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Makeup makes me want to cry

Maya

Veteran

I am so frustrated with trying to navigate through this foreign world, and no one seems to be helpful and constructive. I'm starting to feel like a freak whose skin tone simply can't be matched! I mentioned in my last update that I bought this in Incognito (for olive skin), but feared it might be too yellow. I went back and asked for help, and it was determined Agent 16 was better (for golden skin). I got home and put it on, and it seems too dark and gives me kind of a ruddy complexion. I'm not sure how many times Sephora allows returns of opened merchandise, but I feel like I need to return it if they let me. I'm starting to suspect that I might just need something from the medium family, and that medium-dark isn't right for me. I tried on Agent 14 (which is medium rather than medium-dark), but it's just so hard for me to really see anything accurately in the store. If I am able to return the Agent 16, I might get a sample of the Agent 14 and try it out at home without having to commit.

When I was last in Boston, I went with a friend to Sephora and asked for help to find my Bare Escentuals shade. Of course the first shade they tried on me was tan, and it was, unsurprisingly, very dark. It looked like a smear of cocoa powder on my skin. I even remember her saying "Isn't that weird?" Yes, very weird. I'm not white so it's just crazy that I could be anything lighter than tan...

Anyway, at least she eventually got it right (it was determined I could wear either medium beige or golden medium), but when she left my friend turned to me and made a remark about how the tan looked "dirty." I am not a good judge of my own coloring, but I feel like everyone else is even worse! This shouldn't be so hard, should it? I know some of you mentioned Bobbi Brown was a good place to go, and MAC too, but I don't want to be restricted to their products. The BE store is right next to Sephora so if I am able to return the tinted moisturizer I got to Sephora, I will probably just go there instead. I remember liking how it felt and maybe they can tell me what my undertones are, since I am clearly unable to tell. I have tried looking at my veins but they aren't that prominent so it's kind of hard to tell.

Anyway, I'm just ranting and raving now. My skin isn't looking great lately so I want to just find something that works so I can feel confident again.

General

35 replies

Latest reply was from Megan

Rosie

Veteran

What a frustrating experience!! I'm so sorry to hear about this. I have both yellows and pinks in my skin and some lines have not worked for me.

I have had mixed experiences with BE staff, but it is worth a try. At Nordstrom, while each makeup artist does work for a brand, they do know their favorite products in other brands and will try to help you find the right match. I think some locations and MA's do a better job at this than others, but... it's worth a try.

Why do you feel you need foundation at all? Why not try just a translucent powder or a type of primer that evens the skin without any color?

Louise

Veteran

Could you try one of the cosmetic counters? They should be able to put the foundation on the whole of your face so you get the correct colour so you don't feel pressured to buy tell them you want to wear it for the day to see how it lasts before buying. I did this with 3 different counters before settling with Clinique x

Kristine

Veteran

How frustrating! Have you tried the skin matching make-up that's available? I use the Almay version and it blends quite well. It's almost a tinted moisturizer, fairly lightweight and sheer.

Maya

Veteran

Rosie, I'm not looking for foundation. The Tarte Smooth Operator is a tinted moisturizer (I know the website says it is foundation, but that is a mistake--it's quite sheer and the box says tinted moisturizer as well). BE is a foundation but it doesn't feel like foundation. I could never wear foundation. Too goopy, heavy, and fake-looking. BE is more silky and a little bit goes a long way.

Nordstrom isn't really convenient for me to get to so that's out. I only go there once in a blue moon.

Louise, they DID put it on my face, and it looked like a match, but the thing is they only put it in one spot on my face. I only realized it looked off when I was at work and I had it all over my face. I went to use the bathroom and I noticed that just underneath my eyes, where I didn't apply as much, it was more yellow, while my cheeks looked darker and redder. Maybe I should give them another chance and ask them to do my whole face.

Louise

Veteran

I'd definatlly get them to do your whole face and wear it for a full day and look at it in lots of different lights. I got mine done and it looked fab in the store but the minute I went outside it looked really odd x

Beth

Veteran

Oh how frustrating. I know you don't want to be limited to MAC, but their SAs, especially in the free-standing stores, are usually just wonderful with colors. I can't think of any other line that has such a range of shades. It worth at least starting there for education if nothing else and then you can branch out.

Rosie

Veteran

Yes, but BE certainly is a foundation. (I have it, as well as many other foundations and tinted moisturizers.) For me, it is not as sheer or light as others, but that is just how it wears on me. When it is hot out it feels stifling. It also seems to break me out sometimes, but I know a lot of others experience the opposite. Have you tried Jane Iredale or another even more natural mineral foundation?

