Phoenix's makeup, skincare, weight, health etc...

[Phoenix]

@Phoenix, I have been meaning to ask you which sunscreen you prefer? Based on some of your comments, I think you might be as fanatic about sun protection as I am LOL - I'm very Scandinavian, so my skin really needs a high SPF at all times, and I hate to get "shiny"..

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply, @Scandinavian . I was in the hospital last few days (nothing serious). This is what I use. It leaves absolutely no white residue whatsoever, it's not oily and it's super effective.

 

[Phoenix]

LOL very well! Told mine I want to look like Jessica Alba (film ready, mind..) and have the fitness level of a professional athelete - before Christmas please So he has his work cut out for him LOL But I was not as bad as I thought, body fat percentage of 18.7. So will make an effort to reach 16 without losing muscles.

Wowza! You sound incredible! I've been trying to lose more body fat and build muscles, but something always happens to hinder my progress (boxing injury before and most recently flu and then hospitalization for fainting, an ear-imbalance). Never mind, I must march on. Looking like Jessica Alba would be FABULOUS!! She's gorgeous!! PLUS having the fitness level of a professional athlete?!! That'd be like a dream come true!! I basically want the body of a body-builder without looking too much like a man (that'd be scary for little me, lol).

How's your progress been since your last post?

 

[Scandinavian]

@Phoenix Sorry you were sick! Hope you are better? Please take care of your self, no point in overdoing anything if you are not feeling your best. And you are way *way* too sweet! I’m not that fantastic at all actually, it’s just that all my “unwelcome” fat is located on my saddlebag thighs LOL. So not much fat at all on my stomach, arms, calves etc. So I think that is why my body fat percentage is pretty low even with the deposits on my thighs. Last two weeks, I’ve been trying to focus on vegetables and lean meat and fish. Boring but the only thing that works for me. I’m training with the PT three times a week, and that is really good! I should have started sooner. Thought it was kind of silly to need someone to train with LOL but it really helps me to push a bit harder. And also to learn all the technique properly. We are mainly focusing on basics such as bench press, squats and dead lifts, plus core work. In addition, all sorts of things to target specific muscles for that nice hourglass shape, LOL. I have no shoulders, so we are trying to fix that along with back muscles and the delta for the V shape. Oh well. Rant over, LOL. My stomach muscles are OK, so those exercises are really hard, he is really pushing me, like hanging upside down and doing sit-ups. But that is paying off already, so I’m OK with not being able to sit up in bed some days…. Abs are already starting to show a little, and that makes me happy. Good to see progress – gives me a bit more motivation! But then again – as always – the fat on my thighs is sooooooo stubborn! Only one way forward though – forward. LOL. A good PT is obviously gold. Hope you can find another that you like? Your goal re muscles sounds nice. And from you pictures you look good already! But I get what you are saying, it is always nice to improve a little. And I would guess that it would be hard for you to put on so much muscle that you look like a man! Nice to hear about your work and journey and experience, so please keep it coming

 

[Phoenix]

@Scandinavian , you ARE amazing!! Keep up the good work!!

 

[Phoenix]

@valeria101 , I'm finally well enough and have some time to post a continuation of my previous post.

Blusher:

I prefer powder blusher, as I find it easier to blend (more about blending and brushes later - SUPER important). Powder blusher should be applied on drier skin, after your foundation has set and dried up a bit and also after dusting powder (if you wear that). Cream blusher should be applied immediately after foundation, whilst it's still slightly damp; and after highlighter (actually, I've seen people apply highlighter after blusher, just do whatever you feel more comfortable with). Cream blushers are super hard to blend and you need to be very fast, using your fingers, not brushes.

This is what I use these days. I've tried many shades but find that this one suits me best, since I now have a tan and have yellow undertones, so the pink counteracts the yellow undertones. For most people, a peachy pink would suit best - more natural looking. I also prefer highly pigmented blushers, so you only need a very light dusting.

 

[Phoenix]

Going back to the eyes, since I now have eyelash extensions, I don't need to wear any eye makeup. But if I do, here are the steps:

I always use a primer, as it helps to make sure eye-shadow is not creased up or patchy. Any eye-primer will suffice, though I tend to be lazy and just use the same primer as for the face.

So, the first thing I do is to apply a neutral base, like a beigy or light pinky colour. For brown eyes, I find it best to apply a brown eye-shadow across the whole lids, going past the creases and again blend blend blend. Because I have almond-shaped eyes, the way I apply my eye-shadow tends to be different from what Caucasian ladies, or anyone with round-shaped eyes, would do. I don't apply a darker eye-shadow towards the outer corners of the eyes, or on the creases. But I do, sometimes, wear a liquid eyeliner on the upper waterline.

