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Are there definite "don''ts" for bridal makeup?

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CJ2008

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I had my make up done this weekend by MAC. I didn't particularly care for the artist, she didn't seem too interested in making me happy with the final result, and got kind of annoyed when I asked if I could periodically look in the mirror so I could see what she was doing as she was going along. The overall look ended up OK, and looked fine in pictures (my sister took a few) but:

- I had layers and layers and layers of foundation. To the point that I was embarrassed to be walking around like that afterwards.
- They used primer on my lids which I believe made them look extra wrinkly/crinkly.
- They used all shimmery shadows which don't help the wrinkly/crinkly lid effect.

I would post pictures, but wish I could include the whole face, as I think that if I include just the eyes you won't get the full effect at all. If anyone knows how to take down or delete pictures after they're posted, let me know. But maybe I'll post a few of just the eyes later.

I then went to Saphora and had a guy there do my makeup.

- He did the skin part way better - I had plenty of coverage and looked good in pictures but I wasn't wearing a mask. I should point out that in BOTH cases the makeup really settled into the wrinkles under my eyes and around my mouth (even though they both used primer).
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- He lined my eyes with liquid liner. I felt it was way too harsh in person, and in pictures, but he told me you need that for the eyes to look defined.
- Didn't use a primer - my lids looked way less wrinkly/crinkly. (finding that out was worth its weight in gold)
- He did my eyes with all shimmery shades. When I asked him if he could try some matte shades on me, or a combo, he said not to do anything other than shimmer, that matte makeup will look "dirty" and that the shimmer colors are much better/prettier.

The look of my eyes in the pictures from the Sephora guy was HIDEOUS. He did one eye with greens/golds/bronzes, the other with pinks/purples. I looked like an OVERDONE CLOWN both instances. Not to mention, all kinds of colors doesn't suit me, or a wedding overlooking the beach while it's still daylight! But he kept telling me that for the pictures, you must go overboard.

I am all for doing what is needed for the pictures, but I want to feel good in person, too. So here are my questions

- Must foundation be caked on for skin to look good in pictures?
- Must shimmery shades be used and/or can they be combined with matte shades? (I feel like shimmer can make people look older, especially if they don't have awesome/taut skin - I'm 38, and my skin is OK, but not particularly taut) again,
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- Can a defined eye be achieved w/o liquid eyeliner or do you need strong definition that only liquid eyeliner can give?
- Dark brown eyeliner and mascara enough for eyes to pop or must black be used? (I think black is too harsh for me)

I am planning on going to another MAC and perhaps a few other counters, and I want to be able to tell them "I don't want A, B, C and D".

Thanks!
 
I wore brown eyeliner as I feel black is too harsh on my skin as well. I argued with the makeup artist but eventually got my way. It was pretty thick though, and she did use liquid eyeliner. Thing is, in the pictures it didn''t look so dramatic. I also suggest fake lashes for eye definition. Really helped me. It felt a bit awkward, but I got used to them soon enough and they really opened up my eyes in the pictures.

Shimmer shadows... well, I really don''t think they work on everyone. I understand they are really popular, but like you said, if you have any sort of lines or creping, you want to avoid them. I would try using matte shadows, but be sure to use a highlighting shadow, even if it is matte. You need something to illuminate. Go to more counters, but more importantly, try to find an actual makeup artist. The people that work at the stores are not artists! If you have some lines that they may not know how to deal with, they will only accentuate them.

As for the foundation... you do need it to make your skin even in pictures, but there are many different brands and many different formulas. My makeup artist used the Bed Head line of makeup. The foundation was superlight. It was mousse-like. And it gave me full coverage! Did not settle and did not look cakey! So keep trying.

Primer can be a hit or miss. What kind of primer were they using? Was it a silicon base? I think those work the best. Smashbox makes a good one and they sell it in small tubes at Sephora.

Most important thing right now is the skin under your makeup. Are you moisturizing? If you use a good moisturizer, it will help plump up the skin so it looks better with makeup on it. If your face is dry, makeup will not adhere properly.

good luck!
 
sumbride, not too long ago I ran into your wedding post (gorgeous pictures, by the way!) and remember reading that you argued with your makeup artist. haha

The MAC counter used their own primer (not sure what it was) and Sephora used the Smashbox one (which I bought). I definitely plan on going to a lot of counters and just trying all different kinds of foundations until I find one that looks really good and lasts.

