Make-up question (really!)

[blamebrampton]

One of the downsides of being raised by wolves* is that I know bits and pieces about grooming, but not the whole picture. This is usually fine, I am reasonably genetically lucky and have never been fussed on occasions when I have turned up with Manga hair and everyone else is doing French rolls.

But sometimes I seek information, and have no sources! SO, for those of you in the US and UK, are any of you familiar with Smashbox cosmetics? If you are, could you do me a great favour and share some information?

They have some primers that sound really lovely, but there is no local stockist and they are too costly to buy on spec. I am a convert to primers, since you can often wear them instead of foundation, and you need less foundation for good coverage if you do use it, so they're perfect for 'meeting face' without feeling like a drag queen!

The two that I am looking at are Smashbox Color Correcting Foundation Primer in the green, or Smashbox Photo Finish Primer SPF 15 and Dermaxyl. I have fairish skin in a neutral tone (generally the 01 or 02 shades in most ranges). It's in fairly good condition for my age, but has some fine lines and is prone to dehydration. I have some slight discolouration from ripping my face off on a road, and will go pink at the faintest touch of sun or embarrassment. (Happily, it is very hard to embarrass me!) On the whole, it's sensitive and a little dry.

What I am interested in are the tones and the opacity. I dislike wearing anything masklike on my face and enjoy cosmetics that feel light and move with my skin. Anything yellow-toned is right out, as it looks obvious and gives me the visage du hepatitis. Anything too pink makes me look as though I have been chasing young men around the photocopier after drinking a bottle of vino ordinaire. I had one lovely light green powder from some French brand purchased in Lyon in 1984 that went invisible when I dusted it on my cheeks, leaving them creamy and luminous, Some bugger nicked it from my handbag in a German nightclub and I never saw that brand again. Every brand I have tried to replicate it with has made me look like Mrs Kermit, young Kermit's badly behaved mother.

And let us not forget the fine lines! Despite religious sunblocking, I have spent too much time outside and much of that in Australia, where there is no ozone layer, and Kenya, where there was no sunblock (it was the 70s). Anything that 'luminises', cosmetic monolith-speak for plays with light so the wrinkles look softer, is welcome.

So, to the three of you still reading, will either of the Smashbox primers make me happy that I have spent the same sum on one of them as I would on two new trade paperbacks? Any other suggestions? Is it just time to sew fine black veils to all my hats?


* Actually hippies and lesbians, but there are many similarities including but not limited to being encouraged to howl at the moon, running wild in packs over the moors, rarely bathing, and an awful lot of hair.

Comments

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Lol--it will be four who read it all. I'm such a fan of your writing style that even though I never wear make up, I read it right through. :-)

(ok, well, perhaps "never" is to strong of a word, I think that there were three or four times in my youth, when performing on stage, that someone else painted my face for me--I rather like the process of someone else painting my face, even if the paint feels icky when they are done, but then, I'm enough of a touch-junkie that I also like having my teeth cleaned, because the dental hygienist usually has to hold/touch my face in the process)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Hee! I know what you mean, I went for years after I stopped performing without wearing make-up, but then one day I pulled on one of my vintage frocks, and then I ran out to the shops and bought some powder and a red lipstick, because the frock called for it. Now I have a stash to wear when I need to for work meetings, or else for dress-up days.

I DO recommend a good dress-up day, even if it's just silly hats ;-)

The lack of make-up probably explains your excellent pores ...

[aldehyde.livejournal.com]

for once, i can actually share something of value with you! :D

i'm a HUGEEEEEEEEE fan of smashbox's primer even though it's a little costly. the actual primer feels like PURE VELVET after you've applied it to your skin, and it does a great job of smoothing out lines, hiding discoloration, minimises shine, and helps hold your foundation and/or other makeup for hours.

i myself am a bigger fan of the regular photo finish primer simply b/c i have trouble matching products to my skin tone, and my face has like..3 shades of brown on it :P i just let my foundation do that job for me - and i would recommend that you opt for the photo finish over the colour correcting one, especially since you have concerns about looking too yellow or pink.

another thing you should keep in mind is: don't use a BIG amount of the product. a little bit really goes a long way, and if you put too much of the primer on your face, it'll become rubbery and start peeling off! [i know b/c when i received a sample, i loved the weird velvet texture too much and kept putting more of it on. thank goodness i was just trying it on at home and didn't have to go outside that day..]

if you're looking for a less expensive product that is 90% as good/effective as the smashbox primer, i'd recommed mac's prep + prime skin [which i use right now] or the prep + prime face protect with spf 50 if you don't want to wear additional sunblock.

hope this helps! and sorry for the uber-long comment - i obviously have tons to say when it comes to makeup :P

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

YIPPEE! Thank you, you gorgeous young woman, you!

