I haven’t done Wednesday blogging in a while. What can I say? I have commitment problems. But this Wednesday, I have the opportunity to tell you all about my favorite beauty products. So I’m about to.
Note: As I started writing this, I realized I started to fall in and out Sophie’s voice. Sophie’s entire personality is the part of me that cares deeply for indulgent goodies and stuff that paints up your face like a goddamn work of art.
The Perfect Red Lipstick
You know what I love about red lipstick? Even if you have no other makeup on, even if your hair is in a scrunchie you’ve had since 1991 and you haven’t showered in three days because your hot water heater is broken, red lipstick transforms you into a deity of pure, attractive badassitude. But finding the right red? Ha, good luck. But last fall, I found two amazing shades of red that look perfect on me.
Urban Decay’s “Mrs. Mia Wallace,” from their Pulp Fiction collection, and MAC’s “Viva Glam Rihanna 1.” One or both are always in my purse.
Eye Liner Pens
I will never use pencil or gel again. Whoever invented the eye liner pen, which is a very fine felt-tip marker with eye liner instead of ink. My favorite is Stila’s “Stay All Day” waterproof eyeliner.
I love to do cat eyes and wings, but when I was using gel, it was anyone’s guess how it would turn out, and pencil rubbed right off. This thing? This thing is pro. It’s not as dark as Urban Decay’s eyeliner pen, but I’ve always found that the Urban Decay pen gives you a very finite amount of time to do your lines, or it starts lifting as you overlap the color. This, you can go over and over the line until it’s just right, and it’s much easier to remove in case of mistakes.
Bubble Bars
Lush bubble bars leave your skin soft and smelling amazing. Also, lots and lots of bubbles, for taking bathtub selfies while you’re high and sending them to all of your friends.
Eyeshadow Primer
Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion is the best primer I’ve ever used. If I fall into bed without taking my makeup off (i.e., every single time I wear makeup), my eyeshadow, eyeliner, it’s all still on, pretty much perfect when I wake up in the morning. It’s sorcery.
Eyelash Curler
The only eyelash curler I’ve ever purchased that didn’t make me furious within four or five uses. Yay, Tarte!
Bonus? It comes with a free sample of their Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. Which is also in the running for my favorite mascara of all time.
Three Hundred Dollar Face Cream
Okay, let’s just establish that this is not something that I bought. It was given to me as a gift from a website I was writing for. And I will never, ever have it again:
This shit was something else. It made my face so tight, I thought I would never age. I used a spatula to get the very last dregs out of the jar. Because there is no way, even if I won the lottery, there is no fucking way I will ever, ever have any of this again. I could not even bring myself to spend that much money on it when I can get some off-brand Oil of Olay shit for nine bucks.
Wanna know what the other Wednesday bloggers picked as their favorites? Check out their entries:
Bronwyn Green • Jessica Jarman • Gwendolyn Cease • Kayliegh Jones • Kellie St. James • Jessica De La Rosa • Kris Norris • Paige Prince
[…] Gwendolyn || Bronwyn || Jess || Jessica || Kellie || Jenny […]
[…] | Jenny | Jess | Jessica | Kris | Paige | Kayleigh | […]
Eyeliner pens are amazing. I brought one in Boots, used it once and immediately threw away my liquid liner. OK, I’m lying, the liquid liner’s still in my make-up bag ‘just in case’, but I haven’t used it since.
[…] Jenny Trout […]
And don’t think we don’t appreciate the high bathtub selfies.
Also…I’ve been considering an eyelash curler. Did you get that at Ulta? Also…someday, you’ll have to help me find a red that would look good on me.
I’m very excited we now have a Lush store in the mall. I found their products incredible for travel since they have bar shampoos. But this comment, “Lush bubble bars leave your skin soft and smelling amazing. Also, lots and lots of bubbles, for taking bathtub selfies while you’re high and sending them to all of your friends.” Instantly made me think of Chris Evans…
http://38.media.tumblr.com/5381b3f947e159cda9a8aed173a0d3ac/tumblr_mk1acznyvR1qf9mevo1_500.gif
Oh. You only thought of Chris Evans because I don’t have your cell number.
Yep, bathtub selfie is the best ever!!!! And this is why I stalk you . . . sorta, when I’m not tired and stuff. And Lush is awesome. We actually have our own store here in town. Yay!!
As a soapmaker, I beg you to consider bubble bars and other soaps made by real soapmakers, not Lush. Lush uses melt-and-pour formulas for most of their soap products. Soapmakers typically do “cold process” soapmaking which is combining oils and fats with sodium hydroxide to make soap. Handmade soap is ten times more amazing than anything you’d find at Lush, and a lot less expensive too.
