This morning I experienced a personal mini-crisis. When I went to apply my eye cream, specially purchased on my last trip to India I realized – I had just run out. It was like one of those scenes in a movie where time stood still and zoomed in close on the empty container.
Desi girls are brown. Which means that our skin has a high level of pigmentation, unlike the pigmentation of the majority of girls in America. This means that there are probably a few common experiences that we share. At some point in our teenage make-up experimentation stage we were told to purchase the generically colored “tan” foundation and/or concealer despite it not matching our skin tone at all. We wore a ghastly bright red lipstick because someone said it looked good with our skin. Finally is the struggle to find the perfect eye cream to battle those undereye bags that a large percentage of South Asian women are genetically predisposed to and that none of the products sold here cater to.
East Asian women have Shiseido. Ambi is a line of product catering to women of color for lotions and creams. But the Desi girl doesn’t have much else, and a walk through CVS or Sephora or Nordstrom’s makeup counters is liable to give me a panic attack.
Never to fear. In my panicked frenzy this morning, I stumbled across two blogs to the rescue: An Indian’s Makeup Blog and The Indian Make-Up Diva.
Here’s what I love about the blogs: 1) These are Desi American women writing the blogs, so all of the products they use can be found here. 2) They try and review the products with a Desi girl slant. 3) They give easy to understand instructions on how to put on make up. 4) They are written with wit and charm.
Who is the Indian Girl behind An Indian’s Makeup Blog?
I am what you call a late bloomer but have been interested in make up since forever. My Indian parents ( like so many other Indian parents) never let me use make up until my sophomore year at college. Though I am thankful for that, I am now more than compensating for all those lost years.[AIMB]
A couple of things unique to her site are the helpful instructional videos and her homemade beauty product creations, like this face mask. I also like how she takes pictures of herself wearing the product such as lip gloss, just so you know how it’s actually going to look on. Follow IndianGirl on twitter to read her daily makeup adventures.
Anu at the The Indian Make-Up Diva is just as make-up crazed.
You might have guessed but I am obsessed with all things make-up. As I am currently in grad school I don’t have the time to put my lessons learned during art school to use so I make my face my canvas (before this would be literal and you’d see me walking around campus with green and blue paint on my face/hair clothes).[IMD]
What I love about Anu’s blog is how she has these really basic step by step photo tutorial on how to apply make-up. I mean, really, really, basic – perfect for a girl like me. And she has no qualms about putting her own face on her site as an example. She also goes in-depth about products that she reviews, as well as tossing in a bit of witty sarcasm while she’s at it. Additionally, she’ll give instructions to mimic red carpet looks of Desi actresses and she’ll lay it out pretty simply, listing exactly what you need to get the look. You can also follow Anu at twitter.
So there you go, two blogs for the everyday Desi girl to help us maneuver the madness of beauty products. Are there other sites or blogs that you would recommend, a line of product you use, or a beauty related desi issues that you need to vent? I’d love to hear from you on it.
1) Did you ever find a new eye cream? I realized that this year, I should probably start wearing it, and would love to hear what you found/recommend.
2) Re: brown products…have you ever loved the idea of something more than the reality of it? That’s how I felt about Real Cosmetics, a company started by a Pakistani-American ex-model, Lubna Khalid. I bought powder and lipstick yeeeears ago, from Lubna herself, in Berkeley (it was either six or ten years ago– feels like I’m hallucinating it, now). Neither were used more than twice. The web site and concept may be lovely, but that’s not what I color my lips with, so…yeah. I really wanted to like it, but I was back with Chanel after 48 hours.
3) Speaking of, it’s not super-easy to find color cosmetics from the major lines, but it CAN be done (oh, trust. it can be. I have the overflowing product closet to prove it). I feel like it’s getting easier, all the time.
4) While I love the idea of Desi makeup advice, I’m always a little cautious about conceptualizing it that way because of the massive diversity among us– my mom, sister and I don’t even wear the same colors.
