It's time for another round of personal makeup questions. I picked questions that I haven't answered before (see my 2012 and 2014 versions) and stuff that won't appear later this week in a "Currently" post.
1. I'm looking for shopping inspiration since the Sephora VIB sale is coming. What's on your makeup wishlist?
The biggest item is Viseart Dark Mattes eye shadow palette, though I'm not sure I'm going to get it from Sephora. I might wait till the next time frends.com has a sale since the discount is deeper. Other than that, I want the Burberry primer, the new Lancome eyeliners, and I always have brushes on my wishlist.
2. What are the last products you finished? Did you repurchase any of them?
Bioderma micellar water, NARS Light Diffusing Powder (loose), and several travel-size mascaras. I restocked the first two, but have more mascara tubes (full size and samples) to last me for a long time, so no mascara shopping for now.
3. I'm still waiting for the promised makeup storage photos you promised eons ago.
I know. I just finished a major reorganizing of my dressing room, which included adding another Alex unit, labeling all drawers, reshuffling of just about everything, and coming up with a new system to organize incoming products. I still need more drawer dividers and organizers, but now I feel that there's something real to show. So, soon. I think.
4. What lights and mirrors do you have? Any particular recommendations?
I have a large mirror with track lights on the wall that work for general makeup checkups, and also two smaller makeup mirrors on the dresser. One regular and the other is the 8" Simplehuman sensor mirror. I find the sensor thing annoying, because it turns itself off too quickly (if I turn to grab something), but it's an amazing and scary tool. I don't love being magnified and lit to this level, but you can't argue with its efficiency, and the light is stronger and more effective than the old OTT mirror/light this one has replaced.
5. Which makeup colors do you refuse to wear?
Lavender and lilac. I'm not big on purple in general, but in its coolest and lightest form purple is especially awful on my skin. I don't own any lilac or lavender clothes, either.
6. How old are you?
Forty four, until next month. No idea how that happened.
7. Do you own any Too Faced palettes? Can you please review some Too Faced products?
Sorry, but no. I lost my interest in this brand nearly six years ago after this incident, and while I'm sure their PR team has changed ten times since then, I find that I can't be bothered. There's so much great stuff out there to waste time on anything that brings back a sour memory.
8. How long does it take you to get ready and do your makeup?
I get dressed very quickly, because I usually know what I'm going to wear ahead of time. My outfit tends to dictate most of my makeup (sometimes if I'm testing a particularly assertive makeup item it's the other way around, but in both cases clothes are pre-planned). Accessorizing may take a couple of minutes, but mostly it's the makeup that requires the longest. I need about twenty minutes to feel "done" without being rushed, and I spend most of it on skin and blending my eye shadows. I hate rushing because it guarantees stupid decisions and a wonky liner. I don't skip primer, no matter what, and go for cream shadows and blush if I'm really in a hurry.
9. Are you subscribed to Birchbox or other beauty boxes? Do you have any recommendations?
My only subscription is to the Mask Maven program on BeautequeMonthly.com. I signed in because I use so many sheet masks anyway, that it's a great deal for me and lets me discover new ones that I love (and buy more). Otherwise I prefer to pick everything myself, and I'm a bit too particular about stuff, so most subscription services are not for me.
10. I remember you wrote about getting glasses. Has doing so changed the way you apply or wear makeup?
Realizing that my sight is not what it used to be has made it very clear that I must use the magnifying mirror for everything. I also adjust the shape I create with eye shadow if I'm going to be wearing my glasses out, and elongate the outer corner a little further out. I can also get away with brighter colors that play well with my frames. There's a great tutorial by Lisa Eldridge about makeup for glasses, which is the best way to begin, but I think everyone needs to experiment and find what works and what doesn't.
These were some very interesting questions and answers! I really like lilac/ lavender on myself, but I think I have a pretty much opposite skintone to yours. I have some brushes on my Sephora VIB sale list as well!
ReplyDeleteMonika, we do seem to have opposite coloring! I love hearing what other people can and cannot wear, not to mention what's on everyone's wishlist.
