The Makeup / Toiletries Thread

[ldopa]

a couple of threads inspired me to make this one (@playwithfire i'm looking in your direction!)

everyone please share!

i'm all about almay right now. it might be psychosomatic, but i think it does the trick as far as "cheap" makeup goes.

i have horrible skin, so i do a base coat of "smart shade" followed by regular foundation, then regular ('specially designed for my eye color!) mascara.

for christmas i got some home made goat's milk soap encased in a natural sea sponge, it's almost gone, so i'm planning on finding out how to replicate that shit myself, it's just amazing.

please share!!!! from everything to make up to toilet paper.

[ldopa]

OH FFS!!! nobody uses fucking products around here??

[ldopa]

fancy, high priced TP is too linty. if you're a chick go for the cheap nitty gritty, and wipe gingerly.
if the name brand is in spanglish, it will clean your house in five seconds (fabuloso, ariel, etc...)
tilex or any clear "off brand" is your best friend, keep it next to your shampoo*
don't use *shampoo unless it's sulfate free, which is dirt cheap at your local big box store
hand wash your pots and pans, everything else can go in the dishwasher
mop your floor with windex and a sponge mop (spray, wipe, done) BUT SWEEP FIRST!!

[ldopa]

tepid water is best for rinsing hair.
"pat" dry your skin after showering
let you hair air dry

[ldopa]

maybe i should have called this 'the household tips thread'
hell's bell's

[Lew]

i have tricky skin (excema and psoriasis) so i have to use all natural.
tub soak: oat milk, honey, cider vinegar and sometimes mineral salts (himalayan, celtic or dead sea...epsom will do in a pinch)...helps with itchy and scaling.
i moisturize my body with coconut oil, when i am broken out. when my skin is ok i can tolerate (and love) neutragena's sesame oil.
face: a sea salt toner from avalon, cococunt (sorry, that was too funny a typo to get rid of!! lol) oil, natures aid aloe gel..and if my skin isn't broken out i use oil of olay for sensitive skin...
soap: goat milk for body, black soap for face (black soap is crazy good stuff)
i use essential oils and resins for perfume.
rarely wear makeup because i tend to rub it off on my own face...because i rarely wear it. if i do it is usually tinted lip gloss or lipstick...once in a long while i will wear eye liner and mascara...but i find, truthfully, i look like a man in drag when i wear make up..even if someone else does it...i guess my colouring is too strong or something/ i don't know...i just usually feel like a knob wearing more than lip colour.
laundry and cleaning products are either vinegar...baking soda...or a canadian brand called nature clean...
tp: i swear by president's choice green.
i am pretty basic and thrifty with this stuff, unless i am broken out badly..then i find the urge to purchase and try 10 million different oils and creams and supplements, lol...it isn't a waste though, once i clear up i use everything i bought during the break out anyway.
i do not stint on oils and resins, though. my perfume blend...yeah, i will drop cash without batting an eyelash so i can smell the way i want. :)

[Lew]

oh yeah, i just bought a lip gloss and lip stick from drew barrymore's "flower" line. not keen on the lipstick but the gloss is wonderful. i really like plum/berry shades...blue base not orange or red lol...i think the gloss is called orchid or some such. i have heard a lot of positive reaction to her line. particularly the mascaras.
i swear i channel courtney love, post binge, if i attempt mascara. maybe i apply it wrong? hell, i don't know. i love the way it looks on other women...i have really long eye lashes anyway, so maybe that is why i look mental with it on? lololol.

[playwithfire]

OCD (yay this coming into play in multiple threads) impacts this a lot for me since I'm so hard on myself.

Toilet paper: Charmin Ultra Strong, exclusively
Body soap: I like Johnson's Moisturizing Baby Wash because it's cheap and good to my skin. If you don't use a ridiculous amount like I do, Aveeno is also really good, but pricey. If you want natural, Nubian Heritage and Shea Moisture are both fantastic companies.
Shampoo: Head and shoulders
Conditioner: L'Oreal Advanced Haircare Total Repair is really cheap and really good
Intimate wash: You don't need soap down there. You really don't. Warm water and your hand are enough. However, if I didn't use soap I'd lose my goddamn mind, so I use Sliquid's Feminine Wash which is just the most gentle thing in the world, and manages to make me only regret-everything a little on those "just can't get clean" days. :/

I really like oils as moisturizers. Jojoba, Coconut, and Sweet Almond are great. My two favorite lotions are Lubriderm Advanced Therapy and Shea Moisture's Raw Shea Butter one. They're both great. Body scrubs/face scrubs are a racket. I like either coffee/salt/sugar with an oil. Dry skin brushing is also AMAZING if your skin is less sensitive.

