#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:

1. A new applicator to test the product with
2. Have the lipstick or product be disinfected for you
3. Ask for a sample to bring home and try it out (Some MUAs might not be happy about this one...)

The first two will ensure that you'll be in contact with minimal germs and nasties and the last can help you figure out if the product is suitable for you.


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

#05 - Brushes vs Sponges Part 1 (Hygiene)

Hey guys!
A short one this week... A bit swamped with school assignments and getting ready for AFA!

This was originally intended to be a extension of note #01 - Cosmetic Hygiene for brushes, but... well, that would be plain boring...
So, I decided to do a comparison between the use of brushes and sponges.

Ok, so first thing we need to confirm is that there are many types of brushes and many types of sponges.
But the most important thing is to be able to keep the brushes and sponges in good condition and with good hygiene!!
Since I'm quite short on time, this issue will focus on hygiene, a more detailed comparison will be made later in the series!

MAINTAINING THE HYGIENE OF BRUSHES
Brushes go into your product and onto your skin, the bristles trap dust, makeup and bacteria.
Over time, these build up and you may be breeding some very infective microbes in your brushes without knowing!
So what do you need to know?

Spot Cleaning

• This involves placing a wet wipe (e.g.: baby wipes, or antiseptic wipes) on your palm and swishing your brush bristles against it.
• If your brush has a flat ferule(e.g.: flat shader brushes, foundation brushes) move your brush in an back and forth motion, perpendicular to the brush
• If your brush does NOT have a flat ferule, move your brush in circular motions.
• Repeat until no more color is removed from the brush
• ** This should be done before and after you reuse the brush.

Deep Cleaning
There are 2 kinds of brush cleaners: Alcohol based and Soap based
A deep cleaning should be done every 1-2 weeks, depending on how much you use your brushes.
This is because of the very dusty air in Singapore.

Alcohol based Brush Cleaner

• Alcohol based brush cleaners can help dissolve hardened gel eyeliners among other things, BUT are very damaging to natural hair bristles.
• For alcohol based brush cleaners, dip the bristles into a dish (ceramic OR metal only) with the brush cleaner, swirl the brush inside a couple of times, then similar to spot cleaning, rub the bristles back and forth or in circular motions on a DRY towel or kitchen paper. Repeat till clean.
• Alcohol brush cleaner that I use on event days, so I can do makeup for many people with clean brushes, is bought from Cosmoprof Academy at POMO.

Soap based Brush Cleaner

• Soap based brush cleaners are more commonly used, BUT take a longer time to dry.
• For soap based brush cleaners, dip the brush into a dish with the brush cleaner diluted with a little water, then rub the bristles against your palm to lather it up. Rinse off the soap and press dry with a towel. Leave the brush to AIR-DRY lying on it's side.
• I use the sponge cleaner from Daiso as the soap in my homemade soap based brush cleaner mixture.
• Alternatively, you can use dishwashing soap.

MAINTAINING HYGIENE OF SPONGES
Similar to brushes, sponges build up a lot of junk, even more so because sponges absorb more oil than brushes.
There are many kinds of sponges.
Disposable ones (e.g: triangular makeup wedges), ones included in powder compacts, eyeshadow applicators... etc
They all have different uses, and can be used for different amounts of time

Disposable Sponges
Well, as the name suggests, these sponges are designed to be used once and thrown away.
For that reason, hygiene is not a question for them.

Powder Compact Sponges
In this section I refer to the circular or rectangular latex sponges used in compacts (e.g.: pressed powders, powder foundation... etc) as well as the velour puffs, fluffy type sponge, used in mineral foundations, loose powders... etc

• Both types of sponges are cleaned in the same way, but the velour puffs are more delicate and should be handled more gently.
• Use a soap based cleaner. I use the sponge cleaner from Daiso or handwashing soap.
• Dampen the sponges, drip 3-4 drops of sponge cleaner or handwashing soap onto it.
• Massage and squeeze the sponge until it lathers.
• Rinse and repeat if necessary.
• Squeeze the excess water out and lay out on a towel to air dry.
• * This should be done at least every month.

Note:
- Latex sponges are not designed to last very long, tears and rips may form and make it difficult to use.
- Change your compact sponge every 3-4 months.

Eyeshadow applicators
These are troublesome little buggers.
I really hate them...
Not only because they pick up too much color but also because when you try to wash them, they fall apart so easily!!

I would recommend tossing them out, and getting eyeshadow brushes... OTL

However... you can 'clean' them, well, sort of...
This method will not remove bacteria and junk, BUT it will help take off excess color so that you don't get a muddy color when applying a different color...