5) Finally, thank you for profiling both of those beauty bloggers! So inspiring. Now you have me pondering the revival of my personal blog, because my addiction to buy-one-get-one-free L’oreal lipstick at CVS should serve a greater purpose, and beauty reviews sound FUN. Well, that and I clearly have no issues with writers’ block on THIS topic. 😉
My desi sisters..as of this week, I am officially on the wrong side of 35 and have never really worn makeup..except some lipstick and lakme eyeliner now and then..I am making lots of changes in my life and wearing make up and getting my hair done is one of them. I am clueless about makeup, what would be the best way for me to get started? My friends suggested callign the local Avon rep for a makeover and buying the prods she recommends or head down to Macys/MAC @ the mall and get a consultation from them..what do you recommend? many thanks in advance!
Ha! I buy all my makeup from Lakmé when I go to Mumbs. They need to open one in Edison or Jackson Heights or something. They’d make money “hand over fist,” as my mom says.
just read the first paragraph and it reminded me of the Flight of the Conchords episode where Brett and Jermaine run out of hair gel and they both have a panic attack. hilarious episode.
MAC is great, but I don’t know if I’d recommend it for what you’re trying to do– only because it may not be as beginner-friendly or welcoming. Of course, if you can find a MAC rep at Macy’s who is going to listen to you intently and be patient while helping you achieve the look you want (which I’m guessing doesn’t involve anything theatrical)– you’re set…but I don’t know how easy that’s going to be. Unfortunately, that’s what it boils down to, no matter which company you go to…and it’s not easy to find a makeup artist or sales associate who is truly great at what they do (or skilled with our skin). If you’re in D.C., I could recommend a few people. There used to be a Desi makeup artist who worked for MAC at Nordstrom/Tyson’s, who was wonderful but I think she’s moved on.
My advice to you is to find someone (a friend or even a stranger) whose makeup you genuinely appreciate, and would wear yourself. Find out what they use and buy it yourself. Then, practice. A lot of this is trial-and-error, but the good news is, that’s the fun part. 🙂 I learned by not being shy and asking other women what they were using, if I saw an eye shadow or a lip gloss which caught my eye. The women I asked never minded. Ever. It’s flattering!
p.s. Happy belated birthday. And there’s no “wrong” side of anything. I love being 34.
Thanks Anna, appreciate the input!
Eye-cream! It’s my only beauty obsession because both my nani and mom have bags to the middle of their cheek, so I’ve always been particularly wary.
No I still haven’t found one that I like. I went to CVS because everyone keeps raving about Oil of Olay’s regenerist eye cream but after I brought it home, let’s just say the hint of concealer doesn’t work for this brown girl. I’m going to return it.
I like really moist eye creams – they double well as a primer for eye shadow and keep the puffiness down. Avon Anew line of eye cream was good and reduced the color pigmentation a bit. I also have used the garnier one – but that one has this shiny thing that makes light reflect that I don’t think really helps the bags. Skin Effects Eye Effects is okay, but I don’t think I’ll buy again. The eye cream from India that made everyone think I was 5-10 years younger than my read age is Vichy Bi-White Advanced Anti-Dark Circles Whitening Corrective Eye Cream.
Other products I swear by, since we are sharing, Ambi – Even & Clear Targeted Mark Minimizer, glo therapeutics gloRenew Serum, and Nivea a Kiss of Moisture chapstick.
I think for me the brown skin factor comes into play more for skin factor than for matching make up factor. I love Urban Decay for all my eye make up, but all the skin stuff throws me for a loop – from moisturizing, to concealer to foundation and eye cream. I finally found Pur Minerals which I love – Medium Dark – because it’s all in one. But I’m leaning towards the look of flawless smooth finish of liquids and no clue where to begin.
Also as for matching colors – I came across this entry about how MAC is now going to have more colors catering to South Asian women.
As for starting point on make-up – if you go to ulta and sephora there are always some promo days where some make up artist comes in to do make up that you can sign up for. Usually free. they try to make you buy a product but you don’t have to. It’s always kind of fun to see how they would do make up on you. Also – these two blogs I just linked! I swear to god, I’m never going to buy a product ever again without seeing how these ladies reviewed it. 🙂
(sorry this was so long… I care)
Thank you ladies. Scored a few bonus points with my desi girl.
