Thursday, December 18, 2008

Reader's Corner: "More Questions Answered"



(Note from Author: I'm in no way advertising any of the products mentioned)

Hey gorgeous ladies!

I will dedicate today's post to some reader's queries that I have answered personally but I thought of sharing to everyone as they are all good and valid queries and the best part? Everyone can share their 2 cents.

Question ---

What other powder foundation can you recommend that has good coverage?

Askmewhats Answers ---


Everybody knows my love for Paul & Joe Dual Powder Foundation (Php2,125 approx $43.00), and of course, not everyone can afford it. I've come up with powder foundation I've tried that works just as good and of course, the cheaper the better! LOL

1. MAC Studio Fix Foundation (Php1,500 approx $30.00)

The ultimate favorite powder foundation of a lot of people out there! This is still a bit pricey to some, but I have to include this as I've used this. What I love about the MAC SF Foundation is the coverage! This is a powder foundation that has a very good coverage!

2.The Face Shop Dewy flower Soft Touch Pressed Powder Foundation (less than Php800 or $16)

I've used this twice, the reason why I moved on to other foundation because my skin got used to this, but it works well on me!

3. The Face Shop Span Clear Matte Compact Powder (less than Php800 or $16.00)

I haven't really finished a whole compact, but a friend has been using it and I have tested it on her and tested on hand and it has a very light finish, nothing too heavy! Medium coverage.

4. Cover Girl Advanced Radiance Age Defying Compact Foundation (approx Php800 or $16.00)

I included this due to its superb coverage, but it's not a Powder Foundation but a cream foundation. I included it here as it's a cream-to-powder finish and it works really good for dry skin.

5. Pond's Pressed Powder (less than Php200 or $4.00)

This is actually my first pressed powder ever! Brings me back to college years! lol This is a pressed powder, doesn't have a lot of coverage, but if you're on a budget and you're looking for a nice "matte look", go for this! You need to do a couple of times of retouching, but the price is very affordable

6. ELF Clarifying Powder (approx Php130 approx $2.50) <-- no, it's not $1! darn! My mom loves this, this does not have a lot of coverage, I call this the retouching powder! Very affordable!


Question:

I tried to clean my brush with a "homemade brush cleanser" and I saw spots of black color every time I wipe it. Is it normal?

Askmewhats Answers ---

It is normal for brushes to bleed, but it's not normal for a brush to keep on bleeding after several usage. Always remember to wash your brushes before use. I personally love Johnson's baby shampoo as it's gentle on my brush hairs but tough on dirt! Some brushes, especially the synthetic ones are dyed, so washing it will remove the dyes, wash your brushes until the water runs clear, making sure your brushes are clean before it touches your face.


Question:

What's the best foundation for oily skin?

Askmewhats Answers ---

For me, it is difficult to pinpoint the "best" foundation for oily skin, as if we all found that, everyone would purchase it and they'll be no oilies in the world :D

If you have oily skin and you have to put on make-up, make-up primers are really vital, so you can choose to use a primer (could be Smashbox Photo Finish, Monistat Chaffing Gel, Mineral primers, Bare Escentuals Prime Time etc...)

If you don't want to spend money on primers, make sure to buy foundation that's good for "oily skin". I strongly recommend everyone to ---
  • go up to make-up counters
  • talk to the Beauty advisers and tell them your skin concern.
  • whatever they recommend to you, ask them to apply it all over your face. YES all over your face, NOT just the neck area.
  • do not be scared to walk away and have it literally road tested while you do your shopping.
  • check if you have some itchiness, or redness. If there's none, and make-up stays intact, go ahead and purchase it!
Do not pack on so much foundation as it could clog your pores and lead to bad looking skin!

Question:

Does Citre Shine Fresh Fusion hair serum works for you?

Askmewhats Answers ---

As seen on my previous post, the Citre Shine Fresh Fusion shampoo and conditioner is a miss for me, a reader asked if the hair serum works for me? Yes it does! I'm almost done with the serum and I like it that it keeps my hair fresh smelling and really soft!

Question:

Is the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Skin Relief good for combination skin?

Askmewhats Answers ---

In my opinion, yes. I have combination skin on some days, and so far, this works well for me. I usually apply a thin layer of the moisturizer all over my face, then additional layer on the dry area like the side of my nose, and chin area.

Question:

What's the use of the Silica Powder you purchased at Coastal Scents? (referring to my haul here)

Askmewhats Answers ---

Make Up Forever came up with a new product called the High Definition Microfinish Powder. It's supposed to set the foundation and slightly mattifies the skin without changing the skin's natural contours. It softens the appearance of imperfection (which makes everyone go crazy and shell out money for this product).

