MAC COMPARISONS

As I mentioned in my last makeup post, I became addicted to make up when I was not happy with my rebellious locs. It was either take down my locs and be regretful or deter my mind to another part of my body! I wore make up in college, but when my sons were born, the only thing I had time for was lipstick and mascara!

Now a middle aged woman ( 48yr. 5mo) , I`am very conscience of my appearance and my health. I was before. Now I`am a fanatic. I suffer from no health aliments and I would like to keep it this way for as long as I could. So, three to four times a week, I attend Zumba, step aerobics, and Nautilus weight training to keep within my healthy BMI and in my beautiful clothes! In a menopausal woman, that can be a challenge!

Looking in the mirror, I inspected my face. Not a wrinkle or crow feet at the eyes! Oooh I love my oily skin and DNA! I do not like the dark spots from the pimples. The large pores and inflamed and redden spots on my cheeks. How do I get a uniformed color to my complexion and hide the little imperfections? MAKE UP!

Two weeks ago, I had to get some winter make up. Reading, I discovered that you have to change the color of your foundation to ascent the darker color of your skin, tanned in the summer by the sun. For my summer foundation, I had some Mac liquid foundation: NW45 from the day that I first went to Macy`s to get matched for foundation.

The sales associate looked at my face and said I needed NW45. When I got home to apply the make up, I realized it looked red and a shade too dark. I was so angry! But, I was more angry with myself! For 26 bucks, I knew that I should have placed the makeup on my jaw line for 10min then go out side and look at the color in the mirror! DON`T TAKE THE SALES ASSOCIATES WORD FOR IT. THEY ARE THERE TO SELL PRODUCT. PLACE THE COLOR ON YOUR JAW LINE. GO OUT SIDE IN THE LIGHT! If YOU CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN AND THE COLOR OF THE FOUNDATION. IT`S THE RIGHT COLOR! I went back to Macy`s two weeks later and purchased Mac select 15 FPS foundation:NC50. My correct color match.

Iman Earth 2 cream foundation

I also bought Iman`s second to none cream to powder foundation in Earth 2. It`s the equivalent to Mac`s NW45. I loved how it glided over my skin. It covered my flaws well and kept my skin moist. I felt like I had no make up on!

On that note, I went to Macy`s to purchase my winter foundation.Since I loved Iman`s cream foundation so much, I decided to try MAC`s Studio Tech foundation:NC50. LOVE IT! It glides on smoothly, covers well and keeps my skin moist all day! I purchased Iman`s cream foundation in Earth 1. MAC`s NC50 color equivalent.

MAC Studio Tech:NC50

Watching you tube, Coloured beauiful had a comparison of a mac finishing powder and a Revlon ColorStay mineral finshing powder. I loved the Revlon mineral powder in Suntan matte. It left a slight shimmer without looking shiny. I had a little glow going on. I normally use MAC `s select sheer powder in NC45 or Cover Girl professional loose powder in 125 translucent tawney. Revlon`s finishing powder is my number one.

Coloured Beautiful also reviewed Revlon ColorStay foundation. Since she never used Mac, she could not give a Mac comparison. So here is my review. Revlon Color Stay is inferior to MAC. It`s not even a close second. It glides on thin. It does not cover well. It`s very drying. I feel as if I was wearing a facial mask. It`s tolerable! MAC Select SPF 15 foundation (liquid) glides on smooth. Covers dark spots and inperfections without using a concealer. It keep the skin moisturized through out the day, So I forget I have it on.

MAC is the winner! You get what you pay for here! Iman is my second runner up! Revlon is a distant third.

MAC Studio Tech:NC45 and Revlon ColorStay: Caramel

What is your favorite cosmetics? Why does it work for you? Drop me a line!

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

My New Hobby: Makeup!

I wait until I become almost 48 years old to play with makeup! I never cared much about makeup as a teen or a young adult. In college, I wore fashion fair and Flori Roberts cosmetics. I wore lipstick, blush, and mascara. I alway admired how some women took time in the morning to flawlessly place makeup on their face.

One woman I worked with, would come to work with her face looking like a super model everyday! I`am saying to my self, how in hell does she find time to do this? It looked like she spent at least an hour to look beautiful. I work in a operating room. We wear mask. The damn makeup wears off. Any how, who has time to put a full face of makeup and met the high demands as an operating room nurse?

When I locked my hair a year ago, I began to experiment with eye shadow. My locs were short and I did not have long hair anymore to accent my face. I began experimenting with eye color. My BF and my co workers loved it. When I did not wear it, my co-workers would notice right away! My OR mask did not get in the way of my eye makeup.So this became my trade mark!

Last month, in December, I celebrated my first locaversary. I was so excited about my milestone, but I was so bord with my hair. Twice I almost took them down. To distract me from my locs, one day I was reading More magazine for women over 40.

