xoVain

Quick Question: Do You Think Hannah Would Mind If I Took This Lipstick?

Marci — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:31:43 -0400

Our lovely Hannah lives in Canada, but several times a month, beauty publicists will messenger over stuff addressed to her. We set it aside to either ship to her or, more likely because we're lazy, hold until her next visit.

Most of the deliveries come in little branded shopping bags, so it's not unusual for Annie and I to take a peek at what's inside. But now I regret looking into the Clarins bag Hannah received the other day, because there's a lipstick in it that I want sooooo bad.

It's Rouge Eclat Satin Finish Age-Defying Lipstick in Juicy Clementine, a gorgeous orangey shade that's said to help make lips look and feel younger with repeated wear. Shea butter and mango seed oil and whatnot. I LOVE ORANGEY STUFF THAT MAKES ME LOOK YOUNGER.

So, today's Quick Question: Do you think Hannah would mind if I took this lipstick?

Don't worry, Hannah, I put it back in its box, untested. It will be returned to the bag it came in and will remain there until you claim it as your own or let me have it. And I totally understand if you want to keep it; I've had a pretty rough week, so being denied one little lipstick isn't going to make it much worse. (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?!?)

Green Eyeliner: How I Wear My Favorite Color On My Face

Jem — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:40:30 -0400

I love green. I adore green. I own a disproportionate amount of bright green clothes. And jewelry. And everything.

Everything except for makeup, because brands don’t seem to share my particular obsession. So I set out to fix this.

While searching through the dark corners of the internet to try and find the correct name for my favorite shade, I sidestepped the most obvious source: Wikipedia. Their article on Shades of Green is freaky obsessive, almost like I myself wrote it. Actually I would like to hunt down whoever drafted that page and lovingly stroke their hair.

I’ve decided that my favorite green is closest to “shamrock green,” which I like, because I appreciate images of rolling hills and twinkling gold.

This is actually not my experience of actual irishmen, because a couple of years ago I was living in an apartment block consisting of 80% Irish backpackers, and the number of times I ran into someone in the lift with a stolen trolley filled with empty beer bottles is too many for one lifetime.

Also, the lift opened to reveal a naked dude standing inside. Twice. (Not even a charming Irish lilt could save you there, mister.)

But I digress. Back to makeup. Actually, first, let's touch on nail polish.

I swear, nearly all green nail polishes are hella shimmery, as if they think their entire customer base is either a high school art teacher or a witch (or both).

However, Revlon Nail Enamel in Posh is perfect in every way. Flaw-free. Go, my pretties, and buy it so it never gets discontinued.

On to the eyeliner also in the photo above. I’ve been on the hunt for a really bright matte green gel or liquid liner for a couple of months now, but everything I found was a touch too blue and a touch too dark.

I’m obsessive. I’m fine with it.

So I bought a matte eyeshadow and some Inglot Duraline. Basically, Duraline is made of Sophia Loren’s or possibly some other bad bitch with perfect eyeliner’s tears. Doesn’t matter whose tears they are, but we must thank the lord for their existence.

Anyway, it’s a mystical clear liquid that transforms any powder product into a long-wearing liquid that can be used as an eyeshadow base or liquid liner.

Inglot Eye Shadow in Matte 331 was the perfect color for me, but they honestly have every single shade you could dream of in heaps of different finishes, so I'd recommend them if you're going to go down the freaky-obsessive liner road like me.

It took me a couple of tries to get the right consistency; I found first lightly scratching the surface of the eyeshadow with a nail file to kick up extra product, then transferring it to the back of my hand worked best.

I got a little drop of Duraline and put it next to the giant pile of eyeshadow I had dumped on my hand and, picking up a bit of it on a really small liner brush, rubbed it in the eyeshadow.

Now you can draw on your cat eye. Since it is a little bit of a fuss to do this whole process, I suggest going big or going home. Basically, I want my favorite color all over my face. I’d use green blush if I could (but I won’t because as much as I love a bit of Wicked Witch of the West vibes in my personality, I’m not sure if I want to copy her look).

After you have put on two coats of the Duraline/eyeshadow mix and let it dry (takes about 10 seconds), have a look at the color. I’ve found that the Duraline tends to make everything a little bit darker and duller, and I stand for such grievous color errors when it comes to my beloved shamrock green.

So taking another eyeliner brush, dot along your line with eyeshadow and the color returns to normal!

Good news: This stuff LASTS. Like, seven hours of lectures in non-air-conditioned rooms, then a game of tipsy pool, then a rush-hour train ride home and through cooking dinner, which involved a whole lot of peering over steamy pots and dancing to The Gossip.

Plus, I have slightly hooded eyelids, so I usually end up with a little liner on my upper lid where it has been touching, and it was nowhere. to. be. seen.

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

What’s your favorite color? And what lengths do you have to go to get it on your face?

Ahh, To Be Jane Pratt...

Annie — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:00:00 -0400

So I tagged along with Jane while she curated her vintage shop for Nifty Thrifty. Cuuurrated. Sexy!

Here's some video I shot at Jane and Charlotte's swank apartment of hair champion Allie Smith prepping Jane for the shoot later that day. I edited out most of the conversation because I hate my voice and also I would begin stories and then not end my thought... this happened, like, three times. It was early! [It wasn't that early, Annie. --Jane]

But we did talk about some real life stuff, yo. Eyebrow stencils? Jane totally uses them. Also, Allie proves that I may actually be cut out for this job because she, a pro, does beauty stuff that I thought only my scrubbish self did!

Plus, there's an adorable way to get waves, Jane's favorite concealer that she vultures out of the carcass of a compact (OMG I DO THAT, TOO! BFF's!), Allie discussing the pros and cons of beauty school, and me bitching about being eyebrow-bullied, wah wah wah.

Master The Bold Daytime Lip And You Will Master Your Life

Olivia S. — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400

Someone at some point once told me that to be a classy lady, you either show your cleavage or you show your legs but never both. Or maybe I saw it in a film--it doesn’t sound like anything that anyone I know would say. Less is more, amirite?

Much as I object to this as a clothing philosophy, it stands pretty solid when you apply it to daytime makeup: pick your eyes or pick your lips and it’ll keep you looking fresh (not slutty fresh, dewdrops on roses fresh).

There's no rule about picking either your lips or nails.

I am really into a statement lip. I feel like it allows me to pare back the rest of my makeup completely, which is ideal for the daytime, whilst adding some drama to my face.

As attested to by my life thus far, I love a bit of drama. Plus, I am currently single and one of the myriad bonuses of not having someone to make out with is that I can adorn my mouth as freely as I wish without looking like a mess after 15 minutes.

I often do work-related Skype meetings from home; obviously, I don’t bother getting dressed for these like a normal, functioning person. I put on a shirt and some lipstick and then sit under my duvet with my pyjama bottoms on. I have even set up a little corner of my room by my bed so that it looks vaguely professional but, from the chest down, is still super cozy.

This is ideal for those situations. Also, ideal for when you wake up too late to do anything else. Also, ideal for if you are one of those magical people who does not find themselves in these situations but wants to look sassy nonetheless.

So, for this, I applied an SPF 50 BB cream. I am pale as a sheet, so I am rigorous about my sun protection. It will come in handy if I ever start leaving the house during sunlight hours again, or if the sun ever makes its way back to London. Or both. If someone reading this is rich and gets off on power roleplay, please send me somewhere sunny. Please.

I then applied a little cream blush to the apples of my cheeks and, voila! That was all for my face. I am really into the idea of visible skin at the moment; I feel like matte, powdery skin is a bit dated and a dewy, natural finish is a lot more interesting.

