Miss Lumpy

Beauty Tips from Miss Lumpy

image from weheartit.com

LJ user momoco did the lolita community a huge favor yesterday by asking it to compile its best beauty secrets. This treasure trove of information containing tips for skin, hair, and make-up prompted me to compile my own list of beauty tricks &treats.

1. Healthy skin always starts from the inside. If your insides are unhealthy, your outsides will show it. An old standby is water: drink a lot, but not too much as over-hydration can be just as dangerous. I try to keep a glass or bottle next to me at all times, whether I’m in class, at work, or even in bed at night. Also, take vitamins. This is probably obvious – A, C, &E are particularly helpful for your skin. If you have dry skin, it may be because you’re not getting enough healthy fats – try eating more avocado or fish, or take fish oil supplements. Diet is incredibly important too- make sure you’re eating things that are good for you, that your body can easily process. Otherwise, all the icky that it can’t process will come out through your pores! Personally, I’m borderline-religious with my refusal to eat red meat, and I also avoid white meat and dairy like the plague. A balanced diet containing mostly whole grains and fresh produce, with a good amount of protein (serving size about the size of your fist, and get creative with tofu or nuts instead of just meat – did you know that humans are only supposed to eat half a pound of meat a week?!) and a small percentage of dairy and sweets works best for me.
2. Chemicals, in my opinion, are muy mal. I try to avoid unnatural chemicals whenever possible. Sure, some are okay, but I don’t want to take chances with my body. I wash both my hair and face with baking soda and apple cider vinegar (more information on the “no-poo method” here), and supplement with oatmeal scrubs for my face/body and hot oil treatments for my hair as necessary.
3. Go as organic as possible with your make-up – I know it can be pricey, but at least choose mineral over non-. Mineral make-up is usually rich in vitamins A, C, &E which are great for your skin, and is usually longer-lasting than most commercial make-up. Remember that your skin is porous; obviously, everyone talks about pores, but most people don’t realize that that means that it’s absorbing at least a percentage of everything you put on it, which includes your make-up &the chemicals in it.
4. Ascertain which make-up colors most compliment your natural beauty so you don’t have to lather on more products to get the desires results. For example, I’ve found that brown or dusty rose eyeshadows bring out my hazel eyes, which means that more attention are drawn to them and I can go lighter on mascara or eyeliner. A quick google search will give you some suggestions, but a general rule is the color wheel – anything directly across it is its opposite and will make the color pop, like purple for green eyes. Go easy, though!
5. Stay away from Proactiv!! I’ve never tried it myself so I admit I may be wrong/misinformed, but I’ve heard some terrible horror stories. It also goes against my “avoid as many chemicals as possible” rule, because it’s supposedly loaded with them. The way a healthy exfoliator works is it is composed of small circluar beads that gently brush away dead skin. An unhealthy exfoliator like (I’ve heard) apricot scrubs has triangular beads, the sharp corners of which rip off layers of dead skin &usually a few layers of healthy new skin as well. The way Proactiv and other chemical exfoliators work is they use harsh, caustic chemicals to literally create a small chemical burn all over your face &removes skin this way, usually penetrating multiple layers of healthy skin as well which leave your face exposed to the elements. I’ve also heard that it’s “addictive,” meaning your skin only looks nice until you go off it, then once you stop using it it’s even worse than when you started &it’s harder for your body to naturally balance itself. It removes but it doesn’t heal.

Specific products that I adore &find highly underrated:

1. Baking soda is my number one favorite substance ever. A brief list of beauty uses is available here, but there are dozens of other uses both for your body &around the house. Sodium bicarbonate is pretty much fantastic &no one will ever convince me otherwise.
2. Bronzer! Contrary to popular belief, bronzer is different from self-tanner: it’s not used to make your skin look darker (well, it can be, but shouldn’t be, as this looks unnatural) but to give your face and body a subtle, healthy glow. I used a powdered bronzer with two different shades that I blend together with a brush and then apply anywhere the sun would naturally kiss my face: cheekbones, bridge of the nose, jawline, &along the hairline. Make sure you blend, and only use a tiny bit – remember, you’re not trying to make yourself tan! This just adds a gentle, healthy, sun-kissed glow about you &can make you look more awake.
3. Highlighting powder. Mine is a shimmery white and pink that I mix together with a brush and apply, much like my bronzer. The idea is that the light shades &subtle sparkle catch light and reflect it, so shadowed areas appear less sunken. I use this on my under eye circles, though you can use it anywhere that needs a little “lift,” such as along the laugh lines or under the bottom lip. Like I said, I apply a bit under my eyes &blend it down into my blush &bronzer – sometimes I put a bit of mineral foundation over it to cut down on shimmer &make it look more natural.
4. Primers. These are mostly colorless creams that are applied under make-up and improve coverage, blendability, and longevity of your make-up. I recently tried BB cream, which worked amazingly as a foundation primer (I’ve ordered my own as a Christmas present!) – totally recommend it. I also have a small pot of Aromaleigh’s Eye and Lip Primer that I use on, well, my eyes and lips. It’s great for bright eyeshadow as it evens &lightens your natural lid shade. I also love it on my lips as a base for red or even alone with balm over it for the very en-vogue nude lip.
5. I’m currently really into liquid liner – not a huge secret or anything, but I’ve always used pencil because of the nice smudge it gives &recently switched. It really gives much more freedom &lasts much longer than pencil, &it gives a more drastic, distinct line.

I’ve said in the past and I’ll say it again, I don’t really know too much about make-up, so all of this is based almost solely on my own experience &things I’ve heard from professionals I’ve worked with. It’s very possible that all of the above is just true for me &my body. If I’ve bashed a product or process that you like or am endorsing one that doesn’t work for you, please let me know in the comments! Everyone’s body is different, and some things will work &some things won’t. It’s important to experiment and hear different opinions so you can figure out what you best react to.

So, do you have any particular tips or tricks you’d like to share with the class?