Well, I disagree. I wear much more makeup now than I did in my 20s, 30s, and 40s. For one thing, I wear foundation pretty much every day--I never bothered before. I wear concealer, eye shadow, eyeliner, and eyebrow color pretty frequently, too. But it's not obvious, because I 1) pick the right shades and 2) blend like crazy. I also retouch, check for shine, and fix smears.
These ladies don't. Here's Maggie Gyllenhaal in need of some foundation, but with too much smeary black eyeliner, a startling amount of very pink blusher placed too low on her cheeks, and very bright lipstick.
She looks better here. Her eye makeup is great, and her skin looks beautiful. There's still way too much blusher, though. And it should stop at the bottom of her nose, not go all the way down to her lips.
This is Catherine Zeta-Jones promoting Elizabeth Arden's new Red Door Red lipstick. Where do I start? Too much eyeliner, too much blusher, and basically too harsh a look. Let's just call her Cruella de Lipstick and move on, shall we?
To a different picture of Catherine Zeta-Jones, this time demonstrating that when it comes to bronzers, a little dab'll do you.
Would it be over the top to call her Cruella de Oompa Loompa?In conclusion, wear as much makeup as you want. But please, emphasize either your eyes or your lips. Limit your blush to a healthy flush. That goes for bronzer, too. And for heaven's sake, keep the eye shadow above the eye.
This advice is for everyone, of course. A 23-year-old needs to guard against a tendency to ladle on the spackle. Makeup is fun, after all. Whee! But you get older, you really need to be careful. Constant vigilance.
Be Joan. Not Bette.
I'm reeling at the confluence of Mad Eye Moody and Baby Jane.
ReplyDeleteI have never been able to wear foundation. It always makes my face flake out, literally. Cheap, expensive, moisturizing foundation or regular, doesn't seem to matter. They all make me flaky. I've started using tinted moisturizer but it doesn't really do the job as it doesn't have enough tint to really cover anything. It's also not easy to find.
ReplyDeleteAlso? This whole flaky skin while still getting spots thing is really starting to piss me off. I exfoliate, I use moisturizer and yet I still get both. Very frustrating.
MAW: I think I was drunk on pop culture last night.
ReplyDeleteMajor B: Yikes, how frustrating is that?
Hmmm. I hesitate to advise you to try Renova, because when I used it, I'd get flakey unless I moisturized like crazy.
In your situation, I'd use salicylic acid products all over the face, with benzoyl peroxide on the pimples. Or Clinique's Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer, because the benzoyl peroxide is buffered.
For makeup, I'd mix a mineral makeup with my regular moisturizer and apply it like foundation. I like Jane Iredale, because it's not as shiny as Bare Minerals.
Then to cover problem areas, I'd pat on a little more mineral makeup, this time in powder form. I've actually used a taklon eyeshadow brush and covered individual pimples with loose mineral makeup. It does an amazing job.
Good luck!
I had no idea that there were rules about blusher. Never below the nose -- so noted.
ReplyDeleteI want you to know that I've started wearing lipstick again for the first time in ... well, EVER. I had some for the occasional special event, but after reading your post, I started wearing it every day. Maybe not all day, but baby steps...
I really dislike this new heavily blushed look. The blush is being applied under the cheekbone and right to the sides of the nose. Sandra Bullock and virtually every other woman sported this look at the Oscars. (Except for the perennially gorgeous Helen Mirren of course...) That bronzer makes Catherine ZJ's pores look like craters.
ReplyDelete