Beauty Ice Breakers

[danielledanielle]

BIC is the place to talk about beauty!  There are lots of fun threads, from mask to makeup (and even photo A Year of Beauty- Photography Challenge ) challenges all the way to pet paradise.  In my early days, I kinda wanted to talk to everyone, but I didn't know what to talk about, I just knew I loved makeup and had found my people.

With threads like Monthly Favorites: May 2025 Edition! Community Favorite Concealers: Tag your Holy Grails!  , Beauty Pet Peeves 2 I feel the most comfortable when chiming in because I can talk about makeup.  I figured, hey, let's open up some discourse amongst ourselves; a thread with getting to know you questions could be kind of fun.  (And, I still get to talk about makeup.)

photo cred: HelloGiggles

I'll post a question and a phrase with a blank and change it weekly? periodically. Answer one or both.

[Saradestin]

I am on the same boat @quspork , mascara application = making weird faces

[missjeanie]

All of this @quspork ! You described me with mascara to a T!

[danielledanielle]

Hee hee, @quspork , fish face is a necessary evil.

That mask is like my "will I or won't I" item, too.

[WinglessOne]

When I put on mascara, I always chant “don’t water, don’t water, DON’T WATER” to my eyes. Sometimes out loud, even. It very rarely works. My eyes tend to tear up while I apply any brand’s mascara, even if it doesn’t actually hurt my eyes. I sometimes have the same problem when applying any type of sunscreen around my eyes. It's mostly a pressure sensitivity thing, which is why I need super soft makeup brushes for my eyes. That's my excuse, anyway. 😂 

Most expensive item on my loves list: currently it's #Jo Malone London Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense 1.7 oz/ 50 mL Spray which I'd use mostly for layering, were I to ever buy a bottle. I need to smell it again to decide whether I still want it, since it's been on my Sephora Loves list for a long time. So long, I forgot it was there. 

[Saradestin]

That happens to my sister as well @WinglessOne . She cannot apply mascara nor eyeliner without tearing up. 😓

[WinglessOne]

@Saradestin  I feel for her. It’s such an annoying thing to deal with. 

It’s why I’m so fussy about which sunscreens to use around my eyes. Most chemical sunscreens burn my eyeballs (except those that don’t run into my eyes, like Unseen Sunscreen and one of Eucerin’s), but most mineral ones require too much rubbing on my lids and undereyes, which causes waterfalls. Heck, even applying eyeshadow primer can start the waterworks. My eyes are too dramatic. 😂

[PrettyPaint]

@WinglessOne  I often have this same problem with the eyes watering. It always messes up my winged liner. 

[WinglessOne]

@PrettyPaint  Ugh, it's such a hassle, right? I always have to powder-set winged liner (with my usual translucent setting powder) to keep it in place. I definitely know the struggle. 

[PrettyPaint]

@WinglessOne  Do you apply the powder over the wing? I may need to try that...

[WinglessOne]

@PrettyPaint  Yep, I apply powder over the wing. I use the same powder to set concealer (By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder, the loose translucent version) because I need just a teeny amount under my eyes to do the job, and even less on winged liner.

Another thing that can help is extending eyeshadow primer out to where you plan to wing out your liner (beyond the lid). I don’t always do this when I plan to use liner without any eyeshadows, but it does help in conjunction with setting powder. 

[CynthieLu]

Eye sensitivity and mascara, that's a tough situation if you want to wear the stuff @WinglessOne so many can burn and sting a bit even if your eyes arnt sensitive. 

Ooh what are your favorite soft brushes?

[WinglessOne]

@CynthieLu  95+% of mascaras on the market (that I've tried anyway, and I've tried many over the years) irritate the heck out of my eyes, so I'm always surprised when one doesn't. I don't do waterproof mascaras because in my experience, those are guaranteed eye burners. Yet some colored mascaras play nice with my eyes. 

My favorite soft eye brushes are Chikuhodo Z Series (squirrel), namely the Z-10 pencil, Z-11 blender, and the Z-5 which I often use to set my undereye concealer because it's so soft and fluffy (and really too big to use on my lids unless I do a single wash of color all over). For goat hair, my faves are the Sonia G. Blender Pro, aka my favorite blender of all; any of Sonia's Worker brushes; the Soft Definer from the Lotus set; the Flat Definer and Mini Booster from the first Keyaki set; and the Crease One, which I use on the inner and outer corners instead of the crease. For 100% synthetic brushes, I've yet to find good performers that beat the softness of Luxie brushes. I still haven't memorized all the Luxie numbers so I can't list specific brushes. Luxies aren't as soft as squirrel brushes, but the ones I have are on par with Sonia G. saikoho goat softness. 

I have a lot of other eye brushes, including two 30 year old MACs I still love. But the ones I mentioned above are the softest in my collection. 

[CynthieLu]

I remember you reviewed or commented on a colored mascara ( Blue or red maybe) and you did say how you were happy that it didn't sting your eyes,

That's a challenge to live with, sensitive eyes are hard.  

Those brushes sound sooo soft and nice. 

I was debating a brush purchase and I invested in the Sephora Pro 8 piece set,  at the 30% off it was a steal. I went and felt them in store and they're sooo plush. Just waiting on delivery 🙃 But now reading everything you wrote in like oooh but are they soft 😅

[missjeanie]

@CynthieLu  I love the Sephora pro brushes! I haven’t delved into the super high end hand made yet, but I’m honestly so happy with the Sephora pro line. They’re my go to brushes daily. I hope you love your new ones just as much as I do!

[CynthieLu]

Thank you @missjeanie they felt sooo plush, I'm very excited for them to arrive 🤩

[WinglessOne]

@CynthieLu  The Sephora Pro brushes are nice. I still frequently use some of those brushes Sephora gifted me. In fact, I loved SEPHORA COLLECTION PRO Crease Brush #19 so much, I bought myself a second one. It's a good multitasker. I hope you enjoy your set! 

[CynthieLu]

Thank you @WinglessOne I'm excited about them for sure.  I visited them in store more than once honestly 😅

[danielledanielle]

@WinglessOne, oh man, what a struggle.  The closest thing I can relate to that is tightlining, but even that's not as much of an issue.  But, at least completely justifiable reason for fab eye brushes.

[WinglessOne]

@danielledanielle  Yeah, I rarely tightline thanks to my dramallama eyeballs. My eyes are also prone to infections, and then there's allergy season(s). Sometimes I'm surprised I can use eyeliner at all. I almost never wear mascara on my lower lashes because of all this. Well, also because I usually make a HUGE mess when I try that—unless I use Wander Beauty Mile High Mascara, which has a nicely shaped and sized wand for that task. 

But yes, I absolutely need the pricey squirrel brushes and the softest goat and synthetic brushes I can find... it has nothing to do with brush aesthetics, nooo, not at all. 🤣

[alexasteph]

1. I always makes that stupid open mouth mascara face hahahah. 

2. I don’t keep a loves list, but the most expensive item I’m currently considering is the new Hourglass palettes… the elephant one most likely. 

[Saradestin]

I also make faces while applying mascara @alexasteph  😅