That is very helpful indeed. The basic one with SPF sounds as though it could be the go, then, as yes, I am always very wary of the colour one goes when colour correcting, and a bit of pink in the cheeks is not the worst thing on earth ;-)

If you weren't recommending with money in mind, would you say go with the Smashbox or try the Mac (which I can at least try out locally, I suppose ... I need some brush cleaner and blotting paper from them anyway ... I may not wear make-up often, but I like to do the job properly ;-)

[aldehyde.livejournal.com]

if you don't care about the slightly higher price, then smashbox all the way :D primers last forever anyway so it'll be a good investment no matter which product you choose.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Thanks, luv!

[sarcasticpixie.livejournal.com]

(I have the rough equivalent of a PhD in Cosmetics. My mother started teaching me about blending when I was eight years old, because Colors Are Fun; I now carry a small fortune in my makeup bag and spent three hours in Sephora on Saturday explaining concealer consistency to my roommate. No less than five people assumed I worked there. Regardless of how hard I try, no amount of radical feminist literature will ever fully cure my indoctrination into the beauty-industrial complex.)

Smashbox is formulated to look great under high-definition camera work, so don't worry about any of the products going masklike -- I'm not the biggest fan of the Photo Finish primer line, but that has more to do with my own skin issues than the product itself. I did splurge on the Photo Finish Light, but returned it to Sephora after a few days... I've had decent luck with their store-brand primers for $12, so I stick with those and save my money for bizarre eyeshadow tints.

However, my favorite product for more mature skin is Laura Mercier's Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20. It's moisturizer, primer, and foundation rolled into one convenient little tube -- pricey, but you only need to use a bit at a time. It looks like her products are available at David Jones and Myer.

(You being in Australia does present a problem in terms of recommending other products, as I have no idea what lines your stores carry! Alas. Hurrah for the internet?)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

HEE! See, half of my earliest memories were at Wimmin's Lib marches in the late 60s and early 70s, and I would describe myself as a hard and fast feminist, but I, too, uphold a woman's right to dress up and have fun with her looks!

So for me it's the occasional business make-up and every now and then an attack of Goth Princess, Greer Garson with the wrong colouring, Floaty Forest Girl or The Flower Power Kid ;-) (Why yes, Suzu, I DO have outfits that go with each of the above!)

So what was it about the Smashbox that said no to you? If you're happy to share, of course. I could indeed try out the Laura Mercier! I used one of the first primers in their range years ago, and it was nice but not spectacular. I went to Prescriptives Traceless for those days when I needed a bit of colour evening-out instead. And I don't mind paying for product I will like and use, goodness knows I have spent hundreds over the years on products I used twice then gave away to friends that suited the rejects better ;-)

And how sweet are you! Looking up stockists! Truly, Ella has the best human ;-) (I can always shop at Sephora when I am in Europe later this year, so rec at will; I can wait!)

[noeon.livejournal.com]

* Actually hippies and lesbians, but there are many similarities including but not limited to being encouraged to howl at the moon, running wild in packs over the moors, rarely bathing, and an awful lot of hair.

* * *

Brilliant. Just. Yeah. I was raised by hippies and lesbians, too. I think of naked sunbathing and patchouli. Hair. Yes, lots of hair. Stoned werewolves the lot of them.

I know nothing about smashbox. I am a firm convert of mineral powder foundations. I usually pick up powders with yellow/linen undertones because I have very pale skin with a tendency to redness. But hey, I was raised by those lupine sapphic treehuggers, so what do I know?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

AAGH! PATCHOULI!! To this day I flee its pervasive scent ;-) I knew I liked you ...

I love the idea of mineral powders, and have tried a few, but although they might work for me over winter, they are no good over summer, as any sweat makes them immediately settle in each and every fine line. Alas, Sydney in summer is astonishingly humid.

And as long as your pale skin with tendencies to redness has a sympathetic tone, the linen tints will look beautiful! Of all yellow-tinted foundations, the mineral powders have been by far the nicest on my colouring, looking just a little beige as opposed to the impending liver failure of most liquid ones.

[noeon.livejournal.com]

Patchouli makes me gag, quite honestly. My mother still thinks it's wonderful. Maybe wolfpack children recognize one another :)

Now you've got me intrigued with the smashbox experiment. I am keen to hear the results.

Humidity is a bear. We have subtropical summers in Boston. The mineral powders generally hold up but yeah, they're not the easiest thing to keep smooth. I have a hard time keeping sunscreens on as well.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I will post here after I have tried it out! I ended up going for the nano-tech invisible zinc block, it's at the other end of the spectrum and almost impossible to get off.

[innocentimp17.livejournal.com]

You really can't go wrong with Smashbox. I've been using them for nearly a year now and just won't go anywhere else for my liquid foundation and a primer. They're great.

I've used BOTH primers you are talking about, as well as their standard photo finish primer. THe green sinks right in, you don't see it later. It's a little bit thicker consistency wise, but vanishes easily. I don't think it's particularly great on readness. The SPF 15 one however is great. It looks pink in the bottle but is clear and fabulous. It's light and has a really silky texture on this skin. It wears well and SPF is never a bad thing. If you just want a decent primer this one's great. I also keep a small travel size tube of the original primer, as it does work the best, but I generally only use it when traveling or when I'm doing something special. You really can't go wrong with the one with Dermaxyl.

