Beauty

[haircut1001]

I've experienced lots of changes in my skin in the last 2 years since hitting menopause. I'm 54 with extremely dry skin ( and winter has made it much worse). I have been a makeup and skincare junkie & horader for decades, however, I have made some drastic changes in my buying habits since I decided to use cruelty free products only. I also prefer products that have less chemicals and are less harsh- but the biggest change I have made is to eliminate soy and soy derived ingredients. I won't go into the health reasons why, but this has been an absolute nightmare! Almost everything contains vitamin E from soy, tocopherols, mixed tocopherols, or lecithin from soy. 

My current routine consists of Badger's Rose Cleansing oil, Vintner's Daughter serum (yes, it IS $185 a bottle), May Lindstroms Blue Cocoon (yes, it is $180 a jar), and some La Bella Figure serums. My SPF is either Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream or Juice Beauty SPF30 Tinted Moisturizer.

I use a variety of cleaner makeup lines, but always checking ingredients lists to avoid the soy. Some lines I love are RMS Beauty, Kosas, Lily Lolo, Sonia Kashuk, Kjaer Weiss, and Fitglow, although there are many more.

[Shanus]

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@Katcat1 wrote:

@Shanus   Laura Mercier has some really nice products.  I love her oil-free tinted moisturizer even though I don't need oil free.  Her powders are excellent, and her cream blush is wonderful.  Have you ever tried Acure Organics' products?  I am currently using the Citrus Argan Oil which is so refreshing on the facial skin and also have their Marula oil.  I have some hair products too.  It is a family owned business and the new containers for oils give just the right amount of oil with one press.  Check it out.  I gave up on Trish when she started raising her prices sky high.  

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@Katcat1  Love Mercier. Forgot to list in my OP, I use her eye primer...sometimes just that w/o shadow. Have never tried Acure. Try not shake the boat w/ skincare.

[Shanus]

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@zanna wrote:

@Shanus  JM mascara = Josie Maran?  

Foundation:  I'm now 69 yrs old and due to continuing changes in my skin, I have dropped a ton of cash on foundations, high-end, drug store and everything in between. Liquids have always worked best on my dry complexion except for a very brief period of time when I used Bare Minerals, which I eventually gave up because of the overdone "glow".  I am currently happy with The Ordinary Colours High Coverage foundation in 2.0 N.  I like the low cost, color match and the overall results.  It's not all that high coverage, IMO.  I have to dab on a bit more to hide some redness on my cheeks.  

Mascara:  I love Laura Geller Stylelash mascara over her Fortifying Lashes primer but she doesn't offer anything but black, which is harsh on me for daytime wear.  Pretty happy with L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes #655 Black-Brown for daytime.

Brows: I dye my eyebrows every 3-4 weeks w/Just For Men Mustache & Beard brush-in color gel in Blond then add Benefit Gimme Brow volumizing fiber gel in #1.  Love that tiny brush!

Eyeshadow:  I only use 2 basic colors, lighter on movable lid and darker in the crease.  Have been using Sonia Kashuk neutral matte for quite a while, but dealing with fallout.  I always add a touch of Stila "kitten"  for pop in the center of movable lid.

Concealer:  Haven't found anything better than Maybelline Age Rewind at any price.

Blush:  Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso is pretty with any lip color and easy to sweep on.  Also liking Becca Beach Tint cream in Guava more and more as I experiment with tapping/sponging application. 

Lip color:  I have dry lips with wrinkles above my top lip.  Cover Girl oh sugar! Vitamin Infused Balm in 5 Spice and 6 Punch (use each alone or mix them together) look really good for casual wear with no lipliner, but I do have to reapply often. Wish there were more color options.

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@zanna. Sounds like you’ve found what works for you...the toughest part. Yes JM is Josie Maran mascara. Have used drugstore mascara forever and found the L’Oreal one I was using was drying my lashes & noticed some were falling out when I removed makeup 😲. It took a lot to try a more expensive one since I’m religious about tossing it out every 3 months...used up or not.

[Shanus]

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@jackthebear wrote:

 I try everything from Chanel to Rimmel

not wedded to any brand

never found any brand of skincare that does much 

whether or not it has parabens or none, organic or not is not a sales thing that makes much difference to me in performance or purchase decision 

makeup should be fun 

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@jackthebear I agree that makeup is fun, but to me skincare is serious business. 

