Was passing through the cosmetic section of the Corte Inglés this morning (we had been shopping at the supermarket there) and saw a big Clinique display that was promoting high impact mascara and I thought WTF???
Like, what the hell does that even mean?
I said to Nog that I was convinced cosmetic companies must have some sort of in-joke competition amongst themselves to see who can come up with the most absurd promotional jargon and still get people to fall for it. Anyhow, we had great fun on the way home coming up with the various benefits of wearing high impact mascara.
Must be the heat. 😉
casa azahar 
Honestly, I don’t pay attention to cosmetics ads at all. I can’t remember the last time I was in a department store where they had a cosmetics counter, actually. I’m not much of a shopper, and malls and big stores depress me. I prefer to spend my money on things like music and books. Oh, and stemmer crushers and wine presses this month. . .
Of course, I do not have to exist in a corporate environment, but even when I did (which was back in 1991) I did not wear makeup.
Long ago I became an extremely radical person who viewed ads for cosmetics, hair dyes, clothes, as a way to make women feel bad about themselves: “You are very imperfect. The only thing that will fix you and make you beautiful and attractive is our product. Buy it!”
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The only make-up I use on a daily basis is a bit of brown eyebrow pencil (since I don’t happen to have any eyebrows) which is sparingly applied and then brushed in to, well, fill in the bald bits somewhat.
On occasion I might also use this same pencil to ‘underline’ my eyes a little, and also a flick or two of brown Body Shop mascara (also don’t have much in the way of eyelashes). And that’s it.
It took me years to learn to wear mascara so I didn’t end up looking like a racoon after about half an hour.
I’m afraid I’ve never mastered lipstick – I keep forgetting I have it on and end up with it smeared all over the place.
As for foundation, blush, etc – yuck.
Recently I was given a sample of a Chanel moisturizer that says on it – ‘AGE DELAY, Time-fighting Rejuvenation Lotion!’ Well, I’ve been using it for the past four months and haven’t noticed any difference at all from how my usual light Pond’s moisturizer works. I certainly don’t look any younger.
The Chanel moisturizer costs 60€ for 50ml. The Pond’s costs 8€ for 75ml.
Case closed. 😉
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I usually only wear a bit of mascara, because my eyelashes are light red and virtually invisible without some sort of enhancement. I really don’t need foundation or blush, because I rarely have blemishes and haven’t gotten any wrinkles or anything. Maybe because I don’t rub all kinds of goop into my face?
I will wear lipstick and little bit of a sparkly green eye shadow pencil if I’m going someplace fancy, like a wedding or graduation party.
I will admit to paying a wee bit more to get department store mascara as opposed to the less expensive stuff at the drugstore, because I have really sensitive eyes and have had allergic reactions to so much stuff, I just stick with the brands that have never bothered me- Beauty Without Cruelty and Burt’s Bees.
My moisturizer is made by St. Ives and costs about $3 for a 12 oz jar. And it seems to work just fine!
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The cosmetic advertising that amuse me most is for stuff to slap on ageing skin – which they slap on wee things who look about 17 yrs old. They must think us old birds are really stoopid.
I don’t do lipstick – don’t have the lips for it – but I do do mascara and eyeliner, otherwise my eyes look like pissholes-in-the-snow.
I do use a tinted moisturiser with SPF – and in summer I paint my toenails – but that’s about it.
I will be availing myself of some Botox, next time I see my brother-in-law. I’m not too bothered about wrinkles – but the two deep lines between my eyebrows make me look permanently cross and I’d like to get rid of them. If you see me looking more vacuous than usual, you’ll know his trigger finger slipped. Ha.
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Ewwww – you’re really going to do Botox, Teuchter? I have two very deep ‘worry lines’ between my eyes – have had them since I was about 25. I’m more annoyed that the left one is longer than the right one – symmetry would be good.
You don’t have the lips for lipstick? Seems to me that’s why most women wear lipstick – to enhance their small lips. Turns out I not only have a big mouth 😉 but also quite plump lips. Where the fuck did the idea come from that a woman with fat lips was somehow ‘sensuous’ looking? What a load of crap.
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Interesting point, PC, that perhaps you don’t need foundation and blush, etc. because you never got into the habit of ‘rubbing all kinds of goop’ into your face?
Because once you start doing that you also need all the ‘cleansers and tonics’ to get your skin back to somewhat normal before you do it all over again the next day?
I wash my face with lukewarm water and lots of it. No soap or special facial cleansing product. I will sometimes – maybe once a year? – do a face cleansing mask thingy if I remember to. Then I put on moisturizer and that’s it.
People often tell me I don’t look almost 50 like this is some sort of fabulous thing. What the hell is wrong with looking 50 if you look healthy and happy?
