Makeup 101

[PM 2Ring]

I've a question about fingernails (I do hope it's alright to put it in this thread) — I've noticed in a lot of pictures and in real life, the ends of fingernails are pure white. However, mine are a dull, translucent grey. I originally thought that it may be a clean fingernails thing, but after being very careful to clean them out perfectly, they’re still the horrible colour
[...]
I do have more questions about nailcare, though — it was suggested to me that a clear varnish helps 'strengthen' then nails (whether it actually strengthens the nail or simply provides structural reinforcement wasn't made clear to me), but a cheap one could weaken it. Is this true? If so, what's the divide between cheap and reasonable (i.e. what are reputable brands)?

Also, I read some stuff about pushing one's cuticles ... what's the point of this?

Hi, natashatasha!

Healthy nails contain some water and oils, which helps keep them flexible and looking nice; damaged nails tend to lose some of their moisture content, which makes them brittle and more prone to further damage such as chipping, cracking, flaking and splitting. And damaged nails (or cuticles) can also harbour bacteria or fungi (like tinea) that can weaken and discolour the nail or cause it to grow unevenly. So the first step in having nice nails is to keep them well-manicured so that any damage is kept to a minimum.

Nail clippers or scissors should generally be avoided, as they put undue stress on the nail, so only use them to repair a damaged nail. Normal manicuring should be done with an emery board and nail buffer(s). I guess there are tons of YouTube videos demonstrating the proper techniques, but feel free to ask here.

It's also a Good Idea to avoid exposing your nails to strong cleaners and other chemicals which will deplete the nails of their protective moisture content, and if you do get such things on your hands try to replace that moisture ASAP. You can buy various products that are designed to nourish and protect nails, but simple vitamin E cream works fairly well (in my experience), although if my hands or nails get exposed to a strong cleaner I try to massage something a bit more intense into them: almond oil is recommended, but even olive oil works well. I also like to use Vaseline Hand and Nail cream regularly.

Regularly massaging oils, etc, into the nails not only restores the moisture content to the nail and surrounding tissues, it also helps the blood circulation to the nail bed and the cuticle, assisting the new nail growth. Healthy nail beds are important: if the nail bed is damaged nail growth can become uneven, causing the nail to twist, and of course damaged nail beds can harbour bacteria or fungi.

Nail hardeners do give structural support to nails but they also protect nails and help them retain their moisture content. Good nail hardeners contain ingredients that will actually be absorbed by the nail, improving its strength. But as mentioned earlier in the thread, nail polish removers can weaken nails because the removers contain solvents which can remove the protective oils from the nails. So after using a nail polish remover you should wash your hands well to remove any left-over remover and massage some oil into your nails and cuticles. If you want to try a good nail hardener, ask at your local pharmacy for assistance, although your supermarket probably has acceptable cheaper products available - the Sally Hansen range has a reasonably good reputation.

On the topic of cuticles: if you want healthy nails, look after your cuticles! Some people like to push their cuticles right back, since they think it makes the nail look longer and nicer, but the modern approach to nail care discourages this practice, since it's too easy to damage the cuticle. Of course, you don't want big ugly cuticles growing all over you nails , but if you massage your nails regularly and keep them healthy, that shouldn't be an issue, and you'll only need to gently push them back a little bit to have nice-looking cuticles.

Healthy nails have an off-white translucent appearance; they shouldn't look a dingy grey colour. If you suspect that your nail health and poor colour may be due to bacteria or fungus, I recommend massaging tea tree oil into them on a daily basis (eg after your morning shower). This oil is very good at clearing up such conditions, but it can also dry out the nails a bit (especially if you use the diluted tea tree oil, which contains alcohol), so you need to follow-up the tea tree with a nourishing oil. I suggest that you give the tea tree around half an hour to do its work before applying the nourishing oil.

Nail health can also suffer if you are stressed, run down, or have a poor diet. Make sure you are getting plenty of B group vitamins, calcium and silica in your diet (oats are a very good source of silica).

Hormones also affect nail growth - men tend to have stronger nails, but women's nails tend to be more flexible and less brittle. So if you start on HRT, expect some changes in your nails. Of course, nails take a while to grow, so it can take some time before such changes are apparent.

Anyway, that's enough for now. I hope this helps.

