I have several Brush Guards! I use them mainly when I'm washing my brushes so they'll hold their shape while drying.
Resolution LOW-BUY 2016
- Thread starter shellygrrl
- Start date
I have several Brush Guards! I use them mainly when I'm washing my brushes so they'll hold their shape while drying.
jennyap
Well-known member
Well here it is! I finally have big girl furniture in my studio/office/closet room and I love it!I thought it would be fun to share.
View attachment 57861
View attachment 57860
My goal before the new furniture arrived was to dekraapify my closet, my old IKEA clothing storage and my makeup collection.
I ended up with a few bags for Good Will! Overall it feels really good to be so nicely organized, with everything put away neatly.
The bureau above houses my makeup. Essentially I have 4 drawers of goodies that I am currently using in rotation with one
catch all drawer for miscellaneous things like, glitter, eyelashes, samples, foundation, e/s palettes I am not ready to dispose of/may depot at some point, etc. However, I am not allowed to hoard! I let go of everything I have not used in quite some time. No mercy! And while I have a nice amount of open space, this does not mean I will be stuffing it to full capacity. Being able to see everything I have is a daily reminder that I have a lot and do not need more, more, more...Careful selection and addition from here on out!
View attachment 57862 View attachment 57863
View attachment 57864 View attachment 57865
I also dekraapified my brush collection, keeping only things I reach for. By the way, do any of you remember Brush Guards?
I still have and use them regularly when I clean my brushes. You can see them mixed in.
And the lower right picture is my little mirrored tray of treasures.Those are my date night lippies!
Looks fabulous! Well done on getting rid of so much, looks like you have a fairly well-edited collection now (for a make-up addict!!)
fur4elise
Well-known member
They are the best! Before travel, I wash the brushes I am going to take and leave the guards on. They protect them from getting knocked around.
Thanks lady! Can I admit...sometimes when I am in my space I just open the drawers and look at my goodies...
It is a Virgo girl's dream of order...It is so easy now to get ready in the morning. I know where everything is and can access it easily. I know I am driving my hubby crazy because I keep telling him how much I love my new furniture...
I still need to work on my catch all drawer...really, it is time to do something with my random palettes...depot and/or dispose. They are not getting used.
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Alysse011
Well-known member
They are the best! Before travel, I wash the brushes I am going to take and leave the guards on. They protect them from getting knocked around.
Thanks lady! Can I admit...sometimes when I am in my space I just open the drawers and look at my goodies...
It is a Virgo girl's dream of order...It is so easy now to get ready in the morning. I know where everything is and can access it easily. I know I am driving my hubby crazy because I keep telling him how much I love my new furniture...
I still need to work on my catch all drawer...really, it is time to do something with my random palettes...depot and/or dispose. They are not getting used.
As a Virgo, I will agree with this. I need to organize my stuff more! The furniture you have looks lovely!
fur4elise
Well-known member
#VirgoNation!!! Thank you
It only took me forever to get big girl furniture
...lol...but now that I have it, somehow my brain clutter has magically sorted itself. 
VAL4M
Well-known member
NICE Fur4elise!! I need to do the same and make some space on top of my drawer but i'm so lazy!! And I also need to stick to my NO buy this year.... this hasn't been working out for me this year. New year resolution for 2017 I guess. But one thing that was a success was using up my lipsticks and make serious dent in some eyeshadow palette.Well here it is! I finally have big girl furniture in my studio/office/closet room and I love it!
View attachment 57861
View attachment 57860
My goal before the new furniture arrived was to dekraapify my closet, my old IKEA clothing storage and my makeup collection.
I ended up with a few bags for Good Will! Overall it feels really good to be so nicely organized, with everything put away neatly.
The bureau above houses my makeup. Essentially I have 4 drawers of goodies that I am currently using in rotation with one
catch all drawer for miscellaneous things like, glitter, eyelashes, samples, foundation, e/s palettes I am not ready to dispose of/may depot at some point, etc. However, I am not allowed to hoard! I let go of everything I have not used in quite some time. No mercy! And while I have a nice amount of open space, this does not mean I will be stuffing it to full capacity. Being able to see everything I have is a daily reminder that I have a lot and do not need more, more, more...Careful selection and addition from here on out!