Tinted moisturizers can be just as heavy as foundations. Frankly, mine feel heavier than my foundations. They also can have more pigment than we think. I guess I am saying that there are a lot of foundations out there that are lighter than tinted moisturizers, so don't dismiss them yet. Ask for the lightest, sheerest one, and you might be surprised. When you're just starting out with makeup you have to be open-minded because there have been a lot of advances in formulations. The thick, goopy foundation you are thinking of is pretty rare these days.

I love Tarte, so I imagine it's a nice one. Sephora should offer to give you samples of different colors and it shouldn't be a problem. Definitely tell them you are having problems matching the right color. See if you can get the most experienced foundation matcher in the store. Their skill can range SO much. Also, have you tried just the Tarte Pressed powder?

I guess I'm just asking why you want something with color, tinted moisturizer or otherwise. Do you need to even out your skin tone? I'm guessing that you want to use something from a more natural line, so I'd stick with the Tarte and see if you can find a match. Have you tried one of their powders? Hourglass is also well-formulated.

Rosie

Veteran

Also, Beth has a good point about Mac because they do a really good job breaking down the colors (warm, neutral, cool and combinations) with a whole slew of shades.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I really like Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. It's pretty sheer and has SPF. But I always need a powder afterwards.
I've heard Jane Iredale is THE mineral foundation, but it's hard to find.
Best of luck.

Rosie

Veteran

Laura Mercier's is the standard. People love it. I like it but sometimes it can feel heavy to me. Anna, does it ever feel heavy to you?

Maya

Veteran

BE did not feel heavy on me at all. The SA used only the tiniest amount on me, and I could not even feel it. When I touched my face, it felt smoother and silky (I have rough skin).

Right now, frankly, everything feels heavy because it's summer and my skin is disgusting in summer. It gets so oily that my sunglasses slip down my nose.

I don't really understand how something without color would even out my skin, so I'm not sure. Mine is very uneven, which is perhaps why it isn't easy to match. I have huge pores as well. I just want it to look smoother with more even color.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

I used to use the silk creme foundation which is much heavier. Then I went to event at my local counter with a national artist who told me to switch to the tinted moisturizer. I dampen my sponge before applying it which makes it a bit more sheer.
I used to have acne and needed the heavier coverage, then I was put on a Retin-A and Duac regimen and my skin is much improved.
I work ten hour days and tinted moisturizer lasts the day for me. My daily routine is very low maintenance, tinted moisturizer, blush, mascara and powder. On my off days I might do a little more. I work in health care and full make with scrubs looks a bit incongruous to me.
Don't know if Bobbi Brown makes a tinted moisturizer, but I know she's exacting about color matching.
Maya I really think you need to go to Saks or Macy's and go to a real make-up counter. The range of skills at most Sephora's is just not good. I only buy at Sephora when I know exactly what I want. Also a full fledged make-up counter is more likely to give you a multi day sample.

Rosie

Veteran

Then by all means!! Try BE again. Sometimes people have to mix colors and their starter kits can really help with that. Anything skin related is so personal!

Mimi

For those looking for Jane Iredale mineral makeup, it can be found online at http://www.beautyriche.com. Hope that helps.

taylor

Veteran

I know this is very confusing amongst the millions of product lines...for me too and I have been trained for wedding make-up.

Can you possibly snag a counter gal who looks to have similar skin tone and coloring as yourself and grill her for recommendations and what works for her and possibly you?

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

Sorry you're having such a hard time with color matching, Maya. I am a little confused by your attitude towards foundation, though. I wear foundation almost every day (I wear Diorskin Nude and highly recommend it for sensitive skin) - I hope I don't look "fake"! I don't think I do...

If you are looking for coverage but wanting something "light" you might have a difficult time finding exactly the right thing. I personally have uneven tone and texture, and am acne prone. I prefer coverage.

I also use the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer on weekends or when my skin isn't too bad. It is pretty intensely pigmented and thick, and definitely can be a challenge to apply evenly. This is why I think a foundation with a creamy formula applied with a sponge or brush might work better if you're not used to applying it.

I agree with other comments that if you are having difficult at Sephora you should go to a place where they can spend more quality time matching your skin tone.

Also, after they match you ask them to apply the product and then take a mirror and walk into the daylight. I've found that sometimes what looks fine in the store turns out to be too dark in "real life". Also, remember that the pigments in many foundations oxidize. For this reason I tend to go for something on the lighter side when I buy my foundation.

Remember that there are lots of products out there in lots of shades. If you aren't finding what you like then try a different product or brand. You're might have to get a lot of samples to before you find what you like, so don't give up!

Maya

Veteran

If I find one, then I sure can Taylor. But again, I'm not the best judge of my own skin tone.