My go-to eye-shadows are Bobbi Brown (it was a special edition, so most likely it isn't available anymore; but you get an idea on the colours I use) and I use Mac Blacktrack eye-gel for the upper waterline (let me know if you don't know what I'm talking about here). I use the brown the most and also the golds for the inner corners.

Below is a video from my fave makeup artist, Lisa Eldridge. But ignore the bit about pinpoint concealing. She does makeup for models and celebrities whose pics will be magnified multiple times over . The rest of us mere mortals don't need to do that, lol. I also disagree with her here about the eye-makeup being suitable for Asian eyes, in that Asians don't need to do the sockets/ there's really no point. I also disagree with her about sculpting/ contouring, bc as I mentioned before, contouring on an older woman (like me) just makes the face look more gaunt/ older. But I do like the rest of the video, not just for the eyes, but for the whole face.

 

[Phoenix]

For eyebrows, since I have eyebrow embroidery, I don't do much. But when I do, this is what i use from Makeup Forever. I like what Lisa Eldridge does with her brows.

 

[Phoenix]

Lips: I have full, well-defined lips, so I just wear lip gloss most of the time. But for special occasions when I want extra pouty lips, I wear a red lipstick and line my lips with Makeup Forever Eye-liner (yes, eye-liner, lol). I then dab a bit of glittery lip gloss in the midde of my lips to make them more 3D.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Phoenix - I found that video extremely useful! Thanks so much for sharing it. So many tips to that i think will really help me.

 

[Phoenix]

Phoenix - I found that video extremely useful! Thanks so much for sharing it. So many tips to that i think will really help me.

You're very welcome. I'm happy to be able to share.

 

[valeria101]

Taking notes ... Trust me: I will be trying allot of things for the first time ! The eyeliner lip 'service' sounds fun ! A liquid eyeliner is now on my 'to do' list too. I do need a good powder (I hear you about highlighting a bony face !) - wearing foundation is starting to wear me down. What is your favorite brush ?

[I am on the worst data service in Europe, so video will be run tomorrow]


_________
M'am, keep yourself out of hospitals ! OK ? Just got out of one myself [problem solved] & would rather not step in ever again ...

 

[Phoenix]

@valeria101

BRUSHES:

I have sooo many!! These are an essential part of any woman's makeup wardrobe. You all need them, gfs, or at least most of them. I'll now point out which brushes are an absolute must and which are optional. For the latter, I will point out the alternatives.

Foundation/ BB cream/ CC cream Brush: A lot of makeup artists go for a foundation brush. I've tried a few and still prefer to use my own fingers; the reason being I prefer a much lighter coverage. I tend to just put a small pea-sized amount onto my fingers and then use both my hands to apply it. I've seen people use just one hand, but I use both and preferring using the left hand (my non-dominant) on the delicate eye areas so as not to over-stretch the skin there.

Anyway, here's a video of Lisa Eldridge putting on foundation using a brush (I've seen here in many other videos using her fingers too). It's quite helpful for anyone who doesn't know how to apply foundation.

You could also use this egg. One of my friends uses it and swears by it. Personally, I find it soaks up too much foundation/ cream and makes for a heavier coverage.


I'd totally stay away from the old-fashioned sponge. Those things suck up foundation like there's no tomorrow!

My last advice about foundation is that you need to blend, blend, blend around your chin and hair-line. Trust me, you do not want any visible demarcation lines! lol

Blusher: I use Hourglass and/ or Makeup Forever. The former is when I want to apply a bit more blusher and the latter for everyday wear - first and 3rd brushes shown, respectively. The largest one (2nd one) is supposed to be a blusher brush, but I use it very rarely for a light dusting of translucent powder. The last and final brush I use for highlighter (it's supposed to be a foundation brush).

Highlighter: I use this (last one on the right in the pic above) for powder highlighter. You'd want a small light brush to make sure it doesn't pick up too much of the highlighter. You literally just very lightly brush a tiny amount onto the upper part of yr cheekbones. For a cream or liquid highlighter, I use the tips of my fingers to blend in the edges.

Eyeshadow: I use several, the first one for applying the base & then a slightly larger one for the brown shadow by Mac and also for blending. Then, I used a small one for applying a highligher/ lighter shadow onto the inner corners (to make yr eyes look more widely set apart, and also for a certain je-ne-sais-quoi).


The one I use to apply liquid eyeliner is either of the 2 shown below (shown together with the eyebrow brush, shown before). You should try both and see which one you prefer for yourself.

