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· August 9, 2007 3:31 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
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Posted by Dain, Thursday, August 09, 2007 12:07 AM (Eastern)
Above: On the left, an everyday look, naturally pretty but polished, rosy blush and lips, subtle definition on eyes with a defined brow (similar to mine). On the right, full-on glamour with red lips AND smoky eyes, though personally I just wear one or the other.
Here's what I've written thus far, so all the articles are together, philosophy and in-depth guides:
A Guide to Minimalism (The Philosophy)
A Guide to Minimalism (A Politicized Rant)
The Minimalist Skin
The Minimalist Face
The Minimalist Lip
The Minimalist Eye (brows)
The Minimalist Eye (lashes)
The Minimalist Eye (define)
The Minimalist Eye (depth)
The Minimalist Eye (wash)
The Minimalist Hair
The first trick to minimalism, as I outline in the first article listed above, is founded on two basic principles, perfection and complexity, in order to ensure maximum versatility (the more versatile a product, the more uses it has, therefore reducing the number of products you need). The second trick (which is expressed in greater detail in the second article), is a question of need: examine well your blood*. Consider the reasons why you buy products, whether it is out of insecurity, the pleasures of novelty, or simple compulsion. I'd be the first to say that shopping should be fun, not serious; after all, many of my holy grails have been impulse buys, while others still make feeble first impressions but earn their place in my stash—you can't plan this stuff out, really, it's more a matter of experimentation. However, if you have a problem with overshopping and hoarding, or are simply sick of too much crap, then it's good to learn how to become a smart shopper, rather than a compulsive one.
The third trick is what I wish to explain in this conclusion (about time! I'm ready to move onto something new!). And this is a holistic matter, i.e. the sum total of the individual products working together, however complex they may be on their own (explained in the subsequent articles). A pretentious term for it might be, the synergy of a stash. This is important because products are static, while stashes are dynamic, and thus reflect the owner's personality. The synergy of a stash is even more important to a minimalist, because when you have fewer products, it is particularly essential that they work together well.
Let me explain how this works. Skincare works together; your cleanser, your exfoliant, your sunscreen, your moisturizer, and whatever treatments, all come together to improve your skin. Your skincare regimen works in combination with face products, for obvious reasons, as the better your skin, the fewer products you need. Among face products, your perfect blush will be your guide to choosing lipcolors (though when it comes to application, you should apply your blush last to make sure you don't overdo it). When it comes to a "look", the colors and methods you choose must work together, i.e. a smoky eye will demand muted blush and lips, while red lips will pair with subtle effects like highlighter as blush and tightlining. Specfic looks will determine specific color products, and vice versa. And of course, the products you use will determine the tools you need. Within a stash, the products support and complement each other—ultimately, this is what I mean by synergy.
And so, here is mine:
SKIN
I have sensitive skin that breaks out rarely, though I have some clogged pores (minimal, though). It is normal in the summer, humidity will make it somewhat oily, but in the dead of winter it is rough and parched. I wear eye makeup that can be somewhat difficult to remove, because of inner rim lining, so instead of risking damage to the delicate skin around the eyes, I have decided to make eye makeup remover a part of my regular routine. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is my tried and true cleanser. I've not had any success finding a good exfoliant that doesn't do horrible things to my skin, so I think I may just stick to a time-tested Korean trick, a viscose cloth ($0.99 for two, and it lasts longer than any product). I hate how sunscreens feel, so I don't wear any, which is very bad, but can't be helped, I'm picky. Likewise, I'm too picky to have found my holy grail moisturizer yet, though I've found any number of good ones. For summer, I prefer Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel alone for its subtle brightening, healthifying effects, but it will make a great breathable night cream in the winter under Burt's Bees Repair Serum. As far as treatments are concerned, extreme dryness and sensitivity are the major concern, for which Burt's Bees Repair Serum is excellent (it also doubles as eye cream).