[natashatasha]

Thank you all for your responses, they're extremely helpful! I'm glad that I don't have to push up my cuticles, though, since I didn't want to do that. If I have any more questions in future, I'll make sure I ask them ^_^ You've been so helpful.

[natashatasha]

OKay, I'm paranoid enough to post a picture, because I'm ignorant enough to not know what is normal. The picture is here (I'm a terrible phorographer btw) ... I was hoping someone could tell me what's normal, what's not and what can be done about the latter (I've pointed out in red text the features). I've put a thumbnail in the spoilers below, but the larger version is more clear:

Spoiler:

[bluebambue]

the "no skin on edge of nail" bit looks like my nails, as does the lopsided bit. None of my nails a perfectly symmetrical. The one you posted is as asymmetrical as my least symmetrical nail.

I get white spots when I bang my nail against something or it is a point in the nail that bends more than usual. I get fewer white spots the healthier my nails are.

Is the grey bit the very thin line on the border between most of your nail and the white nail? If so I have that too. For me it comes from there being just a little bit of skin underneath the nail there. The bit of skin doesn't have much blood in it, so instead of the nail turning the blood color to pinkish, it turns the skin color to a greyish color.

The bit that looks least normal to me is the yellowing near the end of your normal colored nail before the gray line. Is that just due to the low quality of the picture?

[natashatasha]

That's a bit of relief on the first four points (thank you for that!), but the yellowing isn't from the picture, it's actually there. I'm pretty sure it's not dirt, because I cleaned it before the photo was taken.

[poxic]

Nail polish can turn a nail yellowish, especially if the nail rarely spends time without polish. If this is the cause, the yellow will fade after a couple of weeks of no polish.

[PerchloricAcid]

White spots may be a sign of some vitamin defficiency, but nothing hardcore, as far as I know.
Yellow marks may be a result of low-quality nailpolish.

[bluebambue]

It may also be a sign of fungus infection.

[natashatasha]

That's a little concerning ... the only thing that gets put on my nails is Vitamin E oil, never used nail polish. How would I tell if it's a fungal infection (there's no itching or tingling)?

[PM 2Ring]

That's a little concerning ... the only thing that gets put on my nails is Vitamin E oil, never used nail polish. How would I tell if it's a fungal infection (there's no itching or tingling)?

It might be a fungal infection, (or some other condition that affects the nail health); it's hard to tell from the photos. I guess a professional nail expert would be able to make a more accurate diagnosis from your photos, although an "in the flesh" inspection would be much better.

There's no need to be greatly concerned - minor fingernail infections are rather common, and often remain untreated for years, since they have to get pretty bad before they cause major discomfort or discoloration. FWIW, I know a woman who got a fungal nail infection that turned part of her nail green; that was a bit embarrassing for her, since she is fastidious about cleanliness and she was working as a model at the time...

I suggest you use the tea tree oil treatment I mentioned earlier. It can't hurt & it may do some good (although it will take a while to notice any change, as I mentioned earlier). If it doesn't help, it might be a good idea to visit a nail salon for advice. If you don't want to visit a nail salon, ask at a good pharmacy. The staff there should be informed about nail health issues, and they will have a variety of products designed to treat fungal infections.

[Shro]

NYT ran a room for debate recently about makeup, so I wanted to post it here:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/20 ... -the-world

Reposting in entirety here in case anyone hits a paywall:

Spoiler:

WANT more respect, trust and affection from your co-workers?
Wearing makeup — but not gobs of Gaga-conspicuous makeup — apparently can help. It increases people’s perceptions of a woman’s likability, her competence and (provided she does not overdo it) her trustworthiness, according to a new study, which also confirmed what is obvious: that cosmetics boost a woman’s attractiveness.

It has long been known that symmetrical faces are considered more comely, and that people assume that handsome folks are intelligent and good. There is also some evidence that women feel more confident when wearing makeup, a kind of placebo effect, said Nancy Etcoff, the study’s lead author and an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard University (yes, scholars there study eyeshadow as well as stem cells). But no research, till now, has given makeup credit for people inferring that a woman was capable, reliable and amiable.

The study was paid for by Procter & Gamble, which sells CoverGirl and Dolce & Gabbana makeup, but researchers like Professor Etcoff and others from Boston University and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute were responsible for its design and execution.

The study’s 25 female subjects, aged 20 to 50 and white, African-American and Hispanic, were photographed barefaced and in three looks that researchers called natural, professional and glamorous. They were not allowed to look in a mirror, lest their feelings about the way they looked affect observers’ impressions.

