It's perfectly good makeup, but everyone was so hyped up about it a year or 2 ago, just like Sevens.

I had to bump this thread back up! There are some wonderful products on here! I am an African-American woman also, and I have gone through some stuff looking for products and shades that compliment my skin tone. I wear everything from MAC to Wet-n-Wild. Here's the short list of what I wear:

Lips: I swear by MAC lipliner in Chesnut. This lipliner is heaven-sent! I also use Sebatian Trucco lipliner. Just like MAC, but slightly cheaper. I am into gloss now, so I wear MAC lipglass in Clear and Oh Baby. I also like lipglass in Nymphette. My favorite night look is lining my lips with the liner and filling in with the clear lipglass. Looks wonderful, gloss lasts for hours and my lips stay moisturized. Tonight, I bought 2 L'oreal lip glosses called Glam Shine-one in Diva and one in Prima Donna. They both have sheer coverage and they are very sparkly-great for a night out on the town!

I am also a lip balm junkie! What good is great lip color if your lips are jacked up? My favs right now are Carmex (in the squeeze tube), Lip Medex, Chapstick All Natural, Blistex and Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. Yes...I carry all of these in my makeup bag!

Face: I use MAC Studio Fix in NW50. Awesome coverage! If I'm being cheap, I use Posner Pressed Powder in Golden Bronze. It took me forever to find a foundation, so I currently use Iman's foundation in a compact. It's ok, but I'm still on the lookout for something that doesn't feel so stiff going on my face. In the interim, I also use Posner's Compact Foundation in Golden Bronze. It actually covers better than the Iman.

I haven't found a blush that doesn't make me look like a clown yet.

Eyes: I wear either Prestige or Nat Robbins eyeliner in Black. I also use Cover Girl in Black with the smudge Tip. I wear Cover Girl eyeshadow when it moves me. I'm not really partial to any particular mascara.

I am starting to get more into makeup since I now find myself slightly on the other side of 30! :) Keep sharing your favorite products!

Just out of curiosity, for those of y'all who use eyelash curlers: Which do you prefer, the metal scissors-type one, or the new plastic one?

Has anyone tried the heated one yet? I just give mine a blast with my blow dryer first - seemed much less expensive!

What does everyone think of the new MAC products that smell like candy? I've only seen them in the stores, but haven't tried it yet. They've also relaunched their nail polish.

I am pretty much a die hard loyal clinque fan. there are a few things i will use otehr than clinque

Foundation: clinque super balance foundation ...
Powder: loose and pressed...definitely clinque

Eye shadows: clinque duo colors... i do love playing with different colors of shadows

Eye Liner: clinque
mascara... now this is where i love Loreal Voluminous

Lips: difintely clinque colors i love the chubby stick but i use avon lipsticks and clinques...love them!

cleanser: i have been using clinque 3 step since High school and other moisturizing items by them



perfume: estee lauder beautiful---first and foremost
Pleasures and tuscany
Victoria Secert" angel wings and rapture
Elizabeth Taylor: white diamonds
Red ( dont know who it is by)
Calvin Klein: eternity and escape

I'm slightly...impaired...when it comes to beauty products, so when I tried the metal ones I burnt my eyelid by mistake. (I had blasted it with the blowdryer.) So I'm all about the plastic ones I have now, that I can still blast with the blowdryer to get the nice heated curl, but that don't burn my skin if I get too close. They work just fine for me.

Here is my make-up tip for the day...

If you are going to wear lipliner, you must ALSO wear lipstick. It's true. I promise. The lipliner without lipstick look does NOT WORK for you. It doesn't look good on anyone, you can't pull it off.

AMEN!!!! Someone here already posted that they go in makeup phases where they prefer one brand to another. Right now I am in love with Mary Kay. Velocity works!!! Medium Coverage Fondation works! Eye shadows....stay on and I can not tell you how much I love their mascara!!!! :D :D :D I always have a problem with my mascara coming off through the day above and under my eyes. Not once in my 2-week span has my new mascara done this!

Okay, now I'm done professing my love!!

Hootie : which facial scrubber is "AWESOME"? Are you talking about the beads inside Velocity? OR am I lost?

Hahahah! I couldn't agree more!! I know people that do this. So annoying.

However if you wear a lighter shade of lipliner (as long as you MAKE SURE it's not dark) you can get away with just putting on some light colored lipgloss without looking like a freak. This looks good most of the time as long as there's not a really dark line of lip liner.

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with this thread. You don't always have to do the "light on the lid, dark in the crease" thing. In fact some of the best smokey looks I've done are just the opposite. Try this:

Prescriptives in fringe on the lids.

Then take prescriptives shadow in blush and blen this in the crease paying more attention to the inner corner right above the dark. Make sure it's blended well.

Then take a white or off white color (I like these with a little sparkle as well) and hightlight the browbone. I also like to use a eyebrow pencil...but not too dark--you don't want to look like Maleficent from Sleeping beauty.

Then line the lids lightly with an eyeliner... if you have a liner brush use the shadow color fringe to line the bottom lid then go over it with your finger or a Q-tip to make it smokey.


It may take you a few times playing with it to get it how you like. Let me know if you have anymore Q's.

Also, I like to highlight around the eyes before putting any shadow on...this will make your eyes stand out no matter what look you're going for.

Depending on your skin color try either a light bronzer or prescriptives sheen creme.

So how about I have a pretty rotten time with makeup.

I've just started trying eyeliner in the last year and can NOT seem to get the hint of how to make it sexy and not trashy. I always seem to have gaps between the liner and my eye -- you know, not getting close enough to the lash line.

Also, I bought my first eyelash curler, but can't really see any appreciable difference. Am I supposed to curl before the mascara or after? Because I've been curling before.

Ok a couple of things.
1) I dont really know what brand of eyeliner pencil you are using, but one of the best things I can say is that it is one of those things that you should drop the extra cash and invest in a good one. Cheap eyeliners like covergirl are hard pencils and will give you that cheap trailer trash look. I use a bobby brown pencil which is a softer pencil and is not as harsh

2) I'm not sure when you put eyeliner on in the process of putting on your eye make-up, but I put it on before I put on my eye shadow. That way it blends in with my eye make-up rather then being a harsh line

3) Use a sponge brush to blend in the line a little and make it less harsh. Like one of those little sponge brush that comes with cheap eyeshadow. I know that my eyeliner brush comes with one at the other end. This also makes the eyeliner look less harsh and gives eyes the smoky look.

The basic key to all of this is to smooth out the line a little so it doesnt look so harsh, and give eyes the smokey look.


My overall make-up advice is that it is definently worth it to invest a little more money in really good make-up instead of buying cheap crap. When you buy cheap make-up from the drug store, you look like how much it cost.....cheap.

It is worth it to buy a couple of pieces that cost a little more and look great. I recomend Bobby Brown for eye shadow, blush, and mascara, and always clinique for foundation. Bobby Brown is great for everything. You can always buy the cheap funky crap like glittery blue eyeshadow for certain occasions....but have the expensive stuff for everything else.

A tip on bobby brown...you dont need the super expensive brushes....those you can pick up at a drug store

Actually, I use cheap eyeliner sometimes. I like Revlon Wet/Dry. eyeliner. It goes on sooo smooth and can be as dark or as light as you want.

Your problem is probably either the shade of eyeliner you're using not the brand. I don't know about your skincolor, but perhaps you should try a softer color...soft black or medium brown. I am not crazy about colored eyeliners but there are ways to make them work....but it's not easy.

I would try Revlon Wet/dry pencil in Coffee Bean

Thanks ladies :) I have blue eyes so it's hard to figure out what color to wear sometimes.