Thank you! I just figured out tinted chapsticks, so.. 🙂 And the eye-cream advice might be put to use some day, ‘coz I do get tired of being asked if I didn’t sleep well when I manage to average 8 hours quite regularly.
How about:
http://www.globalgoddessbeauty.com/ http://www.vasanticosmetics.ca/
I’ve tried a lip balm from Vasanti but nothing from Shalini Vadhera’s line. MAC has my loyalty.
As a beauty writer, there are several problems with these sites. Firstly, skin is skin. Brown skin does differ in melanin composition, but not in it’s make up. Desi girls can find awesome products at CVS or Sephora. Products being made by brown gals does not mean you’ll get great skin (or the make up on top). Secondly, red carpet looks are rarely products you’ll find over the counter. These are specially created, longer lasting products that are hand mixed by artists who know how to achieve the looks under red carpet lighting, intense flash photography and varying weather conditions. We simply do not walk on the red carpet when wearing our BB foundations or C40 fixes. You are seeing cosmetics which take 1.5 – 2 hours to apply, not the 15 min we have in the bathroom lighting. You are also seeing airbrushing of foundations, glazes of anti-shine, coats of false lashes & mascaras, and 2-3 shades of lip glosses, sticks and pencils combined to achieve a photo-ready public apperance.
Taz — eye creams by definition are moisturizing and thus shouldn’t serve well as a primer. You’ll want primer to extend the colour and depth of your shadows, not crease off. In the categories of those, you’ll get intense moisture or reduction of puffiness, rarely both as the ingredients differ. For the smooth finish of liquids, look for demi-matte or mattie finishes in oil free foundations with base colours to match your neckline. Like Anna said, not everyone is the same colour. So, don’t assume Indian gal pals will all be yellow based. Some are pink, despite being brown. CVS also offers samples, before you try. La Roche Posay is an excellent line to begin sampling.
hint, hint to Mac-istas: skip the dept stores in favour of the Mac Flagship stores. As a former retail beauty consultant, who worked for $12.50/hour, I can tell you, we just tossed products on you for commissions. Professionals at the Mac store are trained not to push products, require schooling, and do not work on commission. More secrets to share about gift with purchases, samples, etc. if anyone cares 😉
@ Taz: thanks for the ideas, will check out Sephora, they have one right by my place! @ NKS: There is a MAC flagship store at my mall, any further tips more than welcome!
Hi, NKS, thanks for your input. I don’t mean to offend, but from personal experience I feel there is a HUGE gap in the mainstream cosmetics industry for women of color and specifically South Asian women. I have not found any products, particularly foundations, at drugstores that won’t make me look either ashy or orange. Do you have any specific recommendations?
i’m sure this is naive of me to ask, but the skin tones of black american women overlap with brown women (even if the median is different), and there’s a large black oriented cosmetic industry right? can’t the color-related issues be subbed in? melanin is just melanin.
Sumi- you are most welcome! 🙂
Taz, doesn’t the moisture wreck your makeup, though? I don’t know, since I don’t use eye cream yet, but I feel like anything really moist would wreak havoc on eyeliner and cause massive creasing with your eyeshadow. All the eye primers I’ve used are the opposite of moist…they remind me of the stuff you prep a canvas with before painting (which makes sense, now that I’ve typed that).
Also– does your CVS stock Vichy? The ones in D.C. seem to, I know because they make my favorite eye makeup remover (the blue one). 🙂 Maybe if we contact Vichy, they can tell us what they call your beloved eye product in this country, because I swear they make a few. I know you probably already thought of this, but on the slim chance you hadn’t (or in case west coast CVS has different brands than right coast), I thought I’d throw it out there.
Oh, snap. Should’ve refreshed before hitting post. NKS addressed the eye-primer thing. 🙂
NKS– fabulously edifying comment. Now I know why there’s such a HUGE disparity between the MAC store in georgetown and MAC counters at department stores!
sunzari– I know some brown girls who’ve had luck with L’oreal’s line. In a pinch, I bought a Maybelline powder two years ago and it didn’t make me ashy. Like I said earlier, it’s not super-easy, but it can be done. My current powder is from Chanel and I have another one from Aveda which isn’t bad either (and it has a nifty spot for a lipstick in the compact hinge).
