Using Every Last Bit

We all know that nice quality makeup is friggin' expensive. Here are some tips on using every last bit of it to stretch your dollar a bit further. I happen to be running out of my liquid foundation and powder right now at the same time. I've been using a crappy brush for about the last week or two to carefully scrape every last drop of my foundation out of the bottle. I kind of need a bent angle brush like this to get that curved part near the top.

You just swipe that across your face and blend in rather than use your fingers. Yes, I look dumb. But I seriously have kept from needing to get out a new bottle of foundation for almost 2 weeks and that's nothing to laugh at because at $10.49 a bottle, or $1342.72 a gallon,  it isn't cheap! ( yes, 1 gal = 128 fl oz and one bottle is 1 fl oz)

 Once it is all blended, it doesn't look as dumb:

Now powder is trickier because it gets all crammed into the corners. I've been tediously using my kabuki powder brush to get this out:







Here, I crushed up the remaining powder with the end of that same brush I used to get my liquid foundation out:

Once it's pretty pulverized, you can gently dab your normal kabuki/powder brush in and apply as usual.

See? Applies as normal.


Pro Tip: don't put your shirt on until you are done with your makeup. This keeps you from having powder on your shirt. Same goes for brushing your teeth.

And looks better in natural light.











You can keep doing that, gently dabbing til the pulverized powder is slowly all used. The only problem I find with that is sometimes the larger chunks get stuck in your powder brush and then fall out when you apply it to your face (if you don't tap it out before going to your face) and that is not using all the product! Remember, you are trying to get all the mileage you can out of your makeup.

And thusly, I present this "re-constitution" idea. Get out the highest percent rubbing alcohol you can find. The highest I can find is 91% at CVS. I'm sure Walgreens has it too but meh, whatever you want to do. Step 1 is to crush those pieces down super fine:

Then pour a little bit of alcohol in. Not too much to drown it, but enough to saturate it. To me, this looks like my cat's wet food.

Then mix that slurry really really well.  I'm using the end of that brush, but have used tweezers before.

The goal is to get it all in the middle so you can use your powder brush on it later. So scrape around the sides the best you can. Admittedly, tweezers are better at getting into the corners.

Now let it dry for 24 hours. Here it is after about 12 hours:

It'll crack, that's normal. It'll crack more the more alcohol you put into it.

This same alcohol technique can be used on powder eye shadows (more on that in another post)!



I'm sure you've melted your lipstick at some point, don't laugh at it. The same technique applies when you are running out of it too. You can get a ton more applications of lip stick if you are just willing to get out a brush to put it on. To be fair, too, it usually gives you a nicer lip line anyway to use an angled brush or just brush in general. No photos of this because I only really wear lipstick when I am going out to the bar and I don't have any application photos of that yet.

Well, I hoped this will encourage you all to get out your brushes and start scraping the last remains of your makeup out. You'll be surprised how many applications you'll get out of something you otherwise would have just tossed in the garbage can. I've been doing this for years now. Not just because it saves money, but sometimes you don't always have a back up waiting and you have no time to run to the store.

Oh Acne!

This will probably be a recurring post topic for me since a lot of people struggle with it. I, myself, struggle constantly with acne. My goal here is to help you short cut to something that works for you or perhaps let you in on something you haven't yet tried. No matter how you cut it, face washes, creams, moisturizers, shampoos, deodorants, all beauty products are not one size fits all. What works for me might not work for you and in the end, it is YOU who have to experiment by trial-and-error. There's even the fact that your body chemistry changes over time and something that used to work for you might stop working & it's time to find something else. I'm going to try to ease your pain.


Identify your skin type
The first thing you have to do is identify what kind of skin you have. I have normal leaning towards oily skin. Oily especially in that famous T-zone. My skin is also exceptionally sensitive. I can't use peroxide (especially benzoyl peroxide at any concentration) without fear of my skin getting red, itchy, dry and in the case of open wounds, super filled with pus and 20x angier than if I'd just have left it alone. When I was a teenager, I was all about benzoyl peroxide. I thought it was a miracle. It zapped those zits dry but it left me with flaky, dry, red skin. Not pretty. Also, I find dry skin even harder to put makeup on than just flat out zitty skin.


Decide what your top concerns are
My two biggest concerns are no zits and no dry flaky skin. I don't worry so much about the unevenness of my skin tone or under eye circles - that's what makeup is for. I also don't worry about wrinkles. Not because I'm young, I'm almost 30, but because whatever. I want to look as natural an healthy as possible. Wrinkles are a sign of use. Smile lines around your eyes and mouth are good things to have. Now, unless you have a furrowed brow from being angry all the time, you shouldn't worry about wrinkles.