View attachment 57862 View attachment 57863
View attachment 57871
I also dekraapified my brush collection, keeping only things I reach for. By the way, do any of you remember Brush Guards?
I still have and use them regularly when I clean my brushes. You can see them mixed in.
View attachment 57864
View attachment 57872
The picture above is my little mirrored tray of treasures.
fur4elise
Well-known member
Thanks sweetie!
Ladies, I have to recommend if you have not read it yet, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up : the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kondo! I first heard about it from Kimberly Clark on YT and it was a great little read!
Seriously! I will say this, a lot of us here have already been putting some of her methods to work, so the read for me confirmed being on the right path.
For example, before I even laid eyes on, purchased and had my new furniture delivered, I went through all of my belongings and weeded out lots of stuff. This is one of the methods she strongly recommends. Do NOT buy storage for what you have. Go through you belongings first and determine what is meaningful, in use, makes you happy, etc. Then dispose of all of the stuff that does not fit into any of those categories. THEN set about reorganizing and storing...It has made a world of difference in my space. I am functioning so much better in other places, by not having piles of stuff and clutter.
I am with you Val! I made great headway on makeup I already had...BUT I did spend a bit more money than I should have for 2016. None of my purchases have gone to waste, but I really do not need anything right now. The last makeup purchase I made was concealer and that should keep me set well into the new year.
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I think it's pretty safe for me to do my July-December stats now.
No Buy
Pre-made eyeshadow palettes - None purchased!
Bronzers - None purchased!
Eyeliner pencils - None purchased!
Eyeshadow primer - None purchased! But I will have to buy one early next year.
Setting powder - None purchased!
Proceed with Caution
Single eyeshadows - None purchased! I actually parted ways with three of them recently.
Blushes - None purchased! That said, after a little bit of thought, this is a part of my stash I wouldn't mind expanding next year.
Lipstick - I'm not sure how to classify NARS Unlaced. It's not quite a liquid lipstick, but it isn't quite a gloss, either? Also recently ditched my Maybelline Shocking Coral l/s (haven't worn it in quite a while), and I think in the new year it'll also be time for me to say goodbye to my beloved MAC Feed the Senses. (I want to find a dupe/similar colour first. Any ideas?) And yes, I still want Fanfare (that'll be what I B2M for next).
Lipgloss - See above notes re NARS Unlaced.
Mascara - Bought one for my six-month replacement. The MAC one I was using for the back half of the year is now set aside for Back2MAC.
Lipliner - None purchased!
Brow products - None purchased! I am going to be ditching my ABH Brow Powder and will try the Inglot Brow Liner Gel in the new year.
Points of Focus
Brushes - The only brush I bought in the second half of the year was my Chikuhodo R-P4, which I really like! There's still some room for expansion, though, I think.
Foundation - Bought ABH Stick Foundation, which I like. Will by buying the Makeup Atelier liquid foundation I mentioned a little while back in the new year.
Concealer (undereye) - None purchased. I still have one more pot of MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer that I'm going to bust open next year, but I'll still be on the lookout for a new undereye concealer in the new year.
Highlighter/Luminizer (something more suitable for my skintone) - Have a little sample tube of MAC Strobe Cream. It isn't bad (for me, it works better when mixed with liquid foundation, even though it changes the texture of the foundation I'm using). I think I would prefer Becca's SSP, though.
Miscellaneous
Do something with those [CENSORED] pigments! - I did, I did! They're out of my life! No more.
False lashes - Will be playing with them very soon.
No Buy
Pre-made eyeshadow palettes - None purchased!
Bronzers - None purchased!
Eyeliner pencils - None purchased!
Eyeshadow primer - None purchased! But I will have to buy one early next year.
Setting powder - None purchased!
Proceed with Caution
Single eyeshadows - None purchased! I actually parted ways with three of them recently.
Blushes - None purchased! That said, after a little bit of thought, this is a part of my stash I wouldn't mind expanding next year.
