The Makeup Box

Woo, thanks for the heads-up on the deal, Emma!

(Those of you who can access Nordstrom Rack, keep an eye out!)

Hi makeupforall1, I have a pretty basic setup.

1. Samsumg PL120 camera with the front LCD-screen so you can aim and adjust (I’m considering getting a higher-end camera if this one dies though…)

2. A white table/reading lamp. This provides adequate lighting without changing the color and texture of your makeup in photos. I don’t like how flash sometimes “bleaches” a look and makes things look different from what they are in real life.

3. You need basic image editing software to crop pictures, and do minor Color Balance correction if your camera, lighting, etc happen to make the overall picture appear too yellow, too green, too red, too blue, etc.

Hope this helps, and have fun with your blog!

Hi sc0obysnax, the safest thing to do is to check the number accompanying the Period-after-Opening marker on the back of the package. This states how long the product is expected to stay usable. E.g. 20M means it should stay good for 20 months after opening.

But don’t just use that as an indicator! IN GENERAL, if you’re using a powder pigment or pressed shadow which doesn’t contain any organic fats or binders, it will stay good for an indefinite amount of time.

For everything else, there’s also the:

• Expiry date - check this before you buy, please…. If a product is due to expire 2 months from now, don’t get it.
• Smell/Texture - Some ingredients can change color and separate without actually going bad. For many oil-in-water or pigment-in-water/oil emulsions, just shake it up and you’re good to go. But if the texture has changed to the point where it’s no longer the same product anymore, or if it smells to smell off, OUT it goes.

The rule-of-thumb is: throw it out whichever comes first; the usage date, the Period-after-Opening date, OR the smell and consistency.

It doesn’t matter how much it cost. It will cost a lot more for you to fix your face.

Hi, nice to meet a fellow-Singaporean!

(Haven’t met many on Tumblr so far.) If you want oil control, I really like the Rachel K CC cream better than most of the other BB creams.

Just make sure you get the “Neutral” coloring, as the “Fair” is WAY too pink for most Asian skins. (Choose a CC Cream by its undertones. Not the shade it is when you swatch it on.) I like Skin79 Hot Pink Super+ Balm as well as it comes in a good tone for those of us who aren’t porcelain-pale, but so far, the Rachel K feels the least heavy/sticky but still gives good coverage.

(Also, the trick is not to rub/smear it on like a foundation, but to just dot a little over areas of your face, and then use your fingers to lightly pat-pat-pat.)

P.S. I know what you mean about the sales ladies. I don’t think most of them even use BB creams or care enough to make a good recommendation!