I did my eyebrows the same as I always do, popped on a single coat of Eyeko mascara (combing my lashes thoroughly afterwards with an eyelash comb to ensure that they were only lightly coated) and there we have it: job done.

Now, onto my lips. I brushed my lips lightly with an old toothbrush to make sure that I had a smooth base to work with, and lightly dabbed on a little concealer to give me a base to work with.

I then carefully sketched on my base shade with lip pencil. Lip pencil is like the understated savior of beauty products; it prevents bleed, allows for a deeper colour, and keeps your lippie on way longer. Also, you can mix and match it with your lipsticks for infinite possibilities.

I used MAC Lip Pencil in Vino (the irony of my sobriety slays me in these situations), starting in the cupid bow at the top of my lip, gently following my lip line. I moved round and outlined the bottom, slightly evening out my wonky lip and gently (this is the key word here) filled in.

What makes it a little easier to get the perfect shape is if you relax your lips and press your tongue up against your inner lip, puffing it out a bit and therefore making the skin a little more taut. This gives you ultimate precision, which I feel is fairly important if it’s the only colour happening on your face and all attention is drawn to it.

I then grabbed a lip brush, and smushed it around on the top of MAC’s Diva and gently started applying layers of colour. The tip is, if you do this all slowly and gently, your lipstick will last about 10 years longer than just wiping a lipstick around your mouth.

I smoke a copious amount (my local newsagent has started telling me to cut back) as it is my solitary vice these days, and I swear, I can get through a pack without reapplication. Obviously if I am smoking a pack, I have more to worry about than my lipstick but whatevs. I pick my battles or something.

I have little to no faith in “long-wear” lipsticks, as they usually seem to compromise on an element that I am into in my lip colour. I have tried all the lip topcoats in the world and they have all turned my lips into shredded, chapped mush, which is neither sexy nor chic. And this kind of is.

Is it? IS IT? I AM ONLY WORTH THE SUM OF YOUR COMMENTS! Also: How do you keep your lipstick on your mouth and what’s your fave?

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love My Giant Forehead

Chelsea — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:30:00 -0400

I'd had bangs for a full 10 years--from age 3 to 13--when I'd finally had enough.

I no longer wear fur.

My forehead was a minefield of zits; my bangs would flip and part whenever I'd sweat, and they pretty much extended from the top of my head to my eyebrows. One summer, I decided to STOP THE INSANITY and grow them out. I thought I was finally in the clear.

But I had only released the beast: my forehead. Or fivehead, as Tyra would say.

Things my forehead is shorter than: my dachshund's torso.

Yeah, it's pretty large, and I realize my parents likely gave me bangs as a toddler for that very reason. It didn't help that, during a subsequent tomboy phase, I would pull all my hair back into a tight knot and basically look bald.

However, I'm happy to say that I've been bangs-free for almost 17 years, and I've finally learned to live with my big forehead.

Beyond telling myself that my brain is abnormally large, I've developed some hair and makeup sleights of hand that make me a bit less self-conscious.

The sleight of hand does not include using your actual hands to cover your forehead.

Highlighter fans recommend swiping some across your forehead--in addition to your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, etc.--to bring more light and dimension into the face. However, if you have a big forehead, feel free to highlight everywhere else, skipping your forehead. Light reflecting off this already broad expanse will only make it look larger and draw more attention to it.
Following that same principal, make sure to keep your forehead as shine-free as possible. Depending on your skin, that could mean always carrying oil-blotting sheets (or rolling papers) or using an oil-free moisturizer. It could also mean opting for a more matte foundation versus a dewy or mineral-based formula.
Now try the opposite of highlighting: Take a bit of bronzer or contouring powder and apply lightly to the temples, thus minimizing them and seemingly reducing the width of your forehead.
Fill in your brows. Again, this visually limits the total area of your forehead, which, with weak brows, could seem to extend to your actual eyes. A strong brow will frame and define the face and make you look less like a dolphin.
Bangs are the obvious answer for their camouflaging function, but many of us have already experienced enough fringe-induced trauma in our lifetimes. The alternative is to have your hairstylist cut some shorter, wispy pieces on either side of your face. The point isn't to cover your forehead but to distract from it by breaking up the surface and framing your face. These pieces are especially useful when hair is pulled back to prevent the aforementioned "bald" look.
Encourage volume at the root of your hair to make your forehead look smaller, or at least more proportionate. When hair hangs limply, the forehead becomes your most prominent feature. I'm pretty much a wash-and-wear girl during the week, but I will take a minute to flip my head over and blast my damp roots with a blow-dryer to add some lift. When I put my hair up, I do it imperfectly, so that some strands of hair aren't lying flat against the scalp but sort of sticking out messily. Kind of that "maybe-I-just-had-sex-wouldn't-you-like-to-know" look.
Do headbands right. Don't use them to push all hair back and away from your face; this looks severe and unflattering. Instead, part your hair as you normally would (preferably not down the middle), and tuck the sections on either side of your face behind your ears, leaving one or two short wisps out in front. Then simply place the headband on, a few inches back from the hairline, tucking ends behind ears.
Also, HATS!

Yay hats! And tropical drinks!

Do you have a fivehead? What are your tricks? Is there one hairstyle that works best?

Too Dreamy: Makeup Inspired By Twin Peaks' Audrey Horne

Beth — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

In seventh grade, I idolized two women: Helena Christensen in Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” video and Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne in Twin Peaks. Both embodied a classic yet devastating ‘90s brand of beauty, and both were very sexy and mysterious in their own way.

I totally understood that they were sexy, and yet, I really had no earthly idea what "sexy" really meant. I grew up in a tight-lipped household, and by age almost-13, I still had not heard the “sex talk” from my folks.

I daydreamed about boys in my shop class (YES, I took shop!) whilst listening to “Vision of Love” (this was right before I was slapped in the face with grunge), but my fantasies never went beyond hand-holding and note-passing.

I remember watching a sex scene in a movie with friends at a sleepover and remarking, “I feel like I have to pee” to a bunch of blank stares. Like, I didn’t even understand that my body was having sexual responses.

This is what I looked like, by the way. I know, it’s completely surprising.

That year, the popular girls took turns borrowing The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer from the head popular girl just to read THE SEXY PARTS. I was finally allowed to borrow it months later (I was, you know, outside the main hierarchy), and when I did, I admit, I really didn’t understand it, but I knew that there was something dirty happening in the town of Twin Peaks.

And even though Audrey was chaste and pure, I could tell when she danced that she had something that boys and girls alike can dig.

If you’ve ever tried to tie a cherry stem in a knot with your mouth, you’re doing an Audrey Horne. (Again, I tried to perfect that move not knowing what it implied.) She was a bit deceptive and meddling; a quirky girl detective with great eyebrows and a crush on Agent Cooper that matched my own.

In recreating Audrey’s look, I realize that basically I’m doing 1950s pinup through a 1990s lens. Her skin is cashmere-matte, her eye makeup is softly alluring, and the eyebrows. THE EYEBROWS.

As is my way, I am going to show you a loose translation of Audrey, as she had several different makeup looks, and she evolved as the series moved forward.

I applied Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick in Warm Beige to areas of redness and blended with a foundation brush. I used pressed powder to set.

The look is not as matte as Audrey’s original look, but again, I’m translating loosely. Also, I can’t justify buying matte foundation for one tutorial. I just can’t. (Please, though, share your picks for matte foundation in the comments.)

I applied a rose blush to the apples of my cheeks. This is a pretty clean look; not a lot of blush and no bronzer.

Audrey’s eyes are seductive, mostly due to her natural eye shape. However, a classically contoured eye adds to her appeal.

I used NYX’s Love in Florence Eyeshadow Palette in Ciao Bella. To begin, I covered my lid in the matte gray color.

