Let me tell you, I'm getting a big laugh out of today's topic. This post could be over almost before it begins, mainly because I don't have a Makeup Bag.
Secondly, here is the extent of my Makeup Regimen.
I'm not even sure if the Olay cream counts as Makeup since it's more of a skin care item. I don't even use it every day, and sometimes I use it at night.
I used to use a little foundation (Neutrogena), then I started using only a dab of it to tint my moisturizer (Oil of Olay). Then, this summer, I gave that up and went au naturel. No one has ever said a thing to me about looking different or pale or icky or, "Hey, what happened to your skin?", so I decided it was more of a Me Issue and have been barefaced ever since.
And loving it. My vanity keeps me using mascara, though. I do have my standards, and I'm always on the lookout for the perfect one.
Do you still wear makeup? And do you have The Perfect Mascara for me?
There were many decades when I did not feel the need to wear foundation, but those days are sadly behind me. My skin is too uneven now, and I wear it most days even when I do not leave the house. I also like a little neutral eye shadow, and of course, I need mascara. I had decided 2020 was going to be the year I finally started wearing lipstick, but with trying to keep masks clean, that fell apart. Oh well. Maybe 2022 will be the year I finally start wearing lipstick.
ReplyDeleteJ--Probably if we were going somewhere like a wedding or fancy party, I'd put on a light bit of foundation with my moisturizer again. I was never much for eye shadow on my own eyes. Once in a while, I'd wear tinted lip balm (Burt's Bees), but that hasn't been for a while, either. You make an interesting point about makeup and masks. How do people who do full makeup keep their makeup even? Doesn't it rub off behind their mask? And I imagine they have to wash masks frequently or buy a lot of disposables.
DeleteThis sort of thing would be disastrous for Vanity.
I wear Bert's Bees tinted lip gloss and eye brow pencil if I leave the house but nothing else. I can't see well enough to do mascara but I would wear it if I could. Every New Year's I make a resolution to take better care of my skin, I buy stuff, use it about two months and lose interest again.
ReplyDeleteJean--I use a magnifying mirror to do my mascara--always have. And I don't use anything that is worky for my skin. Like you said--if I lose interest, what's the point?
DeleteMy eyebrows are black and get very bushy if I don't tweeze or wax them regularly. Like my father, I am slow to grey.
The only thing I use on a regular basis is eyebrow pencil, my brows are blonde and and just can't be seen otherwise. Mascara makes my eyes water in my old age, I had to ditch that even though I desperately need it. If I'm going out somewhere nice I will still use a light foundation, a bit of blush and a natural shade of lipstick.
ReplyDeleteMartha--My daughter-in-love had that permanent thing done with her eyebrows called microblading. It looks very natural, but it was pricey. She's a blonde also, very fair.
DeleteI'm sorry about your mascara situation; I've never heard of that! :(
I too have the problem with mascara. A few years ago, suddenly my eyes would water and/or itch if I used mascara. I tried different brands, hypoallergenic, on and on... finally admitted defeat. So I'm with Martha in my makeup.
DeleteJanL--Hello, and welcome to the Dept. Another person with the mascara problem! That's too bad, but obviously your health comes first. I wonder if it's that condition another of my readers has had called blepharitis.
DeleteI have a drawer in the bathroom with some stuff in it. Mainly eyebrow pencil because my eyebrows have almost disappeared, and a bit of foundation to hide some of the age spots. I keep having to throw the stale-dated stuff out almost unused, sadly, because I go through so little of it. The grandkid gave me eyeshadow for Christmas last year and I don't think I have used it more than twice. I never have been one for makeup. My redhaired daughter used to get her eyelashes died navy blue when she was a teen. That struck me as a bit much.
ReplyDeleteMary--I'm not an eyeshadow person. I think if I wore it, I'd look like the bride of Frankenstein's monster.
DeleteI probably should look at the date on my foundation.
Dyed eyelashes? I suppose they were red, like her hair, and she wanted them more prominent. Getting navy blue eyelashes is something you should experiment with when you're young, I suppose.
