoid snacking on stuff I don't need in the middle of the day when I am not even hungry. I crave something colorful, exciting, and novel, so I just go put on some make-up to satisfy that urge.

I have always gone with brown eyeliner and mascara. I'm mainly the natural type. However, I have a bunch of different eye shadow colors that I think would go better with black eyeliner and mascara. I think that black would also go better with my red dresses. I would like to know when you think I should go for black eyeliner over brown and vice-versa. If my reasoning is correct, I would use brown to go with warm eyeshadow colors (golds, reds) and black to go with cool eyeshadow colors (blue, green, silver). Have I got that right? What about pink/purple eyeshadow? I have tried that mix with the brown, but I think it would look better with black. I still have to go out and buy black eyeliner and mascara and try it...

Um... liquid eyeliner. I have heard that it is really difficult to put on, but I still want to give it a try. Do you have any tips on how to keep it under control?

I am going to start going through makeup faster now, and I am on a tight budget, so I was wondering what kind of tips you have on brands of makeup that are low in price. I am also looking for something with a good environmental reputation ideally. I am young enough not to need foundation and I have enough color in my cheeks that I only bother with blush for special occasions. So, I am wondering mainly about eye make-up. Just eyeliner and mascara mainly. I have enough eye shadow to last me a decade. I also have quite the stockpile of lipstick and gloss. So, what are some good economical and ecological brands for eye makeup? I used Aveda a while back, but that is out of my price range now.

Thanks for any insight you can offer :)
 
Dear Make Up Fairy, Can I fly you to my house? :)

Apologies if you have covered this already and it's redudant but I have a hard time getting a good smoky eye look. I know there's layering and shading involved but never can get it too look right. Also it seems that I get residual shadow under my eyes which after cleaning up I have to redo my foundation.

Questions:

1) What's the proper way to do a smoky eye?
2) Can you recommend a natural smoky color look for daytime for my blue eyes? And to punch it up at night?
3) Do I do eyes before foundation?

Thanks so much in advance. What a great forum!
 
That's actually a great question and I'm glad you came to me with it! First, I want to talk about sunscreen because there are a lot of very common misconceptions about sunscreen, and I'd like to use my platform here to talk about those misconceptions and clear those up.
Recently, The FDA has changed the laws regarding what sunscreens can claim to be marketed as, and no sunscreen can be marketed as "waterproof" anymore. It can be called "Water Resistant" for 40-80 minutes, but that's IT.

I snipped for space but Satin Desire thank you so much! My Father had some skin cancer so I try to be careful but I didn't know half of the things you just educated me on.
I live in Canada and my normal operating procedure would be to get the Highest SPF Water proof product I could find. But I didn't often reapply it after being in the water because I always thought it was Water PROOF and not water Resistant.
 
Hi Makeup Fairy!

I never wore much makeup in the past. My first boyfriend did not like it at all when I wore makeup of any kind, but my boyfriend now finds it really sexy. So, I recently started wearing it more often and I just used up my first tube of mascara ever after six years. I also find it a great way to avoid snacking on stuff I don't need in the middle of the day when I am not even hungry. I crave something colorful, exciting, and novel, so I just go put on some make-up to satisfy that urge.

I have always gone with brown eyeliner and mascara. I'm mainly the natural type. However, I have a bunch of different eye shadow colors that I think would go better with black eyeliner and mascara. I think that black would also go better with my red dresses. I would like to know when you think I should go for black eyeliner over brown and vice-versa. If my reasoning is correct, I would use brown to go with warm eyeshadow colors (golds, reds) and black to go with cool eyeshadow colors (blue, green, silver). Have I got that right? What about pink/purple eyeshadow? I have tried that mix with the brown, but I think it would look better with black. I still have to go out and buy black eyeliner and mascara and try it...

Um... liquid eyeliner. I have heard that it is really difficult to put on, but I still want to give it a try. Do you have any tips on how to keep it under control?