One hundred forty-nine adults (including 61 men) judged the pictures for 250 milliseconds each, enough time to make a snap judgment. Then 119 different adults (including 30 men) were given unlimited time to look at the same faces.

The participants judged women made up in varying intensities of luminance contrast (fancy words for how much eyes and lips stand out compared with skin) as more competent than barefaced women, whether they had a quick glance or a longer inspection.

“I’m a little surprised that the relationship held for even the glamour look,” said Richard Russell, an assistant professor of psychology at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pa. “If I call to mind a heavily competent woman like, say, Hillary Clinton, I don’t think of a lot of makeup. Then again, she’s often onstage so for all I know she is wearing a lot.”

However, the glamour look wasn’t all roses.

“If you wear a glam look, you should know you look very attractive” at quick glance, said Professor Etcoff, the author of “Survival of the Prettiest” (Doubleday, 1999), which argued that the pursuit of beauty is a biological as well as a cultural imperative. But over time, “there may be a lowering of trust, so if you are in a situation where you need to be a trusted source, perhaps you should choose a different look.”

Just as boardroom attire differs from what you would wear to a nightclub, so can makeup be chosen strategically depending on the agenda.

“There are times when you want to give a powerful ‘I’m in charge here’ kind of impression, and women shouldn’t be afraid to do that,” by, say, using a deeper lip color that could look shiny, increasing luminosity, said Sarah Vickery, another author of the study and a Procter & Gamble scientist. “Other times you want to give off a more balanced, more collaborative appeal.”

In that case, she suggested, opt for lip tones that are light to moderate in color saturation, providing contrast to facial skin, but not being too glossy.

But some women did not view the study’s findings as progress.

“I don’t wear makeup, nor do I wish to spend 20 minutes applying it,” said Deborah Rhode, a law professor at Stanford University who wrote “The Beauty Bias” (Oxford University Press, 2010), which details how appearance unjustly affects some workers. “The quality of my teaching shouldn’t depend on the color of my lipstick or whether I’ve got mascara on.”

She is no “beauty basher,” she said. “I’m against our preoccupation, and how judgments about attractiveness spill over into judgments about competence and job performance. We like individuals in the job market to be judged on the basis of competence, not cosmetics.”

But Professor Etcoff argued that there has been a cultural shift in ideas about self adornment, including makeup. “Twenty or 30 years ago, if you got dressed up, it was simply to please men, or it was something you were doing because society demands it,” she said. “Women and feminists today see this is their own choice, and it may be an effective tool.”

Dr. Vickery, whose Ph.D. is in chemistry, added that cosmetics “can significantly change how people see you, how smart people think you are on first impression, or how warm and approachable, and that look is completely within a woman’s control, when there are so many things you cannot control.”

Bobbi Brown, the founder of her namesake cosmetics line, suggested that focusing on others’ perceptions misses the point of what makes makeup powerful.

“We are able to transform ourselves, not only how we are perceived, but how we feel,” she said.

Ms. Brown also said that the wrong color on a subject may have caused some testers to conclude that women with high-contrasting makeup were more “untrustworthy.” “People will have a bad reaction if it’s not the right color, not the right texture, or if the makeup is not enhancing your natural beauty,” she said.

Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the conclusion that makeup makes women look more likable — or more socially cooperative — made sense to him because “we conflate looks and a willingness to take care of yourself with a willingness to take care of people.”

Professor Hamermesh, the author of “Beauty Pays” (Princeton University Press, 2011), which lays out the leg-up the beautiful get, said he wished that good-looking people were not treated differently, but said he was a realist.

“Like any other thing that society rewards, people will take advantage of it,” he said of makeup’s benefits. “I’m an economist, so I say, why not? But I wish society didn’t reward this. I think we’d be a fairer world if beauty were not rewarded, but it is.”

Spoiler:

For me, mascara is like underwear. I pretty much don’t leave home without it.

In fact, I can’t think of the last time I stepped out in public without applying some form of makeup. I have no deep-rooted fear of being ostracized by society, or of Equinox revoking my membership, were I to dare bare my face sans maquillage. I don’t think I’m ugly without it. It just makes me feel like I’m presenting a slightly better version of my natural self; even if the difference is only noticeable to the discerning eye. The point is that a harmless touch of makeup makes me feel better. I wear it for myself, not for anybody else.