I use Cetaphil to wash my face because it''s really gentle, and don''t moisturize
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but my skin doesn''t seem to need it, it doesn''t feel dry. But you''re right - I should find a very good and light moisturizer that won''t make me oily but will help me plump up a bit.

As far as finding an artist...I''m getting married in Mexico, so whoever they have is who I''ll be using (well, I''ll have two choices, since I''m doing a trial early enought that if I don''t like the first girl, I get to try another one). But I want to go over there with a very good idea of what works/what doesn''t, possibly quite a few of my own products, and a good idea of what colors I want.
 
Thank you! Yes, I HATED my makeup artist! She was so SLOW!!! And I wanted to make sure she didn''t give me "East Texas Eyeliner". There''s just a way that people wear it there that literally closes in the eye. I was pretty strict on saying that I didn''t want it under my eyes because it would smear (outside wedding!) and she fussed and fussed but eventually noticed it smearing just in her studio so had to admit I was right and she removed it. The brown eyeliner was a battle I had never thought of! I''ve been doing my own makeup for a long time! I know I look better in brown than black! why are you arguing with me??? Ah well... I never have to see her again!

And EVERYBODY needs moisturizer. I don''t care if your skin doesn''t feel dry... try a lightweight moisturizer and you''ll be surprised by how much better it looks and feels. One of the ones I really like is Bare Vitamins by Bare Minerals. Mary Kay also makes a good one. The Clinique yellow lotion got me through college but I don''t like the smell anymore. And Oil of Olay''s lotions consistently rate highest in polls, so those are easy to get. Just try some lightweight options. And sounds like maybe some eyecream would be good too? It will plump up the skin, trust me!

I think if you find colors that you like you will be able to give the lady in Mexico a good idea. What is your coloring? What colors are you most comfortable with? I went neutral and really was glad I did.
 
A couple things.

Go with a different color eyeliner. If you feel ambicious, you might try a dark purple, I love it because it makes my eyes look so much greener. I can''t wear liner or shadow below my eyes as it settles into the only wrinkles I have.

You do want a primer on your eyelids. Consider how long you are going to need your make-up to look perfect. Then consider that most eyeshadows travel or fade long before that.

One thing you might try for eyeshadow is to have the shimmer only in the center. That way you get the reflective light that makes your eyes look bigger without it highlighting the creases.

I HIGHLY recommend you look at some make-up books by Kevin Aucoin, especially Making Faces. They explain not only how to get certain looks, but why to do it a certain way.
 
Ditto to BIH. I had never used primer before until I let the people at MAC try it-I walked out with some that day. I had him use Chrome Yellow eyeshadow and it stayed BRIGHT YELLOW all day. (Got it applied at 10am, had to use a sample of MAC eye makeup remover he had given me to get it off that night.) Now I use it everyday, and will never go back.

I had used the Chrome Yellow about a week before when I went in the first time, but it came off in about an hour. So when he used the primer and it stayed on- I think he actually used a white eyeliner-I was amazed.

The stuff I actually bought was "Bare Canvas" from their Paint line. Link Which is a shadow itself, only super pigmented. I''d try it out.

Can you post pics of just your eyes? I want to see how it shows up in pics.
 
claudinam, I think the number one "dont" that brides seem to gravitate towards is wearing weird heavy make up because they''re told that it shows up better in photographs, which is hogwash. I think ultimately, a bride should look like a more polished version of her normal self on her wedding day. In fact, my husband begged me "please just look like YOU when we get married, dont wear some weird hair style and heavy make up, okay? I want to see YOU when we get married!" I watch these Wedding Story shows sometimes and I just dont know what women are thinking! That said, you seem to have already highlighted the issues I usually have with too much make up - the heavy foundation, enhanced creasing from powders, etc.

