Tuesday, May 18, 2010
NATURAL'S NOT IN IT...
This is how many beauty products I use to get the natural look. It may not look like much, I have no idea, but to me it's totally bonkers because I hate wearing make up. It may be because the last time I had perfect glowing skin I was 12, but I've never really been able to affect that girlishly indulgent glee at playing with glittery eyeshadows or trying out a new red matte lipstick. To me, make up is not fun, it's something you use to make yourself look less bad, and the point of it is not to see it. My skin is really sensitive, so I have to be careful what I use and often the very product I hope is going to work miracles makes my skin flip out in an allergic reaction. I would love to use nothing at all, just a swipe of Crealine H20 cleanser and maybe I would if I lived in the middle of a forest. But alas, I live in London and so an arsenal of products must be deployed to make me look relatively acceptable in public.
Bioderma Crealine H20 cleanser - holy grail of cleansers, I bulk buy the large 500ml bottles from monguidesante.co.uk if I can't get to France.
Avene Antirougers Legere SPF 10 - it's ok, in that I can buy it easily in Boots and I don't react to it, but it's not life changing.
Unlike Mario Badescu Healing Cream. The ingredients are all natural and my dermatologist failed to believe they could have such a calming effect when I showed it to her. She was highly suspicious and actually told me to stop using it in case they sneaked steroids into it, which was probably my fault for telling her I bought it on the internet.
La Roche Posay Hydraphase Yeux - good eye serum. I can see a difference when I use it, which I'm not sure whether to be depressed or happy about.
Bobbi Brown Eye Brightener - I like using this much more than an undereye concealer and you only need a tiny bit.
Bare Minerals Matte in Fairly Light - I'm not as much of a total convert to Bare Minerals as everyone seems to be but then maybe I'm not putting enough on, or applying it wrong or something. The matte one makes me look a bit washed out...
...so I blob on a swish of Nars Orgasm - the same blusher I've had for about 8 years.
Laura Mercier Stormy Grey Kohl pencil on lower inner eyelids is my idea of full on glamourous maquillage - only for special occasions.
Fresh Supernova mascara has the best packaging I've seen - and it makes your eyelashes long, dark etc like mascaras are supposed to.
Finally, Lipstick Queen in Medieval is the only lipstick I ever wear.
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18 comments:
Very much sharing your view on make up as I do many things on your blog - maybe we were separated at birth! I also live in your area and am desperate to find a decent dermatologist who doesn't advise me to turn my horrible skin into an oil slick by using aqueous cream. PLEASE can you send on a recommendation? Thanks!
Fiona - Maybe we were! I actually trek all the way across London to see Professor Tony Chu at Hammersmith hospital - he's very busy and I'm very lucky as he's one of the best...anywhere. He's pretty much a genius and amazing if you look up his track record. I got referred by my doctor (in that I basically went and demanded to be referred specifically to him) but you can see him privately, though there's a long waiting list. (The dermatoligist I referred to in the post was a random lady I saw one day when he wasn't there...)
And NO to aqueous cream, OUI to Crealine H20 cleanser!
I mean -logist
Thanks Claire - will look him up. It was my doctor who referred me to the aqueous man - never trust a dermatologist who looks like he's been botoxed is the only lesson I learnt!
I am seeing a Chinese doctor for my skin and he pretty much pinpointed all my other health issues too. Balance, balance...
Agree about Bare Minerals, it makes my skin really flat. I guess that's why there is a host of bronzers, glow powders, etc. recommended for layering! I switched to Inika recently.
wow-- I loved all of this and now want to come over to your house and try it all-- especially the mercier liner and the orgasm blush . . seriously, I do-- bp
you have a fancy routine going there...;))
i only use biotherma and avene.
and day to day...beyond some cream, i don't wear make-up...unless i have to.
Muchly love the shout out to Lipstick Queen. I'm also a huge fan, and can't believe more people aren't breaking down LQ warehouse door.