Makeup: I've been between foundations a bit but generally really like Neutrogena Skin Clearing. It's not super thick and wears really nicely. Generally I do my eyeliner with those "pot and brush" things you see in the store. Mascara doesn't matter to me since the key to good mascara is getting all of the excess off of the wand + time + patience. I don't wear blush. For lips I really like a good stain marker for liner that I follow up with a long wearing lipstick. Or Burt's Bees chapstick (the tinted is great!). When I fill in my brows (rarely) I like Brow Whiz. I find makeup is more technique than product, since I almost never am willing to throw down on fancier stuff.

[icklekitty]

Make up:

I'm very low maintenance. Rimmel black eyeliner when I leave the house, with MAC Ruby Woo or Film Noir in the evenings. On occasion I'll wear tinted moisturiser and powder, both from Iman. I have nail varnishes from Ilamasqua and MAC to match the lipsticks.
Apparently make-up in the USA is more carcinogenic than it is here, so hopefully I won't die before my lipsticks run out.

Bath:
I have a shower cubicle at home. Most of my toiletries come from France
Shampoo: the solid red one from Lush. My hair is prone to falling out
Conditioner: leave-in from Le Petit Marseillais, or R&B from Lush. Sometimes I do an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse.
Shower gel: An assortment of Original Source gels or the almond Le Petit Marseillais
Body hair: twice weekly with a razor, and I crack out the Veet when I'm getting laid. I wax my face and boobs about once every couple of weeks.
Body Scrub: currently using a Lush solid shampoo that has too much crap in it to lather without hurting my hands.

Creams:
Face: Celestial by Lush
Body: Le Petit Marseillais

Perfumes:
Coco Mademoiselle
Miracle
Maitresse
A bottle of 400 year old cologne from Cologne.

Other things:
Hair Setting Lotion from a local African shop for vintage up dos
Tresseme hairspray (many small bottles for travelling)
Some French blue eye make-up remover thing
Vaseline
Peppermint Foot cream from Rose & Co
Whatever is on offer for teeth stuff. I floss while watching TV.

I also have plenty of minatures from L'Occitane because my mum falls for all those "spend £30 and get a free shower gel" things". I could supply a hotel.

Household cleaning:
Whatever eco-friendly stuff is on offer when I've run out
Toilet and kitchen paper is the cheapest I can find.

Medication (why not): Yasmin, Metformin, Finasteride, Nitrfurantoin, Regaine for Men, buttloads of Vitamin D.


Request: Favourite eco-friendly brands/vegan brands? Ideally stuff you don't need to buy from an obscure website.

[Lew]

forgot shampoo/conditioner! :_
shampoo: currently is avalon organics volumizing shampoo with rosemary (ancient hair and skin friend)...i just switched from cynthia sylvia stout by lush because i'd been using it for over 20 years and it just wasn't working well anymore :( but the smell. oh lord the smell. lemongrass is lovely stuff)(also tried the soak and float shampoo bar by lush, it was good, but i can't shake my addiction to liquid shampoo)
conditioner: avalon organics olive and grapeseed...it is fragrance free, so i add my oils to it)(used koolaulin sp? lol from lush. epic conditioner but you have to buy it via retro.)
lush has a moisturizer..gorgeous, i think? it is the best moisturizer i ever tried but it costs too much. i had it as a sample. they also have a fantastic facial scrub with salt as the base. and their rose water toner is pretty good.)
icklekitty, i used to use cider vinegar as conditioner/rinse when my hair was really long. it was one of the best things i had used. it is short and shaved from the crown down now, so i stopped.
also, ladies: anyone do waxing or sugaring full time? i always wondered if the follicles do, indeed, die over time? confirm? anyone?
because my legs are still broken out i can't shave...not that i am much of a shaver anyway...haven't done the arm pits in almost 20 years...i would get ingrowns and rashes no matter what method i used, so i gave up. i don't have the jam or comfort level to go nude legs and hairy, so come the summer time (if i am not broken out) i do shave...i use whatever the hubby has on hand.
:)

[Lew]

icklekitty
avalon organics is pretty good. i have only tried their shampoo, conditioner and toner. the toner is fantastic. easily ordered online.

if you are keen and have a bit of extra time, a lot of the diy stuff online is pretty cool and fairly easy to do. i get a bit of a kick out of knowing i made it myself.
i also get a bit of a kick out of buying stuff, too, so...yeah. :)

[orestes]

I really like oils as moisturizers. Jojoba, Coconut, and Sweet Almond are great. My two favorite lotions are Lubriderm Advanced Therapy and Shea Moisture's Raw Shea Butter one. They're both great. Body scrubs/face scrubs are a racket. I like either coffee/salt/sugar with an oil. Dry skin brushing is also AMAZING if your skin is less sensitive.