I am going to start going through makeup faster now, and I am on a tight budget, so I was wondering what kind of tips you have on brands of makeup that are low in price. I am also looking for something with a good environmental reputation ideally. I am young enough not to need foundation and I have enough color in my cheeks that I only bother with blush for special occasions. So, I am wondering mainly about eye make-up. Just eyeliner and mascara mainly. I have enough eye shadow to last me a decade. I also have quite the stockpile of lipstick and gloss. So, what are some good economical and ecological brands for eye makeup? I used Aveda a while back, but that is out of my price range now.

Thanks for any insight you can offer :)

Dear k5,

Interesting question!

Eyeliner colors have more to do with time of day than eyeshadow colors when worn. Black is almost universally flattering, on almost everyone but the very fairest, so you can wear black anytime but it's most called for at night and with formalwear.

As for good eyeshadow, have you tried Physicians' Formula? Their eyeshadow is very economical and budget-friendly, while being extremely kind to your skin. Most drug stores and supermarkets carry it these days, and of course you can order it online if you're so inclined. Here's a link that I got for you so you can browse their line of eye pigments. The Shimmer Strips I highly recommend, having bought and frequently use several myself.

http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/product/eyes/eye-shadows.html

When it comes to liquid eyeliner, felt-tip pens are good for newbies, so try a brand with a felt-tip pen rather than a brush. You'll have more control and your muscle memory will be familiar with the "pen-like" feel, and you can literally -draw- the line on your skin. If you get unsteady or shaky, prop your elbow on something solid when applying, like your bathroom counter, etc. Practice makes perfect! When using a new makeup technique that I'm not quite comfortable with, I generally practice right before my nighttime cleansing routine, since I'm about to wash my face anyway, who cares if I mess up bigtime?! :D

I snipped for space but Satin Desire thank you so much! My Father had some skin cancer so I try to be careful but I didn't know half of the things you just educated me on.
I live in Canada and my normal operating procedure would be to get the Highest SPF Water proof product I could find. But I didn't often reapply it after being in the water because I always thought it was Water PROOF and not water Resistant.

One of the things we must always keep in mind is that marketing claims are not always true. It's good to do your homework and look into beauty and cosmetics' companies claims. :)
 
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Hi Makeup Fairy,

I have hair that is long and thick. I love that it is naturally wavy, but I live in a place with hot, humid summers and it's sometimes hard to keep it from getting frizzy or out of control.

I've tried several different products, but I haven't found one that seems to consistently work for me. I'm not really the type of person to spend hours in front of the mirror in the morning, so I'm looking for something that wouldn't be very high maintenance. Any suggestions to help me tame the wild beast that is my hair? :)

ms_intrigue

I have a few tips for you, yes!

One, stop washing your hair too much! Curly and wavy hair is MUCH drier and more prone to frizz than straight hair, due to it's structure the natural oils in the scalp don't travel down the hair shaft as quickly as with straight hair. Once a week would be the maximum you'll want to shampoo. If you absolutely have to get your hair wet with your normal bathing routine, wash with conditioner only.

Also, I swear by Chi's "Silk Infusion" product. I literally CANNOT sing this magic bottle's praises enough. I also have wavy hair, that I used to abuse like mad, and this product literally. Changed. My. Life. It turned my brittle, damaged and frizzy bird's nest into a silky waterfall of glossy waves.

Don't be scared of the price. A little goes a long way and I wouldn't be surprised if this bottle lasted you almost a year!

http://www.amazon.com/CHI-Infusion-Leave-In-Treatment-Ounce/dp/B000BX1Z00

Use on wet hair after shampooing, and before every application of heat. Use sparingly at the roots, and generously at the ends. Can give freshly washed hair the much-sought after "Second Day Hair" texture, as well!

Dear Make Up Fairy, Can I fly you to my house? :)

Apologies if you have covered this already and it's redudant but I have a hard time getting a good smoky eye look. I know there's layering and shading involved but never can get it too look right. Also it seems that I get residual shadow under my eyes which after cleaning up I have to redo my foundation.

Questions:

1) What's the proper way to do a smoky eye?
2) Can you recommend a natural smoky color look for daytime for my blue eyes? And to punch it up at night?
3) Do I do eyes before foundation?

Thanks so much in advance. What a great forum!