Develop a testing method
And stick to it! Your skin usually isn't going to react (positively or negatively) over night to a new face wash. You have to give it weeks to see if its right for you. I know. I am impatient too. But I promise to myself I will use the whole bottle of something (or like 3/4) before I determine if I like a product or not. About a month of using something gives you a better idea of if it is good for your skin or not. It will have been used during all levels of hormones and stress so you can better judge it. 


Don't get discouraged
Sometimes you'll go through a mountain of products before you find what is best for you. In the meantime, your skin is going to suck. But something I've learned over the years is that it isn't the end of the world. Life goes on. I admit sometimes acne has kept me from going to social events if it is particularly terrible. But I generally try to push on and go to events where having fun at the event would be a million times better than staying at home with my giant boil on my chin or where ever.  Keep trying til you find something that works for you. If you've tried the basics and still need help, there is always a dermatologist. I've been to plenty myself.


General pointers
Really there are only two. Wash & Moisturize. Wash your face in the morning when you get up and in the evening just before bed. You could get away with one other time (sometimes I re-do makeup for the night if my day makeup got all sweaty and gross) but don't wash your face excessively. It makes your skin flaky or conversely, could cause a serious over production of oil. Both are bad. After you wash, MOISTURIZE. I don't even care about you whining you have oily skin. There are moisturizers out there for you too. You have to replenish the oil lost in the washing process or your face will work double time to make more oil. Again, this is bad. Some people would recommend a toner in between but I haven't found that to significantly improve my skin so I say you can skip that step. Also, I only use acne treatments at night after I moisturize. It seems to be that I can't cover it with makeup during the day and I've really searched the market for something truly undetectable under makeup.  This Almay Concealer was the only one I could find that actually worked well as a concealer AND acne treatment. The problem was, the color didn't match well at all.


Here's some stuff I recommend & don't recommend
To help you on your journey, here's some things I've learned. I generally love Neutrogena products. I like their Pink Grapefruit, Redness Soothing and Stress Control lines. But I do NOT recommend any face soap - or for that matter soap at all - that is solid. Even Neutrogena's solid bar is a no-go. No matter how fancy or non-comedogenic it claims to be, solid soaps usually ends up either making me break out or drying the crap out of my skin. Most Clean & Clear & Clearasil products I either hate or just felt 'meh' about. Aveeno has been alright. It didn't remove makeup well in my humble opinion, but might be good for those who don't wear makeup or just as a morning cleanser. I've had some samples of Murad Clarifying Cleanser and Time Release Acne Cleanser that were pretty nice. Just WOAH expensive so I've never bought any.

As for moisturizer, I am pretty picky. I like Neutrogena's Oil Free Sensitive Skin moisturizer pretty much exclusively. I occasionally buy the CVS knock off, but that feels waxier on my skin than the real deal. I've had lots and lots of sample moisturizers and face washes from Sephora but most have not impressed me enough for me to want to buy the product. I seriously just searched Sephora for moisturizers and none of them I recall to be particularly amazing or terrible. This one I can't offer much help on. Choose one based on your needs (oily, dry, combo) that is non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic, and oil free. That's the best advice I can give. I hear ones with salicylic acid are good for oily skin.

I like Boscia's masks. I have the Clarifying Detox Mask I use as a spot treatment when I have just popped a white head. I don't use it on all of my face normally. I also use their Luminizing Black Mask about once a month to rip out black heads everywhere. Makes my skin so very soft. I don't recommend any drug store masks as they all seem to just make everything worse. Previously mentioned in another post, I like Philosophy's Micro delivery Peel but only about once a month.


In summation
Good luck! I will post more on my recommendations and non-recommendations in later posts and go into more detail as to why/why not I like them. In the meantime, know that you aren't the only one struggling with acne. It is totally A Thing. Even as an Adult.

Braids!

So I had my favorite braider (aside from my sister of course) Mary Bertke braid my hair at a steampunk event we had recently. The Privateer's Promenade at Ace of Cups in Columbus, Oh. This is a dutch classic into buns. Very much inspired by her French Classic to buns on her website.

I absolutely loved it, got a lot of compliments on it and it looked amazing even the next day after drunkenly sleeping on it:

And infact, I kept it in for 4 days before taking it out:

Honestly, I probably could have kept this braid a few more days but my scalp was already itchy and flaky before I even got it put in. I didn't quite exfoliate my scalp well enough beforehand and also had been using some terrible shampoo (curse you Garnier Fructis!) After a few days, I was burning to take it out. But this is yet another example of how you can make a hair style last  a very long time and then have a whole other awesome style to wear for a few more days even after that.

I really recommend braids. I honestly can't braid my own hair at all. Or anyone's hair for that matter. But find a friend, a family member or even a professional to do it. Its great. Braids could easily disguise a bad dye job, a bad hair cut or just a bad hair dye. They're also nice when you are growing your hair color / perm out because again, they disguise the line of demarcation to make it less noticeable. They're also less harsh on your hair than heat styling with flat irons or curling irons!

