Fake Out!
My high school (and beyond) boyfriend used to call make-up “fake out,” which, really, I guess it is. We can say we’re “highlighting” or “accentuating,” but really we’re CHANGING. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s just interesting. That SO many women spend time and money on doing things to change the way we look. Talk about body positivity (which is a big topic for another day)!!!
I don’t wear MUCH makeup, not for any philosophical reason, just cuz I never really learned to apply things correctly and it’s all expensive and time consuming, yadda yadda yadda.
But I wear a LITTLE. Mascara is my “must wear” item, otherwise I feel like my eyes entirely disappear. WHO CARES? Apparently I do, ha.
And I went through A Lipstick Phase in the mid-90s. My (now ex-) husband would put a new lipstick in my Christmas stocking every year cuz he loved a RED lip. It was always too bold, too HEY!!! LOOK AT ME!!! for me, and I don’t think I ever wore any of the Christmas stocking lipsticks (sorry, ex). But it did get me to try OTHER (less in your face) lip colors…and 20-something years later I’m still looking for the right shade and formula!!!
It’s SO hard to tell how a color will look on you and it’s expensive to buy a new one, try it on and have it Not Be Right and be out the $4-25!!! Kate at The Small Things blog (this same post talked about how she researches makeup purchases online, I highly recommend reading it as I found it very useful) convinced me (well, not her PERSONALLY, but reading her blog, ha ha) to RETURN makeup and beauty products if they are not to your satisfaction. And boy, most of them are NOT!!! Amiright?!?!
Which is exactly what happened here. The pictures that follow may horrify you. You’ve been warned. They’re just crappy close-up cell phone shots. Again, YBW.
This is a lipstick, NYX (that I keep reading wonderful things about), they just didn’t have the shade I was looking for and I was in Lipstick Buying Mode, so I improvised. And things went horribly wrong. But I just want to point out HOW different the color looks in the tube (lovely) vs. on my lips (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane). Okay, here goes nothing (somehow this feels more terrifying to me than posting the pictures of me in the bathing suits!!!)
Ha! How did THAT color come out of THAT tube? Egads! Not what I was going for At All.
So, what is the moral of this long story?
- Do your homework before purchasing makeup/health&beauty stuff.
- Know that you CAN return opened products! I’ve already returned the day-glo pink lipstick, No Questions Asked š
What sort of experiences have you had with buying beauty products and having them NOT be what you thought they were going to be?
Maggie@ThriftShopFashionista
I’ve been in a makeup rut for years – decades! – buying the same drug store products. A few months ago, I took myself to Ulta Beauty. Talk about cosmetics overload; it was a bit overwhelming! But they had sales clerks who were really very helpful, allowing me to try different products, and I came away with a whole new makeup regimen that is working for me.
Maggie
Fashion Schlub
Yeah, I need to bite the bullet and take the plunge. I’d really like to take a CLASS, because it always seems that no matter what product I’m using or what tutorial I’ve watched, it all ends up looking the same. Bleh. I don’t need to be WOW every day, but I’d like the capability to be that ONCE in awhile š But I’m a chicken and don’t wanna go alone, ha.
Bettye
Iris Smale
You are definitely right about lipstick looking different on you expect. Frustrating, but a fact.
I used to wear makeup – always, and had taken classes on color and application… but now it’s just a bit of blush and occasionally a bit of color on my lips. I’m allergic to most of the mascara and eye makeup. Foundation accentuates wrinkles. Too many women my age wearing too much pretty much turned me off – plus, I can see in the mirror. But then I’m old.
Fashion Schlub
“But then Iām old.”
You’re *experienced.* š
Michelle D.
Samples, samples, samples. They’re cute, fun and make more sense than investing in full-size products only to end up returning them. Sephora offers collections of popular products from an assortment of brands, look on their site for “Sephora Favorites” – its a great place to start. Sochoix can be a little pricey for what you get, but you get to choose your samples from a bunch of high-end brands. And this time of year, a lot of brands offer “advent calendars” filled with 24 samples – browse around and find the ones that offer the sorts of things you’d like to play with. Have fun with it, it all washes off, so no worries. And consider starting with easier colors – like a pink-nude on your lips – rather than a bright pink. It is easier to apply neutrals (they are far more forgiving) and easier to gauge how they look on you sans the shock of COLOR when you’re not used to wearing makeup.
Fashion Schlub
Samples are a great idea! I didn’t realize makeup came in sample sizes.
And ha, I certainly did not *intend* to buy a hot pink lipstick! It *looked* like a soft shade in the bottle and on the counter edge color swatch.
Those big makeup stores intimidate me! But I guess it’s all part of the learning curve š
Thanks for your comments!
Bettye