COMMENT 2 on Makeup Foundation 17 November 2022

Donna has sent a suggestion for a nifty little tool to get that last foundation out of a pump bottle. Donna wrote:

I am a long-time devoted reader and I had to offer some advice regarding your recent post on foundation.

Because of my annoyance at not being able to extricate the last of my pump-bottle foundation, I purchased a long but tiny silicone spatula from Amazon and like scraping cake batter from a bowl, I can now completely empty my foundation bottles.

The spatulas are quite inexpensive and kind of fun to use! However, getting the bottles open can be difficult. I can usually open my L'Oreal Lumi Foundation easily as it seems to pop off with just a little pressure.

I also use the spatula for body lotions, creams and even lipsticks.

AnneNote: Merci, Donna.The spatula would give the safety of a pump bottle, plus solving the problem of discarding a part of the foundation.

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COMMENT on Makeup Foundation 13 November 2022

Today a comment on our Chic & Slim Special Correspondent Kat’s report on makeup foundation in last Sunday’s Nouvelles (on this page below this comment). The comment is from Ann Leslie in New York with a concern about makeup foundation in a pot. Ann Leslie in New York wrote:

When I read “it comes in a pot, so there’s no waste, and the pot’s a fair size,” I remembered something I’d read when I used to pay attention to such things. It was probably on Paula’s website, which I used to read although I’ve never used her products. I learned that we should never use skin products that come in a jar because they’ve prone to contamination. Even if you don’t use your fingers, it’s still undesirable because a large surface area is exposed to the air.

Now I don’t know if this is true. I am not up on this subject, and the thinking may have changed. I know that some very expensive products are packaged that way, and they all contain preservatives. But still…it might be something to consider.

FYI: my “foundation” is whatever light moisturizer with sunscreen I’m using, Neutrogena, Dove… mixed on my hand with a few drops of Estée Lauder “sport” foundation, no longer made and very expired. Obviously, I don’t practice what I preach about cosmetics safety in this particular instance (though I do in general.)

I occasionally add a little powder blush and/or Max Factor Erace. I still have oily skin in my mid-70s. After trying every hypoallergenic brand, I gave up on eye makeup long ago. Red itchy eyes are not chic. No lipstick or lipgloss or Chapstick. Even at my age, my lips are never dry. Isn’t that strange? Besides, I still wear a mask.

I am laughing right now thinking about the 60s when I played with false eyelashes and even used a shiny black patent leather eyeliner to match my beautiful shiny black and white imitation Courreges raincoat.

Merci to Ann Leslie for her comment. As for the pot vs. the closed container with pump. When that contamination problem came to light those years ago, many companies went to the closed container with pump. But then there was an outcry from consumers that it was impossible to get the last 10 to 15 percent or so of the product out of the container. I remember several years ago using pliers and other tools to pry off the fixed top of an L’Orèal foundation bottle to access a fairly sizable amount of remaining foundation.

When, in a return email, I told Ann Leslie that I was sure she looked very chic in her “shiny black patent leather eyeliner to match her beautiful shiny black and white imitation Courreges raincoat.” she replied:

I was going more for the swinging London look than chic. Who knows what I’d think if I saw that person today! But I had started working, reading fashion magazines, and shopping and I had a lot of fun.

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UPDATE 7 Nov 2022: This morning when I checked email, I had a STOP PRESS from our Chic & Slim Special Correspondent Kat about her recommendation for the Bobbi Brown Jones Road makeup foundation below. Kat wrote:

Just so you know, I’ve developed a problem with the Jones Road foundation. After just a few uses, my skin began to itch (no rashes or redness, but I took the itching as a warning!)

Such a shame, because the effect is absolutely beautiful. I suspect the reaction is due to large proportion of essential oils in the product. One can have too much of a “good” thing. Oh well, back to dear old Charlotte and La Mer!

AnneNote: Lately there have been a lot of warnings about reactions to essential oils. If there is enough feedback on this issue, perhaps Bobbi Brown will reduce the amount of the essential oils in the foundation. But for now, be warned of a possible problem.

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|| 6 November 2022

Makeup Foundation Advice

Do you need a makeup foundation? Opinions vary. Currently, for my lifestyle that rotates between computer and garden, some concealer for dark circles under eyes and my nose scar — with a dusting of bronzing powder — suffices.

Our Chic & Slim Special Correspondent Kat, however, is a great believer in the importance of a good makeup foundation. And there are reasons her lifestyle demands it. So she is constantly on the lookout for the best foundation available.

Keep in mind as you read her comments that she has dry, very light Northern European skin, the maintenance of which she spends a lot more time and money than most of us are willing or able to allocate to skin care. Also a great many of the American readers of this website have oilier skin and coloring that is darker.

In any case, here is Kat’s latest foundation find.

Something else that’s just landed here is Bobbi Brown’s new makeup line Jones Road. It’s supposed to be specifically created for the over 50’s, so when I was last in Liberty in Regent Street I had a look. I can’t see why a woman of a certain age would need a special mascara (it’s the size and shape of the brush that matters most in my opinion) or indeed a specially formulated eyeshadow (there are lots of nice neutral colours out there, and, thanks to Nikkol Johnson’s “Fierce Aging” U Tube series, I am no longer totally wedded to powders in matte formulas) BUT the Bobbi Brown cream foundation is amazing. I have never used anything like it. It’s like a tinted balm, and so rich that you can skip moisturiser underneath (but not sunscreen, of course). Ideal for anyone who finds that their foundation settles in lines. It’s pricy (about $50 US) but it comes in a pot, so there’s no waste, and the pot’s a fair size. The little concealer pencils are good too.

Kat added these comments:

The Jones Road “foundation” is completely different from anything I’ve ever tried. I loved that Charlotte Tilbury foundation, and the next one CT brought out was even better. But this is the first product I’ve used that is completely invisible on the skin. It seems to take away any redness and even out the skin tone, but the skin looks bare. Of course you’d need a bit of concealer for anything major that needs covering up (the little pencils I mentioned do that ). And yes, it’s a fair sized pot, and you don’t need to apply much of it, so it should last quite a while.

Kat also recommends the Nikkol Johnson’s “Fierce Aging” U Tube series. She writes:

I wonder if the Baronettes have come across Nikkol Johnson’s “Fierce Aging” U Tube series? She is a model turned makeup artist, and, unlike most of the U Tubers I’ve seen, she is really good. This series focuses on women aged 40-90, it’s simple, practical, and, although she has her own product line, she doesn’t push it hard, and gives first rate reviews on other brands, including drug store buys. She’s also a stunning example of how great grey hair can look.

Merci to Kat for her information about makeup foundation and advice.

be chic, stay slim — Anne Barone