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I love Ulta stores. I don't know if there's one near you, but they do tend to give some of the best make up advice, and unlike a makeup counter, they aren't tied to one specific brand so they can recommend lots of things that would be good for you.
I wear pur minerals powder foundation and bronzer, and I love every thing about it.
I LIVE off of Bare Minerals. My favorite foundation ever. I also love the Urban Decay Naked palette. It's a palette of eyeshadows (all neutral colors), and I love Sonia Kashuk (target brand)!
thanks, girls! I have used Bare Minerals before but it tends to make me feel a little "chalky" if you know what I mean? We definitely have an Ulta near by so I will go check it out! I need something to:
- lighten/brighten under my eyes - I wear glasses all the time so shadows look even worse.
-even out redness around my nose/chin
- put some color in my pallid winter cheeks. lol!
I am obsessed with Laura Mercier. If you don't have a problem with blemishes and just like to even out your skin tone, maybe try the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. It's quick, light, and requires less blending than typical foundation. I also really like Laura's blushes, eyeshadows, and makeup brushes.
For concealer I prefer the Bobby Brown creamy concealer. It's perfect for under eyes AND redness.
I like MAC lipsticks because they're affordable and come in TONS of colors and formulas.
My favorite foundation is Dior, but it's pretty expensive.
I don't use department lipglosses, mascaras or liners. I don't feel the need to buy that stuff when there are so many great drugstore options.
There are SO many brands of make up. One of my very best friends is a professional hair and make up artist, who has done many famous faces, and he has recommended numerous products from various lines over the years -- Shu Uemura, Trish McEvoy, NARS, Stila, MAC, Smash Box, Dior, Chanel etc.
Over the last couple of decades, I also have worn products by Prescriptives, Bobbie Brown, Benefit, Bare Minerals, Laura Mercier, Lancome, Shiseido, and many others. (By the way, a few big companies own multiple competing lines. For example. Estee Lauder owns a ton of brands.)
Unfortunately, not all of those brands are available at a single store, and not all of them will be available in every geographic area. One of the downsides of just going to a make up counter at a department store is that you're likely going to have the sales associate encouraging you to purchase all of your products from one particular line of cosmetics. I think you would be best served by going to a couple of different stores and/or trying a few different cosmetic counters in a department store. The one other place you definitely should visit is Sephora. The consultants there will have access to a number of different brands. They may recommend one brand of foundation, another brand of mascara, and another brand of lipstick, etc. However, Sephora does not carry some of the biggest names, such as MAC or Shu Uemura or Trish McEvoy. They do have many others, though.
By the way, I just looked to see that you are in Pittsburgh, and I looked online, and there are Sephora stores at South Hills Village and in Ross Park and Shadyside.
Here is my makeup regimen:
I would go to a Sephora store and play around with it. The worst thing you can do is order a bunch of makeup online, only to receive it and hate the way it looks, you know? Good luck1
I would set aside some money and go into Sephora and tell them what you want and have them do your face. I personally really like smashbox, but it's not the most natural necessarily (there is quite a bit of shimmer and even some glitter even in the normal eyeshadows).
I think you might like tarte because they have a lot of natural and neautral products and they are really good for your skin and made very earth friendly/chemical free
Thanks ladies!
It seems like Laura Mercier, Mac and Bobbi Brown are more of the "look" that I am going for, definitely going to check those out. Thanks to @MidnightSun: and @Brielle: for the details. I live very near Ross Park so I could check out that Sephora as well as the Ulta that's near there. I agree that I probably won't invest much money in mascara or lip stuff, mostly because I have dark, thick lashes that don't need much help and also because I tend to lose lipsticks and the like.
Got any more tips for me??
I've used Cover FX for years, and it was the best decision I made. I wasn't too keen on spending $38 for a bottle of foundation, but the stuff is truly amazing. I suffered acne all growing up and into my early 20's. I did the best I could to take care of my skin but then put crappy, cheap makeup on and it made the problem worse. Cover FX was created originally for people with scarring and acne. It gives a balanced complexion, easy to blend when you get the hang of it and lasts all day. I get compliments about my skin all the time and I know Cover FX plays a major role in that. Contains no oil, is hypo allergenic and hypo comedogenic. I can't speak enough volume about the product. The have a wide range of products from concealers to powders, but I just use the Natural FX which is their water based foundation. I've converted 3 other friends to it as well, all who had great skin but just were looking for a fantastic foundation.
For any redness use a green based primer. Green is opposite to red on the colour wheel and counteracts any red in your skin. I apply Pur Minerals Green Primer on first, then my foundation.... works wonders.
For blush, especialy in winter because of dry skin I use a cream blush by Dior, but any brand will do. In the winter if you experience any dryness on your cheeks, applying a powder blush will just highlight flakiness.
For highlighting, use anything by Smashbox. They have a Halo Wand which is amazing, or their Photo-Op Under Eye Brightner. Both products are amazing, and I use both on a weekly basis.
