Okay, y'all are going to laugh so hard all y'all are fall out of your chairs....

DeLarla, you were talking about your permanent eye-liner (you look mha-vo-lous, btw) and talking about just needing a little bronzer and founation.

Okay, I was raised by wolves. Wolves eat their young when they try to wear make-up. As a teen-ager, I didn't learn the whole "girl thing" because I didn't get teen-agers, especially girls. I've always thought the whole "boy-crazy" thing was ... crazy. ... ANYWAY

I don't have a clue about make-up. Oh sure, I could create a werewolf make-up, including the wig-work, or create some creepy Halloween effect, but I simply have no clue about regular street make-up. I never wear it, excpt for some wonderfully dark lipstick, or some glitter in my hair. (yeah, I know, what am I? 12?) I understand the mechanics, so that isn't my question.

I notice that lots of make-up now doubles for a sunscreen, which is good. I wear a sun screen when I am in exile, but that's about it.

Okay, how and why do you wear bronzer?

what brand of foundation/powder do you prefer

how much do you spend on a tube of lipstick, and what type do you perfer? (I'll happily spend $18 on a really good lipstick. Can't stand the taste of cheap lipstick)

I have two words. MARY KAY! They come to the house and will do it for you!!! My friend (she is 32) has worn ONLY MK products since she was 13. I swear she doesn't look a day over 21!! About a year ago I was sitting next to a woman on a plane. We got to talking (like she had a choice with me next to her ha ha) and I found out she was 62 (by the mention of her 14 (yes 14) grandchildren ages baby-20 years old). OMG! I nearly fell over! She looked as if she was about 40! Her secret you ask? She told me Mary Kay products for over 25 years!

http://www.marykay.com/ (just click on find a consultant and they will come to your house and do it all!)

V, are you thinking about going over to the dark side on a regular basis? I never wear makeup but have been sorely tempted to see what a really good application could do for me now that I have cheekbones and such. Maybe I'd see the appeal of face paint, finally.

(BTW, it doesn't take being raised by wolves to be ignorant of makeup. My mother was fairly civilized (until drink did her in) but she was constitutionally opposed to face paint. And so have I been, until my recent urges in that direction.)

Mary Kay, hm? Do the people who sell that stuff actually know what they're doing with regard to application? The one and only time I had a professional makeover was for my wedding day, and the pix make me look like a clown. If I'd known any better back then, I'd have washed half of it off. The artist kept saying it had to be vivid for the photographs. :rolleyes

Could it be true? Privacy and tasteful instruction? Hmmm....

Mary Kay, hm? Do the people who sell that stuff actually know what they're doing with regard to application?

I don't think I'm very good at the whole makup thing...and I sold marykay breifly (hehe I'm not real good at sales thing though so I might not count)

You can also go to the makeup places at the mall (usually dept stores) and they will show you techniques and such. I'm planning to take my 13 yo to one or have a marykay party for her and her friends when she gets more into makeup (if that happens). Being raised by me it might not...I only wear makeup when I'm "dressing up" which is about 5 times a year LOL.

Melissa

Vines, you can go to any make-up counter at and major department store ( Macys, Robisnson's May, ) they will do a make over for you and tell you what colors are best for you. I just did this at the Lancome counter. I have not been a big make- up person either, as tom boy ofsorts, but in thelast few months I havereally branched out with eyeshadow, foundation, powder, I used to only wear eyeliner lipstick and mascara bout at a local drug store off of the maybeline rack

I am truly a girly-girl when it comes to make-up. I LOVE it. I probably have at least 30 lipsticks/glosses!! (another addiction, maybe?) Lately, I have taken to wearing a really light foundation, Loreal Cashmere Perfect. It's very light and after applied it dries to a powdery finish. I do use a a very light bronzer, but I am pretty tan. So if you're not a sun worshipper...stay away from the bronzers, or you'll be looking like a pumpkin from the neck up!!!!!! My absolute favorite place to get any other cosmetics is from MAC. You would have to go to a major department store for that. Or order on-line. I had a make-over done by their sales-person and HE did an excellant job!! Very natural. Anyways....they have the BEST Lipsticks/Lip Glosses!! They taste good, and they stay on.

I too like the cashmere perfect foundation by Loreal. It doesn't feel like you are wearing anything...and it feels baby powder soft after its applied. Loreal also has a cheek rouge, in the same line, but I don't like it as much.

Melissa

Revlon makes a good Blush/highlighter called Skinlights. It's a cream-style blush. Great colors! I like Sunny. Goes on very smooth!

