What are some beauty-related things you’ve learned about yourself lately? Inquiring minds want to know. 😁
I never thought a mandatory shelter-in-place order would be so enlightening, beauty-wise, but I also never thought I’d see a global pandemic, so there ya go. 🤷
Here are three of mine:
1. I can’t handle my base looking or feeling heavy at all in any way (and it’s giving me déjà vu).
This is a complete 180 from my makeup style a few years ago, when I’d wear a full-glam face — lashes and contour and everything! — just to go get emergency M&Ms and a loaf of bread at the store. Now, if I feel even remotely like I’m wearing one more brushstroke of product than necessary on my cheeks, I’ll remove everything and start again.
It’s interesting to me how my makeup tastes have changed over the years. (Probably a good idea that I didn’t get any permanent makeup done.)
2. I’ve rediscovered my love for drugstore beauty products.
I’ve always loved drugstore beauty products, but over the years I’ve swayed back and forth between preferring higher end or budget beauty. Nowadays, though, because of the economic uncertainty, if I have to replace something, I look to budget beauty first, and I’ve found some gems lately! — like Aveeno Stress Relief Body Lotion and Pantene Rose Water Shampoo and Conditioner.
3. I kinda like my grown-out grays.
It’s been about 18 months since I stopped dying my hair, and although I like how low-maintenance it has been, I haven’t been thrilled about how it looks, ya know? But that’s changing. Now I kinda like seeing those silvery sparkles in my hair, and I also like that I’m not freaking out about seeing all the roots since the lockdown started.
How about you? Have you learned anything new about yourself, beauty-wise, lately?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Sarah says
May 13th, 2020 at 8:46 amI love questions like these!
Lately, I’ve learned that less is more. I work from home (permanently!) now, and I don’t wear makeup at all most days. I have been surprised by how little I miss it! I don’t buy cosmetics on a whim like I used to – now I prefer to have a few quality items that I know I will use up, as opposed to a lot of impulse purchases that will collect dust in a drawer.
Generally speaking, I still enjoy wearing makeup (when I take the time to do so!), but I no longer feel that I MUST have it on to present my face to the public. And now that I’m firmly into my 30s, skincare has definitely taken priority. 🙂
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:18 pmWow, that’s cool that you can work from home permanently now. Are you excited about it? Or will you miss going into the office?
Sarah says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:34 pmIt took me awhile to get used to it, but I love it now. It works well for me as an introvert. 🙂
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:45 pmI hope that it’s something that more and more companies will move towards. I bet it’s nice to no longer have a commute!
yelena says
May 19th, 2020 at 8:51 amsame! all of the above! less is definitely more in your 30s and skin care is #1
Jill says
May 13th, 2020 at 9:07 amOk, since you did 3…
1. My natural wavy/changes with the day/crazy hair texture is not so bad. The less I fight with it the better – and the less I wash it, the better it behaves. Whodathunk.
2. Cream color products work the best for me in terms of staying power and they’re harder to screw up. I can do a full face in under 10 min.
3. I agree with the less-is-more in terms of base. I have acne-prone combo-oily skin and once I got my skincare routine down, working with a lighter base is more comfortable and less prone to melt off or break me out.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:17 pmSeriously, creams are the best! 🙂 What are your go-to creams, Jill?
Jill says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:21 pmI love almost everything I’ve tried from Nudestix, the OG MAC paint pots (moment of silence for Indianwood – I’ll never forget you…), and I also really like the new Fenty blush formulas. It makes me want to try the bronzers next. I’m also intrigued by the MAC play blushes. Any other recommendations???
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:47 pmIndianwood is SO GOOD! Do you have MAC Teddy liner? The two together are perfection.
My current crushes are the Chantecaille bronzer and blush (the shade Happy). Both are fantastic!
Suzanne C says
May 13th, 2020 at 11:37 amI’m learning what’s really important to me. Complicated skincare is out the door, since I discovered it wasn’t necessary to begin with. I seldom do eyeliner anymore, mainly because I’m terrible at it, it takes longer to do that than the rest of my makeup put together, and it never turns out that well anyway. I will almost always do brows, but I only need one product. Cream eyeshadows are the absolute GOAT.