Razib– don’t you know that Desi people hate using products meant for African-Americans? That would mean we have something in common with them, or that we’d finally have to wrap our heads around that Denzel line from “Mississippi Masala”, wherein he talks about how we’re as dark as he is. I don’t know if I’d call it “large” but there is definitely a “black” niche in the cosmetic industry. My (and my friends’) biggest problem with it was the packaging et al. When I was in school, Fashion Fair was sold at Macy’s but the compacts and ads looked like shit. My African-American gf would just have their powders/foundation custom-mixed at Prescriptives (owned by Estee Lauder) or later, MAC (also Lauder).
Way out of my element here, but great post, ne’ertheless! Loved the two blogs you linked too 🙂
Some desis might want to give the Japanese line Shiseido a look-see. It worked for me just fine for as long as I had the patience to do it. In theory and practice–if you really know what you’re doing — that make-up will work for any skin color or tone. Decades ago, when it was first introduced to the west, a Japanese saleslady did my face with the full Monty from her sample box, and it looked amazing. She even got the eye make-up right, and in my prejudice I had thought she wouldn’t know how to do “our” eyes. I learned the technique, but it has been a long time and I can’t recall the particular shades, etc. It only works if you blend it properly, and get technique right. If you don’t, it looks like you did green finger painting on your face. Later,I found the darker Cover Girl worked Ok, requiring a lot less skill and time. It’s good there are more options now, but that Shiseido was truly extraordinary.
Sunzari — no offence taken. Make up artistry is just that, an art. So everyone has their perspective and experiences with colours, palettes, shades and hues. I just speak and share from my experience. For drugstore brands, Loreal and Revlon (Colorstay) rocks most Indian women skin. Maybelline, Cover Girl, Rimmel, etc. are all meant for fair skin maidens. I actually have seen Hally Berry’s Revlon shades as well as her Studio Fixes in studio. Shhh….skincare at drugstores is a whole another story. CVS has started carrying higher end lines, commonly found at drugstores to compete with derm offices and dept store lines. These lines tend to be more pure in quality as most are created by scientists. Vichy, La Roche Posay, Aveeno are all derm recommended products over dept stores ones, which are often highly fragranced and elegantly packaged.
Razib — colourings and undertones are two separate entities, which must be assessed differently. Most African-Am skin tones can range from reddish to yellowish undertones with varying hues of orange. These differ from Punju to Guju undertones, though yes overlapping may occur.
Freestanding stores will ALWAYS give you samples of foundations. And do try TWO shades inside your home. Dept stores use warmer toned lighting, which gives skin a flawless look, but offshoots the colour. Take a sample, swatch it by your neck on your jawline, and walk into the mall and natural lighting. Mac always gives generous samples enough for 2-3 weeks, so you will have enough to try at home, at night, and even at a wedding to see if the texture outlasts the bhangra spins. Else always save your receipts, as stores are required to return products. And, a la Anna, ASK PEOPLE how you look. Camera phones are the best barometers for colour matching because they don’t cover up anything 😉
There is also: http://roopcafe.blogspot.com/ that caters mostly to the desi crowd.
Makeup is one of the perks of being a girl :), though I don’t wear too much, too often, it is always fun to experiment….go to Sephora and try – lots of fun….many stores like CVS and Wal-mart will allow you to return makeup if the shade is not right – the different shades of one’s face and neck, difference in complexion in summer and winter – the confusion is great!
YouTube has a -lot- of videos on application techniques – concentrate on the methods, you can find a tutorial for every skin type/color/feature preference, reviews – this can give you a good idea if a line runs to pink/yellow undertones, if makeup in a particular brand runs lighter or darker than what you see in the container etc….they are also very helpful in finding cheaper alternatives for brushes and makeup lines if expense is a factor….you can also see makeup tutorials by african american women, as their skin color also has the same wide range of shades as Indian/South East Asian complexions do, some of their product reviews can be very helpful in avoiding the dreaded ashy look :)……not being paid to advertise 🙂 but check out a few from the multitude on YouTube: panacea81, fafinettex3, kandee johnson, makeupbytiffany, oxfordjasmine…..only the last one is I think, Indian/South East asian, the others are popular makeup gurus and their technique pointers are very helpful – pick one whose style appeals to you. Please mention any of your personal faves.