For me, I went to Norstrom''s and went to the Trish McEvoy counter because I like their make up alot, it''s very natural looking. I let them do my face once, and she put on too much, and too dark a foundation. I went back a second time and had someone else there show me how to do it but with a much lighter hand. Then I just did it myself a couple of times and ended up doing my own make up on my wedding day. It looked great in the photos - just enough to look like me, but better! And I ended up only using powder, no foundation. That made me feel a lot better about my make up and it didn''t look cakey or weird.
 
Personally, I don''t think that shimmer shadows come out all that well in photos. I wore shimmery shades for my wedding and in some photos I really hate the way it looks.
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. If you don''t like the way it looks in real life, don''t wear it for your wedding! I think you do need to wear more makeup to have it show up in pictures, but it shouldn''t be so much that you dont'' like the way you look in real life!
 
I think for bridal makeup, you really need to bring in a photograph to explain what you want. Otherwise, the artists never seem to get it. There''s only so much you can say in words. Try scouring the websites of makeup artists for samples. I also looked for pictures of celebrities. Since I''m Chinese, I looked for pictures of Zhang Ziyi and ended up finding exactly what I was looking for. I showed the makeup artist at MAC the picture, and was very happy with the result.

oscars-2006-zhang-ziyi-small.jpg
 
For eyeshadow primer, I use Benefit''s F.Y.Eye, and love it! Everything stays in place like it should, and I don''t notice any wrinkles from it.

Link

Also, I second sumbride concerning moisturizer. I use Aveeno''s Positively Radiant with SPF 30. It is very light and helps provide me with that SPF coverage, which I am somewhat OCD about. Family history of melanoma and all.
 
I managed to pass out at the MAC counter in Selfridges on Friday evening which was rather embarrassing
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. The poor guy who was helping me choose a new foundation looked a bit shocked, but was very sweet and got me a chair and some water! Obviously the cause was the amazing difference their make-up had made!
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That said, I did like the foundations they had and finally got a brown liquid liner that I like! Unless you have very dark hair/eyes they nearly always look too harsh - grey or brown look much softer without losing definition.

Brushes work much better for applying than fingers or sponges I find, though it does need some practice!

Avoid over-shimmery eyeshadow, they can reflect a bit too much light in photos.

Apply powder with a big brush so it doesn''t go cakey.

I tried out the MAC primer, but found it a bit too slippy. I use Oil of Olay''s Regenerist serum which is silicone based, and gives a great surface for make-up - I really recommend it.
 
sumbride - yeah, I remember she made you like an hour late for something! It sounded like you would have killed her if you could have! haha I think I got a bit of the same attitude from both makeup people - that they know better. And for many things, yes, they do...but nobody knows your face like you do.

I''ll get on the hunt for a good moisturizer tomorrow - thanks for the suggestions.

I''m fairly pale, with redness in my skin. I am definitely most comfortable with neutrals...but I am willing to do a little touch of something interesting/colorful as long as it''s subtle.

courtney - I remembered you had gone to MAC. I think I got the idea of doing that from your post, actually. Your makeup looked absolutely gorgeous (but I''m thinking that''s also partly due to your skin? It looks like it''s flawless, naturally) - as a matter of fact when I went into your post again, I copied your pictures and I''m going to bring that as an example of what I DO want. I am so glad to hear that they didn''t do shimmer on you at all! I was really thinking (based on what the MAC and Sephora people told me) that shimmer was my only option.

brazen - believe me, the ONLY reason I didn''t want the primer is because I saw the difference in the wrinkling of my lids. But that may also be partially due to the shimmer? So I''ll try the primer again, this time with the matte colors. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your suggestion to do shimmer in the center! You''ll see that the Sephora guy used a bright purple eyeliner...I don''t think it''s flattering on me (although it does make my eyes look greener).

freke - I know, I absolutely wanted the primer! (see what I said to brazen) But if you would have seen how wrinkly my eyelids looked...and when the guy at Sephora told me that''s what can happen with primer, well...I''ll post pics of my eyes below.

surf - I agree! I want to look like myself, just better, and more polished! And with the makeup these two people did, I felt like I was someone else. Plus the last thing I want FI thinking when we''re exchanging vows is "damn she has a lot of makeup on". I mean, when I tell you MAC caked it on, they caked it on. It was gross. I think I''m too afraid to do my own makeup only because I think I''ll be so nervous I''d rather someone else handle it...but I wish I could, I''m sure I could do a decent job if I practiced a couple of times.

