OO ok. 2 months is a longgg break.
I couldn't really think
about an topic to write about... since stuff I thought of were mostly...
things which... aren't easily explained in words.
A video or a demonstration would have been more effective in conveying advice.
Well...
Nail polish is still... cosmetics sooo.... I guess I'm going to talk about it.
I'm not a nail polish fanatic or a 'pro', -my left hand is still unable to paint designs nicely on my right!!-
But... hey, I think I have some advice to share. Especially with people who just started painting their nails.
sooo... let's go!
1. Base Coat
What is this magical thingus people insist on putting on before color coats?!
Basically,
it's just a thin layer of, usually, clear polish which will act as a
barrier between your natural nail and the color coat.
say what?
Ok,
that means, that it's supposed to help you prevent your nails from
changing color, especially if you wear nail polish often OR use really
dark colors.
No. This doesn't mean that your nails will definitely become yellow or brown, eventually.
But
if you change your nail polish color often and if you like using black
or dark browns or something, you have a higher risk of your nails
becoming discolored.
Well, that's the basic function of a base coat.
But,
a base coat can have other functions, the most common would be to fill
in the ridges of your natural nail, so that the color coat can form a
smooth finish.
Another function is to help 'bond' the color coat
better, so that there will be less lifting and chipping. At least this
is what Orly Bonder Rubberized Polish Gripping Basecoat claims to do.
2. Top Coat
Is top coat a must?
Frankly, I would advise to use a topcoat.
It's wondrous, really.
If
you left a fingerprint in your color coat, go over it with a topcoat,
running the bristles over that spot until it smoothens out, then try to
lift off as much of the extra topcoat you have put on there before it
dries.
Voila, the nail is 'perfect' again.
At least until you try to open that can of coke you have on the dining table. *shrugs*
But yes, a top coat imparts a shine to your color coat, and we love shiny things. Yes we do.
Some top coats are better than others, and will help your nail polish last longer without chipping.
But let's get into that later.
3. One Thick Coat vs Many Thin Coats
Well... hey. Valid question.
We all have the experience of putting on the first coat of nail polish and... IT'S NOT EVEN!
Then we naturally want to MAKE it even.
So... we put on MORE polish, and it becomes this thick glob on our nails. Eww...
And then... SOME polishes are horrendous. The color is soooo thin, it might as well NOT be there!!
So we try MORE nail polish.
Well, can't say I've never done that. Haha.
But, one thick layer of polish takes FOREVER to dry and while it is drying... 80% of the time, we will blotch it up.
Ok, I will. Not sure about you, but just saying... IF it were me, I can spend the whole day doing that and still not be finished with my nails.
The benefit of doing thin coats is that it dries faster, and hence, we are LESS likely to blotch it up.
But then again, the downside... is you need at least 2-3 coats... to get the color there...
4. Well... FINE. How do you do thin coats?
T.T no need to get all riled up...
I'm no expert at this, but... first check your nail polish. if you think it's gone all gloopy, TOSS it out.
You won't be getting any 'thin' coats from that.
Ok, so now, look at the nail you are going to coat.
Is it 'large' or 'small'?
What kind of question is that?!
I
have got to say, this comes with experience, after a while you will
know whether you need more polish for which nail (based on surface area)
and which nails you can get away with the regular amount of polish.
But to get the regular amount of polish, you will need to wipe ONE side of the brush, starting about 1-2cm away from the top of the brush OFF the mouth of the nail polish bottle.
That just means, scrape off the nail polish ONCE.
The you will turn the brush so that the part with the MOST nail polish will be in contact with your nail.
Position the brush so that it's ROUGHLY in the middle of your nail. No need to be exact here.
and paint a vertical stripe down.
Then go to the left OR right side of the stripe and paint vertically down again. Repeat until whole nail is covered.
IF for some reason, you didn't get enough polish on the brush to cover the whole nail, get more polish in the SAME way, start from the middle AGAIN, but work on the side that needs the polish more.
5. Ok, how long do I wait now?
This... even I am not exactly sure...