A light bulb went on! I`am not a spring chicken anymore! I will be a half of a century in 2 years, if God allows it! I have been blessed with oily skin, no wrinkles and great genes. How long will that last? I`am perimenopausal and I have noticed that the skin under my neck is thinning. Time to get a skin care regime in place!

Twice a month, I give my self an At-Home facial followed by a mud facial mask. After I rinse my face with lukewarm water, I use a clarifying herbal astringent containing witch hazel. Daily, I use earth science clarifying facial wash followed by earth science clarifying herbal astringent, completed by earth science almond-aloe moisturizer with sun protection. My skin care products are by earth essentials. They are hypo-allergenic. http://www.earthessentials.com/

I learned before I was to experiment with make up, I needed to do my home work! I watched youtube videos, read books for women of color, and surfed the web. I discovered that before I bought my makeup, I needed to purchase tools of the trade, makeup brushes and wedge sponges!

HOW TO USE COSMETIC BRUSHES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iZLAmBUB7U

I bought:

1. Powder brush : To dust loose powder or bronzer.

2. Blush brush: To apply and blend blush or bronzer,

3. Concealer brush: To apply concealer.

4.Wedge sponge: To apply and blend foundation.

5. Shadow brush: To highlight, accentuate, and sweep color over the eye.

6. Lip brush: To apply lipstick or gloss

FOUNDATION
Shelf life: 6-12 months/6 months for liquid and Creams.

The easiest way to finding a foundation color for you, is to visit a cosmetic counter. The young man at the MAC counter quickly identified my color by looking at me. He applied a cream to powder foundation to my face. I did not like it. I looked too made up. (Cream to powders offers medium to maximum coverage). He then applied a liquid. It looked more natural. (Liquids offers light to medium coverage).

I did not believe that the color he chose was the color for me so I made him do the classic steps for trying on foundation:

1. Pick three shades: One that seems just right, a lighter color, and a slightly darker one.

2.Place each on your jawline.

3. The shade that disappears or matches your skin color is the color for you!

I waited for my skin to absorb the color. When I looked in the mirror, MAC Select SPF 15 Foundation:NW45, was the color that the young man had picked for me!

I wanted a neutral color for my blush, the young woman behind the MAC counter recommended, SheerTone Shimmer Blush, Sweet As Cocoa

http://www.shopwiki.com/wiki/foundation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlaIxP_MFAg

FOUNDATION PRIMER

Foundation primer is the new craze. Apparently it has been used and praised by makeup artist, and has been recently introduced to the cosmetic world for mass production. Foundation primer acts as a barrier against your skin and your makeup. Since the main ingredient is DIMETHICONE, a silicone, It allows your makeup to glide on with ease. The primer fills in any lines or large pores giving you a smooth, fresh finish. You use less makeup. I was happy to read that! My MAC foundation is $26 a bottle, so that works for me!

http://make-up-products.suite101.com/article.cfm/why-you-need-a-foundation-primer

http://monkeysee.com/play/1535-cosmetics-applying-a-foundation-primer

Foundation primer is expensive! The price is about $30 for a 1oz tube! The best primer is Smash Box, MAC, and Laura Mercier.

Makeup addicts are raving about MONISTAT CHAFING RELIEF POWDER-GEL. No its not associated with yeast infections. Its a skin protectant. The same ingredients used in the #1 primer, Smash Box Photo Finish Foundation Primer.

http://review-monistat-face-primer.uncensoredguides.com/

I did my research. As a nurse, I always compare ingredients in health and beauty products. Why pay for a name brand product, unless consumer report says its superior and it works! Reading reviews, a minority of people said it cause them to have cystic acne.

I have oily skin. I tried the monistat for a few days.I had no problems! I use products that contain salicylic acid, an acne treatment. I use a blemish concealer on areas on my chin where I`am prone to breakouts. Again, I had no issues.

The monistat works very well! I will continue to use it until I have problems! I`ll keep my Smash Box in the drawer and use it for special events!

CONCEALER

Shelf Life: 4-8 months

Concealers are used to hide dark under eye circles, pimples, and dark marks.

You should choose a concealer one shade lighter than your natural skin color.Use a yellow- based concealer. It is the most natural looking on skin of color.

Use a concealer brush to apply the concealer. Apply some concealer to the back of your hand to warm it up. It will glide and blend very well!

http://cosmopolitan.co.uk/beauty/How-to-apply-concealer-video/video

POWDER

Shelf life: 8 months/8-12 months for loose powder.

The purpose of powder is to set your foundation and to control shine. If you want to control shine, Use loose powder. It is sheer. If you need more coverage to even out your skin color, use a pressed powder. It is opaque.

SHELF LIFE

Eye Shadow

6-12 months for powder and cream.

Mascara

3 months

Lipstick

3 years

In my opinion, foundation, concealer and powder are the most important when it comes to makeup. If you get those wrong, you will look jacked up!

Here are some makeup books that are a must!

The Beauty of Color by Iman

Essence Beauty basics & Beyond

Making Faces by Kevin Aucoin

HAVE A FUN AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!