 

[valeria101]

Sure do finger foundation ! - & concealers & any other paint suitable for smudge action.

Everyone I know swears by HUGE brushes for powder/highlighter/blush ... Nice to see your relatively small insruments - much more inviting for starters. Thx !

____
continued from somewhere up this thread: the oilive oil & suggar thing certaily works for me too ... Now that I mentioned doing this around here (olive oil country!), I got handed a botte of almond oil to play with - another local thing. It seems softer, less acidic than olive.

 

[Phoenix]

Sure do finger foundation ! - & concealers & any other paint suitable for smudge action.

Everyone I know swears by HUGE brushes for powder/highlighter/blush ... Nice to see your relatively small insruments - much more inviting for starters. Thx !

____
continued from somewhere up this thread: the oilive oil & suggar thing certaily works for me too ... Now that I mentioned doing this around here (olive oil country!), I got handed a botte of almond oil to play with - another local thing. It seems softer, less acidic than olive.

Those are actually full-sized/ standard brushes. You don't want smaller brushes. You need to be able to hold them properly (whilst not gripping too tightly, lol) and you also need appropriately-sized brush heads so they can pick up the right amount of powder and also so they can do a good job at blending.

You certainly don't need HUGE brushes. Our faces are not huge, lol.

Ah, I forgot about almond oil. Yes, I like that one too. Thanks for that. Jojoba oil (pure) is also a great base.

Have fun playing. Post some pics and/ or videos if you'd like to share. I'd also like to hear about how you fare, anything interesting you find whilst following my tips.

 

[Phoenix]

Oh @valeria101 , let me know also how you fare with the upper waterline tightening. It can be quite hard. I'd also use the Mac gel I recommended for both this and also for drawing on the upper eyelids. I used to use liquid eyeliner but now find the gel much easier to use, especially for upper waterline tightening.

 

[valeria101]

I Will followup - this is such a happy thing to do ! ,-)
-

Re. upper waterline

I have played on the lower ones - using the same colour as on the edge (not waterline) of the upper lid (read: white & blue liquid eyeliners) ... but never did the usual thing.

Question: have you tried powder Kohl ? It seemed easiest to use for me - gave up because the look is OTT relative to my hardly-any-makup habits & the product [YSL] dissapeared as soon as I got a habit ... [not that things cannot be ordered, but ... ]


PICTURES ! ... that's a challenge !

 

[tand*m]

@tand*m , just to let you know I haven't forgotten about you!

Will come back with a detailed reply soon.

Ack, am just seeing this after about a month off-- Norcal fires were quite the shocker last month and I was dealing with stuff while away on work travel... just now getting back to PS. No rush!

 

[Phoenix]

@tand*m , California fires were horrible. My heart goes out to those affected.

No worries, you've had to deal with a lot. I hope all these things have not stressed you even more. My condolences about your being widowed. {{HUGS}}.

To answer your Q, Satan has left for the UK, indefinitely. I'm basically on my own now (was hoping to engage another PT, but that doesn't seem to be working out...ah well). Heavy weight-lifting is proven to be of tremendous benefits - for everyone and not just for any particular individual - namely cardiovascular benefits, increased metabolism, release of the happy hormones (endorphins), better skin, clearer eyes etc etc...However, you'd need to be super careful and build it up gradually so your body, your joints have time to get used to the heavier and heavier weight. I find taking glucosamine on a daily basis really helps with the joints. I take this:

To answer your specific Q, I'd NOT use kettlebells (almost) exclusively, for several reasons:

- kettlebells, overused, will hurt your wrists
- you want to exercise ALL the muscle groups in your body. And that can only be achieved by using different gym equipments, via different exercises
- heavily weights are not necessarily more joint-friendly (pls see my point above), but again you need to vary your workout routines, so that not any one muscle group is over-stressed

Lastly, to lose the extra baby weight, may I suggest that you aim to do more cardio vs weights; and this coming from someone who loves weights. But again, doing heavier weights on a regular basis WILL help your metabolism to increase and that will in turn help you to lose weight. But to start with, may I suggest you tackle the weight loss by doing perhaps an hour of cardio + half an hour of weights, 3-4 times a week if you can manage (?).

Re the insomnia, I have tended to suffer very badly from it too; and at one point , had to resort to taking sleeping pills but have now successfully come off the medication. I find the answer is not to think about it and for some reason, that's worked/ works. Also, it is true that when you're pooped from exercising, you tend to fall asleep faster, more easily.

Good luck and pls do not hesitate to come back, any time, should you have any more Q.

