2019 Beauty thread

[TinaS]

Originally Posted by leigh1673

I have very fair skin and have struggled with dark circles my whole life. No matter how much sleep I get or how well I eat or how hydrated I am, those dark circles persist. Needless to say I've tried MANY undereye concealers - high end, low-end and everything in between.

The ONLY one that has made a huge improvement for me is: SHAPE TAPE CONCEALER made by Tarte. I buy mine from Ulta. Yes, at $27 it's not cheap but I used it every single day and this has lasted me me well over a year - and it's still going. In this case, the rave reviews you'll read are all true:

https://tartecosmetics.com/en_US/mak...ealer/836.html

Shape Tape Concealer by Tarte is pretty amazing. Very full coverage and you only need a tiny amount. If your under eye area is very dry, I wouldn't recommend it as it can emphasize dryness and look cakey.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by carly

I have used many and my current favorite is Revlon Photo Ready Candid Concealer. They have many colors and there are testers at Ulta. If you get the color right you can use less product. I have cool ash medium conplexion with very dark circles and use Biscuit which is a very peachy color that counters the blue. I can apply a lot for total coverage or go lighter for a more natural look. I use a foundation brush to dab and blend after using the doe applicator to place the product on my face ( one stripe down the noise fold and dots under the eye). May take a couple of days to find the technique that is right for you. What I like--- easy to apply---isn't glossy. I previously used Bobbi Browns liquid concealer and the gloss emphasized the lines and photographed "white" in pictures.

https://www.beautypedia.com/products...B0%5D%3Drevlon

I use this technique as well. I figured it out by accident. I don't like to apply foundation with a brush-I prefer a sponge. The foundation brush I have (Boots No.7) is the same shape as the concealer brush I used ages ago but it was a better size.
I use NYX HD Studio Photogenic concealer. It comes in tons of different shades but many of them are not available in drugstores or even Ulta. I found the shade that works for me at a dedicated NYX store at a mall that is not close to where I live. I had to order more through Ulta. After reading this thread I went to Walgreens and got the same concealer in yellow to neutralize the blue more but I have not tried it yet. I will look at the Revlon Photoready the next time I am at Ulta.

[primrosecat]

I am looking into the lip plumpers recommended Thanks! Any other recommendations?

[summer breeze]

Buxom has many different lip plumping products. Glosses, creams, even a bullet style lipstick. I like the buxom line but I can't say that it really makes my lips look plumper. Soap and Glory also has lip plumping products. Too Faced lip injection color bomb is also a nice product, it gives that tingling feeling and my lips look nice using it, but again not sure how much plumping it really does.

[primrosecat]

Thanks! I will check the reviews, but it seems someone loves a plumper but someone else hates it.

[toaster]

I'm sharing this part just for reference, not to discuss medication/medical issues:
Last January, my GYN started me on cyclic progesterone, which I take 10 days/cycle. Around February/early March, I started having increased breakout on my skin. At first it was just a few whitehead recurring in the same area. However, they kept coming back no matter what I did, and I'm usually pretty breakout free (other than the occasional blemish). When I saw my GYN over the summer, he confirmed that the progesterone could be a cause. I bought OTC Differen, and that did seem to help at first. But the problem is that every time it gets better, it seems to get worse again.

For some reason, it has gotten MUCH worse over the past several weeks! It also has evolved from whiteheads to more cystic type acne. It's still mostly localized to my chin (thank goodness for that!) but a much larger patch. Now I'm worried about scarring and other issues.

So has anyone had luck treating hormonal acne on their own? I think I'm going to try discontinuing the progesterone (it wasn't helping much anyway), but in the meantime, I'm looking for other solutions. I could go to a dermatologist but would prefer to manage it on my own if possible. Thank you!

[bee]

It's not cheap but Beauty Counter has an acne line that people say helps with cystic acne. I've not had personal experience with the acne product but I love their product line for mature skin. Note that I am a "rep" for the company (which for me just means I sell a little bit to my friends and family each year so that I can get a discount on the product I buy).

[toaster]

Originally Posted by bee

It's not cheap but Beauty Counter has an acne line that people say helps with cystic acne. I've not had personal experience with the acne product but I love their product line for mature skin. Note that I am a "rep" for the company (which for me just means I sell a little bit to my friends and family each year so that I can get a discount on the product I buy).

Thanks Bee--I will consider that.

[zoegirl]

Beth, my daughter (32) swears by Rodan and Fields Unblemish line. And neither of us are a representative. She had gotten to the point she didn't want to be seen in public due to her severe acne (which she got from me). She tried it as a last resort (it is a little pricier than she was comfortable with) and has had phenomenal results!

[toaster]

Thanks zoegirl. I definitely don't want to use anything with Benzoyl Peroxide for various reason. I actually use products that contain the other ingredients (eg, AHAs, BHAs), but I would consider trying one of the products.