I don't think makeup diminishes my power; Cleopatra's legacy is proof enough.
And while I don’t subscribe to the notion that makeup can single-handedly make a woman beautiful or enhance her self-worth, it can at times boost her self-esteem or lift her spirits, particularly on bad days, for example, when she wakes up and finds her complexion looking like the Panettone she ate over the holidays. Yet makeup can only fix so much if you don’t take care of your skin - and your well-being in general. If you're unhappy with yourself, there’s not much a Bobbi Brown Caviar Eye Palette can do. That sought-after “glow” has to come from within.

Emergency interventions aside, I’ll always be a proponent of a more minimalist approach, avoiding pancakes of foundation on the face by all means, unless one is actively trying to frighten people or repel men (exception: television appearances). The concept "less is more" is how I’d define my makeup worldview. And although I’m fairly certain my first makeup experience involved glitter, sparkle is something I generally eschew these days. That said, I fully advocate for a pop of color when warranted. A face can literally transform with a dash of the right red lipstick (even Gwyneth Paltrow agrees). With red lips, I often feel like I can rule the world.

Speaking of which, the notion that wearing makeup is anti-feminist is silly. Cleopatra pretty much invented the eyeliner, and she ruled a kingdom! Many consider her to be the first feminist ever; and her legacy is testimony to the fact that a woman can be beautiful, smart, empowered and wear a ton of eye makeup.

Thus, my devotion to that magic little wand shall remain unwavering. After all, in the words of the late, great Coco Chanel, “It's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”

Spoiler:

Makeup is bad for a woman’s self-esteem if it’s a paste of carcinogens and estrogen disrupters she buys at the expense of the family budget and slathers on her porous facial skin to convince an apparently hostile world of sex-crazed men and catty women that her own life is super-de-duper-- and to disguise the same sort of calamity-causing sleep deprivation that sank the Exxon Valdez and blew up the space shuttle Challenger. (Disclosure, that was me.)

Why does going without mascara feel as subversive as kneeling down in front of a tank and singing Kumbaya?
But then again, why should makeup be bad for a woman’s self-esteem if she’s happy and healthy already? What if she'd lose her job, her partner’s affections, or public credibility as sane—not to mention her teenage daughter's respect--without it?

Makeup should be good for self-esteem, and yet somehow, instinctively, we doubt.

This makeup question (good or bad for self-esteem?) is much like the old 70's hair question: Should a liberated woman shave or not? Both questions prettify the harder inquiry: Why—in certain quarters-- does going without mascara feel as subversive as kneeling down in front of a tank and singing Kumbaya? Why do alternate approaches to womanhood still surprise and threaten us, and why, 93 years after women gained the vote, do so many of us still feel like we are making important choices about life from down on our knees, the decorative flourishes of womanhood having become a required, yet resented, battle strategy? “Am I going to slap on some lipstick and wave these yahoos in their tank on by so I can get my job done,” the woman at midlife despairs, “or do I have the energy to stand before this behemoth of life-as-it-is and throw a fit about everything that needs to change, including this trope of perfected femaleness?"

In my own life I’ve seen both strategies succeed and fail. All I can say with conviction is that my own self-esteem is not pegged to the lipstick (organic or not), or to a tantrum-y refusal to wear it.

Self-esteem for me now is about dismantling that tank, one piece at a time.

Spoiler:

A woman applying makeup is sort of like a man donning armor to prepare himself for battle. Makeup gives you confidence. It helps you exude the best possible version of yourself.

And confidence is a good thing to have on the battlefield.

As I say in my second book, "Face to Face," “Looking good leads to feeling good, feeling good leads to empowerment.” When you put your best face forward, it gives you the opportunity to really accelerate in life. Feeling good commands respect. And that’s really empowering.

Years ago I worked with Katherine Albrecht, a privacy and anti-surveillance activist and lobbyist who’s in Congress fighting men in suits every day. I felt that her beauty would give her an edge as a "freedom fighter." People listen to beautiful people. She told me that her makeover changed her whole approach in Congress.

No matter who you are, no matter what your life state is, you always have the ability to make yourself feel better. Don't give up and fall into self loathing; if you look your best, you feel your best. You will find that doors open for you, and that people want to be around you. There’s power in that, no matter who you are.