It seems I’ve almost always looked younger than my years – it’s fucking genetic, man! It’s not any sort of personal accomplishment, it’s not anything I personally did. And it was certainly nothing accomplished by using over-priced ‘anti-aging’ magic creams.
What the hell is wrong with aging anyhow? Why would I keep trying to look like I am 35 when I am in fact 49 and 3/4?
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Wrinkles, well I like mine. Memories of laughters 😉 I´m 46 and I don´t mind looking like 46, even if I often got the comment that I look younger.
Since I´m constantly dehydrated due to the rather high doses of diuretics I must take daily;I must use lotion all over me on a regular basis. Usually I buy some face cream at Body Shop, my daughter decides she needs it better and gives me some stuff she bought at the grocery store… The same thing goes with the body lotion unless it smells something she doesn´t like. Luckily I like Body Shop´s sandalwood body lotion, while she doesn´t…
I rarely use make up. Occasionally I do an effort and dig up some mascara, eyeliner, lip pencil and lipstick, dark red lipstick… I´m a mean ole bitch and no one is going to consider me as a cute bimbo… 😈
I think genetics has something to do with the skin and how it ages. My maternal grandmother born 1913 lived in a “proletarian agricultutal setting” all her life and did not spend much time or money on her looks. She had very few wrinkles when she died at the age of 78.
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I reckon it’s mostly genetics, which is why it’s such a load of crap what the cosmetic industry keeps trying to convince us of – that if we buy their products we will somehow look ‘better’.
And of course their main message is that we all want to look younger.
I don’t. Couldn’t give a flying about looking younger. What I don’t want to look like is tired or unhealthy, which sometimes happens. Like, waking up with eyes like golf balls. Yuck.
I think the main thing that has helped me not look like a total shrivelled up piece of dirt is the fact that I drink at least two litres of water a day. And I also slap moisturizer on my face two or three times a day.
I mean, I sometimes smoke, I am fond of wine, and I don’t always have the healthiest diet you can imagine … but I keep drinking that water and also remember to re-moisturize my face and neck. Takes two minutes.
It’s not wrinkles I’m concerned about, it’s about not looking healthy.
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Yeah! I’m not so concerned with looking “younger”… though people always guess that I’m 10 years younger anyway. I just like looking healthy, which I don’t think goopy makeup or tanning beds contribute much to, ya know?
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High impact mascara? Better than a poke in the eye…
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😯
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It’s happened again! The light Pond’s moisturizer I’d been using is no longer available! Gaaaaa!
Why does every nice inexpensive skin moisturizing product I find end up getting discontinued? Grrrr…
Anyhow, when Nog and I were coming home from a bit of shopping this morning I spotted a big 40% OFF sign at a place called Yves Rocher (which I’ve never been into before, but a friend of mine likes their products).
So we went in and I said I was looking for a simple light oil-free moisturizer and the person working there actually touched my face in a few places and then said something called BIOSPECIFIC (with vegetal flavonoid complex) was the thing for me. 😕
Well, what do I know? At 40% off it only ended up costing about 5€ so I bought one and if I like it I’ll go back and buy a couple more tomorrow (last day of their special 25th anniversary 40% off thingy) so a few months from now I won’t end up with the same dilemma.
The hype on this small package is quite amazing. “Regulates excess sebum, procures an immediate lasting matte effect, result: skin stays clear and matte all day long”.
At least those claims are not as absurd as the ones on the 60€ Chanel moisturizer that I’d been given a free sample to try out that claims: “Targeted hydrating day lotion is the first line of defence against age. Exclusive formula to: PREVENT, REJUVENATE, CORRECT. 🙄
Apparently the Chanel product is not only allergy and dermatologist tested (frankly, which skin products aren’t ?) but also says it is “Comedogenicity tested”, as in what the fuck is that and why should I pay 12 times more for it?
Whatever “vegetal flavonoid complex” is, it’s obviously not as expensive as that other stuff.
Honestly, the mind reels . . .
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one thing that always has confused med with Yvès Rocher (Mum shops his stuff) is their ability to preserve RNA and put in skin creams – they use the french term ARN.
My experience is if you want RNA you have some 10-15 min after an animal has died/plant has ben cut to extract RNA, Then it dissolves…
… and then I just don´t get what they need RNA for – it´s a code for cells how to build proteins…
It´s like “serum” that is so popular in the cosmetic industri. Serum for me is what is left when you´ve taken away the cells from the blood…. Noway I would put that into my face
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Never did get to buy more of the Yves Rocher stuff – the queue out the door on Saturday (last day of the 40% off thingy) made any discount seriously not worth it.
Anyhow, I’m sure I’ll find something similar next month . . .
az
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green eyes specially those deep green ones are very unique and very attractive. i really love those ::;
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