Do check the smashbox website. If order directly from them you get great free samples, good prices, free shipping and a special incentive called let's do lunch if you order between certain hours on certain days.

[pingrid.livejournal.com]

*butts in* Do you mean that the SPF 15 one minimises redness better than the green one? I have and love the green one for its smoothing powers, but my "this one is clearly from farmers' stock" complexion can use any help it can get! :D

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Alas, they only ship to the US and Canada, and I am in Australia. But thanks for the advice, I think it is going to be added to the Brammers Beauty Trials!

[adores-draco.livejournal.com]

"Anything yellow-toned is right out, as it looks obvious and gives me the visage du hepatitis. Anything too pink makes me look as though I have been chasing young men around the photocopier after drinking a bottle of vino ordinaire." *snickers*

I cannot see anything wrong with either option. Actually I wouldn't mind helping you with the latter. Especially if they look like Harry and Draco. But do you think we would actually remember what to do with them if we caught them? Just wondering.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have an illustrated manual that I drew up in my 20s so that no matter how old I become, I won't forget!

(and the yellow is v gruesome!)

[winterthunder.livejournal.com]

Well, I read to the end, but I have nothing of use to offer. My makeup case is the size of a bar of soap and sporting a thick layer of dust. I think the last time I wore makeup was... ... ... sometime in the last five years?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I went through a long period with none, but I am now back in my dressing-up in vintage looks mood, and that requires matt skin and red lipstick!

[deensey.livejournal.com]

The similarities to wolves are shocking.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Do not ask about the urinating ...

[mific.livejournal.com]

I live across the ditch so have braved similar ozone attacks, largely from growing up in a more carefree age when it wasn't a proper holiday unless you got thoroughly lobsterized. No idea about the smashbox brands - Maybelline mousse is as complicated as I get.
In terms of desperate measures for the future, apparently Good Queen Bess had all the mirrors in her palaces covered in a film of goose grease when she got older. I imagine vaseline would do the trick. Of course she could always behead anyone rude enough to comment about her skin elasticity...
Sex is the best skincare anyway. Discovering and writing smut has taken years off me!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yes, I hear you on the carefree age ... When we came home from two years in South and Eastern Africa, my grandparents did not recognise me because I was insanely brown (and had shaved off my long hair and looked like an eight year old boy instead of a ten year old girl ...)

I think that I will buy some great hats with good fishnet veils, my eyes and any red lipstick will show through, the general complexion will be diffused!

And I would have more sex but am too busy answering comments and writing fic.

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

You win, I don't even know what a primer /is/

[lilian-cho.livejournal.com]

Ha, me neither.

My guess is primer = an alternative to foundation? And it creates a blank canvas for blushes and eye shadow on top, maybe?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Very similar to oil painting ;-)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Theoretically you wear it under make-up to make it last longer and look better, but these days they are often formulated to be worn as a light foundation or sunblock, too. You don't need it, though ;-)

[rubyemerald-1.livejournal.com]

Your skin sounds very similar to mine I live in Sydney. I like L'Oreal Infallible in Creamy Natural (607). And once I found at Priceline a powder that has lots of different shades of green to cover redness. Dropped it on the bathroom floor. Mehh. BUT I have found the L'Oreal gives a good coverage without making you look like you're wearing a mask.

[rubyemerald-1.livejournal.com]

You know what? I hate to admit this but...18 mths ago they were selling smashbox on TVSN on Foxtel. I don't know, but they still might. You can go online for that.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

adorebeauty, a web-based seller, has it coming out of Melbourne for a price better than I can get it in from the US or UK, so that should be fine. If it is rubbish, I will give the L'Oréal a go, though I had a bad reaction to one of their foundations once and have never tried any other products.

And I have just discovered Priceline! They have dry shampoo! It was my fave thing in the 80s when I was living out of backpacks on long train rides and it still exists! You would not believe the level of happy ;-)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

OH! And, of course, thank you! (My manners are down to the wolves, I am afraid ...)

[ladyjaneva.livejournal.com]

I just snorted my tea at the screen when I read the thingie below your post about lesbians and hippies.

Uhm, Hi there! *waves*
I've seen you around quite a bit and became curious and stopped by your journal and loved what I read, sooo - I'd like to friend you if that's alright?

sunny greetings,
LadyJane

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Hello! That would be delightful. Cheers!

[rhaniyago.livejournal.com]

unfortunately I cannot give you any advice on those smashbox primer things - as I have not the slightest idea what they are - not using any kind of make-up at all. But being 51 I know about lines, fine and not so fine - and what I do is having grown a long fringe which reaches nearly over my eyes - and colouring it green. So people look at the green colour and - hopefully - forget about the lines. But a black veil is always a nice option, too. And as long as you are healthy you'll always be attractive to someone!!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

that's a genius plan! Alas, at the moment I have a head cold, so I am unattractively red and damp. But this, too, will pass ;-)