I love Lush, but yeah, their soap disappears fast because of the glycerine base (I cut my bars into quarters so it lasts longer (Karma, how I miss thee). When I got married, wedding party peeps and my parents got gift baskets of chocolates, champagne, and Lush goodies.
Denali Dreams (denalidreams.com) does excellent soap– Kodiak Brown and Chocolate Lily are my favorite scents –although there hasn’t been a scent I haven’t enjoyed. Long-lasting bars, prices comparable to Lush.
I can’t do basically anything with glycerine in it. It feels so drying to my skin.
(6yro and I are going to start making our own this summer. Because Lush is expensive.)
That it is, and it’s main downfall. But the hennas are worth it, being that one can get two uses out of a single bar, it smells so much better than regular hair dye (or henna, for that fact) and it’s Lush.
I like the lip tints. Got one called “One Million Kisses” and it’s deep pink, but two thin layers makes it movie star red. And the pigment is rose petals. ROSE PETALS! Okay, done squeeing.
You should show the soap making scene from Fight Club (nah, no need for the lye kiss) and get a ‘proper’ frame of mind… that’s what I want to do with my kids, but I don’t trust them around caustic stuff (boundaries, children, boundaries! No licking the lye, Junior.) https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ is a nifty website if you’re looking for additives (oils, herbs, and other stuff like clays) to supe up your soap. Highly recommended.
One day I’m going to try one of your soaps, one day.
In the meantime, I have my Crabtree and Evelyn.
I love those eyeliner pens too! I first came across them in Japan and it’s great to know I can get a good brand in the states too! Just hope they have brown ones. I’m a ginger so black looks too harsh with my coloring.
I know you and Syd would get along marvelously. She lives for eyeliner perfection…that perfect upward point at the end. And lipstick, eyeshadow. I often wonder where she got it. She’s so not me in that department.
And I loved the bathtub selfie I got. You rock.
I will send you as many bathtub selfies as you require, LOL.
**delurking for first time**
The two lipsticks above – Are they a blue-red, orange-red or brownish-red? I’ve been having such a hard time finding a true blue blood red color, so I was just wondering.
M
P.S. I’ve been reading your blog for years, and this is the first time I’m posting. While I’ve disagreed with a few of the things you’ve said, your opinions and arguments are always well thought out and insightful. So, thank you for creating a space that is wonderfully thought provoking and safe for people to speak and engage in healthy debate.
Hey, awesome! You know, I think Mrs. Mia Wallace is more of a brown-red (it’s a very close approximation of the shade Uma Thurman wore in Pulp Fiction) and Rihanna’s is more of a cool red. I tend to go for cooler shades because I have yellow teeth.
I love love love Lush. <3 Glad to see it was on your list! I'm still searching for my perfect red lip color. :'(
I love Lush products, but I only get them if someone buys them for me, because if I go near their shops, I get an asthma attack 🙁
Sadly I can’t deal with any place filled with strong perfumes – I always have to hold my breath if I have to pass by a perfum counter.
Can always order online, that’s my usual method. Been to a Lush storefront once and it was olfactory overload. I can totally see how it’d trigger asthma. So yay, online options!
Yay eyeliner pens! I love mine! And red lipstick! Still looking for my perfect shade! (I need a blue red)
Urban Decay is where I found the perfect red lipstick, too. F-bomb is the one that worked on me. Not pinkish or orangey at all.
F-bomb is my fave, too! I get so many compliments when I wear it.
PLEASE WASH YOUR FACE BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. Seriously. Wearing sunscreen during the day and washing your face before you go to bed are the two most amazing and important things you can do for your skin.
Seconded. I’ve been so drunk I couldn’t walk in a line but I still manage to get in the shower and wash my face before bed. If anything it’s kinda fun, you feel like a pinball!
Sooo, got any good tips on finding the perfect red?
Oh jeezy creezy, that face cream looks tempting (but 300 bucks?! No way!) I hadn’t heard of bubble bars before this post. They sound awesome.
The scent lingers. Like, for days. Same with the bath bombs.
Red lipstick really is incredible! Even if I am not wearing makeup, a swipe of red lipstick can change everything. And as a pale girl, I feel especially good to have a shade that works on me without making me look washed out or like I’m a 10 year old who got into her mother;s makeup collection. Haha, great post!
Gurrrl, you are fancy.
I bought the Tarte eyelash curler after you mentioned that it wasn’t fury inducing and I’m really glad that I didn’t have to try multiple ones like you. Thanks for the recommendation haha.