Jenava, foundation looks fake on me. Makeup is personal and I don't really have any opinions on what works on everyone else, but for me it just looks bad. My skin is uneven but it is not acne prone or blemished, so I don't need too much coverage. I prefer to focus on skin care and only use a light touch with makeup, and that seems to be working for the most part--my skin is basically in good condition, with some minor issues like enlarged pores and uneven tone. But I don't have problems with dryness, acne, rosacea, etc. I want a little bit of my own color to come through because that looks fresh but natural to me. Skin *should* have some variation in tone and texture. I just want to tone mine down a bit.

agrace

Maya - I apologize as I don't have time to read all the other replies right now, but I did see that Rosie responded - she is a makeup maestro (thanks Rosie, you really helped me!) who knows her brands and stores. So glad she is helping.

Anyways, I've realized for my unusual skin tone (pinkish face, with patches of olive colored skin on my cheeks, etc) I have to mix TWO colors to get a perfect color for me. and frankly, it's not even perfect then. Also, translucent powder helps me sort of blend it all. I use tinted moisturizer and am currently using the Sephora store brand. I'm actually mixing it with a concealer I also got from there called 'Boing'. Well, not mixing as in mixing it in my hand but sort of blending the two in my trouble spots. When I have time, I plan to go back in to get another color of tintend moisturizer and come up with my own sort of custom color.

My point is that I think for hard to match skin tones like I have and sounds like you might as well - sometimes mixing two can be a good thing. Also, I'm a perfectionist and you might be as well - and I've had to (yes I know it is kind of sad) lower my expectations from some things. LIke makeup is probably not going to be a 100 % match to my face but it will be 95 %. Or since my feet are one entire half size different, one shoe is going to fit me less than perfectly. It stinks but for me that is how it is (until I'm wealthy enough to have custom made shoes and makeup ha!)

Good luck, I really hope you find something!

Maya

Veteran

I'm just feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at this point...not just because of the color issue, but because it seems like you need at least 3 products to achieve just one step. I want a product that goes on and creates a smooth skin surface, hydrates, provides SPF coverage, and stays put. Tall order I guess. One way or another it looks like I'm stuck with at least a primer, tinted moisturizer/foundation, and translucent powder. I don't have an acne problem now but this sounds like a recipe for clogged pores. From what Agrace said I may even need two products, which is neither practical nor cost effective. I think I will just return the Tarte TM (if they let me) and let it go for now. Considering my skin problems are so trivial, this is a lot of effort...

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Maya, in my experience there's been some correlation between makeup shopping and bra shopping, i.e. specialty is the way to go. I can't rely on the mirror to determine which products to buy, so I've been forced to put myself entirely in the hands of others to come up with various makeup regimens. I wanted to keep it extremely simple and natural looking, and I had the added issue of finding things that I could apply in a relatively flop-proof way. I checked out Safora and was uniformly unimpressed. The staff didn't seem to have a clue what they wer doing and were incredibly unhelpful, and the products ranged in quality to the point where I just didn't know what to do. But when I dropped into a store specializing in beauty products, one of their makeup staff sat down with me for at least half an hour, tried things out on me, sought second opinions, let me try applying things myself and ultimately showed me what to do. Ditto at the Mac counter, where I've gone for a couple of my daily essentials (concealer, blush and lipstick). Since you hate makeup and despise the process of shopping for it, I would honestly consider going that route and settle for restricting yourself to the brand that works best. I feel confident you'll get improved service and superior results at a specialty makeup place. To renew the bra comparison, shopping at Safora was like getting a bra at a department store for me. Let's hope you find your cosmetic equivalent of Intimacy stat!

Isabel

Veteran

I am by no means a make-up maven....but I do agree with the ladies who suggested mixing two shades together. I looked for DECADES ( no kidding ) for a concealer that looked good on me and has some staying power. Finally, someone suggested that I buy two - a darker one and a lighter one and mix until it looked right. This worked really well for me since in the summer my skintone is different than in the winter. I adjust the mixing all through out the year.

I have found that at the make up counter, they are really sales people with some make-up training on their product, but not make-up artists. I have also never had the experience of someone at the counter mixing make up to get the right shade.

Do you know anyone who is a make up artist who could give you a consultation ?? Someone who works with different brands and could mix things together ?

Good Luck !

Rosie

Veteran

I wish I could say it was easy or that there was a magic potion that works for everyone...sadly, when it comes to this there isn't! You have to try a lot of different brands, colors and formulations to see what works.

Especially given the heat you'll experience the next few months, you might want to consider just using some concealer where you need it. Or, try a stick foundation. When it's hot and humid out I find the stick foundation to be the most comfortable on the skin, and you can use it all over or just where you need it. They stay put pretty well, too.

I know that doesn't help cut it down to one step, but you'd just need your light moisturizer with SPF and then the stick. The tinted moisturizers jut won't last without the extra steps, which I think is kinda lame. The whole point is to wipe it on and go!

