Dear Makeup and Beauty Blog, July 3

Dear Makeup and Beauty Blog,

I&#;ve read on your blog that you take hip hop dance classes. I want to start taking them too, and there&#;s a place near my house, but I have a problem. I absolutely have to wear eyeliner to look presentable out in public, but I sweat a lot when I exercise. I don&#;t want streaks of liner running down my face, and the thought of watching myself for an hour in those huge dance mirrors without eyeliner stresses me out. Can you recommend a good eye pencil that can stand up to someone who sweats a lot like me?

Love,

Eyeliner Lover in Emeryville

Dear Eyeliner Lover in Emeryville,

Girl, I am a huge fan of sweat-resistant makeup, especially when big mirrors are involved. I know I don&#;t want to look at smudgy eyes and dark circles while I drop it like its hot (well, like it&#;s warm; this 30-something booty can&#;t move like it used to). I *totally* feel your pain.

What you need is a good waterproof eye pencil. I&#;ve road tested some different brands in dance class and my favorite by far is Clarins Waterproof Eye Pencil ($22). It&#;s both sweat- and smudge-proof, even when I&#;m sweating buckets. And the texture feels creamy and soft, so the pencil doesn&#;t tug at my lids (a pet peeve) when I apply it onto my upper or lower lash lines.

It comes in four lovely colors &#; black matte, bronze shimmer, violet matte and turquoise shimmer. I&#;ve worn all four in different combinations while dancing, and my fave combo is violet on the upper lash line, with bronze on the lower. The look packs just enough color to make my eyes pop.

The Clarins pencil has two tips &#; color on one end and a sponge smudger on the other. The smudger lets you diffuse and soften your lines. Tres handy!

There&#;s just one catch (always a catch!): the formula isn&#;t the most versatile in the world. I can only wear these when I don&#;t have to do a lot of blending or layering. For some reason &#; I think it&#;s the fact that they&#;re long-wear &#; the pencils don&#;t blend easily when I layer powder eyeshadow on top of &#;em.

But for simple, waterproof looks for the gym or dancing, these are a great bet! Just add two coats of waterproof mascara (Shu Uemura makes a great one) and you&#;re good to go.

Good luck, and have fun dancing!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Looking for some tough love &#; makeup or otherwise &#; or need to bounce ideas off someone else? your questions to me at . Shh&#; don&#;t worry, I promise to keep your identity secret! xoxo

INIKA PURE PRIMER*: This is a primer that could easily be used as a moisturiser if you were in a pinch. It makes the complexion look plump and juicy due to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid in its formula.  As well as of course prepping the skin for any other makeup you're going to apply over the top. It's something that's more geared towards dry and dehydrated skins due to its moisturising qualities but it can work with a combination complexion. When you're struggling with dry flaky patches of skin you want a product that will help any base products glide over them instead of enhancing them and that's exactly what this does. It's not a primer that is going to increase makeup wear time dramatically [although it does help] but it's more about how it makes your skin feel when wearing a full face which makes this such a good option on long days. 

MAKE UP FOREVER WATER BLEND FOUNDATION*: This is the latest foundation release from the brand and like the name suggest it's incredibly lightweight due to the fact that it's 80% water. With foundations like this, the key is to shake them before application to mix everything together otherwise the consistency is obviously incredibly runny. The formulation and finish is similar to the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat but it's just a little sheerer in terms of coverage [it can be easily built upon though]. Considering it's formulation you would think it would just melt away from the skin but it stays put and of course, that lovely soft formulation makes it super comfortable to wear especially when your complexion feels tired and stressed. 

YSL YOUTH LIBERATOR: If a lightweight sheer foundation isn't your thing then a base like the YSL Youth Liberator is truly dreamy. It's something that seems to work no matter what the condition of the skin, whether it's dehydrated or an oil slick it stays put and its staying power is pretty incredible. It's a gel formulation which not only makes it feel wonderful on the skin but it's also a dream to work with in terms of blend-ability as well as being able to build coverage too. The finish this leaves is exactly how I'd like my skin to look all the time [a girl can dream] as it's radiant without being too dewy, it's a true satin finish. YSL foundations are super luxe and expensive but they're well worth it in my opinion but grabbing a sample is always a wise idea as they do contain fragrance. 

HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING BLUSH: My relationship with these beautiful perfect to photograph blushers is complicated. Because they are truly stunning in their shade range and formulation. But, they're super expensive and so overhyped in the beauty world not to mention the fact the Maxfactor Creme Puff Blushers are a perfect dupe. The formulation is buttery smooth and they glide onto the cheek with ease and the slight iridescence adds such a lovely soft focus effect to the cheek. So often powder products, especially blush can wear uncomfortably throughout the day and start to feel drying and powdery but these blushers don't. I probably won't ever think these items are worth their hefty price tag but they're beautiful and there is no denying that. 

KIKO LOOSE POWDER EYESHADOW*: Loose powder products are a little bit of a faff to apply there is no doubt about that. And I was always under the impression that something that was loose wouldn't be long lasting at all and would just fall down. But actually, they tend to wear incredibly well. For some reason, because  the shadow is loose it somehow it makes it just that bit more comfortable to wear all day. As well as making it super easy to work with and blend onto the lid. Kiko is a dark horse in the beauty world as they're incredibly affordable but they really do have some wonderful products that rival high-end brands. 

TOO FACED BETTER THAN SEX MASCARA: A really terrible habit that I used to have was picking and tearing all the mascara off from my lashes because it used to drive me crazy to wear it all day. The Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara aside from its horribly gaudy name is one of the best mascaras for not only staying put all day but feeling great on the lashes. It always delivers a really pretty fanned out volumised look which can easily be built up to an intense finish. But for the day to day, I prefer to go for a more toned down lash look. Not only is it super comfortable to wear all day but it wears well too and I never find this to flake down or smudge which is something I find can often happy when your skin is a little more on the oily side. This mascara is of course high end with the price tag to match so if you're after something that's equally good from the high street. The Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara is incredible. 

REVLON MATTE BALM IN SULTRY: When you want a long lasting lipstick so often you get forced to turn to something that's matte and drying. But the Revlon Matte Balms despite their misleading name are satin in their finish meaning they're much more comfortable to wear but still stand the test of time. And the twist up packaging makes them a breeze to apply and you can get a precise finish without the need for a liner. Considering they're a high street product their formulation and shade choice is something that can rival products nearly 3 times the price.