Have you tried the Raw Shea Butter and Argan Oil line? Leaves my skin sooooo soft!

[ldopa]

if you are keen and have a bit of extra time, a lot of the diy stuff online is pretty cool and fairly easy to do. i get a bit of a kick out of knowing i made it myself.
i also get a bit of a kick out of buying stuff, too, so...yeah. :)

i want to make my own body soap!

also, almost everyone i talk to swears by coconut oil from head to toe. even in your mouth! i've yet to try it. same with grape seed oil. kinda pricey for me.

as far as shaving, a sharp razor and minimal soap (just enough to prevent drag, don't even use enough to lather) hot water rinsing and air dry. your expensive ass cartridges will last double time. i use a "male" razor, the actual name is besides me right now, but i'm sure it's named after a plane or car parts.

[icklekitty]

Lew I've found waxing decreases growth but not sure if my hormones contribute to that. Cider vinegar I mainly use for sebum, again hormone based. And thanks for the Avalon suggestion!

[Bluegirl]

also, ladies: anyone do waxing or sugaring full time? i always wondered if the follicles do, indeed, die over time? confirm? anyone?
because my legs are still broken out i can't shave...not that i am much of a shaver anyway...haven't done the arm pits in almost 20 years...i would get ingrowns and rashes no matter what method i used, so i gave up. i don't have the jam or comfort level to go nude legs and hairy, so come the summer time (if i am not broken out) i do shave...i use whatever the hubby has on hand.
:)
I epilate my legs with a Braun Silk Epil. It is like a bulldozer. As someone with lots and lots of hair on my body I would not say that the hair follicle dies just that different hairs are on different growth cycles so it appears that the hair is lighter but it is just that some hair will grow at two weeks others a month. If you let it go long enough it will all grow back. I have recently invested in laser hair removal for the more sensitive areas and it is the best investment I have ever made. Especially on my face. It was the first time having coarse black hair ever was good for anything. For places I do shave I use mens shavers as well. They just work better.

I have really sensitive skin and am really sensitive to smell so body wash and shampoo decisions are smell based. If it is too strong I can't use it. Garnier fructis is out. It makes me sick. I try to stick with coconut and fruit smells. No flowers. No perfume scent.

Conditioner: Ogx coconut milk condition. It does not matter what shampoo I use it makes my hair look good.
Body lotion: Palmers coco butter. I get really dry skin and even in the winter it works.
Hand lotion: Gold bond. I work in a lab and wash my hands all the time and wear nitrile gloves all day.
Face wash: Apricot scrub blemish control. I do not scrub with this. I lightly spread this over my face and leave it for a minute. Every other face wash gives me a rash and if I do not use an acne wash on my face I will break out in like two days. I tried the use warm water with no soap thing for a couple of weeks and looked like a greasy high schooler.
Face lotion: Aveeno positively ageless youth perfecting moisturizer. I add some natural stuff like tea tree oil to help with the acne. I tried more expensive stuff, cheaper stuff. I stopped trying new things because this works.
Perfume: I don't wear it. I can't, I will be sick all day. Instead I use rose water. Real rose water not rose water scented things, that just has the same perfume problem.

[piggy]

Body soap: Out of Africa Shea Butter bar soap (cold weather months), Kirk's Castile bar soap (warm weather months)
Shampoo/conditioner: Suave Professionals (the Sleek one)
Face stuff: nightly swabbing with T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel (cleans and tones in one step), exfoliation once a week with Desert Essence Gentle Facial Scrub, Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick for the occasional pimples
Hand/Body Lotion: Lubriderm, Queen Helene Cocoa Butter Cream for any extreme dryness (this shit smells awesome)

Miscellaneous:
Sally Hansen exfoliating foot scrub
Frizz serum/cream for my hair after I wash it
Earthly Body Nag Champa scented lotion

I don't wear makeup or perfume. Like someone else said, makeup feels like I'm trying too hard and my sensitivity to certain types of scents takes perfume out of the equation. Used to wear both back in the day, though. My antiperspirant smells pretty sexy, though, so I still smell nice without perfume. Or I can put on a bit of the aforementioned Nag Champa lotion.