Dear Yankee,

Smoky eyes are universally flattering, and the most highly-sought-after look when it comes to eyeshadow. I get more questions about smoky eye techniques than almost anything else! So, I'm going to hunt down my favorite youtube tutorials and post the links here for your (and everyone else's) perusal, and give you a few hints of my own.

Blue eyes look amazing in brown eyeshadow. My favorite shade of brown eyeshadow is CoverGirl's Tapestry Taupe, which is a medium neutral brown that looks amazing on ANYONE!

http://www.drugstore.com/covergirl-...dow-tapestry-taupe-760/qxp159516?catid=155308

You can use this as your base color and darken it near the lashes by blending a sparing amount of matte black eyeshadow on top, and of course you can use this color anytime of the day or night by itself. This is my go-to perfect color for everyday wear.

As for if you should do your eyes before your foundation, that depends really on you. If you're familiar with cosmetics and don't mess up often, then do your foundation first and eye makeup last. But if you are still a little shaky when it comes to cosmetics, do your eyes first so that you won't have to start all over if you mess up.

Here's my favorite tutorial for smokey eyes, and not just because Kandee has my exact personality and voice. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buJ5HDCinrM

Here's another method of application. Really, the ways you can do a smoky eye look is varied, and up to you to decide your favorite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt70ZylKBoY

Here's a method close to what I do when I do a smoky eye look on myself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xchTDDZARfM

So, here are three examples of smoky eyes. Remember, you can use ANY colors for smoky eyes, just darkening the pigment around your lashes using black eyeshadow. Also, smoky eyes look best when paired with a pale or neutral mouth, so keep the lip look light!

Good luck!
 
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Anonymous mail via PM:

Anon said:
Dear Makeup fairy -

I'm a 47 year old male with sensitive, dry skin. I sometimes have these 2 small "patches" on each of my cheeks on either side of my nose that is dry and slightly flaky. My doctor said that it was dandruff of the face and to use Head & Shoulders but I think he was wrong because Head & Shoulders made it worse.

I currently use Dove's Sensitive Skin bar soap and body wash (especially during the winter months) but I really don't care for them. The bar soap doesn't clean or moisturize my skin as much as I'd like.

I used to use Oil of Olays bar soap& body wash for sensitive until they discontinued those products. And I miss them because I felt that they cleaned my face and moisturized so much better than Dove. And the bar soap smelled like soap. I find that Dove still has a hint of a scent to it.

I only wash my face once daily during my shower. About once a week I will use Loreal's Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin which does seem to do a good job but it comes with this gel scrubber thingy that seems a little rough on my face (I may be scrubbing too hard). I do find that when I use it, the dry flaky patches on my cheeks are not there afterward.

Have any suggestions for me? Should I consider exfoliating?

Thanks so much for your time and for your thread!!

Dear Friend,

Not only should you be exfoliating, you should also be moisturizing your skin after your normal daily cleansing routine. I suggest Cetaphil!

http://www.cetaphil.com/

I personally have used Cetaphil's wonderful range of products for many many years and have never had -any- issues, even though my skin is sensitive, allergic and rash-prone.

Cetaphil has a range of products for sensitive, dry skin that would be perfect for you. Their "Gentle Skin Cleanser" would be ideal for your problem skin and should be mild enough for daily use. For mild exfoliation, use a soft washcloth with this cleanser and rub in gentle circular motions across your face. After washing, gently pat dry with a soft towel, and immediately follow this up with their "DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion". Use a pea size drop and rub gently into skin until absorbed.

You should see a marked improvement in your skin's texture in as little as one week!
 
Dear MF:

I was playing around on Pinterest and found the following picture:

http://www.iknowhair.com/wp-content/uploads/green-eye-shadows.jpg

I love the look for evening, but I'm kind of stumped as to what kind of eyeshadow might that be. It looks too vibrant to be a simple matte powder. Could it be a gel or maybe one of those pigment shadows? Also, I can't tell if that's a single color or perhaps a blend of a couple of shades on the lid. Finally, although the model has blue eyes, would this look work equally as well for dark eyes (mine are dark chocolate brown)?
 