The eyeshadow I use is very neutral, I have had friends tell me they didn’t think I wore any. It mostly just evens out my skin, because without it my eyelids look blotchy. Oh gosh, I miss being young and not having these issues. Of course then I wore eyeshadow that was darker (never very dramatic though, I don’t look good with bright colors on my eyes).
DeleteWhen I was in 8th grade there was a girl at school who wore blue (or was it purple?) mascara. She was beautiful and it looked VERY chic on her. This was the early 80s. She had darker hair. I got some and tried it, and blonde pale skin me looked HORRIBLE in it. My first lesson in how makeup looked different on different people.
The difference between me wearing make-up or not is like night and day. My face is a total 'wash' without make-up. I wear make-up base to even up the skin color because I have had a bit of rosacea in recent months. A light touch of blush (sounds contradictory with the rosacea, but trust me, it's very different over make-up base), eye shadow and ... eyebrow liner. My eyebrows are where I most need something. For some reason, after my car accident several years ago, the few hairs I had in my eyebrows got to be fewer and fewer. Right now, you can hardly tell I have eyebrows without touching up. I don't use the harsh liner pencils, however. I use the applicator for eye shadow and it works great. For very special occasions, I will use mascara, which I do not like on a daily basis because it's so hard to clean off later, and ... it's hard to find a 'non-clumping' one. (It does help, though, because my eyelashes are so short!)
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I once had a professional make-up artist give me a 'make-over.' Afterwards she asked if she could publish the 'before and after' photos because it was one of the most dramatic differences she had ever seen. (And this was using a very light touch!)
All of that said, and especially since COVID hit us... I do not do full make-up every day, and mostly for my classes since... the webcam is very unforgiving. The absolutely essential is eyebrow-duty and lipstick (because my lips are so very pale; I so wish I had lovely red lips and could just get away with some lip gloss for fancy occasions.)
Ortizzle--How odd that the car accident seemed to be the catalyst for your eyebrows' thinning. I wonder if some sort of nerve damage could have occurred. I know I had Rick's doctor run a thyroid test because of his sparse eyebrows (it's a symptom), but it came back normal.
DeleteThe mascara I use (in the photo above) is a non-clumping one. I recommend it highly. It comes off easily with soap and water or any makeup remover cloth/wipe, both of which I've used.
Webcam appearance is yet another reason I'm glad I'm not teaching in this age of COVID. I cringe when I see myself on video calls to friends and family. You and I both know the critical eye of teenagers.
To veer off a bit, I think you and J have discovered the reason Trump does not like to wear masks... and it is not political or a matter of him asserting personal freedom. Masks mess up his makeup-and vice versa. I read that Whitehouse cleaning staff have gone on record that his makeup gets on all his towels.
ReplyDeleteEileen in Fla. - That is totally a THING with 45! I have read articles where they interviewed the maids at his golf resorts who complained about how he would get furious if they were not able to remove all the orange make-up stains on his shirt collars.
DeleteEileen--I think you're right! Great bit of sleuthing there on your part! If he has to keep a mask on, it would mess with his foundation. And upon removal, any photograph could show the residue left behind on the mask. Brilliant!
DeleteI've got foundation and mascara and Burt's Bees daily moisturizer. But I don't wear the foundation every day. Just when I feel like making the effort. Because...pandemic. But I would love to get the Boom Sticks. Have you seen them?
ReplyDeleteMinerva--I just watched a video about them. I don't think they're for me. My skin is still on the oily side and those sticks look greasy. Plus, that's a lot of pink. I'll pass, I think.