In other beauty news, salons very suddenly opened here. As in, last Monday the state said they weren’t going to, then on Friday they reversed that decision. So I went today and got 4 inches cut off. Florida is opening up too fast and too much, so I don’t think any of this is going to last. Who knows when I’ll get another salon visit, so I got a preventative haircut, lol.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:16 pmOh, that was smart to get a big trim. Did the salon do anything different? I keep seeing pics with shower curtains between stations and whatnot.
Suzanne C says
May 14th, 2020 at 6:44 amThey only let in one customer per stylist at a time; everyone else had to wait outside. And you had to wear a mask, if at all possible. They had to sanitize their station between customers. I think they were okay without the shower curtains because the stations are already at least six feet apart. They had less than half their usual number of stylists there.
Karen says
May 14th, 2020 at 10:44 amWow. It sounds like maybe they’re doing a staggered approach with the amount of stylists; maybe half of them come in on one day, and the other half on another.
Honestly, I’ll never take a haircut for granted ever again!
Christine says
May 13th, 2020 at 11:55 amYes, great question because I’m sure so many of us have been reconsidering our makeup application and purchasing habits during this pandemic.
What I learned: I haven’t been working with my skin tone at all!! Binge-watching makeup & style YouTube videos (because less stressful than watching the news) has caused me to re-examine how I wear color and what is most appropriate for my [what I now know to be] WARM-olive (as opposed to COOL olive) skin tone AND pigmented lips. No wonder so many lipstick and makeup shades looked so dirty and muddy on me and made me look ashy and greener!
I cannot rely on swatches anymore because … undertone and pigmented lips will shift the tone or shade so I’m stuck with trial-and-error-and correction, which doesn’t bother me anymore.
For example, I purchased MAC “S’Sexy” lipstick, thinking it would be a wonderful nude beige. It looked puce-green and just looked so yucky on my face. Not wanting to throw it away and using color theory I then bought yellow corrector to warm it up. Then, as an experiment, I dotted some of that yellow on the inner corners/under eye area and low and behold, major improvements to the S’Sexy and brightening of my under eye area but in a very flattering, warm way.
I even bought Urban Decay “Tilt” (that bright red orange) to see if I can get over my distaste for red lipstick — armed with my new knowledge of warm versus cool tones in color.
I’m so with you on the drugstore values, too!
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:15 pmLet me know if you find any great drugstore makeup! 🙂
Christine says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:21 pmThe name reminds me of being in my early teens but I’m really impressed with L.A. Girl’s pro concealers. The shade range and coverage is fantastic, without feeling heavy. I don’t like full coverage, either. Also, I’m having fun exploring L’Oreal mascaras, since MAC discontinued Zoom Lash. So, $5 concealer and $8 mascara are great price points for me.
Everything else — foundation, eye shadow, and lipsticks — I just cannot do drugstore; results too inconsistent and not happy with the finishes/textures.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:33 pmI’ll have to revisit L’Oreal mascaras. Back in the day I loved them. I’ve heard good things about L.A. Girl! I’m not a full coverage concealer person either, especially on the under eye area. I’d rather look a little tired than look like I’m wearing tons of makeup… I’ve arrived at that point!
Christine says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:40 pmI tried L.A. Girl at the recommendation of an older makeup YTer, who was concerned with creasing concealer. It needs to be set with just a touch of powder, or I use MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base — it makes an excellent under eye primer.
I noticed that folks who dramatically conceal under the eyes end up with smaller-looking eyes and then they have to make them big again with a ton of eye makeup. I think having a bit of natural (not obnoxious) darkness under there makes the eye area bigger in general. And like you, some things I just just let go of!