Then I brushed the coral color at the outer corner of my lid and into the socket. I used a clean crease brush to blend.

I used NYX Gel Liner & Smudger in Charlotte to thinly line my eyes. This was my first time using a gel liner, and I was not wholly impressed. Annie just recently made a suggestion to not scrimp on gel eyeliner, and I must defer to the expert. I may have inadvertently purchased an old or dried out pot of the product, but I found it difficult to load my angle brush, and I felt like I was scrubbing my eyelashes out when I tried to apply it.

I added a drop of Mario Badescu Carnation Oil Eye Makeup Remover to the pot, and I was able to see better results.

I added a tiny wingy to the end, just for fun.

Tiny wingy thingy.

I finished with a healthy coat of Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara. Wiggle your brush at the base of your lashes before combing through.

I am not experienced in drawing in brows, so my homage to Audrey might not be as accurate as it can be. My brows are naturally somewhat arched, so I decided to just slightly accentuate them.

I begin by brushing up and trimming my brows. Then I used my usual Maybelline eyebrow pencil to sketch in a more dramatic shape. In this case, I followed my natural brow outline, but made the angle more defined and dramatic.

Outlining your brows never looked so creepy. Ignore my walleye.

Now, I have recommended this pencil before because I like how I can quickly sketch it on and use it as a groomer. That’s all well and good, but I have discovered that it is NOT great for drawing thin, accurate lines. No one’s perfect.

I used NYX’s Eyebrow Cake Powder in Taupe/Ash to fill in the brow, and I brushed on the handy-dandy included brow gel to fix them in place and shine them up. Again, I am far from expert on this.

I already have a mole near my eyebrow, but it is red. Actually it looks like a drop of blood and I get asked constantly if I over-tweezed my eyebrow. The lady who threads my brows once said, “Oh, you have a red mole. This means you are getting a raise.” Haven’t seen a penny of that raise, yet.

Anyway, I was going to let my sad little red mole stand in for Audrey’s signature beauty mark, but then I realized I’m crazy. I used a brown eyeliner to add a little mark at the edge of my left brow.

I decided to do this tutorial when I was still brunette. Let's all suspend our disbelief that Audrey would ever pay to do this to her hair.

I finish the look with Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Color in Warm Beige. It really is so velvety and wonderful. I’m wearing it every day, because obviously, I am stuck in the nineties.

Dress in your favorite pleated skirt, retro sweater and saddle shoes and you’re ready to go out for some coffee and cherry pie.

The fun thing about this look is that it’s pretty versatile and exceedingly classic. It also sort of reminds me that I’m not 18-years-old like our dear Audrey, but I’m going to ignore that one.

Which ‘90s icons to you adore? Who wants to grab coffee and talk about this show!?

I Wash My Acne-Prone Skin With Castor Oil

Katie — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:30:00 -0400

Lately, my bathroom counter has started to resemble my kitchen pantry. A bottle of cooking oil over here, some baking soda there, raw honey to the left, some crushed thyme on the right. I’ll admit, it’s a little odd-looking.

So what am I cooking up in the bathroom? Only the recipe for the best skin I’ve ever had, that’s what!

I have been plagued with acne-prone skin since the fourth grade. I started wearing a full face of makeup--foundation, concealer and powder--by the tender age of 10. I was tormented throughout elementary school, junior high and high school because of my breakouts, and, unfortunately, bad skin has followed me through college, marriage and a baby without cease.

I have tried every acne product known to man--over-the-counter, informercial, antibiotics, birth control pills, prescription creams--you name it, and I’ve wished on a star for it to work.

So back in December, when I started reading about the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) on different websites, I figured I didn’t have anything to lose. Plus, everything I needed, I already had in my kitchen.

The basic idea behind OCM is this: Like dissolves like. Oil dissolves oil. Many commercially available face washes strip the skin of necessary oils, which, in turn, causes your skin to produce more oil and breakouts. It’s a truly vicious cycle. So by washing your face with oils, you will gently remove makeup AND moisturize your skin at the same time.

Add to this idea the fact that different oils have different elements and properties--some are super moisturizing, some are drying (really!), some are antibacterial--and you have a recipe for success.

Every person’s skin is different, and OCM has endless oil-mixing options, so there is a lot of experimenting that goes on at first. Finding the right combination for your particular skin needs is a pretty fun science experiment.

Putting any oil in a cute bottle makes it seem fancier and spa-ier.

Currently, my OCM oil mix is a combination of castor oil and grapeseed oil (50/50) with a few drops of tea tree and lemongrass oils in the mix for their antibacterial properties. If I have any active breakouts, I add neem oil to the mix to help dry up and heal the spots.

Washing is easy. I pour a quarter-size amount of the oil into my hands, rub them together, and then massage it all over my face, including my eyes (OCM is perfect for eye makeup removal, and I SWEAR my lashes have gotten longer and thicker since I started OCM).

Shiny happy Katie.

Time is key here--the longer you work the oil in, the better it breaks up and dissolves makeup and grime. Then, I get my water as hot as I can bear it, soak a washcloth in the water, wring it out, and lay it over my face.

So my towels don't match. Sue me.

I repeat this steaming process two or three times, and then wipe the oil off my face and eyes with the washcloth. Then, I follow up with a cotton pad soaked in apple cider vinegar as a toner.

In the mornings, I wash my face with raw honey, the perfect face product--moisturizing, antibacterial, tastes good--and baking soda if I need some exfoliation.

In the past five months, my skin has improved drastically. My breakouts are minimal and heal quickly. The texture of my skin is smoother, and the tone is more even. I feel like I glow. I wear very little makeup these days--usually just a BB cream or tinted moisturizer--even at work!

Have you ever tried cleansing with oils? Skincare oils, or ones in your kitchen?

Everybody Told Me I Looked Really Hot With This Hair

Annie — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

I’m stuck in this weird limbo right now because my hair is way long and logic tells me that I should cut it. And all the crap that it gets caught in tells me I should cut it--I for real just zipped some in the side closure of a pair of tap shorts. And they were all, “Dude. Snip, snip.”

But I have probably $500-worth of highlights telling me to keep the length around for at least another month.

I finally get what it’s like to have imperfect hair. Like, dry ends that tangle easily that no amount of serum or nights in a masque will change. I am, in fact, mortal. I put my slutty jeans on one leg at a time and then penguin from side to side to shimmy them up over my enormous ass like everybody else.

That’s cool, though. I’ll deal. But it won’t be by morphing into you insane women that do your hair every morning. Like, straightening and blowing and curling… no. It’s a time-management issue, along with an I-don’t-want-to-further-damage-my-hair issue.

The fluff is a battle that’s not worth fighting. And why should I? I love huge hair. And at a time when my roots are laying flat from a lack of personal hygiene, and my ends are throwing themselves dramatically every which way like, “Maaaahhhmmm! I don’t feeeeeeel good!” I’m, like, eff it.

And in the midst of getting ready for Emily’s birthday party, I was more like, “Here, let me help you with that.” And started backcombing my ends and lengths. Then I sprayed some Sally Hershberger Major Body hairspray into the mess, and scrunched it all up with my hands. Because it’s touch-activated.

Then, like, my most popular Instapic ever!

Which didn’t hold a candle to Emily’s…

It’s cool though, it was her birthday! And it’s Emily. The sole reason that Jane hired her was for looks. I know… shallow but true.

6 Pretty Things On The Internet: Messy Sexy Teased Hair With A Mini Braid Edition

Madeline — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:00 -0400

Here are the prettiest things I found on the internet this week. Enjoy!

