Lulu on Beauty: Weekly Beauty Edit 2.07.2016 Mascara and Foundation

Is anything more hotly debated in the makeup world than mascara? Yes, foundation! Foundation and mascara. I'm active on a number of makeup boards, groups, forums and inevitably someone will ask the group for a recommendation on either. If there are 100 replies, 95 of them are different. I understand why there is variance in foundation recommendations but it does surprise me how the same mascara can react so differently from person to person. There's not a lot of real estate when it comes to eye lashes so what the heck makes mascara so gorgeous on one and go wonky on another? For Pete's sake, it's an eye lash!

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, I have two very odd beauty attributes. Nail polish does not chip on me and mascara does not smear, flake, transfer, smudge on me. Brand does not matter in either case. I often post pics of my manicure after one week of wear and not a chip to be seen. I will be asked what brand, what base, what top coat but I tell you, it does not matter for me. My nail polish does not chip 99.9% of the time. I change my polish because I want a new color, not because I have to.

Sorry, had to stop and watch the half-time show. I'm guessing most will not give it a thumbs up but I loved it. It was happy and joyful!

At this very moment I have, never mind, let's just say I have a lot of mascara. Most expensive is Serge Luten and least expensive is Wet N Wild. Do I love them all? No. But not one has ever flaked or smudged on me. My biggest concern is if a mascara will hold the curl. In the event you don't know this tidbit, waterproof mascara will hold your curl better than non-waterproof due to the higher wax content in waterproof. The only possible reason I can think of for mascara not misbehaving on me is my application. I only use one coat which I define as one dip of the brush in the tube. I apply using many very fast, short strokes and don't go to the root most of the time. Thanks to YouTube makeup tutorials, I've watched many women apply mascara and it seems my method is unique. If I'm going to an event and want a very done and made up look, I'll apply a second coat to the tips only. The brush is more important to me than the formula although I prefer a wetter rather than dry formula but only by a tinge. I like traditional vs rubber bristles, curved shape, small brush, short bristles and length over volume but getting both is a bonus.

I can do calculus and I can do foundation. I find them both equally challenging. I choose my foundation each morning based on the day. What's the weather? How long do I need it to last? Do I want to look done or natural (almost never)? What am I wearing? Do I want to look really great for a short time or so so for a long time? Will I spend more than 5 minutes outdoors? As you can see, my morning starts with a vigorous workout for my brain. Gets me ready for my day, which trust me, is not for the faint of heart. Some eat their Wheaties, I choose my foundation. Personally, I think it's easier to pick a winning stock than it is to pick a winning foundation.

The question I get asked most is what foundation I recommend or which foundation is my favorite. Impossible. If you ask me this question, be prepared for a barrage of questions. What do you want your foundation to do? Is your skin dry or oily? Do you use a primer? How are your pores? Do you sweat? How long will you be wearing the foundation? What level of coverage do you want? Is there a preference for serum, liquid, cream or powder? Do you apply with fingers, brush or sponge? Do you want to set with a powder? Where do you shop? What is your budget? Do you regularly self-tan? What is your undertone? Do you like a matte, demi-matte, natural, satin, luminous or dewy finish?

For me, the number one most important factor is color, I want a perfect color match. Second, I want medium coverage. Third, I want a satin finish. Fourth is pore coverage and fifth is long wearing. Can I get all these in one foundation? No. Do I want all these factors every day? No. When I'm going to an event, I want a luminous finish. I also don't care about pore coverage because if I'm going to an event, I know I will use a primer which will take care of the pores. However, I will also want full coverage. If I'm in the office all day in office lighting, I need a different tone than when I will be attending a graduation party outdoors in natural light.

I'm thankful I have the resources to chase my windmills when it comes to foundation. I bought three disastrous foundations last month. I always experiment on weekends because I have the freedom to wash them off. And I did. There is no doubt in my mind each of these three foundations are someone else's holy grail. As a matter of fact, yesterday I read a post about One by Kose gel cream foundation. The poster said she finally found "the" perfect foundation. Her search was over. I bought that foundation and it arrived last week. Wore it to breakfast yesterday. As soon as we got home, about two hours later, I washed it off immediately. My face was so greasy and shiny someone could have used it to send Morse code to the moon. When I first put it on, One was gorgeous, simply gorgeous. There's another lesson. Give foundation time to marry with your skin before judging.

This internet is a wonderful thing. Plenty of reviews, plenty of videos, plenty of information. My most important advice is to know what you want your foundation to do for you. When reading reviews, check to see if the the reviewer's skin type is mentioned. You might have a favorite YouTuber but if she is 20 years younger with oily skin and you have menopausal dry skin, think twice about a foundation she loves. Right now there are lots of 'how to' makeup looks for Valentine's Day. Sitting across the table in a dimly lit restaurant is very different than working under the florescent lighting of a hospital or chasing around second graders in the playground.

Happy hunting!