As I would like to avoid all mention of age :P, my opinion is that finding a good foundation of the right shade is the most important – drugstore/department store/color matching….test your choice in natural light – unfortunately, it may not look the best in all light conditions – Sorry to be so long winded but my pet peeve is the obvious color difference between a wrong colored make up mask on the face and a totally different neck color.
Loreal has a good range in their True Match line for foundations and their HIP line has very pigmented shades for eyeshadow – very good pigment payoff for your buck. Among other products I have heard well reviewed – anything MAC, Smashbox makes a good foundation primer – photofinish primer, Urban Decay primer potion is a good eyeshadow base – I am not too oily so it works for me, good drugstore mascaras – Maybelline, Loreal Voluminous, Lash Exact, Volume Exact – I like drugstore ones as they are cheaper and you are advised to replace them every 3 months or so to avoid infections – to replace a $25 Dior mascara every 3-5 months is a bit expensive for me …..desi women with their great eye lashes – great feature with maximum impact and not a lot of effort :).
I personally like brownish red or plum shades for lipsticks/lip gloss – I think this works well with Desi skin tones – Revlon, Loreal have a good range….for me picking the right pink shade is difficult, Clinique’s Black honey is fairly good…..I am scared of blush, the clown look scares me 🙂 – the advice that I like best is to use a sheer color sparingly, the best shade is the one you are when you are flushed after exercise.
Ooops, pardon the long comment – I will be following this thread to read all the opinions. Thankx.
Tee hee, this thread is awesome. I don’t actually wear a lot of make up (usually just eyeliner, more on that later), but when I do it’s a lot of fun. Like Madeleines, it particularly reminds me of Bharat Natyam concerts and that thrill of going on stage. I’ve been thinking about makeup a lot more lately b/c I’m on a gym kick, and I find that women’s magazines read much better when you’re pounding away at the elliptical. So I’ve recently discovered Elle’s beauty videos, and they’re quite impressive. (And interestingly, much more diverse than Elle’s model base, though I think Elle is better than a lot of magazines.) Thanks, Taz! I’m looking forward to checking these out in comparison.
I agree with NKS/Anna–the MAC flagship store is where it’s at. They’re so much more helpful and non-pushy than other experiences I’ve had.
Razib—I think there’s some overlap, and I’ve gotten some good milage out of Milani, a drugstore brand that I think is a little more broad spectrum in its target market. (I.e., not just white folks.) I’ve also found that Revlon has noticably improved over the years–possibly due to Halle Berry and the fact that it’s losing money anyway? I keep wondering if L’Oreal is experiencing a similar Ash bump, but I’m guessing not since it’s a bigger global conglomerate.
When I go to India, the thing I always stock up in this eyeliner, but it doesn’t last very long and melts easily, so most of the time I just use whatever. It feels so nice though!
I’m always suspicious of creams and such. The scientist in me wants consumer-reports style data. But I’m too cheap to go to a dermatologist. I’m thinking of trying the used tea bag eye compress trick–desi tea would make that a desi trick, eh? 😉
Bea, you kept writing “South East Asian”. I think you meant “South Asian”, because that’s to whom this site caters.
If we were South East Asian, we’d be of Burmese, Laotian, Cambodian or Vietnamese descent (for example). 🙂
razib and taz, you should check out Hari Kondabolu on his revelation about cocoa butter 🙂 Also, he’s just generally funny. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5_feKLhczE (not sure if it’s NSFW – don’t remember)
Ooops, my bad – you are right, South Asian it is…..apologies, was posting late at night :)….though wonder if South East Asian people have similar makeup problems and how do they deal….hmmmmm
What is everyone’s opinion of lotions, foundations, powders, eye makeup ,etc from Clinique, Almay and Physician’s Formula? I have super sensitive skin, as if I didn’t have enough problems having an unusual skin tone, etc.
i think grls look better without makeup. I dont understand makeup.