Pin-Ups For Pitbulls, Inc. works to dispell misconceptions about pitbulls and pit-mixes in order to up their chances of finding great adoptive homes (ultimately leading to less euthanization). Their annual fund-raising calendar is filled with retro-glam pin-up models posing with pits and pitmixes. Click for pics, plus an interview with the founder, Deirde Franklin. [Betty Confidential]

Instagram was made for nail art, and nail art was made for Instagram. These 10 nail polish brands are a great follow. [Lifestyle Mirror]

Kenneth Battelle, known just as Kenneth, hairdresser to classic New York ladies who lunch like Jackie O and Lee Radziwill (one of Truman Captoe's "swans"), passed away this week. This awesome piece on his 54th street legacy is illustrated with wonderful old photographs. [Glo]

Ten cute travel-size beauty products, all under $10. [POPSUGAR Beauty]

I want to try some of these neat new hydrating overnight face masks, especially the Greek yogurt one from Korres. [Refinery29]

Here's a how-to for three different hairstyles that all stem one simple little braid. I went for their half-up style by gently teasing the crown of my head, adding Oribe texturizing spray, braiding a tiny piece of my hair, and pulling back a panel of my hair. [BeautyHigh]

The tiny braid is kind of hard to spot, but if you look in the upper right corner of my head in this picture you can see it.

Including this photo so you can see the overall look, which is simple and a little sexy messy.

Got any great beauty links you'd like me to consider? Email or tweet me with tips anytime.

Quick Question: Do My Roots Look Gray?

Marci — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:04:52 -0400

If there's anything that has motivated me to perfect my complexion, it's the fact that I sweat like crazy.

See, I wear foundation or BB cream and concealer every day to even out my skin tone, but from April through October, before I even leave my apartment, I'm already sweating it off. By the time I reach the subway station, my face is soaking wet and makeup is all sorts of uneven: streaky in some areas, beading in others, patchy elsewhere.

Although I sweat a lot above my lips and eyebrows, the vast majority of my above-the-shoulders perspiration originates from my scalp and drips down my face and neck.

So I had an epiphany: What if I sprayed aerosol antiperspirant on my scalp to help it stop sweating so much?!

I picked up a can at Rite Aid, and this morning, right before I left, I sprayed it all around my head as if it were dry shampoo. To my surprise, it didn't appear to whiten my hair at all, like a lot of dry shampoos do.

I sort of forgot to pay attention to how much my scalp was sweating, so I'll have to do the experiment again tomorrow. What I did notice, however: when I was in the office bathroom under lights that make H&M dressing room lighting seem flattering, my roots seemed kind of grayish.

And here's the top of my head in natural light.

I'd gone to get my hair auburnized (not a word) at Sally Hershberger a couple months ago, and I've been super-lazy about getting the roots done, partly because I've been thinking of trying a totally different color. But it wasn't until I sprayed the antiperspirant on my head that I really noticed how badly I need to make an appointment.

In conclusion: I'm not sure if aerosol deodorant made my scalp sweat less, I'm not sure if I'm going to get brain cancer (I doubt it, though), and I'm not sure if it emphasized the difference between my roots and salon color. So I'm leaving that last one up to you guys...

Quick Question: Do my roots look gray?

4 Pink Lip Colors That Look Gorgeous On Brown Girls

Faz — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:47 -0400

The Barbies I had when I was a child were all white, blue-eyed and blonde-haired with pink lips. For some reason, Mattel Asia didn’t sell dark-skinned dolls because they don’t sell as well as the light-skinned dolls, so, as you can probably tell, my beauty ideals were warped from a very young age.

While I don’t look to Barbie as the pinnacle of beauty anymore, there is a little part of me that still wants to be Indian Barbie. I mean, I’m tall, I wear frou-frou dresses all the time, and the best part: this Barbie has movable parts and a brain that works!

I may not have massive jugs Barbie has, but I sure do have a plethora of pink lip colors I turn to depending on how pink I want to go.

Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in Electric Shock

I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up this lip gloss in CVS when I was in the States a little more than a month ago. It’s very pigmented for a cheapie gloss you can get from the drugstore, and it shines like crazy, too.

Slap it on over a lippie, or just as it is like I’ve done here, and you can look half-decent after a Barbie-related bender.

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

Revlon’s Lip Butters are like multiple orgasms. You don’t remember a life without them, and you don’t want to ever go back to that place.

Lollipop is one of my favorite shades in the range, and they’re hydrating as well. I love pairing them with my pin-up-inspired bathers by the beach.

Rimmel Color Show Off Lipstick in Shocking Pink

This is one of my favorite pink lipsticks EVER. So top-of-the-list that my mother swears by it, and we always have spare tubes just in case.

It’s a stunning matte finish without being too drying. All you need is one slick and you’re good to go.

I don't think it's available in the US, though, so you may have to hit eBay to find it.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Strumpet

I am ashamed to tell you how much money I spent the last time I stepped into Sephora in the US. You guys have it WAY better than we do here in Singapore. (I can’t wait to move to the US!)

What I’m not ashamed to tell you is how much I am in LOVE with OCC Lip Tar in Strumpet. As all OCC lovers will tell you, a little goes a long way. My only annoyance comes from the fact that it stains your lips.

So, what are your favorite pink lip colors? Did you want Barbie’s lips, too?

The $4 Easy-As-Hell Leg Shine You Didn't Know Was At The Drugstore

Annie — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400

I felt like I was always in for a surprise getting into my little red Jetta after school most days. Highland Park High School is one of the few--as in, like, four--American public high schools with a multi-level parking garage, with an astute attendant, security cameras, and assigned spaces.

I went to Lake Highlands High School, and parked in the open, beneath the oppressive Texas sun. My car, steaming on the inside so hot that the glue holding the fabric onto the ceiling panel began to melt, produced some pungent odors. Most days I guess it smelt like melty crayons--at least that's what EVERYBODY says the inside of turn-of-the-century Jettas smells like. (Which was so irritating, by the way. I've been known to slow my roll to about 25, and then reach over their laps to fling the door open and literally shove the jerk out of my car.)

Some days, though, it smelt like the sultry basement of an equatorial grow house. Then there were days when it smelt like the wet cat food that the older girls would pour into my air vents, or the milkshake that they'd throw on my windshield, which would, at some point between fourth and seventh periods, melt and bubble into my air vents. I think that the only thing those chicks excelled at in school was twatting, which meant I excelled at skipping just to get away. Seriously, I went to, like, three hours of school in total my junior year.

Highland Park High School also happened to have a very lax attendance policy (as is normally the case with rich-folk schools, yes?), and my high school BFF that went there would split to pick me up in her black SUV every day at noon behind the school in between the portable buildings. I'd hide huddled in the back while she would roll her eyes to Rosa, the parking lot attendant who half-assedly would refuse her exit privileges. "Oh please, I don't even go here!" she'd laugh in a weird mix between a Texas and Minnesota accent.

I'd heard that Rosa was easily bribed with cigarettes and donuts, but Karen's argument got her every time. She couldn't prove that Karen even went to school there simply because she refused to incriminate herself by showing a student ID card. She'd just shrug and lift the gate every time. Then Karen and I would go to Neimans to play with makeup and now I do this while my high school tormenters are... lol who cares!? Thanks, twats!

The pillows are so you can't see up my skirt.

Slutty legs! I almost forgot. So one night upon finishing up at my retail job, I drove to the mall for the sole purpose of investing $32 in Leg Shine at the Mikey Kors store. It was brilliant all around--smelled great, looked great, and applied like a freaking deodorant so you didn't end up with brown sparkly palms, which, I think all slutty dressers would agree, is the absolute BANE of our existence.

