Makeup Musings and Minimalist Skincare

I’ve been watching a lot of beauty YouTubers lately (Samantha Ravandahl is my favorite) which is kind of weird since I don’t wear makeup. I never have worn makeup, at least not as an everyday kind of thing. I’ve been blessed with good skin and never really felt the need to embellish my face. But I had to wear a lot of makeup for shows. Working in regional theater and doing opera concerts meant doing my own makeup every night, and sometimes twice a day. My methods were basically what I learned from my mom, who once bought a set of VHS tapes that showed you how to do your makeup, possibly involving Jaclyn Smith. This was obviously before YouTube, and even before DVDs, if you can imagine. The gist of the instructions were to put eyeliner on the top and bottom lash line (not the waterline). Then there was a bit about putting eyeshadow in the crease, blending as you go up. And then streaks of blush along the cheekbones, lipliner, and then lipstick applied with a brush.

My own methods didn’t follow these instructions exactly. My routine for show makeup was concealer under my eyes, foundation all over- including over my eyelids- and occasionally powder after that. The eyeliner thing really stuck with me- above and below, a little more at the outer corner than the inner corner. And the bottom was pencil liner while the top was liquid with a “wing.” I was partial to Almay products, and the liquid liner came in a little bottle like an inkwell with a brush in the cap. Eyeshadow was darker brown on the lid, and then got lighter as it went up, using a white “highlight” color right under the brow. I didn’t do anything to my brows. Okay, there was one time when a rather glamorous Korean friend darkened my brows with a black pencil for my senior voice recital, but I still think it looks weird close-up in the photos. I liked to put blush kind of in the hollow of my cheek since that’s where I naturally flush. And then lipstick, of course, the color usually dictated by the costume mistress, and lots of mascara. Bigger theaters or stylized pieces sometimes required false lashes, but there wasn’t much beyond that, unless you were supposed to have some sort of gash in your head in the show. And my makeup skills froze in time and never evolved from there. But these YouTube videos I’ve been watching are a revelation. First of all, the biggest takeaway is: no eyeliner on the bottom lash line. None! Boy, does that make me feel old. Lots of girls are still doing winged liner on top, but not for the stage, just for everyday. But for under the eye, they are just using eyeshadow. And usually a light colored eyeshadow. It definitely looks more modern, so I’ve taken note. And the other big thing is: fill in your brows. Really thick brows are in right now- girls are barely plucking and actually drawing in extra brow hair. Oh, and then there’s brow gel- a mascara-type product that you put through the brow hairs to make your brows “stay in place” and “look fluffier.”

This is all new to me, since I’ve been obliviously plucking my eyebrows since high school when a friend of a friend pinned me down at a sleepover and forced the situation. I even go so far as to trim the longer hairs on occasion so they don’t stick out like my dad’s. So I’ve started letting them go a bit more natural lately. One other thing is bronzer. Contour is something I’m familiar with in terms of theater makeup, so nothing new there, but bronzer was never a thing when I came of age. Now it’s apparently more important then blush, which is delicately applied to the apples of the cheeks. But bronzer goes on cheekbones, temples, and sometimes just everywhere. Oh, and highlighter! I did discover a liquid highlighter several years ago, using it on my brow bone and upper cheekbone, but now it seems to be par for the course. Because it’s all about “glow.” With Glossier and other brands coming out with all this “dewy” makeup, YouTubers are just eating it up. I have yet to experiment with all these new developments since I’m basically too lazy and too cheap to try out a bunch of different products. But I have certainly been educated should I change my mind.

One thing I am faithful to in the beauty realm is skincare. I have an extremely minimal routine, since my skin is rather sensitive and doesn’t like to be messed with too much. During the day, I’ve started wearing an SPF that works as a moisturizer and gives me a “dewy” glow. First I tried a Vichy stick sunblock, but found it was best suited to working out. While Matt was in Germany on his own recently, I had him ask at the Apotheka (the medical pharmacy in Germany that only sells high quality skincare) for a sunblock that was “not greasy and not sticky.” He came back with La Roche Posay liquid sunblock in 50+ (I can’t find the exact German product online). I slacked on using it for a while, but for the past month or so I’ve been applying it religiously in the morning, and it really is good. I don’t even feel like I have anything on, and it spreads really easily, warming up with the touch of your fingers. I squeeze it on my forehead, cheeks, and chin and then rub it in with the tips of my fingers. I highly recommend it, though it does give you a significant “glow.” I’ve been out in the sun quite a bit here in Berlin and I don’t think it shows at all on my face. I’m hoping that with consistent use it will allow my freckles to fade somewhat. When this bottle runs out, I am going to switch to Elta MD 45, recommended by my dermatologist. I told her how some sunscreens give me a cold sore on my chin and she suggested I try this one. I tried a sample and really liked it- it’s much cheaper and maybe even a little bit less greasy than La Roche Posay. So that’s it for daytime, aside from occasional Dr. Hauschka Lip Balm. This is the only lip product I can use without irritation.

At night, I’ve been washing off the sunblock with either a milky cleanser from Nivea that I got here in Germany, or else Burt’s Bees Cucumber Face Wipes. I’ll have to find a good cleanser once I get home, since the wipes are pretty expensive if you use them every day. From there it’s strictly Dr. Hauschka products. I discovered them in Germany, having heard the name before, whispered by a makeup artist one day at a theater workshop. They are also sold at the Apotheka, and while they are prohibitively expensive at Whole Foods at home, here in Germany they are much more affordable, and so I stock up whenever I’m here. Amazon is a good place to check for Dr. Hauschka at a reasonable price as well. I use the Cleansing Cream in the shower once or twice a week. It’s a gentle exfoliator with what feels like tiny grains of sand in it, but it leaves your skin feeling really hydrated (my skin tends to be dry). Every night I use the Eye Cream, not just under the eye, but all over the lid and everything. I follow up with the Quince Cream- a light and fresh moisturizer that smells of quince. I’ve never had a cold sore or any kind of breakout from using these products and that’s really saying something for me. I do cut the Quince Cream with a tiny bit of water to make it easier to spread on. I wet the fingers of one hand and rub it together with the cream before spreading it all over my face and neck. In the morning, my skin just feels nice and soft. So that’s all- sunblock and lip balm for daytime; face wash, Cleansing Cream, Eye Cream, and Quince Cream for nighttime. And currently no makeup, though I am tempted to experiment with these things I see the kids doing. We’ll see.