Dear MF:

I was playing around on Pinterest and found the following picture:

http://www.iknowhair.com/wp-content/uploads/green-eye-shadows.jpg

I love the look for evening, but I'm kind of stumped as to what kind of eyeshadow might that be. It looks too vibrant to be a simple matte powder. Could it be a gel or maybe one of those pigment shadows? Also, I can't tell if that's a single color or perhaps a blend of a couple of shades on the lid. Finally, although the model has blue eyes, would this look work equally as well for dark eyes (mine are dark chocolate brown)?

Dear Baliadora,

It's possible that it's pigment eyeshadow, and it's also possible that the wearer is using an eyelid primer to intensify the colors. There are three colors as I can tell on the lid, a very light blueish-tinted white in the corner, the green on the lid, and black on the outer "wing".

I am so all about eyelid primer. Urban Decay's Primer Potion is amazing and everyone and their dog uses it, and ELF has a lid primer which works almost as well for much less money!

This look would be AMAZING for brown eyes!
 
I have a few tips for you, yes!

One, stop washing your hair too much! Curly and wavy hair is MUCH drier and more prone to frizz than straight hair, due to it's structure the natural oils in the scalp don't travel down the hair shaft as quickly as with straight hair. Once a week would be the maximum you'll want to shampoo. If you absolutely have to get your hair wet with your normal bathing routine, wash with conditioner only.

Also, I swear by Chi's "Silk Infusion" product. I literally CANNOT sing this magic bottle's praises enough. I also have wavy hair, that I used to abuse like mad, and this product literally. Changed. My. Life. It turned my brittle, damaged and frizzy bird's nest into a silky waterfall of glossy waves.

Don't be scared of the price. A little goes a long way and I wouldn't be surprised if this bottle lasted you almost a year!

http://www.amazon.com/CHI-Infusion-Leave-In-Treatment-Ounce/dp/B000BX1Z00

Use on wet hair after shampooing, and before every application of heat. Use sparingly at the roots, and generously at the ends. Can give freshly washed hair the much-sought after "Second Day Hair" texture, as well!

Dear Make-Up Fairy:rose:

Would this give the same result for someone who does not use a blow-dryer (I air-dry my hair) and straightens her hair only several times a month, or must it be used with heat?

Thank you!
:rose:
 
Dear Make-Up Fairy:rose:

Would this give the same result for someone who does not use a blow-dryer (I air-dry my hair) and straightens her hair only several times a month, or must it be used with heat?

Thank you!
:rose:

Yes it would! You would probably see even better results, as a matter of fact, because it's a well-known fact that heat damages hair, and the less damage you do, the better!
 
Yes it would! You would probably see even better results, as a matter of fact, because it's a well-known fact that heat damages hair, and the less damage you do, the better!


Hence why I rarely use heat on my hair ;) (that and because thick, waist-length hair is a bitch to blow dry:rolleyes:)

Thank you so much! Will be picking up a bottle this afternoon. :rose:
 
Hence why I rarely use heat on my hair ;) (that and because thick, waist-length hair is a bitch to blow dry:rolleyes:)

Thank you so much! Will be picking up a bottle this afternoon. :rose:

Amen. My hair is now down to the middle of my butt, so air drying is my only option.
 
Smudging eyeliner

Dear makeup fairy,

I don't use makeup often except for powder. *But I love the look of eyeliner to open up my eyes a little (I am Asian). *I use make up for ever aqua eyes waterproof eyeliner. *My problem is after a few hours later my eyeliner always smudges to under my eyes. *What gives? *How do I avoid smudges? *Thank you in advance.
 
I have an eyeliner question too. I always do a cat eye and recently saw the cat eye stickers on a TV show. They look awesome!
Have you tried them? I'm curious about their lasting ability and if they bunch or move.
I really dread hitting the mall and Sephora and would love to have a review before I go.
 
I have an eyeliner question too. I always do a cat eye and recently saw the cat eye stickers on a TV show. They look awesome!
Have you tried them? I'm curious about their lasting ability and if they bunch or move.
I really dread hitting the mall and Sephora and would love to have a review before I go.

Ok I just looked up the ones I want, they are $60 for 4 pairs!!!!!