 

[Phoenix]

@tand*m
Heavy weight-lifting is proven to be of tremendous benefits - for everyone and not just for any particular individual -

I should clarify that weight-lifting is NOT suitable for everyone, because that'd depend on their existing health condition and any medical issues they may have. But for those who can do weight-lifting, it'd be of benefits to them.

 

[valeria101]

Re the insomnia ... I find the answer is not to think about it and for some reason, that's worked/ works. Also, it is true that when you're pooped from exercising, you tend to fall asleep faster, more easily.

Second this !

 

[TooPatient]

What vitamins/supplements do you take?

I try to be good and take once per day, but it is such a huge pile I often just skip or pick a few and forget the rest.

1 biotin (nails)
2 cranberry (reading suggested to maybe help swelling, especially if UTI related)
3 dandelion root (swelling)
1 potassium (leg cramps plus need extra to compensate when taking diuretics)
1 E (skin, nails)
1 D (live in Seattle area...)
1 C (overall health and helps to absorb others)
1 B12 (diet is low in B12 so being proactive)
2 multi-vitamin (food based adult woman formula)
1 probiotic (especially since I end up on mega antibiotics once or twice a year for up to 3 months at a time)
1 L-lycine (HUGE difference in how often and how sick I get)
2 glucosamine & chondroitin (family history of arthritis and I have joint pain)

 

[Phoenix]

What vitamins/supplements do you take?

I try to be good and take once per day, but it is such a huge pile I often just skip or pick a few and forget the rest.

1 biotin (nails)
2 cranberry (reading suggested to maybe help swelling, especially if UTI related)
3 dandelion root (swelling)
1 potassium (leg cramps plus need extra to compensate when taking diuretics)
1 E (skin, nails)
1 D (live in Seattle area...)
1 C (overall health and helps to absorb others)
1 B12 (diet is low in B12 so being proactive)
2 multi-vitamin (food based adult woman formula)
1 probiotic (especially since I end up on mega antibiotics once or twice a year for up to 3 months at a time)
1 L-lycine (HUGE difference in how often and how sick I get)
2 glucosamine & chondroitin (family history of arthritis and I have joint pain)

Oh wow, that IS a lot, @TooPatient. I would certainly not take so many and would suggest that you cut back on some of them. I read that if you take too many vitamins, they can have an adverse effect on you rather than vice versa.

The following are what I take on a daily basis, and I have recently cut back on some too. Dosage is 1 per day, unless specified otherwise.

- multi-vitamin: you really don't need more than 1 a day. But I guess it'd depend on what your bottle says, sometimes though I find they tell you to take too much.
- biotin: I've found that it helps to strengthen my hair and nails, though I've been suffering from hair loss recently, not sure why...trying to get to the bottom of this, but I continue to take biotin bc it helps for the baby hairs to grow and replace the lost hairs.
- glucosamine: usually just 1 per day. But if I train very hard with weights, I may take 2 and space them out, so maybe 1 with lunch and 1 with dinner.
- Vit D: this is new to me, recently found out from my blood tests that I'm low on Vit D, which is surprising bc I live in the tropics where it's sunny most of the time. Will keep an eye on this and come off the vitamin if I don't need it.
- probiotics: this is essential. I take everyday before bedtime. I don't eat that much yoghurt bc I'm lactose intolerant and I don't like yoghurt so much anyway.

I used to take Vit E on a daily basis but now take it every 2 days or so. Same for Omega 3, bc I eat fish like 3 times a week. I found out I had lots of B12, most prob bc I eat a lot of meats and fish and until recently ate a lot of eggs (have cut back on the egg yolks), so don't take this. Vit- C wise, I try to up my citrus fruit intake instead of taking the supplement.

I shall not comment on the supplements you take for inflamation/ swelling or L-Lysine bc I don't know much about them, but may impression is that you take way too much. May I suggest that you at least cut out the B12 and Vit C and instead eat more meat and more dairy and more citrus fruits respectively. My theory is why do you need to take vitamins or supplements if you can eat the foods instead? I may in fact reduce my multi-vitamin and take it on an alternate basis instead because I think my diet is pretty good as is. Please also consider cutting back on the glucosamine and also drink cranberry juice (low sugar version if you can find it) instead of taking the supplement.

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks!
I forget the details, but vitamins can be one if two types. One goes away if you have excess and the other builds up to potential problems.

I think you are right that I take too many. Not really any negative issues as I do watch doses, but just so many I tend to skip so don't get the basics. The multi has me do 2 per day but is very broad in what it does and leaves some holes to fill.
B12 is one I don't get from food and would have difficulty due to dietary restriction.