• Take a wet wipe (e.g.: baby wipe, antiseptic wipe) lay it on your palm.
• LIGHTLY run the applicator over the wipe.
• Repeat until no more color comes off.

I'll write more next time... I swear
Tesun

Cosmetic Hygiene

This is the first in a series of notes to help people with their makeup skills.
I chose to start with 'sanitizing' as a topic as it is often overlooked and unfortunately, is often neglected in the cosplay community.

First of all, let us understand the need to practice good hygiene with makeup.

1. The human skin naturally has millions of bacteria living on it, everyone has different composition of types of bacteria.
2. Most of these bacteria are not able to 'infect' you, when you are healthy, but note that Staphylococcus aureus is one of these bacteria... And MRSA is a type of Staphylococcus aureus that is highly resistant to antibiotics.
3. Some people are more susceptible to certain types of bacteria than others, so transferring these bacteria by accident may cause infection.
4. Other than safety issues, good hygiene can also prolong the lifespan of your makeup.

** Note that the following recommendations do NOT:

1. Eradicate all bacteria, fungi or whatever that is growing on your makeup.
2. IF you have liquid or cream makeup which is already opened and contaminated, the following will not be able to extend the life of your makeup
3. Prevent contamination from the start. The second you open the bottle, bacteria in the air will settle on the product. The recommendations only help to reduce the amount of bacteria accumulating.

Some basic facts about makeup:

1. Cream products generally have a shelf life of 1 year at most.
2. Liquid products depend on what product they are, check the label on the bottle with a symbol that looks like a container and has a number with 'M' denoting number of months the product should be kept.
3. Powder products can have a shelf life of 2-3 years.
4. Powder products which are pressed into a pan, are easier to keep disinfected, product under the top layer is more likely to be clean.
5. Powder products which are loose powders (e.g.: eyeshadow pigment, loose powders with sifters) are easily contaminated as the contaminated powder mixes with the bulk product.
6. Best type of alcohol to disinfect products with is NOT 100% alcohol, you require water for disinfection.
7. The most commonly found strength of alcohol found in Singapore is 70% isopropyl alcohol.
8. If your product ever smells wonky, just chuck it because it's not worth getting an infection over.

Ok, now that we've cleared those out of the way...
Let's talk about disinfecting and maintaining hygiene of products based on their composition (eg: powders, liquids, creams)

For powders there are generally 2 types of powder products.
The pressed powders and the loose powders. Both have different ways of maintaining the hygiene of the items.

Pressed Powders (E.g.: Powder foundations in compacts,  Eyeshadow pans, pressed blush)
Powder products like these have the LONGEST shelf life.
Powder products are dry and bacteria require moisture and oils to grow, and they can only get moisture (from air) and oils (transferred from the skin) on the top layer of the powder product.
For this reason, the product under the top layer can be presumed to be free of bacteria, assuming that no bacteria was introduced during manufacturing of the product.

To maintain the hygiene of these products, you will require a spray bottle (available at SASA), at least 70% isopropyl alcohol (available at Watsons, Guardian, Unity...), Wet wipes or alcohol swabs, Tissue paper.

1. Use the wet wipe or alcohol swab to clean the container. Fallout from the powder product can collect on the mirror or the sides of the pan, these can attract bacteria.
2. Using the alcohol spray, spritz the surface of the powder product. Let air dry.
3. IF there are spots where the powder has glazed over and is hard (due to absorption of oils that was transferred), use the tissue paper to remove those spots. At worst, you will have to use your fingernail to scratch it off. These spots will not yield any product and will just prevent you from accessing product below.
4. Spritz with alcohol again and air dry.
5. Close the cover

*** You can do this every few weeks. There is no need to do this often unless you are sharing the product among friends, if so, disinfect every use.

Loose Powders (e.g.: Eyeshadow pigments, Loose powders with sifters, mineral powder foundations)
Similarly to pressed powders, loose powders is not the ideal environment for bacteria to grow.
However, loose powders have a tendency to trap air and absorb moisture from the air and are more likely to grow bacteria than pressed powders.

To maintain the hygiene of these products, you will need alcohol spray or alcohol swabs and something to scoop product with.
Here's how to use the product and maintain good hygiene.

1. Products with sifters: Open the cap and tap powder product into the cap. Dip your brush into the cap, not into the sifter.Products without sifters: Open the cap, either tap out or scoop out product with a disinfected spatula (use the alcohol swab) into the cap. Dip into the cap
2. After applying the product, throw away the excess. It is considered contaminated.
3. Spritz the cap with alcohol OR wipe the cap with the alcohol swab. Let air dry.
4. Cap the product.

