Makeup, Beauty, and Health Products Thread

[Tiltyred]

CoverGirl LashBlash Fusion Mascara (in Very Black) is the best mascara I've ever tried. Every time I've switched brands I've come back to this one.

I've recently tried a now discontinued CoverGirl mascara - their Exact Eyelights mascara in Vivid Ruby - and I'm stunned at how good it is. I need a waterproof mascara that wears like iron, because I'm in my makeup at least 12 hours a day and I tear up easily, and it passes every test. I feel like a fool now after all the money I've spent over the years on Lancome.

 

[EJCC]

Mascara: I just use whatever waterproof thing is around and cheap (usually a variant of Maybelline Great Lash)

Eyeliner: SEPHORA COLLECTION Colorful Waterproof Eyeliner. HUGE fan of the tip (makes it easy to do the sort of cat-eye thing I'm into, which looks kinda like this but more subtle), and of the fact that it is really, really waterproof

Lip color: I use whatever. My more recent successful experiment has been Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain + Balm -- I'd never used a lip stain before and I'm a huge fan of the concept, though I wish I had a better color

Lotion: I have combination skin and a lifelong history of eczema, so I try to use the most doctor-approved stuff I can get. I hate the stuff I've been using (Vanicream) b/c it's too light and my skin's too dry for it... will probably switch back to either Cetaphil or Eucerin soon.

Hair products: DevaCurl -- shampoo (DevaCurl No-Poo), conditioner (One Condition), and gel (Light Defining Gel). A few months into starting with the DevaCurl line, I'm still bothered by the lack of lather, and the fact that I'm not supposed to shampoo all of my hair. Makes me feel like I haven't completely cleaned it. But on the other hand, my hair looks really healthy and non-greasy, so clearly I'm doing it right. Also I've noticed that, while I used to shed a lot, now I lose like 1/3 or 1/4 of the hair that I used to when I showered/brushed.

Miscellaneous: THIS THING IS AMAZING FOR CURLY HAIR. I noticed a frizz difference after the very first time I used it.

Now to scour this thread for recommendations...

 

[chickpea]

The only mascara I've used the past 5 years.
/makeup snob

 

[five sounds]

I hate perfumes/colognes, personally. They all smell like drain-cleaner to me. Are you sure you need one? Your wife may prefer your natural scent a lot (assuming you're clean/wear at least a deodorant of some kind).

haha, agreed!

 

[Glycerine]

The only mascara I've used the past 5 years.
/makeup snob

haha same here. I am a pretty big makeup snob too. Most times I wear makeup, I probably use over 75 dollars worth in product. I tried elf $2 lipstick and it tasted and felt like crayon. It was GROSS.

 

[EJCC]

I hate perfumes/colognes, personally. They all smell like drain-cleaner to me. Are you sure you need one? Your wife may prefer your natural scent a lot (assuming you're clean/wear at least a deodorant of some kind).

haha, agreed!

I also associate it with people who wear too much of it -- which I see as incredibly inconsiderate, especially to people with asthma and/or people who are prone to fainting from perfume fumes.

(Relevant story, lol)

 

[Mole]

Magnesium Oil

I never thought I would be posting to the Makeup, Beauty, and Health Products thread, but I do have a health product to tell you about.

It is called Magnesium Oil and can be bought in a health food shop or vitamin store.

Magnesium Oil is applied externally, and there is no danger of over dosing.

There are at least 100 reactions in our body that require magnesium, but many of us are deficient in magnesium.

Magnesium Oil is readily absorbed through the skin and has an almost immediate effect.

It has the effect on me like the jump starter on car - it really gets me going.

 

[WhoCares]

I also associate it with people who wear too much of it -- which I see as incredibly inconsiderate, especially to people with asthma and/or people who are prone to fainting from perfume fumes.)

+1, I work with a lot of teens-early 20's with questionable tastes who are forever spraying Victoria Secret Room fresheners body mists around my workplace. Everyday I drown in the scent of fake apple, peach and vanilla. The stuff is vile, there is reason it only costs $7.