Lipstick - I'm not sure how to classify NARS Unlaced. It's not quite a liquid lipstick, but it isn't quite a gloss, either? Also recently ditched my Maybelline Shocking Coral l/s (haven't worn it in quite a while), and I think in the new year it'll also be time for me to say goodbye to my beloved MAC Feed the Senses. (I want to find a dupe/similar colour first. Any ideas?) And yes, I still want Fanfare (that'll be what I B2M for next).
Lipgloss - See above notes re NARS Unlaced.
Mascara - Bought one for my six-month replacement. The MAC one I was using for the back half of the year is now set aside for Back2MAC.
Lipliner - None purchased!
Brow products - None purchased! I am going to be ditching my ABH Brow Powder and will try the Inglot Brow Liner Gel in the new year.
Points of Focus
Brushes - The only brush I bought in the second half of the year was my Chikuhodo R-P4, which I really like! There's still some room for expansion, though, I think.
Foundation - Bought ABH Stick Foundation, which I like. Will by buying the Makeup Atelier liquid foundation I mentioned a little while back in the new year.
Concealer (undereye) - None purchased. I still have one more pot of MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer that I'm going to bust open next year, but I'll still be on the lookout for a new undereye concealer in the new year.
Highlighter/Luminizer (something more suitable for my skintone) - Have a little sample tube of MAC Strobe Cream. It isn't bad (for me, it works better when mixed with liquid foundation, even though it changes the texture of the foundation I'm using). I think I would prefer Becca's SSP, though.
Miscellaneous
Do something with those [CENSORED] pigments! - I did, I did! They're out of my life! No more.
False lashes - Will be playing with them very soon.
fur4elise
Well-known member
[MENTION=65477]shellygrrl[/MENTION] ~ Wow! You did fantastic! I'm embarrassed in comparison.
I can say this, I was very selective with my purchases this year. In a way this year I went about rebuilding my stash to be usable, not just a collection. Also I purchased no backups of LE items...there is always something new on the horizon! Anything that did not work or was an impulse buy got returned immediately!
I'll come back next week when I have time to do a full review, a good way to conclude 2016 & just in time for Shelly to start the 2017 thread I'll also include new finds & happy discoveries!
I can say this, I was very selective with my purchases this year. In a way this year I went about rebuilding my stash to be usable, not just a collection. Also I purchased no backups of LE items...there is always something new on the horizon! Anything that did not work or was an impulse buy got returned immediately!
I'll come back next week when I have time to do a full review, a good way to conclude 2016 & just in time for Shelly to start the 2017 thread
I'll also include new finds & happy discoveries!
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Day-to-night (went to a Christmas thing tonight) FOTD time...
Day
* MUFE Step 1 - Mattifying Primer (across nose)
* ABH Stick Foundation - Porcelain (mostly in the central portion of my face)
* MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - NW15 (undereye)
* Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil - Ash
* hairspray and spoolie to set brows
* lip balm
Night
* added some more foundation to other parts of face
* touched up undereye concealer
* Kevyn Aucoin SSE - SX01 (pinpoint/spot concealing)
* Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
* Cinema Secrets Ultralucent Setting Powder - Colorless
* NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
* MAC Eyeshadow - Copperplate (crease)
* MAC Eyeshadow - Typographic (inner and outer portions of lid + outer part of lower lashline)
* Makeup Geek Eyeshadow - Prom Night (centre of lid)
* UD Eyeshadow - Verve (from Naked 2 palette; top coat for Prom Night)
* Sephora Contour 12hr Waterproof Eyeliner - Black Lace (lower waterline)
* KISS Trio Lashes Starter Kit - four X-Short clusters on each eye (two close together at the outer corners, two somewhat spaced out toward the middle)
* Smashbox Indecent Exposure Mascara (top and bottom lashes; normally I do top lashes only, but the bottom lashes needed a little something)
* MAC Blush - Next to Skin (contour)
* NARS Blush - Sex Fantasy
* MAC Lipstick - Blankety
I did well enough with the lash application. The glue pot that came with the set was not great, to me. Thankfully, I still had some other lash glue on hand. As for the eyeshadow, I ended up realizing I missed having a white base in my stash (I used to have NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk ages ago, but tossed it). It would've come in handy here.