robbie - really? why? the shimmer was too harsh? That''s kind of how I felt, especially with the gold, for example...it''s a lot just on its own...

urseberry - I''m bring a picture of courtney with me! haha But you''re right...nothing better than a picture...

amandine - I think the wrinkles are not so much from the primer being good or bad...I think I don''t have great/taut lids to begin with and the primer just accentuates that...that said, definitely not a bad idea to try a few different primers. Speaking of melanoma...I know where you''re coming from, I''m the same way with sunscreen...a couple of my relatives had pre-cancerous moles removed so I am very careful...plus, I don''t like the way my skin freckles up from the sun...

pandora - oh my goodness, glad you''re OK! I agree with you about the brown liner - glad to hear other people think black can be too harsh! I bougth the photo finish from Smashbox, I don''t know enough of them to know if one feels better than the other...but I like the idea of using something other than a primer (I hear some can break out from it?) like the Oil of Olay.
 
Date: 5/20/2008 9:34:38 PM
Author: claudinam
surf - I agree! I want to look like myself, just better, and more polished! And with the makeup these two people did, I felt like I was someone else. Plus the last thing I want FI thinking when we're exchanging vows is 'damn she has a lot of makeup on'. I mean, when I tell you MAC caked it on, they caked it on. It was gross. I think I'm too afraid to do my own makeup only because I think I'll be so nervous I'd rather someone else handle it...but I wish I could, I'm sure I could do a decent job if I practiced a couple of times.
Girl, I hear you! When I went for my first bridal make up trial, I came away from it looking like a hooker from Palm Beach! I looked like I should be smoking some Pall Malls or something, it was that bad. The girl didn't match my skin tone at all, and put on bronzer which made me look like someone who just drank a holding tank's worth of carrot juice! And the worst part was I couldn't tell it was that bad because the in store lighting wasn't showing it as dark as it was. Thankfully, my friend who works at Nordie's took time to take me out to the daylight with a mirror and gently let me know it was "a little bit too dark" for me. I rubbed off about half of it by the time I got home and even then, the FI looked at me in horror and said,"uh, yeah, it's a bit too much." Honestly, I am a total make up neophyte and if I can do it on my wedding day, anyone can!
 
...from MAC

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...from Sephora...HIDEOUS

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I am glad you understood what I meant about the shimmer, I didn't know if my description made any sense.

My BFF occasionally does drag shows and I remembered he doesn't like primer either. He actually just puts concealer on the eyelid before the shadow. It gives the shadow something to cling to and he doesn't have any problems with it coming off. Just something you might want to consider.

Looking at the pics, I would say they are doing to much liner in the eye itself. It makes eyes look exotic, but also smaller. You might also consider a rose tone eyeshadow which would be softer on your skin.
 
Here''s an example of the shine I got in a lot of pictures. It wasn''t too bad in the pro pics, but in the non-pro pics it was pretty bad. Much worse than in this pic. (Please forgive the silly cake picture)
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To avoid the crinkly eye... I swear by Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. It will make the shadow last all day and all night WITHOUT making it crinkly or heavy or creasing (whether shimmer or matte).

If you don''t want shimmer and don''t wear shimmer... then you shouldn''t have to wear it on your wedding. As was mentioned, you should still look like you! Shimmer isn''t inherently better; it''s whatever looks good on you and you prefer.

Try out someone else that is willing to give you the look YOU want... not the look THEY want to put on you.
 
Have you thought about using Bare Minerals or another type of mineral make up? I don''t have many wrinkles (yet!), but I have heard that mineral foundation is good for wrinkles because it doesn''t settle into them and make them look worse. Plus I think it looks a lot more natural than liquid foundation.

I personally love shimmery eye shadows, but if you don''t, definitely don''t use them! I agree with surf-you should look like you, only better/more polished on your wedding day. I wear only powder and mascara on a daily basis, so when I get married my make up will be minimal. If you''re the same way, I would just do a foundation (maybe mineral foundation), a little bit of eye shadow and eyeliner, extra mascara, blush and lip stick or lip gloss. I''d rather look like me in a picture than like a make up model!
 
surf, yeah, that''s what I looked like too...I submit to you into evidence pictures above...ahaha

Like I said, the makeup from MAC looks OK in the pictures, but hideous in real life...not so much the color (although I didn''t particularly love two huge shimmery eyes haha) my lids looked really crinkly...and like I said, the skin looked even worse...
 
