Do you ever do something just because it's what you've always done? And then when looking back you don't even know why you do it, you just do it because it was learned?
For example I heard this story in college:
One day a mom was making roast, she cut the roast in half and put it in two pans, when the daughter asked why she did it she said "I don't know I do it cause that's what my mom always did", so then the daughter went and asked her grandma, "why did you cut the roast in half and put in two pans" and she said, "I really don't know, that's what my mom did", so then the daughter went and asked her great-grandma why she always cut the roast in half and put in two pans and the great grandma said "well i don't know why the heck they do it, I did it cause I didn't have a pan big enough for my roast"
I love this story and think it applies to so many areas of our lives, sometimes we don't even realize what we are passing down to our children, and sometimes we do things that were passed down to us by our parents.
Like me calling the remote control a "switcher" that was embarrassing when I went to college and realized IT WASN'T CALLED A SWITCHER. Talk about life changing.
So where am I going with this post? Would you believe that this post is really only all about makeup?
You thought I was going to get all deep after that story didn't you? Nope.
When I started wearing makeup in Jr high my mom took me to clinique because that is where she always got her makeup. The lovely woman at the counter did the makeup skin test and told me what makeup was good for my face.
And bam. That was it. I'VE NEVER CHANGED MY MAKEUP SINCE THAT DAY.
I'm talking same foundation, same mascara, same powder, SAME SAME SAME.
Something is wrong with me.
I have branched out and gotten eye shadow and lip gloss from various beauty retailers, but my basics have always been from Clinique. It never even OCCURED to me to branch out until one day Luke (while doing the budget) asked why I got my makeup at the mall.
And I really didn't know the answer other than, well that's what my mom did!
Then recently when I was on vacation with my family my mom and sisters were shocked and appalled that I didn't wear eye liner. I never even thought about it. I didn't wear it in high school so I don't wear it now. Just a cycle of motions.
So now I'm on a mission. A mission to branch out of my makeup cycle and find things that fit me. Maybe I will end up back at Clinique? Maybe I will find something ALL NEW that I love?? Who knows! It is an exciting journey (yes, we are still just talking about makeup)
My first order of business is to find a new mascara. I have light, thing, short eyelashes so I need something Powerful! I consulted the tweeps on Twitter today about finding a new mascara and got a PLETHORA of suggestions. I don't even know where to begin really (and it is interesting to me that nobody suggested Clinique? Is it nerdy to wear Clinique and I never knew it? AM I A NERD?)
Where do you like to buy your makeup? Mac? Mary Kay? Walgreens? Help a sista out!!!
I want to do updates as I try new products and tell about what works and what products I hate. I already have a few new products that I've been trying. One I love and one I'm still iffy about.
But don't hold your breathe. I also said I was going to do "Flashback Fridays" this summer and I did two and forgot about it. Clearly I'm a woman of my word.
If you have any makeup products that you just can't live without please share! I'm all about suggestions right now!
Benefit Benetint Lip and Cheek stain in the original rose color - LOVE. Also, I notice a couple of Rimmel mascaras on the list you posted. I have used various Rimmel brand mascaras for several years now and I have been pleased with all of them. Good product for a cheap price.
ReplyDeleteI used to wear clinique too. My favs now a days are Bobbi Brown and Mac. For mascara, I go for cheap. I love the covergirl exacteyelights
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Urban Decay's setting spray. I can literally put my make up on at 7 am, go all day, go to the gym, and come home and my make up looks exactly the same. I am not kidding- it is AWESOME.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sephora.com/all-nighter-long-lasting-makeup-setting-spray-P263504
You must try Origins Fringe Benefits mascara. It's amazing!
ReplyDeleteI wear Bare Minerals mascara and clinque bronzer. The rest is just anything I find at the drugstore and is always fine. (lip gloss, eyeliner and eye shadow)
ReplyDeleteI love Mary Kay. I lost my eyelashes in the great hair shed after having my son and they've only grown back not even half the length they used to be. Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara is the ONLY thing that makes it look like i actually have lashes.
ReplyDeleteI also love their acne gel. I may be 32 but I do get those pesky things and this is the only thing that helps.
