Last year, just in time for my 38th birthday, I got acne. I literally woke up on my 38th birthday to a bunch of breakouts all over my nose and chin. I tried Clearasil, Neutrogena, etc. and nothing, the zits were getting worse. I eventually went to my doctor, and she told me that it was adult acne, put me on Retin-A and antibiotics, and sent me home with some hope.
The bad thing about Retin-A is that it makes me peel. Big time. So I still had zits, but also peeling skin all around. Yikes. Then I had to be super careful to not be in the sun. I live in California, dude. To make it worse we went on our first cruise ever, so I came home happy and tanned, but very unhappy with my skin.
Eventually things did calm down and I am now at the stage where I get a couple of small breakouts but nothing like the mess before.
And yes, there is a point to all my blabbering.
The point is, in a word, foundation. I have long been against liquid or cream foundation, since I have oily skin, so powders are my friend. However, powders can accentuate peeling big time, so I embarked on a quest to find a budget skin solution for my less than perfect visage.
Revlon, Cover Girl, Maybelline, I tried them all. Powder, cream-to-powder, etc. no formula did it for me. I either felt like I had put nothing on my skin, or was covered in a layer of cake batter. And when it's 90+ outside, that's just not okay.
Eventually I decided not to waste more money on crap that wouldn't work for me, and head to my favorite makeup counter.
I usually wear Laura Mercier oil-free tinted moisturizer. It is light so that I don't feel anything on my sensitive skin, evens me out, and has an SPF of 20. Good times.I had read about Laura Merciers' Foundation Powder and thought this might be the answer:
It has a matte finish, which I need, is easy to apply, and you can build on it - it has a sponge if you want to wet it and use the powder for more coverage, and a puff to use as a straight powder.The verdict: Je l'adore!
I like that it is easy to use and blends really well, and that you can control the amount of coverage. So far I've only used it dry and that has been enough for my day-to-day routine. I don't like to look all made up, but I do like to look polished, and this does the trick. It evens out my skin pretty well without looking cakey at all.
When it comes to the face I show to the world, I have definitely learned that being happy with the results is worth the extra money spent. Drugstore brands have come a long way from the all-pink foundations of yesteryear but they still have not made a product that meets my needs.
So now I am curious, what is your splurge?
Well, I just spent a whole lot of money on camera equipment today....all paid with swagbucks money though.
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ReplyDeleteI don't have many make up splurges. I am as frugal as they come! My makeup all comes from the aisle at Walmart. The way I splurge is through a pedicure or getting my nails done! Fun!
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Blessings,
Traci
Most would not consider this a splurge, but after years of being a Supercuts patron, I recently went to a 'proper' salon, and OMG, I feel like a million bucks. I've had so many compliments.
ReplyDeleteLike make-up, you do 'wear' hair every day, so it seems like that is a good area to splurge.
Oh yes, big confession, I recently ordered a very expensive pair of purple boots from my favorite catalog, Boden. They haven't arrived yet, but if I like them, they will probably be the most expensive thing in my wardrobe.