Hmm, the picture of the MAC eyes doesn't look bad to me at all! I definitely don't like the colors Sephora used at all! They're crazy and the make up seems weirdly placed! You have GORGEOUS eyes and the crazy eyeshadow kind of takes away from them.

Although I like the MAC picture, I do think browns would look even better on you if they were done the right way. I have similar color eyes (lightish brown with maybe a smidge of green in them if you look closely) and I think brown eyeshadow really highlights them the best.

ETA that in the bigger picture your eyes look more green than brown, but I still think browns (and maybe golds?) would look good! However, I'm no make up expert, so feel free not to listen to a word I say!
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I like the eye makeup from MAC... maybe a matte version with Urban Decay''s primer would work.
 
Date: 5/20/2008 9:59:04 PM
Author: thing2of2
Hmm, the picture of the MAC eyes doesn''t look bad to me at all! I definitely don''t like the colors Sephora used at all! They''re crazy and the make up seems weirdly placed! You have GORGEOUS eyes and the crazy eyeshadow kind of takes away from them.

Although I like the MAC picture, I do think browns would look even better on you if they were done the right way. I have similar color eyes (lightish brown with maybe a smidge of green in them if you look closely) and I think brown eyeshadow really highlights them the best.

ETA that in the bigger picture your eyes look more green than brown, but I still think browns (and maybe golds?) would look good! However, I''m no make up expert, so feel free not to listen to a word I say!
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I think a bit more brown would look really good too. Don''t they say green enhances brown eyes? It could be a soft, natural, matte mossy brown.
 
brazen - yeah, from what I understand, even foundation on the lids can help the makeup stay on. But I''m sure concealer is even better. And yes, I understood what you said about the shimmer - I actually would like just a touch of it, not all over the eye though.

They definitely used too much liner - plus, liner on the bottom of my eyes, or mascara on my lower lashes doesn''t work well at all. I need the emphasis on the top of my eye - nothing dragging them down.

robbie - I see what you mean about the shimmer...although it doesn''t look bad in this picture at all, unless you stare at it (like I''m sure you do with your own pictures!) Cute picture, by the way!

sera - I''ve heard wonders about the Urban Decay primer...I''ll have to buy all kinds of stuff and experiment...and yes, I guess the Sephora guy thought I should have some crazy colors for my outdoors wedding day! My question is what was I thinking that I even questioned if it was OK??!! It''s weird, it took me a couple of hours to realize it was hideous. I don''t know why that happens to me sometimes - it''s like I don''t trust myself and then my instincts kick in and it hits me.

thing2 - thank you for the compliment. I agree that less pink would definitely work better...weird thing is, I had told both MAC and Sephora I didn''t like pinks and purples - what do they BOTH give me? Pinks and purples. I had actually asked the Sephora guy to try a brown as the darker/accentuating makeup (so my eye wouldn''t be all pink) and he just ignored me.

Well, girls I tell you one thing - next time I am sitting down with someone to do my makeup, they better listen! haha
 
for my cousin''s wedding a few weeks ago, she had two makeup artists come in from MAC to do the makeup for herself, her mom, and her seven bridesmaids, myself included. Artist A did the makeup of my cousin, aunt, and 3 of the bridesmaids, and it was GORGEOUS. Artist B did the makeup for the other 4 of us bridesmaids. i looked like tim curry circa rocky horror picture show! she also slathered on 5 layers of goop (literally 5! and if i have one feature in this world that i will brag about it''s my perfectly clear skin!), and i had an allergic reaction to it, so as soon as the makeup brush touched my face, it felt like someone was taking a lit cigarette lighter and just waving the flame all over me. i broke out in hives instantly, but i didn''t want to take the makeup off at that point because i didn''t want to ruin my cousin''s pics by looking like a blowfish! i think that''d be a definite don''t for bridal makeup...unless you think dr. frank-n-furter is sexay!

but that''s not what i was going to post....::i have GOT to start taking gingko biloba--memory is SHOT::
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do you have a close friend or family member who''s good at that stuff who could possibly recreate a pic you gave them? maybe they''d be less likely to try pressuring you into something you disliked?

i''m in total agreement though with finding a picture. as for the purple eyeliner, not justifying what that guy did with it, but purple is a good color on green eyes when done right, and in a darker kind of eggplant color it works about the same as using any other dark neutral except it makes green eyes pop.
 