I'll stick with my Maybelline Gel liner... Which BTW is way better than the MAC gel liner I had ;)
 
Dear makeup fairy,

I don't use makeup often except for powder. *But I love the look of eyeliner to open up my eyes a little (I am Asian). *I use make up for ever aqua eyes waterproof eyeliner. *My problem is after a few hours later my eyeliner always smudges to under my eyes. *What gives? *How do I avoid smudges? *Thank you in advance.

Dear Accalia,

You probably have the same problem I do, oily lids! I get around this by using eyelid primer and dusting powder over that before applying eye makeup. It keeps my makeup from smudging.

Urban Decay's Primer:

http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Decay-Eyeshadow-Primer-Potion/dp/B0028RC5N8

This is held up as "THE" primer that does it all. Don't be put off by the price, a little goes a long way, so the bottle will last for months!
 
Dear Accalia,

You probably have the same problem I do, oily lids! I get around this by using eyelid primer and dusting powder over that before applying eye makeup. It keeps my makeup from smudging.

Urban Decay's Primer:

http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Decay-Eyeshadow-Primer-Potion/dp/B0028RC5N8

This is held up as "THE" primer that does it all. Don't be put off by the price, a little goes a long way, so the bottle will last for months!



Thank you for your thread Make up fairy! I loved reading through this thread! I was about to ask a question about primer and was surprised to see the last question was about that too!

My question is...what do you think about Chafing cream being a great primer?
No, I am not kidding you.

http://www.amazon.com/Monistat-Soot...NSWE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335067413&sr=8-3

If you read the reviews, most people think it is amazing for a primer, as it supposedly contains something found on higher end primers?

I heard the rumor at work and was curious, what do you think? Have you tried it?
 
Thank you for your thread Make up fairy! I loved reading through this thread! I was about to ask a question about primer and was surprised to see the last question was about that too!

My question is...what do you think about Chafing cream being a great primer?
No, I am not kidding you.

http://www.amazon.com/Monistat-Soot...NSWE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335067413&sr=8-3

If you read the reviews, most people think it is amazing for a primer, as it supposedly contains something found on higher end primers?

I heard the rumor at work and was curious, what do you think? Have you tried it?

I have actually heard about this and was going to try it myself. As soon as I do, you'll be first to know it. :D
 
I've read the Amazon comments about the Monistat chafing cream, and I'm intrigued because I happen to have a barely-used tube of this stuff in my bathroom. Would the product go on after moisturizing but before foundation? I'm interested in giving it a try!

ETA: I did some Googling and answered my own questions. I just gave the Monistat "Primer" a try and am pretty satisfied with the results. The product goes on smoothly, with only a pea-sized amount required for the entire face, and it covers fine lines really well. My pores even look smaller! I'm still prone to breakouts despite being 29-ish ;), so I'll have to make sure that I don't have any problems in that regard, but I'd suggest giving this product a try!
 
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I've tried the Monistat chafing cream and it works wonderfully! Of course, you need to realize it doesn't have any of the "beauty" ingredients of the higher-priced primers.
 
;40469730 said:
I am young enough not to need foundation

Not to step on SD's toes, and she may correct me if she feels the need to, but I felt the need to point out:

Foundation is not the first step in your makeup, foundation is the last step of your daily skin care routine.

Foundation provides a protective layer between your skin and the pollution and junk in the air, including (albeit minimal) sun protection.

I wear foundation everyday, whether I put anything on top of it or not.

Also, many thanks to SatinDesire for sharing her wealth of knowledge with us; I have learned so much, just this morning. It is truly a good person who shares so many years of experience with complete strangers out of the goodness of their heart. I will have to read through the original thread and see what I can learn from it.
 
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Hi Makeup Fairy!

I never wore much makeup in the past. My first boyfriend did not like it at all when I wore makeup of any kind, but my boyfriend now finds it really sexy. So, I recently started wearing it more often and I just used up my first tube of mascara ever after six years.
Thanks for any insight you can offer :)

Hopefully I didn't screw this up in trying to quote the snippet above, about mascara and having it for 6 years....Makeup has a shelf life (depends on what kind), and keeping it that long isn't good. Things like lipstick, liquid foundation, mascara and liquid eyeliner, for example, can get bacteria growth in them over time, and it can cause issues. I don't remember the timelines (maybe makeup fairy has information at hand), but in general you should replace unused makeup. Eyeshadow, blush and powder foundations could be different, not sure but with more liquid things, definitely worth replacing (I seem to recall 6 months, but I could be wrong).