I made the switch from body wash to bar soap in the shower a few years ago and I'll never go back. It would take FOREVER to rinse all the body wash out of my shower pouf and I realized that meant there was a serious residue on my skin, too. Bar soap rinses so clean and feels old-fashioned in the best possible way. Also cheaper and goes so much further.

[playwithfire]

nightly swabbing with T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel (cleans and tones in one step)

THIS SHiT IS AMAZING.

[Lew]

I epilate my legs with a Braun Silk Epil. It is like a bulldozer. As someone with lots and lots of hair on my body I would not say that the hair follicle dies just that different hairs are on different growth cycles so it appears that the hair is lighter but it is just that some hair will grow at two weeks others a month. If you let it go long enough it will all grow back. I have recently invested in laser hair removal for the more sensitive areas and it is the best investment I have ever made. Especially on my face. It was the first time having coarse black hair ever was good for anything. For places I do shave I use mens shavers as well. They just work better.

holy crap. i used to have the big one and then the mini one, back in my university days. that thing was full on evil. lol. i called it the "weed whacker" and it was so brutal. still is, eh? damn.

i have given up on my mustache. i just stopped caring at some point. i went through every phase: jolene bleach (hello bright sunny mustache!) silk epil (hello red flaming skin mustache), waxing/sugaring, shaving, plucking...at one point i was plucking the outer ones as they seemed darker...well, at work one day (and i was in my early ergmahgerhd 20's) i was talking to a waiter, standing beside a heating element..he frowns, leans closer, looks at my mouth really hard and then grins and declares "hey. nice fu man chu". lolololol i died laughing, but i was also mortified. it was the day i gave up and accepted that i have a 'stache...plus, i don't want to be 80 years old sporting a tom selleck look, you know? my sons will tease me about it once in a while, but thanks to aging..i just don't care enough.

[Lew]

@Lew (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=473) I've found waxing decreases growth but not sure if my hormones contribute to that. Cider vinegar I mainly use for sebum, again hormone based. And thanks for the Avalon suggestion!
icklekitty hey, if you do end up trying their stuff, please let me know what you think. i haven't tried any of their creams or moisturizers and am curious...see, i heard it can decrease growth, i have never done it consistently enough to notice, plus i am one hairy mofo...i often wonder if there is a blue eyed grizzly bear out there, wondering where the cub went ;)

happy weekend, everyone. hope it is.

[kel]

i will literally have a panic attack if i don't have a stick of burt's bees on me at all times.

i love garnier's bb miracle eye perfector (fair/light tint).

[icklekitty]

Oh, I wouldn't be interested in using a cream for hair reduction Lew. I had one on prescription once and it was too much effort compared to pills.

[Sarah K]

Dollar Shave Club, y'all. I get their most expensive blades, and I think it is $8 or $9 a month, delivered in the mail. Amazing.

Though I think that they've only expanded to non-US markets in the last couple of years, so unsure of what their availability looks like.

I'm one of the people who uses coconut oil for everything.

Using Cetaphil face wipes and moisturizing cream. That and coconut oil seems to be the only things that don't cause me reactions.

[jessamineny]

Dollar Shave Club, y'all. I get their most expensive blades, and I think it is $8 or $9 a month, delivered in the mail. Amazing.

Though I think that they've only expanded to non-US markets in the last couple of years, so unsure of what their availability looks like.

I'm one of the people who uses coconut oil for everything.

Using Cetaphil face wipes and moisturizing cream. That and coconut oil seems to be the only things that don't cause me reactions.

Dorco makes all of DSC's stuff. You can get it all even cheaper directly through them

[millionmilesaway]

I don't really know how to shop for makeup and toiletries, there are just too many products and beauty stores are overwhelming so I just grab the same old H&S and call it a day. My shower is the opposite of cluttered. I literally use just shampoo and a bar of soap.

I have superfine hair which can't even go half a day without it becoming saturated by my overly oily skin. I hate it so much. I manage with every other day washing using Head and Shoulders shampoo, if i wash any more frequently my scalp gets really dry and itchy then releases twice as much oil.

Soap: I usually buy homemade stuff from the local farmers market. I'm using a peppermint oil infused bar right now which smells amazing.

I am a compulsive q-tip user though, and against recommendations I shove those things as far into my ear as I can, every day. I can't stand the feeling of water or wax in them.