I have noticed this for amongst South Asian women and men and wondered as to the causes; it does seem to happen with age. I put it down to early waking patterns and hard work (especially for women who end up balancing a lot of household work and their careers). This is the first time I have come across it being down to genetics – is this an accepted fact or are genetics just one factor amongst several?
Conrad — Yep, the Desi eyebag problem is cross-gender, but I think as a man, you just have to suck it up, and compensate with charisma.
I suppose Abhi or Ennis could do an equivalent post for Desi Men’s grooming issues, but do you really want to read 250 comments on how Ponniyin, Razib, and YogaFire trim their bushy nose hair (or worse!)? Let’s leave this topic to the fairer, less disgusting, sex.
that’s only for the belly. botox for the eyebags.
Now that, I have to see.
SM_Intern:
Although you meant that in good humor, one must remember that a lot of Indians do overlap with southeast asians in looks (North east, Ladakh, and many bengalis with distinct southeast asian features or close to it, even is skin tones), just like many overlap with black and sometimes white population. India is diverse not just with respect to names (as pointed out here).
Oi, Ikram, you cheeky little jammy dodger, how very dare you 😉 ! I do not suffer from the said affliction but was just making a general observation. In anycase with my balding, shiny pate and rapidly expanding beerbelly; no amount of charisma or grooming is going to save me, I am so facked on multiple levels 😀
Yes, can I second that this doesn’t happen please! I am not sure I would be able to read such a thread without violent gagging. Besides ‘Desi’ men have far bigger problems than grooming issues!
Some day, the Sean Connery look will make a comeback and ladies will be all about the shaggy chested look. When that day comes we strapping examples of Desi manhood will be there while our less hirsute friends will busy stapling bear pelts to their chests just to keep up.
Some of the older fellows in India do some weird (and gross) stuff with their hair though. I saw one fellow who had hair growing off the earlobes which he styled. The only way I could describe it is to say, imagine a fu manchu, now split it in half and put one half on each earlobe.
As for the makeup thing, check the active ingredients. A lot of the commercial wrinkle creams are basically just caffeine and salicylic acid with some flesh toned base or something to hold it on and fill the cracks. You can probably put together some poor-man’s version that won’t last as long or work as well, but will get you through until you have another opportunity to restock.
Oi, I don’t comment for months and now I’m back for a makeup post. LOL
The undereye bags comments hit home. I just got my wedding photos back…I had my makeup professionally done, but I think I made too big a deal out of not wanting heavy makeup, because my eye makeup did NOT cover all the bags and dark circles. Thankfully, the photographer is a friend and I can pick and choose pics where I think a little more Photoshop is needed.
I dunno Anna – I like the Garnier undereye roller…I use it twice a day, the bottle lasts forever, and it def reduces puffiness after a sleepless weekend.
When I do wear concealer (which is maybe once or twice a month), this stuff from Prescriptives is AWESOME under the makeup. It’s also nice for those days when you want to do simple eyeshadow and lipstick – it reflects the light in such a way that the bags look lighter. It’s not the perfect solution – I think that’s impossible unless I wear a full face of foundation, which, despite my mom’s best efforts to get me to wear makeup – EW.
I forgot the link! http://www.prescriptives.com/templates/products/sp_nonshaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY13710&PRODUCT_ID=PROD11434
What in our comment suggests that we didn’t remember that “overlap”? Those people are still South Asian. Remembering diversity doesn’t mean reclassifying people by virtue of their phenotype.
Hoping for the use of correct terminology doesn’t disenfranchise the people you brought up– we never said “All South Asians look like”.
Back on topic, please.
chicagodesidiva: you were responding to Taz with this comment, not Anna. It’s okay, we all look alike. 😉
chicagodesidiva – there’s a handful of us SM posters in the Chicago area – email me if you’d be interested in a regional get together.
Quoting Ikram:
Psst! Look! There!
True dat. Makeup is all very good for people who work onscreen, but smelling a lard-like substance on a girl’s face is a big turnoff for me. (No, ladies, drenching yourself in perfume to cover up for other smells is not sound practice either).