Anyway my all time favourite facial product is rosehip oil. After using it everyday for about 15yrs my skin is in much better condition for my age than it should be, especially considering all the sun exposure I got when I was younger. its not the kind of thing you notice after a few uses, its the kind of thing you notice after a few years and the hands of time seem to have left your skin largely untouched. Given that I work at altitude where 1 year ages most skin 2, I'm pretty grateful for this item.

 

[WhoCares]

Ladies, what's a good, subtle scent you'd recommend that my wife might enjoy on me? She hates anything that smells, in her words, "too chemically"

And please don't say patchouli.

I think if she is saying 'too chemically' what she is meaning is something loaded with aldehydes, which comprise the top notes of most perfumes and hit you in the face the instant they are sprayed. You could look for a scent that doesn't have citrus top notes, or you could look for one of the many attars (oil based perfumes) as they rarely have the silage or aldehydes of alcohol perfumes. Citrus and fruit aldehydes are responsible for most 'chemical' complaints as they are frequently used to scent household detergents. Some notes that smell great in the lower range of scent frequencies include....

Tonka
Tobacco
Sandalwood
Vetiver
Oakmoss
Cedar
Oud
Ylang Ylang

Top notes which smell great but not chemically include

Basil
Absynthe
Thyme
Galbanum

Look for a fougere or chypre which is likely to smell green, fresh and deep rather than an aquatic. Also perfumery since the 80's has been obssessed with creating chemical 'tricks', a feeling of airness, luminescence, gourmand notes and the like. If you try scents formulated prior to this you will find them to have a heavier character more like natural essences.

 

[kyuuei]

Hair products: DevaCurl -- shampoo (DevaCurl No-Poo), conditioner (One Condition), and gel (Light Defining Gel). A few months into starting with the DevaCurl line, I'm still bothered by the lack of lather, and the fact that I'm not supposed to shampoo all of my hair. Makes me feel like I haven't completely cleaned it. But on the other hand, my hair looks really healthy and non-greasy, so clearly I'm doing it right. Also I've noticed that, while I used to shed a lot, now I lose like 1/3 or 1/4 of the hair that I used to when I showered/brushed.

You really like it though overall? When your hair is dry, does it feel clean enough? Also, does the smell of the product mesh well and last? Devacurl is something I've been wanting to try, but I just lack the motivation to go buy a whole system that requires more than 30 seconds of brushing my hair and washing my hair that I currently do.. Maybe when I'm not in school anymore. I wish Sephora did demonstrations of stuff like this so that I could see it in my hair without buying it all automatically.

 

[EJCC]

[MENTION=4939]kyuuei[/MENTION]: Meant to update that after a month of using it, and the short answer is that I wouldn't recommend it. My hair seemed a lot healthier, but my scalp didn't like it much at all. Might just move back to sulfate shampoo -- I always had good luck with TreSemme.

 

[ReadingRainbows]

Products I use pretty much every day:

Lancome "Gloss In Love" is the first lipgloss I've tried to be not sticky. Everyone wants to say, oh this gloss isn't sticky. THIS one is the only one I have found that to be completely true with.

L'Oreal Silkissime Eyeliner is a dupe for Urban Decay's Perversion 24/7 liner pencil. Then I did some research and discovered that many prestige brands are produced by the L'Oreal company as well.

The Tarte Full Coverage Powder Foundation is the lightest powder I have found. I really like the coverage and the fact that it's not a liquid

The Juice Beauty CC Cream is my go to moisturizer under foundation. I think it provides a litter color correcting and helps my makeup glide on more smoothly.

Other than that, I use the Urban Decay Naked 2 and Naked 3 quite a bit, and I have a few mascaras that I use, but nothing to write home about.