Love cranberry juice! I get one that is pure cranberry (not from concentrate, nothing but 100% cranberry juice) and mix just enough cranberry blueberry juice (also no sugar, just sweetened with blueberry and white grape) to make it deliciously tart.
I have been trying the cranberry supplements mostly as I notice some discomfort that needs addressed before it gets to be a problem.

 

[doberman]

Thanks!
I forget the details, but vitamins can be one if two types. One goes away if you have excess and the other builds up to potential problems.

.

Fat soluble vitamins linger. Vitamin A, D., K and E.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who slathers on the sunscreen - even in the winter. Don't ski without sunscreen, I learned that the hard way. I like LaRoche Posay, but I prefer Neutrogena UltraSheer Drytouch 100 SPF. I'm very fair with very light eyes. And lighter eye color puts you at risk for skin cancer. Sun exposure ages you so much, I really see that at my age.

 

[Phoenix]

Just an update on my hair loss for anyone who might be interested/ might be suffering from hair loss. I've finally figured out what is the cause, after spending thousands of dollars on numerous trips to the endocrinologist, numerous blood tests, different vitamins and expensive hair products. Well, none of those revealed or helped with anything and the endocrinologist is bl**dy useless!! I did a ton of research online and couldn't find anything obvious. I even tried coming off some vitamins, thinking maybe I was over-doing one or a combo thereof. I tried to eat more carbs and up as well as vary my vegetable and fruit consumption, all to no avail. My hair loss went from 10-20 per day to 200-300 per day!!

I then tried different dosages of Euthyrox, a little less than I was taking and now about 50% more than what I'd been taking for about 7 years. Guess what?! It's working!! My hair loss has slowed down considerably! It's still not back to 10-20 hairs a day but it's certainly not 300 a day!!

I'll update ya' all again once my hair loss is back to normal.

@Alex T, I find that Biotin does not help to slow down (or lessen the volume of) hair loss. What it does do it to stimulate new hair growth. I have lots of baby hairs at places where the previous hairs were, replacing the lost hairs.

 

[valeria101]

.
Good to hear !

Your story confirms something I have long suspected about myself: my hair does not like stress (hormones); nothing else matters nearly as much ...

_

btw. Thanks again for great skin ,-) It Loves your suggar treatment !

 

[Phoenix]

.
Good to hear !

Your story confirms something I have long suspected about myself: my hair does not like stress (hormones); nothing else matters nearly as much ...

_

btw. Thanks again for great skin ,-) It Loves your suggar treatment !

Thank you, Valeria.

Glad to hear you love the sugar treatment. I try to go natural as much as possible.

How's the make up going? I like this video btw, though I think she's a bit heavy-handed with the sculpting:

 

[valeria101]

.
Yes for natural ! Somehow, these things work best for me, for frequent, routine use. If anything, I am still in search of a good moisturizer, ready to try something heavier that lasts. Do I remember right that this is your strategy ?

Makeup change is ... SO NOTICED ! And I am barely doing anything, trust me.

 

[t-c]

Apologies in advance if I’m out of line as I haven’t read most of the posts on this thread; it’s just that I noticed a discussion on desired body fat percent. I don’t know how you measure it, but some are citing quite low desired numbers. So I just wanted to note that there is a point when body fat percentage gets too low and some normal functions get turned off.

While a competitive athlete in high school and college, I was amenorrheic and my body just wasn’t repairing itself well. My parents, docs, and coaches took it seriously enough that I was put on a weight gain diet and regularly got dunked in the water to check my fat levels — the diet didn’t work. The only thing that did was stopping intense training (turned out injuries were a blessing in disguise). In my middle age, I’m still dealing with the effects of those “lean” years.

I suggest regular check-ups and really paying attention to your body while shooting for your health/body goal: how well you recover from injuries, even one as simple as a bruise; monitor calcium levels and bone density long-term; etc. I would normally advise not to focus on arbitrary weight or body fat numbers and suggest focusing on training for something (working out for its own sake is weird to me), but that doesn’t really apply here.

I also wanted to note that fast weight loss could trigger hair to fall out as well. Follicular death sometimes become synchronized; it’s not permanent. New hair growth also is synchronized to replace the loss so you’ll have lots of fuzzy growth. Don’t know if this could apply here.

 

[Phoenix]

.
Yes for natural ! Somehow, these things work best for me, for frequent, routine use. If anything, I am still in search of a good moisturizer, ready to try something heavier that lasts. Do I remember right that this is your strategy ?

Makeup change is ... SO NOTICED ! And I am barely doing anything, trust me.

Yes. I use Estee Lauder, this one. Have used it for about 10 years. It's super rich, perfect for my very dry skin; and a little goes a long way.

Cool re the makeup change!!