Hello everybody! I while ago I was asked, if I could perhaps make a list of things to look out for when buying makeup and beauty produts and I thus came up with this handy list!
These are some of the things I personally look out for when I spend my money on beauty goodies and I hope they are helpful for you, too! I also tried to include some general things to look out for that might be of interest for those of you that are still new to the wolrd of makeup and want to start building up a small collection :)
Undertone & Oxidation
This point in particular applies to liquid base products like foundations, BB/CC creams and concealers. It is really important to find a base that matches your natural skintone to give you a very natural and perfect finish. Therefore, it is important to get a base that blends in seamlessly with the skintone of your neck. Usually people tend to have yellow or pink undertones and the best way to find out is either to observe your natural skintone in daylight or go to a beauty counter and let them match you to a foundation and specifically ask about your undertone. Another thing to watch out for is oxidation, which basically means that the base product will react with the oils on your face and the oxygen in the air and change shade - usually darker. When looking into buing a new foundation, swatch it on the back of your hand, blend it out and wander through the store for a while. Check back if the shade has visibly changed and you should get an idea of the level of oxidation!
Pigmentation & Fall Out
After watching out for your base colors, let’s move on to eyeshadows (and I guess blushes). When buying eyeshadows you want to make sure that the product in the pot easily has the same color and intensity when you apply it to your lids - the same applies to blushes and your cheeks. Sometimes an eye primer can help but a good eyeshadow should feel soft and easily give off color. However, that doesn’t mean it should give off color to your whole face! Fall out (excess eyeshadow falling down from your lids onto your cheecks) is something you’d want to avoid because it makes things messy and wastes product. Unfortunately it is hard to tell in stores if an eyeshadow will have fall out, so I recommend reading online reviews of products before buying them, if you are unsure!
Textures & Finishes
These two things apply to all beauty and skin care items and are something very very personal. I am mentioning it here because I want you to be aware that it is okay to like what feels best to you and experiment a bit! Even though the world may go crazy over dewy, shimmering skin, you might prefer a matte finish - and that is perfectly fine! That being said not every matte is the right matte and not every shimmer is a good shimmer and so forth. Meaning: textures and finishes may differ from product to product and can sometimes do more harm than good! If you have oily skin you might think you need super mattifying moisturizers, when in fact those can cause your skin to produce even more oils! Just take your time and try out different products - perhaps you’ll be surprised in the end!
Since I don’t want to make this posts too lenghty, I have decided to leave it at that for now and will soon be back with a Part 2 and more useful tips and things to watch out for when buying makeup!
Let me know if you like this post format and if you perhaps have more specific questions that I can answer for you :)