I agree with makeup fair and hormones, that as we get older a lot of the effects we see are because of hormone levels dropping (applies to men and women). Yeah, some doctors continue to claim the fall off of hormones is natural and so forth but considering that until the 20th century average life expectance was dying in middle age (45 or so), and we have extended that, hard to argue that. Among other things, drops in hormones cause problems with aging skin, heart disease and other things, and this is backed up by real research. Then too what constitutes acceptable levels of hormones in the blood is subject to doubt, MD's are using ranges, that may or may not mean anything....

One point I would make is before trying HRT (which is always possibility)there are now things out there for men and women designed to boost hormone levels and the like. OTC stuff has its own problems, you don't necessarily know how good the stuff you are taking is, but with herbal supplements (that for women normally contain things like wild yam extracts, black cohosh, saw palmetto and the like) the advantage is they aren't in high doses and might work without having to go the HRT route. I am not a doctor, so take this with that in mind, but it might be worth looking into. My sweetie takes something designed to help herbal balance a woman MD came up with, and it seems to have done wonders for her, in her late 40's, with her skin and with issues like vaginal dryness and the like she was having...not going to mention the name on here, don't want it to be like 'this stuff is great, go and buy it......if someone does want to know, pm me...I can tell you that if you want to try 'real' hormones, do it through a doctor and make sure you are monitored...when I was in transition doing HRT (M to F trans), I was taking what was considered a starting dosage and my estrogen levels were through the roof, enough that my endo was getting close to cutting my dose.


For nails, my big recommendation is to try fish oil supplements, I take these supplements for heart health that include a lot of fish oil, and my nails have gone nuts. I usually had brittle nails, nubs, and with this stuff they are growing like crazy and are tough (has other side benefits, my dry eyes have gotten better, too). You can get gel capsules or take it in liquid form, but it really seems to work.


As far as makeup, when I started seriously a path towards transitioning, I was fortunate to have as my hair lady someone who also is a professional makeup artist, who did/still does all kind of photo shoots for tv and print ads and such in NYC. What she told me was she found each makeup brand had strengths and weaknesses and over the years she found what worked for her, that the expensive makeups might not work better then cheaper ones and she also said something wise, it also depends on the user. Some more expensive makeup I found was easier to work with for me, being as clumsy as I was, but I could achieve similar results with a store brand once I learned how to work with makeup better. Her recommendation was to try different makeup and see what worked, including store and more professional brands, and see what worked given my budget and such. I found over time that more expensive brands didn't necessarily work better and I ended up using drugstore brands,, I found physicians formula blush worked great, I had good luck with eyeshadows from the standard brands, like Revlon lip colors, found great lash worked as well as lancome or any of those brands...about the only place I bought expensive stuff was foundation, I use clinique foundation in the tube, found it matched my skin color and such (victoria Jackson also makes decent makeup, and they aren't that expensive in the more high end).....basically as my friend/advisor told me, when you find what works for you, stick with it......doesn't matter whether it is 1 buck or 40 bucks, if it works what the heck:). MAC cosmetics aren't bad IME, and I kind of liked the vibe of the place (given that in my area many of their employees are gay guys or otherwise are different, didn't have a problem working with a trans girl:) but eventually I ended up using stuff that wasn't so expensive...

The other advantage is as I wrote earlier, you don't want to keep makeup around all that long, and if you are buying a 5 buck tube of Great Lash lot easier to toss it then a very expensive Lancome or whatever....
 
Let's talk skin care for the tween/teen set. I've got my two oldest using Cetaphil's Gentle Foaming Cleanser, but my son is starting to get those little white bumps that usually precede acne. Should I switch him out to an acne formula now or wait till that first pimple appears?

Also, during the tween years, I'm inclined to think just a gentle cleanser is all they need at this point. When, exactly should moisturizer be added to the routine?
 
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