Alright SusieQ, you inspired me to try for a few days. I found a way to use eyeliner, shadow in a way that I like (not too much) but does make a difference. We'll see. I do like how it looks - and the fact that the whole shebang fits in a tiny little bag and costs minimal.

Missing having a partner right now, but am trying to push through it. Sometimes I envy the x and his overlapping relationships, sometimes I am so grateful that is not me. A breather is nice to remember who I am.

My folks are coming to stay with me in a month and I still have crap everywhere. Taking care of that (and me in the process) will help tremendously.

Aw, that's sad I've been moved to divorced. Oh well, it is the truth.

Making room for something better, right? Someone please tell me that's right.

I don't wear makeup much either and I'm 36. Never in the daytime because I have sensitive skin and I like to concentrate on skincare rather than cover up.

I doubt I would have dated someone with a high PA need to see makeup all the time.

I just wear it occasionally of an evening and I never wore it to my first coffee date with my bf either. I'm always being complimented on my skin (I work hard to look after it) and on my postgraduate course everyone assumes I'm the same age as the others (though I don't think I look that young). One female tutor advised me to wear makeup to interviews (I always do) so I 'don't look like a kid'.

I've flirted with the idea of dying my eyelashes but my bf prefers them natural. He says the red tips are sparkly in the daytime, and he only approves of mascara at night!

He has a very high PA need when it comes to clothes though.

Men have different tastes and women have different ways of maintaining PA.

A good skincare regime can be worth more than makeup.

But if I can get Susie worship-at-the-makeup-altar to agree with this you'll hear an Indie-sized thud over this way...

Pedicures are better!

Yes!

Care to make it interesting?

Anyone who is FB friends with Susie will tell you that she is indeed hot stuff.

Good quality skin primer(I recently discovered YoungBlood) and mineral powder can do a wonder - it gives your skin amazing healthy glow.. Also try French Shellac - it's costly but it looks very good and close to natural and lasts up to 2 weeks..

Luna, I absolutely love make up and like a very clean, minimal look. Susie has given me some great advice on make up over the years. [Diorskin is awesome, Susie!] One thing that really helped me so much was going to the MAC cosmetics counter in the mall and finding the make up artist with a look I liked. She taught me how to choose colors and apply my make up. I really love my new look. If you have a MAC cosmetics counter in your town they will teach you how to do your make up.

It has to be fun, and I would say going to a Mac counter is pretty fun. (So is Dior eyeshadow!)

Anybody got any mascara tips while we're on the subject? That's where it all comes undone for me. I splurged on Benefit's They're Real for a wedding and loved it. A few weeks (being careful to close it right) and I'm back to black flakes on my cheeks.

I have difficulty tolerating most brands of mascara as the alcohol in them makes my eyes swell up. I either dye my eyelashes or use eye liner pencil. I keep mascara for special occasions.

In January I went to Sephora for a complete make over & loved it. I love makeup, but it has to be natural and simple with great results. That is absolutely what I got at Sephora. Also Indie I love their mascara. I was skeptical of the mascara advice they gave me because I've always used waterproof and they don't recommend it except in extreme cases. The only black I ever get on my cheeks when I let myself get distracted while applying and stab myself in the eye (ouch)...then it's all over me.

First off, I use Latisse, which makes my lashes long and thick. I curl them with a Shishedo eyelash curler, then use DiorShow mascara: http://www.sephora.com/diorshow-mascara-P40404?skuId=651323

OK sephora sounds promising!



Yeah me too. Lots of tugging around in the sensitive eye area cleaning that stuff off.



That sounds awesome.

When are you coming to LA? Ask the admins for my info. Let's do girlie things together, like but make-up (or as little PigWig calls it "nake-up").

Awesome!! You will be doing a full on face soon, I bet

Thank you so much, IG! So sweet

You can try a mascara primer and also I "set" the mascara as a last step by blow drying my lashes on the cool setting, the help the curl. I used to have terrible problems with smudging/flaking of mascara and now that I do those two things, I never do.

