What beauty blogs do you read?

This week is shaping up to be a crazy one (grading and job applications, and blah blah blah). Though I have a lot of photos squirreled away for reviews, I doubt I will have an open window of time sufficient to write the detailed reviews I have in mind (Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks, Do I Need This? mascara primer edition, Urban Decay Vice Sheer F-Bomb lipstick, comparisons on blush placements, etc.). But I probably will have a few minutes here and there when I need a break, and one of my favorite ways to use up those minutes is by reading beauty blogs.

So please tell me which blogs you're reading these days! And feel free to plug your own blog, too. Some of my current favorites are: auxiliary beauty; Bad Outfit, Great Lipstick; Lab Muffin; Makeup Withdrawal; My Darling Clementine; Rocaille Writes . . . ummm, and I'm sleepy, so if I haven't mentioned your blog here, it doesn't mean I don't read it and love it. Remind me in the comments!

Non-beauty blog recommendations always welcome, too.

I need eyebrow help!

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Avon has gone and betrayed me by discontinuing my favorite eyebrow pencil. It was the perfect not-too-soft, not-too-warm blonde pencil. Swatches and reviews here, here, and here. I only have half a pencil left, so I know that means only a couple more months of bliss. Then I'm going to have to find something new. (There are a few of them still available on Amazon, but because the seller used my photo for the listing without my permission, I don't want to buy from them.)

I am conducting on my own search, but just in case: does anyone have suggestions for neutral-to-cool taupe eyebrow pencils that are easy to use? Most of the blonde options I've tested have been on the warm side. I'd prefer something not too expensive, since I go through them pretty quickly. And I'm too lazy to fuss with formats other than pencils, for the most part. I'd appreciate any help I can get!

Self-serving fashion question

I am so fucking uninspired fashion-wise lately. I've actually been thinking about just buying a bunch of Old Navy boatneck tops and a handful of J. Crew sweaters in that one style I like in several colors and just basically developing a uniform. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

I hate all the clothes I own, but I really can't afford to replace them. And they're fine, anyway. Putting together outfits used to be one of my favorite little daily pleasures, and now all I want to do is throw on whatever's crumpled up on the floor next to the bed.

Have you had this experience? How did you snap out of it? HEEEELP MEEEE!

Maybe the trick is to get out in the fresh air and start feeling more positive about things in general, and the style will follow. It's spring now, right?

Quick question: What's your favorite moisturizer?

So I find myself, for really the first time in my life, dealing with dry/tight skin. I'm thinking it must be an age thing. It's dry in my apartment because the heat is on all the time now, and my face also get a little chapped from walking out in the wind everyday. But neither of these things are new. I have always lived in dry and/or cold and/or windy places. And I've always had oily/combination skin year-round. For the last month or so, it's been sliding toward the dry end of the combination spectrum.

My Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Moisture Gel, which has always served me admirably in the past if I ever felt a little dry, really isn't cutting it right now. So I thought I'd ask:

What's your favorite moisturizer? Cheap is good, of course.

I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who deal with a little oiliness and some breakouts too. Real combination skin havers.

(Isn't it interesting how "skin type" can be a part of identity, especially for those of us who are really into performing/doing femininity? It seems to be correlated to gender identity. It's not, "My skin feels a little dry lately," so much as, "I am now the type of person who has dry skin." Does that make sense to anyone but me?)

Why does everyone seem to like NYX cosmetics so much? What are the supposedly-stellar products they make?

You may have noticed that I haven't had much luck with the NYX products I've tried so far. The Butter Gloss is fine, though the color I have isn't flattering for me. Other than that? I don't know. Their eyeshadow primer works well enough, but you can get great primers for much cheaper. I like the packaging, and I wonder if the fact that it looks more expensive than it is, and that they make products that seem to replace more expensive things, is the real appeal. But the brand isn't particularly cheap - most of it is more expensive than your typical drugstore makeup.

The Science of Chic recently reviewed NYX's Bronze Smokey Look Kit, which looks good and has nice packaging - but as it turns out, the quality, performance, and color choices of the actual products are all sub-par.

Have you found something from NYX that was really fucking good? Actually better than the best e.l.f. and Wet N Wild choices, which are a third the price or less? What am I missing? At this point, I am ready to write them off completely.

Oh, wait, the NYX Girls nail polishes are SPECTACULAR and cost $2 each. But I tend to categorize nail polish separately from face/color cosmetics.

Do you know of a cheap dupe for Too Faced Lip Insurance Primer?

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link.

I got a sample of this stuff from Sephora recently, not expecting much from it, but I was really impressed. Damn! I hate it when I like expensive shit. But this really makes lip gloss work better: it makes it more pigmented/brighter/darker, and it sticks and lasts significantly longer. It's some kind of magic. I've been looking for a cheap alternative without any luck, though it seems like such a basic product. Does anyone out there know of one? I am really reluctant to spend $20 on a full size tube of this (or anything else, really) - but I like it enough that I might have to. I want to make sure there isn't something less expensive out there first, though.

I'm thinking I might try some eyeshadow primer, though most of mine have some kind of beige or white pigment in them. I will report back if I have any luck.

Help Jen (a.k.a. bitchslap-barbie) find a foundation that works for her "weird-ass skin"!

