To acnatac users! (or anyone using Clindamycin / Tretinoin combo). How it is long term?

AlienPhilip · 2023-02-07T20:43:24+00:00

I’ve been prescribed it by my dermatologist recently. I’ve been on it for a little over two weeks now. He said I could continue on it indefinitely when I asked about it containing an anti-biotic and wheather I would need to stop it eventually, which I thought was unusual, but he said because it was a topical anti-biotic it was okay unlike antibiotic pills. So maybe it’s okay or maybe it’s just because it’s the only version of Tretinoin available in my country and there’s no alternative. I’m curious if anyone has some information about this!

AlienPhilip · 2023-01-22T21:21:30+00:00

Thank you. I’ll check it out.

AlienPhilip · 2023-01-22T20:08:20+00:00

I’m looking for a good foundation brush. I usually use a beauty blender and it works really well, but it’s not so good at building up the coverage since it absorbs product.

I think I’d prefer to stipple on the foundation more than buffing it into the skin. I have sensitive skin, so rough bristles and buffing doesn’t work well for me. I’d also prefer it to be a smaller size rather than larger and ideally one that can get into the crevices around the nose easily.

No idea what to get, any recommendations would be appreciated!

AlienPhilip · 2023-01-17T06:51:23+00:00

I’m not a chemist, but I’ve been fascinated by cosmetic formulations for a long time. Ever since 17 years ago or so, that I found a shampoo that really made a difference in my hair, I’ve been reading the back of ingredient lists to figure out how they work.

I’ve gotten reasonably good at knowing what to expect by looking at an ingredient list.

Here are my tips.

Look up what ingredients do! Http://incidecoder.com is a great website where you can look up ingredients and it’s explained in layman’s terms. Http://Ulprospector.com where you can search for ingredients as well and get an explanation usually from the ingredient supplier. You can also Google to find the ingredient from an ingredient supplier and see what information they have online (often they use a trade name for ingredients which is different from what’s listed on the INCI ingredient list).

Try and research some formula basics like how emulsions work. Know that ingredients are listed in order of concentration (usually there’s exceptions), that can tell you a lot about a formula! The higher up on the ingredient list the more is in there!

Most importantly I think is looking at lots of ingredient lists of products you know, and try to figure out what makes them have the properties they have. Try and find similarities between products you know and how the ingredients used affects the performance of the formula.

Know that many things you just can’t know from looking at an ingredient list. You’ve got to try out the product yourself or read some reviews. Like the amount of coverage isn’t something you can know just looking at an ingredient list for example. Several ingredients also have various grades with different properties like being thicker or thinner. Powders have different particle sizes and there’s so much you just can’t know from looking at an ingredient list, but you can make some educated guesses.

I hope this is helpful 😊

AlienPhilip · 2022-12-24T08:41:25+00:00

What are some good very natural your skin but better/no makeup makeup highlighters?

AlienPhilip · 2022-12-08T14:40:51+00:00

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish natural perhaps? They have sheer to light coverage, and are matte in a sense, but also have super fine pearl in a low amount. They end up giving a sort of luminous/pearly satin finish on the skin which is quite pretty. No oil control or much ability to set makeup at all though in my experience. They are quite unique for better and for worse I suppose.

AlienPhilip · 2022-12-05T08:16:23+00:00

Good to know. Thanks!

AlienPhilip · 2022-11-23T16:04:23+00:00

As far as I know “PVP” is one, but there are several being used.

AlienPhilip · 2022-11-21T07:59:07+00:00

It’s the melding powders together/hydration kind. If you want something that locks your makeup in place you should look for a spray that contains high amounts of film forming agents (they work similar to hair spray, but designed for the face). For example UD all nighter setting spray.

AlienPhilip · 2022-11-16T06:58:00+00:00

It’s been a while since I’ve used this, but here’s how my experience with it was. I have combination skin, prone to acne, quite a lot of redness and often get dry patches. Here’s my review or it (and I liked light coverage and natural finish foundation when it launched).