Happy and Merry everyone! 
jennyap
Well-known member
Happy New Year everyone!
Time for a round-up from me...
I didn’t set any specific targets except to stay under 30 purchases. I ended up on 28, but one of those was one of the holiday sets with 4 mini lipsticks, so technically I went over. So could have done better, but not terrible overall.
My ‘danger’ area has always been lip products – probably because they’re what I use most of - and that was the same here. Including the 4 minis already mentioned I added a total of 15 (1 gloss, 2 balms, 13 lipsticks). On the plus side, I did purge 15 glosses, and finished 2 balms and 2 lipsticks, so overall it was a net reduction, which is heading in the right direction. However I need to make a renewed effort on this area for 2017 – finish some more lipsticks and glosses (I do at least have a few running low) and pass on the ones that don’t get any love.
The other big area of spend was eyeshadows, which I’ve already mentioned in the thread. I picked up all the Matte2 shades I didn’t have, backups of two I do have and use most, and a couple of discontinued shades, for a total of 10. This was relatively exceptional and I can’t see me adding much more to my shadow stash any time soon, so I’m ok with this.
Other than that I picked up one pot of Meteorites, three blushes (ok, but nearing my limit), one super-covetable highlighter (ELxVB)! and one palette with a blush and highlighter (MAC). I’m maxed out on highlighters too.
Actually I’m maxed out on everything and need to just stay in maintenance mode and continued purging from now on. Other than the glosses I really didn’t do any purging last year, so I need to get back on that. I’m never going to have a small stash – if I include named shades in palettes separately, I have 600 makeup items currently! EEEK, can’t believe I just put that in writing. I’d like to reduce that to no more than 500 by the end of the year, and 400 the year after. Longer term 250, maybe 200 at a push, but that will be hard for me!!
Big thanks to those who kept this thread going throughout the year, as you can see I still need you guys even if I don’t post often.
Time for a round-up from me...
I didn’t set any specific targets except to stay under 30 purchases. I ended up on 28, but one of those was one of the holiday sets with 4 mini lipsticks, so technically I went over. So could have done better, but not terrible overall.
My ‘danger’ area has always been lip products – probably because they’re what I use most of - and that was the same here. Including the 4 minis already mentioned I added a total of 15 (1 gloss, 2 balms, 13 lipsticks). On the plus side, I did purge 15 glosses, and finished 2 balms and 2 lipsticks, so overall it was a net reduction, which is heading in the right direction. However I need to make a renewed effort on this area for 2017 – finish some more lipsticks and glosses (I do at least have a few running low) and pass on the ones that don’t get any love.
The other big area of spend was eyeshadows, which I’ve already mentioned in the thread. I picked up all the Matte2 shades I didn’t have, backups of two I do have and use most, and a couple of discontinued shades, for a total of 10. This was relatively exceptional and I can’t see me adding much more to my shadow stash any time soon, so I’m ok with this.
Other than that I picked up one pot of Meteorites, three blushes (ok, but nearing my limit), one super-covetable highlighter (ELxVB)! and one palette with a blush and highlighter (MAC). I’m maxed out on highlighters too.
Actually I’m maxed out on everything and need to just stay in maintenance mode and continued purging from now on. Other than the glosses I really didn’t do any purging last year, so I need to get back on that. I’m never going to have a small stash – if I include named shades in palettes separately, I have 600 makeup items currently! EEEK, can’t believe I just put that in writing. I’d like to reduce that to no more than 500 by the end of the year, and 400 the year after. Longer term 250, maybe 200 at a push, but that will be hard for me!!
Big thanks to those who kept this thread going throughout the year, as you can see I still need you guys even if I don’t post often.
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fur4elise
Well-known member
Incoming Longa$$ Novel! ~ 2016 Review/Reflections
The Magic of Dekraapifying!:
At the end of 2015 I had dekraapified quite a bit of a makeup collection that sat unused, overflowing, in a poor storage situation…that did not allow me to see what I had, let alone use it properly. That being a success, I made an even greater effort over 2016. I ended up throwing away a ton of past date stuff, no mercy! I B2MACed quite a few rancid lipsticks along with unused or close to used up products. I also gave away unopened / or minimally used goodies to my students (They loved that!).