ETA:
You can also use mascara that forms "tubes" on your lashes - you will not get flaking w/this type of mascara, period. There is Blinc for the higher end and Loreal double extend (red tube) for the drug store option. I have both and they're both (not great) but good.

Whee! What fun to wake up to find this discussion! Awesome!

And what good tips! I like Bobby Brown concealer, but the foundation makes my skin feel crawly. The minerals might be the right way to go. I really do want something to even out my skin tone. That is what makes me feel the oldest, honestly.


What is a French Shellac? Can you still moisturize, etc? I use vitamin e oil as a moisturizer on my face and neck - and I'm starting to use it as makeup remover and face cleaner too - Indie, that might solve your water proof removal issue if you are comfortable putting oil on your face. I have hardly any wrinkles at all - it is miracle stuff.

Super sensitive to makeup too, which is why it has always been Clinique and Bobby Brown - but I can't even use any Bobby Brown eyeshadows.

It is so nice to hear others like the minimal too. I once heard a makeup artist for the movies (that did my Jack Sparrow makeup) that natural actually takes a lot of makeup. Natural == more. Funny how that works.

I'll try the Mac counter. Maybe with PigletWiglet! I will contact this admins!

Indie, I could do the clothes thing. I don't like owning a whole lot, but the stuff I do have I want to look great and be high quality. What sort of thing does a man with high PA for clothes want in a woman's outfits? I know you just have one data point there - but more info is more info.


That sounds like a bet. What do you have in mind?

Maybe it'll be a MAC verses Sephora show down... which one is better? Bring some of my science background into it and turn it into a research project.

I have heard the mineral powder isn't any better for you, all makeup is bad if you leave it on overnight...and honestly, it doesn't do much for my skin (doesn't make it glowy or even skin tone). A MUA once told me it's not good for older skin.

I would suggest going to Sephora and getting samples of a bunch of stuff (Dior is the best...and I have tried it all). Also: if you don't exfoliate, I would suggest trying that and making sure your skin is well moisturized. If not, that's where a lot of cakey, flaky and other foundation issues come into play. I agree about the primer.

Sweet. I knew you would have done the research!



Love that stuff, I'm all over vitamin e oil. I also use olive, argan and sweet almond oil on my face too. Not often just now and then. One of my fave, more regular things is L'Occitane's Shea butter scrub but I put it on as a mask in the shower.





I wear dresses a lot and he really likes that, but he likes my jeans too because I'll dress them up with a blazer etc. He likes the fact I wear bright colours like my red flats or an emerald skirt.

I wear lots of vintage because I'm an hourglass shape so I buy wiggle dresses and pencil skirts. He reaally likes that. I use a tailor for both vintage and mainstream clothes - and that's my ultimate tip. Clothes should fit you, not the other way round.

I'm doing a wardrobe sort out using my new book by BBC vintage queen Dawn O'Porter.




My bet is that you're going to be up to your ears in men. Actually panicked that you can't choose.

I say we wager a posh mascara!

How to get brutal with your wardrobe (by Dawn O'Porter.)

1 Open up your wardrobe.
2. Take out all the things you wear all the time and put them in a pile (lets call it Gary).
3. Take out the things you love but haven't worn in ages. Put them on Gary.
4. Take out the things you like the idea of but have never worn. This is a second pile - lets call it Dave.
5. What's left in your wardrobe is what you chuck. Get them into a bag and off to one side.
6. Go back to Dave, try on all the things you think you love but have never worn and make some brutal decisions.
7. Be honest with yourself and realistic as to why its unworn. Are the reasons likely to change soon?
8. Pop all your rejects into a bin bag and take it to the local charity shop.
9 You don't have to name the bin bag.


I think she's full of really good tips which work for non vintage shopping too because the current fashion is always a recyc of something that's gone before.