I used it ALL THE TIME, and I'd still use it if it magically appeared on my desk and didn't require a trip to the store (errands are exhausting without the Jet). On one especially steamy school day, the cloud of fumes that exploded after cracking my front door were AMAZING because I had left the Leg Shine stick in my center console, where it melted everywhere, and perfumed and glittered my car for years later like a skanky wick-less candle.

I had only used the stick a couple of times! So annoying!

Rather than, I don't know, buying a new one, I got creative when it came to leg sheen.

The "ethnic" hair section at drugstores is so intriguing! (Although all of us here are irked by that phrase.) It's like its own cool-kid club, and I am totally not allowed. Like, what do you even do with all that glycerin? Queen Helene, did you really just put the word "CHOLESTEROL" on a tub of conditioner? It's ONLY $3? And y'all like cholesterol conditioner, but eff the lye, correct? Seriously, please teach me in the comments, I'm endlessly curious about these products and have a feeling that most are totally inappropriate for my hair.

Then I saw Pantene try to push it's way into the ultra-exclusive shelf space with the Relaxed & Natural line. And like forcing my way into a seniors-only party with my friend whose older brother plays varsity soccer, I exploited my long-formed relationship with Pantene to finally break into the "ethnic" hair section.

But it wasn't for hair, because I'm super-intimidated still and not even sure if I want to activate my curls. It was for the aerosol can of straight-up OIL for my legs. I believe it was the Intensive Oil Sheen Spray, but it appears as though this item has been discontinued.

Walgreens does carry a similar product from Motions that's almond-y! It smells AMAZING. Obviously you're going to be misting oil out of a can, so use sparingly--just a little leaves a lot of shine. Plus you don't want to douse your clothes. I mean, use common sense. Don't leave a layer of oil residue on the floor to slip on when you bring your great legs home wasted. (I've never broken my neck from shining my legs.)

How To Trim Your Own Bangs

Alle — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:30:00 -0400

If there’s been one constant in my life, it’s blunt bangs. No matter how many times my hair colour has changed, I’ve always had a fringe.

I'm seven or eight here.

Sometimes you just find something that works, you know?

One of the things that makes me really sad is when people say something to the effect of “I’ve always wanted bangs, but they’re so much work / I’d never be able to keep up with them / I can’t afford to go to the salon every other week to get them trimmed.”

Bad Beauty Writer Confession Time: I get my hair cut maaaaaybe every three months, and I haven’t let anyone touch my bangs since The Great Feathery Fringe Incident of aught-three. I always cut them myself now because I know I’ll get them right. Plus, I don’t have to put on pants and leave my house. Win-win.

This means I have a wealth of bangs-trimming knowledge that I’m going to share with you! Enjoy the following video, where you can hear my goofy accent FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN LIFE!

Man. Sometimes you think you’ve beaten your typically Aussie rising inflection? That makes everything? Sound like a question? And then you realise that you really haven’t. Maybe it’s a nerves thing; I’ll be more relaxed next time.

Some additional wisdom:

Straight bangs are never really straight because human faces aren’t perfectly symmetrical. Consider your brows: almost everyone has one eyebrow slightly higher than the other (on me, it’s my right). If I had totally ruler-straight bangs, my face would look crooked--my hair would be half an inch from my left eyebrow, and a quarter of an inch from my right. Wonky! To control for this, I always cut a very slight angle so that the right side is ever so slightly shorter than the left. This means the proportions of my bangs remains the same on both sides of my face, which is the most important thing. And nobody has ever noticed that my fringe is oh-so-slightly angled, so don’t worry.
If you like the feathery look, instead of cutting across and pulling back (in the motion I show in the video), cut up and then pull down. Your scissors should be parallel to your nose, if that gives you a better mental picture.
These hints all work for side bangs, too. I mean, I don’t have them. But my friends tell me so. And one of those friends wants to reassure you guys that I know what I’m talking about:

Thanks, Emily!
Training your bangs to go forward can be kind of hard. The way that I did it was to blow dry them with a round brush after every shower, and sleep with one of those chubby fabric headbands on like this…

I know. Extreme glamour. But it pushes it all in the right direction overnight, which helps.
If you feel like you have “a bald spot” in a weird place in your fringe, it probably isn’t a bald spot. It’s usually your natural part trying to fight its way through. Don’t let it! Keep training your hair forward! Impose your will!
“But Alle!” I hear you cry. “What about working out?” Well, I work out every day and I use those same chubby headbands to keep my bangs up and out of my face. That way they don’t get dented or super-sweaty.
My hair is kind of tricky, and I wash it only twice a week. If my bangs are looking kind of gross and oily between washes--it happens--I take a little bit of shampoo and wash just them, not the rest of my head. That way my bangs get super-fresh and the rest of my hair doesn’t freak out.
Don’t touch them all the time. It’ll just make them get greasier faster.
Bed Head Hard Head is your friend. This is the best, most hardcore hairspray ever; it keeps my bangs looking Spock-worthy even in the windiest weather.
Sometimes I break out on my forehead, which sucks because those zits take forever to go away. Those times I pin my bangs to one side to sleep, then blowdry them forward in the morning. Really speeds up the recovery process.

That’s all I can think of! If you have any questions/comments/concerns about bangs (or my accent, I guess), ask away!

Work-Appropriate Eye Makeup That Doesn't Pretend It Isn't There

Olivia S. — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

In theory, there is usually nothing that I hate more than the idea of a beauty trend. Obviously the same thing is always going to be fashionable: looking like a babe.

However, I spend a decent amount of my life engaging with trend-based fashion (which I do like) and that means that, against my will, sometimes a new makeup concept sneaks its way into my life.

There is one part of this malarkey that I really enjoy: every season (and by season, I mean fashion season, so biannually in the actual world that makes sense) MAC has a trends showcase led by the amazingly hilarious Terry Barber, who talks through the shows that MAC did around the world.

The way MAC works is kind of amazing: they don’t pay for advertising in the same way that other brands do, but they do a huge amount of fashion sponsorship, and their artists work doing the makeup concepts and application backstage in fashion weeks. This means that they are, actually, the makeup of makeup artists a lot of the time. Kudos.

When I was a little girl, I used to get my mum to take me to the local department store MAC counter before the school disco or whatever and get them to give me a makeover. My ex-godmother was an agent for hair and makeup artists, so she’d get discount on their products, and that was all I ever got for birthdays and Christmases. Like I have said elsewhere, I was a precocious little nightmare with a love for red lipstick from an early age.

By the way, this is NOT a sponsored post; I really am this much of a crazed fan.

So, going to the MAC presentations feels more like a childhood dream than the most tedious afternoon ever, and I therefore embrace it.

One of the trends they talked about this time was “spiritual-eyes” which also happens to be a play on one of my favourite bands of all time (love you foreverrr, Jason Pierce). It was vaguely based around the concept of looking tired but sexy, in that desperately cool DGAF way that normally only 17-year-old Eastern European blondes can pull off on a Gareth Pugh catwalk.

HOWEVER, I am not going to let my hair colour, age, height or clumsiness keep me away from “angelic grunge” and, because I am no longer a party girl, I had to adapt this stuff to make it daytime wearable.

Basically, I wanted one step up from no-makeup-makeup that I was able to wear at work; a smoky daytime eye, if you will, that gave my features a little depth and emphasis whilst remaining languid and soft.

I used Benefit Stay Don’t Stray eyeshadow primer over my lids and under my eyes, and left it to dry for a few minutes. This means that if you are actually going to spend all day working, your subtle eye makeup won’t end up looking too subtle (read: invisible).

I applied a creamy highlighter right to the tops of my cheekbones, just underneath my eye sockets, and around to my temples. This means when my face catches the light, I should look like a hungry supermodel. Dreamy.