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:48 pmYes! For me that was the best decision. Not obsessing over “correcting” everything has been great for my makeup *and* my mental health.
yelena says
May 19th, 2020 at 8:54 amyou are gonna have to share these videos bc I still don’t know what color/tone/undertone I have lol.
it’s funny because I can see it on other people but not myself. I definitely have wayyy too many lipsticks, and a lot of them are not in use because I don’t think they match my skin tone. I still need to figure it out!
Christine says
May 19th, 2020 at 11:07 amReady???
In general (you can review their video topics and find lots of them):
Merriam Style
Aly Art
Specific:
Robert Welsh “Skin Undertone/Train Your Eye to Match Your Foundation Perfectly”
Alexandrasgirlytalk “THE ART OF COLOR” *gamechanging* (it really is!)
For my failed lipsticks, I’ve been adding the yellow corrector underneath first — can mix with a lip balm or Vaseline to add some translucency. I’ll be picking up an orange corrector, too, to add more warmth to crappy lipsticks. I was amazed at how adding the yellow underneath MAC “Sweetie” (a dull pink on me because my lips are super pigmented) made it a cute peachy color. This has saved my “wasted” lipsticks! L.A. Girl correctors are only $5 each and a little goes a long way. 😉
Good luck! #savethelipstick
Sarah Lowes says
May 13th, 2020 at 11:58 amI’ve yo-yo’d a bit as regards make-up during Lockdown. At first I didn’t wear any at all but over the last few weeks I’ve felt a bit cast down by how I look when I catch sight of myself and feel happier on the days I’ve started wearing it again.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:14 pmHey Sarah! I totally know what you mean. I definitely can tell a difference when I put at least a little on, even if it’s just curling my lashes and wearing mascara!
Tatiana says
May 13th, 2020 at 12:31 pmI’ve been watching tons of Korean TV lately, so I realized I’m more interested in getting my skin to look great instead of wearing tons of color. But at my age I’m not sure how much improvement in my skin is possible. I also don’t want it to look or feel like I’m wearing foundation. Will to put up with imperfect looking skin than skin that looks like makeup.
I need to sit down and sift through my eyeshadows and palettes and decide which ones I’ve actually ever used and which to get rid of.
Yesterday as I was going to the bank to get some account stuff cleared up, I realized that wearing lipstick doesn’t work well with a face mask and ended up wiping it off immediately after applying it. Sigh. Lipstick is still the one product I absolutely love and now there’s no reason to wear it.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:14 pmI realized that recently too. Been looking for a liquid lippie that doesn’t transfer… Will let ya know if I find anything!
Savannah says
May 13th, 2020 at 7:15 pmI’m just not as excited by makeup lately, especially since the weather changing/my cycle is making my skin texture look awful and make up isn’t sitting nicely either. That goes for eye makeup, too. My discovery of having thin layers of two primers is looking heavy whereas it looked good before. Meh. I’m more excited with fragrance right now, and wondering if I should risk blind buying a few. Have you ever purchased a fragrance without testing it first?
Karen says
May 14th, 2020 at 10:55 amHi Savannah,
I’ve been excited by fragrance, too! I’m slowly making my way through my current collection, wearing a different scent every day.
So, to answer your question, I have yet to purchase a perfume without testing it first, but if I were to do it, I’d do it from a retailer with a return policy that would allow me to easily return it by mail if it didn’t work for me. Nordstrom, for example, provides prepaid shipping labels. I would also buy from a brand that makes perfumes that I’ve worn before and liked.
You could also do a sample route, by purchasing pre-made sample sets. Sephora offers this option!
Christine says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:54 pmTatiana,
I feel like I’m eavesdropping and of course I do not know your age, but this 63 yo, who had never paid attention to her skin, never wore SPF, etc., started a skin-care journey about 9 months ago. Her skin now looks amazing with some affordable care and she does not need a ton of makeup but she looks vibrant. Her YouTube channel is “Pretty Over Fifty.” 🙂
Chelsea says
May 13th, 2020 at 12:34 pmI’ve learned that my skin really doesn’t like too many things or experimentation. I have to use pretty simple, bland, soothing skincare. Right now Bioderma Micellar water, cleanser, and toner, Prosacea gel from the drugstore, and Aveeno Eczema Therapy cream are keeping my skin good, but then I tried to add a propolis toner and a vitamin c serum and my skin rebelled. With the basic routine I barely need concealer and no base.