It depends largely on the nail polish you are using.
Some dry really fast, some... take forever.
Generally,
I noticed... that you CAN paint another coat of nail polish over the
last if it doesn't budge when you lightly run your finger over it.
BUT
if you have >4 coats on it in total... the next morning, you MIGHT
find lil crosshatch patterns on it from your bedsheets.
This is
probably because, even though the layer of nail polish is dry, when you
paint a NEW coat, the solvent in the coat will 'reactivate' the dried
nail polish layer under it, somewhat.
This is why I said that top coats can be used to fix blotches, to some extent.
So
the new layer of polish will dry since it's on top, but the layer
underneath... well, it's not completely dry, but it's underneath, so it
needs longer to dry.
and with every subsequent layer, this... problem gets a lil wee bit bigger.
Often I notice that if you managed not to blotch it up for ~4-5 hours, you shouldn't have much problems with it though.
6. Shit... the polish got EVERYWHERE. On my skin, and look a glob at the side of my nail.
heh, that happens.
Chill.
Allow me to introduce the two most important tools to have when you are doing your nails.
The toothpick and the cotton bud.
Toothpick. well, cotton bud I get, but toothpick?!
No, I haven't gone off my rocker.
You
know, when you've applied too much polish... very close to the left or
right side of the nail... it sorta pools between the skin and the nail??
That thing is nasty. It takes forever to dry and since it's soo thick, it peels off VERY easily.
So.
what you've gotta do is... while the polish is still wet, lightly run
the tip of the toothpick in that space to remove the extra polish.
Wipe it off on a tissue or something.
Dip the toothpick in nail polish remover and wipe it off if you need to.
It really does help a lot.
As
for the cotton bud, we all know how tht helps, twist the head to make
sure the fibres aren't gonna come off, dip it into the nail polish
remover, and use it as an eraser.
7. OPI. I heard OPI is awesome.
Not bashing on the brand, but OPI has some good points and... some not very good ones.
Everything here is personal opinion, so... take it with a couple spoonfuls of salt. A truckload if you wish.
I'm completely utterly in love with the brushes in OPI nail polish.
They are flat and wide.
What does that mean?
Fewer swipes to cover the nail.
It helps A LOT. Makes things easier.
OPI has a very LARGE shade range to choose from, they probably have 50 different kinds of nail polish for the same color.
You definitely will find something you like in there.
But... here comes the... not sooo nice part.
The polish... chips. A LOT.
Their top coat, isn't great, it STILL chips a lot.
My friend swears that Seche Vite Top Coat is miles better than OPI's.
I haven't tried that one.
So I can't say.
Well...
I hope this is helpful enough??
^^
Bye~
Tesun
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
#11 - Testers Part 2
Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!!!
I've basically touched on everything I wanted to cover, by accident, in my previous issue.
But I'll try my best to give it more body using this issue! ^^
So... in this issue, I'll cover things about how to choose the right shades, mainly for foundations and concealers.
As well as other products here and there.
So let's start.
#01 - Cool or Warm??
Alright, this is one of the things which confuses the shit out of people.
If you hold 2 different shades of the same color up and ask someone which is warmer or cooler...
well, some people wouldn't have too much of a problem answering you... but then again... some will.
Basically...
Warmer shades will be brighter, more vivid...
And cooler shades tend to be darker, more subdued.
Yes. There is a warm and a cool shade of yellow, I was shocked too...
haha I've always thought yellow was a happy bright color and HAD to be warm.
But no. the cooler shade would be what we mostly call "Mustard Yellow". I just never associated it... well, with yellow for some reason.
Alright loves, but all that junk above ain't going to tell you whether you should pick and NC, NW, C or W shade of foundation.
And frankly, even I'd get confused, time and again.
Well... time to confuse you even more.
In cosmetics... it's the OTHER way around.
Cool shades of foundation are catered for people with more yellow/golden skin tones (warm undertones)
And warm shades of foundations are catered for people with pinky skin tones (cool undertones)
Alright so this is how it goes, skin undertone wise.