[orestes]

TP: Charmin Fresh Mates
Bath: Shea Moisture African Black Soap body wash
Hair: Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo
Styling: Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum Miracle Filler Treatment & Phyto 7 hydrating day cream (Both came recommended by Lisa Eldridge; the former doing wonders to make my fine, thin hair look voluminous)
Face: I follow a Korean skincare (https://intothegloss.com/2014/04/korean-beauty-skincare/) routine, so I won't bore you with the details unless you ask
Sunscreen: Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence (US sunscreens are shit; stick with an asian or european sunscreen for better protection)
Makeup: I use a BB cushion instead of traditional foundation- Missha M Magic in #23
Blush- I alternate between Hourglass' Ambient Lighting blush in "Diffused Heat" and Milani's "Tea Rose"
Lips: various glosses and lipsticks from Nyx and independent online sellers (fuck Limecrime)
Brows: if I can be arsed to fill in my brows, I use Nyx's dupe for Anastasia's Brow Whiz pencil
Perfume: Womanity by Thierry Mugler and a couple of fragrances from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, plus assorted imps they've sent me with orders

[Lew]

anybody try charlotte tilbury face cream, or know of anyone who has?
i am so damned tempted, lol.

[pequena]

Man, I'd love to jump right into this thread but I can't at the moment.

What I can say right now is that I am massively in love with Bésame Cosmetics. I have 2 lipsticks, 1 lip liner, and 1 face powder and I really need to restrain myself. The lipsticks are a wonderful semi-matte and they are incredibly long wearing. If you're looking for a great red lip, I'd recommend the two I'm using "1920 Bésame Red" (it's got a bluer tint) and "1959 Red Hot Red" (for a warmer red).

I really want to try their "1930 Noir Red" and "1963 Portrait Pink". Basically, I'm having a love affair with lipstick--these lipstick in particular.

[Lew]

so they have now discontinued the toner i was in love with. poop. but but but...i made my own and it's fucking amazing.

1/2 cup of water (i use spring from our local)
1/4 cup of rose water (international section of grocery store. lebanese product, very good price)
1/4 cup of cucumber juice (i squished that green rod good, y'all ;p)(equivalent to one full cuke)
3 tbsp sea or himalayan salt.

combine and shake shake shake.

now, i don't wipe off toner..i spritz it a few times a day and air dry...so i had to double all of the liquid ingredients and left the salt per the recipe.
much better, in my opinion.

so i am pretty damn basic right now:
black soap for washing. the homemade toner. nature's aid aloe gel (has various herbs in it as well). coconut oil (cold pressed).


3

[Lew]

aaaaaaaaand, now i am trying a homemade rice water and green tea toner.
so far, so no reaction. lol.

also, for folk with black heads: rub coconut oil (cold pressed) into your skin about ten minutes before you bathe. wash face with clay soap. good stuff, man.

[RedJenny]

I don't really know how to shop for makeup and toiletries, there are just too many products and beauty stores are overwhelming so I just grab the same old H&S and call it a day. My shower is the opposite of cluttered. I literally use just shampoo and a bar of soap.

I have superfine hair which can't even go half a day without it becoming saturated by my overly oily skin. I hate it so much. I manage with every other day washing using Head and Shoulders shampoo, if i wash any more frequently my scalp gets really dry and itchy then releases twice as much oil.

Soap: I usually buy homemade stuff from the local farmers market. I'm using a peppermint oil infused bar right now which smells amazing.

I am a compulsive q-tip user though, and against recommendations I shove those things as far into my ear as I can, every day. I can't stand the feeling of water or wax in them.

I was using H&S for years, didn't care about washing as you do. But come on, H&S is good for cleaning just as soap is.


.

I made the switch from body wash to bar soap in the shower a few years ago and I'll never go back. It would take FOREVER to rinse all the body wash out of my shower pouf and I realized that meant there was a serious residue on my skin, too. Bar soap rinses so clean and feels old-fashioned in the best possible way. Also cheaper and goes so much further.

Same here, after bar soap, you won't go back.


aaaaaaaaand, now i am trying a homemade rice water and green tea toner.
so far, so no reaction. lol.

also, for folk with black heads: rub coconut oil (cold pressed) into your skin about ten minutes before you bathe. wash face with clay soap. good stuff, man.

I'm not a black head myself, but also love using coconut oil. At first, I was using it just as an ingredient of DIY hair masks, like the ones mentioned here (https://mystraightener.com/best-hair-mask-restore-shine-and-softness-of-your-hair/), but later I discovered it has great effect on skin too. Now I feel it always clean and soft.