Makeups

(This post is perfect for makeup beginners, like me, not experts. haha)

Hehe let's talk about girly stuff today (gedik sat :P). Today, I want to talk about makeup.

Hmm..when was the first time you guys wear makeup on a daily basis? (women only, of course. I don't want to know guys who wear makeup on a daily basis. If you do, keep it to yourself, please. haha)

Honestly I only started to wear makeup on a daily basis during my final year at college. (Before that I only wore powder and lipbalm, which is not a makeup btw). At that time, I forced myself to wear simple makeup everyday (foundation/powder, eyeliner and occasionally, lip gloss and mascara) because I reliazed that I would enter the career world once I graduated, and to me, every career woman need to have some makeup on to make them look more professional. When I say makeup, I don't mean covering your face with everything, just a simple powder, mascara/eyeliner, and lip gloss will do. And so, diligently, I wore makeup everyday, even on busy days, because I believed I would be busy once I entered the career world anyway, so I might as well practice to get used to it.

Since then, I have tried to learn the basics of makeup--how to choose the perfect foundation, how to apply the eyeliner, what are the makeup essentials, etc. And of course, during the learning process, I have embarassed myself by applying my makeup the wrong way, which made me look funny. But that's okay. I have learned from my mistakes, and I think now, I am able to apply makeup the correct way (I think..free to disagree haha).

Anyway, one of the important things about makeup, other than the techniques, is the type (or brand) of the makeup used. I have tried quite a number of makeup before, and now I have found some of my favorites. Let me tell you what they are.

(1) Foundation

I have a combination skin and it is quite sensitive/pimple-prone as well. Hence, finding the right foundation that does not irritate my skin (apart from the right facial cleanser and moisturizer) is important to me. Personally, I think finding the right foundation is the hardest process of all (I think most people would agree with this!). Firstly, most foundations tend to have a heavy feeling when you put it on your face--which I hate--especially liquid and creme foundation. The feeling is not that apparent when using a compact foundation, though. For me, the best foundation that does not give this feeling is mineral foundation, which I am currently using. Secondly, finding the right shade is owh-so-difficult. Being a southeast asian, I have a yellow-based tanned skin, but most foundations tend to be white or pink based. Everytime I bought over-the-counter foundation, I have never felt totally satisfied with my buy. All the foundations that I have used before tend to make me look like I was wearing a mask.

However, a few months ago, I found this mineral foundation from lovingminerals.com that matched my skin tone perfectly. The color was designed specifically for southeast asians' skin. When I put it on, I swear I looked like I was not wearing any makeup on, but the foundation gave me the coverage I needed. Plus, with it's dual function as a concealer as well, I could just take a concealer brush, dab it a little with the foundation, and cover all the scars that I have. I love love love the color. However, the downside of this foundation-concealer is that I need to use quite a lot of it, and it doesn't really stay that long compared to the other mineral foundation that I have used (Bare Escentuals). To me, Bare Escentuals foundations are at the same level as liquid foundations in terms of its 'staying' power, however, unfortunately, it doesn't have the perfect shade for me (apart from the fact that it is not sold in Malaysia).

(2) Finishing powder

I have to say my favorite is Mineral veil from Bare Escentuals. Mineral veil is just perfect. It makes my makeup stays and it makes my skin less shiny (I have oily skin, especially at the T-zone). However, since it is not sold in Malaysia, I have to find other alternatives. I used to use Maybelline's Loose Powder, which worked just fine, but I cannot find it anymore. Now I am using Silky Girl's Loose Powder, but I don't fancy it as much since I don't really like the smell and shade. I am still looking for the right replacement for the owh-so-loveable Mineral Veil.

(3) Eyeliner

Typically, the first eyeliner for most people is the pencil eyeliner. I have used it too, but I did not really fancy it since it's not as dark, and sometimes it was too stiff and hard that it hurt when I put it on. The softer ones however, tend to smudge easily. I tried liquid eyeliner after that, but it was too hard to control. Thanks to Mas, I tried Clinique's gel/cream liner and I loved it.

Gel liner is like the merged product of a pencil liner and a liquid liner. It has the intensity of a liquid liner, and is easy to control like a pencil liner. It is also perfect if you want to produce a smoky look as you can easily smudge it with a brush after application. I personally love Clinique's and MAC's gel liner since both stay on longer and don't smudge (I couldn't find Clinique's in Malaysia, though). Nowadays there are a lot of other brands producing gel liner, such as Maybellilne and Revlon, but I haven't had the opportunity to try them. I will, maybe, after I have finished using my MAC's (which I have been using for a year now, and I still have, like, 40% left. A good RM70 investment, I'd say).

(4) Mascara

I have short, straight, thin eyelashes *sob*. Finding a good mascara which can lengthen, thicken, and curl my owh-so-sad eyelashes, while at the same time does not smudge, is a challenge for me. After a lot of buying and trying, I fell in love with these two babies--Fasio's Power Stay Mascara 3D + Air Tech (Curl Volume), and L'oreal's double extension (tube technology) mascaras. Fasio's mascara stays on like a paint! No kidding! Rubbing, washing with water won't take it off, so it is perfect to be worn on days you think you would cry (haha). It, however, doesn't really thicken my lashes, but it lengthen them just fine. Perfect for a natural look, I'd say.

L'oreal's however, lengthen, thicken, and curl my eyelashes perfectly! It makes me look like I am wearing fake lashes! When I tried it on, I knew I had to have it! It stays on perfectly too, although it's not waterproof. I just love it. The effect is heavier than Fasio's though, so it is perfect for functions, I'd say. But you can still wear it everyday, of course, if you don't mind looking a little bit too made on a daily basis.

p/s: tips for muslims, don't let your waterproof mascara touching your skin when putting it on, so that you won't have to take if off while taking ablution :)

(5) Eye shadows

I haven't tried a lot of eye shadows yet, but I am currently using those from lovingminerals.com and absolutely like it! They are in powder form though, so you might need a little bit of practice before mastering it. Previously, I have tried creme eyeshadows, but I don't like them as much because they tend to crease. I'm yet to try pallete eyeshadow though.

(6) Blushers

I only started to use blusher about 2 weeks ago, so I cannot really say anything about this. But currently, I am using Maybelline's mineral blush in original rose. So far, I love the color, but it doesn't stay that long, I think. I still need to look at other alternatives.

Hmm..that's that I think. Care to share what your favorites are? :)