I bought a few things from Amazon for my face. Ha, that sounds kinda weird, but it’s true. All those YouTube videos of people slathering on makeup and making themselves look fantastic got into my head a little bit, so when someone gave me an Amazon gift certificate I thought “Why not?”
Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Primer Skin Transformer, Clear, 0.85 Fluid Ounce – I’m not sure if this stuff did much for my pores, but it sure makes my skin feel velvety to the touch. It’s best to put it on the places that need it (the pores on my cheeks, the line in my forehead) and a little bit goes a long way. Doesn’t smell like much and is a clear superglue-type consistency. Seems more like a filler than anything, like my face is a tile wall that needed some grouting. (And by the way, the bottle is about the height of my palm across.)
Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte Plus Poreless Foundation Makeup, Nude Beige, 1 Fluid Ounce – This foundation is nice. It went on smoothly with a stipple brush and would have looked really natural if I’d gotten the right color. Unfortunately, my skin is lighter than I thought it was, so the Nude Beige was too strong for my face and looked like I’d had a mishap with some self-tanner. I’ll probably pick up a different color if I see this in the store. Didn’t have much of a smell, felt fairly weightless against my skin — there wasn’t that sense of wearing a heavy clown face some thicker foundations give. Definitely needs some translucent powder to set it, as it maybe highlighted the fine lines around my mouth and nose, though that problem might solve itself with a better color match. I don’t know if it matters, but it’s got a yellow tint that some people might not like.
Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream, Light/Medium, 1 Fluid Ounce – This stuff was really nice. It went on smoothly and blended into my skin naturally. It doesn’t look like I put anything on at all, while at the same time it got rid of the bit of redness I had on my chin. Plus it’s an SPF 30 and has 0% oils, which is nice. It doesn’t have a noticeable smell and I can’t even feel it on my skin. Though a little bit goes a LONG way. Seriously, instead of squeezing some onto the back of my hand, I should have just dabbed a bit onto my face with my finger and added more as necessary, because I ended up wasting the excess. It’s a very light foundation, so if you need heavier coverage, you might pair this with some concealer or use it as a bottom layer.
In conclusion, I think I’ll start using the primer after I moisturize and top it with the bb cream. It seems to be enough for everyday and it evens out my skin tone in an acceptable manner.
To be honest, I don’t really need much makeup. Other than the occasional breakout or bit of redness from where I pick at my skin, my complexion is usually fairly clear. I do have large pores and a horrible squint line across my forehead, but the primer and bb cream might just handle those.
Still, who doesn’t want to look attractive?
It would have been nice to slather on a bit of makeup and look in the mirror to see a new face, but I guess I’ll just have to accept that my face is my face. And when I want to seriously glam it up or actually take a headshot for my bio, I’ll have myself made up by a professional.
Otherwise, this summer will see me with a ponytail, a hat, and a Deadpool tee shirt.
* * *
And dudes, even if you’re a woman that’s not into makeup or you’re a dude-dude, I definitely recommend slathering on some moisturizer and sunblock. Because at the end of the day, skin cancer really sucks and you don’t want any.
Pick up an oil-free moisturizer — I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Sensitive Skin or the store-brand equivalent — and try to avoid the moisturizer and sunscreen combos if you get breakouts because your face might just explode.
For sunblock I’m super cheap so I usually just buy some baby sunblock. It doesn’t react with my skin, since it’s made for babies and it just sits on the surface rather than being sucked into my pores. Plus baby sunblock doesn’t have that heavy smell that adult brands do, so that’s really nice. Spread some on 15 minutes before going into the sun and it’s not all greasy and gross (manufacturers probably realized that slippery babies = law suits, just saying).
So my recommendation for all the dudes regardless of gender or inclination is:
- Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Sensitive Skin
- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer
- Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
- baby sunscreen or sunblock
All together, you can probably keep your skin looking young, fresh, and cancer free for less than $30.
Enjoy the skin you’re in.
