Make me look pretty

[Centurion]

lol, i'm not here to share my 'idea's on foundations, mascara and lipstick!

 

Rather, being very much into Ancient History , i instantly recognised ole's sig image.

Its of the latest adaptation of the battle of Thermopylae, check out the trailer

.

 

The battle of Thermopylae is widely thought of as the greatest battle of ancient history. King Leonidas fought with his 300 personal guard against the Persian emperor (imagine Bush) approx 100 000 Persian warriors in a battle which proved again that Spartan warriors were the cream of ancient greece.

 

Anyway, 'tis supposed to be a great film..

[nafta]

Like Val said, practice makes perfect.

 

I don't use make-up (i.e. foundation, blushers etc) during the day, as it just takes time to apply all that, and I'm one of those people who rub their eyes and touch their faces unconciously so all that would've been for nothing. For an event I'd probably slap it on, but not too much.

 

Max Factor does a good series, it's one of those liquid powders that adjust to your colour, control shine and actually doesn't rub off on your clothes.

 

As for mascara's, I still swear by Maybelline's Great Lash (cause I'm worth it!). Good stuff.

 

I don't think anyone is really an expert, and everyone finds their medium by experimenting so go ahead and hit Debenhams.

[-Serenity-]

Xu, make-up != pretty! Only ugly people put on make-up. Atleast thats what I've convinced myself for there is nothing else to explain why I cant look decent whenever I put it on. Even putting on something essentially as simple as mascara goes wrong half the time for me. I dont think I'd do a better job even if I had more mirrors and my eye-lashes on a plate. I suppose some people are just not made for the art.

 

However, Kimiya's advice seems the easiest and least problematic to me... so might follow that one myself.

 

No matter what, I wouldnt try to emulate any of Xalimo's eye-shadows... not for a while ateast.

[Strawberry_Xu]

Oh thank you ladies, I feel prettier already.

 

Serenity, I used to do that myself and look where it got me, 23 and without a husband (as my mum likes to say....constantly)

 

Oh Val, I don't know about you, but experimenting with £20+ foundations makes me a little scared.

 

And Mantra, if I was allowed to get creative, I'd end up looking like this:

 

 

So don't allow me to think for myself when it comes to make-up. After all, my mum says it's time I got over my goth phase

 

I'm gonna try some of your tips out, in the meanwhile keep 'em coming.

[Haneefah]

I've always used MAC products. The best line I've seen thus far for women of colour. Pay them a visit and try with a makeover first (ask for the powder instead of foundation). Hopefully, you'll find something that suits you.

[-Lily-]

http://www.lancome.co.uk/_en/_gb/APPLICATIONS/INDEX.aspx?SECTION=MAQUILLAGE

 

That might help,you click on the right hand side, choose what you want to apply and click on it.

[Pacifist]

Pretty Xu

 

First tip for makeup, YOu first have to have a good face moisturizer and make sure that it has at least spf 15. Too many different chemicals can damage your face. That protects your skin from the sun if your outside all day. Also make sure to tell them what kind skin exp. are you oily, dry or medium on the face. Personally my face is very sensitive so I use Mac for everything. YOu can't go wrong. Its made for women of color.

 

This is my moisturizer..its bit different in looks but I think its because its the uk website.

 

http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/templates/products/sp.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT7706&PRODUCT_ID=PROD73342

 

Since you like the goth look, I do too.

 

You gotta have a black eyeliner to excentuate your eyes. The one I use is cheap too from my local indian grocery.

 

You also got have a good mascara this one works wonders love it. Maybelline

 

I would recommend you to try a bronzer before these foundations sweety. It gives you shine and glow. It doesn't make you look pasty like the foundations. And most of the time foundations are for cover ups. We somalis have great beautiful skin. We don't need all that makeup.

 

So try putting on the moisturizer but before it drys up take a makeup brush and dub some to the bronzer and put it on your face counter clockwise. Stay away from liquid formulas at first. Try loose powder bronzer or the compact or this http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P33611&categoryId=S10854&shouldPaginate=true or mac has some nice shimmer bronzers too.

 

All I have to say is things in london are expensive compared to the US. Last year while I was in london, I went to selfridges on oxford street and that is the only place they have MAC products. Am not sure what there policy is on returns in the uk but in the US you buy product and you don't like it or it turns out later on that you got the wrong color, they will return it for you or exchange it for the right one for free.

 

For lips play with nude colors or like browns and mochas for day. Try a little bit more color at night. Switch them the eyeshadows and lips. Less color on the lips try natural gloss and more color on the eyeshadow. Natural color like brown on the eyeshadow with a bit more color lip gloss.

 

For Eye shadows it depends on you. If you trying to use it for everyday use then use natural colors.

Tip when your using eyeshadows for night before you dub it on. Take the eye shadow brush dub on some water not too much just a little and dub it on the eyeshadow palette and put it on. It gives more definition and more highlight to appear.

