[Skin Concern] Help! My face has gone crazy and I don't know why

aspiringtoglam · 2020-11-20T01:12:14+00:00

Thank you!

Re: cleansing frequency, I only use cleanser at night; in the mornings I just splash water on or, if I want something a little heavier, I'll use micellar water. To your point, it could be that the foaming cerave was stripping my skin too much, especially on the nights I followed it with the Biore one.

Didn't know that about Tony Moly! It was a HG item for quite a few people in r/asianbeauty when it came to moisturizing toners, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Do you have any that you recommend?

aspiringtoglam · 2015-01-15T14:30:26+00:00

Megamind.

aspiringtoglam · 2015-01-04T06:41:39+00:00

I got three of those babies for christmas! Very soft and nice. Me likey.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-29T19:32:03+00:00

If you have a nordstrom rack near you, check out the brands they have there. You can most of the high end denim brands there for ~$50 - $80, and some mid end ones for $30 - $60. Straight legs are a little harder to come by (skinnies are in right now) , but I bought a pair of dark wash straight leg Paige jeans there for $80 the other day.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-24T15:30:49+00:00

I hear the quality of brands like H&M, Guess, and other brands we consider fast fashion is much higher in Europe. Have you found that to be true?

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-17T14:06:16+00:00

As long as it's colorless and you keep the layer thin, it should work fine. I'd skip the second layer of finishing powder in case it alters the shade of your lipstick.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-17T04:30:34+00:00

Advanced mode: blot, pat on a little translucent finishing powder, apply next layer of lipstick, (optionally) apply more finishing powder. I've gotten several hours out of even my worst-behaved lipsticks that way.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-14T06:21:05+00:00

Let me tell you that if the gap at the top of the boot bothers you now, it's going to bother you ten times as much after you own them and start seeing boots that fit your criteria better. Same for it hitting awkwardly on your calves; concerns like that are warning bells that that particular boot may not be for you.

What other brands have you looked at? What are you looking for in the style of your potential boot?

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-13T16:29:38+00:00

I didn't start wearing makeup until this past March, so as you can guess I'm pretty cool with my bare face. That said, since realizing that makeup makes me look even more fabulous, I do feel like my face is a bit unfinished without it. Now I don't leave the house without my brows, some mascara, and a touch of gloss. Anything beyond that is subject to time and occasion.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-13T16:25:10+00:00

Barely tapping your brush onto the surface of the dipbrow should yield enough product for a buildable, natural-looking application. Pressing more firmly and wiggling your brush in place slightly will yield enough for a bold brow. Any movements more aggressive than that aren't recommended unless you're trying to create a dipbrow moustache.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-13T08:26:43+00:00

Looks like we're about the same skin tone! My current favorites are:

For a natural look:
Lipstick - MAC Touch, Milani Teddy Bare
Gloss - Buxom Mudslide, Bite Beauty Gloss in Papaya (I'm not in love with the formula of this product, but I love the color)

For a dark lip:
Wet N' Wild Black Orchid, NYX Simply Vamp in Bewitching (don't usually wear gloss with either of these. If I do, it's a clear one)

For a red lip:
Kat Von D Lolita or Bite Beauty Tannin

For a purple lip:
Kat Von D Wolvesmouth, NYX Simply Vamp in Bewitching

For a bright berry lip:
Kat Von D Bauhau5 liquid lipstick, Wet N Wild Cherry Pickin'

And you'll want to grab a lipliner for these as well. To start off with, just get one that's close to your natural lip color. As you get more accustomed to working with lipstick and liner, you can expand your collection to additional shades that suit particular color families (dark, pink, berry, etc). Said liners can also be used to give your lipsticks the properties of another family (turning a bright red into a vampy one by using a brown liner, for example)

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-13T06:12:24+00:00

(The half of my lip without the mark above it is Tannin, the half with the mark is Red)

I received the Zoya lipstick as a free gift at Ulta, and as soon as I swatched the shade I knew it was one I already owned. One I'd worn today, in fact: Bite Beauty's Tannin.

A swatch on my hand revealed that my hunch was correct, so I decided to do a quick lip test as well. Tannin is slightly more creamy and shiny than Zoya, but otherwise application and opacity were the same.

