Buying and applying makeup: 2 different animals

Monday, April 28th, 2008

So, as I was getting at in my last post, makeup buying is a funny thing.  There is that moment, whether in the department store or drugstore or wherever you buy makeup–the potential new addition to your arsenal.  It looks great on the packaging, on the ad, in the container.  Then as you pay, a certain amount of hope courses through your veins.  This will be the one that transforms me to that babe in the Lancome ads, maybe even with no Photoshop necessary.

 If it is a lipstick, the packaging comes off in the car and on it goes.  Sometimes, it’s truly a hit–and we vow to buy that shade until they stop making it (which, unfortunately in many cases, will be in about 6 months–damned makeup companies!).  Same with mascara.

If it is something like a foundation, powder, or eyeshadow, we must restrain ourselves and wait until we get home to rip it out of the packaging.  If it was purchased at a department store, we maybe even had a “color test” on our cheek or one eye (why don’t they ever do both?) and now can’t wait to try the whole face.

On those rare occasions, the full face application is a success.  We may not look like the Lancome chick, but we are not looking like the before shots in the beauty ads, so that’s okay. 

 Many times though, it doesn’t work out.  And you are left standing there with a problem.  A foundation that is too dark and turns you into one of those spray-on tan Oompa Loompa girls.  Or too light and funeral-home worthy.  Or the powder makes you realize you haven’t waxed your mustache in a really long time.  Or the eyeshadow is so dark it looks like you applied your mascara to your eyelid by accident.

Now what are you supposed to do with this unfit makeup item?  Try to make it work?  Toss it in the back of the closet with all of the other misfits?  Can’t throw it in the garbage–it’s hardly used and the guilt makes us reach in and dig it out. 

 Better solution: return it.

Huh? But it’s been used! It’s makeup!  Doesn’t matter.  Return it.  Take it back to the store where you bought it and tell them the truth.  It didn’t match, it didn’t do what it promised, whatever the reason. 

Yes, with the exception of Target, the store will take it back.  I have tried this in department stores and drugstores alike, and can vouch that it works. 

Here are the rules:

1. Keep the receipt and original packaging.  Make sure this includes the product barcode. You may be able to squeak by without a receipt, but best to have it.

2. If returning to a drugstore, tell the cashier exactly what happened.  My usual problem is: “It made me look ready for the morgue.”  A woman cashier will usually empathise and a man, well, he doesn’t want to get between women and a makeup problem.

3. If returning to the department store, do the same.  Most of the department store makeup lines are really quite understanding and will refund your money with no questions asked.  And don’t feel embarrassed–it happens all the time.  Just don’t end up walking away from the counter with twice as much stuff as you just returned.

4. Drugstore: don’t buy 3 of the same color and try to return all at once.  Sometimes they will take them, but you might get yourself blacklisted (been there, done that at Walmart).  Instead, see if the makeup line sells mini-tester shade packets, usually with 3-5 colors in them.  This will help immensely.

If you have a really hard time finding the right foundation color, save yourself the headache and go to the department stores.  Pretty much everything else you can get in the drugstore, but if foundation is a constant problem for you, it saves more time and money (and gas money!) to get it over with at the department store.  Besides, unless you are spackling your face with the stuff, it will last awhile.

And if you aren’t even sure where to start, seriously check out www.beautypedia.com.  I really don’t mean to sound redundant, and no, I don’t get a cut of the profits.   Paula’s listings are so helpful. For those of you intimidated by the makeup people at the department stores, it is a real equalizer. 

Anyone have a favorite foundation that they just can’t live without?  Mine is Prescriptives Flawless Finish in Ecru.  But at $40 a bottle, I use it carefully.

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

Tags: beauty, makeup, returns
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Makeup tips for real women

Monday, April 21st, 2008

Do you ever get that feeling that you have “outgrown” your make-up?  It’s sort of like outgrowing your pants.  You realize the look that worked in your 20s all of a sudden seems to not work anymore when you hit your 30s.  Or when you become a mom and stop getting any sleep.

 I look at photos from when my son was born back in September to what I look like now…and it seems like the 7 months of lousy sleep has put 5 years on my face.  The bags under my eyes have bags large enough to be charged an extra $25 if they were going to fly US Air anytime soon.  And the cover-up that used to hide the circles isn’t enough anymore. 

 But what’s a mom to do without a lot of time or cash in the budget for beauty products?  When it seems like all of the info on beauty products out there promises to get rid of wrinkles and “aging signs” that don’t go away…and all of the women advertising this stuff are either 25, 25 and airbrushed, or 35, botoxed and airbrushed.  Or had really great lighting.  (Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could walk around with people carrying studio lighting for us all day so we could all look dewy and stunning?)

 For a long time, I have been following the work of Paula Begoun. She is a former make-up artist turned consumer advocate and publisher of Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me (currently in its 8th edition), a book that puts in real people-speak exactly what the cosmetics companies are selling and if it works or not.  However, the book is huge, so going to the website and accessing all of her reviews there (www.beautypedia.com) is worth the $25/year subscription.  You can search just about any cosmetics and skincare line available in the US as a whole or product-by-product!  And to save you time and money, she has her list of Paula’s Picks, so you don’t have to try to figure out what is good and what isn’t.  She even has a free cosmetics dictionary for nerds like me who like to look up exactly what is in my face cream.

 And guess what–you’ll find that there are plenty of products at the drugstore that are good to even better than what the department stores carry.  For a lot less.  (What a relief for those of us who like paying 99 cents for a lipstick!)  So it was back to consult Paula again, to find out what to do with this ol’ face of mine.  More on that next week.

But in the meantime…have you found any drug store products that have worked better than the department stores? 

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

Tags: advertising, beauty, make-up, skin care
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So you’re organized. But a couple of coupons slipped by.

Friday, April 11th, 2008

Alright, I promise this will be the last coupon installment for a little while and we’ll move on to bigger and better savings.

However, before we leave this topic, I want to bring to your attention something that I find to be a good cause that won’t take much of your time. 

Coupons and good causes?  What do they have to do with each other?

So you’ve reorganized your coupons and now you have peace of mind (as if! with kids and pets running around the house!).  But alas, there are still some that end up expiring or you ended up not needing them. 

Before you throw them in the garbage, consider sending them to military families overseas. 

Huh? Check out www.ocpnet.org.  It is a group that has organized a way to send coupons (both expired and non-expired) to families overseas to use in their PXs and commissaries.  Manufacturers will honor their coupons up to 6 months after the expiration date if used on our military bases. 

 It is really easy to do–just send any unused or unneeded coupons with normal, domestic postage to one of the bases on OCP’s list.  Send them “OFFICIAL MAIL” so your envelope doesn’t have to be addressed to a specific person.  And don’t forget the customs form. 

This is a great project for kids, church groups, Boy/Girl Scouts organizations, or anyone wanting to make a difference who doesn’t have a lot of extra money to give.  It’s also a little way of saying thanks to those who sacrifice so much for the rest of us.

 In other news, tax season is almost over-yay!  As much as I enjoy preparing and reviewing returns, it’s time for it to be over.  I think this comes from the “saver” side–if I can find a way (legally!) to save you money on your taxes, I will do it.  It takes some thinking outside the box, but it is worth it.

Have a great weekend!

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

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You’ve got a pile of coupons. Now what?

Sunday, April 6th, 2008

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Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

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