L'Oréal Foundation

In the past I mentioned I am a big fan of Maybelline make-up, but I solely rely on L'Oréal when it comes to foundation.  Once I find a product I like it's hard to get me to buy anything else, so when I discovered L'Oreal True Match years ago I never considered buying anything else.  But that doesn't mean this is always possible, on occasion I unexpectedly run out of foundation and the store is completely out of my line.  This means I am forced to try something new.  Not wanting to veer away from the brand I find best suits me I decided to try other foundations they offer. 

I started with L'Oreal Lumi Magique, it promised instant skin radiance and what woman wouldn't want to radiate!  Apparently me.  I already have oily skin so a foundation that makes you shine on top of shining basically made me look hot & sweaty all day, not exactly the point of foundation.  Maybe for someone else this product is exactly what they need, but for me, I'll never pick this one up again.  Luckily the next round to the store they had my trusty True Match, but even then I have to be careful with the color, summer I'm a C2 and winter I'm a C1, and there is no switching it up if I want the foundation to look natural.  So when it was time to pick up my next bottle and they were out of my color (how hard is it to keep a product stocked???) I again was forced to try a different foundation offered by L'Oreal.

This time I tried Infallible, again, sounds great, 16hr stay guaranteed.  This also meant my faced looked caked with a thick foundation.  Sure it lasted alright, but it took hours for it to start looking natural.  And whatever you do, don't get it in your eyebrows!  Mine turned a strange color and it took quite a lot of scrubbing them just to leave the house.  But I must admit, I'll probably keep a bottle around for the days I know I have multiple events and no chance of touching up my foundation in between.  So for now, I'll stick to the True Match line, that is until they overhaul their products and take it of stock (hate it when that happens!)

Any of you L'Oreal fans?  What foundation do you rely on?

Maybelline

When it comes to makeup I mostly use Maybelline or L'Oreal products, they're affordable and still reliable.  This morning when I opened the cabinet in my bathroom and pulled out my trusty eye makeup remover it crossed my mind just how long I've been using this particular product.  For around 15yrs I've used Maybelline Expert Eyes Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover for Waterproof Makeup (that would be a mouthful to say).  No matter how bad your mascara smudges under your eyes from a day of use or activities, or even after a shower, it takes it off in one wipe.  It's one of the few products I still ask my mother to send me from The States, I can't imagine not having it on hand.  Every once in a while though I start wondering about long term usage, will this product help to lessen wrinkles, does it possibly have some type of adverse effect that I'll discover years from now, should I be researching long term use?  But as quickly as the thought came it went (fleeting thoughts, that's what this blog is all about).

 

Besides being an adamant user of Maybelline eye makeup remover, I am also a huge fan of their mascara.  In my younger years I solely used their Great Lash Waterproof product.  But I've moved on to Volum' Express Waterproof these days.  Over the years I've tried other brands but nothing suits me like Maybelline mascara; I know how to use it, I can make it look as natural or thick as I like, and it stays in place as it should.  Sure after swimming or a long day it smudges, but they all do.  And since I have oily skin I have to completely avoid anything that isn't waterproof or trustworthy.  What's even better, I can buy it here in The Netherlands! 

 

Do any of you have products you would never go without?

Applying Makeup

Why is it that women have to make such strange faces in the mirror while applying makeup?  Many of the faces serve purposes, though.  Opening your eyes as wide as you can helps with putting on mascara, and something about that tends to make your mouth open.  Sucking your cheeks in helps the cheek bones to stand out while applying blush.  Widening and flattening your lips makes it easiest to slap the lipstick on.  Then there's the constant touch ups and blending.  My husband decided to take pictures of me getting ready to go out to eat with friends, and as I look at them I just chuckle.  I was going to visit close friends to eat in a dark restaurant not preparing for the paparazzi.  It must seem absurd to men, to watch us women put on our war paint.  My husband doesn't even like makeup and feels most women wear too much.  Luckily for him I only wear makeup while outside of the house (also another silly thing women do).

But these silly faces women make go beyond the mirrors of their bathrooms.  How many women have you seen driving/riding down the road making faces in the mirror of the sun visor?  And beyond mirrors, there are our reflections in windows.  Why can't we walk passed our reflection without looking and analyzing ourselves?  My husband says I make the same face every time I look at myself; there's actually a slang term for it these days, duckface (mine falls short because my lips are too thin).  We all know it, you suck your cheeks in and pucker your lips.  It's something I've inherited, my mother does it also.  And it's a face you see all over the internet too, from celebrity gossip sites to Facebook profile pics (that people have taken of themselves).  Why do we think it makes us look nicer, the men (and other women) are laughing at us?!  At least I wear less makeup now than I did as a teenager; those poor girls have no idea that while trying to make themselves look older they're basically painting a sign on their face that screams I'm a teenager!  We all have reasons for caking on makeup, mine is mostly to hide acne, but doesn't the makeup just make the acne worse, wow, where's the sense behind it?  Vanity... narcissism... think about it ladies.  Isn't a smile supposed to be the best accessory?