The MUFE HD Microfinish powder is actually made of 100% Silica Mineral, in which, made all the smart beauty bloggers out there to easily find for a cheaper alternative, and the love for Silica powder was born!

I am currently using this product and will give out a more in-depth review on this. But if you're intrigued you can check out the swatch I've done on my hand the moment I receive this, click the photo to enlarge and you can see that the area applied with Silica powder blurrs out the line on my hand.



Question:

Do you pluck your own brows, thread, or shave?

Askmewhats Answers ---

Good question. I actually do all those! Not at the same time though! lol
Short background about my brows, I've got really thick brows with thick stubby hairs, one plucking mistake would be a mess and would lead to a bad brow week.
I have my brows professionally threaded once a month or once every 5 weeks. As I literally have red spots and scar because the skin around my brow area is super sensitive.
On some days, I have it professionally shaven, and I do the plucking on my own for those "growths" in between.

I still have a couple of queries regarding the Coastal Scents eye brushes I've purchased, I will do a proper review on the brushes soon! Give me some time to use them! Thanks for the queries! Hope I was able to satisfy you with answers! Great day!!!


10 comments :

  1. great post on the answers!
    I actually need to go road test new liquid foundation for winter use.
    I refuse to buy shiseido cause im poor. (actually mama used it, and I stole some from her...lol)
    thanks for the cheaper alternatives for the pressed powders though~ i really should look into it for touch ups.

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  2. good post. i have something to add. parisb said that many people have silica allgery issue. so be ware of that. and i do find MUFE HD powder the finest compared to others but the price may be too high in comparison.

    also, what did you mean that you got used to THEFACESHOP foundation compact? You didn't like it? just GOT USED TO IT? oh, that made me not want to try it. lol

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  3. Rasilla, there's a whole lot of cheaper alternatives, but of course, always test it out if it works for you or could cause you breakouts :) Let me know if you found your cheaper alts! :)

    Jojoba, hey! thanks for sharing your insight about the Silica Powder, I do have a feeling someone will be allergic to it coz it's too good to be true! :) I would love to test on the MUFE HD powder, I am SURE there's a difference with such huge price difference. About the Face Shop Compact, it's nothing bad, it's just that, my skin got used to it, or probably my "eyes" got used to it so I don't see any major difference with using the Face Shop powder foundation and without! LOL But it is a nice foundation, it really has good coverage, I am just a woman and wanted something Different EVERY TIME! LOL Sue me :(

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  4. i have prob with silica also.i break out like hell with silica.

    i have one more Q as well: what's the fastest way for make up brushes (kabuki) to dry?

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  5. i have a question oh guru!!
    which is the best blending brush?

    and is there a multi tasking brush for applying eyeshadow?

    so i dont have to carry my 346457 brushes on holiday

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  6. thanks for asnwering my question so quickly. i made a mistake on silica powder and paribs. she warned me about SILICN i think... i am such an airhead!!!

    but silica powder is a very good oil controlling angent. it's so good that i didn't like it much as my face was too matte with it on.

    whatever, many people do love that powder but it's not for me.

    i now understand what you meant about thefaceshop powder foundation. i do like it if it doesn't show up as foundation but part of your skin. i think that's better than a foundation shows up as a foundation. get what i mean?

    gotta check it out now that i have changed my mind.

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  7. I can't wait for your review on the silica. I've been curious about that for some time.

    Yes, I'm insane to wake up early for the Stila warehouse sale... lol~ :P

    Thanks for welcoming me back! :)

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  8. awesome post. i want to get my hands on silica powder.

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  9. Very thorough answers, Nikki :)

    If you don't mind me adding, I would only recommend the use of silica power to those with oily/very oily skin. When it's used on dry skin, it will accentuate any fine lines, especially on the forehead and under the eyes.

    As for the cleaning makeup brushes, I don't only want my brushes to be soft, I want to be clean. Like really clean. So before washing it with shampoo and all that, I'd give it a thorough rub through with my MAC brush cleaner, which contains alcohol. Zap those bad bacteria lurking right away :) I believe Enkore also recommended using dishwashing liquid as well (add to the shampoo) - the agents in the ingredients will remove any remaining oil and dirt.

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  10. Prettybeautiful will answer your query ASAP :)

    Jojoba, true to what Tine says, it's good for people with oily skin, for dry skinned like us, we have to skip the silica powder :D Thanks for the clarification

    Ahleesa, I'm so happy you and Tobey are back! Will do the review on Silica powder soon!

    Thanks Liz, :) I hope it gets to be available to us soon!

    Tine, thanks for the added info! :) very helpful! I do the brush cleanser too, but mine is after the baby shampooing :) lol and I also spritz it with leave-in conditioner LOL

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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to comment your questions, suggestions and just anything you may want to say! Keep smiling and stay happy!