I still wear liner and mascara most days because I love the look of a wing and freckly skin.
Also I haven’t had a haircut in 6 months and I keep waking up with birds nests 😬 I’m looking for a new shampoo and conditioner that’s not too pricey. The stuff I ordered that arrived today has chamomile (I’m allergic) so I’ll have to return it. My hair is pretty oily so I do better with sulfates.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:13 pmHaha, you’re not the only one! My hair is getting bigger and more obnoxious every day. I woke up the other morning looking like Slash from Guns ‘N’ Roses!
Chelsea says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:00 pmI’ve always thought I could do a fun Axl Rose costume with my red hair.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 2:47 pmWe could do our own remote version of GNR. Hahaha!
Daphne B says
May 13th, 2020 at 12:37 pmI am with you on the drugstore makeup. I have watched a bunch of youtube videos by Zabrena, that provide drugstore dupes for expensive luxury brand makeup, and a lot of times the dupe is better than the expensive brand. In her videos, she likes to do one half of her face with the expensive brand, and one half with the drugstore dupes, and you can never tell which is which. With the uncertain economy, I feel guilty spending too much, and I have gotten used to no makeup while working from home, so now I feel like I can get away with a lot less. I agree with Suzanne C – cream shadows are the GOAT! My eyes are so hooded now, that if I do more than one color, you cannot see it anyway, so I like to keep it simple. Thank you, Karen, for always making this so much fun. Some days, your blog is the only thing I have to look forward to , and it has really kept me going through these crazy work from home times. You are such a ray of sunshine in this weird time.
Karen says
May 13th, 2020 at 1:12 pmYou’re so sweet, Daphne. Thanks for saying that! It makes me happy to know that I can help in a way!
Jan says
May 13th, 2020 at 3:30 pmAlthough I’m not working from home permanently, I agree with a lot of what Sarah said. I always wore a full face of makeup and now not so much. I went a long time wearing no makeup after March 13, my last day in the office. As we started doing more video calls, I started putting on It’s cc cream, cream blush and eyebrow pencil on days I needed to. I’ve probably only worn eye make up two days in the past two months and that used to be a staple. When the Sephora sale came last month, it was the first time I can remember not placing an order. I have so much in reserve that I haven’t ordered anything new, which is really a change for me.
Erica says
May 13th, 2020 at 7:05 pmMakeup takes a really long time to use up. I’ve been working on using things up for about 3 or 4 years. Used up deluxe samples. Used up foundations, powders, concealers so my collection of those are very small. I haven’t bought a new mascara in so long.
Makeup makes me happy and it’s part of my routine. I wear it daily even though I’m working from home. I don’t see a point in owning it if I’m not gong to use it. Also since I’m trying use certain things up, it forces me to use it. I also get dressed daily. No lounge wear for me. Wearing my clothes is also part of me keeping routine and just feeling normal.
Michele DiCola says
May 14th, 2020 at 2:46 pmSo Covid me ;
I haven’t colored my hair but I have the color and Mr. Bill ( Hub ) can do it .
I clipped my nails way down and just waiting for the last of the dip powder to
Wear off . I may still get a pedi tho . My toenails grow in and that could be
serious . My brows are microbladed so that’s taken care of .
Of course I shower and wash my hair . Hubby says I wash my hair too much . He means more that twice a week .
I do weights and squats and I try to do the recumbent bike . Waiting for knee surgery!
Yelena says
May 19th, 2020 at 9:02 amhmm definitely skipping a lot of makeup right now. i’m down to mascara and blush for video calls and maybe if I need to really “dress up” i’ll bust out the cat eye!
and good for you for embracing your grown-out grays! I think they are beautiful!
the way I see it, you had a head start on everyone else who could not go to the salon during the quarantine, so go you!