Deep yellow to olive (C) - slight yellow (NC) - pinky (NW)
kapiesh?
#02 - Alright... sooo... Am I Cool or Warm???
Good question.
Hard one to answer in words. Next question please.
haha jkjk.
There are a few methods people traditionally use to determine if they have a more pink or more yellow undertone.
They aren't foolproof though... many people get confused over them as well...
a. Take a look at your roots
Well... by roots I mean... your ancestry, by birth or by your actual skin!
Generally... people who are really really fair or sunburn easily (usually Caucasians) have pink undertones.
Whilst people who are get tanned easily or have dark hair (especially Asians) have yellow undertones.
This one is the most... well... old method...
and it's not exactly the best.
Because remember what I said about having cooler and warmer shades of yellow?
Well, when you aren't the palest of pales, and your skin has a slight yellow cast...
it IS possible that for you to have a pinky shade of yellow undertone... so you'd be best off with NW, but then you might mistake your yellow cast to mean you are an NC or a C.
b. Green veins vs Blue veins
Say what?
Another traditional method is to look at your wrist, where your skin is thin and fair enough for the veins to show through.
People claim that... if you see blue veins, you have a cool skin tone and if the veins are green... you have a warm skin tone.
Well... again... there's a bunch of people complaining that they have BOTH green and blue veins, so what do the people who stick with this theory claim?
Well... you lucky buggers are NEUTRAL!
Load of bull crap in my opinion.
c. Colors
Another method that people are telling others about is to see what colors do you look best in.
You have cool undertones if you look better in: Blue, Silver, deep reds... etc
and you have warm undertones if you look better in: orange, golds, bronze... etc
Basically, the theory is... you are what you are and it'll show.
I don't really have much against this method though.
d. Unconventional
Alright, this one ain't much of a method, but still...
For me, I believe that method c, works.
But... as always... it'll fail... on some people.
Nothing works better than the old, put it on and go under a bright light to see.
Basically, if you think your foundation looks grey, pale or orange, you probably are using a foundation of the wrong undertone or you went too light or too dark...
Then again, it's all personal preference. Since my sis says I'm super pale with my foundation on... but I like it because my face is at least a dozen shades darker than my neck and chest... so it matches.
#03 - Color Correctors
well... if you are using an NC foundation, that doesn't mean ya gotta have an NC concealer to match.
A nice tip is an NW concealer can be used as a color corrector for dark circles!!
This is especially because the pink undertones in an NW, makes the concealer slightly orangey, or a salmon color as many people love to call it, and it helps act as a color corrector, neutralizing the blue/purple undertones.
Also if you are severely yellow.
Meaning if you feel like look unhealthily yellow.
Yes, there are people who suffers from a medical condition known as "Jaundice", which causes yellowing of the skin as a symptom.
You can opt to go for a NW foundation to help try to 'neutralize' the yellow undertone.
However, in either case, please note that for some reason or other...
NW shades, tend to be darker than the corresponding NC shade of the same number.
So you might have to end up getting an NW concealer/foundation several shade numbers below the NC shade you match.
Well, it's pretty late...
and in the end... it's largely personal preference...
So... I hope I didn't end up confusing another bunch of people.
haha
Nights!
Tesun
I've basically touched on everything I wanted to cover, by accident, in my previous issue.
But I'll try my best to give it more body using this issue! ^^
So... in this issue, I'll cover things about how to choose the right shades, mainly for foundations and concealers.
As well as other products here and there.
So let's start.
#01 - Cool or Warm??
Alright, this is one of the things which confuses the shit out of people.
If you hold 2 different shades of the same color up and ask someone which is warmer or cooler...
well, some people wouldn't have too much of a problem answering you... but then again... some will.
Basically...
Warmer shades will be brighter, more vivid...
And cooler shades tend to be darker, more subdued.
Yes. There is a warm and a cool shade of yellow, I was shocked too...
haha I've always thought yellow was a happy bright color and HAD to be warm.