For celebrities, makeup is important because they're always campaigning for Oscars, new movie roles, positive public opinion; they want to feel their most comfortable and not feel vulnerable. But all women have the ability to use beauty as a tool. A man can't work a skirt, mascara and blowout to light up a room the way a woman can. Use it.

New Year’s Eve is a new lease on life – new year, new you – no matter what your age, weight, economic situation – it’s never too late. Beauty is not necessarily frivolous, it’s empowering, and improves your state of mind. If you look at yourself and feel better, that's power. There’s a direct correlation between inner beauty and outer beauty – the way you view yourself is the way others view you, too.

Use beauty to bolster yourself and the people around you, not just for vanity. Use beauty to create positive change.
It works.

Spoiler:

Makeup, like beauty, may be only skin deep, but that’s plenty deep enough to confer some unsettling advantages. A recent study sponsored by Proctor and Gamble found that makeup boosts perceptions of women’s likeability and competence, as well as attractiveness. But how much, at what cost, and in what contexts were questions discretely overlooked.

As a law professor of a certain age, I should confess at the outset that I rarely use makeup. I doubt that my students much notice, let alone care, whether I’m wearing mascara. And as a matter of principle, I’d prefer that they didn’t.

My reasons are set forth at length in my book, "The Beauty Bias," which reviews the costs of discrimination based on appearance. The price is paid not only in dollars, although that is of itself substantial. Our global investment in makeup totals over $18 billion, and much of it is spent on expensive products that many dermatologists label as “cosmetic hoo haw.” The more serious injustices arise when women lose jobs and self-esteem based on a failure to conform to our culture’s airbrushed ideals of female attractiveness.

Makeup is a minor part of the problem. But there are symbolic stakes in cases like Jesperson v. Harrah’s Casino, in which a female bartender was fired for refusing to comply with the casino’s requirements that she wear makeup and have her hair teased, curled, or styled. She felt that being “dolled up” diminished her authority, and her performance evaluations had been excellent without cosmetic assistance. Male bartenders were subject to no such elaborate appearance requirements. As a judge noted, their “undoctored“ faces were good enough.

If makeup enhances women’s self- confidence, they should by all means wear it. But it should be a choice, not a requirement imposed on employees where it is not essential to job performance. The world would be a better place if women were judged more on competence and less on appearance.

Spoiler:

I want every woman to know that she is beautiful, irreplaceable and that she blesses this world with her unique talents. I’ve devoted my life to makeup. The implication that it can hurt a woman’s self-esteem is something I take personally.

Once an acquaintance described another woman to me in this way: "She wears makeup, so you know what that means – she’s insecure." My immediate reaction was "Do you know who you’re talking to? You’re not only saying that my choice of profession is hurting womanhood, but also that as a female sitting here with, yes, a full face of makeup, I’m also insecure."

How is taking pride in your appearance hurting your confidence? How is putting on lip gloss another way of saying that you’re not satisfied with what God gave you? Makeup empowers a woman to present herself in exactly the way she chooses. She is the one deciding, which contributes to her self-esteem.

When you put on makeup, you’re saying, “Here I am. I took three minutes today for myself because, you know what, I deserve it.”

If that’s not demonstrating self-esteem, I don’t know what is.

My “aha” moment came when I was sitting with my father – both my parents are doctors – and we were watching a television segment on scientists’ efforts to cure cancer. I turned to him and said, “They’re saving lives, and I’m here putting mascara on people. Who is that helping?”

“You're healing people in your own way,” he said. “You’re educating and encouraging.” I will never forget his response.

Makeup doesn’t just transform you on the outside. It transforms you from within, filling you with a sense of empowerment and strength, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Spoiler:

No one is indifferent to the image in the mirror. At some point between rolling out of bed and stepping out the door, we perform the ritual of grooming. The sociologist Erving Goffman likened grooming to “backstage” preparations in the theater that ready actors for performance and, by pleasing their own eyes, inspire confidence.

In a recent study, my colleagues and I studied the impact of makeup on viewers. We asked people to rate photographs of women with and without makeup. Seen very quickly (250 milliseconds), women wearing makeup looked more attractive, likeable, competent and trustworthy to our viewers than those who went without it. On longer inspection, responses became varied and nuanced. Faces with natural makeup were seen favorably but faces with more dramatic makeup were seen as less trustworthy. Makeup is a powerful but understudied tool. Studies show that it can have significant impact on facial recognition software, and even on the ability to detect the direction of an eye gaze.