Some tips so you can keep your braids for as long as possible:
Wash your hair the day before or the day of getting your braid. You should let your hair air dry completely before getting it braided because braiding while it is wet can damage the hair. If you insist on wet-braiding (as I sometimes do), take care that it isn't braided too tight. When it dries, it constricts and can cause breakage. I usually use a leave in conditioner after washing my hair to help eliminate frizzies. My braider friend Mary also uses a clear, lightweight gel when she braids.

To keep your braids nice at night when you sleep, I can't recommend enough the use of a du-rag. They're specifically designed to keep your hairstyle over night. They are a silky material which allows the hair to slip around and breathe unlike a normal cloth bandanna or scarf. I tie mine along my hairline to avoid any weird dents in my hair/skin. Don't tie it too tightly around your head, both to keep from getting dents and it will give you a splitting headache. Here's a quick basic how to put a du rag on.

I do not bother washing my hair the entire time I have my hair in braids. I've sort of trained my scalp to be used to not being washed very often. But if you get dandruff easily, you aren't going to be able to stand wearing braids for long. Because you can't wash and condition your hair, your scalp skin flakes off and doesn't have anywhere to go.There are oils out there made for cornrows that moisturize and also have ingredients to numb the itchiness. I've used Organics Itch Relief , but wasn't too impressed with it. It smelled intense like cloves or something and I had to use it every day or my scalp would start itching again.

I have heard, but not tried, that you can wear your du rag in the shower to wash your braids. The method is to completely saturate your hair with water while its in the du rag. Then you put your shampoo in your palms and uniformly coat the outside of the rag. Then you rinse the shampoo through the rag and onto your scalp. While I think this sounds like a great idea to get smells out of your hair (smoke I guess), it doesn't sound like it'd help you with an itchy scalp because you aren't actually exfoliating your scalp.

Speaking of exfoliating your scalp, you are going to want to do that when you take your braids out. I usually use my long nails to scratch my head and flick out the dead skin under my nails into the trash. This is both gross and cumbersome. But I find it necessary. Especially if you want to wear your hair fluffy for a couple more days. You can't wet it or you'll ruin the wave!

If you want to ruin the wave and get your scalp all polished, I have had great success in the past mixing one part conditioner (not your expensive stuff) and one part brown sugar in a dish and using that on your scalp first. You gently knead it into just your scalp using circular finger motions. Do this thoroughly and all over your entire head before you rinse it out. Be sure to rinse well, then wash your hair as normal! This is pretty nice to do in the winter too, to help your hair and scalp stay moisturized.

This probably won't be my last post saying how much I love braids. But you learn something new each time!

Eyeshadow: silver & black with crease

A lot of ladies ask me how I do my fantastic eye make up. It takes practice, so one big thing I can recommend is to do it more often. I try to do my makeup every time I go out. I usually don't wear eyeshadow at all to work and even when I do, its usually subtle. This is pretty dramatic. It will also take time to do, so factor in how long it normally takes and then add about 20 minutes. The more unpracticed, the more time you want to give yourself so you don't get frustrated.

Here I am with my finished daily-wear base makeup:

Pretty bland and boring. My eyebrows look like crap. Yes, I've covered most my flaws but I don't really look enhanced either.

You'll want to start with an eyeshadow primer. I use Urban Decay as previously mentioned in past posts. Dab and smooth a spot of that on your entire eyelid and let it dry before starting on the eyeshadow. You'll also want a fairly large hand mirror. I use the one that comes in this Urban Decay Vice Palette. You need this if you want to lean over and put your shadow on to keep it from falling on your cheeks. Some people tape off their eye (lol I tried that once with terrible results) or tap the brush off a lot after loading up the eyeshadow (yes I tap a bit off, but I don't want to waste my eyeshadow!)

Start with the lightest color on the browbone:

This is Aspen Summit No 23 by Sephora.

Next, load up your second lightest color. This is Cover Girl Dream Eyes #222 Quad.

Put this on.. basically the rest of your lid. Don't concentrate it on the outside and crease.

Now for the lighter of your two dark colors. This is Sally Girl White Chocolate 388715.

Apply that to the outer edges of your eyelids, up to the crease and about 1/3 to 1/2 way across your lid. This is where that big hand mirror comes in handy. Since the other colors were lighter, you won't (if you are white) have to worry about the shadow falling onto your cheeks. With the darker colors, though, set the mirror on a flat surface and lean over and apply your color. Its lazy and works!

Now for your darkest color. All the other colors you can apply with a standard oval brush, but for the crease I highly recommend a small, angled brush. This is Urban Decay Oil Slick.

Make sure you tap out excess eyeshadow before applying. It will give you a better line. Work slowly. There is no rush. Yes, it kind of looks like you drew on your crease with an eyeliner pencil. That is good definition! You'll make it less drawn on in the next few steps.