But no. the cooler shade would be what we mostly call "Mustard Yellow". I just never associated it... well, with yellow for some reason.
Alright loves, but all that junk above ain't going to tell you whether you should pick and NC, NW, C or W shade of foundation.
And frankly, even I'd get confused, time and again.
Well... time to confuse you even more.
In cosmetics... it's the OTHER way around.
Cool shades of foundation are catered for people with more yellow/golden skin tones (warm undertones)
And warm shades of foundations are catered for people with pinky skin tones (cool undertones)
Alright so this is how it goes, skin undertone wise.
Deep yellow to olive (C) - slight yellow (NC) - pinky (NW)
kapiesh?
#02 - Alright... sooo... Am I Cool or Warm???
Good question.
Hard one to answer in words. Next question please.
haha jkjk.
There are a few methods people traditionally use to determine if they have a more pink or more yellow undertone.
They aren't foolproof though... many people get confused over them as well...
a. Take a look at your roots
Well... by roots I mean... your ancestry, by birth or by your actual skin!
Generally... people who are really really fair or sunburn easily (usually Caucasians) have pink undertones.
Whilst people who are get tanned easily or have dark hair (especially Asians) have yellow undertones.
This one is the most... well... old method...
and it's not exactly the best.
Because remember what I said about having cooler and warmer shades of yellow?
Well, when you aren't the palest of pales, and your skin has a slight yellow cast...
it IS possible that for you to have a pinky shade of yellow undertone... so you'd be best off with NW, but then you might mistake your yellow cast to mean you are an NC or a C.
b. Green veins vs Blue veins
Say what?
Another traditional method is to look at your wrist, where your skin is thin and fair enough for the veins to show through.
People claim that... if you see blue veins, you have a cool skin tone and if the veins are green... you have a warm skin tone.
Well... again... there's a bunch of people complaining that they have BOTH green and blue veins, so what do the people who stick with this theory claim?
Well... you lucky buggers are NEUTRAL!
Load of bull crap in my opinion.
c. Colors
Another method that people are telling others about is to see what colors do you look best in.
You have cool undertones if you look better in: Blue, Silver, deep reds... etc
and you have warm undertones if you look better in: orange, golds, bronze... etc
Basically, the theory is... you are what you are and it'll show.
I don't really have much against this method though.
d. Unconventional
Alright, this one ain't much of a method, but still...
For me, I believe that method c, works.
But... as always... it'll fail... on some people.
Nothing works better than the old, put it on and go under a bright light to see.
Basically, if you think your foundation looks grey, pale or orange, you probably are using a foundation of the wrong undertone or you went too light or too dark...
Then again, it's all personal preference. Since my sis says I'm super pale with my foundation on... but I like it because my face is at least a dozen shades darker than my neck and chest... so it matches.
#03 - Color Correctors
well... if you are using an NC foundation, that doesn't mean ya gotta have an NC concealer to match.
A nice tip is an NW concealer can be used as a color corrector for dark circles!!
This is especially because the pink undertones in an NW, makes the concealer slightly orangey, or a salmon color as many people love to call it, and it helps act as a color corrector, neutralizing the blue/purple undertones.
Also if you are severely yellow.
Meaning if you feel like look unhealthily yellow.
Yes, there are people who suffers from a medical condition known as "Jaundice", which causes yellowing of the skin as a symptom.
You can opt to go for a NW foundation to help try to 'neutralize' the yellow undertone.
However, in either case, please note that for some reason or other...
NW shades, tend to be darker than the corresponding NC shade of the same number.
So you might have to end up getting an NW concealer/foundation several shade numbers below the NC shade you match.
Well, it's pretty late...
and in the end... it's largely personal preference...
So... I hope I didn't end up confusing another bunch of people.
haha
Nights!
Tesun
Friday, February 1, 2013
#10 - Testers Part 1 (Hygiene)
Mmm... making this a regular... update is more difficult than I thought...
I just can't come up with topics fast enough!
Well, we are FINALLY hitting double digits!! YAY!