[chrystaltree]

You do love makeup.  My sister is like that, she can talk for hours about makeup.  I never took it that seriously, I've work makeup since my early 20's because I needed it.  I use what works for me and I won't over pay for make up or skincare.  Right now, I use Josie Maran's Tinted Beauty Butter because at 57, my skin doesn't need anything heavy and thick but it does need coverage.  I don't use any oils on my face.  I use Dove soap and Dove moisturizer. I do use a skin tightening serum, I'm not sure I really need it.  I have no wrinkles or sagging but like I said, I am 57 so it can't hurt.  I use mascara, a lot.  I don't use eyeshadow, except for very special occasions.  My brows are still dark and think, I keep them professionally trimmed and don't need any pencil.  I use bright  lip colors.  

[Shanus]

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

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@Shanus wrote:

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

"Hypoallergenic" in the world of cosmetics and skincare means about as much as "natural."

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@suzyQ3   ......or “organic”.

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@Shanus, yes, but at least there is such a thing as "certified" organic. If you see that label, you hopefully can trust that it truly is organic.

But the question would be, so what? Does it really make that much of a difference when it comes to skincare and cosmetics? That's a matter of choice; I personally don't purposely seek out organic.

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@suzyQ3  I don’t really care either. Someone else brought up “natural, organic”. I’ve seen many products that claim to be and then you can’t pronounce anything on the label. Unless you have serious skin issues or it’s important for your lifestyle, etc., it doesn’t matter to me. I look for performance from my products. 

[Shanus]

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@haircut1001 wrote:

I've experienced lots of changes in my skin in the last 2 years since hitting menopause. I'm 54 with extremely dry skin ( and winter has made it much worse). I have been a makeup and skincare junkie & horader for decades, however, I have made some drastic changes in my buying habits since I decided to use cruelty free products only. I also prefer products that have less chemicals and are less harsh- but the biggest change I have made is to eliminate soy and soy derived ingredients. I won't go into the health reasons why, but this has been an absolute nightmare! Almost everything contains vitamin E from soy, tocopherols, mixed tocopherols, or lecithin from soy. 

My current routine consists of Badger's Rose Cleansing oil, Vintner's Daughter serum (yes, it IS $185 a bottle), May Lindstroms Blue Cocoon (yes, it is $180 a jar), and some La Bella Figure serums. My SPF is either Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream or Juice Beauty SPF30 Tinted Moisturizer.

I use a variety of cleaner makeup lines, but always checking ingredients lists to avoid the soy. Some lines I love are RMS Beauty, Kosas, Lily Lolo, Sonia Kashuk, Kjaer Weiss, and Fitglow, although there are many more.

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@haircut1001  I have not heard of some of those brands, but you’re carefully looking for those products that have issues for you. Lots of research. I commend you.

[suzyQ3]

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@jackthebear wrote:

 I try everything from Chanel to Rimmel

not wedded to any brand

never found any brand of skincare that does much 

whether or not it has parabens or none, organic or not is not a sales thing that makes much difference to me in performance or purchase decision 

makeup should be fun 

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@jackthebear, the older I get, the more I think that this is true. The most I expect is increased moisturization and a smoother texture to my skin. I do not believe in probably99 percent of the claims made for most skincare products.

[Shanus]

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@chrystaltree wrote:

You do love makeup.  My sister is like that, she can talk for hours about makeup.  I never took it that seriously, I've work makeup since my early 20's because I needed it.  I use what works for me and I won't over pay for make up or skincare.  Right now, I use Josie Maran's Tinted Beauty Butter because at 57, my skin doesn't need anything heavy and thick but it does need coverage.  I don't use any oils on my face.  I use Dove soap and Dove moisturizer. I do use a skin tightening serum, I'm not sure I really need it.  I have no wrinkles or sagging but like I said, I am 57 so it can't hurt.  I use mascara, a lot.  I don't use eyeshadow, except for very special occasions.  My brows are still dark and think, I keep them professionally trimmed and don't need any pencil.  I use bright  lip colors.  

@chrystaltree I concentrate more on taking care of my skin so I can wear less makeup. When I was doing other’s makeup, it’s their choice how much they wanted to pile on and how dramatic the look. It’s just not my “thing”. 

[Shanus]

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

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@jackthebear wrote:

 I try everything from Chanel to Rimmel

not wedded to any brand

never found any brand of skincare that does much 

whether or not it has parabens or none, organic or not is not a sales thing that makes much difference to me in performance or purchase decision 

makeup should be fun 

---

@jackthebear, the older I get, the more I think that this is true. The most I expect is increased moisturization and a smoother texture to my skin. I do not believe in probably99 percent of the claims made for most skincare products.

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@suzyQ3. I know the firming, lifting thing is bull...can’t be done w/ cream. At any age, the best you can do is moisturizer, eye cream and protect w/ SPF at least 30...24/7. If looking for a little extra scientifically proven bang for your buck, add Retin A at night.