But how does makeup make the user feel? Psychologists distinguish between trait and state self-esteem, a stable sense of confidence versus a transient boost. Grooming rituals can be temporary confidence boosters, and studies suggest that the confidence they inspire is itself attractive. In one study, men who had just sprayed themselves with a scented versus unscented product were judged more attractive by women who could not smell them. The men with scented body spray simply acted more confidently and thus appeared more visually attractive.

But makeup or any other grooming product will not be balms for all. Women who feel that makeup use is obligatory but unwanted, that it requires a forced confrontation with the mirror when they'd rather put their attention elsewhere, do not feel more confident after using it. Research suggests that women can feel objectified by makeup, and for such women, any potential advantage may be offset by the emotional labor of wearing it.

In other words, makeup is what you make it of it. It is a choice. Market trends suggest that males are now surging in self-adornment, and using not only skin products but some color cosmetics. If so, we’ll need a new set of studies.

Spoiler:

I just turned 48. So did my wife. We celebrated ten years of marriage on December 28th. She is the most beautiful woman on this planet. That sounds cliché but in my case it's the truth. I love to sneak a glimpse of her first thing in the morning, before she puts on makeup or clothes. She has slate blue eyes that sparkle in a particular way. My stomach turns inside out every time she looks at me. It’s as if the whole sun has been transported into those two orbs of light.

Who are we to judge what someone else decides to do to her own face or body?
Don't get me wrong, Elena dresses beautifully and uses a tasteful amount of makeup. Over time I have become her trusted advisor on which outfit looks best with which pair of shoes. I appreciate her in a dress that shows off her rockin’ body, but it doesn't change the eyes and the soul that I so adore.

I realize that beauty is a personal and sometimes controversial topic when it comes to men and women. I put makeup in the same category as fake breasts, even if it is a less extreme form of “beautification.”

When I asked a ton of men and women about breast enhancement I got a remarkable diversity of responses. It would be easy to criticize women who get fake boobs and men who admit to liking them. But the truth is a lot more complicated than that. Who are we to judge what someone else decides to do to her own face or body?

One of my best friends has body ink head to toe and I happen to think it looks pretty cool. And if I didn't think so, it'd still be his own body and none of my business.

So when it comes to makeup and self-esteem I plead ignorance other than to say women should do whatever they want. That includes my wife, by the way. As long as she knows that I love her most when she has nothing on.

[Shro]

Double post for glossary of terms. I thought it might be helpful to classify the different kinds of goop.

Face:
Foundation: A science fiction series by Issac Asimov. Also the first thing you apply to your face in your makeup routine to even out skin tone and cover up mild redness. It can come in a variety of types: Pressed powder, loose powder, tinted moisturizers, liquids, sprays. mousses, creams, sticks and the newest trend: bb (beauty balm) creams. Nowadays, foundations usually come with some sort of SPF rating. If you do decide to apply your makeup with your fingers, make sure your hands are thoroughly washed before handling the products (you do not want to spread the bacteria in your hands to your face or the container of makeup).
Pressed powder: These are usually what's thought of when you think of a makeup compact. This is probably the most convenient of the types to travel with, since the sponge to apply is usually stored with the compact. It can also be applied with a powder brush. If you are wearing powder as your first foundation layer, you should not layer liquid type makeup after it (except spot correcting with concealer). Powders are also a great way to set liquid foundations and keep it from wearing off as easily. Apply after liquid foundation and concealer if you're using it for this purpose.
Loose powder: Same applications as pressed powder, but come in a looser form. They are usually packaged in a sifter, with the loose powder at the bottom and little holes in a divider that lets small amounts of product through at a time. This is more difficult to travel with, since the sifter doesn't really do it's job in keeping the product in the bottom and out of the top if the container isn't stored right side up. Unless they have one of those cool latchy thingies that let you open and close the sifter. This type should only be applied with a brush.
Tinted moisturizers: This is a good option of you don't want a lot of coverage/don't want to feel you are wearing a lot of makeup but still want to even out skin tone. Apply with a foundation brush or a makeup sponge or your fingers. You can wear powder over it to get more coverage.
Liquid Foundation: What people think of usually when they think of "makeup". Can come in various coverage levels, oil free, etc. Apply with a sponge or foundation brush. Fingers can get you a bit of uneven coverage. If you have liquid foundation, and you feel like it's too thick and don't want to buy tinted moisturizer, simply mix some moisturizer with your liquid foundation and apply.
Sprays, Mousses, and Creams, Sticks: Not as common as the other types, but still widely available. They also have the cream to powder type foundations that also come in a compact if you like the portability of that format. Mousses are basically kind of thick but airy liquid type foundations. The stick type foundation is also very portable.
BB cream: Is basically supposed to be a moisturizer, primer, sunscreen, etc. all in one. Kind of like a tinted moisturizer in coverage. You can wear powder over it to get more coverage.
Extras:
Concealer: a thicker formula with maximum coverage for hiding blemishes or under eye circles. Apply to areas that you wish you cover more, and blend into foundation. It's much easier to blend concealer with the liquid/tinted moisturizers/BB creams than it is with powder. Apply powder after the concealer and foundation step for uber coverage.
Primer: Pre-foundation step. Use to fill in texture differences in the skin (large pores, wrinkles, etc.)