While my intent was to be low buy in 2016. I cannot say it turned out that way. On the positive side, what I can say is that I completely reviewed and refined my makeup collection. I made careful, curated choices…with less emphasis on quantity / collecting versus usability and quality. I made sure I got samples where I could to fully test new products and swatched as much as I could in person. Anything that did not work and/or fancied itself to be a pure impulse purchase got returned unopened.
And in Nov/Dec, I was jumping up and down with joy when I got some wonderful big girl furniture! This allowed me to rethink and completely redo my makeup storage situation! A big time happy thing!!!
Mid-range & Luxury vs. Drugstore Thoughts:
Yeah…I erred more on the side of making mid-range to high end purchases, coming to truly understand and appreciate the quality of some prestige brands.
I love a good sale and a good coupon! In fact, I am less likely to spend without one or the other…frugal to the very end. I am finding with the mid-range brands (Mid-range to me = MAC, UD, tarte, etc.) are offering more sales and coupons, so it easier to go in on products I might not normally splurge on full price.
The reality is, if you are not careful, you can spend just as much if not more money on the drugstore brands purchases! The danger lays in you can always find stuff on sale and there is a continuous roll out of new products every few weeks. Colour Pop, L’oreal, NYX…I’m looking right at you! I did okay with not overdoing the drugstore brand purchases in 2016, but I can do better in 2017!
A Great Start and a Photo Finish!:
In 2016, I ended up zeroing in on the overall quality of my makeup in these areas: Canvas, Priming, Foundation & Finishing.
Canvas = Skincare!: I won’t go into serious detail…I love my Deciem Hylamide & Ordinary products so spent the year adding and removing products based on performance.
Primers: I thought I was set with my original primers (Olay, Smashbox, Becca) BUT I was never completely satisfied with how my foundation/concealer would go on or lasting power. 2 things changed. I switched my main primer to the Hourglass Veil Mineral…after getting a deluxe sample this quickly became my HG…In combination with the Becca, my makeup smooths on and has serious lasting power! We are talking 12 hrs+ The second thing that changed was HOW I was applying my Becca Ever Matte…I went from smoothing it directly onto my face, to applying a dab to my fingers, warming it a tad and then blotting/patting it over my oily areas. What a big time difference!
Foundation: I guess many of us still quest for the HG foundation. After bandying about and testing numerous brands, I officially switched back to Estee Lauder Doublewear! A medium to full buildable formula, this stuff just works for me and it stays put! Have I found the perfect shade in one bottle…eh, no…I actually mix 2 shades and that seems to work for me. At the end of Dec I had it down pretty good, so I went ahead and purchased the DW concealer to give it a go… BUT I now have a seriously out of place TAN from my Mexico vacation…so I am back to futzing until my tan fades again.
Finishing: For the longest time I was just using a colorless setting powder that lent itself to a flat effect, bleh. So I added 2 powders: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Radiant Light) and the Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder #4 Medium. Both were suggested by ladies here and I love them! These powders are fine and add a lovely glow to the face!
The other finishing step I incorporated is using a finishing spray! I went with Skindinavia. It got great reviews and I was able to get it on sale too. I also replaced my MAC Fix+ Both do a great job of taking away powdery finish and set makeup to stay put and last!
Inadvertent Point of Focus:
Lipliner/Lipstick ~ Prior to 2016, I completely disposed of my lipstick, lipgloss, lip balm, etc collection. Let’s just say I had to start from scratch just using Aquaphor. But I hated having “death warmed over lips!” So, it became a point of focus. After reading reviews, swatching where I could and making careful selections, I was able to start wearing lipstick without tearing up/chapping the heck out of my lips. My go to brands are: Urban Decay, Guerlain Rouge G, NARS, KVD liquid lippies & my precious Tatcha Kyoto Red! The Lancome Juicy Shakers were a FAIL! Those suckers gave me chapped lips everytime I used them!