Ok, sorry guys... I don't have a BIG issue to release for the double digit occasion... I just don't plan things well... haha
Right, so... let's begin this mini series, "Testers".
Of course, we'd start the bat with the big topic... "Hygiene".
"Why?!" you say?
Well... If you've noticed, I'm pretty particular about hygiene...
And of course, since I'm poor, I tend to buy makeup from Watsons and Guardian... where... the testers... look absolutely, positively... CRAWLING with lil nasties.
Although, occasionally I do splurge on cosmetic sprees...
The importance of testers cannot be undermined, I was adverse to testing once and god knows how many dollars I've wasted on foundations which are a bazillion shades too light or dark for me to save...
Since then... well... I've tried my best to come up with ways to use testers... that doesn't gross the hell out of me.
Hopefully, these will help you too.
The organization of this issue will largely orientate towards 'Drugstore' purchases.
This means testers for products in Watsons, Guardian, your neighbourhood stores... etc where there isn't a clean counter and bright smiley faces of the MUAs trying to help you with your selection at Takashimaya or something.
Of course, at THOSE counters, remember to be thick skinned enough to ask for:
Alright, let's get cracking.
#01 - Wet tissues / Makeup remover wipes
What about them?
Well... always bring them along whereever you go.
Even if you aren't testing anything, wet wipes are useful at unexpected times.
Basically the idea is that after swiping the makeup over your skin...
You can use the wipes to remove it as best as possible.
At least until you can find a decent place to wash it all off properly.
I prefer carrying Unscented Wet Wipes from Watsons, just because they're cheap and they work well enough.
Yes, I do use them to remove makeup too!!
Does an alright job before I reach home and use the makeup remover.
#02 - NEVER test directly on your face
Never.
Really. Don't.
Unless ALL the products have been specially disinfected for your use. At the counters.
If someone offers to give you a makeover, and you see unwashed brushes... walk away.
Chances are... the makeup products aren't disinfected.
I've seen teens and working adults test eyeliners and mascaras directly on their eyes.
Everytime, I stare in horror and try as best as I can to pretend that I wasn't staring at them.
Yes, the testers they were using didn't look half as gross as say... that foundation bottle that cracked and is leaking some oily fluid...
BUT... You have NO idea who used those testers before!!
What if someone who has an eye infection tested it before you? The eyeliner or mascara could be contaminated with the microbe. Chances are... that microbe... is probably infectious.
Even if you brought an alcohol swab with you and disinfected it before using it...
The mascara, for one, is already fully contaminated, since the person using it before wouldn't disinfect it before putting the wand back in.
And that lipstick?
well... who knows if the person who tested it before you had cold sores?
Which by the way, is a viral infection and presents as ulcers at the lips, so the person might just think it's just ulcers...
#03 - Test on your hand
Alright, so... this isn't exactly the BEST representation for your face...
But still, much better than risking an eye infection and blindness.
Testing on the back of your hand is considerably safer and also suitable for a large range of cosmetic products.
This includes... Eyeshadow, eyeliner, eyebrow pencils, blushes and to some extent foundation.
But we'll get to foundation a bit later.
If you are really particular about testing how the eyeliner and eyeshadow will sit on your eyelids...
The skin on the inside of your wrist often is thinner and softer than the back of your hand.
You'd be able to tell if the eyeliner will drag on your eyelid easily.
There really isn't going to be any spot on your body that can represent your lips.
Lips have a special texture, and the base color differs for everyone.
Everyone who's bought a lipstick knows that the color that looks lovely on your skin... might not even show up on the lips.
It really can't be helped...
However, Wayne (yes, I do <3 him) recommends testing lipsticks on your fingertips.
The fingertips are more textured than the back of the hand.
Of course, they probably aren't the same base color as your lips... but still... it's closer than the other alternative.
#04 - Mascaras?
Well, dang!
The rate this goes, you shouldn't ever test a mascara then!!