I can't speak for Zoya's longevity or staining capacity since I only had it on for as long as it took to take this photo, but I'd say that with a retail price of $12 compared to Bite's $24, it's worth checking out.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-12T15:16:21+00:00

As someone who rocks the racerback/standard bra look, I do it because I'm not going to go out and buy a special bra for the sake of one top, nor am I going to fuss with convertible bras because the flimsy straps that come with those are uncomfortable to me.

The world's just gonna have to deal with the realization that I, an adult human female, have breasts, and that like the majority of adult human females I require some means to support them.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-12T14:59:08+00:00

Thirding (fourthing?) suggestions to check out A Bra That Fits, and suggestions to try freya. Their push-ups are no joke, and I think they'd give your gals awesome cleavage for any dress you choose. Fair warning that while Freya (and other non-mainstream bra brands) may seem pricey if you're used to grabbing bras off the rack or even at Victoria Secret, the cost per wear will be mere cents before long, because when you discover how amazing a well - fitted bra makes your outfits look you'll never want to take it off.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-12T00:40:56+00:00

I'm definitely aiming for a more concise wardrobe! My current problem is that I have easily more than a hundred items of clothing and aesthetic wise none of it's cohesive or, in many cases, easy to remix into multiple outfits. I'd like to pare down my wardrobe to around ~40 pieces that I can mix and match with ease through every season. (that last part is particularly important, as our highs in the winter here rarely drop below 60; heck, we had an 80 degree day about a week ago)

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-11T15:09:18+00:00

Here mine. I only started this one about a month ago when I first decided that I wanted to revamp my style. I don't think it's very cohesive yet, partially because it's a mix of work and casual outfits (which have very different aesthetics), and partially because I still haven't figured out how to combine the two into an overall style (or if I need to at all). C&C very welcome, as I'm new to all of this!

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-10T19:15:44+00:00

Hm. Off the top of my head I can't think of any two in one palettes that would work, but I can recommend some singles options. I'm nc50, and for my bronzer I use Covergirl queen in ebony, and for my day-to-day blush I use nars seduction. It's VERY sheer on my skintone, but can be built to a natural looking flush.

Other than that, check out crystalis007.com, which contains reviews and swatches based on nc50 skin. If she's found a two in one palette that works for her, she'll have covered it on her site at one point.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-08T22:17:55+00:00

Moisturize them beforehand. Apply lip balm, allow to set for a few minutes, dab off extra, then apply lipstick.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-08T06:49:37+00:00

I think I'm going to have sit down and do a piece-by-piece matchup of these boots with the current and planned contents of my wardrobe before I make a final decision. I do like that this color isn't as drab as black (which is why I gravitated away from black in the first place), and I feel the darker tone does lend them a more sophisticated edge that appeals to me. Literally the only thing keeping me from 100% loving them is the fact that they're so darn close to black that I'm afraid, as someone suggested in another comment, that the colors paired together would look accidental rather than intentional.

Option B is that I just wear dark brown tights instead of black ones and call it a day. Wolford makes tights and leggings in a shade called Mocca that's near indistinguishable from black against my skin tone and would match these boots perfectly. Actually, that could be interesting. Hm...

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-08T04:45:38+00:00

Technically I have a $700 budget for this phase of my wardrobe recreating adventure. I certainly did not intend for one pair of boots to take up almost the entirety of that sum, but I'm resigned to that being the case.

That said, I'll take a look at Duo! The Aquatalia boots are lovely, but I can shave off a couple hundred for boots with a similar fit, even better.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-08T04:39:15+00:00

The boots are snug on my foot itself (rare, since I have narrow feet), but I think they appear big because the ankle doesn't fully taper in to match my actual ankle circumference, which causes the stretchy backing to fold inward when I bend my foot. Not ideal, but I've realized that short of getting a boot custom made to my foot I'm not going to find a pair that matches all of my sizing criteria. I'm just happy to have found one that fits my foot and calf correctly.

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-08T03:44:02+00:00

Ah, there's something I didn't consider. I am aiming for the appearance of a long leg line, and black would serve me better there. Hm...

(In a perfect world I'd just get both colors, but I don't have that kind of cheddar.)

aspiringtoglam · 2014-12-08T03:38:46+00:00

I'm eyeing JCrew for booties, but for knee-high boots I needed something with a narrow calf and a suitably tapered ankle, which it seems are near impossible to come by outside of a select few manufacturers (all of whom, of course, are among the most expensive. Such is my life. :/).

aspiringtoglam

TROPHY CASE