It’s not possible for things like eyeliner pencils, but often Ulta, Sephora, and department stores will give you samples of makeup and skincare products to try.
When my son got married I thought I should wear foundation. They gave me enough of a sample that I didn’t have to buy the bottle. (I did buy other products.)
4 Likes
Coincidentally, I’ve heard that NARS (new to me) concealer is excellent for dark circles. Earlier I peeked at it at Kohls/Sephora. Yes, MANY color options - decided to come back another day when I’d have time to ask a stylist for help.
This is the one I have. It’s opaque, good creamy coverage. I just need a little.
Big time!
I think I need another trip to Sephora for the dark rings. I’ve gotten things in the past, and they seemed to work…in the store!
2 Likes
I would describe myself as a make-up junkie. I don’t wear a ton, but I do pay attention to it and don’t go out without it. Didn’t use to pay as much attention, but I’ve found as I’ve aged things need a bit more work than they used to!
I also watch Angie Hot & Flashy. I have similar coloring and am a year older than her, so a lot of what looks good on her also works on me. Another more “mature” person I follow on YouTube is Tamara’s Timeless Beauty.
I also follow a few younger influencers who are (or were) make-up artists. Although they are younger than I am, they often direct their content to more mature audiences, or do make-overs on someone more mature. Ones I like are Lisa J, Glam Girl Gabi, Risa Does Makeup, and Nikki La Rose.
A couple of years I purchased some make-up brushes, and have found that having good brushes can really make a big difference. Lisa J owns BK Beauty, which sells make-up brushes. She has collaborated with Angie, Risa, and Nikki (Risa was false eyelashes, the others were brush sets).
For concealer tips, here are a couple videos that may be useful from Glam Girl Gabi, Risa Does Makeup and Angie Hot & Flashy.
I have used Dermablend concealer, but started using the Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer and I really like the formula. I make sure my under-eye area is hydrated beforehand, and after applying the concealer (I use this brush) I set the area with a little setting powder to keep it in place. I have the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder, which I like, but I also hear a ton of raves for the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting & Finishing Powder. Both powders are a bit pricey but come in mini sizes.
The areas I really need help on are eyebrows (mine are very light and sparse) and my skin color. I have a lot of redness that I need to even out, and circles/darkness under my eyes. I don’t want to look overly made-up, but instead look like a better version of myself.
Make-up products I use regularly: eyebrow pencil, eye primer (evens out discoloration and makes eye makeup last), eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, foundation, concealer, setting powder, blush/bronzer, and a lip balm. I also use skincare products daily, such as moisturizer and sunscreen.
Both Ulta and Sephora allow you to return products. I try not to abuse the policy, but if I really hate something that I’ve spent a lot of $ on, I will return it. So if the foundation or concealer color ends up being really off, or a foundation is very drying, or a mascara/liner makes me look like a raccoon at the end of the day, I will return it. Ulta is nice because it carries both high-end and drugstore brands. But there are some brands that are only available at Sephora.
5 Likes
The vibe I get from my daughters and DILis that they like Sephora over Ulta. Any obvious differences between the two?
1 Like
I always loved makeup, but I’ve really changed my ways in the last 5 years as I approach 60. I wore foundation religiously for decades, but it just looks awful on my skin now, so I’ve switched entirely to tinted moisturizer. I tried a lot of products but settled on Laura Mercier Natural Skin Perfector SPF 30 and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Blush. I like the packaging; the tubes are easy to travel with.
I also rely on Chantecaille Eyebrow Definer in the lightest color (Ash Blond?) to keep my brows from disappearing without looking like they were drawn on.
I’ve gone almost entirely to soft pencils, sticks and gels now. Powdered anything does not look good.
1 Like
Sephora is more intimidating as a general consensus. Ulta is friendlier but more unorganized. Sephora has all the hot expensive brands while Ulta tends to be more drugstore but a lot more indie and up and coming companies. Sephora aims for luxury but Ulta is just whatever’s more accessible
1 Like
@conmama Thank you for creating this thread! I too have wanted to change up my eyeshadow and lipstick as well.