DeleteI have only one Two Faced palette, the Rose Gold one. I don't need more. I think they are rather average. I would be more strongly critical had they demonstrated their unethical behavior on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI have to try that Bioderma water. Thanks for the reminder.
You definitely need the Bioderma water. It's my first step of cleansing and removes mascara and eyeliner perfectly, so I don't get gunk all over when I start massaging my face with the Tatcha oil.
DeleteI avoid the Sephora. I feel their reviews are control. I just had so many bad experiences with Sephora that I don't have time to write it here. I understand how you feel about Too Faced.
ReplyDeleteI avoid Sephora stores (but then I prefer to order online and not to set foot at any mall). It makes me sad to think how amazing Sephora used to be 15 years ago compared to now.
DeleteLavender and lilac (and basically any kind of cool pastels) aren't for me, either. They make my (pale) olive skin look rather unwashed.
ReplyDeleteGot my first reading glasses four years ago, current pair is third (had to "update" twice). Luckily I still manage without them most of the time.
I need to get a second pair of glasses because my one is always in another room and I forget to take them with me when going out for dinner (small print menus and lack of light in NYC restaurants).
DeleteWe are getting a Sephora - finally in December I believe so .... If I get into the city when its open I would hunt down the new Burberry cream blushers.
ReplyDeleteLast product I finished was L'Occitane.'s Pivoine Sublime Crème Perfectrice - it was nice but not moisturizing for my dry skin. So.... would not replace.
I have no fancy mirrors or lights.
I refuse to wear purple and brown shades of lipstick!
I am 60 years old.
I have no Too Faced Palettes ..... in fact I have NO palettes ! I do not like them .... I buy individual eye colours!
I do not subscribe to any boxes .... you get a lot of stuff you do not really want... well, that is my opinion.
I do have glasses but I do nothing fancy with my eyes. You see .... I love lipstick! LOL
I hope your Sephora will be fabulous and carry all the good brands that were hard to find until now. Enjoy!
DeleteDo you have any new skincare products on your wishlist?
ReplyDeleteOddly enough I don't have any. I have some skincare posts planned, though. You'll hear all about my love for some Korean products and a thing or two about snails :)
Delete1. My local Sephora has some lovely SAs and MAs and so I enjoy shopping there but I do most of my sale shopping on line as there are many brands our store doesn't carry. I haven't started my list yet. I'm waiting to see what holiday sets and stocking stuffers are available.
ReplyDelete2. I just finished La Mer The Treatment (an essence) and Guerlain's Rouge G in Georgia. Yes, I immediately dashed out to repurchase :-)
4. I have poor near and mid vision and so I use a large magnifying mirror to do my eye makeup and make sure all my makeup is seamless and well blended.
5. Yellow! Yellow and anything with a strong yellow undertone looks horrible on me.
6. I'm 71.
7. I don't own any Too Faced products. They're mediocre at best and have never inspired or intrigued me.
8. I can do the proverbial 5 minute face, but since I have plenty of time in the morning (perk of being retired), I like to take my time and enjoy the process of prepping my skin and applying my makeup. I typically allow 30-45 minutes start to finish with about a third of the time going towards skin care.
9. Boxes were trendy back in the seventies. I tried a couple and found that the majority of the products didn't interest me or they were a poor fit. So, this time around, I've had zero interest in the boxes. I'm sure the fact that I'm more a luxury brand shopper also has a lot to do with my lack of interest in the current crop of boxes. I enjoy going to a counter, chatting with the SA's, playing around with new products, and then making my selection based on what I know is going to work,
10. Yes, I wear glasses for reading and tasks that are close up. The vision in my left eye and right eye is totally different and so I see an optometrist annually.
My local Sephora (at the dreaded mall) is small and quite horrendous. I do love the one on Union Square that has the most brands and is usually well-stocked. Worth dealing with the crazy traffic and paying through the nose for parking since it gives me the opportunity to swatch and play with everything.
DeleteAlso, I cannot imagine you ever using a Too Faced palette. It's as non-Eileen as it gets :)