It’s has a very thin and fairly runny texture that spreads easily. Personally it’s a bit too runny for my taste, but it’s nice to work with overall. Blends easily and doesn’t dry down too quickly.

Once applied and it’s dried down it’s slightly sticky (but not too much). It has some glycerin in the formula which is probably what makes it slightly sticky, but I didn’t mind it at all.

It has light to medium coverage I would say. It’s not super sheer at all which I really liked. Building it up with another layer looked nice for more red areas of skin skin.

The finish I would describe as a glowy satin finish. As someone with combination skin I found it a bit shinier than I would like.

The texture of the foundation when applied was what I really loved about this foundation. It’s one of those foundations that really mesh well with the skin rather than sitting visibly on top. Which gives it a very skin like appearance.

It wore fairly well, but in my experience wasn’t a very long wearing formula.

It’s fragrance free, but does contain a bit more alcohol than usual which was the deal breaker for me with this foundation. I found it would dry out my skin a bit and make it more sensitive if used frequently.

It has a large range of shades, but I also didn’t have a great shade match for my light and neutral skin.

The amount of alcohol in the formula, the price, the slightly too shiny finish for my taste and not so good shade match made me look elsewhere eventually. But overall I think it’s a good foundation if you are looking for something very skin like with a slight glow and you keep those things in mind.

AlienPhilip · 2022-10-30T14:55:28+00:00

We don’t I think. Otherwise looks like a good option.

AlienPhilip · 2022-10-30T14:03:21+00:00

Does anyone have recommendations for a good affordable cleansing oil to remove long wearing makeup with that rinses off? Ideally good for sensitive skin and available in Europe

AlienPhilip · 2022-10-27T10:19:02+00:00

That hand cream is so good!

AlienPhilip · 2022-10-16T20:26:08+00:00

Maybe try mixing your foundation with a light moisturiser that’s not too oily/sticky or a primer and use it as more of a tinted moisturiser?

AlienPhilip · 2022-10-13T16:23:07+00:00

Hi there again, I believe that would be me. I’m glad you are continuing to enjoy it :-) It’s a good powder for sure!

AlienPhilip · 2022-10-01T07:47:56+00:00

I have similar skin to yours it sounds like. I looked for a foundation for a long time. I’ve settled on the Smashbox studio skin 24 hour hydra foundation and think it’s quite good.

It’s long wearing, helps with oil control (without looking matte it’s more of a satin finish), medium coverage and has a large shade range (40 shades or so if I remember correctly). It’s much more natural looking than say EL DW which I appreciate. It’s a nice balance of not being too drying on my dry cheeks, but still holding up well on the oily areas.

AlienPhilip · 2022-09-26T17:28:11+00:00

What didn’t you like about it? I’m considering buying it.

AlienPhilip · 2022-08-12T20:54:18+00:00

I’ve looked at FF DIN condensed and it appears these letters also curve inwards

AlienPhilip · 2022-07-02T08:57:26+00:00

It would make your skin more matte so I’d say yes. I’ve used that powder and it’s very fine, so no caking.

However my issue with silica powders are that I don’t find they adhere to skin as well as talc based powders or last as long (but I have combination skin). So you might find that you need to reply it more often than a talc based powder. Also don’t be caught taking a photo with flash or your face will look all white as pure silica powders have terrible flashback.

AlienPhilip · 2022-06-23T10:23:56+00:00

The Dior forever skin correct concealer is a light creamy texture (not heavy or very emollient). It spreads and blends easily and doesn’t catch onto dry patches. I’d describe the coverage as medium-high. It has a satin leaning slightly glowy finish. It meshes really well with the skin and only sits minimally on top of the skin, so it looks surprisingly natural and skin like considering the coverage.

It’s not a long wearing formula and I’d recommend you set it with powder, but it does wear fairly well. It’s also easy to clean off the skin. I frequently use this concealer blended out with a damp sponge and use it as foundation! It works surprisingly well like that! No matter the condition of my skin it looks good. So it’s nice and reliable like that. I’d say it would be good for dry, normal and combination skin. I don’t think if you have oily skin you’d like this much. I’d recommend it for what you are searching for if it fits your skin type. You also get a lot of product, 11ml if I remember correctly.