Your post inspired me to go to Sephora to experiment a bit and get some help from the salespersons there. I also looked at some of Erica Taylor’s You Tube videos and one that caught my eye was her Glossier monochrome eyeshadow one. She had a very different way of applying the shadow that was very different than how I apply mine. She said it opened up the eye. I bought one of these Glossier palettes from Sephora and WOW. I love it. I used Erica’s application method and it was fast and easy. I stink at figuring out how to mix and match colors–so these trio palettes are great.
On to my lips. I am blessed with full lips but have always been a bit self-conscious of them for some reason. Typically, I shy away from wearing lipstick and really was lost as to how to properly do my lips. Well that changed yesterday. The Sephora lady who helped me was terrific. She was very knowledgeable and immediately targeted three products for me. She helped me select a wonderful lip color in a muted neutral pinkish color from Too Faced Cocoa Bold collection and a lip liner from Urban Decay, along with a pinkish berry gloss that can be applied over top of the lipstick. I have never lined my lips before but oh boy–what a difference it made when I did. My lips looked incredible. I was shocked. The lip stick is not sticky and does not feel heavy. I love how my lips look and wish I had changed up my lip makeup years ago.
Then I asked about contouring, which I have never done, and she steered me to a “melting bronzing and sculpting stick” by Too Faced. Oh.My.Goodness. What a difference this made. She showed me how to use it and I looked so put together after having used this bronzing stick. It’s easy peasy to use, especially if you apply with a special brush.
And lastly, although I typically only use It Cosmetics foundation–I asked the Sephora lady her thoughts on foundation for me. She took me to Too Faced Born this Way oil free foundation and color matched me perfectly. I just applied it this morning and I LOVE IT. Feels light and smooth and looks more natural. It is a medium, buildable coverage–which is something I had never used. I have always used full coverage.
I can not believe the difference in my face today after using these new products.
Having said that, I do want to find a good color corrector for my under eyes as I have hereditary very dark circles. Though I use It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealor and a lighter illuminator concealor, I think I would benefit from an actual color corrector designed especially for extremely dark under eye circles. Though the combo of products I use does cover the darkness–I still see a shadow sort of, if that makes sense. I am sure there is a way to cover my under eyes more completely but I ran out of time and did not get to ask the Sephora person about that.
8 Likes
Angie Hot & Flashy has a few beginner make up videos … here’s one:
After I mastered a few techniques for the headshots I had done two years ago, I continued with a more minimalist make-up routine. I use tinted sunscreen to cover skin irregularities, eye shadow, eyeliner, Benefit eyebrow brush, Bobbi Brown cream blush, highlighter, and lip gloss.
The young girls at Ulta were very helpful when I was shopping make-up.
2 Likes
Wow! I’m going to check out a few of your finds! You found a great salesperson. I normally shop at Ulta because of all the huge windows and natural light. It’s bigger, and in strip malls, so it’s easy to access.
Saying that, the few times I’ve been to Sephora, their sales people are extremely helpful, much more so than at Ulta. Much more Knowledgeable. But everything is packed in so tightly and I be one a bit overwhelmed. Plus, no natural lighting. But they do carry a few things Ulta doesn’t.
2 Likes
Also, I’ve never used a bronzer. Do you apply it just above the cheekbone? Just a little? How did it change your face? I guess I’ve never used one because I just feel brown all over. Dark brown hair, dark eyebrows dark eyes, light olive skin…I feel I need more color, not more brown…
1 Like
Too Faced has a Friends and Family sale going on now. 25% off site wide. I like their mascara. Will need to check out their concealer.
I just returned from a trip to Europe and had a couple of unfortunate hotel bathroom lighting situations. Pin-point spot lighting over your head is the WORST!
I now think I need to get Botox (STAT!) lip filler and a whole new make-up routine 
My bathroom lighting tells me I’m doing ok.
3 Likes
@conmama we have very different coloring. I love this bronzer. It enhances my coloring without being too brown. Because I’m so light, bronzer can be tricky. Love, love this product.
Also if I need help, I think the sales associates at Sephora are a bit better and have more product knowledge than ulta. If I know what I need and they carry it, ulta locations are more convenient.
I’m starting to like the Sephora in kohls because the stand alone locations are easy to get to.
@Peach94: Thank you for letting me know about the Too Faced sale! I just now stocked up on a few things!
