I remember a Frank Herbert sci-fi short story, or should I say, I remember one particular part of it, where a man's grandmother stubbornly sticks to her old-fashioned, conservative shade of apple green hair; it irritates him, I recall.
In the story, time had moved on, women and men both wore makeup to accentuate and update their looks, hair was rarely colored just one shade anymore, and people used fashion as a way to stand out instead of a way to fit in, as they had in the past. Sound familiar yet?
We're not quite there, but we're getting closer, by degrees. Personally, I give the kids of the early Beatles' era big gold stars for trying out dramatic new ways to express themselves fashionably-- as that led to the glamorous excesses of the disco age, and then on to Punk, Prince, Goth, and Goth going mainstream. The explosion of multi-cultural notions of Pretty/Handsome, that Mainstream America had flirted with so many times, but never committed to. A good thing, overall, yes?
Whenever a small group of people break through all the accepted barriers of appearance/fashion, I think it helps us to see more of the true beauty in the world around us, making us more tolerant, more forgiving, more adventurous. It makes us gentler judges of each other, too, and boosts our creativity in other areas.
At first, sure, we may see that "odd" haircut, body shape, facial feature, coloring; and we might feel threatened, or just discombobulated by it. But gradually, the jangling weirdness we experience whenever that outsider appears, softens through our repeated exposure. We get to know the person; we become so accustomed to their charm, we seek more of it, and gain more understanding. We begin to see how that plumper, wider set of lips is truly gorgeous. Then everyone wants a pair.
We can and have matured as a species, in part, by learning to accept a wider, even endless, measurement of what beauty is and can be. Stretching our emotional muscles that way is good for us, and helps us keep tabs on what's seriously important, I believe.
Kinda fantastic that, from something that can be seen as trivial, like makeup/looks/fashion, real human growth can emerge. And I'm not saying this just to bolster my own position as a purveyor of beauty experimentation. I could drop it all in a second, if I didn't believe this.
And if it wasn't so much fun.
The small joy of finding a perfect lipgloss should not be underrated or disdained. Speaking of which, I've found a primer I can live without, but wouldn't want to have to live without, and it's not very expensive, either. Having tried samples of half a dozen higher end primers, I'd nearly lost that ray of hope that this recent technological advance, the skin smoothing, youth-enhancing primer, was more than empty advertising. None of them did a thing for me, and while that doesn't mean they wouldn't work on others, it left me dispirited, and I stopped looking for one that would work.
Enter my younger sister, who'd bought a primer and decided she didn't need it. She doesn't! I do, and it works like crazy, making my cheeks seem naturally poreless, and skimming over any upsets my face (or exposed chest/neck area) might be having on a given day. It helps products applied over it last longer, too, and hasn't irritated my delicate facial skin-- a near miracle, that.
What is this wondrous cosmetic, you ask? Good old Avon's Magix Face Perfector, with SPF 20; now also available in Illuminating. Bought that one for myself, and that touch of brightener is lovely, whether I use it to spiff me up under a matte foundation or a dewier base. Frankly, this stuff has helped me get through the warm months using the merest spot applications of foundation, when I wear any. And it costs around $10 USD, less than most drugstore brands. Ask your local Avon representative for a sample, or just try it out-- there's always the unimpeachable Avon guarantee to fall back on.
Another solid find-- E.L.F's liquid eyeliners. These tiny bottles of easy-to-use enhancement are sold at Target stores, in my area, and at their website, and other places, I'm certain. For less than $2, you can try any number of colors-- I've got several; currently loving the spark of the Copper, a chunky golden-copper glitter suspended in clear liquid. It glides on like a dream, and looks good alone or as a second thin line on upper eyes. (The glitter colors are not recommended, by me, for under-eye use-- it's not worth the risk of getting your eyeball scratched.) I've been wearing it with minimal eye-makeup otherwise, as a standout note. Super eye bling!
Although it is inexpensive, it doesn't feel cheap-- washes off without a problem, lasts well, blends nicely before it dries. The brown, called Coffee, is deep and cool minky brown, matte, and makes my blue eyes POP. It can go subtle or pussycat glam, due to the very small, well-designed brush. I'm serious, the brush is a delight, rather than an impediment to use, and I haven't said that about an eyeliner tool before. Pardon me for gushing.
If you always feel unsteady using liquid liner, it's probably because you think you have to be able to draw a perfect line. You don't. Draw the thinnest line you can, right against your lashline, and then immediately correct and even out the flow of it by running your (clean!) index finger lightly along the top edge of the line, smoothing out bumps or skips, and evening the thickness, as you go. Practice it a few times, and you'll get the hang, I'm sure.
Looking happily towards Autumn, my favorite season of the year, I decided to put a fresh face on the blog-- hope you like it! Let me know if the new colors cause difficulty reading posts or links.
Have a beautiful Tuesday! Peace, Mari
In the story, time had moved on, women and men both wore makeup to accentuate and update their looks, hair was rarely colored just one shade anymore, and people used fashion as a way to stand out instead of a way to fit in, as they had in the past. Sound familiar yet?
We're not quite there, but we're getting closer, by degrees. Personally, I give the kids of the early Beatles' era big gold stars for trying out dramatic new ways to express themselves fashionably-- as that led to the glamorous excesses of the disco age, and then on to Punk, Prince, Goth, and Goth going mainstream. The explosion of multi-cultural notions of Pretty/Handsome, that Mainstream America had flirted with so many times, but never committed to. A good thing, overall, yes?