I think that’s usually a case of people who apply makeup poorly rather than the makeup itself. A lady needs to keep it subtle.
Oh good, the thread is still on – the south Asian, south east asian thing got me thinking so I did a quick poll among co workers etc. – though I am generally very hesitant, I took Anna’s advice and asked – nothing helps women bond faster than make up talk – sorry, guys 😛
so – the range of skin shades for example is as follows – always remembering that makeup, lighting and photography makes a big difference – think of Monica Bellucci, Christina Aguilera (pre very blond days), Rosario Dawson, Eva Longoria, Jessica Alba, Shilpa Shetty, Rani Mukherjee and Michelle Yeoh…..ladies from (or who trace their ancestory from – hope that’s the right way to say it) China, vietnam, phillipines, mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico among the people I talked to….results: Mac topped the list, Loreal did well, and surprisingly Estee Lauder – because I have often found their shades too pink. Maybe EL has brand recognition or their shades range has improved lately.
Laura Mercier undereye concealers with a yellow based and pink based shade in one compact scored well with people and I read about Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in Place line which is advertised as having good staying power in heat – I need to check that out for the next time I go to India for a wedding and the makeup just slides off your face in the heat and sweat :). I think Jessica Alba is also a spokesperson for Revlon with a foundation where you can turn the lid like a dial to adjust the shade, if you are lucky to get a close match in this you don’t need too much concealer.
Has anyone tried Iman cosmetics – she is gorgeous and I have wanted to buy them for some of my duskier relatives but would like an opinion from someone who has used them?
Face and eye cream – I like Roc and Aveeno both with SPF built in – I wish I had been more careful with sun exposure in my twenties – could have prevented some sun spots – though creams and makeup with sunscreen can photograph weird as someone else mentioned. I am hoping to hit on the right products and good technique as dermatologist provided laser treatments etc would be expensive! Keep the info coming……
Reading the original post and comments again, I never cease to fell surprised and more than a little guilty about the amount of thought and effort women put into their appearance.
Could try L’Oreal’s Revitalift for eyes, and Aved’a eye cream – both work well
SM Intern: You are right here. Apologies. I am glad that the exciting thread is still on track.
Don’t be so superficial as to reject a woman if she doesn’t pass the smell test. You might discover that she’s really interesting if only if you were willing to chew the fat with her.
i love both those blogs, but is anyone else as cynical as me, and wonder if sometimes the “ratings” on AIMB are sometimes a bit skewed? Most of the ratings I’ve seen on there are either “good” or “very good”…she does have the following on her site: “PR Professionals: Please email me at makeupgirl007(at)gmail.com to inquire about reviewing your products and other opportunities.” Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it does make me wonder how real the reviews are.
Sparky I can tell you from the publishing world, we do review companies based on advertising revenue generated from them. I have actually included products in a top 10 list because they advertised in the same issue, as opposed to completely free editorial plugs.
And, I have yet to find a blog tha actually rants not raves about products. For example, did you know all you ladies (& gents) should always seek out exfoliators that use 100% spherical beads? Otherwise you’ll get uneven exfoliation, and even scratches. I can tell you many drugstore brands do throw in rough textures, but there is one company I know that makes their beads 100% round. Never seen it online or in print though as a selling point or as an honest review.
Gals, try makeupalley.com. Most artists, fashionistas, and make up babes in between post true to life reviews on frankly what products suck and what products rock. Very good barometer of what’s happening out there based on several qualities (i.e. age, skin type colouring, etc.) For example, you will find NC43 fans agree with Camouflage Concealer. Dedicated fans will know exactly what I am referring to. Conrad will just roll his eyes up 😉
It has “White” twice in the name! Three times if you count “Anti-Dark”. I guess we don’t need to worry about subliminal marketing by Vichy.
Interesting, but are these beads made of plastic ? (Most likely). If so, then they are causing serious hazard to ocean life. Read here and discussion here, and google on. Uneven or not, I favor many of the natural (and sometimes home-made like besan, oat-meal etc etc) exfoliators than the plastic ones, unless there is a scientific study showing otherwise.