Not sure if you can order Paula Begoun's skincare products in the UK, but if so, you may be interested in giving them a go. They're great for sensitive skin, and her website features a product dictionary to show exactly what each ingredient is and does, based on independent lab research.
with you on medieval and orgasm- will need to try the eye stuff as I don't have one I love, quite like Dr H but don't know that it's holding time back! always nice to hear what other people actually use as opposed to what just landed on their desk
I did use Bioderma cleanser for a while (ordered two bottles from the site you mention) and thought it was brilliant, then found a similar one from Avène that I can get at my local chemist's. But I still think Bioderma was better (the Avène cleanser is somewhat less effective at... cleansing!), and I might order it again sometime soon.
xxx
Mia
At the grand old age of 33 I seem to have found my perfect regime - Liz Earle for pretty much everything face-related (though not her day creme which is too rich), Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser and/or mineral powder, Laura Mercier or Nars for make up though I frequently mix in Rimmel or Bourjois which are great and a 1/3 of the price, Burts Bees for the body.
Love peeking into other people's make-up bags...
Tommy - I just tried to get a refund on my Bare Minerals and noticed all the girls who work on that counter have bad skin and look orange! They'd only exchange it though, saying I was "supposed" to use a mineral veil over the top. I will try out Inika next...
BP - you're welcome to play any time! But hey - you actually do live in a forest kind of so I suppose we have opposite dreams - me of not having to use make up, you of tinkering with it!
If Jane - is it - fancy? I have nothing to compare it to and know people who have wildly more fancy routines than me...But I bet you have good skin, so you don't need it - so lucky.
Melanie - cheers for the tip - oh this is fun and useful actually...
Rose - yes me too - I swear I don't have shares in Bioderma!
Mia - yes I've seen that one too (and La Roche Posay do a micellaire cleanser _ I haven't tried it, I think I tried the Avene once and it felt like it left a film on my skin...
Claire - I love hearing everyone else's routines. I also have a Rimmel nail polish I love...
Alex - me too!
sadly i don't have clear skin.
i have sensitive skin and essentially for every little thing i develop a blemish. so "less is more" for my skin.
my sister has a similiar formula as you but he uses lancôme...and her skin glows!
i think at the end of the day, it is like tommy says: "balance, balance"...
If Jane - I wish, I wish, I didn't live in hope of finding things that make it look amazing and aren't bad for it...maybe if/when I've seen a bit (only a bit) of sunshine I might go cold turkey. I'm sure it would be much better. The silly thing is that even when I wear make up it vanishes after about an hour anyway!
I am a make-up minimalist as well, and hate it, but consider my face something of an investment as it's what I present to the world. I'm going to the store (er, the internet. . .) with your list here. I've heard about the BB eye brightener before, so that's a sure thing. Interested in the La Roche (if I can get it US?). Also, I have discovered Nicole Miller mineral powder, and am in love--far better that Bare Minerals, in my book. Not sure where to say to find it, but if you can get it, you should try it! All natural! :) Thanks for the suggestions. (and sell some more closet items, please)
Traci - If you can't get La Roche Posay in the US I'm sure you can get it online - I used to before they started selling it here. I will give Nicole Miller a try. Been testing out Everyday Minerals today, much less harsh and scratchy than BM.
And I do have more things waiting to be photographed to sell soon, will post a couple of items at a time...
I just started using La Roche Posay. You definitely can get it online, delivered to the US - my package came addressed from L'Oreal in New Jersey, I think. The website is http://www.laroche-posay.com/
I ordered: Anthelios 60 sunscreen milk, thermal spring water, and the physiological ultra fine scrub. All of them make my skin feel really soft and I swear I can notice a difference in the texture and appearance of my skin, but it could just be my mind playing tricks...who knows. We'll see if it lasts. I especially think the thermal spring water is making my skin look nice, but it's just WATER in a spray can so that could definitely be a figment of my imagination.
In addition to these I use Kiehl's Acai Damage Repairing Moisturizer at night. I've been using that for a while and have noticed that my skin tone is more even and my pores look smaller.
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