FACE
I take very good care of my skin, so I need little extra help in this area. For most days, Stephane Marais Perfect Concealer and NARS Sin are perfectly adequate. They're the small improvements that make a huge difference; they make me look fresh. My only complaints are that I'll have to replace my undereye concealer with the much more expensive Clé de Peau, and I wish Sin were a smidgen less strong (less shimmer would be great, too—sparkly blush is silly). When I want more polish, I don't wear foundation or tinted moisturizer (which feel heavier, and subdue the glow natural to skin) but powder, Caron Poudre Peau Fine, which adds light to the face and very subtly blurs imperfections. As a blush alternative for red lips (berry blush is too strong), I use a fleshy shimmer shadow to give a glow to the skin (no need for an extra product). A blush brush is required, I'm thinking of investing in Shu Uemura.
LIPS
This is perhaps where my fine talk about complexity and versatility best comes into play: NARS Gothika Lip Gloss, a rich, sophisticated burnished rose with berry undertones (it is a grown up version of my first favorite lipcolor, Loco Cocoa). It's got similar tones to my perfect blush, so it's automatically flattering and ever appropriate. It dresses up, dresses down, matches everything, doesn't matter. It is true that there are many other flattering shades, but I've realized that they pale in comparison to Gothika, and if that's the case, why bother? There's one situation that Gothika fails to cover, and that is the queen of lipsticks, red. For that, I adore Giorgio Armani Armanisilk #46 Bordeaux. Hey, and lip balm, Dr. Hauschka.
EYES
Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow and Tweezerman Slant takes care of brows. A fleshy shimmer is essential, and mine is the silvered peachy-champagne of NARS All About Eve, though I'd rather find a single of this shade (I don't use the other). This is easily paired with tightlining, I'm thinking MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, which makes lashes look lush and dense, plus L'Oréal Carbon Black Voluminous Mascara. These are both "natural" (not makeupy) techniques for every day, but they make my dark eyes glow. As a rule, I favor minimal eye makeup, at least in appearance; in practice, it's a bit of a routine. If I desire more definition, MAC Teddy Eye Kohl is gorgeous and easy to wear: a smoky line turns that glow into a fire. If I wish for depth, I trade All About Eve for the pretty pewter of Shu Uemura ME Brown 850, and for an ethereal, fairy-like look, I alternate a soft lilac, like Chanel Lavande Soft Touch. I need the following tools: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, Tweezerman Slant Tweezers, Shu Uemura 13G Natural Brush, NARS Push Eyelining Brush, and Kevyn Aucoin Small Eyeshadow Flat Tip Brush.
My "everyday face"—undereye concealer, rose-plum blush, rose-plum lipcolor, fleshy highlight, tightlining in black and black mascara, defined brows—is easily modified. All I have to do is add a smudge of kohl here or switch in a colorful shadow there. I don't experiment much, so this much variation satisfies me. When I wear red lipstick (and this is what I mean by a product that determines a look), I change in the fleshy highlight as blush and alternate the pewter for some depth. When I want smoky eyes (and this is what I mean by a look that determines the products), it's a complex layering of All About Eve, as highlight, ME Brown 850, to soften liner and add depth, and MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, as regular liner this time, smudged a bit, with minimal lips and cheeks (highlight and lip balm, or Gothika really sheer). I also intend to keep NARS Cleo and MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl, for the rare occasion that I get bored with these looks.
*A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 1 Scene 1, I think, Theseus to Hermia.
Labels: beauty notes, burt's bees, caron, cetaphil, chanel, dr. hauschka, giorgio armani, jurlique, kevyn aucoin, l'oreal, mac cosmetics, minimalism, nars, philosophy, shu uemura, stephane marais
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August 9, 2007 3:31 PM,
Actually that makes sense--the synergy of the stash. It's not unlike the concept of building a wardrobe, having the pieces mix and match. More is not always more.
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