DeleteI generally only used makeup, except for lipstick, when I went out at night since the lights could wash out the face and finally stopped any sort of facial makeup or caring if I had a shiny nose many years ago. That's what makeup was originally designed for -- ladies on the stage -- so their features could be seen from the audience. Subsequently, it has gone to the ridiculous level on which those wanting to make money capitalize. Just as I believe in natural aging, as I've written about, I prefer natural appearances. I have long since mostly given up lipstick which began when I was doing a therapy activity I needed to demonstrate involving lots of mouth, tongue, lip activity with many of my patients, so it was coming off anyway. I have begun more regularly using an eyebrow pencil because my red hair isn't any more. In fact my now white or grayish eyebrows are so unpronounced as to need darkening for others to see since they are an important part of my non-verbal communication system. I probably should use an under-the-eye liner, too. After washing my face without soap I do apply a standard lotion which I don't consider makeup.
ReplyDeleteJoared--I like a more natural appearance, too, but I don't mind a bit of refining and polish. Or Enhancement, so to speak. There's nothing wrong with enhancing your features.
DeleteI feel fortunate that I still have dark, full eyebrows that need regular maintenance.
My husband used to complain when I wore lipstick. He's happy that I no longer wear any. As a matter of fact, I can't even remember the last time I wore some!
I don't wear makeup - haven't for years. When I was young and I wanted to start wearing makeup because all of my friends were, my Mom wouldn't allow it saying, "You have natural beauty." So after years of wearing some makeup (blush, lipstick, mascara), I quit - being too lazy and too cheap to bother. I always remember her words, "I have natural beauty"! :)
ReplyDeleteEllen--My parents always told me that, too. It's part of the Handbook, LOL.
DeleteI think giving up foundation was, for me, a laziness thing as well. Most women do have their own natural beauty. Think of all the generations before us who never wore even a hint of cosmetics and were considered beautiful.
I do still wear makeup to work every day (I remember one Saturday at my church craft group I decided to not wear makeup & someone asked if I was sick). I wear foundation, blush, eye shadow/liner, mascara (about every other day - I mostly wear glasses these days & I don't think people can actually tell), and I wear one of those lipsticks that basically stain your lips & stay (it doesn't come off on my mask). I started using a setting spray to see if it would keep makeup from getting on my mask as much - it only works a little bit. Because I wear my mask when I'm around other people I think the makeup is just for me - and really only for when I'm doing my hair in the morning because I wear a mask in the bathroom at work. Maybe I'll experiment with going without & see if anyone notices (although I'm in the south now & they might be just too polite to say anything - ha!).
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I have also not found the perfect mascara. I'm still using the Cover Girl Professional in the pink tube, which mostly works until it doesn't (usually means it's time to replace it).
Bug--I think people can still tell even if you wear glasses! I wear glasses exclusively now, and I can definitely tell. If anything, glasses draw more attention to your eyes, IMO.
DeleteAnytime I wear makeup it's just for me. I do think it gives us a boost when we know we are looking our best.
Your story about not wearing makeup and someone asking if you were sick reminds me of my father's big opinions on makeup. He always told us we did not need makeup and that he preferred natural beauty. YET, he was quite enamoured of the women on the country music channel, who we all know had big hair and wore plenty of makeup. Once, I showed up at the house with no makeup on, and later my mother told me he asked her about my health. He was concerned because I had looked "peaked and a little wan in the face." We both had a good laugh at his hypocrisy, which always came out in spades with regard to women.
Your simple routine is awesome. Compared to many I am a minimal make up person. I use a tinted moisturizer , mascara, eyeliner and lipstick
ReplyDeletekathy b--That's minimal also. What's that saying? "Less is more."
Deletemakeup? you've got to be kidding!!!!!
ReplyDeletesteph--I'll put you down as a Barefaced Beauty.
DeleteNo makeup with the exception of wearing lipstick to special occasions and a swipe of a compact sponge over an oily nose and cheeks when needed on those occasions. I'm one with blepharitis who can't do mascara. I loved it when I wore it decades ago before I started wearing contacts as my beautiful long eyelashes were greatly diminished after a flash fire incident that burned my eyelashes.
ReplyDeleteShirley--Sounds simple and perfect.
DeleteHow terrible to lose your eyelashes that way! That must have been scary.
I miss my contact lenses so much. Having constant dry eye with them makes it an impossibility now. It's glasses for me. Sigh.