I then got my MAC Paint Pots out. These work as an amazing cream base; they wear more like a stain than an eyeshadow and allow for a more fluid look than I can usually manage with a powder. Using my fingertips, I worked the Painterly shade to just above the crease of my eyelid and then round beneath my lower lashes, blending it in to fade into my skin. I then went over the outermost two thirds of the lid itself with the Groundwork shade, again working it into a fade with my fingertips.

To open my eyes out a little, I applied MAC Eye Shadow in Espresso to the outer corners of my eyelids and along the outer third of my eye crease, blending it with a fluffy eyeshadow brush (one from an old Urban Decay palette has been my godsend, but generally I have found fluff brushes to be the easiest to blend with).

The general key to opening up your eyes is to keep your shadow light in the inner corners and to move darker as you go outwards, it’s like a special optical illusion for your face.

I then worked MAC Eye Kohl in Prunella into my upper lash line, by sort of sticking it into my eye and rubbing it as close to my lashes as possible. It’s a dark, reddish purple shade, which avoids the harshness that you can often get with a black liner, keeping in the vein of effortless subtlety that I am going for, with copious amounts of effort.

Finally, I finished with Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara.

Overall, I end up looking done but undone, a bit like I how I wish I woke up in the morning but definitely do not. It opened up my eyes and made me look like I’d made enough effort to go to work (here, reading my magazine in my very British garden, which obviously requires a strong makeup look) without looking like I need to head back to the street corner.

Being British.

Tres chic. Or something. I hope.

Do I look like a Gareth Pugh catwalk model? Do I??? What eye makeup works for you when you have to do work-related things in the daytime and looks presentable but not like a drag queen?

Beauty Experiment: I Tried Making Makeup With Beets

Caroline — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:30:00 -0400

If you’ve ever eaten a beet and you’re clumsy like me, your clothes and tablecloth have been reminding you ever since.

Red beets spill blood-like juice when first cut, though the juice will eventually dry to a slightly more purple hue. The staining power of beets is surpassed only by red wine.

Beets in my garden.

Here in Maryland, it’s almost beet season. So, get out your pots and pans. We're going to get messy.

ATTEMPT 1: BEET ROOT AS BLUSH

Let’s start out slow. This first attempt involves beet root powder but no actual cooking. You can find it in the supplement section of a health food or vitamin store. At my local co-op, it’s available in bulk with the other spices.

To use beet root powder as blush, just brush the powder on your face as you normally would. Carefully tap the brush first to remove excess powder. This is especially important, as the powder has a larger grain than most commercial makeup. It should go on similarly to your regular blush. Cranberry and strawberry powder can both be substituted for a slight variation in color.

My go-to bug-eyed pose.

The verdict: Nope. I tried substituting the beet powder for my regular makeup several days in a row. The powder didn’t stick well, even when applied immediately after moisturizer. It felt grainy going on my face and fell off all over the bathroom sink. When you cook beets, at least you get something to eat out of the mess.

ATTEMPT 2: CHEEK & LIP STAIN

Here comes the cooking!

Beets look kinda hairy.

Take a beet (or two or three, depending on how many people you plan to feed). Peel and slice the beets into half-inch size chunks. Toss them in a pot, and add water until the tops of the beets are just covered.

Boil, then simmer for about fifteen minutes (more if you have time). Remove the beets and let the liquid continue to simmer until it has reduced to about half its original volume.

(If you want to eat the beets, toss them in a glass pan and add olive oil and a quarter cup of water. Cover the pan with foil. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until tender. Cool, and serve.)

Strain the liquid to remove any errant beet bits. Your kitchen now looks vaguely like a crime scene, but the messy part is over. Set the liquid aside for twenty minutes, or until cooled. This is a good time to remove the “evidence.”

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

When the juice is cooled, dip your fingers straight into the pot (or use a lip brush if you don’t want to look like you just placed your hand in beet water). Dab the liquid on your lips and swipe it across your cheeks--exactly where you would normally apply lipstick and/or blush.

I colored in my tattoo so you can see the change in skin color somewhere other than my face.

Dramatic, right? The juice dries quickly and doesn’t feel sticky. It also washes off easily; the red tint stayed on my arm until I showered before bed but came off immediately with soap and water. I think it looks natural on my face and lips.

For the photos, I added a second coat for a slightly bolder look.

Before.

After.

The verdict: Yes! Bonus points: If you’re clumsy like me, dab at your face with a washcloth to remove any stray red blotches from errant beet juice drops.

ATTEMPT 3: TINTED LIP BALM

The most complicated of the three, this should only be attempted by an expert in the kitchen.

Melt a couple of tablespoons of shea butter on the stove or in the microwave. When the shea butter is liquid, stir in beet juice until the mixture achieves the desired consistency. Pour into a dish and refrigerate until solid.

Next, you’ll want to put the lip balm into a container. I emptied a lipstick tube.

The verdict: Eh. Shea butter and beet juice don’t mix very well, although the juice will stain the rest of the mixture. The I’ve learned my lesson and will use beeswax next time. Beeswax has a higher melting point and might keep the whole mixture more solid.

I’ll definitely be using the lip and cheek stain again. I’ve heard you can add a splash of vodka to preserve the juice, but so far, I’ve just been keeping it in the fridge.

Will you try any of these? I’m going to attempt making tinted lip balm again as soon as the beeswax I’ve ordered arrives. Do you have any other suggestions? I’m game for putting more weird stuff on my face.

Mousse: Why Should Teenage Girls Living In Central New Jersey Circa 1991 Have All The Fun?

Marci — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

Most days, I wear my hair naturally wavy, flat-ironed, or what I call "enhanced wavy"--wrapping several sections around a curling wand for a few seconds to get smooth, loose curls.

But then there are days I want the ever-elusive MERMAID HAIR.

Now, I don't know about you, but to me, mermaid hair is none of the following:

Ariel from The Little Mermaid (too perfect)
Darryl Hannah as Madison in Splash (who knew they had crimpers in the ocean?)
Google Image results for "mermaid hair" (blue--can't mermaids have blonde and brown hair?)

No, mermaid hair, in my opinion, says, "I've been in and out of the ocean a lot today, and the only reason my hair is dry right now is because I've been having sex on a rock with a pirate."

Basically this:

Mermaids like cardigans and Ritz crackers, by the way.

The key to taking my hair from floppity waves to postcoitus manatee-lady: mousse.

But Marci, you say in your mind (also known as thinking), didn't you get enough mousse as a middle school cheerleader in New Jersey in the early '90s?

No. No, I didn't. In fact, I think I might be the only girl in the 1991 squad photo who didn't have mousse in her hair.

There are three Jennifers in this photo.

I realize mousse seems like a relic, but its purpose--its purposes--will never not be useful. And it does different things for different people!

On someone with fine hair, it can lift roots and create the illusion of more thickness. On wavy hair like mine, it can encourage curl and volume.

In the photo above--the one that I'm not 12 years old in--all I did was run a dollop of RUSK Being Sexy Mousse through my wet hair, separating and coaxing curls by twisting sections of hair and wrapping them around my finger to shape, flipping my head upside-down to do some scrunching, and letting it air-dry.

It's been crazy-humid in the city, so my hair got a little frizzy between my apartment and the office, but I actually don't mind it. Mermaids don't have pockets to carry a bottle of argan oil. (And if they do, I don't want to know where they are.)

In addition to the varying services your basic, straightforward mousse can provide, modern mousses have super-specific abilities.

Bangstyle Volumizing Mousse is easily the thickest mousse I've ever sprayed. (Do you spray mousse? Dispense it? Shpoosh it? I think you shpoosh it.) That thickness transfers to you hair, making it look fuller. Already-thick hair can be manipulated to look downright gigantic with this stuff.