Jen (a.k.a. bitchslap-barbie) asks:
I have a question for you. I *do* know the Monistat primer trick (screw Smashbox!), but it doesn't help me all so well due to my weird-ass skin. In summer, my face has more oil than Texas. In winter, it's so dry it visibly flakes, and I have tried everything short of dumping all my savings at a dermatologist to fix that. (Also, my skin only registers summer or winter. There is nothing else.) So getting foundation - REALLY tricky. 

I know this is a tough one. But do you or any of your lovely readers have any suggestions on foundations that will work? I'm fine with having to need two. I just wanna stop looking like a dermatological example of what NOT to do.

My response:

I have a terrible time with foundations, personally. They all look awful and cakey on me and wear off unevenly. They emphasize my fine lines and get greasy (yes, I've tried the ones designed for oily skin). Bleh. I've given up on finding something full coverage that I don't hate, which is okay with me since my skin is fairly even. I've been using the Sephora Tinted Moisturizer (which I wrote about here), and it works great for me. I apply it with a foundation brush, spreading it more or less evenly over my face, and then I sort of buff it in with some Maybelline Mineral Power Finishing Veil Translucent Loose Powder in a swirly circular motion, with a flat top brush. (Both brushes are from the this e.l.f. set which is still $3 with a $30 purchase until tomorrow, Feb. 25.) That step both makes sure the coverage is really even and gives me a matte (but not powdery) finish.

The Sephora stuff isn't cheap, but it's a really good product for oily skin, AND it's moisturizing, so maybe it would help with both of your problems. I'd recommend going to a Sephora store, if you have one nearby, and asking for a sample. They'll give you several days worth, and you can figure out that way if it does any good before you invest.

But that's the only suggestion I have, since it's the only thing I've found to work for me personally. It's not full coverage, though, so if that's important, this isn't the right option. Your face is not my face! So here's where I ask for some more help from the crowd. Anyone out there have a similar skin type to Jen's? What have you found that works? What should she avoid?

Please give your recommendations in the comments!

Help! What kind of pillow should I buy?

I realized I just paid $20 for a pillowcase (more on that later), but I always buy $6 pillows that are flat a few months later. Then I have to buy more. Not very smart.

What is your favorite brand/type? Where do you buy them? I'm not a fan of feather pillows, and I'm a side/stomach sleeper.

Disaster! My favorite sunscreen has been discontinued!

I've been using Paula's Choice SPF 30 spray for almost a decade now. I don't know what I'll do. I can't use mineral sunscreens (titanium/zinc) because they make be break out. The next best thing I've found is the Neutrogena Dry Touch sunscreen, but I don't like the smell of it, and it stings near my eyes, so it's far inferior.

Can anyone suggest a light sunscreen (preferably a liquid or gel) that is good for oily skin, does not contain minerals (i.e. a chemical sunscreen), and is gentle and unscented? At least SPF 25.

Can anybody help?

I have a lipstick question: I'm getting married in a few weeks (commence hyperventilation) and I've yet to find a nice lipstick that won't transfer all over my fiancé's face. I'm looking for a deep velvety red that's matte (gloss+flash photography=nope). Help?

 twodoxiesandtoomanyshoes

Oh god. That’s a tough one. Have you tried the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains? Adore is a nice red. It has a bit of sheen, but maybe you could put some matte translucent powder over it to get rid of that (like the one made by Makeup Forever, which is not cheap). Because I freaked my boyfriend out by kissing him on the cheek when I was wearing that, and nothing transfered. Or test out this method: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/07/lipstick-longevity/

I’m not really the right person to ask, because since I like my lips to feel moisturized and slick all the time, I don’t have a lot of experience with matte/longwearing lipstick. So I’ll throw this one out to the crowd. Other suggestions anybody? (Crossposted from Tumblr.)

Question: Has anyone used Smith's Rosebud Salve? Is it amazing?

I bought some for my sister for Xmas recently, because I know she likes it. But I bought two tubs of it, and I can't decide if I should keep one for myself or just give them both to her.

Is it amazing? Like really? Like as good as Palmer's Cocoa Butter, which is what I usually use, and love?

Help!

What's your favorite concealer for occasional acne?

Here is a thank you in advance gift of a dancing bunny:

Where do you find affordable jewelry?

I just bought a bunch of stuff from Forever 21, because it’s pretty and shit-cheap, but they are kind of a gross company, so I would love other suggestions. (But for real, they are doing some really nice trendy, vintage-looking rhinestone stuff right now.)

If you’re going to say etsy, please suggest particular sellers!

I like beadycats. 

Bauble Bar (referral link) also has decent things sometimes.

And if you like little sparkly shit, this site has “free” jewelry. You pay $7 shipping, but it is nice. I have a ring and a pendant from here that I wear regularly.

Cheap Shit I Haven't Tried Yet

Here are a few cheap products that I have heard great things about, but haven’t actually tried myself (yet). Anyone? Have you tried them and liked/disliked them? Do you have other favorite cheap shit to recommend?

• e.l.f. Essential Eyelid Primer ($1) (Recommended by menwomenandelectrodaggers)


• Wet n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner ($3) (I actually have one of these in brown, but I’m not going to use it until I run out of my L’Oreal liquid liner. Review of the latter to come.)


• Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara ($3) (I’ve heard good things about the non-extreme Best Lash Mascara too.)