Do you know if your Sephora carries Iman? I'm not sure if it's easy to find anymore, but she formulated her line for a lot of ethnicities in mind.

elpgal

Veteran

My friends who are more experienced at this stuff made me try Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer 'Caramel' and Perfeckt Skin Perfection (Rich) and both worked well. They do not have SPF though. If you try these, you could easily go a shade or two lighter than these. Bobbi Brown is another one that is popular among South-East Asians, so give that a try as well.

I have been on the makeup hunt too- so far, BE matched the foundation/primer well but could not find something for my under-eye circles. The MAC counter at Nordstroms was not much help at all.

Lisa

Veteran

Sorry you are having such trouble matching your skin tone. I like to snag the makeup counters when they bring in the makeup artists. I've done that with Mac and with Chanel. I would choose Chanel over Mac any day. BUT, Armani is pricey, and carries the most ranges (or so I'm told) so maybe try that out? I guess a sheer is safer to try than a matte foundation too. Or you can bypass it all and just go for mineral veil from BE or a translucent powder from any other brands to control shine, since they won't have pigments, it shouldn't look off with your coloring. Good luck!

Vix

Veteran

I hate makeup shopping and use as little as possible to get that fresh-faced, "natural" look. Unfortunately the older I get the more products I seem to require, ha.

A while back I was using Lancome's superlight mousse foundation with a fair amount of success, but have been trying to shift over to more eco-oriented products.

For the last year+ I've used Alima mineral products (no fillers, fragrances, or additives/BDIH European seal of approval for natural products) and have been very happy with the products. [Plus they are an in-state company and our economy needs all the help it can get!]

http://www.alimapure.com/

They have a LARGE range of foundation shades and you can order samples online after discussing the possibilities with their online consultants.

http://www.alimapure.com/lets-.....al-makeup/

They also seem to have custom colors...not sure what that's about, but I'm sure they'd be happy to tell anyone who asks.

I mostly use the foundation but have the blush as well. Compared to "foundation-foundation" I think minerals get less slide-y/melty. However, it seems like exfoliation is a million times more important. Not that that's a bad thing....

Most days it's shower, moisturizer, Alima foundation, done (well, after I put on Emerita's Dark Circle Eye Serum/brightener!).

If I'm only planning on incidental sun exposure, I rely on the Alima for my face -- they don't claim an SPF, but as I burn at the drop of a hat when barefaced and don't with the Alima I go with their "ingredients are known to provide some protection" angle. Otherwise I skip moisturizer and just use sunblock.

Kari

Veteran

Maya, you might not like this so much for summer if you tend to be oily, but have you ever tried Origins makeup, specifically the Nude and Improved bare-faced makeup? (I guess it's a tinted moisturizer with SPF 15 in it.) I've had great luck finding colors in that line that blend well with my skin tone, and it stays pretty well on my oily skin as long as I use a loose powder (I like BE's Mineral Veil) to lock it in. Might be worth a look if you have an Origins nearby. I like to use a foundation brush to apply it.

I would always recommend waiting until you see a foundation/tinted moisturizer/concealer on yourself in natural indoor and outdoor light - the lighting in malls or retail stores can be awful and sometimes gives you a false impression about how well a color actually matches your skin tone. I've made some mistakes in the past when I bought a product before I saw how it looked on my skin outdoors, and really regretted it.

Louise

Veteran

Maya I'm currently using this http://www.clinique.co.uk/prod.....index.tmpl I'm doing away with moisturiser in the morning and just using a facial sunscreen then sweeping this over the top which takes away the greasyness from the sunscreen and I can vary the coverage by just adding another sweep where needed x

Vani

Veteran

Maya, haven't read the other posts but did notice someone mentioned Alima. I'd like to second that and also the whole idea of mineral makeup. The powder is so sheer and easy to work with. I use a combination of Everyday minerals and Alima depending on how much I've tanned. They sell sample sizes that are very easy on the wallet and last quite a few applications so you can get a good idea of whether it is working for you or not. The brush you use makes a big difference and the Sonia Kashuk brushes at Target work rather well for me without breaking my budget. Just make sure to wash them regularly and you'll have them for a while. For hard to match skin tones like ours, mineral makeup is where I've had the best luck apart from a custom blend from Prescriptives I bought for my wedding. The Pres. foundation is heavier and something I only use for special occasions but for everyday use, I highly recommend EM or Alima. I've been through this run around of trying to get mainstream foundation to match my skin tone and I hope you find something that works for you soon

Ele

(website)

Oh, dear. I've never been intimidated by makeup in my life but after reading all the (extremely informative and thoughtful) responses here, I think I now am. Now I want to cry. Talk about information overload.

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