Amazingly, it's not sticky or heavy, despite looking like shaving cream. And it smells like a tropical dream. A tropical dream where a mermaid is having sex with a pirate.

Dove Nourishing Amplifier Mousse is like the registered nurse of mousses. It doesn't just want to style your hair--it wants to take care of it.

In addition to making your hair adorably bouncy, it enriches it with collagen and folic acid--you know, the stuff in prenatal vitamins. So if your hair is planning to get pregnant, you should definitely use this so it has a healthy hair baby.

Color Wow Brass Banned Correct & Perfect Mousse is the true overachiever of this bunch. Sure, it makes styling your hair easier, but let's say you're a brunette who doesn't want her hair to turn reddish or orangey; the dark-hair version is teal to keep rich brown shades truer.

Blue foam would be fun to use even if it didn't have color-preserving benefits.

Perhaps you're a blonde who'd prefer that her hair doesn't get too yellowy; the version for blonde hair has a pale violet tint to counteract brassiness.

And as we've established, contrary to what Google Images may tell you, mermaids can have any hair color they want.

Oh, and because we were talking about mermaids, I just want to mention that the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, one of the most fabulous, colorful, everyone-is-welcome celebrations of kookiness in the country, is at risk of being cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy's aftermath. You can help make it happen this year by tossing a few bucks their way via Kickstarter.

Do you ever use mousse? Tell me your favorite!

How To Get That Green Jewelry Stain Off Of Your Skin

Elizabeth — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:00 -0400

There are lots of things my ghostly pallor just won’t stand for, like direct sunlight, anything orange and cheap jewelry.

But I just can’t walk by Forever 21 or H&M without cruising the jewelry section for $4 rings. Then, of course, I leave with several of them. I mean, they’re almost free!

Don't judge.

Plus, doubling and even tripling up on rings just brings more attention to my manicure. And I own way too much nail polish to let that ish go unnoticed. I’m that person on the train who wants you to see my nails, rings and the book I’m holding. I’m that pretentious.

I always plan to use the cheap rings for just a season, but then I fall in love and hold onto them, even after they turn my skin green over and over again. I just can’t quit you, Forever 21 rings! (And earrings and necklaces.)

But there’s nothing cute about green-tinged skin. So after the short lifespan of many knuckle-grazers and scrubbed-away layers of skin, I’ve worked out a pretty good--if not damn efficient--way to get that telltale hue off my skin.

Talk to the hand. Or the soon-to-be-not-green finger, rather.

There are three levels of products that I use to de-green.

LEVEL 1: WATERPROOF EYE MAKEUP REMOVER

This works best for teeny, tiny rings. It’s also great for small earrings, too. Don’t get too crazy soaking your whole cotton ball with the stuff because a little bit goes a long way.

I really like Sephora’s Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. You’ll know pretty quickly whether you need to take your degreening to the next level.

That helped a little.

LEVEL 2: ALCOHOL CLEANSING WIPES

I always keep Neutrogeana Rapid Clear Treatment Pads on hand for stuff besides acne. They also dry out bug bites, too! I love that there’s one textured side to each of these pads because I’m fully convinced it helps pick up more of the color.

Now on to the other side. Always trickier.

LEVEL 3: NAIL POLISH REMOVER

I know it sounds drastic, but sometimes this green tinge just won’t disappear. When it comes down to it, I just want to get it off.

If the other two moves fail, I’ll dab a little bit of nail polish remover on a cotton ball and take a couple of passes over the green. Try to use non-acetone stuff to be slightly better for your skin. Most any brand will do. (I used the Duane Reade maximum strength salon formula.)

Don’t get too carried away, though, or you’ll wreck your nail polish.

My skin's pretty red, but temporary red is better than long-lasting green, right?

Give your skin a chance to calm down. (My skin stays red for a long time if I so much as scratch it. If my neck itches, people think I automatically have a rash.) Nail polish remover is especially drying, so a lot of times I’ll follow this up with a little bit of Vaseline.

So, am I the only one who can’t quit the cheap jewelry?

DIY Beauty Safety: How To Not Die When You're Making Your Own Cosmetics

Lauren — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:30:00 -0400

Diving headlong into the world of DIY beauty products is kind of like testing a river’s temperature by sticking your leg knee-deep into the rapids: the next thing you know, you’re completely carried away with the thrift and customizability of it all. I can make any lipstick I want, you think, and not have to give a single penny to a huge company!

Take that, The Man!

The fervor of having a world of inexpensive homemade products that you know the exact ingredient list of may continue to sweep you away, but there are some serious considerations that need to be taken into account before you find yourself up you-know-what creek without a paddle. Namely: safety.

When writing about making crayon lipstick, I researched and called people in a number of various government organizations, as well as Crayola themselves, to make sure that the information I was finding was correct and to assess the risks involved. This step of researching your proposed DIY endeavor is crucial, because the last thing you want to do is discover later in life that there’s a smoldering crater where your liver used to be due to making lipsticks out of oil pastels. (TIP: Do not ever, under any circumstances, make lipsticks out of oil pastels.)

But crayon lipstick--knock yourself out.

Because every project is going to be different, here are the basics of where to start looking and asking questions. Please keep in mind that these contacts, and their corresponding regulations, are specific to the US. If you’re not American, find the relevant product regulation authorities in your country and look through the information they have available (or call!).

THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA)

This is the first place that you’ll want to look if you’re planning on making beauty products. They regulate food, drugs, and any consumer product that is designed with the intention or side-effect of being absorbed into the skin or body. This includes cosmetics.

All of the information that you need may be found on their website, depending on what you’re making. For example, if you’d like to start making your own lip balm out of beeswax, jojoba oil and essential oils, the FDA would have all of that data, as all of the ingredients are either consumables or cosmetics.

Lotions and hair products are fairly straightforward if you use consumables like oils, eggs and butters, so I wouldn’t necessarily worry about tracking down an FDA representative to ensure the safety of the things that they already heavily regulate

Say you’re a total weirdo who wants to make lipstick out of crayons, though. Crayons aren’t a food, drug, or reasonably assumed to be absorbed or consumed through regular use, so the FDA wouldn’t be in charge of regulating it. Where, then, would you go?

THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION (CPSC)

This is where you would go to find out the regulations for any consumer product outside the regulatory scope of the FDA, like crayons and other art supplies.

Their website and studies can be kind of a doozy without a helping hand to navigate you through them, so I would suggest calling them up or emailing them with your specific questions and letting them point you in the right direction. The representatives that I spoke to from both the FDA and the CPSC were incredibly friendly and extremely helpful, so don’t be intimidated!

By the way, if you want to delve into cosmetics applied on or around the mouth or eyes, it’s imperative that you run your proposed ingredients against FDA regulations to ensure their safety. You’ll want to research the lead and phthalates content of your proposed lip cosmetics, and the whether or not your proposed materials are caustic or inflammatory for eye cosmetics. You’ll also want determine whether the sources of your proposed materials are safe and adhere to federal guidelines.

Another thing: While it may be tempting due to their beautiful hues, do not use professional art materials for cosmetics. EVER.

The reason why it’s OK to use Crayola is because they’re children’s products, and thus are regulated with accidental consumption in mind. Professional art materials--like oil pastels, oil and acrylic paints, chalks and the like--are not.

They’re filled with a lot of heavy metals and other various toxic things, because the CPSC assumed that grownup artists knew better than to slather themselves in oil paint and use pastels as lipsticks. Keep those art supplies to the paper and canvas for which they were intended, and use things that are more strictly regulated.

Is this a lot of work to do for a single lipstick? Absolutely. It’s also completely necessary to make sure that the beautiful creations that you have in mind are safe both for you, and whomever you may be kissing with your neon-green lips down the line.