I was crazy about Clinique until about four years ago. I did this 'Dior Makeover' at my department store(it.was.awesome.)and have never looked back. I do wear Bare Minerals for my 'base' (but I live in a hot area and find it to the the only one that doesn't drip with the heat). Dior Show is their mascara. Good luck and have fun! Oh! And to save a little (Dior isn't cheap, but I don't have to buy often), I buy from Sephoia online using ebates. They're all the time having big sales/ cash back.
ReplyDeleteI saw Benefit's "They're Real" on your list, and it's pretty awesome (along w everything from them - I'm in love with their stuff!). For cheaper, I always have loved Loreal's "Lash Out." Also if you ever need a good concealer, Boing! by Benefit (of course! Lol) is ridiculously amazing - have recommended it to several friends and they were won over as well!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I recommend Ulta for your new journey - you can take back anything for any reason (opened, used, super expensive... Doesn't matter) within 60 days (I think that's still accurate) with a receipt - love it!!
Ps - I'm Luke's friend from high school, actually was in his brother's class - tell him I said hi! You guys are a beautiful little family! :)
My sister works at Sephora and her favorite mascara out of all of them is Clinique's High Lengths mascara. I know, Clinique. Womp womp. I've tried it and it's good stuff.
ReplyDeleteI started using Bare Minerals in 2005 and I've never looked back. Bobbi Brown makes amazing makeup as well as Laura Mercier and NARS. I personally like Bobbi Brown's petal pink blush, gel eyeliner, concealer and Bare Minerals eyeshadow and foundations.
Good luck! Sometimes there are TOO many options out there!
I have long lashes and I love They're Real from benefit but I also love Maybelline Illegal Length. I've tried most Maybelline mascara and am always happy. I use Mary Kay shadows and their eye primer which I love. As for powder and concealer I'm always looking for something I LOVE and haven't found it yet. Currently I'm using benefits hello flawless and I'm really digging it! I Went to Ulta (no sephora in my town) and they were very helpful.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a Sephora near by? They are awesome at helping you with makeup. And they let you return anything that doesn't work for you.
ReplyDeleteI am cheap and always got my makeup from Walmart, but then one day I realized that Neutrogena foundation was just as much as the "expensive" brands. I have tried several foundations over the past year and have fallen in love with Urban Decay's Naked Skin. My skin looked healthier after wearing it. I had tried Clinique in the past and it always broke my face out, so that was a no go. Is it sad that I still wear Clinique happy, though?!
As far as mascara goes, I would take the cheap route and get Cover Girl in the orange tube (I can't remember the name). I have thin lashes as well. I have tried the expensive brands and the cheapo brands, they both work the same so no need to spend $40 on something that really doesn't work.
Have you tried Birchbox? Every couple of months they have mascara.
I'm a complete combo: Foundation from whole foods, powder and blush from walmart, random eyeshadows, and Mabelline XXPro mascara (which I LOVE), and my favorite is probably my Clinique watercolor eyeliner. It lasts years. Seriously. And it's awesome.
ReplyDelete~Kathryn
I am in the exact same makeup boat as you, have always worn clinique and still do. Just recently I've thought about trying new mascara and right now am trying Covergirl LashBlast all I can say about it is ehhh not the wow factor I was hoping for. I will defiently be following your makeup journey to see what you find!
ReplyDeleteI use Maybelline Falsies mascara and love it! I do have to make sure and buy a new one every 2-3 months though, because it will start to clumpb. But, I love it! Other than that, foundation is all I wear. I'm clearly no expert either!
ReplyDeleteI'm a cluster of drugstore brands...
ReplyDeleteCovergirl concealer and powder
Almay eyeshadow
Revlon blush and lipcolor
Maybeline mascara (XXL Pro with the 2 ends... one is a primer and the other is the mascara)
Eyeliner is whatever is on sale
I had menopause thrust on me at an early age and discovered the ugly, ugly truths about it.
ReplyDeleteOne of them was the loss of my eyelashes. All I have left are thin are sparse. Now my go to mascara is Maybelline Great Lash. I know! It's so cheap, but it works. Oh, and I heat my lash curler with a blowdryer.
I too grew up wearing Clinique, and I still buy their makeup (I like their bronzer and eye liner). I really like MAC eyeshadow, lip gloss, and blush. Their eyeliner is great too. As for mascara, I swear by Maybelline. It's cheap and I like to replace mine every few months because it dries out (plus I heard it's good to replace mascara often). Let us know if you come across any other fun finds!