Crystal,

You and Alexandrea need to consider yourselves LUCKY!

Ive never been fortunate enough to go without makeup. Even with a nice tan, my face tone is uneven. Sooo, I wear Max-Factor panstick, with a powder over it all, mascara & lipstick. Thats it. Loreal lipstick - $7 - and usually I go for the earthy colors.

Ive been tempted to try Clinique make-up (sold at Dillards). IMO - There foundation seems to be the most natural.

If you notice women in general, they are going out with less on their face these days - less is more, ya know? So you (and Alexandrea) are really fitting in with everyone else!

My land of exile is the land of tons 'o make-up. It's also high mountian desert, and we only get maybe 5 inches of rain a year. (this has been a banner year for rain, yay!) When you contrast that 5 inches with my native 45 inches, well, there is a whole lot of sun happening in SE ID.... So... I need a good sun screen, and I thought it might be fun to branch out into other products.

Not a sun worshiper. Wolves are adverse to the sun and sun worshiping. Heck, when I use the tanning bed (perfect if you have SAD and they are experimenting with sun beds for insomnia) I use sun screen. But I get plenty of sun in SE ID nonetheless.

So what is bronzer for? It it an alternative to powder?

The thing about makeup that has always bothered me the most, just in terms of using it, is removing it. I feel the less done to my skin, the better, so my regimen consists of washing my face only in the shower (i.e., daily, with no soap), and applying Oil of Olay moisturizer right afterwards. In the summer I use Olay Complete, with sunscreen (yeah, I know I should use it all year round, stop yelling).

Crystal, there are tinted moisturizers on the market. Have you tried them?

Paula and Dragonwilo, how do you take your makeup off? Waterproof mascara is a bear to remove and when I've worn it I just let it wear off. Non-waterproof types just run if you cry or sweat. So how do you manage it?

As for being "lucky" I don't think that has anything to do with it. It's just deciding that how I look is how I look, and that's enough for me and anyone looking at me. My husband agrees; when he's seen me in makeup he says he really doesn't care for it. But I do want to see how I'd look as a "girl," if only in the spirit of trying on a totally new face just for fun.

As for getting a makeover at the mall, I don't know about that. Too public for my comfort. I know people do it every day, but I just don't want to be that visible when I'm so vulnerable.

Crystal, there are tinted moisturizers on the market. Have you tried them?...as for getting a makeover at the mall, I don't know about that. Too public for my comfort. I know people do it every day, but I just don't want to be that visible when I'm so vulnerable.

I was actually thinking about that, but I wanted to add a powder too, and some of the poweders have a decent SPF rating.

Silly Alex! You're not naked, and I suppose they will let you keep your bodyguards stand watch while they put the make-up on you...

Paula and Dragonwilo, how do you take your makeup off

I wash my face with pink dove & wash cloth every night.

I use regular mascara - not Water proof - and when I sweat or get teary eyes (for instance, when Im at the pool) I just dab (not wipe) my eye area often with a dry towel.

Crystal, Im not sure what bronzers are. So Ill wait and see what everyone else says about that one!

If you have a merle norman ( http://www.merlenorman.com/ ) near you they do make-up consultation for free and in a private area of the store. The products they sell are a bit pricy but worth every penny. I only wear make-up once or twice a year but this is my choice of product when I do.~Mandy

L'Oreal makes make-up remover cloths that are sincerely magic. When I make up, I use as long lasting/permanent as possible without having needles involved... lol and these cloths take EVERYTHING off without making your face feel greasy or dry.

I second the vote for MAC - expensive, but super good products. I particularly love my copper powder (I use as eyeshadow) - has a fabulous metallic shimmer. I also have spray-on glitter, and glitter in a gel base that I use to line my eyes on top of my regular Almay waterproof liquid black eye-liner. Glitter is IN, Vines!! lol I use it on my lips, my collarbones (or at least what's left of them - ), my cleavage (at least I've still got that!!).

I see these ads on TV for bare minerals - that sounds interesting. I haven't checked out their website yet (the TV advertised www.trybareminerals.com) DANG - I just went there and their trial kit is $60!! But the product does sound amazing, and is supposedly SPF 15... Maybe the next time I'm feeling rich I'll try them out...

I also use the non-transferrable lipsticks - they run from $7-$13, almost every manufacturer makes them now.

Good luck! Have fun!!

You can use a bronzer as a highlighter or as an all-over powder. Depending on the shade of bronzer, it can make you look slightly sun-kissed or baked- in- the- sun- tan.