Sans Makeup, S'il Vous Plaît (NYT)

[Deleted member 86807]

Most of the models seem to have a bad skin, if you see pictures of them without make-up. It is possible to have a good skin --- people just stress to much and think they should have 100 different creams, peels and moisturizers.

I agree about that too. I think using too many skincare products is a littlle unnecessary. I mean do people really need that much? Yes it is good to take care of your skin, but I don't think anyone would need a different product for every skin dilemma. Skincare shopping can be a little dizzy for me because of that reason. I like products that are multitaskable (Ex: products that treat big pores, acne, brighten dull skin, etc.). There is this japanese skincare brand called Dr. Labo that creates products like that. Thank god..........

But anyway, I like the "no makeup look" wink wink. A little goes a long way.

 

[Whitelinen]

I used to believe in having and using 100 different products. Then I switched into a very simple routine of three products; guess what? My skin is so good I don't need make-up.

I also have to add that the amount of water one consumes plays a part in what kind of skin you might have. Your diet also has a part; if you diet and restrict yourself, bad for the skin; if you eat unhealthy foods, bad for the skin. At least that is what I have noticed.

 

[kissablekae]

i stopped using cleansers four years ago, since then my skin has only gotten better and better. Over the summer i tried to get back into using cleansers because of the icky hot weather but it only made my skin breakout! it was soo horrible..never again! of course once i stopped my skin cleared up again.

ive heard that salmon is good for skin so i tried to have every once and a while and right now im trying to drink more water and cut out coffee!(but it soo good..)

i either wear minimal or no makeup so no more than 1-4 products on my face for the day. i like it that way because when you go out and night and wear more makeup, people are like OoooOO Ahh.. you look so different versus seeing me look overly glammed up everyday.

 

[luvmelots1983]

^You think dieting is bad for the skin? I thought it'd be good, because you're stopping yourself from eating fatty, fried foods and things like chocolate in large amounts.

Oh, btw, I'm so excited! This is just me, but I'm really used to wearing makeup- I love the non-makeup look, wish I could sport it, but I'm really just too self-conscious after having had acne in the past and being so used to covering it up with makeup.
Anyway, today my boyfriend called and had to be picked up from the hospital immediately - obviously I didnt have time to do the entire full-fledged routine, so I just threw on a tiny bit of blush and a streak of eyeliner. That's it... and when I glanced at the mirror later, it looked like I had foundation on - my skin was so even and toned. Even my roommate and boyfriend commented on how fresh I looked - they had no idea I wasnt wearing the tinted moisturizer/foundation I usually do. So, this is my news
I'm excited - I think I've finally reached the point where I dont need to cover up, only accentuate. YAY!

 

[Whitelinen]

There is a difference between dieting and eating healthy foods. Dieting is when you restrict your calorie intake, stress about food and cut away food groups. Unhealthy eating is eating junk food, white bread and pasta, refined sugar ... Then there is healthy eating. It has nothing to do with dieting or eating unhealthily. A healthy diet is about a lot of fruits and vegetables, wholewheat grains, good fats (olive oil etc), enough quality proteins ... that kind of thing. The way I see it, both dieting and eating to get fatter are unhealthy ways of eating, and both of them are not good for the skin.

 

[miu_miu]

^excellent points!

 

[legaldiva]

I tend to wear less make up, especially in the winter. It is SO cold right now, and my skin dries out so quickly. Wearing a face full of make up makes my skin look "tired" after two days in a row of wearing make up.

 

[kissablekae]

today, one of my old coworkers came in to eat at the restaurant i work at, she complimented my skin. i said its magic water..as in just water! i told her about how i broke out like crazy in the summertime when i tried to be all high maintenance and started using cleansers again after 4 years of just water. she says the same exact thing happened to her! our skin became dry and very sensitive. for the both of us, our skin cleared up right after we stopped using facial cleansers. at least we both learned from our experience and look good now haha

 

[heaven]

i luv the whole "no makeup look", for me it's easier to get used to it if you just day by day wear less and less, giving yourself a chance to get used to it, and suprisingly I FEEL MORE BEAUTIFUL without! who would have thought?

 

[luvmelots1983]

^Well, I can certainly understand feeling more beautiful without makeup on; after all, you'll feel like it's actually YOU, rather than stuff on your face. So when you get compliments, it's not directed at the artistry of your makeup application- you feel you're actually getting a compliment about yourself. I feel better with makeup on, because I feel it hides my flaws; however the best compliments are those I receive when I'm not dressed at all. When someone tells me I'm beautiful with I have nothing on my face, I feel as if I actually deserve that compliment; it's not the makeup they like.