Haha, good news and bad news
You CAN safely test a mascara, BUT a few swipes won't tell you much about how the mascara wears over the day... it may extend the hair wonderfully... but... maybe it'll smear or flake or sommat.
Oh wait, I have yet to say where to test them... oops.
well... it's not... too strange.
We all have hair on our bodies, they aren't all that different from eyelashes.
So... the easiest place to test that mascara is... yep, on your arm.
Specifically, the arm hair.
What if you had IPL or shaved/waxed it off??
uhh... I guess... grab your best friend or your boyfriend, and test on them??
haha
#05 - Foundations...
QAQ
If the skin on the back of your hand is the same shade as your face...
Then you are one lucky pup and have no problems with testing foundations on your hand.
But of course... that... is pretty rare.
And in actuality... well... foundation SHOULD match your neck/chest.
It's no surprise if your face is several shades darker or lighter than your neck or chest.
The face IS closer to the sun... and your neck and chest get more shade from your hair and clothes than your face does...
So a good place to test foundations would be the neck or your collarbone.
Of course... this'll only work... if you... have access to a medium sized mirror.
haha... I've tried this out with a compact mirror... Let's just say... it was difficult to find an angle to view my collarbone...
#06 - Look at the condition of the product
Alright. This is kinda duhhh...
Basically, you have to judge for yourself if you dare to test it and where would you test it on.
If the product looks absolutely disgusting...
My reasoning is... just WAIT till you reach another store with a tester with a better condition.
Or you could be a good samaritan and... inform the staff of the condition and have them remove it.
They might take a while to replace it though...
Not exactly the best choice of topics for a milestone issue... (only the 10th though!)
but... I guess it'll do... ^^
Hope you guys like it!!
Tesun
I just can't come up with topics fast enough!
Well, we are FINALLY hitting double digits!! YAY!
Ok, sorry guys... I don't have a BIG issue to release for the double digit occasion... I just don't plan things well... haha
Right, so... let's begin this mini series, "Testers".
Of course, we'd start the bat with the big topic... "Hygiene".
"Why?!" you say?
Well... If you've noticed, I'm pretty particular about hygiene...
And of course, since I'm poor, I tend to buy makeup from Watsons and Guardian... where... the testers... look absolutely, positively... CRAWLING with lil nasties.
Although, occasionally I do splurge on cosmetic sprees...
The importance of testers cannot be undermined, I was adverse to testing once and god knows how many dollars I've wasted on foundations which are a bazillion shades too light or dark for me to save...
Since then... well... I've tried my best to come up with ways to use testers... that doesn't gross the hell out of me.
Hopefully, these will help you too.
The organization of this issue will largely orientate towards 'Drugstore' purchases.
This means testers for products in Watsons, Guardian, your neighbourhood stores... etc where there isn't a clean counter and bright smiley faces of the MUAs trying to help you with your selection at Takashimaya or something.
Of course, at THOSE counters, remember to be thick skinned enough to ask for:
- A new applicator to test the product with
- Have the lipstick or product be disinfected for you
- Ask for a sample to bring home and try it out (Some MUAs might not be happy about this one...)
Alright, let's get cracking.
#01 - Wet tissues / Makeup remover wipes
What about them?
Well... always bring them along whereever you go.
Even if you aren't testing anything, wet wipes are useful at unexpected times.
Basically the idea is that after swiping the makeup over your skin...
You can use the wipes to remove it as best as possible.
At least until you can find a decent place to wash it all off properly.
I prefer carrying Unscented Wet Wipes from Watsons, just because they're cheap and they work well enough.
Yes, I do use them to remove makeup too!!
Does an alright job before I reach home and use the makeup remover.
#02 - NEVER test directly on your face
Never.
Really. Don't.
Unless ALL the products have been specially disinfected for your use. At the counters.
If someone offers to give you a makeover, and you see unwashed brushes... walk away.
Chances are... the makeup products aren't disinfected.
I've seen teens and working adults test eyeliners and mascaras directly on their eyes.
Everytime, I stare in horror and try as best as I can to pretend that I wasn't staring at them.