Whenever a small group of people break through all the accepted barriers of appearance/fashion, I think it helps us to see more of the true beauty in the world around us, making us more tolerant, more forgiving, more adventurous. It makes us gentler judges of each other, too, and boosts our creativity in other areas.
At first, sure, we may see that "odd" haircut, body shape, facial feature, coloring; and we might feel threatened, or just discombobulated by it. But gradually, the jangling weirdness we experience whenever that outsider appears, softens through our repeated exposure. We get to know the person; we become so accustomed to their charm, we seek more of it, and gain more understanding. We begin to see how that plumper, wider set of lips is truly gorgeous. Then everyone wants a pair.
We can and have matured as a species, in part, by learning to accept a wider, even endless, measurement of what beauty is and can be. Stretching our emotional muscles that way is good for us, and helps us keep tabs on what's seriously important, I believe.
Kinda fantastic that, from something that can be seen as trivial, like makeup/looks/fashion, real human growth can emerge. And I'm not saying this just to bolster my own position as a purveyor of beauty experimentation. I could drop it all in a second, if I didn't believe this.
And if it wasn't so much fun.
The small joy of finding a perfect lipgloss should not be underrated or disdained. Speaking of which, I've found a primer I can live without, but wouldn't want to have to live without, and it's not very expensive, either. Having tried samples of half a dozen higher end primers, I'd nearly lost that ray of hope that this recent technological advance, the skin smoothing, youth-enhancing primer, was more than empty advertising. None of them did a thing for me, and while that doesn't mean they wouldn't work on others, it left me dispirited, and I stopped looking for one that would work.
Enter my younger sister, who'd bought a primer and decided she didn't need it. She doesn't! I do, and it works like crazy, making my cheeks seem naturally poreless, and skimming over any upsets my face (or exposed chest/neck area) might be having on a given day. It helps products applied over it last longer, too, and hasn't irritated my delicate facial skin-- a near miracle, that.
What is this wondrous cosmetic, you ask? Good old Avon's Magix Face Perfector, with SPF 20; now also available in Illuminating. Bought that one for myself, and that touch of brightener is lovely, whether I use it to spiff me up under a matte foundation or a dewier base. Frankly, this stuff has helped me get through the warm months using the merest spot applications of foundation, when I wear any. And it costs around $10 USD, less than most drugstore brands. Ask your local Avon representative for a sample, or just try it out-- there's always the unimpeachable Avon guarantee to fall back on.
Another solid find-- E.L.F's liquid eyeliners. These tiny bottles of easy-to-use enhancement are sold at Target stores, in my area, and at their website, and other places, I'm certain. For less than $2, you can try any number of colors-- I've got several; currently loving the spark of the Copper, a chunky golden-copper glitter suspended in clear liquid. It glides on like a dream, and looks good alone or as a second thin line on upper eyes. (The glitter colors are not recommended, by me, for under-eye use-- it's not worth the risk of getting your eyeball scratched.) I've been wearing it with minimal eye-makeup otherwise, as a standout note. Super eye bling!
Although it is inexpensive, it doesn't feel cheap-- washes off without a problem, lasts well, blends nicely before it dries. The brown, called Coffee, is deep and cool minky brown, matte, and makes my blue eyes POP. It can go subtle or pussycat glam, due to the very small, well-designed brush. I'm serious, the brush is a delight, rather than an impediment to use, and I haven't said that about an eyeliner tool before. Pardon me for gushing.
If you always feel unsteady using liquid liner, it's probably because you think you have to be able to draw a perfect line. You don't. Draw the thinnest line you can, right against your lashline, and then immediately correct and even out the flow of it by running your (clean!) index finger lightly along the top edge of the line, smoothing out bumps or skips, and evening the thickness, as you go. Practice it a few times, and you'll get the hang, I'm sure.
Looking happily towards Autumn, my favorite season of the year, I decided to put a fresh face on the blog-- hope you like it! Let me know if the new colors cause difficulty reading posts or links.
Have a beautiful Tuesday! Peace, Mari
Hi Mari! I too have tried Avon's Magix Face Perfector, but my results haven't been as breathtaking as yours. Unfortunately, I find it to be a little tacky and hard to use under makeup. Also, it didn't illuminate my face as much as I was expecting. Now I know products aren't necessarily meant to meet all of our expectations, but they should provide at least the minimal proof of promise. I give this one a "meh". BUT! I am certainly glad that it works for you. Let me qualify this statement by saying that it is most likely because you have an already porcelain colored complexion, and I am sallow. It's hard to brighten me up. So that being said, Avon should have one that color corrects with brightener, aimed at those with a yellowish tone. After all, we are not all one color, so it is sensible to assume that one product does not fit all? What say you? (And the other readers.) XO, your sister Gail
ReplyDeleteI think the problem may be that you're looking for results that aren't to be expected-- this product isn't supposed to alter skin tone, or create a vastly sparkled look, but just to brighten slightly, and help the eye, through the wonders of polymer technology, to skim the treated surface, creating an illusion of fewer flaws.
ReplyDeleteAs for the texture, try warming a drop between your fingers first, and apply directly after your moisturizer. If that doesn't help, then perhaps your tube of primer is old; Avon should replace it at no cost, as they surely will if you ask. Their guarantee is excellent, and in my experience, has always been upheld in every interaction.