Have you considered making DIY beauty products? Do you already? What kind of projects do you have in mind?

Quick Question: Would You Use Beauty Products Based On A Religion?

Marci — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400

Back in college, I got really angry at those "Buddha bead" bracelets that were popular at the time (circa 1999).

I was minoring in religion, mostly so I could educate myself about the religions I was rejecting (namely, all of them). But even though my feelings about different religions' tenets ranged from amusement to rage, I felt strongly that no one's deepest beliefs should be commercialized, especially by someone outside of that religion.

I wrote a REALLY ANGRY paper for my grad-level American Buddhism class, ripping Contempo Casuals a new one over those mesh Buddha tops; then I reworked it for my college newspaper column, "Marci And The Technicolor Dream Column" which was renamed after one issue to "But I Digress" because no one got the reference.

Anyway, even if I secretly think I'm smarter than you because you believe in magic, I will defend your right to believe it, practice it, be treated fairly because and in spite of it, and not see it become the inspiration for a trendy, meaningless, mass-marketed headband.

This is why I'm torn over a product I really want to try.

This is Veria ID Look Alive Eye Gel, and my under-eye area could really use the freshening and hydrating power of its ingredients, like aloe, hyaluronic acid, green tea, cucumber and black pepper. But Veria ID's whole thing is that it's based on Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is indelibly linked to Hinduism. It even has its own Hindu god, Dhanvantari, who--fun fact--is believed to be a pioneer of plastic surgery. And he had four arms, so he could probably do your nose and boobs at the same time.

It's somewhat appeasing that the Veria ID's founder is Hindu (at least according to Wikipedia), so at least they're not appropriating a belief system they have no link to. But even so, I'm reluctant to use any beauty products that are linked to a religion, partly because I don't like the idea of religion as a selling point, and partly because I don't believe the dogma behind the formulas (even if they ultimately relied on modern science to make it effective at doing the cosmetic things they promise).

OK, so I'm going to try the eye gel; the Calmy Clean Body Wash, too--even though I have no idea if I fall into the Pitta dosha category its assigned to--because it smells amazing. In the end, it's just skincare, and they seem like quality products, and they don't come with a plastic Dhanvantari charm necklace.

What about you? Today's not-so-Quick Question: Would you use beauty products based on a religion?

How I Lightened Up The Stupid Marks My Acne Left Behind

Olivia S. — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:32:31 -0400

Before I say anything else can we talk about how much I love you all to death? You all literally and absolutely made my week after being so nice about my return to over-sharing and enthusiasm for face creams.

In return for how joyous you made me, as requested, I am gonna let y’all know how I got my skin back to normal, post-trauma-breakout.

So, it turns out that my distress at having bad skin didn’t stop when the acne cleared up because (duh) I was left with scarring. This prolonged my state of self-hatred and distress far longer that ought be acceptable for someone who spends so much time in therapy. What does having imperfect skin mean to me? How does it make me feel? It means I feel POWERLESS, OK?

However, I have been taught to see everything as a gift and opportunity to learn and in that weird, 12-steppy, Melody Beattie sense, it was a magical experience that gave me the chance to explore a new avenue of beauty products: skin-lightening treatments.

The idea of skin-lightening treatments previously reminded me of living in Cambodia and not being able to buy soap at the pharmacy without searching the product lists for bleach because it seemed to be everywhere. So, every time I saw a press release for a lightening serum, I started muttering words about ridiculous, colonial ideals of beauty; but actually, it turns out that the products weren’t about making everyone look like Anna Leonowens and I was being faintly oversensitive.

They are for post-acne scars. Duh. Chill out, angry young liberal Olivia. Not everything is about oppression.

I use these religiously.

So, firstly, I used Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector. The problems were mainly on my cheeks, so I also moisturized my whole face with Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Hydrating Moisture Emulsion (I wanted all the help I could get) and then applied the Clinique serum vaguely topically.

It was velvety and quick to absorb, and gentle enough to not cause dryness, which I was worried about as I kept assuming that “dark spot corrector” meant “bleach you clean your bathroom with.”

My second fear was that by applying new serums to my face, I would ruin my carefully balanced sebum levels and clog my pores, but this one is also an antioxidant so I felt safe. As an all-rounder, it was a winner and I was on a roll.

However, I wasn’t prepared to stop there, of course, because one is too many and a thousand never enough. So I thought I’d try out Fresh Peony Whitening Essence because it sounded so beautiful and has ingredients similar to a salad.

Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) are my favourite acid (is it weird to have a favourite acid of a non-hallucinogenic type?) and are naturally found in fruits; although using fruit on my face hasn’t garnered much result, I was willing to try their lemony, liquorice-y blend.

Loving fruit on my face and in my mouth. In all of its forms.

My favourite thing about this was how moisturizing it was. I didn’t notice as drastic an effect as with the Clinique, but my skin had already started to heal by the time I used it so that could have something to do with it. (This was not a particularly rigorous scientific testing method. I love y’all, but I wasn’t prepared to put different products on each side of my face or anything mental like that, as I was feeling unbalanced enough as it was.)

Keeping your face moisturized is one of the best ways to help it heal, and this was so good at it that I started using this as my moisturizer after cleansing and then applying my third product locally to affected areas.

The jewel in my crown of products is Darphin Melaperfect. Not only did it help reduce blemishes within a few days, but it left my face feeling so delicately and velvety smooth that I kept wanting to touch it (but refusing to, because I have been left with an obsessive fear of touching my face and being responsible for another breakout).

You can rip my Darphin Melaperfect from my cold, dead hands.

It is the best texture I have ever found in a beauty product; even though that seems like a weird thing to say, it applies so evenly and gently that I felt like my facialist. It worked on the remnants of my scarring and helped with the general clarity of my skin tone, leaving me sexily dewy and glowy throughout the day, but not in a gross, clammy way.

Obviously, if you are looking to reduce scarring or marks on your skin, exfoliating is going to help. My problem with deeply exfoliating on sensitive skin is that I can get a little overzealous, so I generally prefer to stick to chemical cleansers, where I am less in control of their activity on my epidermis.

However, my all-time favourite exfoliator is Kiehl’s Epidermal Re-Texturizing Micro-Dermabrasion, which is formulated with a naturally occurring silica from tiny bits of shell. So luxe.

It’s an incredibly fine exfoliant and, because it is made with shea butter, it’s easy to apply, and you only need a tiny amount, applied in a circular motion around your face and then rinsed off. But be warned: Only use for about a minute once a week because otherwise you risk thinning your top epidermal layer beyond repair.

The other exfoliant I consider to be life-changing is Dr Sebagh Deep Exfoliating Mask. Post-breakout, I was using the sensitive-skin variety, which was just as effective as the regular one, but reassured me with its label.

Again, I have to be careful with this because I like to leave my face masks on for twice the recommended time because MORE is always BETTER, right? But it isn’t, in this case. Ten minutes is all you need, once a week. Wash it off. You’ll glow. Leave it on for too long, it gets a bit burn-y. Not chic. Follow the instructions.

The final recommendation from my skin-changing remedies is REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate. Like I said, I love a fruit acid, it feels tingly and effective but simultaneously fruity.

You pipette a tiny bit onto your skin overnight and it works its lemony, pineapple-y, grape-y magic to gently exfoliate and simultaneously promote moisture retention (as I said: vitally important--I cannot state that enough).

I’m sorry that none of these are as cheap as a lemon but, like I have said many a time before, if I factor them into my general mental-health expenses, they pale in comparison to the amount I have to spend on therapy mid-breakdown.

What has helped you guys with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (that’s the clinical word for it)? I love a good XO comment recommendation…