@conmama: My experience with Sephora has been hit or miss. For ex., on this last visit, the first person who helped me seemed to not be as experienced or knowledgeable as the second lady who steered me to all of my finds. In fact, when the second lady looked at some of the products in my basket (that were recommended by the first saleslady), she literally took them out and put them back and told me she’d find me better products for me-which she did!
I had the feeling that the first lady was kinda “phoning it in” and not really paying attention to me, which is why I went up to another sales lady and asked for her help. Don’t be afraid to do that! I am in my 50’s–so not a youngster–and I think my makeup needs must take into account my age and I have found that not every salesperson is as qualified with making suggestions for older people.
As far as the bronzer goes, I have used powdered bronzer in the past, but it was a totally different effect for me to use the stick bronzer. And yes, I apply it just at or slightly above my cheekbone–being very careful to “blend it up” and not down. The key is to blend it in upward strokes. The Sephora lady used a blush brush but I have seen it done with different type of brushes. The Sephora lady said she likes to apply it not by directly drawing it on to one’s face but by putting some on the brush and using the brush to make the first line and then blend it upwards. I have done it both ways (applying the stick directly and using the brush and both ways work fine). She also put some stick bronzer on my forehead area and on my chin line–but have a sales person show you how to do that because it is hard to explain.
I have a light to light-medium skin tone (leaning more towards medium) with brown hair and brown eyes. The bronzer color she chose for me was perfect for my face and showed up nicely. What I liked about using the bronzer stick, along with lining my lips and using lipstick, was that my face finally looked finished and put-together. And the new foundation I used also gave me a flawless finish. The color match in this foundation line was perfect for me–it is the first time I have had a foundation color that was so spot on.
I also never even thought to layer a complimentary colored lip gloss over top of my lip stick. It is a dressier look that I would definitely do on special occasions. Though I have been doing it almost daily as I love the look. Again, the guidance of the sales lady was key here because I would not have had the confidence in choosing two colors that would go together. Plus I have never had lip stick that felt so weightless and my lip gloss was not sticky (I splurged on the gloss and bought an Armani brand). So, now I wear lip stick daily, which I did not do in the past.
While I had been doing an ok job on my make-up in the past, I never felt put together, if that makes sense. With my new products, I feel very put together and my look is finished but not overly made-up.
To be honest, I feel like proper make up application is like 60% getting the correct product/color for your skin type and tone and 40% technique. The technique part was where I was sorely lacking. Though of course it is so important to use the correct color and I never on my own would have selected the color bronzer the lady chose for me. I would have thought it was too dark.
I’d go to Sephora at a time when it is not crowded so that there will be more than one or two sales people available at one time. If you are not feeling comfortable with the salesperson you have–then feel free to move on to another salesperson. I am glad that I did that. The second lady who helped me went the extra mile with me and really listened to me.
3 Likes
A bit off topic, but this is so true. I accompanied DH on a 2-month business trip to Ireland in 2018 where his client put us up in a VIP suite in a newly-renovated Hilton in Dublin. We spent one night in the suite that had charcoal walls and spot lighting in the bathroom. Nope, couldn’t do it. When we asked if there was another option (as it seemed the entire hotel had been done in grays with ultra modern spot lighting), we were told that the only available rooms were on the one floor that had not yet undergone renovation, but they were pretty “worn” and there were no suites. The lighting was fine in those rooms. We stayed in one for 47 nights, but I must say I couldn’t wait to get back to my LED bathroom mirror.
4 Likes
Hotel bathroom lighting is my #1 pet peeve when traveling. I really feel like I could make a 2nd career out of designing flattering lighting in hotel rooms. The hotel we stayed at in Rome was a 5-star, absolutely breathtaking hotel - with terrible bathroom lighting! The look was similar to what we used to do as kids when we were trying to be scary and would turn on a flashlight under our chin, while in complete darkness.
My favorites are those that have the channels of light built into the actual mirror and/or those with lights behind all sides of the mirror. Stop letting men design these things!
3 Likes
Do Ulta or Sephora staff work on commission? I think the answer is no but I might also be someone who goes in gets advice, and then thinks on it before buying. The obliger in me feels bad wasting someone’s time…
1 Like
At Sephora they told me they did not. There was a $50 minimum purchase though.
Wait - just checked and now there is a fee for the makeover. It doesn’t say anything about a purchase, though. So it looks like the policy has changed.