This is a nice base. Now you basically go over it all again and make it richer. In the first round, I used a fluffier oval brush. This one is a lot thinner so as to give me better control. Again, start with the lightest and work to the darkest. Same as before.

This is where you change it up. You've done your two light colors and now onto the dark. I then actually do the Darkest color. Yes, I made the black even blacker by going over it a second time. Your final color application will be the lighter of the two dark colors. You take that thinner oval brush right into the black of the crease to help blend it out and over your lid. 

Now Eyebrows! I used to pluck the ever loving hell out of my eyebrows. I'm going to be one of those old ladies with drawn on eyebrows. I'm not even that old and right now, I still advocate filling in your brows a bit. I have green hair, so I picked out my Urban Decay Graffiti. Use either the smaller oval brush or even a small angled brush. Something you have good control over.

You can see how much of a difference this makes:

The bottom eyelid, we've been mostly ignoring you. Here you use a pencil liner on the waterline (inner eyelid). A lot of people have to pull their lower lid down to apply this. Sure, go for it. You'll also notice I made sure to use the lightest shadow (same thing as the brow bone)on my inner eye where my tear duct is. The silver on my lower lid all across and swept under the black. And I used the small angled brush to take a tiny bit of that black into my under eyelid about halfway across.

Now on to this awesome creme eyeliner. I used the eyeliner brush that came out of my L'Oreal HIP Creme eyeliner. But this color is Ebony by Glo.

I usually start working from my outer lid and then to the inner since I only line like 3/4 of my eyelid. I go back and fix the cat eye after I have a nice dark line.

Here you can see the difference between lined and unlined.

I usually like Maybelline's Blackest Black, but this Avon wash off waterproof in black W01 isn't bad at all. I like how Maybelline washes right off (but stains your washclothes). The Avon is harder to wash off, I usually use an eye makeup remover. I recommend Almay gentle eye makeup remover pads. I like the brush on both the Maybelline and Avon. NOTE: don't pump the brush in and out. That only serves to dry out your mascara. Once is good enough.

Applied!

Lips. This looks silvery but it is really mostly clear with tiny flecks of silver. This is ancient Bonne Bell Lip Sheers in Glistening Glaze 9b. I like it because it smells like vanilla.

And Finally, you are done. Well, put on your clothes and then you are fantastic:

Shampoo & Conditioner I Love

I love Matrix Biologe. I think I found out about it years ago after I got a terrible hair cut at Great Clips but after the cut, was recommended Matrix products. I bought some and haven’t looked back since. To give some background, I have long, thick, dry, dyed hair. My scalp also gets dry and flaky if I use crap shampoo. So the products I look for have to: usually be dye friendly, really moisturize (my hair AND scalp) and not further damage my hair. If your hair is fine, oily, or not dyed, the stuff I use will probably be too heavy for you. I have experimented with a few different product lines Matrix has, but here are my favorite two:

http://www.matrix.com//our-products/haircare/biolage/scalptherapie/anti-dandruff-shampoohttp:

I found this shampoo to be awesome. I only wash my hair about once a week. On average. I can take between 3 and 10 days to wash my hair. A little goes a long way and it isn’t drying. It soothes my scalp. Gets rid of flakes and moisturizes. It doesn’t strip my haircolor horribly. Though I have weird colored hair so any shampoo at all is going to cause my water to be colorful. Which is one of the reasons I don’t wash very often.

http://www.matrix.com//our-products/haircare/biolage/hydra-therapy/conditioning-balm

I found this conditioner is freaking amazing. I love the smell. It conditions my thick, porous, dyed, long & damaged ends of my hair. I’d recommend to use it every other wash as it can be kind of heavy. But in the winter, go ahead and use it every time. I Buy it in a tub.

Those are the ones I love. However, right now I am using some others as experiments:

 Naturelle Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner

This is kind of like knock off Matrix Biolage. I don't like the smell as much as I like Matrix, but its been doing a pretty nice job lately. I've used it long ago in the past but sort of forgot if I liked it or not. I've been using it for a couple weeks and its been alright. Its moisturizing enough, but I think I might need to do a deep moisturizing treatment every few times I use this stuff. Not as good as the Matrix HydraTherapy stuff but not bad either.

Matrix Biolage ScalpTherapie Normalizing Shampoo

I accidentally got this instead of my anti-dandruff stuff. This is still not bad. I love the smell. Its not a creamy consistency like the anti-dandruff. It has salicylic acid in it to help normalize the scalp and keep it from flaking. So I view it as like dandruff shampoo lite. It isn't as moisturizing which is the biggest draw back. But it also isn't causing me to be super flaky. Again, I've only been using it for a couple of weeks so the jury is still out but preliminary results are: it's not bad.