Sorry for the long post, when it comes to makeup I'm a lil' crazed :)
@JeniRae: Yes. A lot of people do not know this, but the key to having a great face is to focus on EITHER eyes OR lips but NOT both. You have amazing eyes, so I would focus on eyes, and I would definitely do a soft, neutral lip color.
Above, you mentioned Bare Minerals making your face feel chalky, and I had that experience as well, even though I really liked the product otherwise. This reminds me to tell you that, if you're like I am, you MAY need to experiment with a number of different foundations before you find one that you like and that feels natural to you. Some foundations seem to "sit" on the skin (and stick in any large pores you may have), whereas others will not do that. A good make up counter person will mix you a sample so that you can try the product at home. Also, powder tends to look darker when it begins to absorb oil, so, if you have difficulty deciding between two shades of powder, I would select the lighter one.
Also, pay attention to how much pigment is in the products you're trying. Certain brands are much more highly pigmented than others. (Those deals where department stores sell those no-name kits that have zillions of eye colors in them? Very little pigment.) I don't know if her formulas have changed since I used them, but I found that Bobbi Brown's eyeshadows had too little pigment for my taste. MAC is excellent for eye shadow, by the way.
Ladies - I just discovered through my research today that Nordstrom also has a "Beauty Stylist" program which is F-R-E-E! Similar to their personal shopper service, they will hook you up with a stylist to guide you (me!) through the beauty department, with no obligation to a particular brand! I think I am going to make an appointment with them and also Sephora. I am excited now!
@JeniRae: That is perfect!!! I LOVE Nordstrom -- that's where I have purchased most of my make up. (Sorry I didn't think to check to see if there is one in your area when I looked to see if there was a Sephora!)
Here's a little update: I had my appt with a beauty manager last night. It went okay, not as well as i hoped because the actual Beauty Stylist is out on maternity leave and the beauty manager I worked with clearly was trying to lead me towards Dior. I had to ask her to show me other things besides Dior.
I ended up with:
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Nude. They were running a special on it so I got 3.4 oz for $58 instead of 1.5 oz for $42. It's a HUGE bottle.
I also got MAC eyeshadow thing in Summer Haze.
Dior Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen in 002 (candlelight). This was spendy but worth it I think (hope). Really brightened up under my eyes and can also be used for a little bit of contouring.
I also bought MAC lipstick in Lovelorn but when I got it home it was the wrong color (Angel - close, but wrong). I went back to exchange it but the MAC person said they had been sold out of Lovelorn for 2 weeks. I REALLY hope the beauty manager didn't try to pass Angel off as Lovelorn, hoping I wouldn't notice! I just got my money back on that one and am going to get something at the drugstore.
I still have to pick out some new mascara and liner but I think I'll get those at the drugstore as well. Thanks for all your advice and encouragement in my first "big girl" makeup purchase!
Lol, you already made your purchase but I'll post anyways in case you want to switch up in the future. I'm just like you, I like my make up fast and natural.
Try BB cream, it's a tinted SPF universal cover up moisturizer. I disagree with Brielle. The key to a great face is neither eyes or lips. It's all about skin. Glowing, natural, fresh looking skin. Ever seen a Korean drama and wondered what those actresses use for such great, natural looking skin? It's BB cream. Easy and fast to use for a morning on the go
I've recommended this on like 8 different posts already but I really really love this pencil. Yes, there are expensive fabulous products to cover up or brighten your eyes like Cle de Peau, or YSL but this pencil is absolutely wonderful because it is so quick and easy to apply. Laura Geller Double Eye Appeal pencil. It comes with it's own pencil sharpener. Apply the nude cream end to cover up your shadows and dot the inner corners (tear ducts) of your eyes with the highlighting end, a little sweep under the arch of your brow and line the outer corner of your bottom lash lines. It will open up and brighten your eyes.
What kind of liner are you looking for? The easiest and best liquid liner pen is K-Palette. It's about $10 online, goes on super quick and easy and lasts all day. A great softer liner is the smooth silk eye pencil from Giorgio Armani. I absolutely love Rouge Coco Chanel for nude lipstick. They have such great nude colors. Dior has great pink colors, and YSL has wonderfully vibrant, moisturizing lipstick. There's also great colors out from Covergirl with their new collection featuring Jessica Stam. I haven't tried them, but I love the colors (lol, but I am also keeping in mind that it is Jessica Stam). And Maybelline makes great drugstore mascara =)
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Hi All-
I'm 27.5 years old, work a professional job with a doctorate, own a home and car and don't know the FIRST thing about makeup. I would like to get some good quality makeup (step up from drugstore brands) that I can use to create a professional but natural face QUICKLY in the morning. What are your favorite brands? Are some brands better for certain complexions/looks? Should I go to a makeup counter? Tell me EVERYTHING.
Here's a recent pic to see my coloring, etc (and my cute hubby).