Coolies!

Manic Panic makes some good white powder and foundation (yes, white foundation) for a pretty good price.

I hate looking for powder and foundation. My skin is somewhere between classic tan and a darker tan shade. Can any one recomend a good foundation and powder. My skin is oily but not prone to break outs.

^^Luminita, you're still young so your skin is probably in really good shape, so you don't want anything too heavy in terms of foundation. CoverGirl makes a liquid foundation for oily skin. http://www.covergirl.com/products/product.jsp?productId=clean_oil_control_makeup
I used to be a big fan of their liquid powder foundation: http://www.covergirl.com/products/product.jsp?productId=ultimate_finish_liquid_powder_makeup Good stuff! And it comes in a variety of colors too, so you shouldn't have too much of a hard time finding a shade that suits you.

I don't use Covergirl anymore because my skin's changed so much so much. Now I use Chanel and MakeUp Forever foundations. Chanel is super pricey, but they do make an excellent foundation for oily skin: http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Makeup-Foundation-TEINT-INNOCENCE-88572. What's nice about this foundation is that it's nice and light.

Honestly though, finding the right foundation could be a matter of trial and error. But once you find something you like you'll end up sticking to it.

I was thinking about making my own lipsticks. Does anyone know exactly what you have to/ can make a lipstick base out of and what you have to/ can use for coloring. I know there are kits online but holy lord they are expensive. If you can make the base out of something like household items and same with the coloring I would prefer to do that.

Let me give a little thumbs up for the Manic Panic dream tone foundation. I've been using it and every time I wear it, my skin looks better for it. The downside is that their lightest tone is still a tad too dark for me, but a layer of white powder fixes it and makes me look somewhat airbrushed without having spent a long time putting the stuff on.

Not sure if this belongs here, but here are my notes on Urban Decay Stardust Eyeshadow:

I got a sample of it in Space Cowboy. Don't go by the photos on the site; they don't do it justice. It actually does have very fine glitter (not shimmer, not standard glitter, but somewhere in between) that makes it look like you've got a little starry night on your lids. I put it on at 6 this morning, without primer so I could see how well it lasted on its own. Still looks good and freshly-applied -- almost no glitter fallout or migration; just a couple specks on my cheekbones. So, I'd say it's worth the cash if you find a color that you really like and will use often, and even better over a little primer.

I go on a lot about UD, but it's because their products are actually quality -- they do what they say they will do. And though it's pricey, the cost seems to be for the product rather than the prestige: their prices haven't risen appreciably since I started using the products in the autumn of '96.

^^Ah! Good to know! I usually stay away from glitter eyeshadow 'cause the damn glitter always ends up on my cheeks. LOL I will definitely try UD's Stardust eyeshadows, though. I already use their eyeshadow primer--good stuff!!!

Glad that was helpful, Diva! And yeah, the primer is very good -- the stuff's like a magnet!

Heads up re: Sonia Kashuk makeup (Target):
Noticed a change in labeling on the loose powder: it used to say "Not tested on animals" and have a list of ingredients; now there's no ingredient list, nothing about animal testing, and the label reads "WARNING: DO NOT USE IN LIP OR EYE AREA." Powder is supposed to be safe for the whole face... sounds like unsafe overseas manufacture. Great. :/

^^That's interesting. I just visited her site - no mention of animal testing. I guess in an effort to reduce cost they decided to change the formula. I think you should contact the company, ask about animal testing and whatnot.

Keep in mind, however, that not all companies advertise on their products that they do not engage in animal testing. For example, the FAQs on Chanel's website state that they don't do any testing on animals, however there is no mention of this on their product packaging. That doesn't mean that Chanel is entirely cruelty free - they do use animal products like beeswax and lanolin. So that's another thing to look out for.

I also remember reading somewhere - but I don't remember where - that the vast majority of cosmetics companies have given up animal testing after much public outcry in the 1980s.

^^ Good points.

La Diva Carlotta wrote:

I also remember reading somewhere - but I don't remember where - that the vast majority of cosmetics companies have given up animal testing after much public outcry in the 1980s.

That's the way it used to be, before companies wanted to trade in China.
Avon, Mary Kay, Estee Lauder Facing $100 Million Fraud Lawsuit
"The complaint further alleges that the companies deliberately misled the American public by claiming their products were “cruelty free” at the same time the companies undertook animal testing in order to sell their products in China and reap hundreds of millions of dollars in Chinese sales."

But the other thing that creeps me out is the fact that the ingredients are no longer on the package. Not sure that's even legal, and it makes me think back to the bad press a few years back regarding toxic fillers in Chinese-manufactured goods -- thinking maybe the makeup is made there now.

I'm not sure what kind of make-up you already have, but I can give some suggestions with things I use and things I know are out there.

I would start with a primer likeUrban Decay eyeshadow primer. Then for the blue base, I would mix UD dashiki shadow with MAC lose pigment to enhance different parts of the color. For the moon I would try to find a yellow shadow from either MAC or Medusasmakeup. The rest you could do by carefully drawing with white, black, yellow, orange, and red liquid eyeliner.

If you do try this look, please share pictures with us. I don't personally have a steady enough hand to be able to pull something like this off.

^Definitely a good primer is key! I would suggest mehron aqua color for the base. You can then set the base blue with a additional blue pigment, like the MAC that DCGG suggested. You could even use an aqua color (there kinda like a hard little disc of color that you mix a small amount of water to use) to draw in the moon.

Nsane: I would use Make Up Forever Flash (kinda pricy) color as a cream base then use Mac Shadows. I think it would be better to have a colored primer to make it pop. You can also use MAC cream colored bases too as a lower cost option and a coastal scents 88 pallet (only 20 bucks).

With a cream colored base it would be just like painting a picture, then use colored eyeshadow to set what you painted to keep it from getting nasty and creasy.

I would use a felt tip eyeliner to draw in the detail, then maybe use a brush for the thin lines. Felt tip lines are just like using a thin permanent marker.

I have done a similar look where I painted a "scene" on my eyes. And I know some people hate cream bases, it really makes the color stand out and it wont crease if set with a power shadow.