*** This is to be done every time you use the product.

Liquid Products (e.g.: Liquid foundation, liquid concealers)
This section does not apply to liquid eyeliners, mascaras or lipgloss.
Liquid products contain both moisture and oils, they are good environments for bacteria to grow in.
Once contaminated, the liquid product cannot be 'sanitized'.
You need to watch for hygiene from the start.

To maintain the hygiene of these products, you will need alcohol swabs and something to scoop out the product if necessary.

1. Bottles with pumps: 

     - Dispense the product on the back of your clean hand or on a disinfected palette (use the alcohol swab). 

     - Wipe the pump nozzle clean of any product with the alcohol swab.

     - Cap the product.
2. Bottles which can be squeezed: 

     - Squeeze out product onto the back of your clean hand or on a disinfected palette. 

     - Wipe the tip of the nozzle clean of any product with the alcohol swab. 

     - Cap the product without letting air enter the bottle. Air is a source of bacteria.
3. Bottles without pumps and cannot be squeezed (e.g.: Revlon Colorstay Liquid foundation) 

     - Pour out the product. If this causes too much wastage (pouring too much out because it is too viscous), use the disinfected spatula to remove product. 

     - Wipe the mouth of the bottle with an alcohol swab.

     - Cap the bottle.

*** This is to be done every time you use the product

Liquid Eyeliner
There are two types of packaging for liquid eyeliners.
1. The bottle that comes with an applicator to be dipped into it. (e.g.: Silkygirl Precision Liquid Eyeliner)
2. The pen type with a felt tip or brush tip. (e.g: K-palette 24 hour Real Lasting Eyeliner)

It is not possible to maintain hygiene for pen type liquid eyeliners, but you can do it for bottle type.

Frankly, these are too much of a pain in the ass to keep hygienic.
And I recommend that no one should share liquid eyeliners as no one would like an eye infection.
Liquid eyeliners should be kept a maximum of 4 months.

To maintain the hygiene of bottle type liquid eyeliners, you will need alcohol swabs.
1. Open the product and use the eyeliner.
2. Before you re-dip the applicator to get more product to finish your eyeliner, wipe the entire applicator with the alcohol swab.
3. Dip the now disinfected applicator into the bottle, and continue to draw your eyeliner
4. Repeat step 2-3 as many times as required to finish your eyeliner or tattoo or whatever.
5. Wipe the applicator again with alcohol swab and close the bottle 

*** Note that you will probably use 3-4 alcohol swabs, and this is to be done every time you use the product.


Mascara and Lipgloss
Many people do not realise it, but mascara is considered a liquid product.
Mascara generally has a shelf life of 3 months from opening.

Similarly to hygiene for bottle type liquid eyeliners, keeping mascara / lipgloss hygienic is a pain in the ass.
However, if you do this religiously, you can extend the shelf life of a mascara to 6 months.
To maintain the hygiene of these products, you will need alcohol swabs.

1. Open the mascara and use the product on the wand.
2. Before you re-dip the wand into the bottle for more mascara, wipe the entire applicator with an alcohol swab. From tip to butt of the cap.
3. Insert the disinfected wand gently into the bottle and twist to pick up more mascara. Do not pump the wand up and down, to prevent introduction of air and bacteria. Proceed to apply your mascara.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 as many times as required to get your desired effect.
5. Wipe the applicator again with alcohol swab and gently insert the applicator and close the bottle.

*** This is to be done every time you use the product.

Cream products (e.g.: Gel Eyeliner, Stick concealers, Maybelline Jelly blush, Lipstick)
Cream products generally have higher oil content than liquid products, usually more waxy oils to make them more solid in nature.
Cream products are also the ideal environment for growth of bacteria.

To maintain the hygiene of these products, you will need alcohol spray or a container to hold alcohol, something to scoop out product and tissue paper.

1. Lipsticks: 

     - Twist up the lipstick. 

     - Wipe the top layer of the lipstick off with a tissue (the parts which have been contaminated by use) 

     - Dip the lipstick bullet into the container holding alcohol. (I find the cap for the spray bottle to be a good container)

*** This can be done every few weeks for a personal lipstick.

2. All cream products including lipsticks: 

     - Use the disinfected spatula to remove product, cap the product.

     - Dip your brush into the product on the spatula and apply it.

     - Discard all excess product that was scooped out.

     - Every few weeks, wipe with a tissue and spritz the surface of the cream product with alcohol and allow to air dry.

*** This is to be done every time you use the product and is highly recommended if you are sharing the product.

That's all folks!
I hope that this was helpful to everyone.
Thanks for reading~

Tesun