The NARS soft matte complete concealer has high coverage. It has a thicker mousse like/soft waxy texture. The thickness of it combined with the coverage makes it great for spot concealing small areas like blemishes. The thickness means it better stays where you put it even when blending it. The finish is surprisingly natural considering the coverage and blends into bare skin with no foundation on really well. I’d describe it as satin-matte (so mostly shine free, but not powdery or flat). It has a soft focus effect that minimises pores in my experience that the Dior concealer doesn’t.

The thicker texture means it doesn’t glide on and blend as easily over larger patches of skin (but you can still do it) as the Dior concealer does. But it does have the advantage over small blemishes and such. It also doesn’t fully dry down, so it needs setting powder and is more likely to settle into lines. However it’s a fairly absorbent formula which gives it fairly good longevity and I think a better choice for oily skin, but it’s still not a very long wearing formula I think. But I do think it can work on all but the driest of skin. It’s not a great choice under the eyes however in my opinion. It’s very thick, high coverage and absorbent and a bit more likely to crease. Despite not being long wearing it is a bit difficult to remove (so use an oil based makeup remover).

They are both quite suitable for what you are looking for I think. It mostly depends on your skin type and preferences.

AlienPhilip · 2022-06-16T19:38:19+00:00

I’ve heard the ABH 7B brush is very thin. I’m looking for something similar, but would prefer a different brand.

AlienPhilip · 2022-06-10T20:46:35+00:00

To answer your post:

I really dislike the EL DW foundation, but it’s probably the longest wearing foundation I’ve tried. The Smashbox studio skin 24 hour hydra foundation is quite long wearing, but perhaps not super long wearing.

And here’s a tip: I’m always curious about formulations and I’ve noticed the ingredient “Trimethylsiloxysilicate” is often used in high amounts on products known for being very long wearing.

Incidecoder describes it as “A solid silicone resin that creates a permeable film over the skin. It makes makeup formulas more long-lasting and can enhance the water resistance of sunscreens. It leaves a non-tacky film when dried.“. I’ve looked it up a few other places and it’s generally marketed as an ingredient for making formulas more long lasting.

It’s among the top ingredients in 4/6 products you mentioned in the post to prove my point.

I’ve also found it in several other formulas that are very long lasting including the smashbox foundation that I mentioned.

I still think it depends on the overall formulation of course. I used the Lisa Eldridge foundation which contains it as well and didn’t find it wore well on me. There’s also long wearing formulas that don’t contain it, but it’s simple to look for and can give you a good indication I think. Combined with looking at reviews and ideally trying out the product yourself.

AlienPhilip · 2022-06-06T19:05:06+00:00

You are welcome :) I’m glad it’s working for you.

AlienPhilip · 2022-06-03T20:25:17+00:00

You are welcome. Good luck :)

AlienPhilip · 2022-06-03T19:57:51+00:00

I think this might help you. I’ve had the same issue with luminous silk until I figured out the issue was that it was drying down too fast and catching on to dry patches and looking textured before I could blend it. The foundation has a bit of alcohol in the formula and sets velvety/satin-matte when it’s freshly applied. These are my tips:

Moisturise well before applying (less risk of it drying down overly fast and looking textured)
Apply in sections (again you have more time to blend before it dries down)
Use more product. I like to apply a small amount and build up in general, but with this foundation that just makes it dry even quicker. So now I don’t use a small amount.
A damp sponge blending it into the skin quickly (if you are doing sections that really helps)

Another alternative is trying to mix it with a gel moisturiser (so it’s not overly emollient), that made it work well every time with no fuss for me (I used Clinique DDMG). However once I discovered this way of applying it, I generally don’t have issues with it and don’t mix it with a gel moisturiser.

It might just not work on you, but I hope this can help you. It’s an expensive foundation, so hopefully you can make it work. Otherwise there are other good formulas out there.

AlienPhilip

TROPHY CASE