Yes, the testers they were using didn't look half as gross as say... that foundation bottle that cracked and is leaking some oily fluid...
BUT... You have NO idea who used those testers before!!
What if someone who has an eye infection tested it before you? The eyeliner or mascara could be contaminated with the microbe. Chances are... that microbe... is probably infectious.
Even if you brought an alcohol swab with you and disinfected it before using it...
The mascara, for one, is already fully contaminated, since the person using it before wouldn't disinfect it before putting the wand back in.
And that lipstick?
well... who knows if the person who tested it before you had cold sores?
Which by the way, is a viral infection and presents as ulcers at the lips, so the person might just think it's just ulcers...
#03 - Test on your hand
Alright, so... this isn't exactly the BEST representation for your face...
But still, much better than risking an eye infection and blindness.
Testing on the back of your hand is considerably safer and also suitable for a large range of cosmetic products.
This includes... Eyeshadow, eyeliner, eyebrow pencils, blushes and to some extent foundation.
But we'll get to foundation a bit later.
If you are really particular about testing how the eyeliner and eyeshadow will sit on your eyelids...
The skin on the inside of your wrist often is thinner and softer than the back of your hand.
You'd be able to tell if the eyeliner will drag on your eyelid easily.
There really isn't going to be any spot on your body that can represent your lips.
Lips have a special texture, and the base color differs for everyone.
Everyone who's bought a lipstick knows that the color that looks lovely on your skin... might not even show up on the lips.
It really can't be helped...
However, Wayne (yes, I do <3 him) recommends testing lipsticks on your fingertips.
The fingertips are more textured than the back of the hand.
Of course, they probably aren't the same base color as your lips... but still... it's closer than the other alternative.
#04 - Mascaras?
Well, dang!
The rate this goes, you shouldn't ever test a mascara then!!
Haha, good news and bad news
You CAN safely test a mascara, BUT a few swipes won't tell you much about how the mascara wears over the day... it may extend the hair wonderfully... but... maybe it'll smear or flake or sommat.
Oh wait, I have yet to say where to test them... oops.
well... it's not... too strange.
We all have hair on our bodies, they aren't all that different from eyelashes.
So... the easiest place to test that mascara is... yep, on your arm.
Specifically, the arm hair.
What if you had IPL or shaved/waxed it off??
uhh... I guess... grab your best friend or your boyfriend, and test on them??
haha
#05 - Foundations...
QAQ
If the skin on the back of your hand is the same shade as your face...
Then you are one lucky pup and have no problems with testing foundations on your hand.
But of course... that... is pretty rare.
And in actuality... well... foundation SHOULD match your neck/chest.
It's no surprise if your face is several shades darker or lighter than your neck or chest.
The face IS closer to the sun... and your neck and chest get more shade from your hair and clothes than your face does...
So a good place to test foundations would be the neck or your collarbone.
Of course... this'll only work... if you... have access to a medium sized mirror.
haha... I've tried this out with a compact mirror... Let's just say... it was difficult to find an angle to view my collarbone...
#06 - Look at the condition of the product
Alright. This is kinda duhhh...
Basically, you have to judge for yourself if you dare to test it and where would you test it on.
If the product looks absolutely disgusting...
My reasoning is... just WAIT till you reach another store with a tester with a better condition.
Or you could be a good samaritan and... inform the staff of the condition and have them remove it.
They might take a while to replace it though...
Not exactly the best choice of topics for a milestone issue... (only the 10th though!)
but... I guess it'll do... ^^
Hope you guys like it!!
Tesun
Thursday, January 17, 2013
#09 - Eyeliner Tips & Tricks
Hey guys,
MIA-ed a tad bit too long...
First week of school is almost over, done with a test that I really couldn't bring myself to study, and...
well... signed my life over to a company for the next 2 years at least.
YAY!
I know I'll probably miss out a couple of tips here and there, but not to worry, I'll be editing the note asap.
This is one topic that people really ask A LOT.
And I keep overlooking it... Silly me...
