Face update

[parasitegirl]

People had asked for face/make-up updates, so here you go:

 

My face is mostly healed up: what remains is a rosy glow and very sensitive skin. The stage of having thumb-sized red marks with slight peeling was only one evening and at home and the next day I was at the dermatologist.

 

I had thought in the past few years that make-up I wear for performances might play a role in the issues that have caused me to NEED a dermatologist this year, but as make-up is something I’ve struggled with, I was loathe to start rehunting a foundation…and even though people had been suggesting a primer for years, my recent primer choices literally hurt to put on. When my skin freaks out, even light mineral make-ups irritate me (and they look bad then because my freaking out skin can’t handle most moisturizers)

 

Remember, when I had my first public performance as a member of the “Gypsy Queen” troupe I was a 28 year old who had never owned foundation until a few days before…and I could show you photo documentation of my early issues with make-up…but I am not up for that right now. Let’s just say it is possible for me to look even whiter than I am.

 

Foundation always made my face feel heavy or itchy or suffocated, and I chalked that up to being psychologically weird about make-up. You’d think that a girl who has the allergy issues I have (not dramatic, but nigglingly chronic enough to always be an issue) would have been quick to say “maybe my body is telling me something”…but I didn’t want to have another issue with the outside world. I want to think I am a healthy robust girl and these allergies, these lungs, and a new sensitivity doesn’t fit that.

 

I tossed the primer and the crème foundations. I kept some of the mineral stuff in hopes that a very clean primer would allow me to wear them at times for non-bd use. My glitter-gel liners are on notice (I know I can’t use them when my skin gets sensitive but they don’t seem to trigger sensitivity yet) and some eyelash adhesives are also on my no-go list.

 

I’d ditched make-up removers with alcohol a while back in favor of medical-grade olive oil (available at drug stores here) with cotton wipes and a follow up oil-based scrub. Toners went a long time ago…even Lush ones. I wish I could get Korres wipes here, they are available in other countries but the Japan site you can order from doesn’t carry wipes. Many other suggest wipes are also not carried here and I haven’t had the time to read ingredient lists in Japanese here…the increase in performances (two to three instead of  probably one…sometimes two) per week means I’d rather spend free nights working on the actual dance, or relaxing…not running around working on my look.

 

I am awaiting a package from Tamra Henna TX including Monistat Anti-chaffing gel, which many many many people swear up and down by as a primer.

 

Wednesday, I ran round trying primers in Kashiwa before and after my Aveda hair appointment. I found ONE that didn’t hurt (by Carmel Colour) it was insanely priced but I bought it because I will be performing tonight (Friday) and Saturday. In emailing back and forth with Azhia (http://www.azhiadance.com/bio.aspx ) I also learned of Velvet Skin by DHC ( a Japanese brand associated with convinis) which I will look into later.

 

I bought travel-sized containers so I can have a tiny bit of primer, foundation, oil and wipes with me so that after I dance I can quickly remove the sweaty, thicker make-up from my cheeks (my allergy danger zone) and do a lighter touch up. I probably should look into finding a green tinted primer my face can handle in the future for toning down the red-flush of my cheeks after I perform and toning down the red when I’ve had skin issues, but we’ll see how the clear primer and this foundation works best.

 

Yesterday (Thursday) I hit the nearest MAC counter (I found Forever Makeup locations, but they are in Tokyo proper, a MAC counter is 20 minutes on the train…Dior, Clinique, Shu Uemura are 5 minutes away). Studio Sculpt and Studio Fix were both recommended to me. Studio Sculpt is silicone based and as such may help with moisture issues/ Studio Fix doesn’t have the additional SPF (and thus might contain less chemicals to possibly irritate me). I am trying Sculpt first based on Azhia’s love of silicone based products and some on-ling reading, but Fix may be a future “to try” for me. The nice MAC lady enjoyed my western nose and my Japanese skills (but, as I thought from online research, MAC Japan doesn’t have the pro option for discounts) and I came out with what I’d gone in for (new foundation and a foundation brush, because I figure they are easier to clean than sponges and I don’t want the waste of always getting and tossing sponges…but we’ll see).