Other Beauty Stuffs:
Guerlain Bronzers are “Aaaaaaaah!” I purchased 3, them and use them all the time!
Blush ~ I added a couple LE MAC in 2016, a few Ben Nye pans and the NARS x Sarah Moon Impudique.
Highlighters ~ Somehow this became my other inadvertent point of focus! So much so, I joined highlighters anonymous! Brands added were ABH, Laura Mercier, Becca, Dior and a couple MAC MSF.
Eyeshadow/Palettes ~ Ummmm…Yeah…EPIC FAIL…I was not suppose to buy any palettes. But alas I did and learned my lesson. I returned some purchases recognizing I made them out of FOMO/ on impulse. I also gifted a couple knowing I will never use them. I have a pretty good edited collection now. I really like the ABH (Mario & Renaissance), KVD (Light & Shade) and Viseart (Theory Minx) palettes I added.
Eyeliner ~ None purchased…oh wait. I bought one from L’oreal, the Feline liquid one…
Mascara ~ I purchased one high end, the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl and used an assortment of small sample/travel size acquired from different brands. I made a couple drugstore purchases. Revlon – meh...eh...& L’oreal Feline Noir, a surprise hit.
Brushes ~ I added some Real Techniques brushes and one LE Sonia Kushak set that was on clearance from Target. I have a pretty good mix that works for me.
And that is 2016 in a nutshell…thank you for taking the time to ready my wordy tome…all in all it was a fun year in all things beauty…Now I am off to craft my 2017 plan of action in the 2017 thread! MUAH!
The Magic of Dekraapifying!:
At the end of 2015 I had dekraapified quite a bit of a makeup collection that sat unused, overflowing, in a poor storage situation…that did not allow me to see what I had, let alone use it properly. That being a success, I made an even greater effort over 2016. I ended up throwing away a ton of past date stuff, no mercy! I B2MACed quite a few rancid lipsticks along with unused or close to used up products. I also gave away unopened / or minimally used goodies to my students (They loved that!).
While my intent was to be low buy in 2016. I cannot say it turned out that way. On the positive side, what I can say is that I completely reviewed and refined my makeup collection. I made careful, curated choices…with less emphasis on quantity / collecting versus usability and quality. I made sure I got samples where I could to fully test new products and swatched as much as I could in person. Anything that did not work and/or fancied itself to be a pure impulse purchase got returned unopened.
And in Nov/Dec, I was jumping up and down with joy when I got some wonderful big girl furniture! This allowed me to rethink and completely redo my makeup storage situation! A big time happy thing!!!
Mid-range & Luxury vs. Drugstore Thoughts:
Yeah…I erred more on the side of making mid-range to high end purchases, coming to truly understand and appreciate the quality of some prestige brands.
I love a good sale and a good coupon! In fact, I am less likely to spend without one or the other…frugal to the very end. I am finding with the mid-range brands (Mid-range to me = MAC, UD, tarte, etc.) are offering more sales and coupons, so it easier to go in on products I might not normally splurge on full price.
The reality is, if you are not careful, you can spend just as much if not more money on the drugstore brands purchases! The danger lays in you can always find stuff on sale and there is a continuous roll out of new products every few weeks. Colour Pop, L’oreal, NYX…I’m looking right at you! I did okay with not overdoing the drugstore brand purchases in 2016, but I can do better in 2017!
A Great Start and a Photo Finish!:
In 2016, I ended up zeroing in on the overall quality of my makeup in these areas: Canvas, Priming, Foundation & Finishing.
Canvas = Skincare!: I won’t go into serious detail…I love my Deciem Hylamide & Ordinary products so spent the year adding and removing products based on performance.
Primers: I thought I was set with my original primers (Olay, Smashbox, Becca) BUT I was never completely satisfied with how my foundation/concealer would go on or lasting power. 2 things changed. I switched my main primer to the Hourglass Veil Mineral…after getting a deluxe sample this quickly became my HG…In combination with the Becca, my makeup smooths on and has serious lasting power! We are talking 12 hrs+ The second thing that changed was HOW I was applying my Becca Ever Matte…I went from smoothing it directly onto my face, to applying a dab to my fingers, warming it a tad and then blotting/patting it over my oily areas. What a big time difference!