 

[lue]

Face stuff- Spiezia is my absolute favorite (when I can afford it), when I can't 100% Pure.
Perfume- I usually wear a really cheap scented oil called Frankincense and Myrrh, but I love Fresh Sake.
Makeup- I don't wear much of it anymore. Benetint was one of my favorites, but I tried to lessen the amount of chemicals I put on my skin so I use 100% Pure Cranberry Glow.
Hair: Coconut Oil is a favorite.
Health Products: I love apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and good essential oils. Right now I'm using DoTerra.
Soap: Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap
Deodorant: The only natural deodorant that has ever really worked for me is Herbal Sport, but I can't get that all the time. So I usually stick with Tom's, and just re-apply.

Has anyone tried any of the face products with charcoal in them?

 

[Codex]

Surprisingly good

 

[Lexicon]

Clean & Clear discontinued their oil-absorbing treatment (I know the site says "NEW!" but it's not new.. & I emailed them to check, & they confirmed).. anyone know of a cheap[ & noncomedogenic] mattifying cream that works?
Humidity is making my skin too shiny for comfort.

Also, update- this sunscreen is now my all-time my favorite, for my face. Been using it a few months now. Doesn't make my face shiny (or any worse, my skin tends to be oily, & even so, it doesn't melt off if I overheat). Matches my skin perfectly, & the tint just subtly evens out my skin tone. Use some Neutrogena shine ctrl pressed powder to set it, & I'm good to go. The amount of zinc oxide in this stuff is awesome. 9%. Most sunscreens containing even 2% zinc oxide leave a weird white cast.. but not this. Zinc's pretty much the best UVA/UVB blocker you can use. If you're pale, I'd suggest trying this. Even if you're not, maybe try it under your foundation (maybe it'll just add a little brightness without looking mismatched? ). Little goes a long way.
EltaMD
If you order it from Dermstore.com, you get cool samples, & their return policy is decent.

I also use this concealer on my recent surgical scars, as it's non-irritating, minimizes redness, & is SPF 30, and when it comes to scars, you can never really have too much sun protection.. especially with fresh scars.

Dermablend Quick-Fix Concealer with SPF30 sunscreen, Ivory
(not sure why it has low reviews on drugstore.com. It's fantastic. Lasts. Looks natural.) It's expensive, but 1 tube lasts a whole year, which is just enough time in terms of SPF expiration, too.

(I use physician's formula SPF30 loose powder (translucent light) for a 2nd sunscreen application if I've gone out in the afternoon (Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 15% Zinc Oxide 10%). If I go out earlier, though, I use one of these witch hazel towelletes to remove the EltaMD sunscreen after a few hrs, & reapply it. Then the P.F. powder counts as a 3rd application about 2h later. Needless to say, I'm pretty religious about proper sunscreen application.

These things^ are great for if you get all sweaty/gross & don't have time/access to a sink to clean up.
I use them on my face/neck. Cools you off & helps prevent breakouts.

 

[Hitoshi-San]

C.O Bigelow's rose salve. You can put it on exceptionally dry parts of your skin and make it good as new. I use it as a lip balm and on my cuticles.

 

[EJCC]

Can anyone recommend a good waterproof liquid eyeliner?

 

[scantilyclad]

Can anyone recommend a good waterproof liquid eyeliner?

I like the Kat Von D Ink Liner

 

[miss fortune]

Can anyone recommend a good waterproof liquid eyeliner?

I've had good luck with Maybelline's Master Kajal waterproof eyeliner (it's more like a super soft crayon... went with that after I couldn't find waterproof liquid liner in navy blue before my patience ran out) I spent all day outside in the hot weather wearing it for a long weekend and it didn't budge

 

[kyuuei]

Still using Soultanicals stuff, I've been getting more and more compliments on my hair as of lately.

I added a treatment oil to the mix, and that stuff is lovely and adds tons of shine to my hair. My dandruff problems aren't perfect or anything but mostly that's my own lazy ass's fault. Overall, great products and the solution I've been looking for coupled with a couple Lush products.

Now I'm working on finding decent face products.. I'm a fan of witch hazel and will continue to use that. I don't have a decent wash I love yet, but I am using honey as an after mask mask and that's helping. No moisturizers I love either..