ReplyDeleteMy mom took me to the Clinique counter, too. I just got a new mascara I read about on another blog. It's Mabelline Define A lash. I actually really like it. I have a lot of trouble with itchy eyes, and this one doesn't seem to irritate. I got mine at CVS one week when it was on sale. Have you ever been on ELF's website. They have super cheap makeup so I always feel like I can try new things. I also really like Bare Minerals. If I ever wear a foundation, it's their mineral makeup.
ReplyDeleteMaybelline Great Lash Mascara (cheap!)
ReplyDeleteLaura Mercier tinted moisturizer instead of foundation (big plus: it has sunscreen in it!)
Mac eyeshadow (love the color selection and it stays on!)
Covergirl eye liner with the "smudger" on the end (cheap!)
Clinique is a rite of passage and I'm 35 and still use a few of their products.
ReplyDeleteI've found the older I get, the less foundation I want to wear and my skin is better for it. My favorites are:
Clinique Almost Powder Makeup
Benefit Erase Paste
Cover Girl Original Lash Blast Mascara
Clinique Blush
E.L.F. Eye Shadow (got a bit palette for $5 at TJ Maxx)
L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Gloss
Hey Megan, I am a long time reader but first time commenter! (I sound like I am calling into a radio station!) :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE Mary Kay, it is what I used from the time I turned 13 and still use it to this day. I did try and use clinique when I was in college, because all of the "cool" girls wore clinique and I wanted to fit in! But, I went back to Mary Kay because their skin care can't be beat and their makeup is awesome!
I recently decided to become a consultant with Mary Kay (so I could get it at a discount!:))
If you would like, I would be glad to send you some samples of it so, you could see what you like without having to buy it!
Shoot me an email and I will be happy to send the samples to you!
kamifaulkner@marykay.com
Hope this helps!
Kami
I use Everyday Minerals... I tried BareMinerals but it made my face itch and come to find out, it isnt just all natural/minerals, it has added carcinogens... So, everyday minerals is only available online, but you can order a sample kit an just pay shipping! It's awesome and doesn't clog your pores etc. I use their blush and eyeshadow too.
ReplyDeleteFoundation and blush - bare minerals @ sephora
ReplyDeleteEye shadow - whatever but usually cheap
Mascara - cover girl
Eyeliner - cover girl
Lipstick - changes every time
I spend more money on my foundation because it goes all over my face. Beyond that I just don't care, and I typically go cheap.
Maybelline has the best mascara. It's the stuff in the green/pink tubes. Just their basic stuff. I swear by it!
ReplyDeleteAnd I like Physicials Formula for black eye liner.
Umm, my mom totally took me to Clinque to first get make-up too! I could never afford it after that so I'm a drugstore girl only now. Can't wait to see what you find out!
ReplyDeleteU r not alone. I have been wearing the same clinique powder since high school too! But, I buy a lot of my stuff from Sephora. You get a big variety there.
ReplyDeleteI buy Mary Kay & Mac! Love them both.
ReplyDeleteI do this too! Sometimes I think about it and realize there really isn't a reason I'm doing it that way other than that's what I've always done. I didn't read the comments so this might have already been said but Do you have a Sephora or Ulta Studios? They have several types of make up all in one store. I use Laura Mercier and love it. I'm itching to change my eye shadow though but I've worn the same color for years and years! Haha!
ReplyDeletei use ERA spray foundation.. you buy it online, but it's great.. their everyday line is great.. it's pricy, but i like it. mac eyeshadow, duh! haha. and, mascara.. i go back and forth but right now I like smashbox primer and bare minerals mascara. also, sidenote, origins checks and balances face wash and their charcoal mask are both awesome. OH, and my favorite thing is tarte bronzer, check it at sephora.. and if you don't use ebates, that's a good way to order online and get cash back.. they do 8% from sephora sometimes.
ReplyDeleteall Clinique, all the time. AM I A NERD, TOO???
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I read about the "switcher" because my family called it the "channeler" and that is what I called it until later in life! :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Benefit "They're Real!" I just started using it several months ago, and it is AWESOME!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIve been wearing bare minerals for about 5 years. Ive been thinking about trying something new though. We call it the "clicker" at our house.
ReplyDeleteThe new makeup tricks has been shared in the post here. Read all about it
ReplyDeletemineral make up