Foundation: I guess many of us still quest for the HG foundation. After bandying about and testing numerous brands, I officially switched back to Estee Lauder Doublewear! A medium to full buildable formula, this stuff just works for me and it stays put! Have I found the perfect shade in one bottle…eh, no…I actually mix 2 shades and that seems to work for me. At the end of Dec I had it down pretty good, so I went ahead and purchased the DW concealer to give it a go… BUT I now have a seriously out of place TAN from my Mexico vacation…so I am back to futzing until my tan fades again.
Finishing: For the longest time I was just using a colorless setting powder that lent itself to a flat effect, bleh. So I added 2 powders: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Radiant Light) and the Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder #4 Medium. Both were suggested by ladies here and I love them! These powders are fine and add a lovely glow to the face!
The other finishing step I incorporated is using a finishing spray! I went with Skindinavia. It got great reviews and I was able to get it on sale too. I also replaced my MAC Fix+ Both do a great job of taking away powdery finish and set makeup to stay put and last!
Inadvertent Point of Focus:
Lipliner/Lipstick ~ Prior to 2016, I completely disposed of my lipstick, lipgloss, lip balm, etc collection. Let’s just say I had to start from scratch just using Aquaphor. But I hated having “death warmed over lips!” So, it became a point of focus. After reading reviews, swatching where I could and making careful selections, I was able to start wearing lipstick without tearing up/chapping the heck out of my lips. My go to brands are: Urban Decay, Guerlain Rouge G, NARS, KVD liquid lippies & my precious Tatcha Kyoto Red! The Lancome Juicy Shakers were a FAIL! Those suckers gave me chapped lips everytime I used them!
Other Beauty Stuffs:
Guerlain Bronzers are “Aaaaaaaah!”
I purchased 3, them and use them all the time!Blush ~ I added a couple LE MAC in 2016, a few Ben Nye pans and the NARS x Sarah Moon Impudique.
Highlighters ~ Somehow this became my other inadvertent point of focus! So much so, I joined highlighters anonymous!
Brands added were ABH, Laura Mercier, Becca, Dior and a couple MAC MSF.Eyeshadow/Palettes ~ Ummmm…Yeah…EPIC FAIL…I was not suppose to buy any palettes.
But alas I did and learned my lesson. I returned some purchases recognizing I made them out of FOMO/ on impulse. I also gifted a couple knowing I will never use them. I have a pretty good edited collection now. I really like the ABH (Mario & Renaissance), KVD (Light & Shade) and Viseart (Theory Minx) palettes I added.Eyeliner ~ None purchased…oh wait. I bought one from L’oreal, the Feline liquid one…
Mascara ~ I purchased one high end, the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl and used an assortment of small sample/travel size acquired from different brands. I made a couple drugstore purchases. Revlon – meh...eh...& L’oreal Feline Noir, a surprise hit.
Brushes ~ I added some Real Techniques brushes and one LE Sonia Kushak set that was on clearance from Target. I have a pretty good mix that works for me.
And that is 2016 in a nutshell…thank you for taking the time to ready my wordy tome…all in all it was a fun year in all things beauty…Now I am off to craft my 2017 plan of action in the 2017 thread! MUAH!
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Prettypackages
Well-known member
GREAT POST!
I've only used the HG Veil primer once (I was afraid of breakouts). I went to a party, dead in the hot/humid Summer Months, danced all night long and my makeup did not move.
I've only used the HG Veil primer once (I was afraid of breakouts). I went to a party, dead in the hot/humid Summer Months, danced all night long and my makeup did not move.
fur4elise
Well-known member
Thanks mama!
Tbh...I never even considered the HG. And some ladies here find it to be a meh product...which makes sense as we all have different skin chemistry & concerns. I have combo skin erring towards oily. So thought yeah right, a mineral primer will do squat for me...but surprise! In combo with the Becca my oilies are under control and my workday makeup stays in place, does not oxidize & can be refreshed with minimal blotting/touch ups. No breakouts or clogged pores from either primer.