I have had a MAC make up session for an event and it was SHITE, in all honesty I could not tell you if it was the make up or the lady who did it. I seriously could have done a much better job myself and saved the cash.

I am pretty lucky to have good skin and generally looks good with or without make up but I found whatever the mac lady put on my face actually made me look 5 years older easily and gave me wrinkles (considering I don''t have any anywhere thats an achievement) and made me look washed out and horrid it was a bad job all around.

From your piccies I like the mac eyes better but I would probably refrain from shimmer shadow, and opt for a more natural look. The best wedding make up to me is the one that looks natural but more defined and brings out your beauty.
 
Date: 5/20/2008 12:03:36 PM
Author: claudinam
sumbride, not too long ago I ran into your wedding post (gorgeous pictures, by the way!) and remember reading that you argued with your makeup artist. haha


The MAC counter used their own primer (not sure what it was) and Sephora used the Smashbox one (which I bought). I definitely plan on going to a lot of counters and just trying all different kinds of foundations until I find one that looks really good and lasts.


I use Cetaphil to wash my face because it''s really gentle, and don''t moisturize
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but my skin doesn''t seem to need it, it doesn''t feel dry. But you''re right - I should find a very good and light moisturizer that won''t make me oily but will help me plump up a bit.


As far as finding an artist...I''m getting married in Mexico, so whoever they have is who I''ll be using (well, I''ll have two choices, since I''m doing a trial early enought that if I don''t like the first girl, I get to try another one). But I want to go over there with a very good idea of what works/what doesn''t, possibly quite a few of my own products, and a good idea of what colors I want.

I haven''t read the rest of this thread but I HIGHLY recommend a good moisturizer as well. My skin isn''t dry at all but I''ve found my skin has become super silky after using the Olay Regenerist line. In the morning, I use the serum and over it use the SPF 15 moisturizer and at night I use the recovery moisturizing treatment. It''s fantastic for smoothing out lines too!
 
Date: 5/20/2008 9:34:38 PM
Author: claudinam


courtney - I remembered you had gone to MAC. I think I got the idea of doing that from your post, actually. Your makeup looked absolutely gorgeous (but I''m thinking that''s also partly due to your skin? It looks like it''s flawless, naturally) - as a matter of fact when I went into your post again, I copied your pictures and I''m going to bring that as an example of what I DO want. I am so glad to hear that they didn''t do shimmer on you at all! I was really thinking (based on what the MAC and Sephora people told me) that shimmer was my only option.
My skin is definitely NOT flawless. I have lots of redness and pink tones to my face, as well as a few small acne scars. I get little pimples every now and then, but they''ve decreased since I started using Bare Minerals (that''s what I''m wearing in the before pics in that same thread). Again, I do plan on telling her to use a little less foundation this time. The artist used this really cool foundation brush made for applying liquids. I would request that instead of the sponges.

I think it may be hit and miss with any place...it really depends on the artist. I will tell you that the lady I used was the manager of this location. Maybe ask for the manager of the location you will be going to.
 
Date: 5/20/2008 9:53:55 PM
Author: thing2of2
Have you thought about using Bare Minerals or another type of mineral make up? I don''t have many wrinkles (yet!), but I have heard that mineral foundation is good for wrinkles because it doesn''t settle into them and make them look worse. Plus I think it looks a lot more natural than liquid foundation.

Alas, I haven''t found that to be true. I do have drier skin, but I cannot use Bare Minerals below my eyes. It definitely settles into the lines, and it makes me look older than I want to. Though I do like mineral foundation, I absolutely have to use liquid concealer and a dab of liquid foundation under my eyes and apply the Bare Minerals to the rest of my face. It may be great on oily skin, but does not always work on dry/normal skin with lines.
 
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