 

I guess it helps when you live with lots of sisters and you have to be the one who does their makeup and play with them. Its all about practice and work with what makes you comfortable.Hope that helped dear sorry in hurry, I gotta run.

 

I love smoky eyes and nude lipglosses.

[Pujah]

Yeah, practice makes perfect. dont be afraid to play with colors specially for your eyes. Follow Pacifist suggestion when applying shaddows believe me when you dab it on water it gives you more definition and it stays on all nite...always good when you are going to those marathon weddings that go into the wee hours.

 

Another thing I would suggest is to use light shadow and dark shadow together and put lighter one all over the eye specially on the inner conner and the darker one on the outer corner. Also, I find that liqued liner are alot easier to apply and they are more noticable.

 

As for foundation my suggestion is to use it on special occations on a day to day basis use good moistrizer and lil bit of bronzer on your cheeks with your eyes made up and nice lipstick or libgloss and lip liner should be all you need.

 

I always hard time finding the right color foundation....whenever I buy one after a month or so it looks different to me...either my skin color changes or there is something wrong with the darn things...so what I do now is to never buy one..the mall is close enough to me that I can make an appointement for good make up session for special events and on other days I stick with my eye shadows, libgloss and liner and bronzer or blush and mascara.

 

PS. At the make up counter they never use one color sometimes they will mix 3 different foundation to get the right color to apply and it looks amazing....now try buying one of those colors and you will definetly not get the same effect and if you buy all three it still doesn't add up correctly.

[Miriam1]

Well I thnk you got amazing tips. Just on something about MAC...I recently had the worst experience in one of thier stores. (for all of you in toronto, its the one in Scarborough Town Centre)

 

I was in the store, running late for this event I had to attend, and I just realized before going that I ran out of blush..so decided to stop over at the mall..

 

TWICE I was looked over by the salesgirls, and they came to ask a white lady beside me if she needed any help, AS IF I DIDNT EXIST!!!...I was so pissed off, I asked her the second salesgirl if she didnt see me and she was so apologetic and all...damn...anyway....

thats my experience with MAC...really considering my next buy to be an IMAN!

[Pucca]

^try the one at yorkdale...the staff there are friendly.

[Pujah]

speaking of not getting service, earlier today I went into a salon and the receptions there looked at me and decided because I was black they couldn't do my hair and refused to give me appointment.

 

I have done a little research and found out that it is perfectly legal for them to refuse service to WHOMEVER they wish without breaking any laws.

 

talk about not having any basic civil rights :mad:

[sheherazade]

X, if u want to experiment and do so cheaply get your hands on some samples. I find mineral-based make up easier on my skin and eyes and have used Lily Lilo products(mineral-based) samples with great success. Here's the website:

 

Lily Lilo

 

Sample eye shadow: 29pence

Sample foundation: £ 0.99

 

For those prices u don't have a choice but to experiment! I bought a big range of the sample shadows and a few of the foundation shades as samples too. One of the foundations suited me, I fould homes easily enough for the others.

 

Last summer, in a house full of women off to a wedding I ended up painting at least 10 women including the bride. I used a combination of the Lily Lilo samples I had(a little goes a long way) and whatever make up each woman may have had with her. It was like an assembly line of women, I was exhausted by the end but I think everybody looked fab.

 

Applying make up is fun, especially when it's others' faces, hehe.

 

I can't bare the thought of foundation clogging my skin all day so if I look rough in the mornings, I use eyeliner. Having to wash my face for wudu and cleaning up the mess during the work day, reapplying puts me off any eye shadow I may like to use. Recently I've started using gloss again- isn't that out though?. When I'm going out it's all about the eyes for me- colour, colour, colour. Foundation only when I have to look immaculate.

 

X, get the Lily Lilo stuff and colour in. It's child's play.

[Cara.]

Wow, all these tips are making me wanna experiment. But does make up expire?

 

Puuja, if it turned out that it WAS was against the law for them to refuse you service, would you go back and force them to do your hair? And if it came out a mess , would you sue them?

[Pujah]

^^The answer is NO, now that I know how how racist they are I would not give them my business, but they wouldn't exist peacefully either and continue refusing people based on color. I am actually shocked that this kind of stuff happens and it is legal.

 

So far I have exercised my freedom of speech and gave them 1/2 star review on merchant cirlce, yahoo local, cirty search, and insider pages so everyone is aware and maybe think twice before goint there.

 

Ps. My hair is soft and straight so it wouldn't be messed up unless the person doesn't know what they're doing. I actually use perms to make it curlier cuz it's too straight and I like to have wash and go kind of curls

[Miriam1]

Pucca, yea ur right the ones at Yorkdale are very decent, also the ones at the Bay connected to Eaton's Mall...tis actually those sales girls who introduced me to MAC lol

Scarborough...is well Scarborough, I think they are taught to treat immigrants like shid during thier trainings..