Thanks to someone on sgcafe for asking me for help on it and reminding me about this topic.
Soooo... this one is on making things easier for YOU when you do eyeliner.
Tricky lil thing it is, isn't it.... grrr
Let's get started.
#01 - Set up a good environment
Say what? What does this have to do with that?!
Anything and everything, I suppose.
Ok, so basically, this just refers to making sure you have the basics you need before you start, which are:
(a) Eyeliner
(b) Good lighting
(c) A stable surface to rest your elbow on
(d) A mirror, preferably one with a stand.
Why a mirror with a stand? So you can free up the OTHER hand to help you stabilize your eyelid.
You MIGHT need to place the mirror on a box to make it tall enough though...
#02 - Don't hold your breath
What??? Don't you NEED to hold your breath when you concentrate on drawing that line?!
The answer is...
No.
Conversely, holding your breath makes it harder for you to draw your eyeliner.
Why?
Well... uhh... it just is.
Nah, when you hold your breath, and concentrate, there is a higher chance of you shaking.
You can't concentrate on keeping both your head and your hand still at the same time.
Holding your breath puts a lot of tension on you and yeah... one of them... is gonna give.
Instead, breathe through your mouth gently, open your mouth slightly.
Strangely, this helps in making you BLINK less as well!!!
#03 - Keep an eraser with you
Ok, now you KNOW I lost a screw... or two...
Who will put an eraser on their face and rub?!
Heh,
Hold your horses people, give me a chance to explain.
Meh, of course I don't mean an eraser ERASER... those things are for paper... and pencils.
No, what I mean is to get cotton buds.
Yep, cotton buds are amazing, they can help 'fix' mistakes, so you DON'T need to start from scratch again.
Now... thing is...
Different formulations of eyeliner require... different ways of erasing...
So you just have to try the methods below to see if they work, remember if (a) doesn't work, go to (b) and so on.
(a) Use the DRY cotton bud, gently rub at the mistake.
(b) Dampen the cotton bud with tap water, squeeze out excess water. Gently rub at the mistake.
(c) Dampen the cotton bud with WATER-based makeup remover. Gently rub at the mistake.**
After (b) and (c) use the dry end of the cotton bud to absorb excess moisture.
** 2 phase makeup removers are NOT water-based.
If you do not use a water base makeup remover, the residual oils from the makeup remover will eat away at your makeup through the day.
#04 - Look up
Say what? Don't I have to close my eyes?!
Haha... well... yeah you do.
No getting around it. You have to close the eye you are working with...
No, what I mean is... place your mirror to be above eye level.
This FORCES you to tilt your head up and back, so you can see more clearly through the lil silver of space between your eyelids.
When you do this, the lashline is more easily accessed as well, especially for people who have hooded eyelids.
So you can draw the line as close as possible to your eye!
#05 - Choose the type of eyeliner that's more forgiving
Basically... this means... choose one that you can remove mistakes more easily.
Generally, lasting power of eyeliner is: Gel eyeliner > Liquid Eyeliner > Pencil Eyeliner.
Pencil eyeliner can mostly be removed by a dry cotton bud, but tends to smudge and fade quickly.
Most liquid eyeliner can be removed with a damp cotton bud before the eyeliner dries.
Dried waterproof liquid eyeliner may need a cotton bud dampened with water-based makeup remover.
Gel eyeliner... well... generally, they require you to rub harder and sometimes leave a dark smear on the eyelid even if you use the cotton bud with makeup remover.
Hence, you might want to consider using waterproof liquid eyeliner to get the best of both worlds.
#06 - Cheat!
How to get the PERFECT wing?
Well, cheat by using a guide.
I'll not make this note any longer... and I want to promote Youtuber, KlairedelysArt
She has a video about the lil things you can make use of to as a guide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAcnX3fNpYw
Well... I hope this helps you people?
Tesun
PS:
Please let me know what other topics I should write about?
Please don't ask for reviews though... I'm not loaded so I basically use brands from Watsons. Unless it's something I really want from the US...
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