Cheeks:
Bronzer: Can come in powder/liquid/various forms. Used to make it look like you got some sun and to sculpt/contour different features like the jawline and the cheekbones. Apply with a nice big rounded brush. I've never got as great results applying bronzer as I do with applying a powdered form with a brush (but that's also the type I have the most practice with)
Blush: Can come in all the various forms. Used to give your complexion a healthy "glow" or "flush". You need a smaller brush than for bronzer or powder because it is usually applied only on the apples of your cheeks and blended in.
Luminizer: Used as a highlight/that "dewy" look. The highlighting counterpart of the bronzer's "shadowing" effect on sculpting. This is applied on the top of your cheek bones close the outside of your eyes.

[Shro]

Screw it, triple post because I don't think I've properly plugged birchbox in here yet.

Birchbox is a subscription service that sends you samples of stuff in the mail for $10. They very often send full size products in the box worth way more than $10, plus an array of travel sized goodies and little samples of things. You can also purchase the things you get in your box on the website. There is a whole gimmicky type point system where for every dollar you spend, you get a point, and 100 points can be redeemed for $10 worth of merchandise, which is like a 10% reward thing. You also get 10 points for reviewing a product, or 50 points for referring a friend. I love love love it because it keeps me on budget with the whole beauty products thing, and it lets me try out things I wouldn't have thought of buying for myself for whatever reason. All of the products in it are also very designery brands. I've gotten face stuff, hair stuff, nail polish, soy meal bars, perfume samples and a ton of other things. If this sounds as completely awesome as it is, try it out!

Here is my referrer link: https://www.birchbox.com?raf=s2z8v (Get me some points! Also- there is like a waiting list if you try to sign up without a referral)

[Carlington]

Anyone done green hair?
Something like this:

Spoiler:

I've got brown hair. I don't want to bleach it. I think I don't want my whole hair to be green, just parts of it. I've even considered a wig, but I can't seem to find a nice, green wig at all (not to mention reasonable prices).
There's also this diy green colour thing: http://www.ehow.com/how_4841062_green-hair-dye.html

What do you people think?
Would it even be possible?

I know this was a long time ago, but if you're still interested, I can probably help. My girlfriend has vibrant emerald green hair, has had for quite a while now. It really depends on your particular shade of brown, but bleaching at least the parts that you want green will almost certainly be necessary. I'd recommend toning as well, because hair dye tends to take better with an ash-blonde.

[PerchloricAcid]

Thanks.

I'm still considering it. I've got a very short haircut now, so bleaching isn't as much of a problem any more, because I'd just cut it off if my hair starts looking ridiculous.

[cephalopod9]

Why is eyeliner so hard?

Spoiler:

Granted, I'm not that sure how it is supposed to look, and I probably just need more practice decorating my eye with a stick.

Would anyone like to tell me about Wednesday Mourning's eye shadow look* on Oddities San Francisco? I don't think the goth look is quite for me, but I like how bright it makes her hazel eyes look, and can't quite figure out how it works. My eyes are a darker shade of hazel, with a little more brown, I think.

*I'm having trouble finding good pictures of how she has it during an average day on the show. The one here is fairly good.

[Shro]

This series of images of porn starts with and without their makeup has been going around the tubes. Here is the largest compilation under one link that I found.