 

I believe in brushes. Getting good brushes (many from Azhia) was a HUGE part of me finally understanding make-up (the other huge part was hiring Momo as a make-up artist for my first photoshoot and really watching a pro go to work). My background is in drawing and fine arts. My face as a canvas that requires priming and application of pigments via tools I am trained in? That helped click things into place…that and You Tube tutorials. I do have the Kevin Aucion books, but they only really made sense to me once I saw in-person and moving pictures. I also recommend Azhia’s DVD for make-up use (it also comes with a PDF file booklet for those who need the visuals and reading) .

 

Will keep you posted



 

Comments

[alonewiththemoon]

Having just gone through the patch testing and been handed a big fat list of things I must avoid, I feel your pain.

One neat thing about my testing is that when it was done, the doctor's office sent my results off to the Mayo Clinic, which then cross-checked my results against a giant database of cosmetics, skin care, toiletries, etc and provided me with a list of actual products that do not contain anything that I reacted to in the testing. Of course, the Mayo Clinic only has the data that manufacturers send them, so not all brands are represented, but there was enough there to give me some choices.

Studio Fix in the US, btw, contains SPF, all foundations are supposed to now. Ridiculous.

Brushes are really the key thing to good makeup!

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

I remember the patch testing from early high school!

It was just my arm and the things tested for were pretty basic (the pollens, molds and such)

I'd love to also hear about what works for you and, thanks to you, I have Makeup Forever located and saved.

[alonewiththemoon]

This is actually a different group of tests, it focuses not on airborne things like pollen but rather on stuff your skin comes into direct contact with or that you might ingest. It takes 3-4 (tedious, annoying) days to complete. I had little dots glued all over my back with various potential irritants under each dot, and then a couple days later the dots were removed, then the day after that each spot was inspected to see what caused irritation, from mild redness to raised welts. It was enlightening. Some things I knew already, like being allergic to rubber/latex. Others were revelatory and made a lot of sense; butter, for example, has always made my face go itchy. I assumed it was something about fats, but it turns out there's a preservative used in butter and margarine to which I am quite sensitive. If you haven't done this kind of testing, it might be very useful.

In terms of make up, out of what the Mayo Clinic has in its database, the only brand recommended for me, for any type of make up, was Bare Minerals stuff. But I don't know the full extent of what they have in there.

[kimuchi.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I wonder what mandatory SPF ratings have done for the cosmetic consumption of titanium.

[alonewiththemoon]

I don't know; foundations come in small enough bottles that perhaps it's not that significant an amount, compared to the vats of sunscreen being produced. It annoys me very much though, as I'd like more control over what I'm putting on my skin.

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

Yes, it makes total sense that you, as an artist, would click when you realised you could use brushes.

When I started wearing makeup as a teen there was practically no such thing as a makeup brush. It was all sponge tipped applicators, fingers, sponges and *shudder* crayons.

No wonder 60s and 60s makeup can look kind of dreadful.

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

Crayons?

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

Imagine a cream eyeshadow or highlighter presented pretty much like a lipstick only pushup rather than twist up. Same size, same shape. Very difficult to control unless you wanted a wide sweep of colour, which was of course The Fashion. And also things that looked like really fat pencils, similarly with soft waxy/creamy shadow.

I can remember Mum having these little tubes of creme/almost liquid eyeshadow that squeezed out through a very fine pointed tip. With a brush these would have been good but you were supposed to put them on your fingertip and rub on.

[kimuchi.livejournal.com]

I remember those "pushup pop" makeup formulations. They were the preferred style of several of the girls in my high school who wore too much orange-tinted concealer over their acne (stopping abruptly at the jawline, of course)...not sure if they were still in vogue with actual adults. I also remember when it seemed that practically every magazine makeup tutorial suggested applying things with the fingers. What a mess.

[kimuchi.livejournal.com]

This is actually really helpful. I have similar skin: makeup and even sunscreen always feels uncomfortable and when I *was* more conscientious about wearing sunscreen every day I ended up with peeling, painful spots. I'm curious about the mineral-based makeup that's all over now, but still too afraid of giving myself the recent-dead look.

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

Look into Monistat Anti-Chaffing Powder Gel...sane people seem to swear by it as a good base that also helps act as an irritant barrier...and it is cheep if it doesn't work for you.