 

[modelbehavior228]

My sister just told me that there are two me's. A pretty Ben and an ugly Ben. I guess I am ugly w/o makeup like I thought I was

 

[luvmelots1983]

^Awww, dont say that. I'm sure thats not true. We're ALL beautiful, makeup or no makeup

 

[Whitelinen]

^ I have noticed that too. I have yet to meet a person who does look awful without make-up. And don't believe what your sister says

 

[Virginielle]

And strangely enough, I've known scores of people who manage to look awful with makeup!

 

[modelbehavior228]

^I know. The secretary at my church, well, her face looks literally like WAX she wears sooo much foundation. I mean, it looks like a greasy candle. It is bad. Really bad. I want to say something so bad to her to help her out, but I wouldn't dare, that would be mean. And I am not mean, lol

 

[Kimkhuu]

There's nothing that beats a plain no makeup face..... But for some people who "need" minimal coverage, a tinted moisturizer is a safe bet, natural looking.

 

[modelbehavior228]

^I dunno. I like the perfect polished look that the right amount of face powder can give.

 

[crechebaby]

I worked at Clarins in the USA and we had the least amount of sales compared to other companys that were selling mainly cosmetics, it is definately true that American women prefer cosmetics to skin care. I dont want to generalize but thats just from my own experience.

I'd tend to disagree with it, based purely on my own personal experience. Skincare is neccessary maintenance. You find something that works well, and you stick with it. Makeup is for fun. It is for playing with, for experimenting with different sides of your personality--at least, that's the way I see it.

My skin care routine:
Wash morning & night with water & a softly scrubby washcloth. Green Cream after that (which more or less eradicates my need for moisturizers or really anything else), sunscreen on top of that, and my Zeno for the occasional pimple.

I have good enough skin that foundation is optional on any given day. I wear a sheer formula when I want to look particularly polished (say, going to church today), and that's usually accompanied by mascara and gloss. I defy any woman (french or no) to consider this overly made up.

However, I also have an absolute blast playing with makeup and experimenting with different looks (it's like dress-up) on occasion. I therefore have more makeup than the entire staff at Vogue. Therefore, you can see why the balance of "dollars spent" tips dramatically towards the makeup side.

On another subject:

I have to express the slight irritation I feel at the constant French-worship often found in US magazines--Vogue, Allure, and Elle seem to be the worst offenders. While I really like and admire much of their culture and customs, the part that bothers me is the inevitable comparison of refined, elegant frenchwomen to boorish, uncivilized american women. Does there need to be this one-upmanship?

Some time ago I read an article (in one of the above mentioned magazines) about french women and the lingerie they wear. The article stated quite firmly that french women prefer subtlety and the art of concealing--as opposed, of course, to american women and the vulgarity of the crotchless peekaboo trash we wear.

I then ventured onto the internet and used Google's language tools to find french lingerie websites. I was faced with the EXACT SAME tasteless hooker trash you can find on most of their american website counterparts. Surprise! I also found some websites with really lovely, elegant, tasteful stuff, but there didn't seem to be an overwhelmingly larger percentage in one country or the other.

Not all french women are thin, they're not all impeccably dressed with perfect makeupless skin, cultured tastes, fine education, and superior love-making skills. They have many of those, I'm sure--but then, so do we. Just like Canada, and South Africa, and Germany, and.... you get the point.

To try to elevate an entire country onto some bizarre, ambigious pedestal is just as silly as making vast, sweeping statements of ridicule about another.

 

[Pinky*]

well makeup has new colours all the time and are cheaper whereas skincare isn't disposable and is more expensive.. but in terms of revenue, skincare always brings more in, for us at least! i'm sure clarins gets a sales boost during summertime with their sun care line

europeans seem to have a different relationship with makeup than north americans, like food.. the appearance of youth is so emphasized in north america but in europe, maturity is womanly as well.. so what if the french are wearing less? they have a different culture that allows them to do what they do as do americans. just do what makes you feel best, some ppl like more, some like less .. oftentimes women wear more with the intention of having it appear like they aren't wearing it, so go figure..

 

[luvmelots1983]

Crechebaby, that was a beautifully expressed sentiment, and I'm inclined to agree with you for the most part. While I aspire to the "wearing nothing" look, the truth is I love makeup - I have drawers and drawers full of the stuff, and I'm pretty good at playing with it, if I do say so myself. So, we're very alike there.
I do have to admit I'm one of the French worshippers you're talking about. I dont consider it a contest between America and France, in which the former is consistently and humiliatingly being defeated or anything- I just really love the culture of the French. In my experience, anyway, I've noticed for myself those stereotypes everyone keeps referring to. The thin women, healthy relationship with self, cultured mannerisms, bare-faced looks- these are things I've actually experienced so I didnt think twice to refer to them; I'm sorry if it bothered anyone. (I actually travel to Paris often, have spent long summers there, and am dating a French guy here- so I promise, it's not unfounded bias!)
But yes, I do agree with you that there's going to be a dichotomy in any country - the tasteless and the chic. I just happen to think for the most part the French are pretty damn chic